Bishop’s Cabinet for DaySpring Development

Michael Hall Kline Sr., Chair of the Bishop’s Cabinet, and the driving force behind DaySpring’s development over its more than 40-year history in the Diocese of Southwest Florida died November 17, 2021. Thanks be to God, for Michael’s presence, and ministry in leadership serving on the Bishop’s Cabinet for DaySpring Development and throughout the diocese. The former Program Center at DaySpring is now renamed to be known as Kline Hall.

The Bishop’s Cabinet continues to drive the implementation of the 10-year Master Plan for DaySpring. The construction of a Maintenance Building to consolidate our services away from the guest areas and to make room for the future new meeting/worship space has been completed. The 2022 focus continues to be the Spring of Support fountain and gathering area which will honor the contributions of many and provide a spiritual space for reflection and meditation.

These projects are supported by multiple grants from community foundations and individual donors that share our appreciation for DaySpring as a Sacred Place in the heart of our community. With the grace of God and love of Jesus Christ, DaySpring will continue as a caring and resourceful haven for all His people.

Lana J. Fitzgerald, Chair

Bishop Gray Retirement Foundation, Inc.

The Bishop Gray Retirement Foundation’s financial assistance program continues to provide financial aid to low-income senior Episcopalians from the Southwest, Southeast, and Central Dioceses of Florida seeking help with the cost of retirement living and medical expenses. We do still gratefully receive donations from individuals and parishes from the three dioceses, as well as through estate charitable planned giving. The board of trustees would like to preserve the endowment fund as much as possible, using the income from investments for distributions. In 2022, we will have helped 55-60 Episcopalians, living in retirement communities, assisted living, and senior facilities/apartments in the three dioceses, and approximately $650,000 - $680,000 will have been distributed for financial assistance mostly in the form of monthly housing grants by the end of the year. Sample Retirement/ALF/Senior Living Facilities housing BGR Foundation financial aid recipients: Hampton Manor, Ocala; Riverview House, Lake Worth; Colony Court Apt., Eustis; Century Village, W. Palm Beach; Savannah Court of Maitland; Palm’s Edge ALF, Riviera Beach; Westminster Winter Park; St. Andrews Residence, W. Palm Beach; Orlando Lutheran Towers; Grand Villa ALF, Boynton Beach; Gulfstream Harbor, Orlando; Arbors at Belleair, Clearwater; Cascade Heights, Longwood; Pinellas Heights, Largo; Magnolia Towers, Orlando; McCown Towers, Sarasota; New Horizon Share Home, Winter Haven; Woodlands Village, Bradenton; Trinity Towers West, Melbourne; Elison of Pinecrest, Largo; Magnolia Manor, Daytona Beach; Hampton Point, Punta Gorda; Greengate Apt., W. Palm Beach; Leitner Creek Dr. Condos, Bonita Springs; Southbridge Condos, W. Palm Beach and Grand Reserve, Zephyrhills

BGR Foundation Board of Trustees:

• Southwest Diocese: The Rt. Rev. Dabney T. Smith, President, Dr. C. Thomas Gooding, The Rev. Bill Moyers, & The Rev. Denise C. Healy

• Southeast Diocese: The Rt. Rev. Peter Eaton, Dr. Helen Bhagwandin, Dr. Harlington “H” Hanna, Ms. Barbara MacKenzie, &Mrs. Malvern V. Mathis

• Central Diocese: The Rt. Rev. Gregory O. Brewer, Vice President; Mr. Alexander C. Mackinnon Secretary; Mr. Guy D. Colado, Treasurer; The Very Rev. Hugh McGlashon, Jr., &The Rev. Kim Spear

Ginger Van Valkenburgh, Exec. Director

Chaplains to Retired Clergy

Our diocese has 12 chaplains who provide pastoral care for approximately 300 retired clergy and 250 spouses. The chaplains are assigned regionally by deanery and under the direction of the Office of the Bishop. We provide pastoral care when needed with illness and at the time of a death. Our focus is to connect the retiree with a local congregation if they are not already attached. In the spring Bishop Smith sponsors an annual Retired Clergy/ Spouse Day at DaySpring. This year’s event was in person for the first time in several years. It took place on Ash Wednesday with a great speaker, Holy Eucharist, the imposition of ashes, and a delicious lunch. The following is a sampling of our ministry: hospital visits, luncheons with clergy and spouses, mailing birthday and anniversary cards, attending funerals and following up as needed, phone calls and home visits to the ill and infirm, and transportation on occasion. The Chaplains are: The Rev. Canon Chris Gray and Paula Gray (Diocesan Chaplains), the Rev. Leo Crawford and Ann Crawford (Clearwater Deanery), the Rt. Rev. Barry Howe and Mary Howe (St. Petersburg Deanery), the Rev. Jerry Stadel and Anne Stadel (Tampa Deanery), the Rev. Ted Copeland (Manasota Deanery), the Rev. John Warfel (Venice Deanery), the Rev. Kathy Schillreff (Naples Deanery), and the Rev. Suzanne Post (Ft. Myers Deanery).

The Rev. Chris Gray, Canon for Stewardship

Clergy Spouse Association

The Clergy Spouse Association (CSA) continues in carrying out its mission of supporting the spouses of ordained clergy by providing opportunities for enrichment, fellowship and outreach. Our com-munity strives to connect and engage with spouses of clergy who are active, retired or widowed. We gathered twice this year for annual events that were designed to build relationships for sup-port and communication.

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the CSA’s 2021 Annual Convention Luncheon was held as an even-ing virtual event on the Zoom platform. The event featured the introduction of new clergy spouses, the election of the 2022 Slate of Officers, and time for sharing. A themed question and answer ses-sion led by Sherre Henley greatly enhanced discussion. The event included time for prayers for the community and a reading of the necrology. Those elected for 2022 Offices were: Erika Cannon, President; Lori Reho, Vice-President; Barbara Brotherton, Treasurer;

Sue Van Oss, Secretary; Betty Creelman, Chaplain; Sharon Teets, Sunshine Chair; Sherre Henley and Desiree Hudson, Communica-tions.

The Annual Gathering and Retreat, scheduled for February 5-7, 2021, was cancelled due to contin-ued concern for the safety of the community during the pandemic. As a substitution for the in-person retreat, the CSA invited the Rev. Catherine Tyndall Boyed to host the May Zoom Social. Turnout for the evening was high and the discussion was lively and relevant.

The CSA has continued to offer an opportunity to connect at the Zoom Socials held on the third Thursday of every month. This monthly event remains enthusiastically supported by members who are grateful for the opportunity to check-in with one another on a consistent basis.

In the area of outreach, the CSA provided an annual Advent gift to diocesan students at residential seminaries through the Mary Ellen Smith Memorial Endowment Fund. The five residential seminari-ans to receive a 2021 Advent gift were: Timothy MacDonald, Robert Davis and Amy Feins all attend-ing Nashotah House, Michael Alford attending VTS, and Anne Hartley finishing at General Theologi-cal. In addition, the Sunshine Committee sent greetings, good wishes and condolences to diocesan spouses of clergy as such occasions arose throughout the year.

In closing, all spouses of clergy are warmly encouraged to join us for our unique fellowship with one another. Our annual events provide opportunities to create individual relationships and sup-port systems throughout the Diocese of Southwest Florida. Clergy Spouse Association events are publicized through mailers, social media, diocesan publications and the diocesan website.

Lori Reho, President

Commission on Ministry

Members of the Commission on Ministry (COM) are lay and ordained persons who serve the church at the pleasure of the Bishop. An appointed member of the Standing Committee serves on the COM as liaison. In conjunction with the Standing Committee, the Canon to the Ordinary, the Office of the Bishop, congregations, aspirants, postulants, and candidates, members of the COM have worked to create an environment of prayerful discernment. Each member of the COM is assigned as a liaison to those in the discernment process beginning with the time a person seeks to form a Discernment Group.

In 2021, the COM gathered via ZOOM and in person - for nine (9) committee meetings, four (4) Bishops Advisory Panel Interviews, and two (2) Vocation Information Evenings - to conduct the business of interviewing and listening to those who are discerning a call to holy orders. We also completed a revision of the Commission on Ministry Manual of Policies and Procedures. We look forward to continuing to serve all those who seek to live out their baptismal ministry.

The Rev. Janet Tunnell, Chair

Companion Diocese Committee

The members of the Companion Diocese Committee continue to have the challenge of how to stay in relationship with our brothers and sisters in Christ who live in the Dominican Republic. With much prayer and thought, we are discovering ways to work from afar in order to continue several projects. This past year has proved to be even more limiting for the Companion Diocese Committee, following a couple of virtual meetings, the decision was made to suspend meetings until there is more certainty about what we can accomplish and when we are able to resume travel. A major challenge has been addressing COVID-19 concerns, especially if team members test positive and arrangements must be made for quarantine prior to returning home.

For more than 26 years Church of the Redeemer has been actively involved in adult mission work in the Dominican Republic. During this timeframe, the projects Redeemer has funded and helped build include several churches, a parish hall, a vicarage (priest residence on church property), an assisted living facility, and several schools. The most recent project built a secondfloor parish hall at Monte Sión (the church that was constructed by mission groups from Redeemer over the last few years). Plans are currently on hold with the hope that efforts can continue in the near future to address the current needs of the Dominican church.

Summer 2020 marked the twenty-first consecutive year that churches from the Tampa Deanery have participated in God’s work in the Dominican Republic. Because of COVID-19 concerns, no Tampa teams have been able to travel to the D.R. Arrangements have been made to fund local workers to build a perimeter wall to secure a new site in Catalina in preparation for the proposed construction of Santo Nombre de Jesús. Revised plans addressing the current needs of the congregation are also ongoing, and Bishop Moisés Quezada Mota is currently accepting bids for the revised project.

St. John’s, Tampa, continues to support the Clinica Esperanza y Caridad, a medical clinic dedicated to bringing health services to the poor, in San Pedro de Macorís.

For the third year in a row, the Cathedral Church of St. Peter has been unable to send a mission team to help with the Vacation Bible School program at the churches of La Anunciación and San Lucas, located in Santiago de los Caballeros. We are hopeful and anticipate that by summer 2023, we will be able to join our faithful Dominican Episcopalian friends and clergy.

Education programs sponsored by the Dominican Episcopal Church are being updated, including an online scholarship program listed on the DDG website, https://www.theddg.org/projects. Several of the schools identified were constructed by teams from the Diocese of Southwest Florida. The ECW of SW Florida has also supported critical educational initiatives for the children in the Dominican Episcopal Church schools through the scholarship program. The Dominican Development Group office has now gone virtual and productive steps are being taken to utilize this new medium, especially with other Companion Dioceses and the Dominican Episcopal Church. The Board of the DDG has scheduled a Board meeting and retreat for September in the

Dominican Republic. This will be the first in-person meeting since February 2020.

The members of the SWFL Companion Diocese Committee pray that we will be able to once again join in person with our Dominican brothers and sisters in Christ to continue our mission and ministry in 2023.

Sally Thompson, Board of Directors, DDG for The Rev. Deacon Kathy Gilpin, Chair, Diocese of SWFL Companion Diocese Committee

Cursillo

Cursillo is a movement of the Episcopal Church, under the authority of the Presiding Bishop and diocesan bishops, to develop lay leadership across our diocese. Cursillo is one method for training, supporting, encouraging the ongoing development of Christian leadership. This experience gives an opportunity to grow in faith within our parish communities and out into our extended environments.

We are excited to begin active weekends of Cursillo after a 2-year hold, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cursillo is a lay led movement to develop leaders in the Christian community. The program is designed to encourage ongoing development by offering an opportunity to grow in faith within our local parishes and extend beyond our church walls to the communities in which we live, play and work.

The actual Cursillo weekend is a three-day event that holds 15 different talks, group discussions, worship, and fun. The process encourages a “Rule of Life” to hold ourselves accountable after the weekend through small groups of ongoing meetings. Larger gatherings are held throughout the diocese for sharing and encouragement including “witness talk” that is centered on apostolic action.

The Cursillo Secretariat (the lay governing body) expect to continue the tradition to hold two English language Weekends and one Spanish language weekend that teach the methods of Cursillo.

The movement in the Diocese of Southwest Florida has been ongoing for 42 years and efforts are underway to bring the movement back to its former heights of pre-pandemic days.

If you are looking to enhance your walk with Jesus, or feeling a call to serve but are not sure of the next step, please visit our website www.cursilloswfla.org. We are all about living a Christ-centered life and would like to help you on your journey.

Dorothy Lowrie, Lay Director

Daughters of the King

Daughters of the King are women and girls between the ages of seven and one hundred and seven who desire a closer walk with the Lord. We are Christian women, both lay and ordained, who are strengthened through the discipline of a Rule of Life and supported through the companionship of our sisters. We are all at different stages of our Christian journey – some have just begun, and some have been on this path for a long time. But no matter where we are on our sacred journeys, our primary goal is the same – to know Jesus Christ and to make Him known to others. We don’t just enroll as members and attend meetings. After a three-month period of study and discernment, each new member takes vows to uphold the two Rules of The Order: the Rule of Prayer and the Rule of Service and Evangelism. A Rule of Life is a self-imposed spiritual discipline practiced daily by an individual. It includes regular and seasonal devotions, both private and public, and is a commitment intelligently and prayerfully considered. A Rule of Life sets apart an order from other church organizations.

The Daughters of the King holds two Southwest Florida Diocesan Assemblies each year at DaySpring and/or on Zoom. The retreats have guest speakers that bring an uplifting and renewing message to our Daughters as food and strength for our journey.

Daughters who attend parishes that do not have a chapter are able to maintain their Rule of Life and membership as Daughters by becoming Daughtersat-Large or joining a chapter in another church. The Diocese of Southwest Florida has more than 30 chapters of the Order of the Daughters of the King. If you are interested in starting a chapter in your church, please contact Jackie Smith at jlsmith1211@icloud.com or 215.337.7615.

Jackie Smith, President

Disciplinary Board

After the Disciplinary Board elected Kevin Fitzgerald as president last November, he tragically passed away in February. Bishop Smith then appointed member Robert Sawyer as Kevin’s successor, along with bringing on three new members to fill open positions on the Board.

Through July, we received three complaints this year. Each is being promptly addressed in accordance with Title IV of the Constitution and Canons. It is the Board’s mission to achieve healing, repentance, forgiveness, restitution, justice, amendment of life, and reconciliation.

Lay Members: Mrs. Glenna Hileman, Dr. William Kerr, and Dr. Edwin Ortiz.

Clergy Members: The Rev. Joseph Hudson, the Rev. Barry Kubler, the Rev. David Marshall, the Rev. Michael Rau and the Rev. Chester Trow.

Thank you also, Intake Officer, The Rev. Peter Lane, for your service and leadership.

And thank you, Bishop Smith, Chancellor, Ted Tripp, Esq. and Church Attorney, John Goldsmith, Esq., for your invaluable support of our efforts.

Finally, I want to recognize Mr. Roger Schwenke, Esq., who was president of this Board for many years before leaving the Diocese to be near family. He returned to us in July to join me in presenting Title IV training to the Board and some clergy friends. Thank you, Roger!

Diocesan Altar Guild

Robert Sawyer, President

The Diocesan Altar Guild exists to represent the altar guilds of each parish and provide liturgical leadership throughout the diocese as well as serving the Bishop in any Eucharistic preparation he requests. This may include everything from Convention Eucharist to supplying a new small church plant. We are a resource available to all and often help with teaching. Our most popular offering is providing an exchange table at Convention where churches may both donate and/or find treasures no longer used. No money exchanges hands and our tables are empty at the end of Convention.

Due to the presence of COVID-19 during these past two years, the Diocesan Altar Guild has not held meetings in person or met as a group. We have not had our famous exchange table for two years and anticipate full tables in 2022.

We are looking forward to taking a more active role this year as we help prepare for the Rev. Dr. Douglas F. Scharf’s Consecration in September as well as the Annual Convention in Punta Gorda. Next Spring, we hope to hold our annual diocesan convention for all the Altar Guilds. We also hope to schedule and deconsecrate old linens with a big bonfire at DaySpring. This will probably be in conjunction with the spring meeting.

Sarah Hill, Directress

Episcopal Church Women

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV

The Episcopal Church Women of the Diocese of Southwest Florida are becoming new! As we continue to emerge from the pandemic, women of the church are once again meeting together. Sometimes we met in person and on other occasions via live streaming or a combination of the two options. “All Things Becoming New!”

The diocesan board nominated Leila Mizer, past president, for the “Distinguished Woman Award” at the Triennial in Baltimore in conjunction with the 80th General Convention. Unfortunately, due to the rise in covid variants, the ECW was unable to meet. The “Distinguished Woman Award” will be presented to her at the November 5,2022, “Celebration of Women: A New Beginning”.

Churches have remained faithful in supporting the United Thank Offering (UTO). Currently, the holding account is at $20,691.68. This is up over $3,700.00 from last year. The ECW looks forward to issuing Church Periodical Club (CPC) scholarships in the coming months. The “Sara Howell Fund” gave one scholarship to a young woman in our diocese to continue her education.

“All Things Becoming New” is also reflected in the focus for our jointly sponsored annual meeting with the Order of the Daughters of the King. Please be looking for more information in your email or at your churches about our “Celebration of Women: A New Beginning!” We are pleased to have Dede Lomenick as our speaker for the gathering, as she welcomes us spiritually to new ideas, ways to grow within our churches and diocese, and ways to grow individually as women of God. Dede has 25 years of experience as a speaker. She is the founder of “Unleashed” a network of 60 churches in South Florida.

Great excitement is evident within our branches, as we become new in how we meet, what we call our church groups and as we look at new ways to become more involved in Christ’s call to us. My hope is that the women of the Diocese of Southwest Florida will continue to grow in love, faithfulness, and prayer for each other and God’s kingdom.

Michelle Schombs, President

Hispanic & Latino Ministries

The Hispanic and Latino Committee of the Diocese of Southwest Florida works to increase awareness of Hispanic and Latino Ministry, supporting existing congregations with Spanish speakers, and providing mission and outreach to the Hispanic and Latino community throughout the diocese.

The committee was especially proud to have supported two of the newest deacons in the Diocese throughout their discernment process and formation. The Rev. Edwin Mata and the Rev. Hector Chamorro were raised by and will continue to serve Spanish-speaking congregations in the diocese.

The annual “Salt and Light” conference featured the Rev. Pedro N. Lopez and his wife Estela who introduced the popular and effective “Invite. Welcome. Connect” curriculum.

Participants were able to attend in person and online as they shared in workshops that focused on hospitality and forming the strong connections that build healthy and sustainable congregations. Looking ahead, the committee hopes to support the continued formation of lay leaders and those who feel called to the ordained ministry. Have questions? Want to get involved? Email the committee at MinisteriolatinoswflA@gmail.com.

The Rev. Alexander Andujar, Vice-President

Race & Reconciliation

The Race and Reconciliation Committee of the Diocese of Southwest Florida has had a very active year. We serve the diocese as we live out our Baptismal Covenant and honor the resolutions of our General Convention. Our work focuses on education and advocacy around dismantling racism and lifting up racial justice and reconciliation in Christ. Our purpose is to develop and support training resources, events, and communication in the diocese and its parishes to increase awareness and advocacy around individual and systematic racism. We strive to enkindle in the hearts of all a passion for, and action toward, an inclusive, diverse, and joyful vision of the Body of Christ, in which the image of God is celebrated in each and every human person.

The 2022 Race and Reconciliation Committee members are: Ning Bonoan, the Rev. Doris Buchanan-Johnson, the Hon. Jack Day, the Rev. Deacon Martha Goodwill, Ayana Grady, the Rev. Paige Alvarez Hanks, the Rev. Peter Lane, Rebecca Lyons, Leila Meizer, the Rev. Dr. James Reho, the Rev. Kathy Schiffreff, and Tania Wilkes. We mention here our deep indebtedness to the Rev. Paige Hanks, formerly Chair, who did so much to enliven us and move our work forward in wonderful ways!

In carrying out our diocesan charge, we have held four Dismantling Racism Trainings (with a fifth occurring later this calendar year) by Zoom and in person. We have also organized and hosted numerous book studies, lectures with discussion, and other events, both by Zoom and in person. All of these endeavors are listed on our webpage (episcopalswfl.org/reconciliation.html) and will continue to develop and expand in 2023. We also coordinate and encourage Sacred Ground Circles (episcopalchurch.org/sacred-ground/about/) throughout the diocese and offer through the Diocesan website a repository of resources and information pertinent to our charge, which is open to all.

To learn more, please visit our website and join our active Facebook group (Facebook.com Race and Reconciliation, Diocese Southwest FL). As this work involves us all, we invite you to join us in dismantling the sin of racism using your own particular gifts. Contact any member of our committee for support in this work of the gospel.

The Rev. Dr. James H. Reho, Chair

School for Ministry

The completion of the 2022 Epiphany Term marked a significant milestone for the School for Ministry as we “graduated” our first four students (one on a diaconal track, one on a priestly track, and two on a deacon-to-priest track) since becoming part of the Iona Collaborative. The collaborative continues to grow with more than thirty Episcopal dioceses throughout the US now participating as members. The collaborative supports local formation through both clergy and lay tracks. It also supports continuing education needs by providing graduates from an Iona member program an opportunity to take courses in the Bi-vocational Ministry Program which is specifically designed to support the on-going educational needs of bi-vocation deacons and priests.

For the 2022-2023 term the school will continue to utilize the facilities at the Dayspring Conference Center for both classroom meetings and overnight accommodations for the student cohort. Local clergy will continue to provide the in-person facilitation that supplements the video and written materials provided by the collaborative. This in-person component is important as it gives the students opportunities to discuss the materials and ask questions. While this year’s program will continue to be focused on clergy development, it is hoped that an opportunity for lay development, either with an intent to seek licensure or not, will be in place for the beginning of the following school year.