August Enews Supplement

Notes from the Office of the Bishop

Diocese of Easton's Creation Care Committee

My name is Rev. Margaret Brack, and I am the Rector of St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Salisbury, MD. I am honored to have been called by Bishop San to be the Chair of the new Diocesan Creation Care Committee. The committee consists of both clergy and lay people from across the Diocese of Easton. Our goal is to educate and encourage churches to embrace creation care as a way for us to live out our faith in preserving and sustaining the earth that God has given us to care for and protect! We are in a time of great concern and the clock is ticking on the future of the planet as we can see by the increased weather events and intense temperatures. Our committee will be sharing educational materials that will aid and teach faith communities how to participate in this ministry of healing the land and water surrounding us and beyond. We will host projects, share parish successes, and also learn from the challenges that may have been faced by them during the process. Our hope is that we will encourage parishes to become knowledgeable about practical ways they can improve the sustainability of their churches and grounds. One personal goal of mine with the CCC is to encourage our diocesan churches to become members of the Interfaith Partners of the Chesapeake (IPC), and to actively support environmental legislation both locally and statewide.

During September we will be encouraging the parishes in this diocese to participate in the 2024 Season of Creation. All materials for use in your church will be free and accessible to print and distribute to your assemblies at worship services or online. If you have any questions, please contact me at revmargaretsbrack@gmail.com or (240) 904-6171. Invitation to Join The Season of Creation 2024

Bishop's Institute Fall Trainings: Training Classes will be for Eucharistic Minister, Eucharistic Visitor and Worship Leader. Join the network of those serving across the Diocese! Learn about these Ministries here.

This Sunday is Green Hill Sunday when all the Episcopal congregations in Wicomico County will head to their mother church, Old Green Hill Church, for worship and picnic. All are welcomed and encouraged to attend. Holy Eucharist will be at 10am in the historic 1733 church with a community picnic to follow, featuring Red Roost fried chicken.

Bishop Santosh Marray, will preside and Deacon Lynn Wiljanen will be the preacher! Father David Michaud and Pastor Greg Harbaugh will also be participating as ministers in the service. The worship and picnic are all being coordinated and financed by the Diocese of Easton’s Green Hill Church Committee. See Green Hill’s Facebook page for more information: https://www.facebook.com/oldgreenhillchurch.

GPS address for the church is 4035 Green Hill Church Road, Quantico, MD. Directional signs to the church are placed along the way.  Click here for a map.

Green Hill Community Choir: All singers from all the Wicomico Episcopal churches are encouraged to be part of the Green Hill Sunday community choir. To sing in the choir, please arrive promptly at 9am on Green Hill Sunday in the church for rehearsal.

Ordination to the Transitional Diaconate

By the Grace of God, The Rt. Rev. Santosh K. Marray, DMin., DD

Eleventh Bishop of the Diocese of Easton, will ordain Alice Joanne Fisher, Kelsey Marie Spiker, Jessica Stehle and Michael Robert Valliant to the Sacred Order of Deacons in Christ’s One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church

Feast of the Holy Cross on Saturday, September 14, 2024 at eleven o’clock in the morning, Christ Church, Easton, 111 South Harrison Street, Easton, Maryland. Your prayers & presence are requested. Reception following the service in the Parish Hall. Clergy are invited to process - Red Stoles

The service will also be live-streamed

https://www.facebook.com/christchurcheastonmd

and posted to YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/@ChristChurchEaston

Clergy and guests, please R.S.V.P. by September 5th to Lynn Anstatt

or call 410-822-1919.



Please keep Bishop San in your prayers next week as he undergoes a few minor medical procedures. Bishop San will officially return to the office on Tuesday, September 3rd.

We are very happy to let you all know that The Rev. Joseph Rushton, Rector of Church of the Holy Spirit, Ocean City has been discharged from the hospital and is recuperating at home in Severna Park. If you would like to send him a card, please mail them to: The Rev. Joseph Rushton, 38 Boone Trail, Severna Park, MD 21146

Please continue to keep Father Rushton, Nick, the family of the donor, and his medical team in your prayers as he continues on the path of restoration and healing.

Stewardship Training

Calling all Stewardship Teams (those who help raise funds for your church)... Find out about all the innovative and inspiring work being done around the Church to inspire giving - and walk away with your own comprehensive and workable plan... As promised at Convention 2024, the Diocese of Easton has partnered with the College for Bishops to bring Project Resource to our diocese for half price (50% off) - includes five zooms over September/October (join LIVE or watch recorded) followed by a Gathering of Teams on Saturday, October 12th. Read all the Details & Register Today!



We Are All One Body It has been a great privilege for me, as a part of the Listening Committee, to have met with several parishes over the last several months to hear their stories. Some are truly struggling financially, but I am often impressed and heartened by the selfless efforts on behalf of the church. Others may be better off but overwhelmed by what appears to be just too much that they must do. With all that is facing them, it is not surprising if sometimes it seems that supporting the Diocese falls off the priority list. “What has the Diocese done for us?” they ask.

Fr. Frank Crumbaugh, serving as Interim Priest for Christ Church, Stevensville, had provided this insightful and thoughtful essay (Stewardship: The Parish & the Diocese) in response to this question and has given us permission to share it across the Diocese. As he so eloquently explains, we are all one, we can help one another, and the Diocese can help us to do that and to help ourselves. Please consider his wise words as you make your decisions. 

Fred Welsh - Chair, Diocesan Finance Committee

SAVE THE DATE for Presiding Bishop-elect Rowe’s installation service As announced at the close of the 81st General Convention, the installation of Presiding Bishop-elect Sean Rowe will be a simpler, scaled-down event this fall with a view toward reducing carbon footprint and increasing virtual engagement and participation. The installation service will take place on Nov. 2 at the Chapel of Christ the Lord in The Episcopal Church Center in New York City with a prelude beginning at 10 a.m. ET and the service starting at 11 a.m. ET. There will be an extensive livestream production to support churchwide access and participation. Read more here.

The Diocese of Easton will hold three watch parties - one in each convocation! Stay tuned for more details!!

SAVE THE DATE!! OCTOBER 19th - via Zoom

The Diocese of Easton's delegation is preparing an overview of the 81st General Convention that took place from June 23 - 28, 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky. This overview will be shared with the diocese via a Zoom gathering on Saturday, October 19th. More information will be distributed as it becomes available.

Photos from the 81st General Convention Available

Photos from the 81st General Convention are now available on flickr for you to use. If you use any of these photos in publications, please be sure to credit the photographers accordingly.

Photos by Scott Gunn : here Photos by Randall Gornowich : here

Pastoral Concerns

We pray for the repose of the soul of Ronald Geesey. Ron was a faithful friend of the diocese, and served on the Diocesan Council, Board of Managers,

and as our Diocesan Treasurer. He was a member of All Hallows, Snow Hill.

We pray for the repose of the soul of Priscilla Davis Bryan Hall, wife of the Rev. Marcus Hall. Priscilla died just shy of her 102nd birthday.

We pray for the repose of the soul of Mrs. Louise Kamihachi, wife of the Rev. Deacon Jim Kamihachi.

We continue to pray for Father Joe Rushton, Rector of Church of the Holy Spirit, Ocean City as he recuperates from lung transplant surgery at home. Please keep Father Rushton, Nick, the family of the donor, and his medical team in your prayers as he continues on the path of restoration and healing.

We pray for continued healing and comfort for the following people and their families: for Peggy Beers. Jim Brack. Walt Burgess. Ernie Cornbrooks. Carolyn Lee Crouse. Rev. Frank Crumbaugh. Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. Nancy Dick. Lindsey Donovan. Janice Flood. John Friel. Doug Girardeau. Babs Glancey. Ann Savage Hastings. Randy Hastings. Grady Hebert. The Rev. Jim Kamihachi. The Rev. Jack Mason. The Rev. Michael Moyer. The Rev. Peggy Samuels. The Rev. Robert Smith & Susan Smith. Don Southerland. Chuck Trautmann. Goldey Vansant.

Submit prayer requests to: Beth@dioceseofeaston.org. Names are listed for four weeks unless otherwise specified. 

Diocesan Prayer Calendar

Today we pray for you

Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

August 25th

We give thanks for the witness of God’s people at Old Green Hill Church, the leadership of the Preservation Committee, and for the annual celebration of St. Bartholomew’s day.



Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost

September 1st

We remember Bishop Paul Jones, and the vital ministry of the Episcopal Relief and Development – may their work reach those in need worldwide.

Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost

September 8th

We give thanks for the witness of God’s people at Christ Church I.U., Worton, and for the faithful service of the lay leadership.



Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost

September 15th

We pray for the people of La Iglesia de la Sagrada Familia de Jesus, Kennedyville, and their Pastor Mark Hansen, and his spouse, Heather.

For additional weeks, please visit our website or contact Lynn Anstatt.