November 1, 2023 | Volume 13, No. 44

Two resolutions coming to Convention 2023

When the Diocese of Georgia meets in convention next week, in addition to electing persons to positions in the Diocese and considering the budgets for the Diocese and Honey Creek, the delegates will consider two resolutions.

Patron Saint of the Diocese

One resolution would name Deaconess Anna Alexander the Patron Saint of the Diocese of Georgia. Deaconess Anna Ellison Butler Alexander (1865-1947) was born to recently emancipated slaves on St. Simons Island, Georgia. She became the only African American set aside in the order of deaconess in The Episcopal Church. She has been honored by the whole Episcopal Church through being added to the sanctoral calendar of Lesser Feasts and Fasts. The icon is written by Tobias Stanislas Haller, BSG.

This would give every congregation in the Diocese the express permission to observe the Feast of St. Anna Alexander, with its assigned collect and scripture readings every year on the Sunday closest to September 24 if they choose to do so. The resolution also urges congregations to take up a special offering on that Sunday to benefit the St. Anna Alexander Center for Reconciliation & Healing and the preservation of the historic Good Shepherd Episcopal Schoolhouse. You can learn more about this at the website: GoodShepherdSchoolhouse.orgc.

Companion Diocese

A second resolution, comes to convention after extensive work by a Task Group of Diocesan Council to consider our Companion Diocese relationship. They recommend renewing the current relationship. The Diocese of Georgia has had three of these relationships. The first, started by Bishop Albert Rhett Stuart in the 1950s was with the Anglican Diocese of Guyana, in the Province of the West Indies. Photo: The Very Rev. Denise Vaughn, who chaired the Task Group, presents their work and recommendation to the Diocesan Council.

In 1990, the Diocese of Georgia inaugurated a Companion Diocese relationship with the Diocese of Belize in Central America. Accompanied by laity, Bishop Harry Shipps traveled to Belize to sign a covenant with Bishop Brother D. Smith, SSF. There followed mutual visits and various programs sponsored by parishes, including Partners in Progress, an education support for Belize children and a dental program for children, Project Smile.

The current relationship with the Diocese of the Dominican Republic began in 2001, during during the episcopacy of Bishop Henry Louttit Jr. Bishop Logue called on the Diocesan Council to consider this anew and appointed a Task Group in 2022, which was reauthorized in 2023 with a new chair and additional members.

The Task Group of Diocesan Council studied the challenges and opportunities in continuing with this relationship or starting a new one and recommended a renewed commitment to the Diocese of the Dominican Republic with a term of five years, during which time it could be approved anew. The Diocesan Council unanimously endorsed this resolution during its September 30 meeting at Trinity Church in Cochran.

Read the full text of both resolutions online

Mary-Nelson Hoornstra (1931-2023)

The Diocese mourns the death of Mary-Nelson Hoornsta, beloved clergy spouse and member of St. Peter's on Skidaway Island in Savannah. The funeral for Mary-Nelson Hoornstra will be held on Saturday, November 4, at 2 p.m. at St. Peter’s, 3 West Ridge Rd. on Skidaway Island, with a reception following.

Mary-Nelson was born in Charles Town, West Virginia on July 29, 1931. She graduated from Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, Virginia in 1953. It was at her first post-college job, teaching Christian education at the Episcopal Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Detroit where Mary-Nelson met both of her future husbands: the Rev. Colin Campbell, Jr. and the Rev. Paul Z. Hoornstra. At the time, Colin Campbell was a single young priest who had just graduated seminary, while Paul Hoorntsra was married with a young family and had just begun his service as a priest in the Episcopal Church after prior service as a minister in the Church of the Nazarene. 



Mary-Nelson and Colin Campbell were married on August 31, 1957. They served two Episcopal parishes in Gaylord, Michigan, then in 1963 were called to St. Clare of Assisi Episcopal Church in Ann Arbor, leading St. Clare’s from a mission to a parish and overseeing the construction of the church. In the 1960s, Colin and Mary-Nelson, along with the leaders of the Reform congregation Temple Beth Emeth, were at the foundation of a unique co-housing model of two congregations, called Genesis of Ann Arbor, that thrives to this day. Colin took a call to St. Mark’s in Palo Alto, California in 1972, where they served until 1984. Pursuing a career of her own, Mary-Nelson worked at Stanford University Medical Center, as broadcast coordinator in the public relations department. While there, Colin died of lung cancer at the age of 54.

In 1985, a year and a half after Colin’s untimely death, Mary-Nelson received a letter from Paul Hoornstra, with whom she had been in contact in the intervening three decades, offering his condolences on Colin’s death and informing her of the recent passing of his wife Elizabeth. Mary-Nelson and Paul began a correspondence that eventually blossomed into a second love for both of them. They were married on January 30, 1988 in Palo Alto, after which Mary-Nelson moved to Savannah with Paul, who had begun serving as Rector of All Saints on Tybee Island after having founded St. Francis of the Islands on Wilmington Island. Soon after they married, Paul and Mary-Nelson were called to work with others to found St. Peter’s on Savannah’s Skidaway Island and helped grow St. Peter’s from a mission church to the parish it is today. Though she was a transplant to Savannah, Mary-Nelson quickly fell in love with the community and never left after Paul’s passing on November 3, 2003 at the age of 83, residing on Skidaway Island for the last 30 years of her life.

As a clergy spouse, Mary-Nelson was called to embrace community in every parish she helped lead. On Paul's death, she worked to raise money for the Hoornstra Fund to assist church planting in the Diocese of Georgia. Mary-Nelson found time to improve her community outside the church as well, most recently as a volunteer at Hesse Elementary, assisting children in reading and homework.

Bishop Logue responds to a child's question about his crozier when with the children at St. Luke's in Rincon on October 22. They also invited him to join The Lord's Prayer Challenge.

Bishop Logue challenged to learn the Lord's Prayer in Turkish

The kids at St. Luke's in Rincon are taking part in The Lord's Prayer Challenge. Everyone is to commit to praying daily the prayer Jesus taught his disciples. Those who do not have it memorized are doing so. For those who do know the prayer in English, they are to try to learn the prayer in another language. The Rector, the Rev. David Rose, asked Bishop Logue if he would join them in the challenge. Since our bishop already prays the Lord's Prayer at least twice daily in Morning and Evening Prayer, the challenge was to learn the prayer in another language. The children chose Turkish. The video below is Bishop Logue's response to the challenge.

Bishop Logue created this short video for the children at St. Luke's in Rincon in response to their inviting him to take part in The Lord's Prayer Challenge.

Help Leading With Grace choose sites and dates!

The leaders of Leading With Grace are continuing to receive feedback about othe proposed 4-workshop series, but they need to hear from more of you! These workshops have been tentatively set for a month and a location, but they need to make sure these are the best places/times to hold these workshops. Please follow the link below to indicate the needs of your parish.  Remember, participants may attend any or all of the standalone, one-day workshops.

Registration will cost $35/person per workshop or $100 for all four. A link for registration will be available as soon as specific dates and locations have been set. Leading With Grace plans to roll all of this out at Convention and will be present for any of your concerns/questions. Follow the link below for descriptions of workshops, possible locations, and a survey to help us determine the details. 

Click here for the Saturday Workshop Series Survey

Honey Creek Silent Auction needs YOU!

Contact Beth Baker at bethbaker@bellsouth.net for more information.

Organ Recital at St. Peter's featuring new Associate Director of Music

Open Enrollment Ends TODAY

If you are enrolled or need to enroll, read the details on the Diocesan website here and make your changes by November 1^st. If you do not desire to change your existing coverage, you are still required to take action on your dental plan coverage if you wish to maintain it with the new vendor.

To enroll in a Delta Dental plan, sign into MyCPG Accounts at cpg.org. For more information visit the Delta Dental page on the CPG site at cpg.org/deltadental or call 888-894-7059.

You can view 2024 rates here. 

For information about eligibility for the Episcopal Health Plan, the Small Employer Exception (SEE) Plan, and the Group Medicare Advantage Plan, refer to the Medical Trust Administrative Policy Manual.

Please note that you can also leverage Health Advocate to assist with Annual enrollment decisions. They can be reached at 866.695.8622. If you need additional support, please reach out to Canon Easterlin (keasterlin@gaepiscopal.org) or Daniel Garrick (dgarrick@gaepiscopal.org). 

Convention 2023

Nominations

The following committee positions are open for nominations.Nominations are open until they are closed on the floor of convention and will continue to be updated in From the Field and online until November 8.

This year's Nominations Chair is Ms. Katie Grant from Church of the Good Shepherd in Augusta. 

Photo: Delegates engage in table discussion during the 2022 convention in Savannah.

Board of Officers of the Corporation – 1 lay person

Whit Davis

Church Disciplinary Board – 2 lay persons & 2 clergy persons

Clergy

The Rev. Susan C. Gage, LMT

The Rev. Samantha McKean

Diocesan Council – 1 lay person or clergy

Standing Committee – 1 lay person & 1 priest

Lay

Lisa Gibbs

Priest

The Very Rev. Al Crumpton

The Rev. June Johnson

The Rev. David Wantland

Trustee of the University of the South – 1 clergy person

The Very Rev. Tom Purdy

To view full nominee bios, click here.

To view the full job descriptions, click here.

To make a nomination, click here.

Once nominated, nominees will need to fill out the nominee form that can be found here.

Biographical information and photo must be received by October 10 to guarantee inclusion in pre-conference printed materials.

Additional Information

For lodging information, click here.

To register, click here. *Please note that each delegate needs to be registered individually with separate email addresses and cell phone numbers.*

Job Openings

Saint Paul's Church, Augusta GA  is looking for a Director of Children, Youth, and Intergenerational Ministries. This person will work collaboratively with a dedicated team of clergy, staff, and volunteers to continue to develop a small but vibrant ministry with and for children and youth in the parish. There is some flexibility in how the position may be embodied. But the essentials are to work within a team of people serving God at Saint Paul’s, while taking primary responsibility for ensuring that our ministries with and for children and youth continue to deepen and expand. This is currently a half time position, with an ambition to extend it to full time. 

A job description is available here:  https://saintpauls.org/director-of-children-youth-intergenerational-ministries/

Calvary Episcopal Church, Americus, GA is looking for an organist. Duties include Sunday services, choir practice, Holy Week services, Christmas Eve, funerals, weddings, and coordinate with the Choir Director. For more information, please contact the Rev. Richard Nelson at frrichard388@gmail.com.

Across the Diocese

St. Matthew's in Savannah hosted Scenes from Why We Are Apart: The Slave Bible and the Church in Black and White on Saturday, October 28. Presenters included Dr. Bertice Berry, Deacon Ella Roundtree-Davis, Mrs. Beryl Dandy, Hermina Glass-Hill, and the Rev. Guillermo A. Arboleda.

St. Patrick's in Albany had a great turn out for their annual Trunk-or-Treat.

A hay wagon full of fun at Christ Church Frederica on St. Simons Island.

A trio of dinosaurs in search of treats during the Trunk or Treat at St. Peter's in Savannah.

The Rev. Hal Weidman (at left) gives out candy during the Trunk or Treat at Christ Church in Valdosta.

The trunk or treat at St. Anne's in Tifton drew a huge response. They had games and a Dunk the Priest tank. The Rev. Leeann Culbreath had a mask and snorkel for the occasion.

The Rev. Galen Mirate blesses a tiny member of St. Paul's in Albany during the Blessing of the Animals.

The Rev. DeWayne Cope, Rector of St. Athanasius in Brunswick, had some assistance for the dismissal on Youth Sunday.

Members of King of Peace in Kingsland enjoyed their weekly art class.

Members of St. Michael's in Waynesboro took advantage of the timing of Bishop Logue's visitation and enjoyed dressing up for the occasion.

Members of St. Michael's in Waynesboro took advantage of the timing of Bishop Logue's visitation and enjoyed dressing up for the occasion.

Upcoming Events

Diocesan Convention

When: November 9-11, 2023

Where: Augusta

To register, click here.

Happening #108

When: November 17-19, 2023

Where: Honey Creek



Candidate registration here



1Book1Diocese

For Advent, we will read and discuss Everything Happens for a Reason (and other lies I have loved) by Kate Bowler

Discussion Guide for Advent

In Lent 2024, we will read and discuss The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness by Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz.

Lay Ministers' Conference

This conference is intended for any lay person in the Diocese who is in any active ministry in their congregation. Led by Dr. Scott Bader-Saye, the Academic Dean and Professor of Christian Ethics at the Seminary of the Southwest, this conference will focus on the ministry of the laity, including its joys and challenges especially over the past two years. It will frame our various calls in the context living them in a world in which "Christendom" is no longer the dominant culture (if it ever truly was!).

When: December 1-2, 2023

Where: Honey Creek

Click here to register.

Clergy Conflict Transformation Workshop

Who: All clergy

Where: Honey Creek

When: March 4-8, 2024

Contact the Rev. Becky Rowell (browell221@gmail.com) and the Rev. Melanie Lemburg (revmelanie@stthomasioh.org) to RSVP.

If you would like to have your submission considered for From the Field, it needs to be sent to Communications Manager Liz Williams (lwilliams@gaepiscopal.org) by noon on Tuesday.

Our one-year prayer cycle combines prayers for every congregation in the Diocese of Georgia with prayers for our ecumenical partners and for our Companion Diocese of The Dominican Republic.    

The 2023 one year prayer cycle is online here: 2023 Prayer Cycle.    

November 5 - 11

In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregations in Valdosta, Christ Church, Christ the King, and St. Barnabas. We also pray for our ecumenical partners in Valdosta, especially St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for the congregations in Santo Domingo, especially St. Philip the Apostle (San Felipe Apóstol).

November 12 - 18

In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregation in Vidalia, the Church of the Annunciation. We also pray for our ecumenical partners in Vidalia, especially Sacred Heart Catholic Church and for St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church in Reidsville. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for the congregations in Santo Domingo, especially St. Peter and St. Paul (San Pedro y San Pablo).

31-Day Prayer Cycles - Revised October 1, 2023

We also offer 30-day prayer cycles for those who wish to pray daily for the clergy and clergy spouses: Diocesan Prayer Cycle and Clergy Spouses Prayer Cycle. (Updated 10/1/2023)

To view Bishop Logue's full visitation calendar, click here. (Updated for 2024 - 6/20/2023)

Photo: Bishop Logue with those confirmed and received at St. Michael's in Waynesboro.

Executive Assistant to the Bishop Maggie Lyons will be on vacation this Friday.

The best way to reach a staff member is via email as we will always get back with you promptly in many cases and in 24-72 hours when working on more pressing matters. Staff e-mails can be found here with a list of responsibilities so you know who to contact for what.

You may also reach diocesan staff by phone at (912) 236-4279.

Bishop Logue tried on the decorative mitre, created by Cynthia Mann for the dessert table at St. Michael's in Waynesboro. He will not be wearing this fun creation for liturgies.