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. | | 182nd Annual Convention Recap | | | |
In case you missed it, we recently shared updates from the 182nd Annual Diocesan Convention at Camp Weed & Cerveny Conference Center on September 19-20. Below, you'll find the results of the elections, updates on resolutions, and other important information.
Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to making this year’s convention a great success!
Election Results
The following individuals were elected at the 2025 Convention.
Diocesan Council
Lay, Apalachee Region: Amy Johnson
Lay, River Region: John Curington
Clergy: The Rev. Joe Gibbes
Disciplinary Board
Lay: Fred Koberlein
Clergy: The Rev. Teri Calinao
Sewanee Board of Trustees
Lay: Courtland Eyrick
Standing Committee
Lay, 2-Year Term: J. Byron Greene
Lay, 3-Year Term: Mary Dudley White
Clergy, 2-Year Term: The Rev. Bob Goolsby
Clergy, 3-Year Term: The Rev. Lisa Meirow
2027 General Convention Deputies
Lay Deputies
James Pierce
J. Byron Greene
Hannah Bardin
Laura Ammons
Alternate: Jim Salter
Clergy Deputies
The Rev. Sarah Minton
The Rev. Cn. Laura Magevney
The Rev. Lonnie Lacy
The Rev. Justin Yawn
Alternate: The Rev. Wiley Ammons
2025 Resolutions
All resolutions were considered and voted on at convention. Resolutions 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, and 9 all passed. Resolutions 4 and 6, including alternative language for Resolution 4, did not pass.
Miscellaneous
- The Rev. Justin Yawn is now the Standing Committee President.
- At the convention, Audit Committee Chair Tom Paul announced that the diocese has completed the 2023 audit.
- The Bishop Election and 183rd Diocesan Convention will be held on September 11-12, 2026. Please save the date.
- Convention reports that were not addressed at the convention due to time constraints, including from the Ministry of Racial Healing, Reconciliation, and Justice, as well as Camp Weed and the Cerveny Conference Center, the finance team, and Fr. Justin Yawn, will be available soon.
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Share Your Photos & Feedback!
For those who attended, we welcome your feedback and photos from the weekend! Please follow the buttons below to contribute.
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We are saddened to share that The Rev. Michael Jones passed away on September 21, 2025 at the age of 77. Fr. Jones lived in Newberry, Florida at the time of his passing. We appreciate Fr. Michael's service in the Diocese of Florida, and our thoughts are with his wife, Dn. Beverly, and his family.
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7th Annual Blue Mass at St. Paul's, Quincy
St. Paul's, Quincy hosted their 7th annual Blue Mass on September 7, 2025. They welcomed the Mayor, Chief of Police, four Fire Chiefs, and ten other first responders. The service included a distinguished speaker and a time of prayer and breaking bread together.
Bishop Stokes was an added blessing to the event, and his time and effort to attend were appreciate by many.
After the service, St. Paul's hosted a blood drive for their ongoing partnership with the blood bank, collecting another 1.5 gallons.
The Blue Mass service has become a tradition that local responders and residents of Gadsden County look forward to. The event was featured on ABC 27 WTXL, which you can watch here.
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The Order of the Daughters of the King® Fall Assembly
The Order of the Daughters of the King® met at St. James, Lake City on September 13 for the Fall Assembly Meeting. The event was a great success, with special thanks given to the youth and Junior Daughters who volunteered to help serve at the event.
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New Fruits of the Spirit Mural at Christ Church, Ponte Vedra
Artsy parishioners at Christ Church, Ponte Vedra contributed their time and talents towards this beautiful mural. The preschool and children's formation classes are learning about the fruits of the spirit. What a beautiful reminder!
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The Queens of Bunco!
On September 6, ladies of Episcopal Church of the Advent, Tallahassee gathered to play bunco. There were snacks, crowns, and lots of laughter!
The church hosts bunco nights around every three months, and it is a great time of fellowship and community.
| | | SMAA Campus Ministry Received RSO Designation from Florida A&M University | | | |
We are thrilled to announce that our SMAA Campus Ministry has officially received RSO (Registered Student Organization) designation from Florida A&M University! This significant achievement unlocks a wealth of opportunities for SMAA to engage more deeply with the student body.
Becoming a recognized RSO allows the SMAA Campus Ministry to officially host events and activities on campus, providing a platform to connect with students through fellowship, spiritual growth, and community service. They are incredibly grateful for the support received throughout the registration process.
The following FAMU student officers were in installed on September 14 during the Feast of Alexander Crummell service:
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Ashanti Watkins, President - Early Elementary Major
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Calsey Brooks, Vice President - Economics Major
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Jenner White, Treasurer - Fine Arts Major
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Cherish Redd, Secretary - Early Elementary Major
| | Recent Bishop Church Visitations | | | Bishop Benhase recently visited Grace, Orange Park on September 14. | | Upcoming Camp Weed Programming | | | Fall Clergy Conference: October 20-21 | | |
The annual fall clergy retreat for all clergy of the Diocese will start with lunch at 12 p.m. on Monday, October 20 and conclude on Tuesday, October 21 at 2 p.m.
The clergy conference offers an opportunity for continuing education, fellowship, and worship with our clergy brothers and sisters from across the Diocese.
To register, please click the button below.
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Happening #154 was held September 12-14 at Camp Weed and was a wonderful weekend full of joy, love, learning, and so much laughter. Rector Clay Hicks (St. Peter’s, Fernandina) chose the theme “Dance with Me” with the verse “At the right time, I, the Lord, will make it happen” (Isaiah 60:22). 42 high school candidates were served by 54 youth and adult team members from across the Diocese. This is a particularly special ministry as it is run by our youth, for our youth. The passion and fire for Jesus and sharing His love amongst our youth is as strong as ever!
Happening #155 will be held January 23-25, 2026. Both team applications and candidate registration are available now! Learn more and apply here.
| | Camp Weed Leadership Update | | |
We recently provided an update sharing that Lauri SoJourner is stepping down from her role as executive director of Camp Weed and Cerveny Conference Center as she embarks on an exciting new chapter in her career. Her last day is October 31.
We are incredibly grateful for the leadership, dedication and energy that Lauri poured into Camp Weed during her time with us. Among her many contributions, she enhanced budgeting and financial reporting, guided new levels of strategic planning, empowered her staff, and improved many aspects of the guest experience.
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As Lauri begins her transition, she graciously identified Helen and Rick Hargreaves, a husband-and-wife team, to serve as co-interim directors of Camp Weed and Cerveny Conference Center. Helen and Rick previously served together as co-executive directors at Camp Mitchell (Diocese of Arkansas) for 15 years before retiring in 2016. Since then, they have faithfully stepped in as interims at four other Episcopal camps and centers.
Following recent interviews, the Standing Committee unanimously approved Helen and Rick's interim role. They will begin their engagement on October 1, working with Lauri throughout October to ensure a smooth and faithful transition.
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Friendsgiving Appreciation Lunch
for Parish Office Staff
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"Faithful Hands, Thankful Hearts"
We invite all parish office staff to join us at Camp Weed & Cerveny Conference Center on Thursday, November 6 for a Friendsgiving Appreciation Lunch.
This is a free event, and we encourage all churches and office staff to participate.
Please RSVP to Deanna Peck at dpeck@diocesefl.org and let her know if you have any dietary restrictions. Deadline to RSVP is October 24.
We can’t wait to see you!
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