79th General Convention wrap-up

Southern Virginia's General Convention Deputation. Front L to R: Ronald Ramsey, Alice Webley, Samantha Vincent-Alexander, Jennifer Andrews-Weckerly, Mark Wilkinson, Isabel Burch. Rear L to R: Cameron Randle, Willis Foster, Julia Messer, Sam Webster, Clare Harbin, Bishop Hollerith, Toni Hogg.

 

The 79th General Convention of the Episcopal Church is a wrap. GC79 met July 5-13 in Austin, TX. Presiding Bishop Michael Curry's call in his opening sermon for Episcopalians to follow "The Way of Love" could be felt throughout this General Convention as bishops and deputies from every part of the worldwide Episcopal Church put in very long days in committee meetings and legislative sessions. Over 500 resolutions were considered by the convention, but the two big legislative issues were revising the Book of Common Prayer and same-sex marriage rites. General Convention voted against revising the 1979 prayer book, but instead to approve and authorize alternative, expansive-language liturgical materials. General Convention voted for making authorized same-sex marriage rites available for use in all congregations, ensuring all Episcopalians can be married by their priests in their home churches. Episcopal News Service offers a good legislative wrap-up here. You can also find much more on General Convention at the diocesan #GC79 blog.  

 

GC79 Resources for congregations and individuals 

 

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry invited Episcopalians to embrace a new "rule of life" - The Way of Love: Practices for Jesus-Centered Life.  

 

TEConversations (The Episcopal Church Conversations), held during joint sessions of the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops, are available, along with discussion guides. They are: Racial Reconciliation; Evangelism; and Care of Creation. 

Cursillo Co-ed Weekend Sept. 27-30

The next Cursillo Weekend will be Sept. 27-30 at Chanco on the James in Surry. Linda Tandy is the rector for this weekend. Cursillo is Spanish for "short course" and the weekend offers a short course in Christianity. The movement was started many years ago in an effort to help young Christian men grow closer to Christ. Today, there are Cursillo movements all over the world. On the three day weekend, candidates learn how to grow as leaders in their communities and in their own personal journey with Jesus. For more info and an application, go to www.cursillodiosova.org.

Fall Camp at Shrine Mont Oct. 22-25

Sponsored by the Tri-Diocesan Council on Aging, Fall Camp will be held Oct. 22-25 at Shrine Mont in Orkney Springs, VA, and is an opportunity to spend time in the mountains of Virginia with other seniors from across the Commonwealth and from other states. The camp is an attempt to take seriously the spiritual needs and journeys of primarily retired people, challenging participants through keynote speakers, workshops, worship and interaction with one another. Click here for more information.  

 

The keynote speaker for this year's conference will be Lauren F. Winner. Dr. Winner is an Episcopal priest and vicar of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Louisburg, NC. She writes and lectures widely on Christian practice, the history of Christianity in America, and Jewish-Christian relations. Her books include Girl Meets God, Mudhouse Sabbath, A Cheerful and Comfortable Faith, Still: Notes on a Mid-Faith Crisis, and, most recently, a book on overlooked biblical tropes for God, Wearing God.

Outreach at Chanco - All God's Children Camp

For the second year Chanco partnered with the United Methodist Church to provide All God's Children Camp in June. Children with an incarcerated mother or father, ages 7 to 12, spend a week at camp, participating in activities such as boating, swimming, hiking, archery, crafts, Bible study, and conflict resolution. Partnering with the Virginia United Methodist Church, All God's Children Camp provides a week of sanctuary for children who face so many challenges in their lives: economic poverty; temporary living conditions; loneliness; low self-esteem; violence; and drugs. Chanco is pleased and proud to be a partner in this wonderful outreach ministry.

 

Summer missions at Boys Home

	Volunteers from Trinity, Portsmouth, with Boys Home Director Donnie Wheatley (in white shirt)

Trinity, Portsmouth, is one of three churches that have spent time at Boys Home in Covington this summer. Volunteers from Trinty, as well as St. Michael & All Angels in Columbia, SC, and St. Martin's in Richmond, each spent about a week at Boys Home, working hard on some very hot days. 

 

Trinity worked diligently to replace front wood panels and insulate the entrance barn, and installed kick boards in the run-in sheds and corral barn for the horses. They also installed new bench seats on the bleachers by the riding area and began construction of a greenhouse by the garden area. To relax after their hard work, the group enjoyed an afternoon four-wheeler ride up the mountain behind Boys Home.

 

St. Michael and All Angels spent many hours painting the run-in shed and barn near the riding ring, as well as clearing grass from our pond. After all that work, the group found time to enjoy a day of kayaking and caving in the beautiful Allegheny Highlands! 

 

With the threat of rain, St. Martin's helped input the codes that raise funds from Coke reward caps, and cleaned the gym and recreation room. They made the trip to the top of the mountain at Boys Home, where they painted the lodge inside and out and began constructing a wood shed. After many hours of work, they visited Douthat State Park to unwind.

 

If your congregation would like to learn more about Boys Home and how you can support their ministry, please contact Lauren Ward, Lward@boyshomeofva.org.

"The Way of Love" permeates the work of the 79th General Convention

 

Southern Virginia's deputation (L to R): the Rev. Willis Foster; the Rev. Samantha Vincent-Alexander; Sam Webster; the Rev. Jennifer Andrews-Weckerly; the Rev. Julia Messer; Clare Harbin; Bishop Hollerith; Alice Webley; the Rev. Ronald Ramsey; Isabel Burch; Toni Hogg; the Rev. Cameron Randle. Not pictured: the Rev. Mark Wilkinson.

 

The 79th General Convention of the Episcopal Church has been meeting in Austin, TX since July 5, and participants (including Bishop Hollerith and our diocesan deputies) actually began arriving July 2 to begin committee work. Bishop Hollerith and deputies from Southern Virginia are putting in very long days in committee meetings and legislative sessions. General Convention continues through Friday, July 13. Below are just a few of the highlights of #GC79 thus far. For much more on the work of General Convention, visit the diocesan #GC79 blog, Facebook and Instagram. You can watch and follow the work of General Convention live on the Media Hub and the GC79 app.  

 

The Way of Love

 

The 79th General Convention opened July 5 with a festival Eucharist that included a rousing sermon by Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. He talked about the Way of Love and how Episcopalians can intentionally move forward in that way. He called for not just GC participants, but all Episcopalians, to "meditate on the life and teaching of Jesus" before all of their work, and in everything they do. The Episcopal Church has created resources to help us do just that - The Way of Love: Practices for Jesus-Centered Life. This new "rule of life" is to turn, learn, pray, worship, bless, go, and rest.  

 

TEConversations

 

This General Convention includes something new and different, TEConversations (The Episcopal Church Conversations), held during joint sessions of the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops. The three TEConversations were: Racial Reconciliation; Evangelism; and Care of Creation. Each session began with powerful presentations by speakers, followed by guided conversation among the deputies and bishops. There are videos of all TEConversation speakers and discussion guides you can use in your parish. These resources are great for small groups, youth groups or adult forums.   

 

Public witness by Bishops United Against Gun Violence

 

	Bishops at public witness;   Bishop Hollerith at top right.

Bishop Hollerith was one of the bishops taking part in the July 8 Public Witness event at Austin's Brush Square held by Bishops United Against Gun Violence. Hundreds of General Convention participants attended the event. Many of the clergy present were wearing orange stoles - the color associated with gun safety and the blaze orange worn by hunters.  

 

Speakers included Phil and April Schentrup, whose daughter, Carmen, was killed in the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas on Ash Wednesday of 2018. Since Carmen's death, both April and Phil have spoken out publicly against gun violence, as well as pushed hard for solutions that bring our country together. Phil and April generously shared their story of grief and pain, and urged the church to advocate against gun violence and promote public safety so that our nation can live together in peace.

 

Prayers at detention center encourage women held there

 

	Deputies (L to R) the Rev. Julia Messer, the Rev. Samantha Vincent-Alexander, the Rev. Cameron Randle, Clare Harbin at Hutto prayer service.

Nineteen busloads of General Convention participants - over 1000 people - including Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and House of Deputies President Gay Jennings, traveled to the Hutto Immigration Detention Facility in Taylor, TX, to hold a prayer service outside the detention center.  

 

Grassroots Leadership, a non-profit organization that works with communities across this nation to abolish for-profit private prisons, helped facilitate this public witness. They reported to General Convention that on Sunday afternoon, "A woman called from Hutto after today's prayer and told us they were glued to the windows until the last bus left the detention center. Women inside were crying, saying they knew they weren't alone after seeing so many people there."  

 

Organizers of Sunday's prayer service plan to provide follow-up advocacy resources and opportunities. One step that both Houses of General Convention were encouraged to take was to donate to Grassroots Leadership's Hutto Deportation and Defense Bond Fund. Gifts to the fund "will be used to release people detained and ensure they remain free. Bonds on average are $1,500-$10,000. Funds will be used for bond, basic needs, and commissary so women can call their children and community, and other emergency needs."  

Jackson-Feild promotes two staff members

	Marie Hippolyte, left. Adrienne Foster, right.

Ms. Marie Hyppolite who has served as Clinical Director heading the behavioral health services at Jackson-Feild for the past four years has been promoted Director of Programs and Clinical Services. She has been employed by Jackson-Feild for twenty-five years. She previously serves as Director of the Eleventh House an independent living program which has since closed and as a clinical social worker at Jackson-Feild. Also promoted is Adrienne Foster to the role of Clinical Manager. She has served as a clinical social work for thirteen years.

             

Both Ms. Hyppolite and Ms. Foster have helped Jackson-Feild achieve an excellent reputation for the provision of high quality residential treatment services to help children struggling with mental health disorders and their families. They are outstanding therapists who have helped countless children understand and manage their disorders, and will provide great leadership and direction to ensure that Jackson-Feild provides trauma-focused, cutting-edge and evidence-based mental health services in the future.