August 24, 2022 | Volume 12, No. 33

Baptized for Life

A Lay Ministers' Conference

“Baptized for Life: A Lay Ministers’ Conference” takes place in just under two weeks! This 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."

Examples of such lay ministries include those who assist or lead worship, serve on the Vestry, serve on committees, teach Sunday School or lead youth activities, serve on the Altar Guild, care for the buildings and grounds, lead outreach activities, and more.

This conference is not intended to provide specific details about individual ministries, as those details often vary widely among congregations Instead, it will frame all of our ministries in the context of our Baptismal identity. There will be common worship, time for reflection, and a chance to talk about how we are all called to various kinds of ministry in our baptismal life.

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. “Dr. Kimball has focused her teaching and research on lifelong, life-wide, and life-deep discipleship and Christian vocation…She is a passionate advocate for lay ministry, the full inclusion of all generations, digital literacy, and leaders who are confident teachers of the faith.” For more information about Dr. Kimball’s background and history, click here.

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.

Nominations Now Open for 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. 

To make a nomination, click here.

Once nominated, nominees will need to fill out the nominee form that can be found here.

Board of Officers of the Corporation – 1 lay person

The Board of Officers is charged with the oversight of the investments and disbursements of those funds entrusted to it through wills, deeds, and other trust instruments. The board meets quarterly with online participation possible. The person elected to it at Convention 2022 will serve through the Convention in 2029.

Church Disciplinary Board – 2 clergy persons & 1 lay person

Previously known as “The Ecclesiastical Trial Court,” the Disciplinary Board of the Diocese of Georgia is vested with jurisdiction to hear and determine all proceedings in which a priest or deacon has been charged with one or more offenses specified in the canons of the Episcopal Church. It meets only when necessary. The 2 clergy persons and 1 lay person elected will serve a three-year term through Convention 2025.

Diocesan Council – 1 lay person or clergy

Council’s responsibilities are to carry out the polices, programs, and directions of Convention; to deal with contingencies as they arise; and to assist the bishop in developing the ministry of the diocese. It carries out the duties of Convention between Conventions. Council generally has four overnight meetings a year in various parts of the diocese. The person elected will serve a three-year term through Convention 2025.

Standing Committee – 1 lay person & 1 priest

The Standing Committee is the bishop’s Council of Advice. In the absence of a bishop, the Standing Committee would act as the Ecclesiastical Authority for those purposes declared by General Convention. The Standing Committee must approve all ordinations and any financial indebtedness of parishes and the purchase or sale of property. It usually meets four times a year at the same time as the Commission on Ministry and in various locations throughout the diocese and online as needed. The persons elected will serve a four-year term through Convention 2026.

Trustee of the University of the South – 1 lay person

The board meets in Sewanee, Tennessee, early in October each year. The two laypersons and one priest who serve on the board from the Diocese of Georgia are to represent the university to the diocese. One lay person will be elected for a three-year term to serve through Convention 2025.

General Convention Deputies – 4 clergy deputies and 4 clergy alternates; 4 lay deputies and 4 lay alternates 

The General Convention is the governing body of The Episcopal Church that usually meets every three years, though that pattern was shifted by the pandemic. The next session of the General Convention will be in Louisville, Kentucky in 2024. All eight deputies and the first alternates both lay and ordained travel to the convention. Additional alternates are elected in case deputies find they are unable to attend prior to the convention’s start. The Province IV Synod is comprised of the General Convention Deputies of the twenty diocese in nine Southern states. Those elected to serve as deputies or alternates must be able to travel for the Province IV Synod that meets in advance of the General Convention.

Fasting and Prayer during the Civil War

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 days of Humiliation, Fasting, and Prayer held during the American Civil War.

By March of 1863, the tragic cost of the American Civil War was keenly felt in the north and south alike. In a single day the previous September, 3,650 soldiers died on the battlefield at Antietam. At home the very real threat of starvation loomed large. An 1862 drought compounded the short supplies caused by sending food to Confederate troops. 

President Jefferson Davis declared Friday, March 27th, 1863, to be a Day of Humiliation, Fasting, and Prayer. Bishop Stephen Elliott Jr. preached on that occasion at Christ Church, Savannah, “War is a great eater, a fierce, terrible, omnivorous eater. It eats out wealth, property, life...,.it devours religion, and tramples under foot its temples and its altars–it rides in desolation upon the storm of passion and the whirlwind of vengeance.

“With God, of course, all things are possible, and He can, if He chooses, produce such a change in the hearts and feelings of our enemies…But as He always acts through natural means…we can scarcely hope for such a divine intervention.”

On September 15, 1865, Bishop Elliott preached again at Christ Church, Savannah, on a day of Fasting, Humiliation, and Prayer appointed by Georgia’s Governor. The City of Atlanta had fallen to a Union onslaught two weeks earlier. It is hard to read these words from his sermon, yet they provide clarity on how our bishop reconciled his faith with enslaving people in seeing divine purpose in the “peculiar institution”: 

“It is a conflict involving the future of a race, whose existence or extinction depends upon its result. The white race of the South, even though subjugated might continue to exist, to live on for a time in shame and degradation, and at last to commingle, as the Anglo-Saxons did, with their Norman conquerors. But the black race perishes with its freedom. They will die out before the encroaching white labor of Europe” 

He went on to preach, “If God therefore has any meaning in his past dealings with this race, in permitting it to be brought here, to be preserved, to increase, to be civilized, it is not his purpose that they should be given the liberty which their pretended friends are seeking for them. To protect them, he must protect us, and therefore is it, as I have said again and again, that I have full confidence in the successful termination of this conflict.”

While his views on race are painful to read, Bishop Elliott was seen as progressive by some in his own day. He preached that slaveholders would have to account to God for their treatment of enslaved Africans whose souls were in their care. In his last address to convention in 1866, Elliott called for treating formerly enslaved persons “not now as servants,” but as “brethren beloved” saying, “We have always welcomed them to our churches and altars; let us continue the same. We have permitted them to organize churches for themselves — they have been free as all upon this point; let us continue the same.”

Hosted by the Rev. Kevin Kelly from St. Michael and All Angels in Savannah, this is a retreat for those struggling with addiction or mental health, either their own or with those they love. We offer a safe and holy space to share your own story and to hear the experience, strength, and hope of others facing the same issues. You are not alone.

The retreat is begins on Friday, September 23rd and will conclude on Sunday, September 25th with a closing Eucharist at 11:00am.

For more information, contact the Rev. Kevin Kelly at kevink94@gmail.com. To register, click here.

This is a reminder that audits are due to the Diocese by September 1^st. If your congregation is running into challenges meeting that deadline, please reach out to Canon Easterlin to notify her. 

Per Diocesan Canon, congregations are required to submit an audit annually. You can review the language here. The referenced language is canon 9, section 4. 

Key considerations when conducting or planning for an audit: 

• Congregations with operating revenue of $500,000 or more shall be reviewed or audited by an independent Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
• Congregations with operating revenue less than $500,000 may be reviewed or audited by an independent CPA or, alternatively, may be reviewed by a person or committee knowledgeable in financial matters and chosen from within or outside the entity. Many congregations partner with each other to swap reviews. To facilitate the review, the Diocese has a checklist.
• Treasurers and bookkeepers are not allowed to review or audit the financial record of their entities. 
• In addition to submission of the checklist or audited statements, a memoranda should be issued by the auditors/reviewers detailing the internal controls and summary of recommended actions related to the financial protocols of the congregation. 

Please submit questions to Canon Easterlin at keasterlin@gaepiscopal.org. While daunting, this is an important part of governance and helps our congregations each year as they think through their financial health and stewardship. 

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!

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. Early bird registration is open until August 31.

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.

Resolutions

Resolutions are due to the Secretary of Convention, Canon Katie Easterlin, by September 2, 2022, in order to be considered by the convention. The rules of Convention governing resolutions are found in the Canons of the Diocese of Georgia and are reproduced here for reference:

• Resolutions on non-budget items to be placed before Diocesan Convention, except those from Diocesan Council and Convention Committees, must be submitted to the Secretary of the Diocese in writing at least sixty days prior to said Convention.

• The Secretary will make the resolutions available to the convocations of the Diocese for study and response before the Convention and will provide for their publication in From the Field, at the latest, in the issue next preceding Convention. The Canons of the Diocese are coordinating to visit pre-Convention convocation meetings.

• Any proposed alteration or addition to the Canons proposed on the first day of the meeting of the Convention, shall be submitted in writing to the Chairperson of the Committee on Constitution and Canons at least sixty (60) days prior to the opening of the Convention. No such proposed alteration or addition shall be considered by the Convention until it has been referred to and reported upon by the Committee on Constitution and Canons. Every amendment or alteration proposed on any succeeding day of the Convention session shall be similarly referred and reported upon but may not be adopted without the consent of two-thirds of the delegates present. The Committee on Constitution and Canons may propose alterations on its own volition at any time. Changes approved at Convention shall go into effect immediately following the adjournment of that Convention.

• So that content and intent may be clearly understood, any resolution submitted, except those of a laudatory nature, shall be titled and include a summary of its content and purpose. Said summary shall be read when resolutions are presented for referral or vote.

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.

Mark your calendar for September 16 & 17 and make plans to attend the Celebration of Women's Ministries and the Daughters of the King Annual Meeting 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 on 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. 

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.

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.

Teens pack into the new Youth Lounge at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Augusta.

Acolyte training at St. Luke's in Rincon with a full crew ready to serve at the altar.

The Rev. Galen Mirate (with hand raised at left) blesses backpacks at St. Paul's in Albany, where she is the Rector.

Wonderful Wednesdays are back at St. Anne's in Tifton with Evening Prayer, PreYC, EYC, choir, Bible Stories for Grownups, nursery, and supper.

Bishop Logue with confirmands Mollie Kate, Judy, and James, and the Rev. Larry Jesion who is the newly installed Rector of St. Michael's in Waynesboro.

The Rev. Aimee Baxter prepares to read the Gospel at St. Thomas Isle of Hope in Savannah where she serves as a deacon. Baxter is a deacon in the United Methodist Church who serves in the Episcopal Church with the permission of our Presiding Bishop as part of an agreement between the Methodists and Episcopal churches.

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.

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.   

August 21 - 27

In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregations in Savannah, especially St. Francis of the Islands and St. John’s. We also pray for our ecumenical partners, especially the Lutheran congregations of Redeemer and St. Luke’s. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for the congregations in San Francisco de Macorís, especially The Good Samartian (El Buen Samaritano), Jesus the Nazarene (Jesús Nazareno), and The Nativity (La Natividad).

August 28 – September 3

In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregations in Savannah, St. George’s and St. Michael and All Angels. We also pray for our ecumenical partners in Savannah, especially the Catholic congregations of Blessed Sacrament, Resurrection of our Lord, Sacred Heart, and St. James. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for St. Paul and St. Luke (San Pablo y San Lucas) in San Isidro. 

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)

Bishop Logue will make his visitation to Calvary in Americus on Sunday.

To view Bishop Logue's full visitation calendar, click here. (Updated for 2023 - 7/19/2022)

Pictured: Bishop Logue celebrates the Holy Eucharist at St. Michael's in Waynesboro on Sunday.

Communications Manager Liz Williams is off this week.

The office's summer hours of operation include closing the office at noon on Fridays.



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.

A parishioner at Christ Church in Savannah really getting into the hymns.