CENTRALFLORIDAEPISCOPALIANNEWS FOR THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF CENTRAL FLORIDA WWW.CFDIOCESE.ORG VOLUME 116, No. 12 FEB / MARCH 2015

an official diocese of central florida day was declared in orlando

SEE P. 21 SEE P. 28

ABSALOM JONESSt. Augustine University & Vorhees College

Benefit Celebratiom

Bishop’s Address to the 46th Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida

Kate and Fr. Rob Goodridge, along with cinematographer Mark Topkin, receive Oscars from Bishop Brewer for their production of the diocesan history movie, “Remembering for the Sake of the Future.”

Jan. 24, 2015, Orlando, FL

When I think of the Diocese of Central Florida, the words that immediately come to mind are Paul’s opening words in the Let-

ter to the Philippians: “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the Gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion, until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about you since I have you in my heart.”

I’m especially grateful for those who pray. There was a time just this past year when I felt like

several of our congregations were actually under significant spiritual attack and I quickly turned to Krisita Jackson, the President of the Daughters of the King, and I asked her to call the Daughters to prayer. She did just that and I am happy to report that the crises of those days are past us.

The landscape has cleared, but only to reveal new challenges and new opportunities. Our lot in life is to be a people on a pilgrimage, serving Christ faithfully in sacrificial service, having the joy of seeing God move in our midst while at the same time, always longing for the return of our Savior to come and to make things right. It is, you see, this tension that we will always live with as fol-lowers of Jesus, that on the one hand, STORY ON P. 4

By The Rt. Rev. Gregory O. Brewer

Karen and Bishop Frank Gray with Bishop Brewer. Bishop Gray delivered the sermon at Convention Eucharist.

Caption -- Diocesan Chancellor Butch Wooten, Bishop Brewer and Assistant Chancellor Bill Grimm.

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The Episcopal ChurchIN CENTRAL FLORIDA

Based in the 15-county heart of our booming, diverse Sunshine State.

Companion to the Diocese of Honduras.

IN THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION

A global community of 70 million Anglicans in 500 dioceses. Covers 164

countries in 38 member provinces.

Archbishob of Canterbury:

IN THE UNITED STATESA community of 2.5 million

members in 118 dioceses in the Americas & elsewhere. Established in

1789.

Presiding Bishop:

Bishop: The Rt. Rev. Gregory O. Brewer

The Most Rev. Justin Welby

The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori

Continuing The Palm Branch (1894), diocese (1971)

The Rt. Rev. Gregory BrewerBishop

The Rt. Rev. John W. HoweThe Rt. Rev. Dorsey F. Henderson

The Rt. Rev. Hugo Pina-LopezThe Rt. Rev. John Said

Retired Bishops

The Rev. Canon Timothy NunezCanon to the Ordinary

The Ven. Kristi AldayArchdeacon

Joe ThomaEditor & Communications Officer

Fina FlorezDesign Editor

Erick PerezSubscription Manager

Central Florida Episcopalian

The Central Florida Episcopalian is published monthly by the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida. Submissions are welcome, but are subject to editing and use at the discretion of

the Central Florida Episcopalian.

Please submit notices two months before event to:

The Central Florida Episcopalian1017 E. Robinson StreetOrlando, FL 32801-2023

Tel.: (407) 423-3567, ext. 316Fax: (407) 872-0006

Email: jthoma@cfdiocese.org

www.cfdiocese.org

ContentsFRONT COVER:

46th Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese EventStory on pages 4Photos - pages 3 - 16

17 Spanish Version of the 46th Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese Event

21 Orlando Declares Diocese of Central Florida Day

22 Past Nominees for the 2015 Annual Diocesan Convention

26 Peter Eaton Elected as Bishop Coadjutor

27 Retired Bishop Brings Personal & Anglican History to Rapid City

28 Absalom Jones Celebration to Benefit St. Augustine University & Vorhees College

30 - 31 Bishop’s Conference on Faith & Work

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we have the joy of seeing God move and yet at the same time, always knowing that there is a horizon, a better day that we have yet to experience.

Barbara Spencer from Church of the Advent, Dunnellon, is going to be the new president of the Daughters this year and she has significant shoes to fill. But I want you to know that I am incredibly grateful for the men and wom-en who make the time in the unseen places to win things for us by prayer that we could never accomplish merely by human action.

What I would like to do in my address this year is to revisit the five points of our strategic plan and make this a summation of how I feel like we’re doing in the fulfillment of that plan.

A commitment to strengthen our relationships with one another in the Diocese.

Laura Lee and I continue to host dinners and have a blast doing so. We have had eight this year, totaling over 200 people .We deeply enjoy showing up in events around the Diocese as well, just to be with the people that we care about, everything from Good Shepherd Maitland’s Chili Cook Off to the job fair at St. John the Baptist in Orlando.

We’ve attended around 35 church-related events this year, not counting formal Episcopal visits. It’s safe to say Laura Lee and I really like being with you. We love a good party. Our staff, besides meeting weekly for prayer and planning, also holds a monthly celebration for birthdays.

Probably the best party of the year though is Canon Ernie Bennett’s re-tirement party. Hundreds of people showed up to share jokes, reminisce, eat terrific food and give Ernie a great send off. While he is no longer the Canon for the Ordinary, I assure you, he is not entirely retired, presently serving at Saint James Ormond Beach. As Ernie’s wife, Roz, will quickly tell you, “I didn’t marry Ernie for him to hang around my house all day,” and as Ernie would say, “That’s the last thing I want to do, too.”

There will always be Canon Bennett around the Diocese doing some-thing and I have to tell you, I’m incredibly grateful. Probably one of the best gifts God could have given me and the Diocese is Ernie’s successor, Tim Nunez, our new Canon to the Ordinary. Tim is a quick study. He is doing an outstanding job, wading quickly into the deep end of the swamp of church conflict where the real gators are – and I don’t mean University of Florida graduates – and doing so with grace good humor.

Tim is given to puns. In fact, Fr. Edward Weiss, Tim is giving you a run for your money. Sometimes the puns are subtle, like, “You can never explain a pun to kleptomaniacs. Why? Because they always take things literally.”

Or, “I found a lion and a witch in my wardrobe. When I asked them what were they doing, they said ‘Narnia business.’”

Thanks to this capable scheduling skills of my Administrative Assistant Cindy Muldoon, along with our Archdeacon Kristi Alday – who I’m convinced can do anything – I’m a regular at Diocesan and church events, and have made 42 official visits to our Diocesan churches. I’ve ordained five priests, six tran-sitional deacons, five permanent deacons and I received one priest from the Roman Catholic church, Fr. Luis de la Cruz, serving now at the growing Span-ish speaking congregation at St. John’s, Kissimmee.

I’ve also participated in several funerals, including the funerals of three of some of the most dedicated priests I’ve ever known: the Rev. Al Durrance, the Rev. Terry Fullam, and the Rev. Malcolm Murchison.

I’m utterly convinced that it is friendship – and the times that we have en-joying one another’s company – that really make this Diocese work.

A commitment to raise up new leaders of both clergy and laity.One of the significant developments in the structural life of our ordination

process here is the revamping of the curriculum of the Institute for Christian Studies to train permanent deacons. Archdeacon Alday, Canon Justin Hol-comb and I have worked to create a curriculum that has been shortened from three years to two, made more accessible through online courses and more focused on the ministry of the deacon as a servant to the wider community, beyond the four walls of the church. New courses are being offered and more options are available as well for lay training and continuing education. I com-mend it to you.

Speaking of Canon Holcomb, God is using him to bring in a raft of new seminarians, including former Presbyterian and Baptist church planters to help us meet the missionary challenge of our growing population. In so many ways, Justin is one of the guys who just makes things happen and the best thing I can do is turn him loose and watch the show.

CONTINUED FROM THE FRONT COVER

CONTINUE P. 11

Church of the Resurrection, Oviedo, is admitted as a parish.

Cathedral Dean Tony Clark presents the proceeds from the October golf tournament, benefitting the Timothy Fund for seminarians.

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Bishop Hugo Pina-Lopez at Eucharist.

Sid Glynn, Verger Extraordinaire, leads the procession.The Revs. Rob Goodridge, Rory Harris and Jon Davis.

Sonia and Sue Shannon

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Newly elected servants.

The ECW raised more than $8,000 for the Timothy Fund.Volunteers, led by Convention Czarina Marilyn Lang, worked diligently to organize the event.

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Tribute to the departed.

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I continue to speak as well and recruit seminarians in our various semi-naries to consider coming and serving in Central Florida. We continue to get inquiries about openings from across the whole church and from other parts of the world. The word is getting around about what God is doing in the Dio-cese of Central Florida.

I continue to thank God for the caliber of the clergy that are coming here and serving here in this Diocese, the men and women, priests and deacons, I am so grateful for you and for your service.

Much of the money for training, necessary to raise up these new clergy continues to come from the Timothy Fund. That fund was launched two years ago, and we have a little over $600,000 in the fund. That sounds like a lot of money, but only this year we dispersed over $70,000 in educational grants. I continue to be grateful for gifts that come in to support this fund, from individ-ual donations as well as congregational efforts like the Cathedral Golf Tour-nament – thank you, Dean Tony Clark. If you want some place to put some money, come and see me.

We’re also exploring new training possibilities for recruiting and raising up Spanish-speaking clergy, one of the fastest growing population groups in Central Florida, including an innovative program that we’re exploring that the Diocese of Dallas now offers which are night classes for newcomers. I’ve also called upon the Anti-Racism Commission to find new ways to recruit and raise up people of color in our ordination process, in a very intentional way.

The racial diversity that reflects our communities must be matched by the racial diversity of our clergy and of our congregations. I would like us to move past the legacy of Sunday morning being the most segregated hour of the week and the good news is that in a growing number of our congregations in this Diocese, that is happening.

I’ve also been emphasizing a vision for clergy and lay people working to-gether as a collaborative team. That’s what it takes to have healthy congrega-tions that become missional communities. So under the leadership of Canon Justin Holcomb and Mr. Charlie Pierce of Incarnation, Oviedo, I’m calling a conference specifically for lay people on faith in the work place.

As well, Tim Nunez, Earl Pickett and myself will also be holding a reg-ular, annual meeting of wardens, to encourage them and assist them in their

important ministry. There should not be in our congregations the rector in one place, the Vestry at another place, and the congregation somewhere in the middle. If we cannot understand our work in the various orders of ministry as collaborative, for the sake of the Gospel, our hierarchical structures will always get in the way of us doing effective ministries.

There really is such as a thing as the ministry of the baptized, and that must be released in new ways in the life of our Diocese. Lay people, you can’t expect your clergy to do all the work and, clergy, you’ve got to stop complaining about some of your lay leaders. Find ways to work together.

A commitment to look at our neighborhoods and face the missionary challenge that is before us.

If we’re going to rise to the missionary challenge that we face, it will require a significant change of mind from thinking about “going to the church” to un-derstanding that “I am the church, wherever I am.”

The writer of Ephesians tells us in 4:17, “That it is time that we no longer live as the gentiles do in the futility of their minds.” Those are harsh words,

but not inappropriate, given the present state of our culture. The call for us as Christians is to learn how to live as consistent and secure citizens of the Kingdom, wherever we are in the midst of a culture where God has planted us.

It challenges us to look at the places of inconsistency within our lives and to find a way to live comfortably with our identity in Christ, wherever we are. The temptation is for me to be religious with the religious people and then be somebody with other people. I think that’s called multiple personality disor-der.

The challenge means being comfortable with not always fitting in all the time and of being secure in living with the complexities of the multicultural world in which we find ourselves. It calls the church – us – to work out our differences within the bonds of charity and to find ways to serve together for the sake of the Gospel, even when we disagree.

The invitation of the New Testament is to not divide the church into bi-nary categories like liberal and conservative. We tried that and it didn’t work. Seeing people as either with you or against you, tempts us to use power strate-gies and manipulations that do not reflect the Kingdom of God.

CONTINUED FROM P. 4

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What saddened me when I first came to the Diocese was the sense that some but not all had divided the Diocese into these liberal versus conservative camps. They created a relational divide of personal acceptance or rejection based on where people stood on the hot issues of the day. Building Christian community, sadly, in some cases was sacrificed for the sake of political strategy a win/lose war from which we are still recovering.

From what I saw, it looked more like Fox News versus MSNBC than any true Christian community formed out of baptism and the affirmation of our creeds. Besides, as I’ve said earlier, we live in a society and a church that is much too complex for that simplistic “us-versus-them” dynamic. It may make entertaining television but in the end, it is in fact a carnal work of the flesh.

Even as a means for changing the Episcopal Church, it was doomed from the start, and actually contributed to the forces that caused some of our parish-ioners to leave the Episcopal Church altogether for Anglican breakaway con-gregations. My hope is that we get past all of that, that we find a way together and that if we have hurt each other that we repent and ask God to help us build bridges where there has been resentment in the past and to give ourselves collaboratively in a fresh way to working together to reach our neighborhoods with the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The model can never be us versus them, no matter who the binary groups are. Instead it starts with each of us, like me, like you, and finding a way to say “yes” to Jesus’ missionary call to be together with our fellow Christians, some of whom we’re going to agree with, some of whom we’re not and to be together as salt and light together in this broken world, a world in which we are full participants, modeling Christian community marked by a common sacra-mental bond that transcends our differences, living together with gentleness, emotional security, forbearance and Christian charity.

Cornel West recently described the secular challenge before us this way, quote, “Market driven economies foster insatiable pleasure but also spiritual malnutrition.”

As N.T. Wright recently said, “Postmodernism, modernism and secular-ism have nothing to say to the crisis of greed that presently afflicts us.”

But Christian sacrificial living, generosity, and servanthood do have some-thing to say to all of that. The call is not to win, either inside or outside the

church. The call is to bear witness with clarity, character, and compassionate service that reaches out in love, prayerfully discerning with people, getting the people into the room that need to be there, to see how God might speak to us to meet a challenge that’s larger than any one of us. What’s sacrificed in the “us-versus-them” model is evangelism, missions and growth.

There is a reason that in the midst of that time period our congregations did not grow. The call of the church is to offer to the world a different way of living together, quote, “By this shall all people know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

For there to be congregations that work together for the spread of the Gos-pel, we need leaders who are mission minded. These are leaders who work with congregations to see them become sending churches to the world.

These are congregations who say, “God has placed our buildings in this geographic location for a reason and God has given us a charge to work with our fellow Christians to reach this location with the Gospel.”

In other words, the Gospel calls us to think geographically, not merely

congregationally. It excites me to see congregations taking on the problems of their communities and prayerfully asking God to give them strategies on how they can make a difference: From job fairs for unemployment, to efforts at ra-cial reconciliation, to challenging materialism, to commitment to high-quality education, to having passion for the arts, to tackling poverty, hungry, home-lessness.

From signs-and-wonders healing ministries that see non-Christians from the neighborhood coming to the church to receive prayer, to reaching out to college students in renewed youth ministries, the list is endless – and should be – because our communities vary widely from place to place. I’m excited to see these congregations understand that God has put these buildings in neigh-borhoods for a divine purpose.

The prime purpose of the local church is not pastoral care. It is worship and a pattern of discipleship and pastoral care that sends people into mission. Rectors, vicars, priests in charge, do you have a pattern of worship, disciple-ship, and pastoral care and prayer that is actually sending people into mission? Because that’s the litmus test. It’s not how many people fill the pews. It’s what

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happening outside the pews in a way that actually makes a substantive differ-ence in the life of your community.

If your church all of a sudden stopped existing, what would your com-munity say about you? What were you known for? What reputation did you have? That is one of the ways we can begin to get at why God has placed us here. Again, I see this happening in congregations across the Diocese. I’m par-ticularly grateful for St. Edward’s, Mount Dora – Fr. Ed Bartle, Rector – and Grace Church, Ocala – Fr. Jonathan French, rector for moving from aided congregations to parish status. Congratulations, as well, to Incarnation, Ovie-do, and Fr. Rory Harris, for moving from mission to parish status.

Their congregations are growing precisely because they are asking God to help them with this missionary challenge. I’m also deeply encouraged about the flourishing of new overseas missionary partnerships. If you’re interested in learning more about international partnerships, I could not commend to you a better resource than the New Wineskins for Global Missions Conference. It takes place every three years at Ridgecrest in North Carolina. The next conference takes place next year. I would encourage clergy to go and bring delegations from your congregations.

Missionary partnerships are all such strategic ways not only of serving those overseas but also a dynamic way of immersing the members of our congrega-tions in foreign settings that cause them to grow in their trust in God, and to become deeper men and women of faith, that’s what we saw in the video about the missionary teams that we’ve booked to Jamaica, as well as to Honduras.

It also gives participants a vision not just for “over there,” but they begin to see their own neighborhoods in a new light in the light of mission. I know one rector, for example, who was sending his people over on overseas missionary teams because they couldn’t embrace local evangelism to save their life. It just scared them to death, so they went overseas.

They came back so on fire for how God had used them in those places, they began to look in their own neighborhoods and they were the ones that began to look and to say, “We need to do something about the poverty in our community. How can I do something about the poverty in the Honduras, if I’m not willing to do something about the poverty here,” and on and on it went.

Also, at a time when many of our Anglican sisters and brothers are suffer-ing profoundly for their faith, the persecuted need our prayers, our financial support and personal relationships more than ever. One of the most under reported stories in the United States is about what is happening globally to religious minorities and particularly to Christians. If you cannot go, then pray and give so that others might go.

I would encourage congregations to include in their regular Sunday inter-cessions the plight of our brothers and sisters who are persecuted Christians.

A commitment to take our place within the councils of the Episcopal Church.

I attended the spring House of Bishops meeting in Texas and the fall House of Bishops meeting in Taiwan. The delightful surprise of the House of Bishops meeting in Taiwan was the witness of the Taiwanese Episcopal Church. It was breathtaking.

Typical was the witness of the young priest in his early 30s, whom I got to know who said, “I graduated from seminary 10 years ago and I was so inex-

perienced that I did not know what I was doing. The Bishop assigned me to a church with 10 people and he wanted me to close it. But I said, ‘Give me a chance.’ I went away and prayed and I asked Jesus to give me a vision. He gave me a vision and now 10 years later, we have daughtered two other churches out of our congregation.”

Remember he only started with 10, and that is in a culture where almost nobody does anything with any church. They’re mostly cultural Buddhists and so there’s nothing culturally to hold on to, except when God gets hold of a life, things actually begin to happen. It was phenomenal.

I participated in the consecration of Matt Gunter in Wisconsin, where I saw both our preacher in yesterday’s Eucharist, my long time friend Bishop Frank Gray, as well as the present interim rector of Saint Michael’s, Orlando, the Rt. Rev. Russell Jacobus, one of our Communion Partner bishops. I also participated in the consecration of this Bishop Suffragan of New York, Allen Shin.

Heading down Conway Road, I saw a tree and I said, “That’s it,” and I lit-erally pulled over to the side of the road, got out my phone and took a picture

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46th ANNUAL DIOCESAN CONVENTIONof it. It seems to me that this picture is in fact an accurate picture of the present state of the Invisible Church.

Parts of it are living and flourishing; parts of it are dying. There’s a transi-tion that’s happening in our church. We have the extraordinary opportunity and it’s really happening, of being a witness to the wider church, finding ways to build partnerships to say, “How can we serve together?” I’m very delighted that we have again this year representatives from the Episcopal Church here. They are our sisters and brothers and I’m very glad that they are here because I want to see that dream come alive, the whole tree, not just parts of it and I want to tell you, I really do believe it’s happening.

This year in 2015 on February 24 and 25, I will be the host at Canter-bury Retreat & Conference Center, Oviedo, of an international Meeting of the Communion Partner Bishops, including bishops from overseas.

Also, to the next meeting of the General Convention of the Episcopal Church this summer, we are sending a full deputation. If you are a Deputy to General Convention this summer, would you please stand? Do keep this won-derful cadre of people in your prayers. I’m excited that we’re going to be able to do this together. We’ll work really hard, pray a lot and have a great time.

For this upcoming General Convention, I’ve accepted an appointment by the Presiding Bishop to serve as Chairman of the Evangelism & Commu-nications legislative committee, which receives and proposes resolutions on evangelism within this Church’s jurisdictions. The committee also receives and proposes resolutions on communication strategies and technologies to strengthen the Church’s communication of the Gospel and opportunities for information management and exchange within the Church.

There is a place at the table for us, don’t let anybody ever tell you other-wise.

A commitment to revitalize Children and Youth Ministry.Under the leadership of Craig Maughan, Headmaster at Trinity Prepara-

tory School, a taskforce was hard at work this year trying to clarify our canons to help strengthen the relationship between the Diocese and our parochial and diocesan schools. If there ever was a laboratory for developing future leaders, this is it, and I’m very grateful to Craig and his crew for their dedicated service.

Later you will be hearing from Mr. Steve Shneeburger, a professional ed-ucator in youth ministry and our Youth Consultant here in the Diocese. Steve

continues to crisscross the Diocese and offer consultations to local congrega-tions at no cost to them, by the way, and also has been a superb support to the voluntary professional youth ministries here in this Diocese. I am very glad that Steve is with us. Also, under the continuing leadership of The Rev. Phyllis Bartle and her gang, New Beginnings continues to grow only stronger. It is a life-changing weekend for middle school students held regularly at Camp Wingmann and I commend it.

The Revs. Deke Miller and Sonya Sullivan Clifton have joined together with their own team to restart Happening in this Diocese, with a delegation going to the Diocese of Georgia’s Happening program this year. I would also like to say that I’m thrilled that the baton has been successfully handed over from the legendary Bill and Joanie Yates to Deke Miller and that Camp Wing-mann is in full swing with new ideas and full program and even – get this – a Cordon-Bleu-trained chef!

In conclusion, as the excellent video just showed us, the Diocese of Cen-tral Florida was founded on extraordinary personal sacrifice and significant prayer. The growth of the church and extension of the Kingdom grows no other way.

Supporting every move of God has always been a group of individuals who were willing to go beyond what was asked of them by others, to step out in front, to be willing to be pace setters, to pray when no one else would, to speak up against injustice even when no one else was with them, responding to the call of God at significant levels of personal sacrifice and personal prayer.

To this Diocese’s credit, God has given us numerous clergy and lay people who were and are willing to give so sacrificially of their time, their money, their courage and their prayers.

I am humbled to stand in the shadow of such giants and thrilled that God has asked us to take our places with them to meet the new challenge of reach-ing this area afresh with the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is not a time for business as usual, unless business as usual means new depths of loving commitments to the Savior who so passionately cares for us and to a world in desperate need of very, varied views.

May we remember with gratitude the sacrifices of the past and take up the mantle for the sake of the very exciting future that God has for us. Thank you. If you want to help out, come and see me.■

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24 de enero de 2015, Orlando, FL

Cuando pienso en la diócesis de la Florida Central, las palabras que inmediatamente vienen a la mente son las palabras de apertura de Pablo en la Carta a los Filipenses: “Doy gracias a mi Dios siempre que me acuerdo de ti. En todas mis oraciones, siempre oro con

alegría, porque han participado en el evangelio desde el primer día hasta aho-ra, estoy convencido de esto: que el que comenzó tan buena obra en ustedes la irá perfeccionando hasta el día de Cristo Jesús . Es justo que yo piense así de ustedes ya que los llevo en mi corazón “.

Estoy especialmente agradecido por los que rezan. Hubo un tiempo el año pasado, el cual yo sentí como varias de nuestras congregaciones estaban bajo ataque espiritual; rápidamente me dirigí a Krisita Jackson, la Presidenta de las Hijas del Rey, y le pedí que llamar a las Hijas a oración. Ella hizo exact-amente eso y estoy feliz de informarles que las crisis de esos días han pasado.

El paisaje se aclareció, sólo para revelar nuevos retos y nuevas oportuni-dades. Nuestro proposito en la vida es ser un pueblo en una peregrinación, sir-viendo fielmente a Cristo en el servicio de sacrificio, que tiene la alegría de ver a Dios moverse en medio de nosotros y, al mismo tiempo, siempre anhelando el regreso de nuestro Salvador para venir y hacer las cosas correctamente. Es, como ves, esta tensión que siempre vamos a vivir con como seguidores de Jesús, que, por un lado, tenemos la alegría de ver a Dios moverse y sin embar-go, al mismo tiempo, siempre sabiendo que hay un horizonte, un mejor día que aún tenemos que recibir.

Barbara Spencer desde la Iglesia del Adviento en Dunnellon, va a ser la nuevoa presidenta de las Hijas este año y tiene zapatos importantes que llenar. Pero quiero que sepas que estoy muy agradecido por los hombres y mujeres que conforman el tiempo en los lugares invisibles para ganar cosas para no-sotros por la oración que nunca podríamos lograr simplemente por la acción humana.

Lo que me gustaría hacer en mi dirección este año es volver a los cinco puntos de nuestro plan estratégico y hacer de este un resumen de cómo me siento y como estamos cumplimiento ese plan.

Un compromiso de fortalecer nUestras relaciones personales en la diócesis

Laura Lee y yo seguimos siendo anfritiones en nuestras cenas y seguimos teniendo mucha diversion haciendolo. Hemos tenido ocho en este año, un total de más de 200 personas . Nosotros profundamente disfrutamos aparecer en eventos alrededor de la Diócesis, así, sólo para estar con la gente que nos importa tanto. Actividades como la competencia de Chilli en la Iglesia del Buen Pastor en Maitland y la feria de empleo en Iglesia de San Juan el Bautista en Orlando.

Hemos asistido alrededor de 35 eventos relacionados con la iglesia este año, sin contar las visitas formales a las parroquias. Es seguro decir que a Laura Lee y a mi nos gusta mucho estar con ustedes. Nos encanta una buena fiesta. Nuestro personal, además de reunirse semanalmente para la oración y la planificación, también llevamos a cabo una celebración mensual para los cumpleaños.

Probablemente la mejor fiesta del año ha sido la fiesta de jubilación del Canon Ernie Bennett. Cientos de personas se hicieron presentes para com-partir chistes, recordar el pasado, comer comida estupenda y dar a Ernie una gran despedida. Mientras que él ya no es el Canon para el Ordinario, se lo aseguro, no es del todo retirado, actualmente esta sirviendo en Saint James Ormond Beach. Como la esposa de Ernie, Roz, le dirá rápidamente, “No me casé con Ernie para que él se pasara en mi casa todo el día”, y como Ernie diria: “Esa es la última cosa que quiero hacer, también.”

Siempre habrá Canon Bennett alrededor de la Diócesis de haceiendo algo y tengo que decirles que estoy muy agradecido. Probablemente uno de los mejores regalos que Dios me ha dado y a la Diócesis es el sucesor de Ernie, Tim Núñez, nuestro nuevo Canon al Ordinario. Tim es un estudio rápido. Él está haciendo un trabajo excepcional, vadeando rápidamente en la parte más profunda del pantano de conflictos en la iglesia, donde los cai-manes son reales - y no me refiero a los graduados de la Universidad de la Florida - y haciendolo con gracia y buen humor.

Tim se da a los juegos de palabras. De hecho, Tim le está dando una Bueno compentencia al Padre Edward Weiss. A veces, los juegos de palabras son sutiles, como, “Nunca se le puede explicar un juego de palabras a un cleptómano. ¿Por qué? Porque siempre se toman las cosas literalmente “.

Gracias a las capaces habilidades de programación de mi Asistente Ad-ministrativa Cindy Muldoon, junto con nuestra arcediacona Kristi Alday – la cual estoy convencido de que puede hacer cualquier cosa - soy un regular en eventos de la iglesia y de la Diocesis, y ala misma vez, se han realizado 42 vis-itas oficiales a nuestras iglesias. He ordenado cinco sacerdotes, seis diáconos transitorios, cinco diáconos permanentes y recibí un sacerdote de la iglesia católica romana, el Padre Luis de la Cruz, sirviendo ahora en la creciente con-gregación de habla española en la Iglesia de San Juan en Kissimmee.

También he participado en varios funerales, incluyendo los funerales de tres de los sacerdotes más dedicados que he conocido: el reverendo Al Durrance, el reverendo Terry Fullam, y el reverendo Malcolm Murchison. Es-toy absolutamente convencido de que es la amistad - y las veces que hemos dis-frutando de la compañía del otro - que realmente hacen trabajo en la Diócesis.

Discurso del Obispo en la Convención Anual número 46 de la Diócesis Episcopal de la Florida Central

Por el Excmo. Rev. Gregory O. Brewer

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Un compromiso para levantar nUevos líderes de los clérigos y laicos

Uno de los acontecimientos importantes en la vida estructural de nuestro proceso de ordenación aquí es la renovación del plan de estudios del Instituto de Estudios Cristianos para entrenar diáconos permanentes. Arcediacona Al-day, Canon Justin Holcomb y yo hemos trabajado para crear un plan de estu-dios que se ha reducido de tres a dos años, más accesibles a través de cursos en línea (internet) y más centrado en el ministerio del diácono como sirviente de la comunidad en general, más allá de los cuatro paredes de la iglesia. Nuevos cursos se ofrecen y más opciones están disponibles también para la formación laica y educación continua. Se los recomiendo.

Hablando del Canon Holcomb, Dios lo está usando para traer una serie de nuevos seminaristas,entre ellos el ex Presbiterianos y ex- bautistas, ambos plantadores de Iglesias, los cuales ayudarán a cumplir con el desafío misione-ro de nuestra creciente población. En muchos sentidos, Justin es uno de los chicos que sólo hace que las cosas sucedan y lo mejor que puedo hacer es soltarlo y ver el espectáculo.

Continuo hablando y reclutando con seminaristas en diversos seminarios para que consideren venir y servir en la Florida Central. Seguimos recibiendo consultas sobre aperturas desde el otro lado toda la iglesia y de otras partes del mundo. Todo el mundo se esta enterando de lo que Dios está haciendo en la Diócesis de Florida Central.

Sigo dando gracias a Dios por el calibre del clero que están viniendo aquí y sirviendo aquí en esta Diócesis, hombres y mujeres, sacerdotes y diáconos, estoy muy agradecido por ustedes y por su servicio.

Gran parte del dinero para la formación, necesaria para levantar estos nue-vos cleros sigue viniendo del Fondo de Timoteo. Este fondo fue lanzado hace dos años, y tenemos un poco más de $ 600,000 en el fondo. Eso suena como mucho dinero, pero sólo este año hemos dispersado más de $ 70,000 en becas educativas. Sigo siendo agradecido por los regalos que vienen para apoyar este fondo, desde las donaciones individuales, así como los esfuerzos de la con-gregaciónes como el Torneo de Golf de la Catedral - gracias, Dean Tony Clark. Si quieren un lugar donde poner un poco de dinero, vengan a verme.

También estamos explorando nuevas posibilidades de entrenamiento para el reclutamiento y levantado de clero de habla española, una de los de grupos de población de más rápido crecimiento en la Florida Central, incluy-endo un programa innovador que estamos explorando que la Diócesis de Dal-las ofrece ahora que son clases de noche para los recién llegados. Yo también he llamado a la Comisión contra el Racismo para encontrar nuevas maneras de reclutar y elevar a la gente de color en nuestro proceso de ordenación, de una manera muy intencional.

La diversidad racial que refleja nuestras comunidades debe ir acompaña-do de la diversidad racial de nuestro clero y de nuestras congregaciones. Me gustaría dejar atrás el legado de la mañana del domingo siendo la hora más segregada de la semana y la buena noticia es que en un gran número, cada vez mayor de nuestras congregaciones en esta Diócesis, lo están logrando.

También he estado enfatizando una visión para el clero y los laicos que trabajan juntos como un equipo de colaboración. Eso es lo que se necesita para tener congregaciones saludables que se convierten en comunidades mi-sionales. Así que bajo el liderazgo de Canon Justin Holcomb y el Sr. Charlie Pierce de la Iglesia de la Encarnación en Oviedo, estamos organizando una conferencia específicamente para los laicos con el tema de la fe en el lugar de trabajo.

Además, Tim Núñez, Earl Pickett y yo también planeamos una reunión, anual de guardianes, para animarlos y ayudarlos en su importante ministerio. No debería estar en nuestras congregaciones el rector en un lugar, la Junta

Parroquial en otro, y la congregación en el medio. Si no podemos entender nuestro trabajo en los diversos órdenes del ministerio como colaboración, por el bien del Evangelio, nuestras estructuras jerárquicas siempre llegan en el camino de nosotros haciendo ministerios efectivos.

Realmente hay tal cosa como el ministerio de los bautizados, y debe ser liberado en nuevas formas en la vida de nuestra Diócesis. Los laicos, no se pueden esperar que sus clérigos hagan todo el trabajo, y cleros, tienen que dejar de quejarse de algunos de sus líderes laicos y encontrar maneras de trabajar juntos.

Un compromiso con la mira nUestros barrios y enfrentarce al desafío misionero qUe está delante de nosotros

Si vamos a levantarnos al desafío misionero al que nos enfrentamos, se requerirá un cambio significativo de la mente en pensar de solamente “ir a la iglesia” a la comprensión de que “Yo soy la iglesia, donde quiera que esté.”

El escritor de Efesios nos dice en 4:17: “Eso ya es hora de que ya no andéis como los otros gentiles en la vanidad de su mente.” Esas son palabras duras, pero no inapropiadas, dado el estado actual de nuestra cultura. La lla-mada para nosotros como cristianos es aprender a vivir como ciudadanos con-sistentes y seguros del Reino, donde quiera que estemos en medio de una cultura donde Dios nos ha plantado.

Se nos desafía a mirar en esos lugares de inconsistencia en nuestra vida y encontrar una manera de vivir cómodamente con nuestra identidad en Cristo, donde quiera que estemos. La tentación es para mí ser religioso con la gente religiosa y luego ser alguien con otras personas. Creo que eso se llama trastor-no de personalidad múltiple.

El desafío significa estar a gusto con no siempre ajustada en todo el tiempo y de ser seguro en la convivencia con las complejidades del mundo multi-cultural en el que nos encontramos. Se le llama a la iglesia - nosotros - para resolver nuestras diferencias dentro de los lazos de la caridad y para encontrar maneras de servir juntos por la causa del Evangelio, incluso cuando no esta-mos de acuerdo.

La invitación del Nuevo Testamento es la de no dividir la iglesia en cate-gorías binarias como liberal y conservador. Tratamos eso y no funcionó. Ver a la gente como sea con usted o contra usted, nos tienta a utilizar estrategias de poder y las manipulaciones que no reflejan el Reino de Dios.

Lo que me entristeció cuando llegué por primera vez a la Diócesis era el sentido de que algunos, pero no todos, habían dividido la diócesis en libera-les versus conservadores. Ellos crearon una división relacional de aceptación personal o rechazo basado en la opinión de los temas candentes del día. La construcción de la comunidad cristiana, por desgracia, en algunos casos, fue sacrificado por el bien de la estrategia política; un concepto de haber ganado o perdido la guerra de la que todavía nos estamos recuperando.

Por lo que vi, se parecía más a Fox News enfrentandose a MSNBC que cualquier comunidad cristiana verdadera formado a partir del bautismo y la afirmación de nuestros credos. Además, como he dicho antes, vivimos en una sociedad y una iglesia que es demasiado compleja para que simplifircalos en la dinámica de “nosotros contra ellos”. Puede ser gran entretenimiento para algunos, pero al final, es de hecho una obra carnal de la carne.

Incluso como un medio para cambiar la Iglesia Episcopal, esfuerzo que fue condenado desde el principio, y en realidad contribuyó a las fuerzas que causaron algunos de nuestros feligreses a abandonar la Iglesia Episcopal en preferencia de las congregaciones separatistas anglicanas. Mi esperanza es que hayamos pasado todo eso, y que encontremos un mejor camino juntos en el que si hemos herido uno al otro, arrepentirnos y pedirle a Dios que nos ayude

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46th ANNUAL DIOCESAN CONVENTIONa construir puentes donde se ha producido el resentimiento en el pasado y que nos demos a nosotros mismos en colaboración en una nueva manera de trabajar juntos para alcanzar nuestros barrios con el Evangelio salvador de Jesucristo.

El modelo nunca puede ser nosotros contra ellos, no importa quién sean los grupos. Todo comienza con cada uno de nosotros, como yo, como usted, y encontrar una manera de decir “sí” a la llamada misionera de Jesús a estar juntos con nuestros hermanos cristianos; algunos de los cuales vamos a estar de acuerdo, algunos de los cuales no y estar juntos como la sal y la luz. En este mundo roto estamos juntos, un mundo en el que somos participantes de pleno derecho, modelando comunidad cristiana caracterizada por un vínculo sacramental común que trasciende nuestras diferencias, conviviendo con la dulzura, seguridad emocional, tolerancia y caridad cristiana.

Cornel West describió recientemente el desafío secular ante nosotros de esta manera, cito, “Las economías dirigidas por el mercado fomentan no solo un placer insaciable, sino también la desnutrición espiritual.”

Como dijo recientemente NT Wright, “La posmodernidad, el modern-ismo y el secularismo no tienen nada que decir de la crisis de la avaricia que actualmente nos aqueja.”

Pero el sacrificio viviente cristiano, la generosidad y la servidumbre tienen algo que decir a todo esto. La llamada no es ganar, ya sea dentro o fuera de la iglesia. El llamado es dar testimonio con claridad, carácter y servicio compa-sivo que llega con amor, con oraciones de discernimiento con la gente, con-seguir a la gente en la habitación que necesitan estar allí, para ver cómo Dios puede hablar con nosotros para afrontar un desafío que es más grande que cualquiera de nosotros. Lo que se sacrificó en el modelo de evangelización “nosotros contra ellos”, fueron las misiones y el crecimiento.

Hay una razón por la que en medio de ese período de tiempo nuestras congregaciones no crecieron. El llamado de la iglesia es la de ofrecer al mundo de una manera diferente de vivir juntos, cito: “En esto todas las personas saben que ustedes son mis discípulos, si os tenéis amor los unos a los otros.”

Para que hayan congregaciones que trabajen en conjunto con la difusión del Evangelio, necesitamos líderes que tengan mentalidad misionera. Estos son los líderes que trabajan con congregaciones con el proposito en de enviar iglesias al mundo.

Estas son las congregaciones que dicen, “Dios nos ha puesto en nuestros edificios en esta ubicación geográfica por una razón y Dios nos ha dado un cargo para trabajar con nuestros hermanos cristianos para llegar a este lugar con el Evangelio.”

En otras palabras, el Evangelio nos llama a pensar geográficamente, no sólo congregacionalmente. Me emociona ver congregaciones asumir los prob-lemas de sus comunidades y en oración pidiendo a Dios que les dé estrategias sobre cómo pueden hacer una diferencia: Desde ferias de empleo para los de-sempleados, a los esfuerzos de reconciliación racial, materialismo desafiante, compromiso para resaltar una educación de calidad, tener pasión por las artes, luchando contra la pobreza, hambre, y falta de vivienda.

Desde “señales y maravillas”, ministerios que ven los cristianos del barrio venir a la iglesia para recibir oración, para llegar a los estudiantes universitar-ios en los ministerios de jóvenes renovados , la lista es interminable - y debe ser - porque nuestras comunidades varían ampliamente de un lugar a otro. Estoy emocionado de ver que estas congregaciones entienden que Dios ha puesto estos edificios en barrios con un propósito divino.

El propósito principal de la iglesia local no es el cuidado pastoral. Es cul-to y un patrón de discipulado y el cuidado pastoral el cual envía a la gente misiones. Rectores, vicarios, sacerdotes encargados, ¿tienes un modelo de adoración, discipulado, cuidado pastoral y oración la cual está enviando a la gente en misión? Porque esa es la prueba. No es cuantas personas llenan las bancas. Es lo que ocurre fuera de los bancos de una manera que realmente hace una diferencia sustantiva en la vida de su comunidad.

Si su iglesia, de repente, deja de existir, ¿Que diria su comunidad acerca de usted? ¿Por qué estaban conocidos? ¿Qué reputación tuvieron? Esa es una de las formas en que podemos empezar a llegar a eso que Dios nos ha puesto aquí. Una vez más, veo que esto ocurra en las congregaciones de toda la Diócesis. Estoy particularmente agradecido por la Iglesia San Eduardo en Mount Dora - Padre Ed Bartle, Rector - y la Iglesia de la Gracia en Ocala - Pa-dre Jonathan French, rector por pasar de congregaciones con estado de ayudo a condicion de parroquia. Felicidades, también, a la Iglesia de la Encarnación en Oviedo, y el Padre Rory Harris, por pasar de la misión a la condición de parroquia.

Sus congregaciones están creciendo precisamente porque le están pidien-do a Dios que les ayude con este desafío misionero. También estoy profun-damente alentado por el florecimiento de nuevas asociaciones misioneras en el extranjero. Si usted está interesado en aprender más acerca de las alianzas internacionales, no puedo facilitarles a ustedes un mejor recursos que “odres nuevos” (New Wineskin) de la Conferencia Misionera Mundial (Global Mis-sions Conference). Esta conferencia se lleva a cabo cada tres años en Ridge-crest, Carolina del Norte. La próxima conferencia tendrá lugar el próximo año. Yo animaré al clero ar ir y traer delegaciones de sus congregaciones.

Asociaciones misioneras son todas esas formas estratégicas que no sólo de sirven a aquellos en el extranjero, sino también es una forma dinámica de in-mersión con los miembros de nuestras congregaciones en lugares extranjeros los cuales hacen crecer en su confianza en Dios, y llegar a ser hombres y mu-jeres más profundos en la fe, eso es lo que vimos en el video sobre los equipos misioneros que hemos enviado a Jamaica, así como a Honduras.

También da a los participantes una visión no sólo para “allá”, pero em-piezan a ver sus propios barrios en una nueva luz misionera. Conozco a un rector, por ejemplo, que enviaba a su gente en equipos misioneros en el ex-tranjero con mas frecuencia porque no podían aceptar el evangelismo local para salvar su vida, les daba tanto miedolas misiones locales que por eso es que optaron ir al extranjero.

Despues de estas misiones, volvieron tan ardientos por cómo Dios los había utilizado en esos lugares, que comenzaron a observar sus propios barri-os y ellos fueron los que empezaron a mirar y decir: “Tenemos que hacer algo acerca de la pobreza en nuestra comunidad. ¿Cómo puedo hacer algo acerca de la pobreza en Honduras, si no estoy dispuesto a hacer algo acerca de la pobreza aquí ?”, y así sucesivamente fue.

Además, en un momento en que muchas de nuestras hermanas y her-manos anglicanos están sufriendo profundamente por su fe, los perseguidos necesitan nuestras oraciones, nuestro apoyo financiero y las relaciones perso-nales más que nunca.

Una de las historias no reportadas con frecuancia en los Estados Unidos es sobre lo que está sucediendo a nivel mundial a las minorías religiosas y en particular a los cristianos. Si no puedes ir, entonces ora y darpara que otros puedan ir.

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46th ANNUAL DIOCESAN CONVENTIONMe gustaría animar a las congregaciones a incluir en sus intercesiones de

los domingos la difícil situación de nuestros hermanos y hermanas que son perseguidos.

Un compromiso de tomar nUestro lUgar dentro de los concilios de la iglesia episcopal

Asistí en la primavera a la reunión, Cámara de Obispos en Texas y en otoño nos reunimos en Taiwán. La agradable sorpresa de la Cámara de los Obispos en Taiwán fue el testimonio de la Iglesia Episcopal de Taiwán. Fue muy impresionante.

Típico fue el testimonio del sacerdote joven de unos 30 años, a quien con-ocí a me dijo: “Me gradué del seminario hace 10 años y yo era tan inexperto que yo no sabía lo que estaba haciendo. El obispo me asignó a una iglesia con 10 personas y él quería cerrarla. Pero yo le dije: “Deme una oportunidad.” Yo fui y oré y le pedí a Jesús que me diera una visión. Él me dio esa visión y ahora 10 años después, hemos enjendrado otras dos iglesias de nuestra con-gregación”.

Recuerden que sólo inició con 10, y que está es una cultura en la que casi nadie hace nada con ninguna iglesia. Son en su mayoría budistas culturales y no hay nada culturalmente a que aferrarse, excepto cuando Dios se apodera de una vida, las cosas realmente comienzan a suceder. Fue fenomenal.

Yo participé en la consagración de Matt Gunter en Wisconsin, donde vi tanto nuestro predicador en la Eucaristía de ayer, mi viejo amigo el obispo Frank Gray, así como el presente rector interino de San Miguel de, Orlando, el Excmo. Rev. Russell Jacobus, uno de nuestros obispos Comunión socios. También participé en la consagración de eel obispo sufragáneo de Nueva York, Allen Shin.

Una anecdoa. Conduciendo en Conway Road, vi un árbol y pense: “¡eso es!”. Me detuve a un lado de la carretera, saqué mi teléfono y tomé una foto. Esta imagen es de hecho una imagen precisa de la situación actual de la Iglesia. Partes de ella viven y estan floreciente; partes de ella se están muriendo. Hay una transición que está sucediendo en nuestra iglesia. Tenemos una oportuni-dad extraordinaria y que realmente está sucediendo, de ser un testimonio de la iglesia en general, la búsqueda de maneras de construir alianzas para decir: “¿Cómo podemos servir juntos?” Estoy muy encantado de que tenemos otra vez este año a representantes de la Iglesia Episcopal aquí. Ellos son nuestros hermanos y hermanas y estoy muy contento de que estén aquí porque quiero ver ese sueño vivo, todo el árbol, no sólo partes de él y quiero decirle, real-mente creo que está sucediendo.

En este año, 2015, el 24 y 25 de febrero, seré el anfitrión en Canterbury Retreat & Conference Center, en Oviedo, de una reunión internacional de la Comunión Socio de obispos, incluyendo a los obispos de ultramar.

Además, para la próxima reunión de la Convención General de la Iglesia Episcopal de este verano, estamos enviando una delegación completa. Man-tenga este maravilloso grupo de personas en sus oraciones. Estoy emocionado de que vamos a ser capaces de hacer esto juntos. Vamos a trabajar muy duro, rezar mucho y pasar un buen rato.

Para esta próxima Convención General, he aceptado una cita por el Obis-po Presidente para servir como presidente de la comisión legislative de Evan-gelismo y Comunicaciones, que recibe y propone resoluciones sobre la evan-gelización dentro de las jurisdicciones de esta Iglesia. El comité también recibe y propone resoluciones sobre estrategias de comunicación y tecnologías para

fortalecer la comunicación del Evangelio de la Iglesia y las oportunidades para la gestión de información y el intercambio dentro de la Iglesia.

Hay un lugar en la mesa para nosotros, no dejes que nadie te diga lo con-trario.

Un compromiso para revitalizar el ministerio para los Jovenes

Bajo la dirección de Craig Maughan, director de la Escuela Preparato-ria de la Trinidad, un grupo de ellos ha trabajado duro este año tratando de aclarar nuestros cánones para ayudar a fortalecer la relación entre la diócesis y nuestras escuelas parroquiales y diocesanas. Si alguna vez hubo un laboratorio para el desarrollo de futuros líderes, esto es el lugar , y estoy muy agradecido a Craig y su equipo por su dedicado servicio.

Más tarde, usted va a escuchar al señor Steve Shneeburger, un maestro profesional en la pastoral juvenil y nuestra Consultora Juventud aquí en la Diócesis. Steve sigue entrecruzan la Diócesis y ofreciendo consultas a las con-gregaciones locales sin costo alguno para ellos, por cierto, también ha sido un apoyo excelente a los ministerios de jóvenes voluntarios profesionales aquí en esta Diócesis. Estoy muy contento de que Steve esté con nosotros. Además, bajo el liderazgo continuo de la reverenda Phyllis Bartle y su grupo,la actividad New Beginnings, sigue creciendo más fuerte cada día. New Beginnings es un fin de semana que cambia la vida de los estudiantes de secundaria, se celebra periódicamente en el Camp Wingmann se lo recomiendo.

Los Revs. Deke Miller y Sonya Sullivan Clifton se han unido con su propio equipo para reiniciar Happenings en esta Diócesis, con una delegación viajan-do a la Diócesis de Georgia para disfrutar Happenings este año. También me gustaría decir que estoy encantado de que la batuta se ha pasado con éxito de la pareja legendaria de Bill y Joanie Yates a Deke Miller, y que el Campo Wingmann está en pleno desarrollo con nuevas ideas y un programa comple-to e incluso, un Chef entrenado por el Instituto Culinario Cordon Blue!

En conclusión, la diócesis de la Florida Central fue fundada a base del sacrificio personal extraordinario y oración significativa. El crecimiento de la iglesia y la extensión del Reino no crece de ninguna otra forma.

Apoyando cada movimiento de Dios siempre, ha sido un grupo de per-sonas que estaban dispuestos a ir más allá de lo que se les pide por otros. Individuos que se ponen al frente, dispuestos a imponer un ritmo, para orar cuando nadie más lo haría, para hablar en contra de la injusticia, incluso cuan-do no había nadie más con ellos, respondiendo a la llamada de Dios a niveles significativos de sacrificio personal y la oración personal.

A favor de esta diócesis, Dios nos ha dado numerosos clérigos y laicos que fueron y están dispuestos a dar tan sacrificadamente de su tiempo, su dinero, su valor y sus oraciones.

Me siento muy honrado de estar en la sombra de estos gigantes y emocio-nado de que Dios nos ha pedido tomar nuestros lugares con ellos para cum-plir con el nuevo reto de llegar a esta area, de nuevo, con el Evangelio salvador de Jesucristo. Este no es el momento para los negocios como de costumbre, al menos que los negocios como de costumbre signifiquen nuevas profundi-dades de compromisos amorosos a el Salvador que tan apasionadamente se preocupa por nosotros y para un mundo en necesidad desesperada de puntos de vista muy, variados.

Recordemos con gratitud los sacrificios del pasado para tomar el manto por el bien de un futuro muy emocionante que Dios tiene para nosotros. Amen.■

Photos tomadas de la Convención Anual, estan en las paginas 1 -16.

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MaRK youR calendaRS, people: January 24 is officially Diocese of Central Florida Day in the City Beautiful

Orlando Commissioner and Mayor Pro Tem Robert F. Stuart made it official at this year’s annual convention, held at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke, Jan. 23 and 24.

“You are an important part of our fabric, whether you’re from Ocala or from downtown Orlando, we join together to serve God’s people and I’m honored to be a part of that today,” said Orlando Commis-sioner and Mayor Pro Tem Robert F. Stuart.

The dedication follows over 45 years of Diocese support in the Central Florida community, from outreach ministries to missionary projects -- including the Hope and Health center, founded in 1988, one of the first organizations to provide resources to those in the Orlando community afflicted with AIDS.

Stuart, who also serves as executive director of the Christian Service Center for Central Florida, led the ceremony with poise as he listed the various accolades that make the Diocese so worthy of this pres-tigious honor.

Such accolades include the establishment of “I-Dignity,” created to help homeless people in Orlan-do obtain identification documents, as well as the Diocese’s “Be A Player” event, which provides sports physicals to local youth and has grown so large that it must now be held at the Citrus Bowl.

“It is worth it to build partnerships with government and city officials in your communities to see what God might want to do to use you to make a difference,” Bishop Brewer told the convention attendees. “And thank you very, very much, Commissioner Stewart, my brother in Christ. I appreciate you coming today.”■

DIOCESE OF CENTRAL FLORIDA DAy

OrlandO declares

In January, 2014, the Diocese of Central Florida’s Annual Convention passed a resolution to set aside $50,000 in grant money for unaided con-gregations, called Congregational Development Grants.

The grants are a resource for growing existing, self-supporting congre-gations and their ministry opportunities. The grants reflect the “Five Stra-tegic Points” named by Bishop Gregory Brewer in the Bishop’s address to the Convention, January, 2014.

Self-supporting congregations are encouraged to apply for the 2015 round of grants, with a deadline of June 30. The grants a Congregation Development Grant (1) to meet the needs of continued growth; (2) for new ministries; (3) for existing ministries needing new funding to expand; and, (4) other new parish initiatives. Additionally the grants may be provided for needed facilities, programs and/or staff.

Congregational Development grants awarDeD in 2014Fourteen churches submitted requests for the first round of grants, in

2014, “and they were outstanding,” said the Rev. Rob Goodridge, Chair-man of the Congregational Development Commission.

Paring the list down was a daunting task, Fr. Goodridge said. The Commission presented their recommendations to the Diocesan Board meeting in July, and the board approved the following requests:

* $10,000 to Holy Trinity, Bartow, to seed a new contemporary Sat-urday evening service, with a professional worship leader, musical instru-ments, sanctuary implements, marketing, and promotion.

* $10,000 to Shepherd Of The Hills, Lecanto, to add needed dental care to a thriving healthcare ministry for those in need in their local community.

* $8,000 to St. Sebastian’s, Melbourne Beach, to provide electronic signage to reach parents of the elementary school next door to the church, and to upgrade the sound equipment for a growing contemporary worship service featuring professional volunteer musicians.

* $10,000 to St. Simon the Cyrenian, Ft. Pierce, to upgrade bath-rooms, offices, and Parish Hall facilities in order to expand Outreach Pro-grams focused on an impoverished neighborhood.

* $12,000 to St. Stephens, Lakeland, to create Youth Outdoor Out-reach, making their campus the go-to place for outdoor youth activities, and to bring young families onto their campus.

“We look forward to seeing the fruit of these offerings and eagerly anticipate more exciting opportunities from next year’s applicants,” Fr. Goodridge said.

Priorities will be given for (1) grants which strengthen the various con-gregation relationships within the Diocese; (2) grants designed to raise up new leaders for both clergy and laity; (3) grants to expand or begin out-reach ministries to congregation neighbors, communities and regions so that people become attracted to see and hear the good news that God has given us; (4) grants to further participate in the councils of the Episcopal Church and the Diocese as well as ecumenical relationships within parish communities; and, (5) grants designed to revitalize children’s programs and youth ministry.

(Download the full application package at http://www.cfdiocese.org/news/cdcApp2015)

Congregational Development grants 2015: Call for appliCations

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2015 ANNUAL DIOCESAN CONVENTIONThe Forty-Sixth Annual Convention of the Diocese of Central Florida was held in Orlando, Florida. The Convention met on

Friday, January 23 and Saturday, January 24, 2015, at The Cathedral Church of St. Luke,

130 North Magnolia Avenue, Orlando, FL 32801

ELECTED AT CONVENTION:Standing Committee

Lay order

Mrs. Susan Shannon: Native New Englanders, my husband and I moved to Orlando in 1991. Together with our son, Colin, we opened Shannon’s Casual Café in south Orlando. I have been an active communicant of the Cathedral Church of St. Luke since 1991.I have served on the Cathedral Chapter, the Diocesan Board,

the Standing Com-mittee, and the Strategic Planning Commission. My current Diocesan activities include membership on the Commission on Ministry.

As a member of the Anglican Communion I believe the Creeds, Holy Scripture, the Sacraments and the Historic Episcopate are essential to the Church.

The first challenge facing our diocese is how to move forward with the positive spiritual emphasis on the grace and love of Christ that we already exhibit. In the face of growing opposition from the secular world, we must con-tinue to build on the great truths of God’s Word and maintain our faithfulness to Holy Scripture and the traditional teachings of the Church.

The second challenge is to create a positive environment for evangelism. By changing the culture from maintenance to evangelism, parishioners can be-come excited about the primary mission of the Church, the spread of the sav-ing word of God. Several positive benefits result. Increased evangelism means that many aid-ed parishes can become self-supporting and begin contributing to the new mis-sions that would be started. This growth impacts the financial health of the dio-cese and allows more mission and outreach. The key is to commit to evangelism, not church growth.

Third, we will be challenged by the need to preach and teach, in the An-glican tra-dition, the grace filled message of Christ’s love in a world that is desperately seeking meaning but unaware of where to search. Together with Bishop Brewer, I wish to contribute to healing and unifying the Episcopal Church we cherish and re-spect and to offer the message of salvation as it has been passed down to us.

To be a member of the Standing Committee would be a privilege to which I would give my enthusiasm, devotion and utmost efforts.

CLeriCaL order

The Reverend Andrew Petiprin: I have been the rector of St. Mary of the Angels in south Orlando since Septem-ber 2011, and I am most grateful to lead this loving, rapidly-growing con-grega-tion. I was raised in Orlando before pursuing my B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh. I also hold an M.Phil. from Oxford University in England, where I was a British Marshall

Scholar from 2001 to 2003. I trained for ordination and received my M.Div. at Yale. I am 34 years old.

In addition to my parish responsibilities, I have taught at the Institute for Christian Studies and I write regularly for the Living Church magazine and the Covenant weblog. Before ordination I spent three years as a pub-lic high school teacher in Orlando. I am married to Amber, and we have two small children, Alexander and Aimee.

If elected to the Standing Committee, I will support our bishop humbly and enthusiastically, praying al-ways for wisdom to make decisions that accord with God’s will. I hope that the voice of a younger priest might add something valuable to discussions surrounding the challenges and opportunities facing our future. I believe we must be realistic about the changing demographics of our region and be good neighbors that take the lead in build-ing up our com-munities for the sake of the kingdom of God. In my own parish I see a hunger among people for “deep church” – biblical, sacramental, and active faith that our parishes are in good position to teach and practice.

I am eager to share my leadership gifts at the diocesan level as a member of the Standing Committee if called upon to do so.

dioCeSan BoardLay order

Dr. Lorraine K. Harris: Dr. Lorraine K. Harris is the older daughter of the late Mr. Willie H. Kimbrough and Mrs. Odessa Florida Kimbrough. Her family moved to Orlando from Shell-man, Georgia when she was six years of age. She is the wife of Willie B. Harris and the mother of Vincent B. Stretcher (Judy). Dr. Harris is an honor graduate of Jones High School. She re-

ceived a BS degree in Elementary Education and an M Ed degree from Flori-

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da A & M University and she earned a degree of D Ed from the University of Florida. A retired Orange County Public Schools Administrator, she served the children of Orange County for 36 years. She has traveled extensively, vol-unteering for a two-week stay in South Africa providing workshops for teach-ers and principals in the elementary schools and she also worked in the U.S. Army Dependent School in Germany.

Dr. Harris has been an actively participating member of the Episcopal Church of St. John the Baptist, Orlando for more than fifty years. At St. John’s she served on the Vestry as secretary for 27 consecutive years and also as Se-nior Warden. She has served as Sunday school teacher/superintendent, Epis-copal Church Women President, Chair of the Search Committee for rector, chair of the funding of the present sanctuary, a member of the Daughters of the King and a Lector.

In the community, Dr. Harris is a life member and “Golden Girl” in Al-pha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She assisted in establishing an undergraduate chapter at the University of Central Florida and hosted the 2002 National Convention in Orlando. She has chaired many Alpha Kappa Alpha projects including bringing the voter registration books to the community so that citi-zens whose work schedules prevented their registration would have an oppor-tunity to register to vote. As program chairman for the Orlando Chapter of Chums, Inc. whose theme is “Listen to the Children”, Dr. Harris has worked to provide Reading Festivals and book Giveaways for children. She has also provided Bridge Camps for children, teaching them the game of bridge for enhancing their reasoning and analytical skills.

She loves the Lord and she loves the Episcopal Church. Her service since Confirmation has never waned. On the diocesan level, she presently serves on the Commission on Ministry and her desire is to expand her service by being elected a member of the Diocesan Board.

Mrs. Sonya Shannon: Born in Tyler, Texas, I was confirmed at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Grand Prairie, Texas. I met my husband, Colin, in high school and we were married at St. Andrews in 1990. We joined The Cathedral Church of St. Luke when we moved to Orlando in 1993. Today we are the proud parents of three beautiful cradle Episcopalians-Shelby is

20, Erin is 16, and Kendall is 13. I seek to secure a safe place for my girls to grow in their love of the Lord.

I currently work at the Cathedral as the Nursery Coordinator. In diocesan work I have served on Diocesan Board and currently serve on the Standing Committee and the Congregational Development Committee. In July I will serve as a lay deputy to the General Convention 2015 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

As a diocese, in fact, as the Church, we face a culture that is increasingly non-Christian. We routinely encounter individuals who have only a limited knowledge of Jesus Christ. They are looking for answers and meaning but have no idea of where to turn for grace and hope. Our first challenge, there-fore, is to renew our own faith and find ways to articulate those personal stories of faith and encounters with the Lord. Our call to evangelism is to step out of our comfort zone. Our comfort zone for many years has been to stay within the confines of our parish, even literally within our very church buildings. We can no longer wait for people to come to us.

As strong as our witness is right now, we can become even stronger in our faith. We should continue to develop programs that teach the basics of the

faith, renew the spiritual life of the individual members of the diocese, and provide the tools for growth in the life of the Church.

I believe the Diocese offers a unique opportunity for those who would seek to know our Lord and deepen their relationship. I will continue to work to make a difference in the life of the church by helping to maintain the conti-nuity and integrity throughout the churches in the Diocese of Central Florida.

I am committed to serve as best I can to help the bishop fulfill his vision of raising up new leaders and restoring lives in our community I believe I can be effective in this effort as a member of the Diocesan Board.

The Honorable John Antoon: I am a communicant at St. Mary of the Angels in Belle Isle, Florida. My wife and I became Episcopalians when our daughter was born in 1996. Before moving to Orlando 2000, we were members at St. James Epis-copal Church in Ormond Beach, Florida.At St. Mary, I served as chair of a discernment committee and

as senior warden. During my tenure as senior warden, the church entered into a contract with Father Andrew Petiprin, the rector at St. Mary. Also, during that time I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Bishop John W. Howe and Canon Ernie Bennett. I currently sit as a lay member of the Dioce-san Board.My family moved to Brevard County in 1962, and except for college, graduate school, and a tour with the United States Army, I have been a resident of Cen-tral Florida since. My education resulted in the following degrees: bachelor’s (history), a master’s (government contracts), a juris doctor, and an LLM (mas-ter’s degree in law). January 2015, I will have completed thirty years as a judge, and I currently serve as a Senior United States District Judge in Orlando.

During my professional career, I have belonged to various service orga-nizations and served on many committees. My leadership positions include: President of the Brevard County Bar Asso-ciation, Chair-elect of the Florida Conference of Circuit Judges, President of the Florida Con-ference of Appel-late Judges, Chief Judge of the 18th Judicial Circuit, and Chief Judge of the 5th District Court of Appeal. Since taking senior status, I have more time to devote to my church. It is my hope to lend my experience and modest talents to the ser-vice of the Christian outreach of the Diocese and to the work of Bishop Brewer.

CLeriCaL order

The Reverend Robert Goodridge: I am excited about the bishop’s vision: praying people taking the gospel beyond our stained glass windows. In this new age, we need prayerful, cre-ative leader-ship. As Rector at St. Gabriel’s in Titusville, since 2009, I’ve seen how creative ministry reaches people.It has been my pleasure for the past two years to serve at the

appointment of the bishop as Chair of the Congregational Development Com-mission, a Commission of the Diocesan Board. Working with this commis-sion has provided me with the opportunity to move around the diocese and to lift up and celebrate the diversity and creative ministries of our congregations. In 2014 the Commission administered the Par-ish Development Grant Pro-gram established at the 45th Annual Diocesan Convention. Five congregations were awarded grants to fund new initiatives.

46th ANNUAL DIOCESAN CONVENTION

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46th ANNUAL DIOCESAN CONVENTIONBishop Brewer commissioned me to produce a film documentary on the

history of the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Central Florida. With God’s help, this documentary will be presented at the 46th Annual Convention.

If elected to the Diocesan Board, I pledge to faithfully support our bishop in his missional work.

truStee, univerSity of the SouthLay order

Mr. Parker Bauer: Often someone will say to me, with a shake of the head, “You love Sewanee so much, why don’t you just move up there?” It’s true. I do love the place, my fondness only growing with time over the three terms I’ve served as trust-ee. I feel a deep commitment to the purpose of the university and to its people, especially the students. I love the mountaintop

Domain that God made. Living there, I’d save a lot of mileage on my car, six or seven trips a year. Only one drawback: I couldn’t serve Sewanee as a trustee from this diocese. And that makes all the difference.

As one of Sewanee’s 28 owning dioceses – a minority in the Church – we’re gifted by God with the ongoing opportunity to do great things for his Kingdom. The undergraduate College is our point of engagement with some 1500 young people each year, eager to gain knowledge and wisdom in a set-ting enlightened by Christian faith. The School of Theology plays a major role in shaping the ministry of the whole Church, with some 160 seminarians presently on degree tracks. And Education for Ministry extends to laypersons nationwide, with a record current enrollment of more than 4,250. All this is part of the mission and outreach of our own diocese.

Seen another way, Sewanee is the largest corporation within the Episcopal Church, so we have a tremendous fiduciary responsibility. Sewanee is flourish-ing – and God, I must think, is glad.

A cradle Episcopalian, I’ve been a member of churches in this diocese since the mid-1980s. I serve on the vestry of Holy Trinity, Fruitland Park, where previously I was Senior Warden. God saw me through The Ohio State University and the U. S. Marine Corps. My wife, Charlotte, and I have three daughters, Katie, a 2003 Sewanee graduate; Stephanie; and Valerie.

RESOLUTIONS PASSEDR-1: Admission of Church of the Incarnation, Oviedo as a ParishPresented by: The Reverend Robert Goodridge, ChairCongregational Development CommissionDate: January 23, 2015

WHEREAS: The Episcopal Church of Church of the Incarnation, Oviedo, Florida having fulfilled all the requirements of Canon XV in that:• It is composed of not fewer than 50 adult communicants of the Episcopal

Church.

• It accedes to the Doctrine, Discipline and Worship of the Episcopal Church, to the Constitution and Canons set forth by the General Conven-tion, and to the Constitution and Canons of this Diocese.

• It promises to pay for the support of its Rector such an amount as may be approved by the ecclesiastical Authority and Board, such assessments laid upon it by the Convention; and the pension premium on the stipend of the Rector; and the health insurance of the Rector.

• It has been financially self-supporting for the 2014 calendar year.• It has contributed to the ministry and mission of the Diocese of Cen-

tral Florida the equivalent of at least 10% of the Congregation’s plate and pledge income for the 2014 calendar year.

• It is possessed of a place of corporate worship adequate to the needs of its Congregation, the location and tenure of which is established and contin-ued possession of which is reasonably assured. And

WHEREAS: Church of the Incarnation has adopted Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws approved by the Chancellor and has received the approval of the Bishop, the Diocesan Board, and the Chancellor, to be admitted as a parish;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That this Forty-Sixth Annual Conven-tion of the Diocese of Central Florida meeting in Orlando, Florida admits Church of the Incarnation, Oviedo as a Parish in union with the Diocese of Central Florida.

R-2: Foreign Missions SundayPresenter: The Reverend Kevin Holsapple, ChairCommission on Foreign MissionsDate: October 30, 2014

RESOLVED: That this 46th Annual Convention of the Diocese of Central Florida establish an annual Foreign Mission Sunday, to fall on the Sunday fol-lowing St. Andrew’s Day, for the purpose of raising awareness, appreciation, and financial commitment to the foreign missions undertaken by this diocese.And be it further

RESOLVED: That this observation begin on December 6, 2015, and focus on the São Paulo Mercy Ministry.

EXPLANATION: The 45th Annual Diocesan Convention adopted the São Paulo Mercy Ministry as a foreign mission of the diocese, but did not institute any means of funding this mission. An Annual Foreign Mission Sunday would help to meet this need with promotional materials and special collections, and help establish foreign mission work as an integral part of our life as a diocese.

ADOPTED CANONICAL CHANGEexhiBit a

Canon xxv SChooLSSection 1.: No day care center, preschool, kindergarten, or school provid-ing secular education for young people and claiming to be with or under the

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control, auspices, or approval of this Church shall be established by any Par-ish, Mission (or other institution) in this Diocese without first obtaining the consent and approval of the Ecclesiastical Authority and Diocesan Board, nor shall any such school be operated or maintained by any Parish, Mission (or other institution) in this Diocese without the continued approval of the Eccle-siastical Authority and the Diocesan Board.

Section 2.: The Central Florida Episcopal Schools Association (the “CFE-SA”) shall operate under the continuing authority of the Ecclesiastical Authori-ty and the Diocesan Board. The CFESA Episcopal Identity and Requirements Committee shall make and provide minimum standards and requirements, subject to the approval of the Ecclesiastical Authority and the Diocesan Board, for the establishment, the approval, the operation and the accreditation of such day care centers and schools including reasonable probationary periods. Each School shall be a member of the Central Florida Episcopal Schools As-sociation (the “CFESA”) and comply with the CFESA School Standards. Any parish affiliated or parish related day care center or school failing to meet such minimum standards may be closed, disassociated from the Church Parish or Diocese, or face other corrective measures imposed by the Ecclesiastical Au-thority and Diocesan Board subject to these Canons.• The CFESA Episcopal Identity and Requirements Committee shall be

appointed annually by the Ecclesiastical Authority. Approximately half of the Committee shall be clergy. There shall be proportional representation of the various types of schools. All members of this Committee shall be Episcopalians in Good Standing or have the equivalent standing in anoth-er Christian denomination.

Section 3.: The Ecclesiastical Authority and the Diocesan Board may autho-rize separate corporations operating schools which are directly or indirectly related to a Parish to operate independently of the Parish provided that in each instance• The Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws of this corporation are approved

and remain subject to the approval of the Vestry of the Parish, Rector, Ec-clesiastical Authority and the Diocesan Board,

• The Vestry of the Parish has the right to appoint at least one person to serve on its board of directors.

• At least 20% of the members of its board of directors are Members in Good Standing of the Episcopal Church.

• The school agrees to comply and does comply with the policies, proce-dures, minimum standards and requirements published by CFESA and approved by the Ecclesiastical Authority and the Diocesan Board,

• The Articles of Incorporation shall have a provision by which the school accedes to the doctrine, discipline, worship, constitution and canons of this Church and Diocese.

• The Rector of the Parish is in full charge of the spiritual direction of the school.

• The school is subject to other requirements determined on a case by case basis by the Ecclesiastical Authority and the Diocesan Board.

• The school is subject to the following corrective measures:1. The Ecclesiastical Authority may place a parish related school on warn-

ing or probation if it fails to meet the CFESA Standards or Require-ments, during which time there shall be a written plan for remediation.

2. The Ecclesiastical Authority may remove any member of its board of directors found to be acting or voting in material breach of the canons,

standards, requirements or policies of this Diocese, subject to the ap-proval of the Diocesan Board.

3. The Ecclesiastical Authority may close the school, subject to the ap-proval of the Diocesan Board.

4. The Ecclesiastical Authority may disassociate the school from the Church, Parish and Diocese, subject to the approval of the Rector and Vestry of the Parish and of the Diocesan Board. Disassociation is further described in Section 6 of this Canon.

Section 4. Diocesan (Independent) Schools: Schools not directly or in-directly related to a Parish, shall, in order to hold themselves out as an Episco-pal school, agree to and be subject to CFESA policies adopted and approved by the Ecclesiastical Authority and the Diocesan Board. The Ecclesiastical Authority and Diocesan

Board may prohibit a school that fails to comply with such policies from holding itself out as an Episcopal school.

The Ecclesiastical Authority may place a Diocesan (Independent) school on warning or probation if it fails to meet the CFESA Standards or Require-ments, during which time there shall be a written plan for remediation. If the school fails to comply with the plan for remediation, the Ecclesiastical Au-thority and Diocesan Board may disassociate the school from the Diocese, as further described in Section 6 of this Canon.

Section 5. Schools Generally: The Ecclesiastical Authority and the Dioce-san Board may require reports from all such day care centers and schools and specify the information to be disclosed by such reports and shall have the right to inspect, or cause to be inspected, such institutions at any time.

For any separately incorporated school, The Ecclesiastical Authority or the designee of the Ecclesiastical Authority shall automatically be a member of the board of directors, with all the privileges and powers of a member of the board of directors, and may visit the school on an annual basis or at any other time.

A school may call a member of the clergy as .staff only with the approval of the Ecclesiastical Authority. This person shall be either canonically resident in the Diocese or licensed by the Diocese to function as a member of the clergy.

Section 6. Disassociation: In the event the Ecclesiastical Authority and Diocesan Board are considering disassociating a School from the diocese, the Ecclesiastical Authority shall notify the School (and Parish in the case of a par-ish related school) in writing summarizing the reasons for possibly disassociat-ing the School from the Diocese and giving the School a reasonable period of time, not to exceed 90 days, within which to eliminate or cure such reasons. If the School fails to eliminate or cure such reasons within the cure period in the judgment of the Ecclesiastical Authority and the Diocesan Board the School may be disassociated from the Diocese, with the consent of the Vestry and Rector in the case of a Parish Related school.

Upon such disassociation from the Diocese, a School shall immediately notify all students, parents/guardians of the students and employees of the School of such disassociation shall cease holding itself out as an Episcopal School, and cease using any signage, letterhead, advertising or references to the School as an Episcopal School.

Section 7. Exceptions to the provisions of this Canon XXV.: The Ecclesiastical Authority and the Diocesan Board may, for good reason on a school by school basis, grant an exception or exceptions to the provisions of

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this Canon XXV after consulting with the CFESA and, in the case of a Parish related school, the approval of the Rector of the related

Parish. Any exception granted may be rescinded or modified in the future by the Ecclesiastical Authority and the Diocesan Board, and in the case of a

Parish related school, with the approval of the Rector of the related Parish.Nothing in this Canon XXV shall impair or limit the Ecclesiastical Au-

thority’s exclusive charge of all spiritual affairs of the Diocese as provided in Canon I, Section 5.■

The Very Rev. Peter Eaton, dean of St. John’s Cathedral in Denver, Colorado, was elected as bishop coadjutor of the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida on Jan. 31, pending the required consents from a majority of bishops with juris-

diction and standing committees of The Episcopal Church.Eaton, 56, was elected during a special convention held at Trinity

Cathedral in Miami. He was elected on the fourth ballot out of a field of six nominees. He received 87 votes of 161 cast in the lay order and 72 of 125 cast in the clergy order. An election on that ballot required 82 in the lay order and 63 in the clergy order.

“I shall strive every day to be worthy of the trust and confidence that you have placed in me today,” said Eaton following the election. “I am particularly honored to be called to work with Bishop Frade, who, with his wife Diana, enjoys the respect and love not just of the Diocese of Southeast Florida, but of so many in our Church.”

A bishop coadjutor is elected to replace the diocesan bishop upon retirement. Frade, diocesan bishop since 2000, will retire in January 2016.

Under the canons (III.11.4) of The Episcopal Church, a majority of bishops exercising jurisdiction and diocesan standing committees must consent to Eaton’s ordination as bishop coadjutor within 120 days of receiving notice of the election.

Eaton has served as dean at St. John’s Cathedral since 2002. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1982 from King’s College, Lon-don, along with an Associate of King’s College in theology. In 1985, he

earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theology degree from Queen’s College, Cambridge, and in 1989 a Master of Arts degree. In 1986, he earned a Certificate in Theology from Wescott House Seminary in Cambridge. From 1989-1991, he was a graduate research student in Early Christian history and literature at Magdalen College, Oxford.

The other nominees were:• The Rev. Michael J. Battle, 51, interim dean for students and

community life, Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Mas-sachusetts;

• The Very Rev. DeDe Duncan-Probe, 52, rector of St. Peter’s in the Woods Episcopal Church in Fairfax Station, Virginia;

• The Rev. John C. N. Hall, 56, rector of St. Boniface Episcopal Church in Sarasota, Florida;

• The Rev. Allen F. Robinson, 44, rector of St. James Episcopal Church in Baltimore, Maryland;

• The Rev. Canon Martin W. Zlatic, 58, rector of St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church in Boynton Beach, Florida.

Pending the required consents, Eaton will be ordained and conse-crated as the bishop coadjutor of Southeast Florida on Saturday, May 9 at Trinity Cathedral in Miami.

The Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida includes 76 congrega-tions, with approximately 38,000 parishioners, from Key West north to Jensen Beach and west to Clewiston.■

Southeast Florida Diocese Elects

as Bishop Coadjutor

Peter Eaton

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AROUND THE DIOCESE

Bishop Frank Gray is down to just one remaining copy of “For Thou Art With Me: Interned in the Philippines,” the self-published mem-oir that chronicles his family’s three years in a Japanese concentra-tion camp in the Philippines during World War II.

And after three months of filling in at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Rapid City, he plans to leave it as a farewell gift to his adopted congregation.

“We’ve loved the community and are happy to experience this beautiful part of the country,” Gray said recently of his summer filling in as rector at St. Andrew’s for the Rev. Kathy Monson Lutes, who was awarded a $50,000 Lilly Foundation travel sabbatical.

He and his wife, Karen, have been in Rapid City since June and have been visited at various times during their stay by their three children and eight grandchildren.

Gray, 73, retired from his post as bishop for the Diocese of Northern Indi-ana in 2006. As the author of two books of poetry, and who is currently at work on a chapbook of poems relating to Psalm 139 (“O Lord, you have searched me and known me ...”), he also published the family memoir in 2010.

Gray was just 2 years old when his family went into the camp, and 5 when they and the other 600 prisoners were liberated by U.S. forces.

“I have vague memories of my dad carrying me into a barbed-wire area,” he said. His memories of the American G.I.s who rescued them just a few short months before the end of WWII are much stronger. He remembers them handing out foods “and wonderful things I’d never had before ... like Spam,” he said.

Life in the Japanese civilian camps, while not as horrendous as a military POW camp or the Nazi death camps in Europe, were still filled with daily deprivations, he said. The six civilian concentration camps in the Philippines held mostly ex-patriate Americans, Australians and English, some of whom,

like Gray’s parents, were in the Philippines as Christian missionaries.“There was a privation of food,” Gray said. Adults suffered the most from

lack of food, since they made sure that all of the children ate first, often at the expense of their own health, he said. “And the Japanese love kids, so they often snuck them extra food,” he said.

His father was so emaciated at the end of three years that he was physically unable to return to his work as an Episcopalian missionary. “It affected my parents’ health the rest of their lives, physically and emotionally,” he said of the internment. “The stress of that probably stayed with them in ways people wouldn’t understand.”

His memoir is based, in part, on diaries kept by his mother and father, which were never published.

Despite his young age during his imprisonment, Gray said the course of his own life was affected by the camp, too. “Ultimately, it probably did. I enlist-ed in the Marine Corps at 18 because I had a debt to repay,” he said.

He has been active in mission work in the Dominican Republic, Hon-duras, and Sudan for many years and is presently serving as the commissary for the Episcopal Diocese of Renk, Sudan. Gray is an active volunteer for the American Red Cross.

Before becoming a bishop, Gray spent 17 years as a pastor and college chaplain. “So it’s nice to get back to the main thing I was called for,” he said of his pastorate at St. Andrew’s.

The Lily grant is designed to provide renewal for both pastor and his or her congregation. As such, St. Andrew’s chose to spend the summer learning more about the Anglican missionary roots of their denomination. Gray’s life, as well as his experiences teaching Anglican theology in parishes, have been essential to the weekly classes he’s offered at St. Andrew’s.■

RETiRED BiShOp BRiNgS

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AROUND THE DIOCESE

On Saturday, February 21, at 10 a.m., the Cathedral Church of St. Luke, 130 North Magnolia Ave, Orlando; the Union of Black Episcopalians-Central Florida Chapter; in conjunction with the Diocese of Central Florida Anti-Racism Committee and Minority

Ministries Committee, will hold “A Celebration of the Life and Ministry of the Reverend Absalom Jones: Working Towards Social Justice and Reconcil-iation.” Jones was the first African American priest in the Episcopal Church.

There is no admission fee for the Feb. 21 event. A free-will offering to benefit Historically Black Colleges and Universities members Vorhees Col-lege and St. Augustine University will be collected. The guest speaker for the event is the Reverend Dr. Martini Shaw, 17th Rector of African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas (AEST), Philadelphia, PA, the church founded by Jones in 1792 for persons of African descent to foster personal and religious freedoms and self-determination.

Born a slave in Sussex County, Delaware, in 1746, Absalom Jones taught himself to read and write. In 1762, he was sent to Philadelphia, Pennsylva-nia, to work in his master’s store; however, in the evenings, Jones attended school. In 1786, Jones met Richard Allen. They were among the first African Americans licensed to preach by the Methodist Church and served the Black members of the interracial congregation of Saint George’s Methodist Episco-pal Church.

In 1787 Jones and Allen, together with other black members, left St. George’s, as they were tired of being segregated to a gallery and given sec-ond-class status in the congregation. They founded the Free African Society (FAS), first conceived as a non-denominational mutual aid society, to help newly freed slaves in Philadelphia.

Although they remained lifelong friends and collaborators, Jones and Al-len separated over their different directions in religion. Jones and his followers desired a complete break from the Methodist. He subsequently founded Afri-can Episcopal Church of St. Thomas. On the other hand, Allen formed a new denomination, the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Jones is significant because he was a leader in the establishment of reli-gious, educational, and social institutions for people of African descent. Ac-cording to Fr. Shaw, “One cannot fully celebrate the life and ministry of the Rev. Absalom Jones, without focusing on issues of Social Justice and Recon-ciliation within our society. May the spirit of ‘Absalom’ continue to breathe within our hearts and souls”.

The Reverend Dr. Martini Shaw, a native of Detroit, MI, earned the Doctorate of Ministry degree in Liturgy from the Graduate Theological Foun-dation, with coursework at the University of Oxford (Oxford –England), the Masters of Divinity Degree from McCormick Theological Seminary in Hyde Park (Chicago, IL) and undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Biology from Wayne State University (Detroit). Before assuming the leadership of

AEST, Fr. Shaw served as pastoral associate at St. John the Evangelist Episco-pal Church, Flossmoor, IL, and then rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Chicago.

In addition to his pastoral duties, Fr. Shaw was actively involved in key Chicago community organizations and was appointed by Mayor Richard Da-ley to the Community Development Advisory Commission, where city plan-ners and policy makers consulted with him on the distribution of millions of federal dollars awarded to Chicago through the Community Development Block Grants Program. Fr. Shaw also served as the Chairman of the Monitor-ing Commission for Desegregation Implementation for the Chicago Board of Education.

In Philadelphia, he serves on numerous boards and organizations includ-ing the Cathedral Chapter of the Philadelphia Cathedral, African American Museum of Philadelphia; Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.; Union League Club of Philadelphia as well as Board of Trustees of the Episcopal Church Building Fund; Advisory Board for Black Ministries of the Episcopal Church; Advisory Board for Recruitment, Training and Deployment.■

UBE-CFL Absalom Jones Celebration to Benefit St. Augustine University and Vorhees College

Press Info: Jackie Bailey (407)-222-3878 / www.stlukescathedral.org/Music, Carl Maults (212)-368-7117

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the Bishop’s Conference on Faith & Work

Katherine Leary Alsdorf, founder and Director emeritus of the Center for faith & Work at redeemer presbyterian Church in new York City

Keynote Speaker

may 29 - 30, 2015

Connecting Your Work to God’s Work

Canterbury retreat & Conference Center

1601 alafaya trail (sr434)oviedo, fl 32765

407-365-5571www.canterburyretreat.com

The Rt. Rev. Gregory O. BrewerBishop of Central florida

The Rev. CanonDr. Justin S. Holcomb

Canon for vocations Diocese of Central florida

Katherine Leary AlsdorfContributor to the book

Every Good Endeavor and leader in theTheology of Work.

Having founded CfW in 2002, Katherine served as its executive Director until December 2012. in this role, she set the vision and strategy of the Center’s core programs, developed lay and staff leadership, and guided strategic partnerships. prior to this ministry role, Katherine spent twenty years in the high tech industry in California and new York. she was Ceo of pensare, an online management education company; Ceo of one touch systems, a hardware/software products company; and president of private satellite network, a satellite services company. she also worked in various consulting, sales and marketing roles, primarily in the technology sector.

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“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything

in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

“One of the greatest disconnects for this

generation is how life and work fit together. There is a

need to talk about purpose in life, and calling. We need to provide a stronger theology of work to help them make

integrate connections to their daily lives.”

“

”

Colossians 3:17

David Kinnaman

RegistrationCommuter $100

Double Occupancy $150Single Occupancy $175

first:last:street address:

City:Zip:telephone:email:

name as you would like it to appear on your name tag:

You can register online with a credit card www.canterburyretreat.org OR complete

this registration form and mail payment to: 1601 alafaya trail (sr434)

oviedo, fl 32765for multiple registrations, please copy this form & complete one for each attendee.

CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN1017 E. Robinson Street, Orlando, FL 32801-2023

Non-Profit OrganizationU.S. POSTAGE PAID

PERMIT NO. 4111ORLANDO, FLORIDA CENTRALFLORIDA

EPISCOPALIANNEWS FROM THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF CENTRAL FLORIDA

FEB/MARCH 2015 VOLUME 116, No. 12WWW.CFDIOCESE.ORG

Lifetree Café is a conversational café where people gather weekly to explore life and faith. Join us for compelling stories about fascinating people. Stories from the news. Stories from our own lives. The story of what God is doing in the world around us. At Lifetree Café, we explore all those stories and make sense of our faith and our lives. The Lifetree motto is…

You’re welcome just as you are. Your thoughts are welcome. Your doubts are wel-come. We’re all in this together. God is here, ready to connect with you in a fresh way.

Admission to the 60-minute event is free. Snacks and beverages are offered. Come dressed casually, and bring a friend!

Lifetree Café at the Episcopal Church of Holy Presence355. N. Kepler Rd, DeLand, Fl. 32724

thursday february 26th @ 7:15 P.M. Make a Difference Now: Choose to Be Extraordinary

Tips for transforming a normal life into a remarkable one are set to be discussed and shared. We will watch a filmed interview with best-selling author Mark Sanborn who will share his thoughts on living an exceptional life. Sanborn investigated this topic in his popular book The Fred Factor, the story of Fred the Postman. “Nobody can prevent you from being extraordinary,” says Sanborn. “Anyone can be a Fred, but not everyone chooses to be a Fred.”

thursday february 19th @ 7:15 PM Why, God? When Personal Tragedy Doesn’t Make Sense

When tragedy strikes, many people question how God could allow such suffering. This Lifetree program addresses this question head-on. The program features an original film depicting the true story of Thomas Vander Woude, who found his son struggling for his life after a backyard accident.