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Celebrating Deaconess Anna Alexander
The team that's planning the Deaconess Alexander portion of the Revival and who have worked to preserve her legacy, gathers in front of her school house in Pennick with Diocesan Staff members. From left: Jackie Nobles Wright, Canon Katie Willoughby, Elizabeth Attical, Canon Frank Logue, Denesha Alexander, Sandra McCaster, Josephine Wilcox, Karen Alexander, Walter Holmes, Gladys Lyde, Senior Warden at St. Athanasius Church, the Rev. John Butin, Vicar at Good Shepherd, Catherine Nobles, Zora Nobles, Betty Alexander, the Rev. Julian and Esther Clarke.
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The Rev. Sierra Wilkinson Reyes recording the narration for the Deaconess Alexander video.
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A Saint in Georgia, Deaconess Anna Alexander, will be celebrated at the Revival on September 17th, both at a 10 AM service at Good Shepherd, Pennick, with Bishop Scott Anson Benhase officiating and the Presiding Bishop, preaching, and again at the main event at 2 PM at Honey Creek Retreat Center.
"We in the Diocese of Georgia are privileged to share the amazing story of Deaconess Alexander and her remarkable ministry," said Bishop Scott Benhase. "We will not allow her story to be lost.
"Deaconess Alexander's story is one of unsurpassed faithfulness," he continued, "against many odds and with little help from the Church's establishment, she accomplished so much and helped form many people into Disciples of Jesus. Her devotion to the Lord and her determination to see children get a good education speak loudly and clearly from her life story. All of us should be humbled by what she accomplished in such a life well lived."
Born the year of Emancipation to newly freed enslaved parents, Anna Alexander went on to become the first African-American Deaconess in the Episcopal Church. She served for more than 60 years at Good Shepherd, Pennick and St. Cyprian's, Darien, educatin
g and caring for the people in those communities. She traveled the 20 miles between the two churches on foot and by rowboat, always dressed in her Deaconess attire. She helped to build and start a school in Pennick and her legacy lives on in her descendants and the descendants of her students.
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The Rev. Michael Chaney is producing the video to be shown at the Revival.
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These same descendants as well as parishioners from G
ood Shepherd and St. Athanasius' Brunswick (shown above) have worked to secure the Deaconess' legacy, celebrating her Saint's Day and now working to obtain National Historic Preservation Landmark status for the schoolhouse. The group's motto is "we will not grow tired or become weary as we continue to move forward with the legacy of Deaconess Alexander."
At the Revival, a video by the Rev. Michael Cheney about the Deaconess will debut at the beginning of the service.
To register for the Revival: Fearless Faith, Boundless Love, go here:
EpiscopalRevivalinGeorgia2017.org
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This Sunday's Lections
Third Sunday After
Pentecost
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Stellar Evangelism Training Held
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The gathering at St. Peter's.
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The Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers, the Presiding Bishop's Canon for Evangelism and Reconciliation, Carrie Boren Headington, Missioner Evangelist, and
Jeremy Tackett, Digital Evangelist, led almost 120 people from the Diocese in two workshops held in Savannah and Tifton last weekend.
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Exchanging ideas at St. Anne's Tifton.
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"There is so much energy in the room," said Spellers at the Savannah training, held at St. Peter's Church. "There are a lot of people being really honest about why they came and their hopes for evangelism. The folks in the diocese have a lot of wisdom that they'll be sharing with each other!"
The event at St. Peter's was livestreamed and can be seen on the Diocese of Georgia's Facebook page by going
here
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Post Savannah training, pre Tifton training.
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Project Resource
Planning is Your Parish's Secret to Fundraising Success
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Loretta Brandon, a member of Trinity Statesboro, heads their newly formed Stewardship Committee.
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On the second day of the Project Resource gathering in May, speakers began to talk about planning our fundraising campaigns: capital gifts, planned gifts, and annual gifts. As I turned the page of my binder I was hit with a headline that said "Best Strategy for Giving: Plan Before Fall!
A powerful sense of guilt hit me like a lightning bolt, straight between the eyes. Why? Because for the past few years, I've been avoiding making plans for the annual giving campaign. No committee, no calendar. I just write a letter and a pledge card in September, hand it out, remind people to turn in their pledge, and four weeks later declare the campaign over. As the speakers continued, I slid lower in my chair, but by the end of the day's instruction, I had made up my mind to do better and follow the Project Resource annual giving calendar.
There was only one problem: the calendar of annual giving started in January. Because most parishes conduct annual giving campaigns in the fall, I decided to begin with as many of the May items I could do, and follow from there. The Project Resource calendar provides many preparation activities that could help the parish get ready to have an effective campaign for fall, so it gave me (and my newly acquired stewardship committee) guidance to get started.
May
- Write an article and publish how the last campaign went. What went well? What was funded? Why were pledges valuable to the mission of the church?
- Write an article that introduces the next campaign: when will it happen, why will it happen, a theme (if you have decided one).
June/July
- Prepare and send quarterly pledge statements confirming pledge amount paid and amount still due. This is also a good opportunity to say thank you to donors.
- Recruit volunteers to help in September/October campaign.
- Plan a campaign kick-off event.
August
- Continue campaign kick-off plans (such as a dinner) and publicize those actions.
- If you plan to do a phone-a-thon, recruit and train volunteers.
September
- Draft campaign communications, such as collects, bulletin announcements, and celebrant announcements.
- Develop "Ministry Moments" - presentations by congregation members that offer experiences of God's action in the congregation.
- Direct mail campaign brochure and pledge cards.
- Stewardship Campaign kick-off.
October
- Conduct encouragement phone-a-thons to keep donors involved.
- Continue to share Ministry Moments.
- Send third-quarter collections/thank you letters to donors confirming amount paid and amount due.
- Send thank you letters within 24 hours of receiving a pledge.
November
- Mark the end of the campaign with a celebration event.
- Hold Pledge Blessing Sunday.
December
- Send fourth-quarter collections/thank you letters to donors confirming amount paid and amount due.
- Assess the activity of the campaign. Did your parish meet its fundraising goals?
- Collect planning information and organize for next year.
- Write and publish thank you article for newsletter and congratulate parish on a successful campaign.
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Around the Diocese
The Episcopal College Fellowship at Valdosta State University (left) meets weekly in small groups, Thursday night dinners, and at church on Sundays. According to the group's college minister, Philip Ryan, Assistant to the Rector of Christ Episcopal Church Valdosta, "This group of students gathers together to be formed by Scripture, encouraged by fellowship, and equipped to serve by the Holy Spirit. While we are part of the Anglican tradition, we welcome all Christians and non-Christians. All who want to grow in their understanding of the Christian faith are welcome to join us for Bible study, activities, and service projects." Clergy and parents who have a student starting at Valdosta State University this fall, are encouraged to contact him at
[email protected] or 404-202-5785.
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St. Luke's Rincon held an Arts and Music Camp this week!
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Parishioners at St. Athanasius Brunswick, celebrated the church's 132nd Anniversary!
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Good Shepherd Augusta sent 19 children from Heritage Academy to Camp Bob at Kanuga this week.
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The Loose Canon
Rediscover the Celtic Way of Evangelism
As people who increasingly describe themselves as spiritual, but not religious, the church needs to learn anew from an approach that worked in this same context. Celtic Christianity thrived in a time when many people in the surrounding community were decidedly spiritual, but definitely not Christian. The way those 5th-10th century Christians found to share their faith is vital for the church to rediscover at this point in our history. And as I am on a pilgrimage this week walking the 63-mile St. Cuthbert's Way to Lindisfarne Monastery (I wrote this Loose Canon before departing), it seemed a time to revisit the Celtic Way.
In his book,
The Celtic Way of Evangelism (Abingdon Press, 2000), George G. Hunter III
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Melrose Abbey which sits at the northern end of St. Cuthbert's Way. Cuthbert was the Abbot of Melrose who became Bishop of Lindisfarne.
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makes a compelling case for how this different approach would be helpful today. I enjoyed the book when it was first published, but even more so when I recently reread it. For Hunter describes way of evangelism which fits well with our Anglican ethos. In brief, the approach is to emphasize belonging before believing.
Hunter notes that the Roman way of evangelism gives pride of place to doctrine--believing the right things before becoming part of a community. So we teach someone what he or she should believe and when they do come to share that same faith, the person is baptized, and welcomed into the church. Faced with a pagan population in Ireland, St. Patrick and those who followed him took a different path.
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Pilgrims hiked 7.5 miles across the Eidon Hills on Wednesday.
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Patrick started by knowing the people, their language, and customs. Hunter writes, "There is no short cut to understanding the people. When you understand the people, you will often know what to say and do, and how. When the people know that the Christians understand them, they infer that maybe the high God understands them too."
Then the Celtic Christians built their monasteries near towns and trade routes. These communities of largely lay people included people of a variety of trades which existed to be places where a different way of living could be experienced in community. Those in the community got to know the people in the villages and along the trade routes. And as the Celtic Christians followed a different pattern of life, the people they interacted with could see that difference in a group of people they came to know and trust. This reflects the saying that Christianity is, "More caught than taught."
Hunter does a better job of describing both how this worked for Celtic communities and its implications for Christians today than I can in this space. But a short way to convey the essence is captured in Jesus telling how his followers are to be salt
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The Logues on Calton Hill with Edinburgh in the background.
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and light. When someone gets to know Christians who they see genuinely living out their faith, it makes him or her curious to know more about this Jesus. For while we can tell someone what to believe, it is much more winsome to have someone notice that your faith in Jesus makes a real difference in your life.
Peace,
The Rev. Canon Frank S. Logue
Canon to the Ordinary
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Share your news in From the Field
Send your news, events and photos to
so we can feature them in upcoming issues of From the Field. Deadline for submissions each week is Monday at 4:30 PM.
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Prayers for Weekly Liturgies
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 52 weekly prayers are available in one document
found here.
June 25 - July 1
In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregation in Quitman, St. James. We also pray for our ecumenical partners, especially St. Jude Catholic Church in Glennville. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for the church of
Divina Gracia (Divine Grace) in Mozovi.
July 2 - 8
In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregation in Pooler, St. Patrick's. We also pray for our ecumenical partners, especially Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Garden City and Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Port Wentworth. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for
San Timoteo (St. Timothy's Church) in Nizao.
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Diocesan Office Update and News
Bishop Benhase's full schedule for August, 2017 through July, 2018 is available
here.
Canon Logue is leading a pilgrimage along St. Cuthbert's Way from Melrose, Scotland to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, England.
The Rev. Guillermo Arboleda, Priest-in-Charge at St. Matthew's Savannah, will officiate at the 12 noon Thursday service in the Chapel of St. George at Diocesan House.
The Diocesan House will be closed Monday, July 3 and Tuesday, July 4.
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The Rev. Denise Ronn baptizes Henry Guinnup last Sunday at St. Philip's Episcopal Church, Hinesville.
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Stewardship Training with Bishop Benhase
August 26, 9:30 AM to noon
Annunciation, Vidalia
Register
Stewardship Training with Bishop Benhase
September 9, 9:30 AM to noon
St. George's, Savannah
Register
here.
Revival: Boundless Love Fearless Faith
September 17
Fall Clergy Conference
September 17-19
Honey Creek Retreat Center
Stewardship Training with Bishop Benhase
October 21, 9:30 AM to noon
Holy Comforter Martinez
Register
here.
Stewardship Training with Bishop Benhase
October 28, 9:30 AM to noon
St. Paul's, Albany
Register
here.
Commission on Ministry
1:30 PM Friday, November 3 until noon Saturday, November 3
Location TBA
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