The North Carolina DIsciple - Winter 2017

Winter 2017

THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF NORTH CAROLINA

Evangelism

Reconciliation

Your ministry here

Stewardship

Formation

Equipping the Saints Also in this Issue

Meet the Bishop Nominees • What Do You Have? What Do You Need?

Want to know more about the cover photos?

Diocesan House 200 West Morgan Street, Suite 300 Raleigh, NC 27601-1338 PHONE: 919.834.7474 TOLL FREE: 800.448.8775 FAX: 919.834.8775 WEBSITE: www.episdionc.org The Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina Bishop Diocesan Pro Tempore The Rt. Rev. Anne E. Hodges-Copple bishopanne@episdionc.org Office of the Bishop Suffragan: 336.273.5770 Diocesan House: 919.834.7474 Assisting Bishop The Rt. Rev. Peter James Lee peter.lee@episdionc.org

PUBLISHER

Bishop Diocesan Pro Tempore of North Carolina

Head over to the diocesan Facebook page and check out the album titled “Winter 2017 Disciple.”

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Christine McTaggart christine.mctaggart@episdionc.org MANAGING EDITOR / ART DIRECTOR

Summerlee Walter summerlee.walter@episdionc.org CONTRIBUTORS IN THIS ISSUE

The Rt. Rev. Anne E. Hodges-Copple Christine McTaggart The Rev. Canon Earnest Graham The Rev. Greg McIntyre The Rev. Leon Spencer SUBSCRIPTIONS / CHANGE OF ADDRESS Scott Welborn: scott.welborn@episdionc.org SUBMISSIONS

All submission ideas are welcome and considered for publication. Email submission ideas to communications@episdionc.org.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Send letters to the editor to communications@episdionc.org.

COVER PHOTO

Cover design by Summerlee Walter

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The North Carolina Disciple | Winter 2017

Making Disciples, Making a Difference

contents

table of

WINTER 2017

features

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The Present of Presence The 201st Annual Convention Bishop Search and Transition Update: Meet the Nominees Equipping the Saints: “Strands of a single mighty chord” Project Resource: What is the value of your church?

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Mission Endowment Spotlight: What Do You Have? What Do You Need?

200 Years in the Making Lenten Foundations Companion Connections Answering the Call: Rebuilding After Hurricane Matthew

departments & more 6-7 8-11

Around the Diocese New, Notable & Newsworthy

ABOUT

At a Glance Facts: This Magazine...

The North Carolina Disciple is the quarterly magazine of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina. Other diocesan communication vehicles, including Please Note, a weekly e-newsletter, and the diocesan website, www.episdionc.org, are used for more time-sensitive, day-to-day news.

Contact the communications staff at communications@ episdionc.org with any questions or feedback regarding these communications, or to submit ideas, articles and photos.

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Is printed with soy inks, which are more environmentally friendly than traditional petroleum-based inks.

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Is printed on FSC® certified paper — paper certified by the Forestry Stewardship CouncilTM, an independent, non-governmental, not-for-profit organization established to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests.

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Is printed and mailed in Morrisville, North Carolina. The printer has been using an internal paper recycling system for paper production since 1995.

Delivery occurs during the first week of the following months:

Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus

October/ Fall Issue January / Winter Issue April / Spring Issue July / Summer Issue

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Image in the public domain

The

Present of

Presence

By the Rt. Rev. Anne E. Hodges-Copple

I am a summer person. I love lots of sunshine. For me, hot equals fun. My childhood summers were spent playing outside in the Texas heat, where Dallas was hot, visiting Grandmother in West Texas was hotter, and summers were carefree and barefoot.

I am not a winter person. My energy drops with the setting of the sun. A gray day just pushes up my grumpy factor. Sometimes, I even believe I am one of those people with seasonal affective disorder, at least a light case. While “snow day” means endless outdoor fun to many, to me, it means staying indoors wrapped in wool blankets.

So you might understand why I am so enamored with the liturgical cycle of Advent, Christmas and 4

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Epiphany. I need these consecutive seasons of light to cast out the outer darkness and my inner gloom. The contrast between a bleak midwinter’s night and a refuge of sorts built in the warmth of a barn or a cave or a humble house in Bethlehem is compelling for me. I’d be in real homiletic trouble if I had been born in the Southern Hemisphere and had to find the theological parallel between a warm winter and the Sundays after Pentecost.

As you receive this edition of the Disciple, we are entering the season of Epiphany. Epiphany, the grand finale to Christmas, is easy to overlook. And yet, it bestows the final gift of the Feast of the Incarnation: Jesus as not only the Messiah of the Jews but also the Light Making Disciples, Making a Difference

But let’s not allow all of this “doing” to overshadow the importance of “being.” It is never, never out of season for us to, like wise men and women of old, go any distance necessary to kneel and pray in the presence of God – every day! and then find a way to be fully present one to another. for the whole world. The gifts of the Magi pale next to God’s gift to the world.

Yet, somehow, the Feast of Epiphany gets lost. For many of us, as we return to work on January 2, the tree will have been kicked to the curb. Guests – if they are proper guests – will have gone home. Most Christian households will have overdosed on Christmas music long before the Twelfth Night of Christmas on January 5. A few of us old fogies will insist upon keeping our Christmas lights burning until January 6 and then selfrighteously (but with great liturgical appropriateness) take down the last vestiges of our holiday decorations that day. Some strategic thinkers even use the Twelfth Night celebration to draw naïve parishioners back to church with the lure of a party which is really a ruse to recruit help in taking down church decorations to prepare for the Baptism of our Lord.

But please, please, don’t let the Feast of Epiphany slip by you because, if you do, you will miss a particularly special gift of the Christmas season: the present of presence!

The wise men arrived in person. God came in the flesh.

In our modern age of digital communication and virtual reality, taking the time to be fully present to God and to one another is both a gift and a necessity. Think of the intense stare between a parent and the newborn child in his arms. Think of the melodic silence between a couple falling in love. Think of the prayers of a priest over a dying parishioner. Think of the times your friend didn’t need your comments, criticism or feedback but just needed you to be there to listen or to share the silence.

There is no greater gift than being truly and fully present to one another.

It takes practice and real intentionality to be present to God and to one another. You know when someone is nodding her head but not really listening. You know when someone is physically present but mentally miles away. We all know what it is like to be so busy doing for Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus

others that we are not really being with others. Being fully present to another person is not the same thing as getting caught up trying to impress or please someone.

Being fully present is liberating, not restrictive. The more I learn to be present to you, to God and to my neighbor, the more I can let go of my own worries, ego, self-consciousness and preoccupations.

The theme of Diocesan Convention that extends throughout this coming year is Equipping the Saints (page 18). You will read in this edition of the Disciple several ways to prepare ourselves to be better messengers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and instruments of God’s reconciling love. We have a lot to do to make our current worship communities stronger and more faithful while also creating new avenues for outreach. In terms of the economy, parts of North Carolina are booming, and parts are struggling. This means we must learn how to adapt our stewardship strategies and expand our measures of healthy and vital church life. Growth and health are not always identical!

In the pages that follow and throughout the year, you will encounter all sorts of opportunities to equip yourself for ministry: Invite Welcome Connect, Seeing the Face of God in Each Other, Project Resource, Go Speak: Sharing our Faith, Lift Every Voice and opportunities in our individual churches and communities. But let’s not allow all of this “doing” to overshadow the importance of “being.” It is never, never out of season for us to, like wise men and women of old, go any distance necessary to kneel and pray in the presence of God – every day! - and then find a way to be fully present one to another.

The Rt. Rev. Anne E. Hodges-Copple is the bishop diocesan pro tempore of the Diocese of North Carolina. Contact her at bishopanne@episdionc.org.

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Around the Diocese Photo by the Rev. Matt Holcombe

Photo by Sandy Cook

Remember to send photos of happenings in the life of your congregation to communications@episdionc.org.

On October 25, more than 70 retired members of the clergy and their spouses gathered at Good Shepherd, Asheboro, for their regular luncheon.

Photo by Kirt Hibbitts

A group from Christ Church, Charlotte, on a recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land added this prayer to the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

Photo by Elizabeth Pfeifer

The winner of this year’s Annual Chili Cook-Off at St. Margaret’s, Waxhaw, was Aiden Gorman, pictured with his parents, Kevin and Amy.

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Photo by Melinda Plue

On November 6, Holy Comforter, Charlotte, hosted a concert bringing together 70 singers from the choirs from Holy Comforter, Christ Church and St. Martin’s, Charlotte, to perform Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem and other selected works accompanied by members of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra. The event raised nearly $3,000 for Galilee Ministries of East Charlotte.

The youth of St. Paul’s, Monroe, make Advent wreaths.

Making Disciples, Making a Difference

Photos courtesy of St. Luke’s, Durham

Photo by Jared Grant

St. Luke’s, Durham, was a major presence at this year’s NC Pride Festival.

More than 200 people had their photos taken in frames reading “Jesus Loves Me...Just as I am” and “Made in God’s Image.” Additional photos are posted on Facebook and Instagram.

St. Luke’s, Durham, hosted approximately 35 youth from El Buen Pastor, St. Philip’s, St. Stephen’s and St. Titus’, Durham, and St. Cyprian’s, Oxford, on November 13, for the Durham Convocation Youth Field Day. The fun included an inflatable obstacle course, frisbee, soccer, A Movable Feast, bobbing for apples and a color run-style kickball game.

Photo by Meredith Swindell Good Shepherd, Raleigh, held a Brunswick stew lunch on November 6 to celebrate the church’s Commitment Sunday. The stew gets better and better as more people stir it, symbolic of the many treasures celebrated on Commitment Sunday.

Photo by Julie McGhee

Photo courtesy of Niner United

Michael Faulkner, a University of North Carolina-Charlotte student active in Niner United, Charlotte’s Episcopal Campus Ministry, aids in recent disaster response and recovery.

Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus

Chase, Lisa and Jonathan celebrate Christ the King, the last Sunday of the Church year, at Trinity, Fuquay-Varina.

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New, Notable &Newsworthy Christ’s Beloved Community Receives $100,000 from TEC Christ’s Beloved Community / Comunidad Amada de Cristo (Disciple, Spring 2016), a fully partnered church plant between the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina and the North Carolina Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), has been awarded a $100,000 new church plant grant from The Episcopal Church.

Resolution D005 and Resolution A012 approved by General Convention in July 2015 authorized new and continued funding for church plants and Mission Enterprise Zones throughout The Episcopal Church. Newly created grants have been and will be awarded to dioceses and established ministries exploring possibilities for new initiatives or expansion. The funding also calls for the creation of a community of practice for equipping the Church with resources for assessment, coaching, networking and the sharing of best practices.

At the October 2016 meeting, The Episcopal Church Executive Council approved grants totaling $1,797,000 for church planting and Mission Enterprise Zones.

Executive Council member the Rev. Susan Brown Snook of the Diocese of Arizona, who chairs the Local Ministry and Mission Committee, said that the work of church planting “is some of the most exciting work we see happening in our church today in the mission priority area of evangelism. Just a few years ago, we saw very few new church initiatives in the Episcopal Church. Now, we see an inspiring variety of new ideas, energy and enthusiasm for reaching new people with the good news of Christ through new and creative initiatives to plant new congregations, in both traditional and non-traditional ways.”

Christ’s Beloved Community is one of 12 new church plants to receive a grant. The new church began as a street ministry without walls in 2014 when the Rev. Chantal McKinney and several Episcopalians from area churches began reaching out to communities and neighborhoods in Winston-Salem. Inspired by the notion that Jesus didn’t wait to welcome people at the temple but instead went out among them, McKinney and a dedicated group that came to be known as the Core Team knocked on doors,

conversed on porch steps, met folks in local shops and listened. They heard their stories, shared their suffering and joy, and offered prayer to those hungering for a deeper relationship with Christ.

At its core, Christ’s Beloved Community seeks to expand the traditional notion of what it means to be missional. It is creating a sacramental ministry in the community while simultaneously identifying the assets and needs of neighbors. Christ’s Beloved Community is exactly what its name implies: a church being created by a community – together. As relationships with God deepen, the Community wants to highlight the strengths already present in the neighborhoods and build on those gifts.

To learn more or become involved in Christ’s Beloved Community, contact the Rev. Chantal McKinney at chantal@belovedws.org or visit belovedws.org.

Standing Rock Support Resources Now Available In response to the resolution to support Standing Rock passed at the 201st Annual Convention (page 13), champions of the resolution and the School of Ministry have assembled resources to help keep you informed of the 8

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changing situation and guide you in next steps should you wish to be active in your support. Find the information by clicking the “Equipping the Saints” link in the Quick Links box at episdionc.org.

Making Disciples, Making a Difference

Several 2017 Summer Youth Opportunities Available For those who attended Convention or watched it live, if you saw the young adult panel and their discussion on racism and reconciliation, you saw firsthand how impressive the younger voices of this diocese are.

They are not alone. There are impressive youth and young adults in every congregation, and the youth missioners of the Diocese of North Carolina are delighted to announce several 2017 summer opportunities for these incredible young disciples.

EYE17: Path to Peace, July 10-14, Edmond OK Every three years, the Episcopal Church convenes an international youth event so “the energy of the youth of the Episcopal Church can continue to be utilized in active ministry as members of the Body of Christ.”

Since the first Episcopal Youth Event (EYE) in 1982, this popular event has welcomed thousands of young people from across the Episcopal Church for celebration, worship, learning and leadership training.

EYE17 will be held in partnership with the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma July 10-14, 2017, on the campus of the University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond. It is geared for youth in grades 9-12 during the 2016-2017 academic year and their adult leaders. For more information, visit episdionc.org/events.

HUGS: June 19-24 for Campers / June 17-24 for Helper Campers, The Summit at Haw River State Park HUGS (Helping Understand God through Sharing) is a unique camp for unique people, bringing together young people of diverse abilities. They overcome barriers of real and imagined differences and build bridges of understanding. HUGS is about acknowledging the good creation in each of us, and more fully knowing and loving our God through it. The great differences among campers and staff help all of us learn to appreciate and celebrate our diversity as we recognize our common ground.

HUGS is about shared experiences. Campers with special needs are paired with one or more “helper” campers, who assist the special-needs campers with all the activities Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus

of camp life. Needs may range from needing assistance in bathing, eating, and/or dressing to help getting around or just having a friend to encourage participation. Helper campers take part in a day of training with counselors and nurses to learn how to care for the campers.

Throughout the week, the campers live, play and sing together. The camp family stays in the cabins and activities take place in the gym/pool area, the lodge and the youth facility with games on the recreation field. For more information, visit episdionc.org/youth/hugs-camp.

Lift Every Voice (LEV): Disciples of Change Institute, July 21-25, Haw River State Park Lift Every Voice is a three-year initiative for youth and young adults designed to revisit the historical truths of slavery and the Civil Rights movement in North Carolina and apartheid in South Africa. This ministry is designed to build an understanding of social injustice that will help participating young people develop a vision and skills to lead their dioceses’ programming around race and inclusivity.

The week-long conference in 2017 is designed to train and equip participants to develop a model of church leadership in today’s multicultural communities. It is intended for ages 15-22; for more information, visit lifteveryvoice. dionc.org.

PYE17: Humble Yourself, July 25-28, Lumberton Province IV has a great history and tradition of assisting its own when disaster strikes. This year we will assist with the continued clean up and aftermath from Hurricane Matthew in Lumberton, NC. During our three days together we will immerse ourselves in the rich culture of the Lumbee Indians who call Robeson, Hoke, Cumberland and Scotland Counties in NC their home. Our work will consist of repair to homes and communities that were flooded during and following Hurricane Matthew as well as nurturing relationships we make along the way. For more information, visit episdionc.org/events.

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New Year’s Resolution: Get Prepared!

If you don’t have one in place already, make a New Year’s resolution to build your emergency preparedness plan before another year goes by! Not only will you be putting an invaluable tool in place for yourself and your church in the event a problem arises, in gathering information about the assets you may need to protect or replace, you’re really building a list of gifts available to share with the community. It’s not just a preparedness plan, it’s also a ministry checklist.

And you don’t have to do it alone! There are great resources available to you at episdionc.org, including checklists, advice, tips and more. Individuals can follow a five-week plan that breaks the process down into easy, step-by-step checklists; at the end of five weeks, your emergency plan and kit will be in place. Take the challenge

with a friend, or make it a Lenten project – however you approach it, you’ll be glad you spent the time.

Churches will also find easy-to-follow guidance to help you build your preparedness plan, including checklists with diocesan information pre-filled so it’s one less thing for you to do.

If you find yourself wondering if your plan covers everything you need it to, the Diocese is hosting a series of quarterly webinars in 2017, during which scenarios will be presented that will test your plan to help you find its strengths and weaknesses when there’s no emergency in sight.

You’ll find it all at episdionc.org; just look for the “Preparedness Planning” link in the Quick Links box on the homepage.

Trinity Institute 2017: Water Justice, March 22–24, 2017 Water is a gift. Water is life. As water crises increase, access to safe and clean drinking water decreases. From Flint to Standing Rock, many of today’s most pressing social issues revolve around water. Faith communities worldwide can help.

Water Justice is a global conference held in New York City and webcast all over the world. With a sharp focus on the need for water justice initiatives in areas of access, droughts, pollution, rising tides and flooding, Trinity Institute aims to offer actionable guidance for individuals, congregations, and the larger faith community surrounding these issues.

Resources available now include a curriculum for Lent, a water reading list and videos. In addition, Trinity Institute is partnering with GreenFaith to offer a free webinar

series. Dates will be announced soon.

For more information, or if your church would like to be a partner site to livestream the conference or to have access to the keynote addresses and panel discussions at a later date, visit trinitywallstreet.org/trinity-institute/2017.

If you need financial or other support to participate as a partner site, contact Ayliffe Mumford at ayliffe.mumford@episdionc.org.

Episcopal Build 2017 In 2016, nine Episcopal churches and ministries in the Diocese of North Carolina partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Wake County to fund and build a home with the Dooley family, and this year it’s happening again for another hardworking family.

Participants in the 2017 build include Christ Church, Good Shepherd, Nativity, St. Augustine, St. Ambrose, St. Mark’s, and St. Michael’s, Raleigh; St. Paul’s, Cary; Episcopal Campus Ministry-Raleigh; and the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina. Between them, they are seeking to provide all the labor and the $65,000 cost to build the home.

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Because of the outpouring of support and volunteers for last year’s build, 2017 will also see the Episcopal Build strategically located to enable support for another faith build underway by Highland United Methodist Church.

The work will get underway March 24 with wall building at Habitat Wake’s construction facility, followed by an 11:45 a.m. “Wall-Raising” ceremony at the construction site and the standing of the walls throughout the afternoon. Check with one of the churches involved for volunteer opportunities or visit vhub.at/EpiscopalBuild2017.

Making Disciples, Making a Difference

In Case You Missed It 2016-2017 Gospel-Based Discipleship If you made a New Year’s resolution to incorporate daily prayer and formation into your life, remember the daily GospelBased Discipleship is available to you. In addition to a downloadable and printable version on episdionc.org, its daily offerings are also offered on diocesan social media channels: • • •

Facebook (EpiscopalDioceseNC) Twitter (@episcopalnc) Instagram (@episdionc)

Last Call for Organist Supply

DIOCESAN

EVENTS January 25 Deadline to register for Bishops’ Ball team 28 Ordination of Vocational Deacons, Phillips Chapel, The Canterbury School February 8 Deadline to register for Bishops’ Ball 11 Equipping the Saints: Invite Welcome Connect, St. Andrew’s, Rocky Mount 11 Equipping the Saints: Invite Welcome Connect, All Saints, Concord 17 Bishops’ Ball, Camp Walter Johnson 18 Equipping the Saints: Seeing the Face of God in Each Other: Anti-Racism Training, All Saints, Greensboro 22 Equipping the Saints: Invite Welcome Connect, Nativity, Raleigh 23-25 Education for Ministry Mentor Training, St. Francis Springs, Stoneville March 1 Parochial reports due 4 Special Convention and Election of XII Bishop Diocesan, Phillips Chapel, The Canterbury School 18 Equipping the Saints: Invite Welcome Connect, Emmanuel, Southern Pines 27 Clergy Quiet Day, Good Shepherd, Asheboro 31 Genesis, Camp Walter Johnson

In the Fall 2016 issue, we shared an idea and call for organists to create an organist “supply” list that would connect churches with musicians willing to lend a hand when regular organists were away.

To date, we have not yet received enough responses to make this viable, so we thought we’d put out one last call. We ask all organists in the audience: Would you like to see an organist supply resource put in place, and would you like to be a part of it? If yes, please email communications@ episdionc.org.

Save the Date July 15, 2017 Consecration of XII Bishop Diocesan

Parochial Reports Due March 1

Keep up with our diocese through social media!

The deadline to submit annual parochial reports is fast approaching. Please make a note on your calendars of the March 1 deadline.

Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus

Look for additional events and more detailed event information online at episdionc.org, or contact the Diocese at (919) 834-7474, toll-free at (800) 448-8775. Upcoming diocesan events and events from around the Diocese are also featured in Please Note, the weekly diocesan e-newsletter. Sign up on our homepage.

stay in touch www.facebook.com/EpiscopalDioceseNC www.twitter.com/EpiscopalNC www.instagram.com/episdionc www.vimeo.com/episcopalnc

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The 201ST Annual Convention

(Clockwise, top left) The Rt. Rev. Peter James Lee celebrates the Eucharist. Longtime Secretary of Convention Joseph Ferrell receives the Bishop’s Award. Laurie Holden plays the Rt. Rev. John Starks Ravenscroft. Delegates gather for compline. Members of St. Titus’ discuss new opportunities. Photos by Christine McTaggart and Summerlee Walter

EQUIPPING THE SAINTS The 201st Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina convened on Friday, November 18, 2016, at the Raleigh Convention Center in Raleigh. Aptly titled “Equipping the Saints,” this year’s gathering focused on practical ideas and resources geared toward helping congregations and individuals embrace the diocesan priorities of evangelism, reconciliation, stewardship and formation. (Read more on page 18.)

This year’s Convention also kicked off our bicentennial year and introduced two exciting projects to help us celebrate in collaboration with the Dioceses of Western North Carolina and East Carolina. (See page 25.)

Other highlights included the Rt. Rev. Anne HodgesCopple’s pastoral address, panel discussions addressing unique ministries and reconciliation efforts throughout the Diocese, a food drive hosted by A Movable Feast and a look at the next steps in our search for the XII Bishop Diocesan.

It all kicked off with a special Thursday night history presentation, “The Times They Were A-changing: Equipping the Saints and Lifting Every Voice in the Turbulent 1960s,” led and hosted by diocesan historiographer the Rev. Dr. Brooks Graebner joined by panelists Martha Alexander and the Rev. Dr. Rhonda Lee. THE PASTORAL ADDRESS Convention convened on Friday morning when Bishop Hodges-Copple called the 201st Annual Convention to order.

The Eucharist procession followed, and a beautiful worship service was shared by all in attendance with Bishop Hodges12

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Copple preaching and the Rt. Rev. Peter James Lee presiding. The Choir of Christ Church on Capitol Square, Raleigh, added harmonious depth to the voices raised in song, giving everyone there the feeling they were in a cathedral instead of a convention hall.

Bishop Hodges-Copple’s pastoral address focused on our post-resurrection identity and the fact that Christians are “messengers and ambassadors of one hope in God’s call to us.” Regardless of any other way we identify ourselves, we are first and foremost “citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Because we live in a world that desperately needs to hear the news of God’s love, we need to take advantage of all the opportunities provided to equip ourselves to be that messenger and bring about change.

THE PANELS Instead of the traditional keynote speaker, this year’s gathering presented two panels that explored how the Convention’s themes of evangelism and reconciliation are lived in different contexts. The first of the panels took place Friday afternoon; led by Dr. Sam Laurent, it featured young adults from around the Diocese. The youth and young adults of the diocese are an inspiring bunch, dedicated to reconciliation and addressing injustice wherever they see it. The panelists shared stories of the first times they recognized racism in their own lives, they reflected on the importance of relationships in working toward reconciliation, and they shared their own stories of steps they have taken to manifest justice in their own lives. After the panel concluded, attendees continued the conversation via round-table discussions.

Making Disciples, Making a Difference

The second panel took the dais on Saturday. Led by panelists involved in evangelism and reconciliation work throughout the Diocese, “God’s Reconciling Presence: Exploring New Ministries,” gave attendees a basis to examine where they are with their own ministries, tools to help move forward and time for much-needed discussion.

cated disciple, was awarded this year’s Bishops Award.

Called the “institutional memory of North Carolina”

by Bishop Lee, Ferrell is retiring from his secretarial office, though he will continue to remain active as incoming president of Standing Committee and deputy to General Convention.

INSTALLATIONS AND COMMISSIONS The opening Eucharist included the installation of the Rev. Canon Dr. Cathy Deats as the diocesan east regional canon and the commissioning of the Rev. Dr. Chantal McKinney as a church planter, the Bishop’s Committee for WinstonSalem, and the Rev. Deb Blackwood as deacon for refugee ministries. Also commissioned were participants and corps members in the Abraham Project in Winston-Salem and the Johnson Service Corps of Chapel Hill and Durham.

THE BUSINESS OF CONVENTION In the business of Convention, the 2017 budget passed as submitted.

Voting on resolutions went as follows. Certified copies of all resolutions are available on the diocesan website.

• Res. 201.1. On the Procedure for Nominating Candidates by Petition for Election as Bishop Diocesan. Substitute resolution adopted.

• Res. 201.2. On Nominations for Election by the Annual Convention. Substitute resolution adopted.

• Res. 201.3. On Designating Alternate Deputies to the General Convention. Adopted.

• Res. 201.4. On Electing Trustees of the University of the South. Adopted.

• Res. 201.5. On Amending Canon 20 to Permit Missions to Adopt Bylaws for the Conduct of Mission Meetings and Mission Vestry Meetings.

Substitute resolution adopted.

• Res. 201.6. On Amending Canon 22 to Permit the Removal of Vestry Persons for Cause. Substitute resolution adopted.

• Res. 201.7. On Voting Delegates for Youth. Adopted.

• Res. 201.8. On Condemning the Use of Torture as a Tool of State Power. Substitute resolution adopted.

• Res. 201.9. A Resolution Supporting Our Native American Sisters and Brothers at Standing Rock.

Substitute resolution adopted.

Other outcomes of voting are listed below.

• Deputy to General Convention, Clergy Order: The Rev. Kevin Matthews, the Rev. Sarah BallDamberg, the Rev. Jamie Edwards, the Rev. Helen Svoboda-Barber • Deputy to General Convention, Lay Order: Alice Freeman, Martha Alexander, Joseph Ferrell, Athena Hahn • Diocesan Council, Clergy Order: The Rev. Stephanie Yancy, the Rev. Rebecca Yarbrough • Diocesan Council, Lay Order: Duana Cisney, Morris Friedman, Sue Bowers Guptill • Standing Committee, Clergy Order: The Rev. David Frazelle, the Rev. Sally French • Standing Committee, Lay Order: Margaret McCann • Board of Trustees, University of the South (Sewanee), Clergy Order: The Rev. Jane Wilson • Board of Trustees, University of the South (Sewanee), Lay Order: George Brine

NEXT STEPS Before Convention concluded, the Rev. Jane Wilson, president of the Standing Committee, introduced the Nominating Committee and thanked them for their tireless work in creating the nominee slate (page 14) for the search for the XII Bishop Diocesan. She reviewed the petition process that would follow the announcement of the nominee slate, and Joe Ferrell outlined the details of the Special Election to be held in March, how delegates would work and what to do should a person’s delegate status change.

MEMORABLE MOMENTS • In addition to a beautiful Eucharist to open Convention, a stunningly beautiful Evensong was held Friday night. Celebrated in a way reminiscent of a flash mob, the service featured a cantor from Christ Church leading a call and response prayer that sent voices soaring so high and created such a powerful spiritual space in the lobby of the Convention Center, every person within its reach stopped to listen.

• The Transition and Swindell Committees presented a series throughout Convention called “Ghosts of Bishops Past,” where notable bishops from diocesan history were briefly resurrected through performances by lay persons and clergy.

• While all resolutions were notable and important, perhaps the most exciting piece of business was the passing of Resolution 201.7, which gives the youth of the Diocese a vote at Convention in addition to seat and voice.

• The A Movable Feast trailer was once again on site.

Known for distributing food along with its prayer and communal offerings, the ministry went a different way this year and instead took in food in an effort to collect donations for the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle.

• In one of Convention’s most special moments, Joe Ferrell, longtime Secretary of Convention and dediReflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus

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BISHOP SEARCH AND TRANSITION UPDATE

MEET THE NOMINEES FOR The Rev. Charles Dupree Ordained as Priest: May 2000 Current Position: Rector, Trinity Episcopal Church, Bloomington, Indiana Diocesan/Church-wide Experience: Liturgical Designer, General Convention (2012, 2015); Commission on Ministry, Diocese of Indiana (2011-present, chair), Diocese of East Carolina (2001-04); Chair, MidHudson Regional Council, Diocese of New York (2007); Board of Campus Ministry, Diocese of New York (2005-07); Executive Council, Diocese of East Carolina (2001-03); Liturgical Commission, Diocese of East Carolina (2000-02); Workshop Presenter: Young Adults as Leaders in the Church, General Convention (2006), Imaginations of Their Heart: The effective use of visual arts in the worship experience (Diocese of New York, North Carolina Religious Arts Festival, Diocese of Southern Virginia) Writings/Sermons: charliedupree.blogspot.com Biographical Statement: North Carolina is my home.

I was baptized and confirmed at St. Mary’s, Speed, a small congregation in the eastern part of this Diocese. At St. Mary’s, farmers, storekeepers and one faithful Sunday School teacher served as my spiritual guides. My family still lives on or near our farm in Edgecombe County. They have deep roots in agriculture and education.

I studied art and music at East Carolina University. Episcopal Campus Ministry and Kanuga Conference Center shaped my call to ordained ministry. There were no burning bushes, but there were wise women and men and beautiful mountains who bid me to listen and follow. I followed the call to Virginia Seminary, where I was formed by community, daily prayers and the prophetic words engraved at the library entrance: “Seek the truth, come whence it will, cost what it may.”

Since my ordination seventeen years ago, I have sought to serve God and God’s people by seeking truth and by leading Episcopal communities of love, justice, creativity and inclusion. Trinity Church, Bloomington, the congregation I currently serve, is a growing, multi-staffed church in the heart of a college town with vibrant worship and a heart for calling our community to love and serve those in the margins.

I have been married to Matthew Cole since 2011; prior to that, we were partners for sixteen years. When I’m not wearing a collar, you’ll find me playing or composing music at my piano, exercising, or enjoying the company of my friends.

Learn more about the Rev. Charles Dupree at bishopsearch.dionc.org/charles-dupree.html.

A PRAYER FOR THE BISHOP SEARCH Most gracious God, who gave your only Son to be our Good Shepherd: Look favorably upon your Church, and guide the hearts and minds of those who shall choose a bishop to be a pastor to this Diocese, that we may receive a faithful leader, who will go with us out in the world, making disciples who make a difference; and nurture in your servants who wrestle with this call a spirit of wisdom and confidence, joy and humility; through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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Making Disciples, Making a Difference

THE XII BISHOP DIOCESAN The Rev. Samuel Rodman Ordained as Priest: March 1988 Current Position: Special Project Officer, Diocese of Massachusetts Diocesan/Church-wide Experience: Associate at Bethany House of Prayer (2008-present); Clergy Retreat Co-leader, Diocese of Connecticut (2013-14); Prayer Partner with Life Together Program (2010-13); Clergy Mentor, Diocese of Massachusetts (2005-10); Commission on Ministry, Diocese of Massachusetts (1995-2004, co-chair 1999-2004); President, Milton Interfaith Clergy Association (2004-06); Board of Trustees, South Kent School (1998-2004) Writings/Sermons: www.allsaintsbrookline.org/sermon.html, ststephenscohasset.org/category/guest-preachers/ Biographical Statement: I am currently the Special Projects Officer of the Diocese of Massachusetts having recently completed a year as the Acting Chief of Staff during the transition with the new Bishop. From 2010-2015, I served as the Project Manager for the Campaign Initiatives in the Diocese of Massachusetts engaging congregations, clergy and laity, in collaborative local and global mission through the Together Now campaign and helping to raise $20 million to fund these initiatives.

For 23 years, I served as a parish priest in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, most recently as rector of St. Michael’s in Milton for 16 years from 1994-2010. During my time in Milton, St. Michael’s expanded their mission through partnerships and completed a seven-year plan that included a capital campaign for a major renovation of the church school building.

From 1982-84, I began my service in the Church as a lay person in the Office of Evangelism and Congregational Development at the Episcopal Church Center in New York. In the Diocese of Massachusetts, I also served on the Commission of Ministry from 1995-2004 and was co-chair from 2001-2004. I have been associated with Bethany House of Prayer for the past eight years serving as a retreat leader and chaplain with groups, congregations and dioceses. In my free time I enjoy basketball, golf, kayaking, walking my dog, crosswords and creative writing. I am a graduate of Bates College and Virginia Theological Seminary. I am married to Deborah Rodman, and we have two adult daughters.

Learn more about the Rev. Samuel Rodman at bishopsearch.dionc.org/samuel-rodman.html.

FROM THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE After ten months of prayerful discernment, we unanimously and enthusiastically submit the following slate of nominees for election as the XII Bishop Diocesan of the Diocese of North Carolina.

Our process began by listening to the people of this diocese. We then created a candid profile identifying three key attributes in the bishop we seek: an authentic pastor, an inspirational leader, and a strategic administrator. Throughout our process, we have looked for this unique constellation of gifts. The nominees offer a diversity of experience and gifts, but they share in common a deep commitment to the mission of the Jesus movement, creative and faithful leadership in sharing the Good News inside and outside church walls, and the skills to oversee our large and diverse diocese. Each brings a fresh articulation of the Gospel and renewed energy to the work before us of loving God and loving neighbor.

Our process has ended where it began, by listening for the movement of the Holy Spirit among us, and we look forward to the continued unfolding of God’s dream for this diocese.

Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus

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BISHOP SEARCH AND TRANSITION UPDATE

THE REV. MILIND SOJWAL WITHDRAWS FROM SLATE On November 21, the Rev. Milind Sojwal was announced as one of the three nominees on the slate. The following is an update on Sojwal’s candidacy: On Tuesday, December 13, 2016, the Standing Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina accepted the withdrawal of the Rev. Milind Sojwal from consideration in the election of the XII Bishop Diocesan of the Diocese of North Carolina. Sojwal wrote to the Standing Committee to inform them of his need to withdraw for personal reasons that do not allow him to continue with the diocesan bishop search process.

The Rev. Charles Dupree and the Rev. Samuel Rodman remain on the slate as announced on November 21.

“We are very pleased that in addition to the two candidates presented by the Nominating Committee,” said the Rev. Jane Wilson, president of the Standing Committee, “we expect to announce in January one or two petition candidates as additions to the slate.”

Planning for several events and opportunities to get to know candidates in the coming months is underway by the Transition Committee. Additional information on the candidates and upcoming events will be shared on diocesan communication channels.

NOT YOUR AVERAGE WALKABOUT In an effort to introduce the nominees to as many people as possible, the Transition Committee has planned during the week of February 13-18 a series of whistle stops across the Diocese, in addition to two traditional walkabouts and a series of online town hall meetings. This effort, called “Sacred Places Between the Mountains and the Sea,” focuses on contextualizing questions for the candidates within the various locations they will meet the Diocese: sacred places including Galilee Ministries with its focus on serving refugees ignored by society, Bishops’ Ball with its focus on raising young leaders and A Movable Feast with its focus on meeting seekers where they are.

The whistle stops will be shorter than traditional walkabouts – about an hour each. Two traditional walkabouts will take place on Tuesday, February 14, at Calvary, Tarboro, and Friday, February 17, at St. Mary’s, High Point. Everyone is invited to attend the whistle stops and walkabouts.

In addition to in-person opportunities to learn about the nomineees, members of the Diocese will also have several opportunities to meet them digitally. In early January, we will share a brief introductory video from each nominee, including any entering the slate by petition. In early February, we will publish their theological reflections. Each nominee will also participate in an individual town hall webinar during which they will take questions from participants. The schedule of town halls is as follows: • • • •

January 19: The Rev. Charles Dupree January 24: The Rev. Samuel Rodman January 26: Petition Candidate #1 (If necessary) January 31: Petition Candidate #2 (If necessary)

Keep an eye on social media and the bishop search website (bishopsearch.dionc.org) for event times, videos and other offerings. If you have a question for the nominees, please submit it via email to communications@episdionc. org. We cannot guarantee that all questions will be asked, but questions asked frequently will be passed along to the Transition Committee.

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Making Disciples, Making a Difference

A WHISTLE STOP TOUR OF THE DIOCESE

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10 11

5

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1

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MONDAY 2/13

THURSDAY 2/16

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Charlotte | Galilee Center Lunch/Midday

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Greensboro | St. Andrew’s Lunch

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Charlotte | Thompson Child & Family Focus Late afternoon

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Winston-Salem | St. Timothy’s Evening

FRIDAY 2/17

TUESDAY 2/14 3

Southern Pines | Penick Village Breakfast

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High Point | St. Mary’s Clergy Meeting Late afternoon

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Tarboro | Calvary Church Walkabout Dinner

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High Point | St. Mary’s Walkabout Evening

WEDNESDAY 2/15 5

Raleigh | Diocesan House Staff Meeting Mid-morning

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Duke Campus | A Movable Feast Lunch

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Raleigh | St. Augustine’s University Early evening

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SATURDAY 2/18 12

Denton | Bishop’s Ball Youth Event Morning

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“Strands of a single mighty chord.”

“Equipping the saints means harnessing the best of our minds, our hearts and our bodies with the tools of evangelism, reconciliation, formation and stewardship. These four….are all strands of a single mighty chord….that connects us with God, with our neighbors and with our work as disciples making disciples who make a difference.”

- The Rt. Rev. Anne Hodges-Copple, 201st Annual Convention Pastoral Address Go Speak. Invite Welcome Connect. Project Resource.

Over the last few years, the Diocese of North Carolina has introduced several programs and resources to help disciples in diocesan churches develop skills in the areas of evangelism, racial reconciliation, formation, welcome, stewardship, social justice and simply connecting with those in our surrounding communities. As people become more and more familiar with the offerings, we’ve heard stories of their impact and of churches adapting them to incorporate them into daily life.

Equipping the Saints is not another program; on the contrary, it’s the bringing together of all that has come before. Evangelism, reconciliation, formation, stewardship – none of these exists in vacuums or silos. They are all connected and parts of a greater whole, and as disciples they are parts we need to develop to be our fullest selves.

What each of the programs and resources offers is an element of what we need to be equipped to go out in the world and be able to sit with, walk with and be with those with whom we share it.

So if Go Speak; Invite Welcome Connect; Project 18

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Resource; racial reconciliation training; a multitude of other educational resources; and diocesan support are the tools to help you become the disciple God calls each of us to be, Equipping the Saints is the toolbox that contains them all.

Or to use Bishop Anne’s analogy, the tools are the individual threads that connect and weave together to form that mighty chord. As you look at what each program has to offer, you will start to understand how they overlap from one area to another, feeding into each other and enriching us in a multitude of ways.

EVANGELISM Go Speak is an easy way to gather people together to share faith stories. Prompted by question cards, these gatherings have proven an easy, comfortable, safe way to gain comfort in sharing – and more importantly, listening to – stories of how God moves in one’s life.

Invite Welcome Connect is not just about making visitors to your church feel welcome, it’s about helping to make a genuine connection and laying the foundation for long-term relationships. The sharing of faith and faith stories is part of that connection.

A Movable Feast: Originally conceived as a diocesan young adult ministry based out of a customized trailer that holds a chapel and serves hot, home-cooked food, A Movable Feast remains a mobile ministry, gathering with people where they are, feeding them and inviting.

Making Disciples, Making a Difference

Project Resource (page 20) is a new, stewardship-based program that helps disciples understand “stewardship” is not a financial campaign, but rather a mindset and way of life. Living that way of life is itself a form of evangelism.

RECONCILIATION Racial reconciliation training opportunities are scheduled throughout 2017 all around the Diocese.

The Racial Equity Institute offers two-day training opportunities to “help individuals and organizations develop tools to challenge patterns of power and grow equity.”

Lift Every Voice is a three-year initiative for youth and young adults designed to revisit the historical truths of slavery and the Civil Rights movement in North Carolina and Apartheid in South Africa. This ministry is designed to build an understanding of social injustice that will help participating young people develop a vision and skills to lead their dioceses’ programming around race and inclusivity.

Invite Welcome Connect helps build genuine relationships and paves the way for honest conversation.

FORMATION The School of Ministry is a diocesan institution whose offerings include countless resources for formation of all ages.

The 2016-2017 Gospel-Based Discipleship is a simple way to incorporate formation into your daily life. Available in print, online or on diocesan social media channels, it helps to develop the habit of building time into each day for prayer and reflection.

Go Speak helps us recognize God moving in our lives.

Photo courtesy of Grace, Clayton

Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus

More information on all programs and resources can be found at episdionc.org.

Look for “Equipping the Saints” in the Quick Links box on the homepage.

Go Speak: An updated card deck will be available in Spring 2017 with a special focus on race and reconciliation. These are being created in response to requests received from across the Diocese to help all of us have thoughtful, sensitive and honest conversations about race.

“Seeing the Face of God in Each Other” is a diocesan anti-racism offering developed and hosted by members of the Bishop’s Committee for Racial Justice and Reconciliation.

Grace, Clayton, is a polling site, so, as an act of reconciliation on a divisive election day, the church offered coffee, hot cider, doughnut holes, cookies and brownies to everyone who stopped by, evangelizing as they did so by telling people about the church.

Learn More

A Movable Feast does not require the trailer be present; food and worship are the key components of A Movable Feast, whether or not the trailer is present.

STEWARDSHIP Project Resource: Building stewardship into a way of life means going deeper than its traditional definition.

Creation Care is a multiphase, multiyear plan from the Chartered Committee on Environmental Ministry that focuses on three areas: energy, water and food. The initiative offers help in getting a handle on what needs to be done, utilizing new resources, offering infrastructure and guidelines, and defining goals to put plans into action.

All of this only begins to scratch the surface of what Equipping the Saints encompasses, and it is all available to you. Just as we are all connected as humans and by our faith, these offerings intertwine and connect to equip us with what we need to fully realize our lives as disciples.

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By the Rev. Canon Earnest Graham

Project Resource: What is the value of your church?

“I love my church.” “This is my home.” “It’s a family.”

“The way they cared for me when my husband died…”

“The sermons really speak to me.” “I was sick for months, and they brought me food and visited me every week.” “They accepted me in a way no other community has.” “Our food pantry feeds people in real need.” “The youth mission trip changed my child’s life.” “The music lifts me up.” “The Bible Study opened up the Bible for me.” “Fellowship.” “Warmth.” “I feel the love of Christ here.”

I have heard all of these words and so many more in my work as diocesan canon for regional ministry. Whether it is meeting with a vestry for a retreat or mutual ministry review, or working with congregations in a search process, there are holy moments that break through as members share how much their church means to them.

It does not matter whether the church is large or small, urban or rural, has an endowment or struggles from week to week to keep the doors open, these testimonies proclaim that the church – your church – matters.

Every year, churches wrestle with budgets and wonder how to ask members to give support to the church and its mission. We know the church depends on the generosity of its members to function and thrive, and yet, many churches struggle with what is traditionally defined as stewardship. Is it because we’re embarrassed to ask people to give or of being asked ourselves? Are we afraid of the response or the challenges the church is facing?

Possibly, but it is in exactly those moments when we need to remember the holy experiences we share and the deep truth that the church is valuable. The church is precious in God’s eyes, beloved.

Maybe that is what scares us. Asking, giving, sharing, receiving; all of these involve vulnerability and intimacy.

We are not asking for something that is of no consequence. When we talk about life and faith and God, we are talking about what is ultimately meaningful to us.

Faithful stewardship leads us to trust in God more fully. I am amazed when we ask members to share a time when the church felt most alive. Most often it is when they built the church building, led a mission response to a natural disaster, established a food pantry that feeds thousands of hungry people, started a preschool or in some other way dared to step out in the name of Christ.

In each case, they went beyond what they normally do as a church and discovered a deeper trust in God. They overcame their fear of asking for the resources because they knew the need and the value of responding to it.

Project Resource is a comprehensive way of equipping churches to find transformation in asking and giving. It helps churches and their parishioners understand that the forces in play when we ask on behalf of the special projects – the forces that reduce the fear when we’re stepping out in the name of Christ – are the same forces in play every moment of every day.

The Diocese of North Carolina will be rolling out the resources for and offering training on Project Resource over the next couple of years. If you can’t wait to learn all about it, look for the link in the “Equipping the Saints” section of the website. Otherwise, look for the various training opportunities we’ll offer throughout 2017 to introduce this new way of approaching stewardship that will seem radical only until you realize it’s how we should have been looking at it all along.

Photo courtesy of St. Margaret’s, Waxhaw

Photo courtesy of St. Luke’s, Durham The Rev. Robert Brown, vicar of St. Mary Magdalene, Seven Lakes, blesses animals. St. Francis’ feast day and other beloved annual events are also great opportunities for evangelism. St. Luke’s, Durham, hosts monthly “The Art of Living Our Faith” gatherings where members and friends gather to do an art project and talk about faith together.

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Making Disciples, Making a Difference

A Schedule of Evangelism, Reconciliation, Stewardship and Formation Events BOLD LIKE JESUS: CROSSING BOUNDARIES

INVITE WELCOME CONNECT WORKSHOP

January 21, 2017

February 2-4 2017 Trinity AME Zion Church, Greensboro

February 11, 2017 St. Andrew’s, Rocky Mount

INVITE WELCOME CONNECT WORKSHOP

RACIAL EQUITY INSTITUTE TRAINING

SEEING THE FACE OF GOD IN EACH OTHER

February 11, 2017 All Saints’, Concord

February 13-14, 2017 First Presbyterian Church Greensboro

February 18, 2017 All Saints’, Greensboro

INVITE WELCOME CONNECT WORKSHOP

EDUCATION FOR MINISTRY MENTOR TRAINING

INVITE WELCOME CONNECT WORKSHOP

February 22, 2017 Church of the Nativity, Raleigh

February 23-25, 2017 St. Francis Springs Prayer Center, Stoneville

March 18, 2017 Emmanuel, Southern Pines

FAITH VOICES FOR CLEAN ENERGY ADVOCACY DAY

TRINITY INSTITUTE 2017 WATER JUSTICE

SEEING THE FACE OF GOD IN EACH OTHER

March 22-24, 2017 Local events

April 1, 2017 St. Augustine’s, Raleigh

GO SPEAK

EDUCATION FOR MINISTRY MENTOR TRAINING

PROJECT RESOURCE STEWARDSHIP & GENERATIONAL GIVING

March 21, 2017 General Assembly, Raleigh

THE PEOPLE’S CLIMATE MARCH ON WASHINGTON LOCAL EVENTS April 29, 2017 Local events

Spring 2017 Local events

August 24-26, 2017 St. Francis Springs Prayer Center, Stoneville

Tear out this page for reference!

Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus

The North Carolina Disciple | Winter 2017

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Mission Endowment Spotlight

By Christine McTaggart

What Do You Have? What Do You Need?

Two questions lead to a truly unique answer In Fall 2013, the Rev. Nancy Cox and other leaders of All Saints’, Concord, attended a conference that had been 10 years in the planning. The gathering brought together nonprofits and faith-based organizations from across Cabarrus County to look for collaboration opportunities.

During the conference, one of the exercises in which attendees participated asked each person to write on Post-It® notes the answers to two questions: What do you have? What do you need?

The asking proved to be pivotal.

“The conference came at a critical time for us,” said Cox, rector at All Saints’. “We had just made the decision to suspend operation of our part-day preschool because we just weren’t able to reach the communities we were trying to serve, and so we were stepping back to examine what barriers we were facing and not able to cross.”

Ann Benfield, executive director of the Cabarrus Partnership for Children, an organization that looks at early education across Cabarrus County and advocates for children, was also at the conference. During the “what do you have, what do you need?” exercise, she saw the responses posted by All Saints’: “I have a preschool 22

The North Carolina Disciple | Winter 2017

space, and I need kids to fill it.” She was intrigued and, after conversation with Cox, she scheduled a visit to the former preschool, surprised and happy to find the space well-kept and well-appointed. She agreed the space should not sit empty and promptly connected All Saints’ with Thompson Child & Family Focus.

In the course of conversation, it became clear that there was a strong desire to focus on the early education of children in high-poverty situations. Thompson had quite a bit of guidance to offer from the work they do, but they also identified the first major obstacle All Saints’ would have to address: $500,000 a year would be needed to run the kind of school being discussed.

“To the credit of our task force involved in the conversations,” said Cox, “that number did not daunt them.

They simply turned the conversation to how it could be achieved.”

On that task force was Jackie Whitfield, an All Saints’ parishioner who spent 35 years in public education in Cabarrus, Nash and Robeson counties as a teacher, an elementary and high school principal, and Director for Elementary Education. She worked on the challenge of Making Disciples, Making a Difference

how to fund a preschool that served children from highpoverty families and eventually hit on a unique solution.

“What would you think,” she asked Cox, “of a public school on our property?”

MAKING IT HAPPEN “I wasn’t sure it was even possible,” said Cox, “but we were willing to think outside the box.” Whitfield and Benfield got to work, estimating it would take about three years to navigate the red tape and obstacles that stood between the idea and the opening of the school. They began by inviting the Cabarrus County Schools System Director for Elementary Education to visit the space.

“She told us later she came only as a courtesy to Ann,” said Cox, “but after seeing the space and talking to us, she was really excited.” That was February 2014. By March, a proposal was presented to the Cabarrus County Schools System Board of Education as well as to the All Saints’ vestry. Against all odds, approval was gained from both almost simultaneously.

There was still a long way to go. The facilities at All Saints’ were in good shape from years of care, but requirements for a public school are more stringent than those for a private preschool. To start, the security and sprinkler systems both had to be upgraded at a cost of $200,000. All Saints’ committed all of its reserve resources to the project, and local foundations provided grants to assist.

“What was amazing was that as we went through the process throughout 2014, we kept finding open doors,” said Cox. “It happened over and over again.”

“It was incredible,” said Whitfield. “This church was incredible. Hundreds of hours of volunteering went into getting the work done. It was wonderful energy, and it was like the Holy Spirit took its wind and blew the church doors open and pushed us out into the community.”

As the work continued, the red tape was negotiated, plans were developed, and only ten months after the project began, the doors of the Lockhart Early Learning Center opened in November 2014.

IT MATTERS Each year, the Lockhart Early Learning Center admits 36 four-year-old children to its one-year program, and each enrollment is a life-changing opportunity. Cabarrus County has a preschool waiting list of approximately 400 children at any given time, and each child at Lockhart was on that waiting list.

The preschool intentionally focuses on children living in households where the family income is identified as falling below the state’s median income. The poverty Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus

levels often mean families must struggle to maintain basic necessities such as food and shelter, often at the expense of being able to spend time doing what other households take for granted: reading to children and focusing on education basics to prepare them for the school days ahead.

In North Carolina, students who qualify as living in a high-poverty situation are eligible to receive teaching and support services. While that sounds encouraging, what is not available are funds to build facilities where that can happen.

“Every year, there are 400 kids identified as eligible for services not able to receive them for lack of space,” said Cox. “What that means is if a child is identified as needing services and doesn’t receive them before they go to kindergarten, they have a 70 percent chance of never graduating from high school, becoming involved with the criminal justice system, becoming a teen parent, or getting involved with drugs or alcohol. These children will likely get tracked into Learning Disabled classrooms simply because they haven’t learned things you and I take for granted, things like what are your colors, what are the shapes, what are the letters. These children are five years old and already their future is bleak.”

“I’ve never liked the word ‘poverty,’” said Whitfield, “because I have seen more love in some of these economically challenged homes than in others that are very privileged. It’s very rare to see a family that doesn’t want to bring hope and light and a better future for their children. It’s such a joy to walk beside these families, help them connect resources, be a voice for them and then watch them grow and move into a better life.”

“The involvement of the parents is wonderful,” added Cox. “They really turn out, because they really do want a better future for their children. These are parents who cared enough to be evaluated and have their children deemed eligible, only to go unserved. So when they are served, they respond.”

The children attend school all day, and Lockhart follows the Cabarrus County school calendar. Teachers are fully certified and are employed by the Cabarrus County Schools System. Upon completion of their year at Lockhart, children continue on to kindergarten within their own district.

To address the ongoing need for funding, the All Saints’ Early Childhood Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization independent of the church, was created to manage the funds, donations and grants needed to run the school.

But it does so much more. In addition to providing resources for the school, it also serves parents to help them work with and support education efforts outside of school, as well as food security issues.

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“Because our school is a one-year situation,” said Cox, “we don’t have the opportunity for long-term relationship development like you would with a traditional PTA, so the foundation helps provide that continuity, and it also gives the church the opportunity to provide support.”

The foundation also works to build awareness in the community. “These are silent children,” said Whitfield.

“They don’t have a voice in our community and are often forgotten about, so we do a lot of education.”

MISSION ENDOWMENT All Saints’ was awarded a Mission Endowment Grant for the Foundation in early 2016. It has been put to work providing resources for both the Foundation and the preschool it helps support.

“It enables us to have things like literacy nights where parents and tutors and children all come together,” said Whitfield. “This kind of education continues on to the home with things like ‘lap reading’ – these folks have never been exposed to it, and it’s so important to the development of the child.”

The grant has also enabled the school to offer art instruction and exploratory graphic design, as well as implement an Orff approach music program for the children, a developmental method that encourages creativity, rhythm and movement natural to children, all of which assist in brain development and help lay the foundation for phonics and early reading skills. Brian Sapp-Moore, director of music and communications for All Saints’, is Orff-trained and leads the sessions with the children; the grant ensures he has the training and support he needs.

The children are not the only beneficiaries of the grant; it also helps support teachers and provide supplies on site so they don’t have to travel to use simple tools like a laminator. “It may not sound like much,” said Whitfield, “but it allows them to be able to stay and spend more time here instead of having to travel around the school district for things other teachers may take for granted. So it creates a healthier and happier environment for teachers, too.”

WE CAN ALL LEARN While the leadership behind the Lockhart Early Learning Center understands most churches will never open a public school on their property, they believe their experience offers lessons for everyone.

“There’s a value in seeking collaborative partnerships,” said Cox. “When you find them, one-plus-one is more than two. Find ways to connect and ask ‘what do I have, what do I need’ and ‘what do you have and what do you need’. Look outward – not only will you see, but you’ll be seen. If you’re not looking outward, people can’t see you and learn what a potential partner you might be.”

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(This page) An onsite laminator saves teachers time and travel. Children play horseshoes to develop motor skills. (Previous spread) A community garden and art program provide enrichment to sudents at Lockhart, helping them with brain development. Photos courtesy of All Saints, Concord

All Saints’ is proof of that. What began as a conversation about a preschool became a collaboration that includes All Saints’, the Cabarrus Partnership for Children, All Our Children (a national Episcopal network), the Cabarrus Literacy Council and the Cabarrus County Public Schools System.

“Educate yourself on what’s going on in your community,” said Cox. “Learn what’s needed. What’s needed may not be at your site, but you may have volunteers who can work at another site.”

“Circle it all in prayer,” she added. “We thought it was going to take three years to open this school, and it took 10 months. I believe the power of prayer was a big part of that. It was not easy, and it was not without a lot of challenges, but we were included in a lot of prayer chains, and we credit a lot of what we were able to do to that.”

Last but not least, tell your story when you start to do things. “I love hearing the stories of all the ministry and outreach happening because of these grants,” said Whitfield. “They may be very different, but you can always glean an idea that you may be able to tweak and put to work in your own ministry.”

Christine McTaggart is the communications director for the Diocese of North Carolina. Contact her at christine.mctaggart@episdionc.org.

Making Disciples, Making a Difference

200 Years in the Making 2017 is the Diocese of North Carolina’s Bicentennial On April 24, 1817, a group of three clergymen and six laymen, representing four churches, met at Christ Church, New Bern, to organize a new diocese comprising the entire state. This small group held a service, adopted a constitution, elected delegates to General Convention, and invited the Bishop of Virginia to provide temporary Episcopal oversight.

Two hundred years later, The Episcopal Church remains alive and well in North Carolina, and the three dioceses of North Carolina are dedicating 2017 to celebrating our bicentennial. A multitude of events are planned.

BICENNTENNIAL WEEKEND (NEW BERN) April 21-23, 2017 It’s only appropriate that the jewel in the bicentennial crown return to where it all began. Festivities are planned throughout the weekend of April 21-23, including a history program, a guided walking tour, a special tour of Tryon Palace, a luncheon, a reception and a Festival Eucharist at Christ Church, at which the Most Rev. Michael Curry will return to North Carolina to preach.

Ticket information will be available soon, and you’ll find it all on bicentennial.dionc.org.

TRAVELING EXHIBIT The Rev. Dr. Brooks Graebner, diocesan historiographer, and Lynn Hoke, diocesan archivist, have brought to life

200 years of history in a traveling exhibit that is making its way across the state in 2017. (See sidebar for details.)

200 STORIES This celebration is one that can’t happen without you.

The vision of “200 Stories” is to collect 200 vignettes, in writing and video, to spotlight the people, places and events that illustrate the range of North Carolina Episcopal history.

We want the stories to feature lay and clergy leaders as well as parishioners. We want the interesting and inspirational. We want the miraculous, the truly special and the quiet (sometimes life-changing) everyday moment.

We want the laughter and the tears, the memories and the hopes for the future – it will take all of it to reflect the deep and varied history of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina.

We want to incorporate as many voices and perspectives as possible and truly share with the world the rich history of our diocesan life together.

Visit bicentennial.dionc.org for more details on how to share your story, including video tips and hints and submission guidelines.

We hope you will be a part of every moment of the bicentennial celebration, because what makes the Diocese of North Carolina special has always been – and continues to be – the people who comprise it.

Traveling Exhibit Schedule *Note: Dates will be added, and the schedule is subject to change. For an up-to-date schedule, visit bicentennial.dionc.org.

The traveling exhibit celebrating 200 years of diocesan history will travel throughout the three dioceses of North Carolina throughout 2017. To request an exhibit stop at your site or event, contact Lynn Hoke, diocesan archivist, at history@episdionc.org.

Feb. 2-4 Feb. 10-14 Feb. 18 Mar. 4 Apr. 17-23 Apr. 27-May 7 May 8-15 Jun. 3 Oct. 14-15 Nov. 2-4 Nov. 9-11 Nov. 16-18

New Bern Convention Center - Annual Convention, Diocese of East Carolina Penick Village, Southern Pines Camp Walter Johnson - Bishops’ Ball Canterbury School, Greensboro - Election of XII Bishop of North Carolina Christ Church, New Bern - Bicentennial Week St. John’s, Fayetteville - 200th Anniversary Weekends St. Mary’s School, Raleigh - 175th Anniversary Week St. Philip’s, Durham – History of Civil Rights Era in the Diocese of NC St. Ambrose, Raleigh – 149th Anniversary of St. Ambrose Diocese of North Carolina ECW Annual Meeting Kanuga Conference Center – Annual Convention, Diocese of Western NC Benton Convention Center – Annual Convention, Diocese of NC

Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus

The North Carolina Disciple | Winter 2017

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Think Different

By Christine McTaggart

Lenten Foundations Many consider Lent to be a time of sacrifice, as sweets and caffeine are given up for the duration of the season or old habits are kicked for good.

But for three churches in the Diocese of North Carolina, Lent has become a time for doing things a bit differently, for incorporating new or different practices with lasting impacts on the congregations and individuals who take part.

40 DAYS, 100 FAMILIES “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are member of my family, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:40) When an outreach project fell through in early 2016, the Rev. Dr. Robert Sawyer, rector at Good Shepherd, Raleigh, found an idea in this familiar passage. Five thousand dollars had been allotted for the initial project, and he wanted to see it used in the spirit in which it had been originally intended.

So on a Sunday shortly before Lent began, the first 100 people to leave following services were handed a $50 bill as they walked out of church and a card that read, “40 days, 100 families, $5,000. Let us know to whom and why you gave your money as you experienced Jesus at work in the world around you.”

Some were excited about the prospects the project offered and knew exactly where their money would go, while others were less excited as they did not have a particular cause in mind. But before the 40 days were out, almost all would find that something as simple as sharing the gift would be a profound experience.

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As cards were returned to the Good Shepherd offices bearing the stories of giving, the variety of recipients reflected the many ways Christ was seen to work in the world. Some chose to support established organizations like the American Heart Association, or ministries such as Love Wins,

Backpack Buddies and the Diaper Train. Others shared the gift with individual families with specific needs, including one family that was endeavoring to fulfill the wish of a relative who wanted to be laid to rest in her native El Salvador.

Still others turned to community offerings like the Natural Science Museum. Of the 100 people who participated, all but one matched the $50 they were given.

“People told me it was much harder than they thought it would be,” said Darlene Netzer, parish administrator for Good Shepherd.

“They thought they’d just get rid of their $50 and be done with it, but the more they thought about it and talked to people, it became more of a concerted effort to see Christ at work in their world.”

It is work they want to see happen again, and the congregation is looking forward to repeating the initiative when Lent returns.

The North Carolina Disciple | Winter 2017

A LENTEN HEAD SPACE Todd Truffin is the first to admit he understands why folks might not immediately think of a book study – even one during Lent – as transformational. “What is so different about a book study?” he said. “People do book studies all the time.” But as a participant in the study that took place at Trinity, Fuquay-Varina, in 2016, he knows the answer.

“What happened in that book study was really an integral part of a year-long initiative happening at Trinity,” he said.

It began in early 2016 when Truffin and a few other members of the congregation attended “Seeing the Face of God,” the diocesan anti-racism training course offered by the Bishop’s Committee for Racial Justice and Reconciliation.

That experience led directly into the choice to read and discuss during Lent The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James Cone.

Making Disciples, Making a Difference

“It’s a challenging and frank metaphorical linking of those two images – the cross and the lynching tree,” said Truffin. “Cone makes a very compelling case for the similarities of those two images. Obviously when you start talking about lynching from a group of mainly white folks, we’re being called to account. A big part of the Lenten idea was that part of racial reconciliation is a certain amount of self-reflection.”

The group used the Lenten time frame to accept the challenge of self-examination as it related to something that can be uncomfortable and unpleasant. The book helped provide the framework of that examination. Said Truffin, “Part of reconciliation is understanding the perspective of another party, and [Cone] is an African-American theologian very interested in the ways being African American affects his understanding of God and Christ and taking great comfort from that connection between the cross and the lynching tree.”

The Lenten book study proved to be a powerful, challenging time. What set it apart, however, was that it didn’t end there.

“With a lot of book studies, you do the book study, say ‘yes, I’ve had a nice insight and it’s been great meeting with y’all’ and you go on with your day,” said Truffin. “But this book study infused us with this idea that we need to do something [more].” That something became a series of conversations and meetings with an African-American congregation across town throughout the year, culminating in invitations to share worship with each other. Both the Rev. Roxanne Gwyn, vicar at Trinity, and the partner church’s pastor participate in a “preaching exchange” of sorts, where each preaches at the other’s church on a given Sunday. And it won’t stop there.

“We’re really looking at this as a developing relationship,” said Truffin.

He credits the Lenten season as the foundation of what has blossomed into what Lent is ultimately supposed to be about: self-examination, renewal and changing yourself in some way. In the case of those who took part in Trinity’s book study, it also became about reaching out and dealing with a cultural sin.

“Could we have done this at any other time of year?,” said Truffin. “Sure. But I do think there was something special about Lent that gave us a head space created by the church calendar for doing exactly this kind of work.

It allowed us to be very intentional about it. It wasn’t the bland, vague ‘oh yes, I must think about my sins’ – this was a very intentional let’s talk about this. Lent helped focus it.”

Trinity plans to do another Lenten book study in 2017, though the title is yet to be decided. Whatever it is, the goal will be the same as what was achieved in 2016: to create the spiritual head space that will carry through the rest of the year. “That should be the key to any Lenten Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus

exercise,” said Truffin. “You’ve done the self-examination, so now what? What are you going to do with it?”

FROM DUST TO GLORY There are few among us who haven’t been affected – even momentarily – at one time or another by a well-turned phrase or saying. They can often lead our own thoughts into deeper recesses or down unexplored paths.

While we might expect to find these sources of inspiration in pulpits or on altars, the parishioners of St. Margaret’s, Waxhaw, find them in each other.

From Dust to Glory is an annual Lenten booklet produced by St. Margaret’s but written by the people who attend there. It’s the brainchild of the Rev. Susie Bruno, deacon and assistant to the rector for outreach and missions, who has been producing Lenten booklets in this manner at the different places she’s served over the last 25 years.

The booklet is designed to be a daily reflection for the 40 days of Lent. Each reflection is based on a verse from a Bible passage, chosen from the Lectionary readings.

Parishioners at St. Margaret’s sign up to do a 250-word meditation on one of the passages, which are then collated and produced in a booklet and distributed before the start of Lent for use throughout the season.

“It’s proven to be a very meaningful connection amongst us as a parish family,” said Bruno. “On a given day we are reading a reflection of one of our fellow parishioners, and hopefully it spurs us to think about how we might have written about or considered it. To think however many hundreds of people are reading the same thing written by someone you sit next to in the pews has proven to be really meaningful.”

Participants are not limited to any particular group of people. Those who use the booklet will find reflections from vestry members and kindergartners alike.

“It’s taken on a life of its own,” said Bruno. “I used to have to call and ask folks to do it, and now there’s a waiting list. That really speaks to the impact it’s had. We try to encourage first-time writers, and it’s always neat to see folks unsure of whether they can do it try it and really enjoy it.”

The booklet is finding its way beyond St. Margaret’s doors, as parishioners now share the annual offering with other families and friends.

“A lot of people have enjoyed the experience, not just to be part of the project, but because it deepened their own Lenten journey and confidence to read Scripture and share their perspective. Because of the booklet, we see people delving deeper into Scripture, and it’s been a unifying tool that draws us into commonality.”

Christine McTaggart is the communications director for the Diocese of North Carolina. Contact her at christine.mctaggart@episdionc.org.

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Costa Rica

Botswana By the Rev. Greg McIntyre and the Rev. Dr. Leon Spencer

Companion Connections One of the great things about being an Episcopalian is we are always connected to something bigger. We are connected to our brothers and sisters in Christ at the parish level, then at the clericus or deanery level, then the diocesan level, then the province, The Episcopal Church, the Anglican Communion, then the entire universal Church and the Church throughout history. We stand on Sundays and say, “We believe in one holy catholic (universal) and apostolic Church.” We believe in being connected. We believe in partnering in ministry.

These connections are central to the heart of our Anglican identity. They go back to the missionary movement, which certainly carried with it a lot of baggage, but as colonies became independent, Anglicans worldwide began to consider a more genuine sharing in partnership in mission. We talked about “mutual responsibility and interdependence in the Body of Christ.” In the 1960s that vision found special expression in the creation of companion diocesan relationships. In a sense we knew then, and know now, that we are less than complete until we are connected to a larger community. There seems to be some innate human quality where we know deep down that we will become better people when we make connections beyond our communities of origin.

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The North Carolina Disciple | Winter 2017

To this end, churches all over the Anglican Communion formalized official partnerships based on mutual ministry, forming friendships and revealing the desire to learn and grow as followers of Christ.

“YOURS, MINE” IS “OURS” The Diocese of North Carolina entered into companion links at the very beginning of this Anglican Communion endeavor. We established a link with the Missionary Diocese of the Panama Canal Zone in 1961, explored ties with El Salvador in the 1970s and entered into a relationship with Belize from 1984 to 1993. We now have two formal relationships. We have been partnering with the Anglican Diocese of Botswana since 2008 and with the Diocese of Costa Rica since 1997. During this time we have exchanged cultural ideas of what it means to be the Body of Christ. Our Christian testimony has been expressed and strengthened through service and a shared sense of mission. And through these relationships, we have worked toward the expansion of the Church, thereby reaching forth our hands in love to bring others to the knowledge and love of Christ.

The Rt. Rev. Hector Monterosso, bishop of the Diocese of Costa Rica, is fond of saying that one of the goals in Making Disciples, Making a Difference

(Right to left) Karen Spencer, an art therapist from St. Andrew’s, Greensboro, works with patients at Holy Cross Hospice in Gaborone, Botswana. Davidson College students work at La Ascension in Costa Rica during the spring of 2015. Photos courtesy of the Botswana Companion Links Committee and the Rev. Greg McIntyre.

this companionship is to get beyond the thinking that this is “your Church, your Diocese” or “our Church, our Diocese,” and move towards a vision where the Church in Costa Rica is seen as our Church to North Carolinians, and Costa Ricans see the Church in the United States as being their Church because we are all one Church, one Body of Christ. Whether we are growing the Church in Costa Rica or Botswana or in the United States, we are growing our Church and, ultimately, God’s Church.

Church growth takes on many forms. Growing the Church with our global partners can be quantitative in terms of number of new ministries, number of people served, number of new worshipers, financial growth or the physical expansion of facilities. In Costa Rica, mission trips are the dominant medium of exchange.

Lay leadership workshops, youth exchange programs and micro-enterprise initiatives are other expressions of this relationship. In Botswana, given the distance and the travel costs, mission trips have been uncommon. Instead we have provided long-term lecturers for their theological school and workers for their hospice programs and for ministries with orphans and vulnerable children. On the surface these exchanges are structured to produce growth and propagate God’s love in ways that can be seen, counted and measured.

Growing the Church and sharing the Good News, however, has a qualitative dimension that is every bit as important, if not more so. Church growth is also about making the Church stronger in spirit, in substance, in relationship, in education, practice and character. The Church can grow all it wants in physical and quantifiable terms, but unless there is a deepening of the Spirit, it will go nowhere.

The question has often been asked, “Why not just send money to an overseas companion diocese? Our money could go a lot farther toward building churches and programs if it went directly to local people and projects.” This way of thinking addresses only the quantifiable elements of Church growth and does not account for growing the heart and soul of the Church.

Bishop Monterosso tells visiting groups that growing the church in depth through relationships and partnering, in addition to size and number, is ultimately more expensive and takes longer, but it is absolutely essential. The Rt. Rev. Metlhayotlhe Beleme, bishop of the Diocese of Botswana, has made similar points, telling North Carolinians that relationships matter more than money for projects.

Besides, he adds, there are many things that Batswana need Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus

to do for themselves. With these perspectives, in the long run growth through companionship will be much more sustainable, higher yielding and enduring.

MAKING THE CONNECTION So how are we to “connect”? A simple start (and many parishes already do this) is to enter into prayer for our companions. When each Sunday we offer Prayers of the People, why not pray not only for “our Bishops ++Michael and +Anne” but also for “+Hector and +Metlha” – a constant reminder of bonds that connect us to our Anglican Communion. In your personal devotions, pray for the clergy of Botswana and Costa Rica by name – their names appear in our annual Gospel-Based Discipleship booklet. And if you have been on a mission trip to Costa Rica or Botswana, remember by name in prayer those whom you met.

Organize a program about the Church in Costa Rica or Botswana. True, we have had our link with Costa Rica for a number of years now, but there is still much to know and new people in our congregation to educate. Many parishioners have been to Costa Rica, and they can offer their personal testimony. So, too, can those from our recent Botswana pilgrimage. Invite them.

Find ways to share in ministry together. We are completing a technology project with the Diocese of Botswana, in which we have enhanced their capacity to communicate with us “face-to-face” using Skype.

Those interested in their hospice work, for example, can talk with leaders of Holy Cross Hospice in Gaborone; those in Education for Ministry here can talk with their seminarians. Costa Rica offers similar possibilities.

And it remains possible to go to our companion dioceses or host those from Costa Rica and Botswana here. We are already planning for another Botswana pilgrimage in 2018 and for someone from Botswana to lead Lenten studies here. Trips to Costa Rica are regular and ongoing.

What comes from these connections? The Rev. Stephanie Yancy, a pilgrim to Botswana in September, wrote of “joyful worship, faithful people and warm hospitality.” That may seem simple, something we can discover wherever we are. But found in another culture, another part of the world, these experiences invite us into a discovery of the oneness of the Body of Christ. We may well “give” to our companions, but key to it all is that our own spiritual journeys are enriched immeasurably.

The Rev. Greg McIntyre is the associate rector at St. Alban’s, Davidson, the campus chaplain at Davidson College and chair of the Costa Rica Global Mission subcommittee. Contact him at greg@saintalbansdavidson.org. The Rev. Dr. Leon Spencer is chair of the Botswana Global Mission subcommittee. Contact him at lpspencer1984@gmail.com.

The North Carolina Disciple | Winter 2017

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By Christine McTaggart

Answering the call Rebuilding after Hurricane Matthew On October 8, 2016, Hurricane Matthew, a destructive storm that had already hit Haiti and was expected to make landfall in Florida, instead turned and unleashed its wind and rain on the eastern half of North Carolina.

In its wake it left massive flooding, towns damaged and homes destroyed, utilities down and thousands of people displaced with few or no personal resources.

It would be days before the full extent of the damage would be known, but early reports let us know the Episcopal Farmworker Ministry was especially hard hit, with many of the farmworkers served by the ministry left with nothing and desperately needing shelter and supplies. The town of Lumberton sustained severe damage, and Tarboro residents could only hope and wait as they watched their town’s namesake river continue to rise for days after the storm had gone.

As information was shared with the offices of the Diocese of North Carolina, we, in turn, shared it with you.

And you answered the call.

YOU BROUGHT IT The first call put out from the Diocese aimed at relief for the Episcopal Farmworker Ministry, which in those first few days needed primarily food and clothing. Within 24 hours of sharing word of the need, three fully loaded cargo vehicles were headed east to deliver supplies. By the next week, a cargo truck was needed to deliver all that had come in over the first few days.

Eight churches around the diocese volunteered to be collection points, making it easier for folks to drop off donations and helping to get those donations where they were needed.

Churches such as St. Paul’s, Cary, and Good Shepherd, Raleigh, made regular Monday stops to diocesan offices for weeks following the storm to unload truckload after truckload of requested supplies.

Given the speed at which donations came through Diocesan House, we were never able to tally how much food or the volume of clothing, bedding and other supplies we processed. But in addition to those first three vehicles, a cargo truck was rented on three more occasions to shuttle materials to both the Episcopal Farmworker Ministry and areas in the eastern part of the diocese. This was all in addition to the loads of goods coordinated and delivered directly by the churches serving as collection points.

(From top) After the storm subsided, flood waters continued to rise in Tarboro. Photo by the Rev. Janey Wilson Volunteers from St. John’s, Charlotte, drop off a weekly load of supplies in Lumberton. In addition to supplies for people, deliveries also included pet food.

Photos courtesy of St John’s Supplies spilled over from the Diocesan House conference room into Bishop Lee’s office. Bruce Weigert prepares to drive a delivery down to the Episcopal Farmworker Ministry. Photos by Summerlee Walter and Christine McTaggart

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YOU GAVE OF YOURSELF Goods were not the only things donated in Hurricane Matthew’s aftermath. The time so many gave to make sure needs were met held as much or more value than any item ever could.

Reid Joyner, volunteer diocesan coordinator for Episcopal Relief & Development, worked countless hours getting updates, coordinating efforts, reaching out to responding agencies and serving as the response point person for anyone and everyone interested in volunteering time and services. He continues in that role as churches, youth groups and individuals with skills are planning trips to recovering areas to assist with rebuilding.

Volunteers came to Diocesan House to help sort all of the donated goods and clothing that came through so the burden of having to do so would not fall on those on the receiving end. More volunteers worked within churches coordinating efforts, gathering donations, shuttling them to Diocesan House and helping to unload them.

The North Carolina Disciple | Winter 2017

Making Disciples, Making a Difference

Diocesan staff was unfailingly patient as offices were commandeered for storage, muscles recruited for loading and unloading, and days often interrupted with special needs and requests.

Bruce Weigert, husband of Canon Marlene Weigert, diocesan canon to the ordinary for administration and a key member of the response team, stood ready to obtain and drive the delivery truck whenever it was needed. And we don’t even know the number of volunteers who stood ready on the receiving end to help unload and distribute it all. But we know you were there, too.

THANK YOU It is one thing to know the world is populated with good people, but it’s entirely another to see it in action.

Neighbors around the state of North Carolina were in trouble, and the people of the Diocese of North Carolina – you – responded. No matter what items were on the lists, you brought them. No matter what was needed, you did it. No matter what call was put out, you answered it.

You answered immediately, and you continue to answer.

Thank you. Thank you for coming to the assistance of those in need. Thank you for inspiring and lifting up those on the front lines of response. Thank you for your support, your generosity and your prayers.

The Rebuilding Continues Since the storm hit, the Diocese of North Carolina has maintained a Hurricane Matthew Relief webpage with the most current information and lists of needs as we have them. The page will remain active as long as it’s needed, so please visit it to learn how you can continue to help. Look for the Hurricane Matthew Relief link in the Quick Links box at episdionc.org.

Over the last few months, we’ve learned a great deal about how to respond to a crisis, and while we sincerely hope we’ll never again have to use that hard-earned knowledge, we rest easy knowing that whatever comes, we can count on the wonderful, giving people of the Diocese of North Carolina to walk with us as we respond to whatever’s needed.

Christine McTaggart is the communications director for the Diocese of North Carolina. Contact her at christine.mctaggart@episdionc.org.

Spotlight Mercy knows no boundaries. Though its location falls outside of diocesan borders, Lumberton, North Carolina, was among the hardest-hit areas in Hurricane Matthew’s path. Upon learning the plight of the town’s residents, St. John’s, Charlotte, almost immediately pledged assistance, a pledge that included a promise that assistance would continue as long as it was needed.

It started with the Weather Channel. The Rev. Nancee Cekuta, associate rector at St. John’s, watched a story on Lumberton and the impact the storm was having on it. She was moved, and when a parishioner approached her the next day to ask if she’d seen it, they knew they wanted to respond. As their efforts got underway, they discovered many parishioners at St. John’s have ties to the area, which only deepened the resolve to help.

Since the week of the storm, members of St. John’s have driven the four hour and 40-minute roundtrip to deliver at least one carload, often more, of whatever supplies are on the needs list that week. Funds have also been collected, and the church makes sure the money is spent on building supplies and other materials, purchased locally to help rebuild Lumberton’s local economy.

St. John’s parishioners have championed special projects as well. One gentleman who owns an appliance store is working to raise funds to be able to deliver at least 100 mattresses to rebuilt homes in early January, when families will be moving in and working to re-establish and replenish their homes.

“We told them we’re in this for the long haul, and relationships have developed,” said Cekuta. “At this point, it’s pretty much the same group of volunteers showing up regularly, and they’ve made friends with the folks on the other end. It’s not a stranger helping to unload the car when they arrive, it’s Eddie. The relational piece has really developed, which means we’re not just filling barrels or providing goods anymore.”

There is still much work to be done in Lumberton; for those interested in assisting, please contact the Rev. Nancee Cekuta at NCekuta@saintjohns-charlotte.org.

Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus

The North Carolina Disciple | Winter 2017

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The Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina 200 West Morgan Street, Suite 300 Raleigh, NC 27601-1338 919.834.7474 | 800.448.8775

NONPROFIT ORG. US POSTAGE PAID RALEIGH, NC PERMIT NO. 992

. .. n i a g a d a e r e w l ti n U Resolve in the New Year to ensure preparedness plans are in place for you and your church. Resources are available at episdionc.org.

Meet the nominees for the XII Bishop Diocesan at the various online conversations and Whistle Stop Tour events (page 16).

Send questions you’d like to ask the nominees during the online conversations to communications@ episdionc.org.

Watch the special one-day Election Convention on March 4 as we choose the next XII Bishop Diocesan.

The livestream will be available on episdionc.org.