September 7, 2022 | Volume 12, No. 36 | |
A Daily Devotional for Advent to Epiphany | |
Take a journey from Advent to Epiphany that follows Jesus in the way of St. Francis of Assisi. The Diocese of Georgia will offer daily devotions written by Bishop Frank and Victoria Logue for a 7-week study. The short daily readings use the lens of Franciscan ideals including humility, simplicity, and peace as a focal point of each week. The study will be posted on the diocesan website and offered to churches for free use.
Each week will have a companion video that expands on the theme of the week. If you would like the study in book form, there will be the option to purchase a book at cost.
This will be perfect to enjoy as a solo study, a small group, or as an offering for the whole congregation. The devotions will be posted online daily starting the First Sunday of Advent, November 27. To assist in preparation, all of the materials will be available one month earlier.
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Tithe confirmation due September 15 | |
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By now, parishes should have received their tithe letter from Bishop Logue. Please review it and complete the confirmation form no later than September 15, 2022.
To ease submission this year, we’ve created a Google form to confirm receipt of the tithes. Please follow the link below to enter your parish’s pledge information:
https://forms.gle/PUZEiPwnPZ4hVous7
If you have any questions, please reach out to Canon Easterlin at keasterlin@gaepiscopal.org
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Baptized for Life at Honey Creek - THIS WEEK | |
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“Baptized for Life: A Lay Ministers’ Conference” is a conference is for any lay person in the Diocese. "I often have committed parishioners comment on our clergy conferences," Bishop Logue said, "telling me that they would love similar opportunities to learn in community. This is our response to that hope."
Dr. Lisa Kimball, the Vice President for Lifelong Learning and the James Maxwell Professor Chair of Lifelong Christian Formation at Virginia Theological Seminary will serve as the keynote speaker at this conference.
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There will also be time to rest, relax, and enjoy simply being together at Honey Creek! The event begins with Evening Prayer at 5:30 p.m. on Friday and ends at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday. Registration is available here, and costs are listed in the registration. You may choose to register for a single or double occupancy lodge room. If you choose double occupancy, be sure to name your roommate in the registration.
Contact Joshua Varner, Canon for Program and Liturgy, at jvarner@gaepiscopal.org with any questions about this conference.
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The missionary bishop who railed against "Romish" practices | As we approach the bicentennial of our founding in 2023, we will share the story of the Diocese of Georgia. This week we remember the second bishop of Georgia, John Watrous Beckwith. | The second bishop of Georgia, John Watrous Beckwith, said of the Episcopal Church, “She is simply a true Branch of the one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church—the Church of the Living GOD—the Pillar and Ground of the Truth! She dare not be less; she cannot be more.” | |
Born 1831 in Raleigh, North Carolina, Beckwith graduated from Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut in 1852. He served in North Carolina and Maryland before joining the staff of Confederate General William J. Hardee at the start of the Civil War.
Beckwith wrote from Atlanta of being a chaplain in a letter to his wife dated June 26, 1864, “I have asked Hardee for a candid opinion as to the ability of a Missionary to do work in the Army while this Campaign is going on, and he tells me it is simply impossible …. He says that if the men were brought together for service it would at once attract the attention of the enemy who would open fire upon us … and cause a useless sacrifice of life. He therefore advises me to confine my operations to the Hospitals, for nothing can be done here outside of his Staff.”
He was serving as the Dean of the cathedral in New Orleans at the time of his election. Bishop Beckwith was consecrated as Bishop of Georgia on April 2, 1868 in St. John’s Church, Savannah. On May 16, 1889, he gave what was by far the longest Bishop’s Address in the history of our Diocese. The 22-pages of text was long even by the standards of the day. He read into the minutes, as was required by canon, his daily calendar of activity since the last convention. This takes up the first six pages. The bishop then launched into a defense against the introduction of “Romish” doctrines through practices such as having lit candles on the altar for communion, wearing a chasuble, reserving the Blessed Sacrament, and other practices now considered traditional in the Diocese he led from 1868-1890.
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The lengthy address might have been easier on the ears than we first imagined. The Rev. Dr. Jimmy Lawrence in writing a history of the Diocese of Georgia in the early 1900s put it, “His wonderful voice, bringing out the full meaning of the services, at once arrested the attention of his hearers. When Bishop Beckwith read, people listened. His oratory in the pulpit attracted large congregations wherever he went, and the course of his episcopal visitations was like a royal progress.”
Beckwith served as Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia for 23 years during the difficult period of reconstruction. He led expansive growth across the state in starting new congregations. In his final annual report in Milledgeville in May 1890, he told the convention delegates, “I have not for years looked forward to the future with as much hope as now....All over the Diocese, among clergy and laity, there seems to be an increase in aggressive work on churchly lines.”
One strange, but true story is the 300-page book Beckwith published that was briefly a bestseller in Atlanta. The book was the evidence in the trial to depose the Dean of the Cathedral who had earlier been dogged by rumors that he was John Wilkes Booth. An article is online here: Unremembered Atlanta - An assassin's grave in Atlanta?
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Diocesan staff maternity leave contacts | |
The Feast of Saint Anna Ellison Butler Alexander | |
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You are invited to celebrate the life and legacy of Saint Anna Alexander on September 25, 2022 at 3:00pm at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Pennick. The church will also express their appreciation and well wishes to the Rev. John Butin who has faithfully served Good Shepherd, Pennick for 18 years! Seating will be limited per the size of the sanctuary, and the COVID mask protocol will be in place.
The Good Shepherd Episcopal Church and Racial Justice GA Team would greatly appreciate your church’s generosity in donating its September 25th open-plate offerings to: The Saint Anna Alexander Schoolhouse Restoration Project. Donations will be used to restore the original church/schoolhouse built by Anna and her brothers and other members of the community more than 120 years ago. Once completely restored, the building will be used to serve as a multi-purpose community and social justice center for the Glynn County area, the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia and other organizations, thus bringing together all peoples who desire to be actively engaged members of The Beloved Community.
Give online: https://onrealm.org/EpiscopalDioces91807/Give (select the St. Anna Alexander Center in the drop down) or text EDOG to 73256, followed by your gift amount, to give online through text. Select the St. Anna Alexander Center fund in the drop down.
What: Commemoration of the Feast of Saint Anna Ellison Butler Alexander and Celebration of the 129th Anniversary of Good Shepherd Episcopal Church
When: September 25, 2022 at 3:00pm
Where: Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, 780 Pennick Road, Brunswick, GA 31525
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Register for New Beginnings - October 14-16 | |
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New Beginnings #58 will meet October 14-16, 2022 at Honey Creek! This conference is for youth in grades 7-9 and is led by youth who have previously attended either New Beginnings or Happening.
Registration is open for all participants, using this link. If you are not certain that your registration successfully went through, email Canon Varner at jvarner@gaepiscopal.org and ask!
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Register for Happening #106 - November 17-20 | |
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Happening #106 registration for candidates (participants) is now open! Happening, held at Honey Creek, is a weekend retreat for youth, led by youth. The weekend is focused on discovery and learning about yourself and your faith, all while enjoying fellowship and fun with youth from across the diocese. All youth and adults must follow the diocesan guidelines for youth events, which can be found here.
Who: Youth in 9-12 grade
When: November 17-20, 2022
How: Register here!
For more information, contact Happening Coordinator Sarah Brittany Greneker at sbgreneker@gmail.com.
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Registration now open!
Each delegate, guest, and clergy spouse must register individually. This is an important and is a necessary step in order to have the appropriate contact information for each person registered. Parish administrators may register a delegation, but will need to use the delegate's cell number and email address in the registration.
To register for convention, click here. If you are receiving an error message when you click on the link, switch to a different browser.
Vendor Application
All exhibit requests are subject to approval by the Bishop's office. Applications are due no later than September 16, 2022. Vendor applications must be approved before registering for convention.
To fill out a vendor application, click here.
Convention Reports
Convention reports that are to be printed in the convention booklet are due to Communications Manager Liz Williams by Friday, September 23. Email them to lwilliams@gaepiscopal.org.
Elections
The following committee positions are open for nominations. Please note that we are electing deputies for the next General Convention, which will be held in 2024 in Kentucky. To be included in the printed convention booklet, nominations must be submitted by September 23. 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. We will elect persons to the following:
- Board of Officers of the Corporation – 1 lay person
- Church Disciplinary Board – 2 clergy persons & 1 lay person
- Diocesan Council – 1 lay person or clergy
- Standing Committee – 1 lay person & 1 priest
- Trustee of the University of the South – 1 lay person
- General Convention Deputies – 4 clergy deputies and 4 clergy alternates; 4 lay deputies and 4 lay alternates
To make a nomination, click here.
Once nominated, nominees will need to fill out the nominee form that can be found here.
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A Celebration of Women's Ministries Retreat | |
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All the women of the Diocese of Georgia are warmly invited September 16 & 17 to attend the Celebration of Women's Ministries at Honey Creek! This will be the first diocesan-wide ECW meeting since 2019 and will be a great opportunity to see old friends and make new ones. The keynote speaker at the Banquet Friday evening and Saturday morning will be the Rev. June Johnson from All Saints' on Tybee Island.
There will be lots of time for catching up, lots of time to walk the labyrinth, Bible study, reflection, and sharing sessions. All are welcome to bring knitting, needlepoint, etc for peaceful aids while listening and sharing.
This will include The Daughters of the King Fall Assembly.
The price of attending includes all meals and lodging from 3:00pm on Friday through 1:00pm on Saturday. New officers will be installed during the Eucharist at noon on Saturday. Registration forms can be found on the ECW webpage here.
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Addiction and Mental Health event cancelled | |
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Please note that the retreat, Addiction and Mental Health, has been cancelled.
For more information, contact the Rev. Kevin Kelly at kevink94@gmail.com.
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We want to hear from you! | |
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. | |
The Rev. Steve Larsen at Good Shepherd in Swainsboro blesses school supplies donated by parishioners during their annual Back to School drive. | |
St. Augustine of Canterbury in Augusta began a new roofing project. | |
Bishop Logue with members of Christ the King in Valdosta during his visitation. | |
The Canterbury Choir at Saint Pauls' in Augusta had their first Sunday back for the school year. | |
Job Positions Around the Diocese | |
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Darien is seeking a part-time organist for Sunday worship and special occasion services. Hymns and service music are typically from the 1982 Episcopal Hymnal. There is also a Tuesday evening rehearsal requirement with the choir, all to total approximately 3-4 hours per week. Candidates should be familiar with an organ with 2 manuals and a pedal clavier, be music literate, and be willing to work collaboratively with the Rector and Music Director. Pay will be commensurate with experience. Interested parties should email their resume to standrew@darientel.net. | |
Prayer for Weekly Liturgies | |
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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 2022 one year prayer cycle is online here: 2022 Prayer Cycle.
September 4 – September 10
In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregations in Savannah, especially St. Thomas Isle of Hope and St. Matthew’s. We also pray for our ecumenical partners in Savannah, especially Holy Spirit Lutheran Church and St. Benedict the Moor Catholic Church. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for the congregations in San Pedro de Marorís, especially The Good Shepherd (El Buen Pastor), St. Stephen (San Esteban), and Holy Cross (Santa Cruz).
September 11 - 17
In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregations in Savannah, especially St. Peter’s and Epiphany. We also pray for our ecumenical partners in Savannah, especially Messiah Lutheran Church and St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for St. Matthew (San Matías) in Santana.
Newly Revised 31-Day Prayer Cycles
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 7/1/2022)
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Diocesan Office Update and News | |
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Bishop Logue will be at Honey Creek for the Baptized for Life conference on Friday and Saturday morning. On Saturday, he will also meet with the vestry of Holy Cross in Thomson. On Sunday, Bishop Logue makes his visitation to St. Mary the Virgin in Augusta.
To view Bishop Logue's full visitation calendar, click here. (Updated for 2023 - 8/30/2022)
Pictured: Bishop Logue with the altar party at Christ the King in Valdosta.
Executive Assistant to the Bishop Maggie Lyons will begin maternity leave on September 8th. Today is her last day in the office.
Canon Easterlin is on vacation this week.
Canon Varner, Canon Lasch, and Communications Manager Liz Williams will be at Honey Creek for the Baptized for Life Lay Ministers' Conference this weekend.
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.
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Archdeacon Yvette Kelly Owens with her three grandchildren that served at the Bishop's visitation at Christ the King in Valdosta. | | | | |
