View as Webpage

If you're having trouble viewing the full newsletter below, please visit our Diocesan Digest newsletter archives on the website to read it in its entirety.

The slate of nominees for the IX Bishop of Florida was released on July 8, 2026. We are excited and grateful for these nominees. Please join us in prayer for guidance and discernment for the nominees and those who will vote on September 11.

Further information about the nominees and Meet and Greets can be found at DioceseFL.org/Bishop-Election.

The Reverend J. Randolph (Randy) Alexander, Jr.

The Reverend Dorian Del Priore

The Very Reverend Thomas (Tom) Purdy

The Reverend Doctor Dena Bearl Appointed as Vicar of St. Paul's, Jacksonville.

The Rev. Dr. Dena Bearl has been called to join St. Paul’s Episcopal Church as their vicar. Together, they are enthused to be fully engaged in ongoing ministry and to seek the guidance on the Holy Spirit as they discern God’s loving will for this historic church in South Jacksonville.

Good Shepherd, Jacksonville Calls The Reverend Elyse Gustafson to be Rector

Good Shepherd's Senior Warden, Kate Medill, says: "We are beyond thrilled to announce Mtr. Elyse as Rector of Good Shepherd. Her leadership, insight, and collaborative nature have been a springboard for us this past year, and the momentum at Good Shepherd is palpable. We look forward to many years of progress under her leadership as we serve God and others in his Church."

A Eucharistic Visitor is a lay person authorized to take the consecrated elements following a Celebration of Holy Eucharist to members of the congregation who were unable to be present at the Celebration of the Eucharist.

If you are interested in becoming a Eucharistic Visitor, we invite you to join us for Eucharistic Visitor Training led by the Ven. Lawanda Williams on August 22 at 9:00 a.m. at St. Paul's by the Sea.

If you plan to attend, please contact Hannia Reyes with your name, email address, church, and the name of your sponsoring priest.

Eucharistic Visitor trainings are held regularly throughout the year. Keep an eye on the diocesan calendar for future training opportunities.

Do you ever have big questions about the meaning of life and faith? Alpha is a Spanish-language course where you can explore those questions in a comfortable and casual setting.

At Alpha, you will share a meal, talk about the things that matter, and connect with other people who have similar questions. 

Alpha is a series of 8 sessions running every Friday from September 4th to October 23rd in Westbury Hall at Christ Church, Ponte Vedra Beach (400 San Juan Drive, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082). There’s no pressure, no judgment, and absolutely no cost to you. 

Everyone is welcome! To sign up, call 904-758-8118 or register here.

St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Palatka has been added to the National Register of Historic Places, recognizing the historic African American congregation as one of Florida's oldest and most significant Black churches and marking an important milestone in preserving the city's cultural and architectural heritage.

The church was built between 1883 and 1884 and is a rare example of Carpenter Gothic architecture and remains one of Florida's oldest African American wooden churches still serving its original congregation.

Jonathan Rich, author of Spires in the Sun: The Carpenter Gothic Episcopal Churches of Florida shares the following note: "Huge kudos to Dianne Taylor, together with any who may have assisted her, in preparing the NRHP nomination and pursuing the challenging process that resulted in this listing! Congratulations!"

All Saints, Jacksonville recently completed a week-long residency at St. Edmundsbury Cathedral in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk County, UK from July 10-20. The choir led music at six Evensongs and a Sunday Eucharist. The eighteen singers from All Saints were joined by seven singers from Good Shepherd, Jacksonville and St. John's Cathedral, as well as a Roman Catholic parish. Singers ranged in age from thirteen to over eighty.

Repertoire included Callahan's Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis from "The Harvard Service," Drinkell's Preces and Responses, and music by Rutter, Stopford, Helvey, Ebdon, Vaughan Williams, Stanford and L'Estrange. Dr. Michael Mastronicola was the director, and James Holyer, Director of Music at St. Mark's, Jacksonville, was the organist.  

Listen to a short clip of the choir in this Facebook post from All Saints.

Wrapping Up Summer Camp 2026 & Dates for 2027

We are ending Summer 2026 with 708 registrations, 42 counselors in training, and 28 staff members over the course of the summer, and what a fabulous summer it has been! We've spent the summer learning how to "Wear Love" and sharing the joy of camp and Jesus with each of those campers, CITs, and staff members daily. As Summer 2026 comes to a close, we hope you consider joining us again, or for the first time, in Summer 2027! Dates are available now by clicking here, and registration will open in the coming months! 

Summer Camp Staff

Our dedicated summer camp staff members are college-aged, along with a few exceptional high school students, who give up their summers to invest in the lives of our campers— working tirelessly to ensure each summer is magical for every child. It's an intense job that requires lots of patience and adaptability, and we couldn't be more proud of them! 

As we come to the close of the season, we are thinking about how to thank our camp staff, and we seek your support to honor these amazing staff members with a special end-of-summer gift and celebration. Your generosity will help us show our appreciation for their hard work and commitment, ensuring that Camp Weed continues to thrive for many more years to come. Click here to donate to that fund now! 

New Beginnings #14 Junior Weekend Advisor Applications

The Junior Weekend Advisor (JWA) application for New Beginnings #14 is available now! High Schoolers that have worked at least 2 teams are invited to consider applying to serve as the Junior Weekend Advisor for New Beginnings #14, November 6-8, 2026. This position demands a large time commitment, so please consider your schedule and availability before applying. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Dan Dallam at newbeginningsdand@gmail.com.

New Beginnings #14: November 6-8

New Beginnings (NB) is a renewal retreat for youth in grades 6-8. It is led by high school youth, supervised by adults. NB is a weekend that explores friendships, family, and faith, and helps participants grow in their love of themselves, others and our Lord Jesus Christ. During the weekend, participants meet peers from across the diocese, enjoy skits, listen to talks, and participate in small group activities and discussions. These activities focus on self, friends, parents, siblings, school, God's love, prayer and the church. Free time is built in for youth to have an opportunity to fellowship with their newfound friends. Participants may attend NB each year that they remain in middle school.

Happening #157

Happening #157 will be held September 18-20 at Camp Weed and led by youth rector Olivia Sheftall (St. Mark's, Jacksonville). Team applications are still open until August 2, so don't miss your chance to apply! High schoolers in grades 10-12 are invited to attend as candidates and must register by August 31.

Conference Center Room Improvements

The renovations at Camp Weed & Cerveny Conference Center continue! Work has begun on total renovation of our conference center rooms, including new floors, bedding, window coverings, painting, and bathroom upgrades. The conference center is getting a refresh, too, with siding replacement and painting underway.

Bishop Stokes Visits St. Gabriel's, Jacksonville

On July 19, Bishop Stokes joined St. Gabriel's for a beautiful service, where two were confirmed and one was welcomed as an official member.

Bishop Stokes Visits St. James, Lake City

As St. James celebrated the feast of their namesake on July 26, they also celebrated several confirmations, receptions, and reaffirmations. To round off a joyous day, Bishop Stokes emceed a fun game of Family Feud!

Serving Camp Weed with Skilled Hands

St. Peter's, Fernandina's Mission Team recently completed an improvement project at Camp Weed by building a new deck for the Camp Director's house.

Pictured left to right: Mike Sullivan, Early McCall, Dan Roach, Mike Lewis, Ed White, Jim Corbett, and Bob White.

A special thank you to Mike Flowers, Camp Weed Maintenance Director, for his assistance and support throughout the project. We are deeply grateful to the mission team for sharing their time, talents, and resources in service to Camp Weed!

VBS Supports Grace Mission

St. John's, Tallahassee collected nearly two tons of food for Grace Mission during Vacation Bible School! The children didn’t just learn Bible stories during VBS—they lived them by caring for others and sharing God’s abundance.

This is one of many VBS's that occurred during July. We rejoice in the rich welcome, community impact, and childlike faith inspired by these ministries.

Youth on Mission

Many youth members across the diocese took time out of their summer break to serve their communities! From book drives to food donations to facility repairs, we're thankful for our youth who demonstrate how to love your neighbor. Pictured below are youth from St. James, Lake City and All Saints, Jacksonville.

Registration

Registration is open for all clergy delegates, lay delegates, and guests. Registration closes on August 27, 2026.

Voting delegates who plan to participate by Zoom will be required to complete a mandatory Zoom training. 

Youth Delegate Applications

We're seeking enthusiastic youth to serve as Youth Delegates at the 183rd Annual Convention! Applicants must be rising sophomores, juniors, or seniors and will have seat and voice. Applications are due by August 14 at 5:00 p.m. Come do a new thing with us!

Pre-Convention Meetings

The diocese will hold three pre-convention meetings, available in person and online through YouTube live stream. Clergy and lay delegates are strongly encouraged to attend.

All pre-convention meetings and livestreams will begin at 6:00 p.m. No registration is required to attend the pre-convention meetings.

• August 25: St. John's, Tallahassee
• August 26: St. John's Cathedral, Jacksonville
• August 27: Holy Trinity, Gainesville

Meet and Greets with Bishop Nominees

Meet and Greets with our Bishop nominees will take place across the diocese in August, providing opportunities for all diocesan members to meet the nominees in person and hear their responses to questions in facilitated breakouts. 

Please register by August 14:

• August 17: Christ Church, Ponte Vedra Beach
• August 19: Holy Trinity, Gainesville
• August 21: Holy Comforter, Tallahassee

Bishop Election Process 101

The Bishop Transition Committee is answering common questions about the bishop election process. Follow the diocesan social media pages and visit DioceseFL.org/Bishop-Election to keep up with this educational series!

In the July issue of The Bishop's Institute newsletter, The Rev. Cn. Dr. Douglas Dupree shares insightful interviews with The Rev. Kimberly Hyatt, President and CEO of Cathedral Arts Project, and Dennis Stone, General Counsel of the Jacksonville Urban League.

Read the interview in the newsletter linked below. Subscribe to receive book recommendations, spiritual formations, and more each month!

The Bishop's Institute for Ministry & Leadership is holding a six-month course to prepare laypersons for the Bishop's License for Licensed Lay Worship Leader.

The foundation course will take place on six Saturdays during September 2026 through February 2027. The cost per student is $150; limited scholarships are available. 

If you are interested in learning more or applying for the course, click the buttons below.

August 8: Ordination of The Rev. Dcn. Jason Flack

August 16: Installation of The Rev. Catherine Montgomery

August 17: Bishop Election Meet and Greet - Christ Church, Ponte Vedra Beach

August 19: Bishop Election Meet and Greet - Holy Trinity, Gainesville

August 20: Clergy Only Meet and Greet

August 21: Bishop Election Meet and Greet - Holy Comforter, Tallahassee

August 22: Eucharistic Visitor Training

August 23: Bp. Stokes visits St. Paul’s, Jacksonville

August 25: Pre-Convention Meet at St. John's, Tallahassee

August 26: Pre-Convention Meet at St. John's Cathedral, Jacksonville

August 27: Pre-Convention Meet at Holy Trinity, Gainesville

August 30: Bp. Stokes visits St. Barnabas, Williston

Share a link to this email