Annual Council offering benefits homeless ministry

The offering at the closing Eucharist of this year's Annual Council was $1,773. The offering was designated to St. Paul's, Newport News, in support of their programs that assist people who are homeless and in crisis. A Safe Place is a weekday morning walk-in program that welcomes, on average, 200 guests each week who are homeless or substandardly housed. Five days a week, St. Paul's welcomes homeless and low-income adults to shelter, peer counseling groups, and the opportunity to attend to basic human needs. St. Paul's offers basic toiletries; laundry, telephone, mail service, current magazines and newspapers; a place to rest; a place to meet social workers and other support service personnel; and short-term storage for belongings. The Episcopal Church has designated St. Paul's as a center for Jubilee Ministry.

Ridley Foundation Board meets at Ridley Farm

The Ridley Foundation Board members began their recent meeting with a tour of the farm Roberta Ridley left to the diocese for charitable purposes back in the early 50s. It is near Boykins, Virginia. The board will distribute nearly $100,000 in scholarship grants this year to college or seminary students who live in our diocese and maintain a minimal grade point average.

Photo: Samantha Vincent-Alexander, Sharon Coles-Stewart, Connie Jones, David LaSalle, Bob O'Hara, Vee Pitman, David Teschner and Staff Liaison, Nancy James. Also pictured are Harrell Turner, Forest Consultant and Michael Mann, Farm Manager.

Jackson-Feild Homes honored by Virginia Senate

Jackson-Feild Homes was presented a senatorial resolution by the Virginia State Senate. The patron for Senate Joint Resolution #275 was Senator Louise Lucas. Delegate Roslyn Tyler was the sponsor in the House of Delegates.Recognizing the contributions that Jackson-Feild has made and for being a national leader in the service of traumatized children, the resolution called to attention the fact that Jackson-Feild has been a guiding light and source of inspiration for the development of new and best-practices in the treatment of boys and girls.Traveling to the Capitol for the presentation of the resolution were Executive Director Tricia Delano, Residential Counselor Katrice Bagwell, and residents Anwanatta H. and Bessema G. Following the presentation, the group was taken to the floor of the Virginia Senate for formal recognition.

Photo: Residential Counselor Katrice Bagwell, Executive Director Tricia Delano, Senator Lucas, Delegate Tyler, and residents Anwanatta H. and Bessema G.

ECW President and Board members installed

ECW President Barbara Taylor

Episcopal Church Women elected Barbara Taylor, a member of St. Francis, Virginia Beach, as the 40th ECW Diocesan President at the ECW Fall Annual Meeting.  The Very Rev. David Teschner, rector at Christ and Grace, Petersburg, installed Barbara at the October 20 meeting hosted by Christ and Grace.   Other board members installed are: First Vice President, Nancy Sands, Christ Church, Danville; Second Vice President, Katherine O. Patterson, Christ and Grace, Petersburg; Corresponding Secretary, Louise Boss, Christ Church, Eastville, Parliamentarian, Priscilla Salle Condyles, Manakin, Midlothian; Communication Chair, Helen Sharpe-Williams, Grace Church, Norfolk and Church Periodical Club Director, Mary Lou Miller, St. Aidan's, Virginia Beach.

                                

On March 2, Barbara presided at her first ECW board meeting held at Christ Church, Eastville, on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Plans for her two- year term in office are to continue ECW's tradition of charitable outreach and giving through annual scholarships for high school students and seminarians in our diocese, the United Thank Offering, the Church Periodical Club and an outreach project approved by ECW members' diocese wide.

ECW Day of Reflection 2012

"The purpose of the ECW is to assist women of the Episcopal Church to carry on Christ's work of reconciliation in the world and to take their place as leaders in the life, governance and worship of the church," Barbara said. "As president of the ECW of the Diocese of Southern Virginia, I pray I will meet that challenge. My predecessors have inspired and encouraged me. My college motto, "To be, to know, to do" has also encouraged me to serve and worship."

Barbara received her Bachelor of Science degree from Russell Sage College in Troy, NY. A retired registered nurse, she worked for 32 years in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Barbara and her husband Herbert settled in Virginia Beach in 1998. They have been married 33 year and have one daughter, Adrienne Michelle.

Wherever Barbara has worked or studied, she has been active in the Episcopal Church. She has sung in the choirs, worked with the ECW and is an Education for Ministry graduate. Now, as a member of St. Francis Episcopal Church in Virginia Beach, she has served as secretary of the parish ECW and serves as a Lay Eucharistic Visitor and a Lay Reader.

Barbara began her service on the ECW Diocesan Board as the Prayer and Worship Chair, moving on to Student Work Chair, then first vice president and now president. "I have learned much and I have received a lot of support and encouragement. I'm looking forward to seeing and meeting many of you at our meetings. Our Spring Annual Meeting is May 18 at Christ Church in Danville."

How energy efficient is YOUR church?

Did you know that a building or manufacturing plant can earn ENERGY STAR certification just like your refrigerator? An ENERGY STAR certified facility meets strict energy performance standards set by EPA and uses less energy, is less expensive to operate, and causes fewer greenhouse gas emissions than its peers. St. Andrew's, Newport News, participates in the Energy Star program "We have used the benchmarking tool associated with this program since 2009 and have qualified for an Energy Star for the last three out of four years," said Bob Lord of St. Andrew's. "Working for an Energy Star makes us better stewards of God's bounty while freeing up resources to support the rest of our mission." You can learn more about the Energy Star program here.   

Ecumenical community facing major changes

35th Anniversary celebration at Holy Apostles', Virginia Beach

Holy Apostles', Virginia Beach, is our diocese's ecumenical community with Episcopalians and Roman Catholics together in the same congregation. It is the only community of its kind anywhere and they are now facing some major changes in the way they worship.

Last November, Bishop Francis DiLorenzo of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond told Holy Apostles to "bring its liturgical celebrations into conformity with the Roman Catholic Church."

In a statement released last week, DiLorenzo suggested other forms of liturgy, would allow Catholic and Episcopal members to worship together. Celebration of the Eucharistic liturgy continues to be separate. "As the shepherd of the Diocese of Richmond, it is my prayerful desire that this ecumenical community at Holy Apostles continues and flourishes," the statement said.

Bishop Hollerith expressed his obvious concern over how the requirements of the Roman Catholic Church regarding the liturgy would affect the life of the community. He also said that, from the Episcopal side of things, we have much to lose. "We will respect the Roman Catholic requirements because Holy Apostles' is a precious community and should be preserved."

Holy Apostles' was established in 1977 and Catholic and Episcopal clergy performed services according to each tradition and shared leadership of the community. The Episcopal and Catholic congregations prayed together before separating for the Eucharist. Participants say that this has allowed families in ecumenical marriages to worship together and strengthen their community.

Last week, Bishop DiLorenzo, accompanied by members of his staff, and Bishop Hollerith, accompanied by the Rev. Canon Ed Tracy, met with congregational leadership, including the clergy. Congregational leaders outlined what has been done since November to comply with the directives and to assure Bishop DiLorenzo that they have been working faithfully to do what was required of them while also trying to avoid pastoral trauma to the congregation. Bishop DiLorenzo assured them that he is aware of potential pastoral consequences and desires that they be as minimal as possible. The community has more work to do to bring their liturgy in line with the directive, much of which they have already begun.

The Rev. Michael Ferguson, the church's Episcopal priest said the meeting was productive, but that there are still "huge pastoral issues that have to be worked out because there are people here who have been worshiping together for years."

Energy stewardship contest for congregations on the Peninsula

To raise awareness of how much energy places of worship use, God's Earth Ministry is sponsoring an Energy Stewardship Contest among faith communities on the Peninsula to see which one uses energy the most efficiently.  We believe that a community of faith will win just by entering because awareness of one's energy usage is the first step in reducing it.  We will award an inscribed plaque to the winning place of worship and present it to the winning congregation's place of worship.  The deadline for submissions is April 20th, 2013. To take part in this contest, contact Ken Wright at pkenwright3@gmail.com or 757-851-5085.  You'll need to access your gas and electricity usage for 2012 as well the square footage of your building(s).