the grapevine -...
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THE GRAPEVINE Episcopal CHURCH WOMEN SUMMER 2018
Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia
Inside This Issue
• President’s 2018 ECW AnnualReport continued on Page 2
• Leslie Ludwig, Jackson-FeildAlumna, Annual Spring MeetingSpeaker
• Finance Report
• Goal for Congo PIRD Project
Met and More So!
• United Thank Offering News
• St. Mark’s Friendship Tea
• ECW Will Zoom in September
• 2018 Yearbook & DirectoryAvailable
• ECW Calendar
• Where to Find and Share ECWNews
ECW Awards Over $19,000 in Scholarships The Diocesan ECW Student Work Chair, Tia Morings, reports the follow-
ing high school graduates in five convocations from Danville to Virginia Beach received Elise Holladay Scholarship awards from $544 to $1,000 this year. Shama Baggott, Boys Home of Virginia; Alvin Biggs, Boys Home of Virginia; Haley Jane Brown, Eastern Shore Chapel, Virginia Beach; Ragan Lane Currin, St. Paul’s, Norfolk; Andrew R. Curtin, St. Paul’s, Nor-folk; Brigit Davidson, St. Andrew’s, Norfolk; Audre’ana J. Ellis, St. Andrew’s, Newport News; Adaisha D. George, Grace, Norfolk; Kayleigh J. Hall, Christ, Danville; Thomas Hennessy, St. Paul’s, Norfolk; Hunter Kahler, Christ & St. Luke’s, Norfolk; Jarrett Messick, Trinity, South Boston; Ella K. Thomas, St. Luke’s, Powhatan; Margaret Hope West, St. Andrew’s, Norfolk; and Hayley E. White, St. Andrew’s, Norfolk.
The Elise Holladay Scholarships are funded by the Flora A. Penick fund and by donations made by women of the church to The Book Remembrance and the Elise Holladay Scholarship Fund.
Also, the following men and women who are continuing their education in accredited Episcopal Church training schools received $2,000 scholarships from the Tucker Memorial Scholarship Fund established by Episcopal Church Women in 1925 as a memorial to the late Beverly Dandridge Tucker, Bishop of Southern Virginia from 1906 to 1930. Frederick Walker, St. James, Ports-mouth, Wesley Theological Seminary; Emily Zimbrick-Rogers, Christ & St. Luke’s, Norfolk, University of the South; Charles Zimber-Rogers, Christ & St. Luke’s, Norfolk, University of the South and Pilirani Glory Ilepele, Trinity, Portsmouth, Holy Family College of Nursing.
2018 ECW Annual Report - Diocese of Southern Virginia
Helen Sharpe–Williams, ECW President
My heart is overflowing with joy as I reflect on the past year as the ECW president. First, I must give thanks to the members of the Executive Board of the ECW, who have supported me from the beginning. I have gained tremendous knowledge from the women who serve so diligently on the board.
Second, through my travels and the different meetings I have attended, the Episcopal Church Women, so richly en-dowed with grace, talent and beauty, both inside and out, have been cordial, friendly and stimulating with their thoughts and questions. I am deeply grateful for the hospitality.
Continued on Page 2.
ECW Love Gifts for Boy’s
Home and Jackson-Feild Graduates
Helen Sharpe–Williams, ECW Presi-
dent , presented God Bless the Chil-
dren Love Gifts to each of the eleven
high school graduates at Jackson-Field’s
commencement, June 8. This was the
third year the ECW has given each grad-
uate a gift to recognize this special
milestone in their lives.
L to R: Helen Sharpe Williams; Jack-
son-Feild alumna Leslie Ludwig and Ann
Chaffins long-time member of Jackson-
Feild development staff.
Past ECW President, Nancy
Sands, presented the God Bless the
Children Love Gifts to the seven
young men at the Boy’s Home gradu-
ation, May 11. Christ Episcopal
Church in Danville VA provided
$700.00 for the $100 Love Gifts.
L. to r. Graduate, Alvin Biggs,
Nancy Sands and graduate, Shama
Baggott. Alvin and Shama also re-
ceived Eiise Holladay Scholarships.
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The President’s Annual Report continued from the Front Page
A few of the Highlights from November 2017 thru May 2018 .
The United Thank Offering for 2017 was $31,154.00. See page 5 for more information.
The Annual Council Meeting of the Diocese of Southern Virginia was February 16th – 17th. ECW had an exhibit table and a good representation of membership.
The Executive Board met at Christ Episcopal Church in Amelia, Virginia. The women of Christ Church were gracious hosts. The Rev. Michael Stone, rector of Christ provided the ECW with an inspiring sermon and Eucharistic.
The women participated in a Retreat held at Chanco on March 24th. This event included prayer, reflection, music, and fellowship.
I attended the Province III - Daughters of the King meeting at the Claggett Center. The theme was “Spiritual Discovery through Our Words” presented by Martha John-son Bourlakas. Martha is the author of Our One Word. By focusing on the simplicity of one powerful word, women can move through what is negative and confusing, and distill what is hopeful and life-giving.
Also in April, I attended the Mid-Atlantic Regional Con-ference of the Episcopal Union of Black Episcopalians – Theme: “Arise, the Struggle Continues”. The meeting was at the Bishop John T. Walker Learning Center in Washington, D.C. The Rev. Joy Walton was the keynote speaker and Bible Study Leader. Rev. Walton framed her message in a Bible Study context taken from Psalm 133.
The Finance and Stewardship Committees met at Grace Episcopal Church in April. The Finance Committee set the budget for the upcoming year. The Stewardship Committee reviewed special requests for financial assistance.
ECW Awarded $19,000 in Scholarships. See the Front Page.
The Annual Spring Meeting was held at St. Francis Epis-copal Church Virginia Beach, Virginia. May 19, 2018 See the story on page 3.
Christ Episcopal Church in Danville VA provided $700.00 for the God Bless the Children - Love Gifts ($100) to the seven (7) young men graduates from the Boy Home. These gifts were presented by past President, Nancy Sands, to the young men of the Boys Home May 11th, 2018.We will also provide Love Gifts for the young men and women grad-uates of the Jackson-Feild Homes- Gwaltney School.
July 5—11 is the ECW 2018 Triennial in Austin, Texas. The diocese will have four delegates: Helen Sharpe-Williams, President; Deborah Austin, CPC Chair and Woman of the Year; Ronda Toll, UTO Coordinator; Nancy Sands, Past President. We are looking forward to representing the Dio-cese of Southern Virginia. Deborah Austin, Southern Virgin-ia’s Women of the Year, will be recognized at the ECW’s Dis-tinguished Women Luncheon July 8.
Thank you.
Back Row, L. to R. Tia Morings, Dr. Angela Parker, Laura L. Mani-gault, Helen Sharpe-Williams, Deborah Austin and Louise Boss. Front Row, L. to r. Nancy Smith, Stephanie H. Kendall, Maureen Fuster, Ronda Toll, Sharon Goforth and Rose Parker.
May 6 and 7, I attended the Province III ECW 99th An-nual Meeting in Martinsburg, W. VA. The theme: Women of Faith Sharing the Word: Every Day, Communicamos, Every Where. The meeting opened with Eucharist and a welcom-ing dinner followed by the diocesan president’s meeting. We shared our ideas and suggestions to improve the ECW. We discussed problems and possible solutions.
On the morning of May 7th, we were in joint session with Province III Synod: speakers were the Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, Rev. Kay Jennings and other national church staff.
We returned to our business meeting by mid-day. We discussed community building activities and other reports. National President, Lisa Towle, spoke to the group concern-ing the upcoming Triennial Conference July 5-11 in Austin, Texas. She explained some of the issues that will be pre-sented during the conference. She encouraged all delegates to refresh themselves on the Bylaws and proposed changes.
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Spring Annual Meeting May 19, 2018 Finance Report Nov. 2017—Apr. 2018
Betty Mariner, ECW Diocesan Treasurer
Jackson-Feild Alumna, Leslie Ludwig, A Survivor, Speaks at ECW Annual Spring Meeting The ECW Annual Spring Meeting was held at St. Francis Episcopal Church in Virginia
Beach. Many thanks to St. Francis ECW for hosting the meeting May 19. Prayer and Wor-ship Chair, Ann Allen, led a prayer based on John 17 to open the meeting. President, Helen Sharpe-Williams, conducted the business meeting. For more information see the Presi-dent’s 2018 ECW Annual Report. Then Helen introduced the Leslie Ludwig, the guest speaker, a survivor of domestic abuse.
One of the ways survivors of abuse can “Love Thy Neighbor” is to share their experi-ence and their search for help. That afternoon Leslie shared her story of survival and recovery. “I want to let everyone know what God’s power has done in my life,” she said. Twenty years ago, Leslie’s world fell apart. A victim of rape at age 13, she was so disillu-sioned by the justice system and her parents and friends abandonment, she tried to take her own life. After hospitalization, she began running away until her mother charged her with criminal action. She became part of the juvenile system and finally found her way to Jackson-Feild and recovery.
Leslie recalled that one of the Jackson-Feild teachers brought a guitar to class and they would run through a variety of popular tunes. “Eric Clapton’s song ‘Tears in Heaven’ reminds me that God is with me, “Leslie said, “and that I’ll find my way through night and day.” Through the music Leslie felt safe and began to trust again. Thanks to Jackson-Feild she feels good about herself. She is married. She and her husband have one son.
Today, Leslie describes her recovery like the mythological Phoenix and has started the Phoenix Gates Foundation with the
motto “From the Ashes We Rise.” For more information go to [email protected]. Leslie also start-ed a free mobile ministry last December featuring Contemporary Christian music for youth called Club J3-16. She and her friends perform at Jackson-Feild once a month. To book Leslie to speak or provide a musical evening call 757-556 2686 or email her at [email protected] or [email protected].
Helen Sharpe-Williams, ECW Dioc-esan President, (L.) and Leslie Lud-wig, guest speaker at the ECW Annual Spring Meeting May 19.
Donations To Charities Thistle Farm—Becca Stevens $ 425.50
Women’s Retreat—Chanco on the James $ 570.00
Chanco on the James (Budget) $169.65
College Ministries (Budget) $169.65
Dos Santos (Diocesan Budget) $135.72
Mission of Holy Spirit (Budget) $135.72
Jackson Field (Budget) $ 67.86
Boy’s Home (Budget) $ 79.17
National Cathedral (Budget) $ 79.17
Episcopal Relief and Development(Budget) $ 113.10
Holy Cross Belize (endowment interest) $ 765.00
Jackson Feild (Letcher endowment interest) $6,798.00
Church Periodical Club $ 529.00
Women-to-Women $4,902.00
Account Balances
Holy Cross, Belize $ 145.00
CPC $ 20.00
Miles of Pennies $ 266.72
Historian $ 51.31
Women’s Retreat $ 430.00
Chanco Scholarships $2,000.93
Elise Holladay Scholarship $ 155.00
Love Thy Neighbor $ 393.29
Women to Women $ 290.03
Donating ECW Guilds All Saints, South Hill
Christ Church, Danville
Christ & Grece, Petersburg
Eastern Shore Chapel, VA Beach
Emmanuel, Jenkins Bridge
Good Shepherd, McKenney
Hungars, Bridgetown
St Aidan’s, VA Beach
St. Augustine’s, Newport News
St. James, Warfield
St. Mark’s, Suffolk
St. Paul’s, Norfolk
Trinity, South Hill
1st Quarter Investments Letcher—Jackson Field $ 78,852.33 Letcher—Little Roses $ 99,,944.96 Taylor Administrative $ 83,245.32 Flora A. Penick $261,905.01 Tucker Memorial $138,515.00 Holy Cross Belize $ 15,139.60
Nov. 2017— April 2018 Income $20,943.14 Nov. 2017—April 2018 Expenses $24,771.44
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Goal for Congo PIRD Project Met and More So! Susan Broaddus, Convener of W2W4 Congo
Our small but dynamic group which we call Women-to-Women for Congo has met its goal of $5,125 to support 15 young girls and women as they re-invent their lives after suffering from GBV (gender-based violence). Some have chosen vocational training, others to finish their schooling. One teen could bear only intensive psychological counseling and we hope she will be able to attend school later on. Re-cently we received a gift for a 16th person and another for a treadle sewing machine for the tailoring workshop. People are so generous!
We have been asked by Espérance Kugonza, founder of PIRD (Program for Rehabilitation and Development in Ituri), to continue with the ones we started with who haven’t yet graduated from high school. Although we started with 15, there are always others who can benefit.
In March, 2018 fighting in the northern Ituri Province near the Uganda border caused masses of IDPs (internally displaced persons) to run to safety. We have raised almost $3,000 to help the church give relief aid to some of the IDPs. Many other aid agencies and churches have been active serv-ing the thousands of persons who suddenly lost their rela-tives, homes and possessions, and flooded into the town of Bunia.
It’s never enough. Bunia has about 100,000 IDPs but in this huge Central African country, the World Food Pro-gramme says there are 4.5 million IDPS, 4.6 million children acutely malnourished and 2.2 million suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
Although about 600 people in Bunia were recently pro-vided with transportation by the local government to return to their homes, they have come back because their villages are still very unsafe.
In the photo, we see a family that just arrived May 21st and have not yet got shelter from beating sun or heavy rain. The UN provides the white and blue tarps. They need food, clothing, mattresses, and HOPE! They need our prayers.
We are asking individuals, small groups, ECWs,and parish outreach committees for gifts of $250, but any amount will go a long way. It you can help, have checks made out to the ECW and sent to Susan Broaddus, 1323 Lafayette Blvd., #1, Norfolk, VA 23509. Please let me know if it is designated for relief work or to support an individual.
Women-to-Women for Congo is a group of women from several parishes meeting monthly for the purpose of sup-porting our Anglican Church in the DRCongo. The truth is, we have become a group of friends who look forward to see-ing each other on the first Monday of each month! Won’t you join us? Contact me to get on the mailing list and to have directions to the meetings: [email protected].
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Province III Joyce E. Haines, Province III UTO Representative
Everything is focused on Triennial, July 5-11, 2018, in Austin, Texas. After much delay, the United Thank Of-fering Ingathering date was finally announced: “The
Ingathering will take place during the 5:45-7 p.m. worship service on Friday, July 6, 2018." During the service, two triennium (2015-2017) amounts will be revealed: the total amount each province collected and the amount each diocese in the province collected. Each dioce-san coordinator will place a ceremonial check in the basket for the amount her diocese col-lected during Ingatherings. Our diocesan coor-dinator is Ronda Toll. The National Board of Episcopal Church Wom-en and the National Board of United Thank Offering have published their event schedules. The following links will give access to all sorts
of information about General Convention—schedules, orienta-tion materials, reports, budgets, etc. https://www.generalconvention.org
https://www.ecwnational.org/triennial-meeting-2018/ is the same for ECW’s Triennial meeting.
Diocese of Southern Virginia Ronda Toll, UTO Coordinator
The ECW sends out a heart-felt “thank you” to everyone who donated to the United Thank Offering in 2017. A total of $31,154.78 was col-lected for UTO in 2017. $26,890.98 was collected in the Spring and $4,263.80 was collected in the Fall. Here’s more happy news……donations for 2018 have already started coming in! $2,940.44 has been collected for 2018. This number includes $959.97 collected in the Blue Boxes at February’s Annual Council in Williams-burg. This number is up from $791.83 collected at Council last year. Again, thank you!! Donations collected during April and October 2018 In-gatherings throughout the Diocese may be mailed as follows:
Ronda Toll, UTO Coordinator 42 Cherbourg Drive Newport News, VA 23606 Contact Ronda at 757-869-8873 or [email protected] with
any questions or requests for UTO materials. Donations are collected for UTO throughout the year. 2018 donations will be collected until December 10, 2018.
United Thank Offering News
ECW President, Tia Morings, welcomed everyone to
St. Mark’s 3rd Annual Friendship Tea, June 9. The fun
began when she asked everyone to introduce them-
selves using an adjective that started with the same
letter as their first name.. All the guests including Pretty
Pam and Joyful Juliette selected the tea of their choice,
served by Deborah Austin. and enjoyed delicious tea
sandwiches, and desserts.
Ettora Elliott shared “Tea” wisdom and Ann Watson
Hill, assistant rector at the United Church of Christ, in
Hampton, spoke on the Whispers of God’s Love.
Guests l. to r. clockwise Table 1: Princess Benn
Coker, Karen L. Jenkins and Sylvia Gainey. Table 2: Seat-
ed : Ann Watson Hill, Ettora Elliott. Standing: Rachel Wil-
son, Nancy Smith, Tia Morings, Marian Edmonds and
Deborah Austin. Table 3: Rachel Wilson, Jordyn Sharpe
and Leah Wilson. Table 4: Pam Wilson, Joy Wilson,
Anjanee Williams and Sarah Wilson. Table 5: Standing:
Dr. Madelene Beard and Emma Jackson. Seated: Rapha-
lia Watson, Christine Banks and Sharon Goforth. Table 6:
Juliette Rouse, Maxine Thornton, Annette Montgomery
and Renee Roper-Jackson.
The National UTO Board has cre-ated a simple prayer (memorable and easy enough for children to recite) that can be said when making an offering in a Blue Box. Here’s the 2018 prayer:
Almighty God, I give you praise for blessing me in many ways. Create in me a grateful heart
and with this gift, a blessing start. Amen.
St. Mark’s Friendship Tea
Table 1
Table 2
Table 3
Table 4
Table 5
Table 6
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2018 ECW CALENDAR
September 8 Diocesan ECW Fall Board Meeting
Grace Episcopal Church
The Rev. Harold James Cobb, Jr.
1400 East Brambleton Ave.
Norfolk, VA 23504
757-625-2868
October IN GATHERING:
UNITED THANK OFFERING, UTO
October 20 Diocesan ECW Fall Annual Meeting
St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church
The Very Rev. Dr. Ronald E. Ramsey
1242 West Queen St.
Hampton, VA 23669-0065
Weekly Enews—Sign up online at diosova.org and
click on News and Publications for the latest news
from around our diocese in weekly newsletters.
Diocesan Enews distributed on Wednesday, includes
ECW news. Send the news by Tuesday to Ann Turner,
Parish Enews distributed Tuesday
The Diocesan Connection is a quarterly print-ready
newsletter available for individuals and churches to
receive via email. If you have news you would like
included in the Diocesan Connection, or would like to
be added to the email list, please contact Ann
Turner, [email protected].
National Episcopal Church Women
Signup at ecwnatinal.org/
For online news about ECW &
the ECW COMMUNIQUE MAGAZINE
The Grapevine is a quarterly print-ready newslet-
ter available for individuals and churches to receive
via email We appreciate your help sharing the news.
If you have news you would like included in The
Grapevine, or know of someone who would like to be
added to the email list, please contact Nancy Smith at
The deadline for Fall issue is August 1, 2018
Where to Find & Share ECW News
ECW Will Zoom in September When the ECW Diocesan Board meets in September,
they won’t have to leave their homes. President, Helen Sharpe-Williams, is working with Ann Turner, diocesan communication officer, to gather members via Zoom. Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video commu-nications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars across mo-bile, desktop, and room systems Whether you use a computer, phone or tablet to join the meeting, you just need to make sure your device has video capability and microphone enabled. Zoom is very user-friendly and you do NOT need a Zoom account to participate. Watch for your invitation to Zoom.
2018 Yearbook & Directory Available
The 2018 ECW Yearbook and Directory is now
available. To receive your copy, contact the Diocesan
Communications Officer, Ann Turner,
[email protected] or 757-213-3388. (The ECW
directory is not posted on the diocesan website due to
privacy concerns.)