Written and compiled by the Rev. Albert Kennington and Elizabeth Hunter Kennington

Fran McKendree, beloved singer and songwriter who led numerous youth gatherings, retreats, and conferences in our Diocese and throughout the Episcopal Church died June 10, 2021, in his home in Hendersonville, North Carolina, of cancer. A celebration of his life and ministry is planned for Saturday, September 11, 2021, at 2 p.m. at Kanuga Conference Center in North Carolina.

When I heard him sing, I was hooked, pipe organ and hymnal man that I am. I had already been warmed by his smiling personality, and I was embraced by the gentle power of his music. After a couple of his songs, I thought, “This man is a genuine minstrel - a wandering musician with his stringed instrument and his story to tell in the songs he sang – a story of love and peace and justice. He sang the love of Jesus.

Trinity Church, Mobile, was host to a diocesan youth event in November 2006. Fran McKendree came to lead it. As rector, my role was to welcome him and all of the teenagers and youth leaders from around the diocese who came for the weekend. I was there when he arrived and joined others in helping him unload his equipment and get it hooked up. All-day long, youth leaders arranged chairs and tables and made registration arrangements and coordinated with local families who provided overnight hospitality. When his sound equipment was hooked up, Fran checked it out to make sure it was ready for the evening program. When he tuned his guitar, strummed it, and started singing. I was hooked.

Fran was minstrel to many beyond counting. His music will go on for a long time. For this remembrance of him, I welcome the loving thoughts of friends and neighbors, all with ties to our Diocese, who have shared their remembrances...

The General Convention deputation from the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast has begun some preliminary work ahead of the 80th General Convention to be held in Baltimore, July 5-14, 2022. General Convention usually takes place every three years, however, COVID-19 intervened and the 80th convention was moved from 2021 to 2022.

Early in July, the president of the House of Deputies, the Reverend Gay Jennings, released the rosters of all the legislative committees for GC2022. You can access the entire list of committees (and search by name, diocese, or committee) by using this link: https://houseofdeputies.org/2022-legislative-committees/.

Our diocese is well known for its strong GC deputation and participation. Five of our eight deputies have been assigned to committees, which is a little over average (each diocese has four lay and four clergy deputies).

The committees they will serve on are:

Our remaining deputies are:

June Link, the Rev. Christie Hord, and the Rev. Pete Burgess. Alternates are Deacon Ed Richards, Eugene Johnston, Jr., Jeannie Kienzle, the Rev. Jim Flowers, and John Griffing.

Bishop Russell's assigned committee is Government and Structure.

The Rev. David Knight, Chair

As we have mentioned previously, our Diocese has been chosen to participate in this new program that aims at raising up lay preachers with a very solid foundation for preaching the Gospel in effective and inspiring ways.

We are on the lookout for five to seven people from our Diocese who may feel called to commit to this special program which will begin in January of 2022 and go through 2023. We will gather monthly and students will have designated readings and assignments in between our gatherings.

We do not have a specific program syllabus yet, but the Rev. Lydia Johnson and I will begin our training as homiletics instructors at the end of September this year at Kanuga Retreat Center.

We invite you to consider those in your parish who may be called to this special ministry and have the time to commit to the study and formation that will go hand in hand in this process.

I look forward to this new offering in our Diocese and pray that the Holy Spirit will stir hearts to come forward and join this new venture. Thank you for your support and trust in our mission as we expand the School and launch this very special opportunity in our Diocese.

If you have any ideas, inspiration or feel the tug of the Holy Spirit, please talk to your rector or priest-in-charge. If you need further clarification, please reach out to me or Bishop Russell.

Rev. Joy Blaylock, Ph.D

Dean, DCGC School for Ministry

joyblaylock@diocgc.org

For over 20 years, the life and martyrdom of Jonathan Myrick Daniels have been remembered through an annual pilgrimage to Hayneville, Alabama. Due to ongoing pandemic precautions, the 2021 event will be a virtual celebration of Daniels’s life and work. The event is sponsored by the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama, the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast, and the Episcopal Divinity School at Union Theological. The celebration will be streamed on the Diocese of Alabama’s website and social media.

REMINDER Lay School Applications Due August 15, 2021

We are taking applications for our 2021-2022 Lay Ministry School certification tracts now until August 15, 2021.

If you have felt the nudge of the Holy Spirit or would like to “seek out” more in the exercise of your Baptismal call and covenant, please take a look at what our Lay School has to offer. The program begins on September 11, 2021 (10 a.m.-2 pm.) and will meet in Pensacola (or online) one Saturday a month until June of 2022. The cost per course is $300.

More information is available here.

Bishop Russell released a special View's From the Bishop's Chair video message on Tuesday, August 10: Praying for the Healers in Our Communities

CANCELLED September 17-19 at Beckwith

The 40th Annual Men's Conference, scheduled for September 17-19, has been cancelled.

UPDATE - Moved to virtual Saturday, September 18, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. CDT

Join us for a workshop that will provide insights into the causes and effects of racism. We explore unconscious bias, prejudice, white privilege, and ways to work together to Become the Beloved Community. This offering is required for those in

parish leadership (such as vestries) and at the diocesan level (including serving on commissions, committees, agencies, or boards). It also qualified for eight hours of clergy training/education for those who complete the full-cay course. There is no fee to participate, but it requires the commitment to be engaged the full day. Limited to not more than 30 participants.

September 24-26 at Beckwith

BayLights is the annual diocesan homecoming weekend filled with fun, fellowship and fundraising for our beloved camp and conference center. Registration begins August 13.

August 15, Noon to 1 p.m. CDT

Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd is hosting an online Baptismal Forum as part of their Baptized for Life Initiative. The series is a roundtable discussion exploring contemporary life and current events as they relate to the fulfillment of our baptismal covenant. The first focus of the series is the upcoming mayoral elections in Mobile, Alabama. The three major candidates have agreed to give their thoughts and insights on this question: "How has your faith shaped you as a person; and as mayor, how will that person govern our city?"

Thursdays in September, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. CDT

Outdoor concert series. You are welcome to bring your own beverages and food, but food will also be available from a food truck and St. Christopher's concession. Follow the link for band and food truck schedule.

September 2, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. CDT

Come out for St. Peter's Bon Secour yearly fish fry, held every first Thursday during the months of June through October!

Through collaboration with Ministry Architects, we have curated a list of resources to help youth leaders effectively manage different aspects of their ministry.

Housed on the diocesan website, most documents are examples and may be downloaded for your own modification as appropriate. Resources cover ministry planning and organization, curriculum plans, event planning, volunteer organization and more.

ECF Vital Practices is a ministry of the Episcopal Church Foundation (ECF) whose mission is to be a comprehensive and holistic resource that helps vitalize Episcopal faith communities. Vital Practices offers vestry members and other people of faith, resources and tools to respond to the changing needs of the Church. Building upon the spiritually grounded, practical Vestry Papers articles that have inspired and informed vestry members since 1995, Vital Practices uses the Internet to both expand its offering and its audience.

[August 3, 2021] A notably diverse array of 30 new church and missional communities received approval for $650,000 in grants during the Episcopal Church Executive Council’s meeting in June.

The Episcopal Church General Convention in 2018 authorized the Task Force on Church Planting and Congregational Redevelopment to solicit and recommend grants for new and continued funding for new worshipping communities and missional enterprise ventures throughout The Episcopal Church. The resolutions particularly call on these new communities to connect with underrepresented groups, including youth and young adults, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ community, people of color, and people from diverse economic, educational, professional, and faith backgrounds.

The Season of Creation, September 1 through October 4, is celebrated by Christians around the world as a time for renewing, repairing and restoring our relationship to God, one another, and all of creation. The Episcopal Church joins this international effort for prayer and action for climate justice and an end to environmental racism and ecological destruction. This year’s theme is A home for all? Renewing the Oikos of God, and the Season of Creation 2021 Celebration Guide is now available with event ideas, prayers, resources, and more!

The Season of Creation may be a great opportunity to hold an outdoor worship service, ministry or advocacy gathering, or other creative events! For more ideas, visit our Season of Creation and St. Francis Day Resource Page.

2021 cycles of prayer are available on our website at www.diocgc.org/cycle-of-prayer.

Coastline is a publication of the Episcopal Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast, published on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month.

SUBMIT AN ARTICLE - due the Friday prior to publication date.

SUBMIT AN EVENT - posted on our website as received.

Direct inquiries to communications@diocgc.org.