Saint Paul's College holds open house for prospective students

Prospective and accepted students and their families are invited to an Open House at Saint Paul's College in Lawrenceville on January 28 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Participants will enjoy a campus tour and the opportunity to speak with administrators, department chairs, and representatives from Admissions, Student Affairs and Financial Aid. Additional Open House opportunities will be held on March 24, April 14 and May 5. Please call Admissions, 434-848-1877, to reserve your spot.

Recasting of building assets

The Episcopal Church Building Fund is has openings for 2-3 congregations to join a consulting process in Virginia aimed to help congregations who have building space but who are struggling financially to make ends meet. The process forms a learning community that meets three times together and five times through Webex meetings over the course of a year with facilitators and peer accountability with the aim to effect change directed at earning income through the building, creating a greater relationship and sense of relevance to the community through their programming and building use, and ultimately looking at doing church differently so that they are not obsolete. If your congregation is interested contact Sally O'Brien at the Episcopal Church Building fund at 804-893-3436 or get more information from their website at www.ecbf.org. You may also contact the Rev. Canon Jeunee Cunningham to explore options for some diocesan financial aid toward the consultation fee, jcunningham@diosova.org

Talbot Hall Property Update

The Talbot Hall Property sub-committees (Conveyance Committee and Location Committee) held a joint meeting on January 5. The committees are engaged in continuing the process of discerning the future of the Talbot Hall property and the location of the diocesan offices. 

What’s happened so far? 

In April 2011, the Talbot Hall Task Force - charged by the diocesan Property Committee and Bishop Hollerith to receive and recommend proposals regarding the property - concluded its work and made its report to the diocesan Property Committee. After reviewing that report, along with prior property assessments, the Properties Committee voted to recommend to the Executive Board the sale of the Talbot Hall property and the relocation of the diocesan offices to a more demographically central location. This recommendation was presented at the Executive Board's June 2011 meeting. 

In response, an ad hoc committee of the Executive Board was then appointed to determine what further information was needed in order to move forward. The committee reported its findings to the Executive Board at its September 2011 meeting. The following resolution was approved: "Be It Resolved that the Executive Board authorizes the Properties Committee to explore* the sale of Talbot Hall and to explore* the most feasible location for the Diocesan Office, continuing to respect the neighbors of Talbot Hall and the history of the property." In response to the resolution, the Executive Board established two new sub-committees, a Conveyance Committee and a Location Committee, to gather further information. 

The Talbot Hall Property sub-committees held an initial joint meeting on October 26, 2011. Bishop Hollerith attended this meeting of the Conveyance and Location sub-committees and gave an overview of the historic functions of the Talbot Hall property, in this order of priority: to supply the administrative offices; to provide housing for the Bishop and one staff person; and to provide a diocesan conference center. The sub-committees were charged to gather information and make recommendations to the Executive Board regarding how these needs can best be met. 

Where are we in the process? 

The committees are now in the process of gathering information. In order to move forward, the Executive Board and Standing Committees have submitted a resolution to the 120th Annual Council which seeks support of their already existing canonical authority to make decisions about Talbot Hall and the possible relocation of our diocesan center. The full text of the resolution will be available in the delegate packets distributed prior to Pre-Council Convocation meetings.  

*Exploring the possible sale of the property will include inquiries into: cost effectiveness, cost comparisons, diocesan demographics, possible locations - including the present location at Talbot Hall, facility use requirements, input from various regions of the Diocese, and other data.

Convocation Pre-Council Meetings Scheduled

Convocational Pre-Council Meetings have all been scheduled. This is your opportunity to get information on nominations, resolutions and participate in the Executive Board elections prior to Annual Council which is Feb. 10-11 at the Williamsburg Lodge. You can get all the current information on Annual Council at our website, www.diosova.org.

Convocation 1 - January 29, 6 p.m. at St. George's Pungoteague
Convocation 2 - January 29, 4 p.m. at Old Donation Virginia Beach
Convocation 3 - January 29, 4 p.m. at Ascension Norfolk
Convocation 4 - January 25, 7 p.m. at St. Paul's Suffolk
Convocation 5 - January 24, 7 p.m. at Emmanuel Hampton
Convocation 6 - January 24, 7 p.m. at Christ & Grace Petersburg
Convocation 7 - January 31, 7 p.m. at Manakin, Midlothian
Convocation 8 - January 28, 10 a.m. at St. Paul & St. Andrew's Kenbridge
Convocation 9 - January 31, 7:30 p.m. at Trinity, South Boston

Mission of the Holy Spirit seeking laptop computers

The Mission of the Holy Spirit is seeking the donation of a few laptop computers for kids who are looking at colleges and applying for jobs. If you have a good, used laptop you can donate, please contact the Mission at info@missionoftheholyspirit.org.

Bishop Hollerith's 2011 Christmas message

Saint Paul's College participates in Project Stop Now!

Saint Paul’s College together with the Brunswick/Greensville Family Violence/Sexual Assault Unit sponsored an informational forum for students and interested persons, titled “Applying the Brakes on Relationship Violence.”  This collaboration and funding was made possible by a grant awarded through UNCF Special Programs Corporation; and Tougaloo College of Mississippi titled, “Project Stop Now!”  “Project Stop Now!” is a program that targets freshmen students of Historically Black Colleges and Universities for awareness and preventive strategies in the area of abuse.

The forum was followed up with a dialogue seminar presented by Licensed Professional Counselors and Victim Advocates, Ms. Monique Goodson and Ms. Sharon Hicks of Raleigh, North Carolina.  Student participation was excellent.  These activities were in recognition of Domestic Violence Month.  “This initiative encourages affiliated institutions and others to plan and implement safeguards against abusive behaviors in college companionships,” said Saint Paul’s College Counselor of Academic Support Services and Campus Representative of Project Stop Now!, Mr. Wesley Alston.

PHOTO:

From left to right:  Saint Paul’s College Counselor of Academic Support Services and Campus Representative of Project Stop Now!, Mr. Wesley Alston; Saint Paul’s College student, Kevin Reynolds; Saint Paul’s College Center of Academic Support Services Tutorial Lab Coordinator, Kathy Braden; Saint Paul’s College students Nicole Phifer, Latoria James and Joshua Sexton; Saint Paul’s College Director of the Center of Academic Support Services, Audrey Nelson

About Saint Paul’s College

Founded in 1888 and affiliated with the Episcopal Church, Saint Paul’s College is a private, historically black, accredited, four-year coeducational and culturally diverse liberal arts institution of higher learning located on a beautiful 183-acre campus in the rolling hills of Brunswick County in Southern Virginia. Saint Paul’s offers baccalaureate degrees in the arts and sciences, teacher education endorsements, professional and pre-professional programs, and the only Single Parent Support System program for degree-seeking single parents in Virginia.  Saint Paul’s offers an accelerated degree program for working adults in four locations across Virginia including Richmond, Farmville, Franklin and Lawrenceville.