the apostle - amazon s3s3.amazonaws.com/dfc_attachments/public/documents/100351/... ·...

On Sunday afternoon, February 17, an EF 3 tornado touched down in thePrattville area and in less than 10 secondsdestroyed about 150 homes and damagedmore than 800 others. Many residents suffered injuries, but miraculously no onewas killed.The Rev. Scott Arnold and themembers of St. Mark’s, including BarbaraGaston (pictured at right) who representedthe parish as a delegate at our diocesan convention a few days later, are helpingtheir neighbors recover from the devastating storm. For more information aboutthe tornado and the relief efforts please see page 14.

Partners with God in theHealing of the WorldReport of Our 177th Annual Diocesan Convention

In his address to the delegates of our 177thannual diocesan convention, February 21-23,Bishop Parsley reminded us that “we havemuch indeed to celebrate in our diocese, butcelebration is never enough for the disciples of Christ. . . .We are not meant to stay in ourcomfortable pews but to go into the world.We are sent into the midst of the suffering andpain of life to be partners with God in thehealing of the world.” Bishop Parsley em-phasized that in today’s world of enormouschallenges,“none is greater than the worldenvironmental crisis,” which he noted is a“spiritual crisis, an extension of our human fallenness and idolatry, and that the “resound-ing challenge to the Church” is to “recover thespiritual vision of our Christian heritage thatsees the earth as divine gift and all living crea-tures as holy and sacred to God.” He urged usas individuals, parishes, and a diocese to “repentof being a culture of consumption and becomea culture of conservation.” Bishop Parsleyappointed April 27 to be the Stewardship ofCreation Sunday when a special liturgy will be

provided for use in worship services tohelp promote year-round ecologicalawareness and action.

The Rt. Rev. Mark MacDonald,the National Indigenous AnglicanBishop of Canada, deepened ourunderstanding of the intimate spiritualconnection between the physical worldGod has created for us and all livingthings—plants, animals, and man—in hiskeynote address and follow-up workshop. Inaddition the members of our Diocesan TaskForce for the Stewardship of Creation raisedour environmental awareness through thewords and images of their exhibit and work-shop as well as by their ecologically-sensitiveefforts to keep our convention “green.”

During his address Bishop Parsley also rec-ognized the “resounding” success of our ACTS2: Living the Vision Together Campaign, thededication of Trinity Commons:The EpiscopalStudent Center in Birmingham, our continu-ing efforts to help our sisters and brothers inHaiti as part of our companion diocesan rela-

tionship, the work of the Rev. Dr. HernanAfanador and our growing Hispanic ministries,and the yearlong celebration of the Sesqui-centennial of the University of the South,Sewanee. For more about our diocesan conven-tion, including the complete text of BishopParsley’s Address, the sermon Bishop SuffraganSloan preached at the opening FestivalEucharist, the resolutions passed by the dele-gates, and the people elected to serve our diocese,please turn to page 3.Also please visit ourdiocesan Web site, www.dioala.org, to listen toBishop MacDonald’s keynote address, BishopSuffragan Sloan’s convention remarks, and otherconvention highlights.

March/April 2008 The Episcopal Diocese of Alabama Vol. 93, No. 3

ApostleTHE

Featuring Keynoter The Rev. Michael “Corky” Carlisle

Offering a wide variety of workshops designed tochallenge and educate lay leaders and clergy

For more information please see page 18.

THE TENTH ANNUALPARISH LEADERSHIP

TRAINING EVENT (PLTE)April 5

St. Luke’s in Birmingham“The Blessings of Stewardship”

St. Mark’s CoordinatesTornado Relief Efforts

Barbara Gaston and other parishioners arehelping with the massive cleanup

Bishop Sloan, Bishop Parsley, and Bishop MacDonald; photo by theRev. Polk Van Zandt

2 • EASTER MESSAGE/AROUND OUR DIOCESE

THE APOSTLE • MARCH/APRIL 2008

Your Easter celebrationundoubtedly has includedlots of physical signs of newlife—eggs, flowers, newgreen growth.As the Easterseason continues, considerhow your daily living canbe an act of greater life forother creatures. How canyou enact the new life weknow in Jesus the Christ?

In other words, how can you be the sacrament, theoutward and visible sign of the grace that you knowin the resurrected Christ? How can your living letothers live more abundantly?

The Judaeo-Christian tradition has been famouslyblamed for much of the current environmental crisis,particularly for our misreading of Genesis 1:28 as acharge to “fill the earth and subdue it.” Our forebearswere so eager to distinguish their faith from the sur-rounding Canaanite religion and its concern for fer-tility that some of them worked overtime to separateus from an awareness of “the hand of God in theworld about us,” especially in a reverence for creation.How can we love God if we do not love what Godhas made?

We base much of our approach to loving God and our neighbors in this world on our baptismalcovenant.Yet our latest prayer book was written just a

bit too early to include caring for creation amongthose explicit baptismal promises. I would invite youto explore those promises a bit more deeply—whereand how do they imply caring for the rest of cre-ation?

We are beginning to be aware of the ways inwhich our lack of concern for the rest of creationresults in death and destruction for our neighbors.Wecannot love our neighbors unless we care for the cre-ation that supports all our earthly lives.We are notrespecting the dignity of our fellow creatures if oursewage or garbage fouls their living space.Whenatmospheric warming, due in part to the methaneoutput of the millions of cows we raise each year toproduce hamburger, begins to slowly drown the islandhomes of our neighbors in the South Pacific, are wetruly sharing good news?

The food we eat, the energy we use, the goodsand foods we buy, and the ways in which we travelare all opportunities—choices and decisions—to befor others, both human and other. Our Christiancommitment is for this—that we might live that moreabundant life and that we might do it in a way that isfor the whole world.

Abundant blessings this Easter, and may thoseblessings abound through the coming days and years.

The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori

Clergy NewsThe Rev. Robert R. Cook, a retired priest

of our diocese, died on March 1, and his funeral was held on March 5 at the Nativity in Huntsville.Bob served our diocese for 56 years, beginning in1952. He was our senior priest in terms of years ofordained service as well as years of service.

The Rev. Stephen McWhorter is serving asinterim rector of St.Thomas’ in Birmingham.

An Easter Message from Our Presiding Bishop

Bishops’ Visitation ScheduleSunday, March 3010 a.m. Bishop Parsley, St. Mary’s-on-the-

Highlands, Birmingham11 a.m. Bishop Sloan,Trinity, Demopolis

Sunday, April 69 a.m. Bishop Parsley, St. Stephen’s,

Huntsville10 a.m. Bishop Sloan, Christ Church,

Fairfield

Sunday, April 1310 a.m. Bishop Parsley, Holy Comforter,

Montgomery10:30 a.m. Bishop Sloan, Holy Apostles’,

BirminghamBishop Miller, Epiphany,Tallassee

Sunday, April 208:45 and 11 a.m. Bishop Sloan,All Saints’,

Birmingham10:30 a.m. Bishop Parsley, St. Peter’s,Talladega

Sunday, April 279 and 11 a.m. Bishop Sloan,Advent, Birmingham10:30 a.m. Bishop Parsley, St. John’s,

Montgomery

Wednesday, April 306 p.m. Bishop Sloan, Holy Cross,

Trussville

Sunday, May 48:45 a.m. Bishop Parsley, St. Luke’s,

Birmingham9 and 11 a.m. Bishop Sloan, Christ Church,

Tuscaloosa

Wednesday, May 76 p.m. Bishop Parsley, St. Joseph’s on-

the-Mountain, Mentone

Sunday, May 118 and 11 a.m. Bishop Sloan, St. John’s, Decatur

Church in Chelsea Is NamedBy the Rev. John Mark Ford, Priest in Charge

Our church finally got a name! We did a short slidepresentation at diocesan convention about all ourwork getting our old building in shape, and near theend of the presentation we stopped on a slide thathad a big question mark inside a silhouette—thenBishop Parsley announced our official name: St.Catherine’s,The Episcopal Church in Chelsea (or St. Catherine’s in Chelsea as we’re calling ourselves).

After his announcement theslide show continued with theimage of an icon of St.Catherine of Siena.The pre-sentation and the celebrationthat followed were terrificfun—even if the name was oneof the worst-kept secrets in recent memory!

St. Catherine of Siena


OUR 177TH ANNUAL DIOCESAN CONVENTION • 3

Bishop Parsley’s AddressI greet you in the grace and peace of Christ as we

gather in this 177th Annual Diocesan Convention.Weare very grateful for the hospitality of the clergy andgood people of St. Stephen’s Church, our hosts forthis convention.We salute them for their vibrant andvital ministry in this city. St. Stephen’s is sometimescalled “God’s tree house” because of its setting on awooded hill in Cahaba Heights and its richly organicarchitecture, fitting well with our convention theme:“Tending the Garden: Our Stewardship of Creation.”

As a visual image for our convention I offer youthe stunning picture of the earth seen from space forthe first time in December l968. It shows the earth inits beautiful and living wholeness, like a brilliant bluegreen gem in the darkness of space.This magical andfragile planet we call home we believe is God’s cre-ation, not just a random development of astrophysicalprocesses. It is God’s original blessing. In the Genesisnarrative when God saw it on the sixth day he said,“Behold, it is very good.”This image shows us not aworld divided into competing nations and dividedraces and peoples. It shows one living organism withbeautiful diversity.We are fallen to be sure and needGod’s redeeming grace through the cross for ourmending. But this is one world, made by one God,for one humanity to share with all living creatures.

I ask you to keep this image before your eyesthroughout this convention. In words that reflect theincarnational spirituality of our Celtic Christian for-bearers,“Deep peace of the quiet earth to you, deeppeace of the shining stars, deep peace of the flowingair, deep peace of the running wave, deep peace of theSon of Peace to you.”

As a visual image for our conven-tion I offer you the stunning pictureof the earth seen from space for thefirst time in December l968. Itshows the earth in its beautiful andliving wholeness, like a brilliant bluegreen gem in the darkness of space.. . . It shows one living organismwith beautiful diversity.We are fallen to be sure and need God’sredeeming grace through the cross forour mending. But this is one world,made by one God, for one humanityto share with all living creatures.

As we gather in this council of the Churchthere is much to celebrate and much to chal-lenge us in our life together.

First we celebrate our fine new BishopSuffragan, Kee Sloan. We are grateful for Kee andhis call to the ministry of the episcopate and for Tinaand their family. I could not be more delighted tohave such a gifted new Episcopal colleague and lookforward to our ministry together among you as ser-vants of the servants of God. Let us thank our BishopSuffragan Search Committee, ably chaired by theHonorable Bernard Harwood, for much hard andfaithful work during the year past.

I also want to say how grateful I am foryour very warm welcome for our PresidingBishop, Katharine Jefferts Schori, during her

visit for Kee’s consecration. She had an excellentexperience of the life and vitality of our diocese andsaid afterward,“I was signally impressed with the vital-ity I encountered. . . .You are an icon of a healthymission-focused diocese for which the whole Churchgives thanks.”These are encouraging words, and it wasvery good to have her with us.

With Bishop Sloan we enthusiastically welcome to our diocesan staff Leslie BridgersManning, our new Youth Ministry Assistant,and the Rev. Pat Wingo, our new Deputy for

POSTMASTER: Please send address corrections to Denise Servant, Circulation Secretary, The Apostle, 521 North 20th Street, Birmingham, AL 35203.

T H E E P I S C O P A L C H U R C HIn the Diocese of AlabamaAbout 34,000 baptized members in 91 parishes and worshipingcommunities and 8 college campusministries. Established in 1830.

Bishop The Rt. Rev. Henry Nutt Parsley Jr.

Bishop SuffraganThe Rt. Rev. John McKee Sloan

Carpenter House521 North 20th StreetBirmingham,AL 35203205/715-2060

In the United StatesA community of about 2.4 million members in 119 diocesesin the Americas and abroad.Established in 1789.

Presiding BishopThe Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori

Episcopal Church Center815 Second AvenueNew York, NY 10017212/867-8400

The Anglican CommunionAn 80-million-member worldwide community of 38 provinces.

Archbishop of CanterburyThe Most Rev.Rowan D.Williams

Lambeth Palace, LondonEngland SE17JU

The ApostleNorma E. McKittrick, EditorMiles G. Parsons, Art DirectorDenise Servant,Circulation SecretaryVolume 93, Number 3March 2008USPS 070-910ISSN 1041-3316

The Apostle is published 9-10 times per year, with combined issues July/August and September/October, bythe Episcopal Diocese of Alabama. Previous names for this publication have been The Diocese of Alabama(1892), The Church Record (1893-1922), The Alabama Churchman (1923-1987), The Apostle (1988-1997), and The Alabama Apostle (1998). Periodicals rate postage paid at Birmingham,Alabama.

All editorial submissions should be mailed to Norma McKittrick, Editor, The Apostle, 2156 Kent Way,Birmingham,AL 35226; or E-mailed to [email protected] include a self-addressed stamped envelopefor any materials to be returned.The deadline for each issue is the 1st of the preceding month.

All address corrections or additions should be mailed to Denise Servant,Circulation Secretary,The Apostle,521 North20th Street,Birmingham,AL 35203;or E-mailed to [email protected].

Photograph by Billy Brown

Photo by the Rev. Polk Van Zandt

Ministry Development and Clergy Deploy-ment. We are very blessed to have them join us. Inthe year past we have been grateful for the assis-tance of Bishop Miller in parish visitations andhave given hearty thanks for the ministry ofthe Rev. Bill King as he retired from ourdiocesan staff last fall. Our diocesan team is now aprotean combination of fresh leadership and experi-enced wisdom, and I look forward to our worktogether on your behalf.

Our ACTS 2: Living Our Vision TogetherCampaign has been a resounding success,thanks to the generosity and leadership ofmany across our diocese. To date we havereceived nearly $6.3 million in pledges and the gift ofa lovely yacht, which when sold will bring the totalto nearly $6.5 million.This is a signal expression ofthe vitality, generosity, and commitment to God’s mis-sion of the Episcopalians in this diocese, and we mustall say a resounding “Thanks be to God” for this greatventure forward in faith.To Felix Drennen and ourexcellent campaign cabinet we owe a great and lastingdebt of thanks.Well done good and faithful servants.

It is a very good thing that ACTS 2 exceeded ourgoal because the new chapel at Camp McDowell isproving to be more costly than our estimates severalyears ago.We have been able to allocate additionalfunds to the chapel, but we still need a bit more tocomplete the building properly. So if you have notmade an ACTS 2 pledge, I urge you to do so at thisconvention.And even if you have done, consider“being a brick” by buying a brick.A careful plan hasbeen developed by the council for the other five pro-jects of ACTS 2, according to the estimated cash flowof pledge payments, and we all look forward to theirbearing fruit among us.

We also celebrate the dedication yesterdayof Trinity Commons:The Episcopal StudentCenter in Birmingham. This is our third residen-tial campus center in the diocese, and it is a beautifuland hospitable facility.The Rev. Bill Blackerby hasdone magnificent and patient work over the pastseven years in making the Commons a reality, and wesalute him and our generous donors with deep grati-tude.Trinity Commons speaks of our commitment tocollege and young adult ministry, which is one of thekey areas of mission today.

Our companion diocese relationship withHaiti is developing effectively, with two missiontrips in recent months and substantial workbeing done with our Haitian friends in educa-tion, child nutrition, the provision of potablewater, and medical care. I urge your parishes andpeople to get involved with Haiti, and I promise thatit will be a transforming experience of mission andChristian relationship.There is a Creole proverb thatsays, “Men anpil chay pa lou” (Many hands make theload lighter), and I hope we will take it to heart.

I urge your parishes and people to get involved with Haiti, and Ipromise that it will be a transform-ing experience of mission andChristian relationship.There is aCreole proverb that says, “Menanpil chay pa lou” (Many handsmake the load lighter), and I hopewe will take it to heart.

Our Hispanic ministry continues to be a sig-nificant and stretching mission among us under theable leadership of the Rev. Dr. Hernan Afanador andothers across the diocese. Our Race Relations TaskForce is doing great work in antiracism ministry andin showing us how better to embrace the beautifuldiversity of God’s world. Our urban ministriessuch as that of the people of Christ Church inFairfield; the preschool partners ministries of St.Luke’s in Birmingham, Grace in Anniston, and St.John’s in Montgomery; and the free medical clinicssponsored by St. Michael and All Angels’ in Anniston,Grace in Cullman, and St. John’s in Decatur; andmany other outreach and Jubilee ministries in ourparishes show the way to being a servant Church.Gates Shaw’s workshop today asks “Can the EpiscopalChurch ‘preach to the poor’?” I trust that the answeris and will be a strong “yes.”

Finally, we celebrate this year theSesquicentennial of the University of theSouth, Sewanee. Alabama is a founding diocese ofSewanee, and I am privileged to serve as Chancellorduring this 150th celebration, a significant milestonein the history of what is the finest shared ministry ofthe Episcopal Church in the South.The universitynow includes students from 40 states and 20 foreigncountries, and it has almost completed a drive to raise$180 million for endowment, faculty enhancement,and needed buildings, to which the Sewanee commu-nity in this diocese has been most generous. Dr.Samuel Williamson, the 14th Vice Chancellor of

4 • OUR 177TH ANNUAL DIOCESAN CONVENTION


Bishop Sloan with Birmingham-Southern junior Marc Parker at thededication of Trinity Commons

The Rev. Deacon Dave Drachlis, the Rev. Bill King, and Judy Quick;photo by the Rev. Polk Van Zandt


Sewanee student Will Heflin and former Sewanee Vice Chancellor Dr. Samuel Williamson; photos by the Rev. Polk Van Zandt

Sewanee, will be with us tomorrow to tell us more.For now we can say,“Yea, Sewanee’s Right.”

As we celebrate these many gifts and achieve-ments in our ministry the 133rd Psalm comes tomind, often called in these parts the “SewaneePsalm”:

Behold, how good and pleasant it is,When brethren live together in unity!It is like fine oil upon the headThat runs down upon the beard,Upon the beard of Aaron,And runs down the collar of his robe.It is like the dew of HermonThat falls upon the hills of ZionFor there God has ordained the blessing:Life forevermore.

We have known that unity and blessing in our lifetogether in the past year and more, and it is good andpleasant indeed.

It is my fondest hope that in these fractious timesin the larger Church and Anglican Communion sucha spirit of unity and shared purpose will prevail at theLambeth Conference this summer in Canterbury.It is high time that we repent of the divisions that arehampering us and get on with the mission of God,which will be a theme of the conference. BishopSloan and I will attend Lambeth for threeweeks with more than 600 Anglican bishopsthroughout the world, and we ask for yourconstant prayers in the coming months for thisvery important decennial event.

We have much indeed to celebrate in our diocese,but celebration is never enough for the disciples ofJesus Christ.As Lent reminds us we are called to takeup the cross with Jesus.We are not meant to stay inour comfortable pews but to go into the world.Weare sent into the midst of the suffering and pain oflife to be partners with God in the healing of theworld.As Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in The Cost ofDiscipleship, the grace of Jesus Christ is costly grace,“costly because it costs a person his life, and gracebecause it gives the only true life.”

We have much indeed to celebratein our diocese, but celebration isnever enough for the disciples ofJesus Christ.As Lent reminds uswe are called to take up the crosswith Jesus. . . .We are sent intothe midst of the suffering and painof life to be partners with God inthe healing of the world.

In 2008 we find ourselves in a world ofenormous challenges. The Millennium Develop-ment Goals that we are embracing in our outreachmission as Episcopalians highlight the major needs ofthe world.All are urgent and daunting, but none isgreater than the world environmental crisis ourgeneration is facing. Climate change and globalwarming, the loss of natural habitat and increasingextinction of species, air and water pollution, andenvironmental degradation are facing the people andliving creatures of earth with an urgency not seenbefore in known human history.

I recognize that there is a degree of “media hype”about environmental issues and a range of opinionsabout the complex causes. But the overwhelmingscientific evidence points to a very serious situ-ation created in great part by our unbridledhuman consumption and exploitation ofnature, our wanton waste and pollution, andlack of reverence for the earth and other livingcreatures. Such a watershed moment calls uponpeople of faith to pay attention, to look deeply intothe Scriptures and ask what God would have us do,and to act.

The World Wildlife Fund has issued a studyrecently identifying 200 places in the world mostcritically in need of environmental preservation andconservation efforts. Of these they selected the 19most significant, one of which amazingly is theTennessee River-Mobile Bay basin, most of our state and diocese. As our trail-blazing diocesanEnvironmental Task Force has been telling us,the world ecological crisis is in our own frontyard.This gives us in Alabama a unique andcompelling opportunity to respond and offerChristian leadership.

Jurgen Moltmann, one of the seminal the-ologians of our day, has written, “I see thegreatest task of the church of Christ today asbeing the ecological reformation of the reli-gion of modernity. The proposition of an ecologi-cal shift in modern industrial society is a spiritual andcultural shift that has roots in a new religious experi-ence of the reality of God and of nature . . . a new

respect for nature and a new reverence for the life ofother creatures. Does modern society have a future?Its future is repentance.”

That is a resounding challenge to theChurch. Repentance means to change course, toadopt God’s agenda rather than our own.The envi-ronmental crisis is a spiritual crisis, an extension ofour human fallenness and idolatry. The ecologicalreformation of religion suggests that we needto recover the spiritual vision of our Christianheritage that sees the earth as divine gift andall living creatures as holy and sacred to God.We need to repent of being a culture of con-sumption and become a culture of conserva-tion. This is our challenge and our future.

We are well accustomed to our Lord’s Command-ment to love our neighbors as ourselves. In our timewe must learn that the earth and her creatures areneighbors too.They are icons of the beauty and gloryof God, calling out for our love and care.The dappledsplendor of an old forest, birdsong and whale song—as holy as a choir, the dance of dolphins and dragon-flies, the flight of geese and the exultation of larks, the



Barbara Mitchell with the banner she created for our diocesan conven-tion; photo by the Rev. Polk Van Zandt

We have known that unity andblessing in our life together in thepast year and more . . .. It is myfondest hope that in these fractioustimes in the larger Church andAnglican Communion such a spiritof unity and shared purpose willprevail at the Lambeth Conferencethis summer in Canterbury.

The World Wildlife Fund hasissued a study recently identifying200 places in the world most criti-cally in need of environmentalpreservation and conservationefforts. Of these they selected the19 most significant, one of whichamazingly is the Tennessee River-Mobile Bay basin, most of ourstate and diocese.

splendor of the grasses and flowers—these are sacredand what we do to them matters to God. It mattersto our children and our children’s children. It mattersto the poor of the earth, who will suffer the mostfrom environmental crisis.

This calls for the greening of the Church.This can no longer be something we do only atChristmas.The greening of the church must be year-round.We need to learn again to see God’s presence inand through all living things.As the psalmist says,“Allthings are filled with his glory.” We must recognizethat radically reducing our carbon footprint, ourconsumption of nonrenewable resources, ourdestruction of natural habitat, and our wastefulexcess is a way of serving and praising God. As

Ghandi said, we must “be the change we want to see”—greener theology, greener churches, greener lives.

All this is rooted in reclaiming the foundationaltheology of Genesis that tells us that men and womenare made to be God’s stewards, to tend God’s gardenof the earth in fellowship with all living things.This is

our original vocation. Stewardship means caring forwhat belongs to another.This is God’s world webelieve—this dazzling gem of a planet in the midst ofspace.We were made in God’s image to care for it ashis viceroys and stewards.As the Native AmericanChief Seattle said, the earth was not made for us; wewere made for the earth.

All this is rooted in reclaiming thefoundational theology of Genesisthat tells us that men and womenare made to be God’s stewards, totend God’s garden of the earth infellowship with all living things.This is our original vocation.

For far too long the Western world has lived bythe dictum that “man is the measure of all things” andby Adam Smith’s theory of the “wealth of nations.”We must repent of such anthropocentrism andself-centered economic thinking. God made andloves all living things, not just us. God made a worldof beautiful ecological diversity and balance.We werecreated not just to consume and use the earth’s livingthings for ourselves.We are called to care for them

and to give back to the earthmore than we take from it.Aschildren of God we are not con-sumers—we are stewards.

Alabama native E. O.Wilson of Harvard in his little book The Creation:AnAppeal to Save Life on Earthcalls the Church to act insolidarity with the sciences inrecovering our vocation ofstewardship. Acknowledgingthat religion and science are thetwo most powerful forces in theworld today, he writes,“If scienceand religion could be united onthe common ground of biologi-cal conservation, the problemwould soon be solved. If there isany moral precept shared by peo-ple of all beliefs, it is that we oweourselves and future generations a beautiful, rich, and healthfulenvironment.”We would add thatwe owe it to God.

Wilson’s book is a gauntletthrown down before us in the Church. Here is aplace where we need to come together—conserva-tives, moderates, and liberals, evangelicals and pro-gressives, low church, high church, and broadchurch, and Anglican Christians of every stripeacross the world—to offer a courageous moral vision

of environmental stewardship and conservation forthe health of creation.

We look very forward to Bishop MarkMacDonald’s keynote address later today, butfor now let me suggest three things that the“ecological reformation of the religion ofmodernity” and the greening of the Churchmight mean for us. I believe that these are waysin which we are being called to take up the cross inour time.

As the Church we must recover our senseof the sacredness of all life and teach of God’spassionate love for the living things of earth.We must learn again to see not just God’s transcen-dence but also God’s immanence in the world.Theologically this is called “panentheism,” theunderstanding that the Spirit of God, the Lord andgiver of life, moves in and through all living things.As Ernesto Cardinal has written, “The bird chorusin the early morning sings to God.Volcanoes,clouds, and trees shout about God. All creation criesout with a loud voice that God is, is beautiful andloves. God’s signature is on the whole of nature. Allcreatures are love letters from God to us.The wholeof nature is bursting with love, set in it by God, whois love, to kindle the fire of love in us.” Respondingto such deeply ecological spirituality, JurgenMoltmann goes so far as to say, “What we doto the earth we do to Christ.”

Our worship and our spiritualityneed to better reflect this theologi-cal vision and our primal callingto be stewards of the earth.Tofocus us I will appoint the lastSunday in April, the nearest toInternational Earth Day,April22, each year to be Stewardshipof Creation Sunday in our dio-cese, with a special liturgy to beprovided for use in our parishes.

Our worship and our spirituality need to betterreflect this theological vision and our primal callingto be stewards of the earth.To focus us I willappoint the last Sunday in April, the nearest toInternational Earth Day, April 22, each year to beStewardship of Creation Sunday in our diocese,with a special liturgy to be provided for use in ourparishes.This will raise our consciousness and pro-vide creative opportunity for our children andyouth to contribute their gifts and hopes. Hopefullyit will help engender year-round ecological aware-ness and action.



The Rt. Rev. Mark MacDonald, the National Indigenous Bishop of Canada; photo by the Rev.Polk Van Zandt

We are well accustomed to ourLord’s Commandment to love ourneighbors as ourselves. In our timewe must learn that the earth andher creatures are neighbors too.They are icons of the beauty andglory of God, calling out for ourlove and care.

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of myheart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my strengthand my redeemer.”

The priest of the church I grew up in started everysermon with those words. For me it meant it was timeto sit down and be still as I could for what seemedlike a long, long time—I expected to be bored, and soI was. For my dad it meant it was time to start thetimer—he would raise his left hand over his head, to

clear his wristwatch from his sleeve and let the rest ofthe congregation know that he was keeping the time,just as I expect, and hope, that someone among myclergy sisters and brothers has started the clock thisevening. I know I got several suggestions about howlong this sermon ought to be this evening.

Here I am speaking to the Convention of theDiocese of Alabama as your newly consecrated

Bishop Suffragan. Most of you have never heard mepreach, and I expect you’re a little curious to find outif I have anything to say. I think how this sermongoes will sort of determine whether or not you willlook forward to hearing me again, as most of you willwhether you want to or not.This sermon will deter-mine for many of you whether you expect to hearsomething worth your while next time you hear mepreach or whether you expect to be bored. So we’veall got a lot riding on the next 23-and-a-half min-utes—give or take 8 or 10 . . ..

I am convinced that what is needed for usto be better Christians is not that we knowmore, but that we believe what we say webelieve. We already know everything we needto know—Jesus said,“The first commandment isthis: Hear, O Israel:The Lord your God is the onlyLord. Love the Lord your God with all your heart,with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all



Secondly, we need to look very carefully atthe “carbon footprint” of our parish churchfacilities and of our lives and businesses to seehow we can reduce our consumption, waste,and pollution. I urge each parish to do an “energyaudit” as we have done at Carpenter House, and planways to conserve energy. I urge each of us in our pri-vate and working lives to do the same and adopt newdisciplines and patterns of sacrifice to enable us to bebetter stewards of God’s good earth. I hasten to saythat this is not just a matter of “political correctness”or financial frugality. It needs to become for us a wayto praise God and to do evangelism.

The Environmental Task Force has written acovenant that invites us to a make a commitment toenvironmental stewardship. I urge you to sign and liveit and take it back to your congregations.

Finally, let us join forces with conservationefforts in our diocese and state and show to allour commitment as Episcopalians to environ-mental stewardship. Our Environmental TaskForce has led the way in partnering with theWorld Wildlife Fund, the Cahaba River Society,and the Nature Conservancy. Let us invite suchgroups to our churches to present programs onthe environment and share ways to conserveand speak prophetically to our culture of con-sumption. We are greatly blessed by ecological richness of Camp McDowell and the superb environ-

mental center we support there. It is a model ofChristian ecological leadership.We need to build onthis resource and be a beacon of environmental lead-ership in this state as we seek to protect one of the 19most significant ecological areas on earth.

Fallen we are, but God’s last wordis always resurrection.The Spirit ispresent in and through all, redeem-ing, restoring, and renewing thewhole creation.As Wendell Berryas written, we must “practice resurrection.”

There is great challenge and great opportunity beforeus in offering spiritual leadership in response to whatmay be the most urgent challenge of this century. It isnot just in the dew of Hermon that falls upon the hillsof Zion that God has “ordained the blessing, life forever-more.” God has ordained it right here, in this holy land.

We have much to celebrate today and much tochallenge us in the days to come. Let us embraceGod’s call to us as stewards of creation with new pas-sion and commitment.And may we in this and all

things be courageous and joyful bearers of the Gospelto all people in the Name of Christ who, as theEpistle to the Colossians says, is “the image of theinvisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in himall things in heaven and earth were created, things visible and invisible . . . all things have been createdthrough him and for him. He himself is before allthings and in him all things hold together.”

These are profound words for our time.All thingshave been created through Christ and for Christ. InChrist all things hold together.This is one world,made by one God, for one humanity to share with all living things. Fallen we are, but God’s last word isalways resurrection.The Spirit is present in andthrough all, redeeming, restoring, and renewing thewhole creation.As Wendell Berry as written, we must“practice resurrection.”

So let us love and serve Christ with all our hearts,in all our ways, all our days, rejoicing in the power ofthe Spirit. God bless you.

The Rt. Rev. Henry N. Parsley Jr.

“God Loves You More Than Your Mama”Bishop Suffragan Sloan’s Sermon

I do believe we all know what weneed to know, we just need to dowhat we say we ought to do.Wejust need to believe, really believe,what we say we believe.

your strength.The second is this: Love your neighboras yourself.There is no commandment greater thanthese.” It’s right there in the Gospel of Mark, chapter12.And it’s in the Book of Common Prayer, on page351. Please understand: I am in no way opposed tolearning—Lord knows all of us have plenty that weneed to learn. But I do believe we all know what weneed to know, we just need to do what we say weought to do.We just need to believe, really believe,what we say we believe.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus said,“As the Fatherhas loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love.”Do you believe that? Can we trust that? Do youbelieve Jesus loves you in the same way that HisFather loves him, with a love that is perfect andabsolute? Can we believe that you and I, as sinful and silly and scared as we are, could beinvited to abide in the eternal love of Godthrough Jesus Christ?

When I was in college I was very involvedin the diocesan camp and conference center inMississippi.There I met a man named JimmieLee Washington, who cut the grass and tookout the trash and could fix almost anythingwith a coat hanger and some duct tape.Unhampered by any sort of education, he wasone of the wisest men I’ve ever known.

I was dating a young lady who was in a pretty snooty sorority at Ole Miss, and Iwas feeling a little unsure of myself, and Itold Jimmie Lee about it. It was the mid-seventies, and I was making a statement.I’m not sure really what the statement was,but it involved wearing jeans or overalls toclass, and old tennis shoes or flip-flops. Iwas at Mississippi State; it didn’t seem like abig deal at the time. I don’t remember allthe details now, but I think my crisis beganwhen the sorority girl suggested that Imight want to change clothes before Icame to see her again. She suggested that I could wear khaki pants and an oxford-cloth shirt, and I told her I didn’t havethose things, and she made some sugges-tions about where I might be able to pur-chase some, and I told her I didn’t havemoney to waste on frat boy clothes, and it sort of went downhill from there. Soinstead of going to see my girlfriend at Ole Miss, I went to camp to go fishing.

Well of course I told Jimmie Lee allabout it.We were out on the lake there atcamp, the sun was going down and themosquitoes were starting to find us. He letme talk until I was done, and then hesaid, “Ain’t nobody no better thanyou.” I liked that; I thought he wassaying that I was somehow remark-able, and even superior, and I think heprobably read those thoughts in myreaction. He could tell I was goingfrom deflated and discouraged to

puffed up and cocky, so he said, “And you ain’tno better than nobody else.”

Then he asked me if I believed what he’d said. Itold him that I liked the first part:“Ain’t nobody nobetter than you,” but the second part was a little dis-appointing:“And you ain’t no better than nobodyelse.” He told me that both of those ideas hadto be true or neither of them could be true.I looked skeptical, and he told me that it’s in theConstitution.When I continued to look skeptical, hequoted it to me.Actually it’s in the Declaration ofIndependence, and it’s something that we claim tohold dear:“We hold these truths to be self-evident:that all men are created equal.”This was before mostof us knew that women are created equal too.

I argued with him, the way college kidswill, and told him that it was a nice idea, butthat clearly some of us are born rich, somepoor, some black, some white, some gifted andintelligent, and some burdened with disabilitiesand difficulties. He told me that in God’s eyes,we’re all the same, that God loves all of hischildren the same. When I asked him how thatcould be, he asked me if I had any brothers or sisters.I told him I have a brother and two sisters, and heasked me which one of us was our mother’s favorite. Itold him she didn’t have a favorite. He said that surely

she prefers the one who’s caused the least trouble, orthe one she agrees with, or the one who’s done themost for her. I assured him that my mother doesn’thave a favorite child. He said God doesn’t either.Then he said,“And God loves you more than yourMama.”

I believe . . . and I invite you tobelieve it as well:“Ain’t nobodyno better than you.”“You ain’t nobetter than nobody else.”“AndGod loves you more than yourmama.”

I believe that, and I invite you to believe it aswell.“Ain’t nobody no better than you.”“You ain’tno better than nobody else.”“And God loves youmore than your mama.”

I grew up in Vicksburg, Mississippi, amongthe ghosts of the Civil War.While other kidswere playing cowboys and Indians, we playedRebels and Yankees. When we grew weary ofdefeating General Ulysses S. Grant and the imaginaryYankee invaders, we would declare war on eachother.When I was a kid we could make a war out of anything.All you needed was a couple of boys and something to throw at each other. We threw





acorns, sweet gum balls, pinecones, spearsmade out of cane—anything we could pickup. But the best was dirt clods, of which therewas rarely any shortage. Our mothers warnedus that we were going to put out somebody’seye some day.This is the story of how theywere almost right.

My brother played baseball. He was good at it,and he enjoyed it. Mom and Dad went to his gamesof course, and that meant dragging me and my sis-ters along. Mom would give us each enough coinsto buy a Coke and some candy—Pixie Stixs everytime, but after the coins and the goodies were gone,it could get pretty boring.

We talk about the love of God aseternal, beyond our understand-ing, absolute—but do we reallybelieve it? We know what we needto know, we just need to believewhat we say we believe.

One night the pitcher from my little leagueteam was also at the game, also there because his bigbrother was playing, also there under protest, andalso bored. I didn’t really like him because mybrother had told me the only reason he was thepitcher was because his father was the coach, andthat didn’t seem fair, but he was the only other kidthere that I knew. I don’t think he particularly likedme either. It’s hard to play with a kid you don’treally like so it was a relief to both of us whenwe agreed that we’d have a war.

It was a dirt clod war, and I was pleased withmyself that I maneuvered myself so that I was uphillof the other kid. My brother and some of the olderboys had showed me several times that it’s a realadvantage to be throwing downhill instead of uphill.At first it was sort of fun, and then I think the otherkid got tired of me lobbing dirt clods down at himand trying to make the sounds of mortar fire. Itturns out he wasn’t the pitcher just becausehis father was the coach—he also had a reallygood fastball, which connected with my facejust under my left eye.

I had never seen so much blood. I waswearing a white T-shirt, which quickly becamemostly red, and forgetting all dignity and pre-tense of macho, I ran to find my Mama.

She took one look at me and said, “Oh,Kee.” (Actually I have a whole collection of sermonsthat feature my mother taking one look and me andsaying “Oh, Kee.”) She tried to clean it up some, butI kept bleeding, and they decided she’d have to takeme to the hospital.That made it much more painfuland much scarier for me. I remember being scared todeath that I was going to have to have stitches.

On the way to the hospital Mom was try-ing to drive and make sure that I was keepingmy dad’s handkerchief pressed against my eyeand take my mind off of what was going on.By this time I’d stopped crying, but I was still sob-bing in that peculiar way we do after we’ve criedhard.There was a bridge that went over a set of rail-road tracks, a big brick bridge that separated thesouth end of town from the north. Mom and Dadalways told us to hold our breath over that bridge;mostly I realize now just to be able to enjoy amoment of silence in a car filled with four children.When we came to that bridge, Mom said,“Hold your breath” the way she always did,but I couldn’t because I was still sobbing afterall that crying.When I looked over at her, Isaw her cheeks puffed out—she couldn’t doanything else for me so she was holding herbreath for me.

It’s hard to imagine being loved morethan that—it’s hard to think I deserve to beloved so much. And God loves us more thanthat, more than our Mamas. None of usdeserve that of course—thank God we don’tget what we deserve. We talk about the love of God as eternal, beyond our understanding,absolute—but do we really believe it? We knowwhat we need to know, we just need to believe what we say we believe.

We are all children of one Father in Heaven,and that makes us, all of us, brothers and sisters.We’re not loved and treasured because we have earned it or because we deserve it, butbecause we are God’s children. I don’t deserve itany more or less than you; you haven’t earned it anymore or less than I or anyone else. Every one of usis broken, sinful, incomplete, cowardly, lazy, and self-ish. And every one of us is cherished by our FatherGod, who became human so that He could laughand cry, live and die as we do, and so that we couldall know that we are loved, beyond what we deserve,beyond what we can understand.

Every one of us is broken, sinful,incomplete, cowardly, lazy, andselfish.And every one of us ischerished by our Father God, whobecame human so that He couldlaugh and cry, live and die as wedo, and so that we could all knowthat we are loved, beyond whatwe deserve, beyond what we canunderstand.

In a little bit, if I ever stop preaching, wewill continue our worship as we renew ourBaptismal Covenant. These are familiar, well-used words, words we’re used to saying atbaptisms and confirmations.The answers areprinted out for us, but let me invite you tothink about what you’ll say you’re going todo.

“Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in theprayers?”The answer is familiar: “I will, with God’shelp.” I want to assure you of God’s help. We’renot asking whether God will help us do thesethings; we’re asking whether we have the will to dowhat we say we’re going to do.We know we can’tdo these things without the help of God, but I’mafraid we don’t know, don’t really know, that withGod’s help, we can.

“Will you persevere in resisting evil, and,whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?”“Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of Christ?”With God’s help.

“Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons,loving your neighbor as yourself?”“Will you strivefor justice and peace among all people, and respectthe dignity of every human being?”With God’shelp.

We have the help of God Almighty to do thework we’ve been given to do. In order to love theLord our God with all our hearts, with all oursouls, with all our minds, and with all ourstrength, we first have to know and trust thatGod loves us more than our mamas. In orderfor us to love our neighbors as ourselves, wehave to see them as sisters and brothers. Ain’tnobody no better than you.You ain’t no bet-ter than nobody else.

“Let the words of our mouths and the meditations of ourhearts be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, our strengthand our redeemer.”

The Rt. Rev. John McKee Sloan






Resolutions Passed The lay and clergy delegates passed the followingresolutions.

#1 2008 PROPOSED PROGRAM ANDDIOCESAN BUDGETPlease see Resolution #1 text, summary, and piechart at left.

Adopted by the 177th Annual DiocesanConvention.

#3 CALLING ON ALL PARISHES INOUR DIOCESE TO INCLUDE IN THEIRPRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE A CALLFOR PEACE

Be it resolved that this 177th Convention ofthe Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Alabamaurge all its member parishes to make it a weeklypractice to include a prayer for peace within theirprayers of the people.

Be it further resolved that this 177thConvention of the Episcopal Church in the Dioceseof Alabama recognize that as full and equal mem-bers of the Body of Christ, we are all called to consider diligently and prayerfully our BaptismalCovenant that calls each of us to “strive for justiceand peace among all people, and to respect the dignity of every human being.”



#5 IN RESPONSE TO RESOLUTIONA123 ADOPTED BY THE 75TH GENERAL CONVENTION

Be it resolved that the Church strives to be “therepairer of the breach,” consistent with Isaiah 58:12,and to achieve spiritual healing and reconciliation thatwill lead us to a new life in Christ;

And be it further resolved that a Day ofRepentance be declared and on that day a diocesanservice of repentance be held at a parish location tobe determined by the diocese;

And be it further resolved that the Commis-sion on Race Relations be directed to developresources for both parish and diocesan use to docu-ment the role of the Episcopal Church in the Dioceseof Alabama in condoning and supporting slavery, seg-regation, discrimination, and the efforts undertaken bythe Church to repair and rectify the same and prayfor the guidance of the Holy Spirit toward theresponses that will lead us to peace, harmony, and reconciliation.


#6 CONCERNING THE ADMITTANCEOF THE CHURCH OF THE EPIPHANYIN TALLASSEE AS A PARISH OF THEDIOCESE OF ALABAMA

Whereas the Episcopal Church of the Epiphanywas organized some 13 years ago by a dedicated

group of Episcopalians in Tallassee,Alabama, whosought to establish an Episcopal presence in that area;and

Whereas under the guidance and direction ofpriests who have served the community, including theRev.Al Perkins, the Rev. Richard Oberheide, and theRev. Ernest Oliver, and through the support and coun-sel of the Rt. Rev. Robert Miller and the Rt. Rev.Henry Parsley, the Church of the Epiphany continuesto function as a place of worship for Episcopalians andothers in Tallassee and East Elmore County; and

Whereas the Church of the Epiphany meets allcriteria established by the Department of ParishDevelopment for a worshiping community tobecome a parish of the diocese and has duly peti-tioned the Rt. Rev. Henry Parsley to be so consid-ered;

Be it therefore resolved by action of this 177th Convention of the Diocese of Alabama that the worshiping community of the Episcopal Churchof the Epiphany,Tallassee,Alabama, be admitted to the Diocese of Alabama as a parish.


#7 A RESPONSE TO BISHOP PARSLEY’SADDRESS

Be it resolved that the 177th Convention of theEpiscopal Church in the Diocese of Alabama, givethanks for the blessings of this past year of life andshared ministry, especially the election and consecra-tion of our new Bishop Suffragan and the addition ofnew members to our diocesan staff and for the manyministries and efforts of our worshiping communities,including the success of our ACTS 2 Campaign;

And be it further resolved that we take toheart our convention theme,“Tending God’sGarden,” remembering that we are not to remaincomfortable in our pews but are sent as disciples of

Christ to care for God’s people and God’s cre-ation, keeping in mind the covenant crafted by our Task Force for the Stewardship ofCreation, and taking this message back to ourparishes;

And be it further resolved that we, as adiocese, embrace our bishop’s call to designatethe last Sunday of April as “Stewardship ofCreation Sunday” in all of our congregations;

And be it further resolved that each ofour worshiping communities carefully auditour own “carbon footprints” as individuals andin community and discern ways that we canbecome better stewards of God’s earth, when-ever possible in partnership with conservationorganizations currently in place;

And be it further resolved that we as a dioceserenew our commitment to Christ and each other aswe prayerfully discern God’s will for the Church andseek ways in which we may spread God’s kingdom.


#8 RELATED TO DEATH PENALTYEXECUTIONS

Be it resolved that the 177th Convention of theEpiscopal Church in the Diocese of Alabama urgeGovernor Bob Riley to declare an immediate mora-torium on all death penalty executions pendingaction by the Alabama Legislature;

And be it further resolved that the 177thConvention of the Episcopal Church in the Dioceseof Alabama urge Governor Bob Riley to encourage,support, and pledge upon passage to sign into lawSenate Bill 25 providing for a moratorium on alldeath penalty executions;

And be it further resolved that the 177thConvention of the Episcopal Church in the Diocese

of Alabama urge Governor Bob Riley to encourage,support, and pledge upon passage to sign into lawSenate Bill 46 providing for DNA testing;

And be it further resolved that the 177thConvention of the Episcopal Church in the Dioceseof Alabama urge the Alabama Legislature to passSenate Bill 25, providing for a moratorium on alldeath penalty executions, during this session of theAlabama Legislature;

And be it further resolved that the 177thConvention of the Episcopal Church in the Dioceseof Alabama urge the Alabama Legislature to passSenate Bill 46, providing for DNA testing, duringthis session of the Alabama Legislature;

And be it further resolved that parishvestries of the Diocese of Alabama prayerfully con-sider, individually, adopting resolutions in support of



The members of the Church of the Epiphany in Tallassee celebrating beingadmitted to our diocese as a parish; photo by the Rev. Polk Van Zandt

The Rev. Liston Garfield with one of the Alabama chestnut oaksaplings distributed to each parish in our diocese in keeping with theconvention theme,“Tending the Garden:The Stewardship ofCreation”; photo by the Rev. Polk Van Zandt


the passage and signing into law Senate Bill 25, pro-viding for a moratorium on all death penalty exe-cutions, and Senate Bill 46, providing for DNAtesting;

And be it further resolved that copies of thisresolution and any individual parish resolutions beforwarded to Governor Bob Riley and the AlabamaLegislature.


#10 EXPRESSING OUR ENJOYMENTFOR OUR TIME TOGETHER THURSDAYNIGHT

Be it resolved that the 177th Convention of theEpiscopal Church in the Diocese of Alabama expressthanks to the Cathedral Church of the Advent, itsclergy, staff, and musicians and all concerned for the Festival Eucharist on Thursday night of theConvention;

And be it further resolved that the Conven-tion express our love for Kee Sloan, but not as muchas God and his mama, and that we do so even with-

out his khaki pants and button-down oxford-clothshirts.


#11 WELCOMING THE RT. REV. JOHNMCKEE SLOAN

Whereas Kee Sloan has shared his numerous talents with the Diocese of Alabama; and

Whereas Kee’s ministry through Special Sessionhas provided the youth of the diocese opportunitiesfor spiritual growth and community leadership; and

Whereas Kee has inspired many to live andspread the “Gospel of Radical Inclusion”; and

Whereas the Youth Department appreciates hispresence and spiritual guidance at EYC StateConvention 2008;

Be it therefore resolved that the youth of thediocese welcome and support Kee Sloan’s position asour new Bishop Suffragan of the Diocese of Alabama.

Adopted by the 177th Annual Diocesan Conven-tion.

#12 HONORING THE WORK OF SARAHSARTAIN, DEPUTY FOR CHRISTIANFORMATION AND YOUTH MINISTRIES

Be it resolved that the 177th Convention of theEpiscopal Church in the Diocese of Alabama recog-nize and honor the work of Sarah Sartain for her ser-vice to the Youth Department during the transitionalperiod; and

Be it further resolved that the youth of theDiocese of Alabama extend their thanksgiving andappreciation for her leadership and dedication to theYouth Department of the Diocese of Alabama; and

Be it further resolved that a copy of this reso-lution be presented to Sarah Sartain, conveying thegratitude of the Diocese of Alabama for her workamong us.


#14 EXTENDING THANKS TO THECATHEDRAL CHURCH OF THEADVENT, ITS MUSICIANS, THE BISHOP’S GUILD, AND THE EPISCOPALCHURCH WOMEN FOR THEIR EXTRAORDINARY EFFORT AS PART OF THE RECENT CONSECRATION OURBISHOP SUFFRAGAN

Be it resolved that the 177th Convention of theEpiscopal Church in the Diocese of Alabama, recall-ing the special celebration on January 12, 2008, ofGod’s hand at work in our diocese, extend its specialthanks and continued gratitude for the work, plan-ning, effort, talent, and stewardship that the CathedralChurch of the Advent, its musicians, the Bishop’sGuild, the Episcopal Church Women, and all otherswho participated in the ordination service showedour bishops and this diocese during the recent elec-tion, celebration, and ordination of the Rt. Rev. JohnMcKee Sloan as our Bishop Suffragan, and especiallyfor the support and continued prayer they offered thisdiocese, its bishops, and all concerned during thisprocess; and

Be it further resolved that copies of this reso-lution be forwarded to the Cathedral Church of theAdvent, its musicians, the Bishop’s Guild, and theEpiscopal Church Women for the express purposethat all involved know of the gratitude and best wishes of this Convention.


#16 LOOKING FORWARD TO A FUTUREVISIT TO HUNSTVILLE AND MADISON

The churches of Huntsville and Madison extend awarm welcome to our diocese and an invitation to





Bishop Parsley and Bishop Sloan helped members of our YouthDepartment lead the convention delegates in an “Energizer”; photosby the Rev. Polk Van Zandt.

this convention to come to the Rocket City, locatedin the Northern Kingdom, at the next availableopportunity, which due to our reputation as the cityof the Big Boom, is the year 2013.


#17 AN INVITATION TO THE 178thCONVENTION OF THE DIOCESE OFALABAMA

Whereas the Episcopal Church of the Ascension,315 Clanton Avenue, celebrates 100 years of ministryin the name of God in Montgomery,Alabama, andthe world in May 2008; and

Whereas in continuation of this celebration andthe recognition that celebration strengthens the bondsof unity and helps all embrace our ministry as ser-vants of a living God; and

Whereas the Ascension is known for its hospitali-ty and outreach efforts in the name of our Lord andSavior Jesus Christ both inside and outside the wallsof the church;

Be it therefore resolved that Ascension invitesthe 178th Convention of the Episcopal Church in theDiocese of Alabama to Montgomery, February 19-21,2009.


#18 HONORING THE REV. BILL KING’SSERVICE TO OUR DIOCESE

Whereas the Rev. Bill King, for the past 10 years,has been furrowing the fields with his considerabletalents in new church plantings in Birmingham,Huntsville,Alabaster, Oneonta, and Chelsea; and

Whereas he has deployed his keen powers of discernment to recommend clergy for deploymentnorth, south, east, and west, ever mindful that the harvest planted is plentiful; and

Whereas he has often impressed the staff ofCarpenter House by making regular pilgrimage tothe eighteen Stations on various fairways and greensthroughout the state of Alabama, the Beautiful;

Be it therefore resolved that we now extend

our congratulations to the parishioners of TrinityChurch, Clanton, where Bill is now chief bell-ringer;and

Be it further resolved that this conventionshow its gratitude for his service as Deputy forMinistry Development with a standing ovation for

the Rev. Bill King and his wife, Pat; andBe it further resolved that this resolu-

tion be spread upon the pages of the Journalof this 177th Convention of the Diocese ofAlabama.


#19 THANKING ST. STEPHEN’S INBIRMINGHAM FOR HOSTING OUR177th CONVENTION

Be it resolved that the 177th Conventionof the Episcopal Church in the Diocese ofAlabama, by thunderous applause, and by ris-ing to our feet, and by sounding out all man-ner of whoops, and hollers and amens, and byhugging and kissing and backslapping andother appropriate means of peace-passing,

acknowledge and express our sincere and most heart-felt thanks and best wishes to the clergy, vestry, staff,choir, and parishioners of St. Stephen’s for hosting thishonorable convention in such fine fashion, for bring-ing to this convention hall their open windows, opendoors, and open hearts, for entertaining us at the galaFriday night at the McWane Center with such style,for reminding us of our responsibility to tend toGod’s garden, and once again for allowing us time toremember and enjoy that we are all one bodythrough Christ.


PEOPLE ELECTED TO SERVEThe lay and clergy delegates elected the followingpeople to serve our diocese.

DIOCESAN COUNCIL MEMBERSNorthern DistrictCarole Campbell

Sherri SumnersThe Rev. Bruce White

Middle DistrictAlleen Cater

Southern DistrictDavid Hall

STANDING COMMITTEE MEMBERSHeager HillThe Rev. Polk Van Zandt

JUDGES TO THE ECCLESIASTICAL COURTDwight SloanThe Rev. Charles Youngson

DELEGATES TO GENERAL CONVENTIONDeputiesScears Barnes (Southern District)The Rev. John Mark Ford (Middle District)The Rev. John Fritschner (At Large)Virginia Hillhouse (Middle District)The Rev. Susan Sloan (Northern District)Marcellus Smith (At Large)Elouisa Stokes (Northern District)The Rev. Robert Wisnewski (Southern District)

1st AlternatesThe Rev. Ben Alford (Southern District)The Rev.Alison Carmody (Middle District)Tom Gamble (Middle District)Bill Giardini (Northern District)Jill Lunsford (At Large)The Rev. Jim Tuohy (At Large)The Rev. Bruce White (Northern District)Cecil Williamson (Southern District)

2nd AlternatesThe Rev. Scott Arnold (At Large)Ernest Edgar (Southern District)Gene Giles (Northern District)The Rev. Lee Lowery (Middle District)Frank Romanowicz (Middle District)Kevin Smith (At Large)The Rev. Drake Whitelaw (Southern District)






The book of Job describes the mighty voice ofGod as coming from the midst of a whirlwind, but thepeople of Prattville are discovering that sometimesGod’s voice comes after the whirlwind.

On February 17, not long after our Sundaymorning worship services, an EF 3 tornado sweptthrough our small city of 36,000 residents and left inits path an enormous wake of destruction. In less than10 seconds the tornado completely destroyed approx-imately 150 homes and damaged more than 800 oth-ers. Mercifully no lives were lost.

The numerous neighborhoods affected suddenlylost both power and telephone service as the sun was setting and darkness was engulfing what manydescribed as a war zone.“I lived through the blitz inEngland during the Second World War,” notes St.Mark’s parishioner Pat Massey.“When my husband,Jim, and I stepped outside after the tornado, ourneighborhood looked just like I remember back inEngland during the war. It looked like someone haddropped bombs on Prattville.”

The Masseys survived by huddling close togetherwith their poodle, Clancy, in a bathroom.The torna-do ripped off sections of their roof, blew out theirwindows, destroyed a large privacy fence, and pickedup their tool shed and blew it and its contents far

away. I managed to make it to the Masseys’ homearound dusk. Looking backI admit that I am eithervery stupid or verylucky—or perhaps both—because I crawled overdowned telephone polesand across power lines tofind them. I didn’t recog-nize the neighborhoodthat night—nothing looked the same. I didn’t recog-nize their home even when I walked right by it.

St. Mark’s members Mike and Brooks Breedlove,who survived the storm despite extensive damage totheir home, managed to salvage many of their personalbelongings. But across the street and to their immedi-ate left and right, their neighbors’ homes were totallydestroyed.“We were the only home in the immediateneighborhood that wasn’t completely blown apart,”Mike reports. Many of their neighbors lost everything

in the storm—cars, furniture, photographs, and per-sonal items were damaged or lost forever.

Volunteers made a tremendous effort immediatelyafter the storm passed, working to cover as many roofsas possible since rain was due later in the week.About2 inches of rain fell on Thursday and Friday, saturatinguncovered homes and preventing volunteer efforts. BySaturday the rain had gone, and volunteers were againhelping their fellow citizens in the massive cleanup.

During the first week following the tornado, vol-unteers from St. Mark’s and nearby St. Michael andAll Angels’ in Millbrook were cleaning yards, liftingdebris, patching roofs, making sandwiches, offeringtheir homes to those displaced, and doing a numberof other helpful tasks. In the weeks following St.Mark’s has had a team of volunteers leaving from thechurch at 8:30 every morning to go out and help inthe continued cleanup and relief efforts, and membersof other parishes in our diocese have come to help.

Mayor Jim Byard, a member of St. Mark’s, workedtirelessly throughout the first days after the tornado.His voice was one of support, care, and hope rightfrom the beginning.“God was watching over our citylast night,” he told a reporter from USA Today the dayafter the tornado struck.

Immediately after the tornado, neighbors beganhelping neighbors and people from all over our com-munity were pulling together to do whatever theycould to help one another. I am especially delightedthat the Episcopal/Lutheran Disaster Relief teamswere here right from the start.The SoutheasternSynod and the Diocese of Alabama have been a greatresource for us, providing emergency funds for unmetneeds and sending in teams of volunteers. Severalindividual parishes have responded as well.

Ongoing efforts will continue for some time inPrattville. Fortunately most homes were covered byinsurance, which will take care of many needs thatthe victims have, but it is the work of the volunteersin our community and from all over that has reallytouched all of us.We definitely see the face of Christin the good work that is being done here.While theBible tells us that long ago God spoke from a whirl-wind to Job, he is speaking now to the hearts ofmany after the whirlwind that touched down inPrattville.

For more information about the cleanup and relief efforts please contact the Rev. Scott Arnold [email protected] or the parish office at334/365-5289 or (fax) 334/365-5277.

14 • AROUND OUR DIOCESE


Hearing God’s VoiceAfter the WhirlwindBy the Rev. Scott Arnold, Rector of St. Mark’s in Prattville

ECW Scholarship Chairman Nancy Thompsonreminds everyone that the deadline for applying for an ECW scholarship is fast approaching. ALLrequired materials (application, church involvement form,transcript, and financial information) MUST be receivedby the scholarship chairman no later than April 30.Youcan download the application and form from the ECWWeb site, www.alabamaecw.org. For more informationplease contact Nancy Thompson at [email protected].

Over the years ECW scholarships have helped hun-dreds of students in our diocese fulfill their educationalgoals.Your generosity to the ECW Scholarship Fund isthe only way we can continue this very important pro-gram, so if you or you parish would like to contribute tothe education of a young person in our Church family,please consider making a gift to the ECW ScholarshipFund. It has often been said that when you educate a child,you also educate a family. Please keep the ECW scholar-ship program in your prayers and the next time you want tomake a memorial or honorarium in someone’s name. Mailyour contribution to the ECW, Diocese of Alabama, 521North 20th Street, Birmingham,Al 35203-2611.

For the first time the Diocesan Board of the Episco-pal Church Women will be conducting a workshop,Episcopal Church Women:The Hub of the Parish,at the Parish Leadership Training Event (PLTE) atSt. Luke’s in Birmingham on April 5.This workshopis not just for new officers in a parish ECW, but it’s also forclergy and others interested in learning more about theactivities and responsibilities of the women of our diocese.It will give the participants an opportunity to meet manymembers of the Diocesan Board and ask questions aboutUTO, CPC, ECW Scholarships, and the Board’s pledge toour diocesan ACTS 2 Campaign. Please plan to attend thisinformative workshop.

ECW will host a Wine and Cheese Auction from6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday,April 17, at All Saints’ inBirmingham. All proceeds will go toward the ECWpledge to the ACTS 2 Campaign.

Please plan to attend the 59thAnnual ECW Women’sWeekend, May 16–18, atCamp McDowell. The Rev.Bob and Kay Blackwell will leadthis spiritual weekend journey.Bob and Kay arrived at GraceChurch in Cullman in January

2007 after serving as Episcopal Church missionaries at AllSaints’ Church in Damascus, Syria. Before their missionexperience Bob served as rector of St. Peter’s in Talladegafor 17 years. His first parish as a priest was St. Joseph’s on-the-Mountain in Mentone. Both Bob and Kay both grewup in Decatur and still have family there. Bob graduatedfrom Auburn University and Kay from the University ofAlabama.

Registration will begin at 4 p.m. on Friday followedby dinner at 6:30 p.m. Be sure to pack your Bible, a flash-light, casual clothes, a jacket for cool nights, and snacks andbeverages to share.Also be sure to bring your guitar, violin,or other musical instrument.We will have a silent auctionto benefit the ECW Scholarship Fund so plan to do someearly Christmas shopping! The Episcopal Book Store willalso be here throughout the weekend with the usual goodbooks and gift items for your shopping pleasure. Join us fora wonderful weekend of relaxation, fun, fellowship, andspiritual enrichment. You can download a registration formfrom our Web site, www.alabamaecw.org, or ask your parishECW president for one.

Eileen Bogard, president of the ECW of St.Matthew’s in Madison, reports that in addition to manyother fundraising activities, including their AnnualRummage Sale to benefit St. Matthew’s outreach pro-grams, they have initiated an Annual Soup Sale.“We hadfour different soups and a sampling day when parishionersordered their favorites,” she explains.“The four womenwho made the original soups did most of the cooking, andthey made more than 185 quarts! Several other womenvolunteered to help one of our cooks who had to make75 quarts!! Our parish was wonderful in their support.Wecleared $1,076 to contribute to the ECW ACTS 2 pledgefor the sacristy of the Chapel of St. Francis at CampMcDowell.”


ECW • 15

I have been thinking about the ECW themefor this year,“Blessed Is She Who Believes,” andthe faith and discipline of the women of the NewTestament who so bravely answered God’s call. Ipray that the Episcopal Church Women of ourdiocese will also be attentive and responsive toGod’s call and that we may fulfill the Mission ofour organization—to empower, motivate, and nur-ture the women of the Diocese of Alabama in uti-lizing their gifts and talents to serve Christ in theworld.As Bishop Parsley wrote so beautifully inhis article for the 2008 ECW Calendar,“For weare never more blessed—more whole, free, insync—than when we live in absolute trust in theGod who made us, loves us, and is working hispurpose in us.” May we continue to serve ourLord with joy.

As you can see from the articles in this Apostle,the Episcopal Church Women will be utilizingtheir talents and gifts during a very busy spring.Please read about the ECW College Scholarships,Women’s Weekend, the Wine and Cheese Auctionto benefit the ECW ACTS 2 pledge, and the spe-cial Parish ECW officers workshop organized byour President-Elect Gethryn Giles for the ParishLeadership Training Event. I encourage all of youto attend these events, and for those of you col-lege bound, apply for an ECW Scholarship. Formore information please contact your ECWPresident, a member of the ECW Board, or theECW Web site, www.alabamaecw.org.

I pray you will all have a joyful, Spirit-filledEaster as we all sing “Alleluia,Alleluia.”

Upcoming ECW Events and DeadlinesApril 5 PLTE workshop for ECW officers at St. Luke’s in BirminghamApril 17 Wine and Cheese Auction to raise funds for ACTS 2 at All Saints’ in

Birmingham

April 30 ECW Scholarship application deadlineMay 4 CPC SundayMay 15 UTO Spring IngatheringMay 16-18 Women’s Weekend at Camp Mc DowellJune 2-4 Province IV ECW Conference at KanugaNovember 7-9 Alabama Diocese Daughters of the King (DOK) Fall Assembly led by Bishop Sloan at

Camp McDowell

Please update your convocation coordinator and the ECW board when ECW leaders change at your parish.You can complete an online form at www.alabamaecw.org/2008ParishECWInfoSheet.pdf. For details andadditional events please see the ECW Calendar Handbook and visit www.alabamaecw.org.

From Dee Buzby, ECW President

EPISCOPAL CHURCH WOMENCompiled by Fiona Watts, Publicity Chair

The Rev. Steve Gruman, Margaret King, Gwen Gissendanner, EileenBogard, and Kate Hewitt; Sheila Cape and Claudia Glasgow, whoalso made soups, were not present for the photo.

“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they askedhim.“Yes,” replied Jesus,“have you never read, ‘From thelips of children and infants you have ordained praise?’ ” —Matthew 21:16

Each time I see leadership in young people—inschool, work, or faith environments—I’m remindedof the hope and spirit of youth. In my years andexperience of working with young people, this senti-ment has never grown old.

A few weekends ago I was blessed to live andwork among young leaders as part of the EpiscopalYouth Diocesan Convention at the gracious Churchof the Ascension in Montgomery. Just being presentas a Youth Department advisor and not having anydirect responsibilities (not leading a small group, noton program staff, etc.) gave me a chance to watch andlisten to our young people and observe their leader-ship and commitment. In the midst of the tatteredblue jeans, fleece pullovers, and silly morning“Energizers,” a few things came to light.

As an adult I think my age group and those olderhave a habit of VASTLY underestimating young peo-ple and their abilities to lead both their peers andadults. Diocesan Youth Convention is much like “bigpeople’s” convention but with less gray hair and morepairs of flip-flops. Resolutions are passed by votingdelegates and presented at diocesan convention, new

representatives areelected to ourdiocesan YouthDepartment, anddiscussions of faithin the day-to-daylives of teenagersabound.This—asmuch as anythingelse—is the workand business of theChurch.Watchingcurrent YouthDepartmentChairperson AliceNix moderatefaithful exchangesabout the missionof the Church andworship showedme that even theyoung, or young-

at-heart, “get it”and are capable of

knowing what to do in the moment.To undervaluethat spirit would be a tremendous loss to our lives asfaithful people and our Church body.

During the Saturday afternoon business session, Iwas reminded that young people strive for the samething as adults, but they are dressedin a different skin. Part of theweekend business was decidinghow to direct the youth offeringfor the convention.Traditionallyyoung people across our diocesebring an offering from their homeparish and pool funds to be intend-ed for a worthy organization decid-ed upon by the convention body.In light of the Church’s commit-ment to the United Nations’Millennium Development Goals,the group decided to give 0.7%(the suggested percentage of GrossDomestic Product asked of eachdeveloped member country) of theoffering to the effort—somethingto which the Church is alreadyannually pledged.They voted todistribute the remainder of theoffering equally between the

Invisible Children campaign in northern Uganda andthe Sawyerville Work Project, a summer camp min-istry staffed by young people and college studentsfor residents in the Black Belt region of Alabama.

Some of the young people suggested other veryworthy organizations, and watching their passionateand spiritual debates about the vote reminded methat young people—just like adults—strive for jus-tice and peace among all peoples. “Old people” likemyself have an innocent tendency, I think, to getcaught up in the day-to-day of paying the mortgageand need a reminder that we are ALL called to liveout our Baptismal Covenant. Perhaps it’s about per-spective and application, and I’m thankful our youngpeople can remind us of both.

In college I remember reading Margaret Mead’ssuggestion that we should “never doubt that a smallgroup of thoughtful, concerned citizens can changeworld. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.”ThisI believe is what our young people plan to do, andmy prayer is we all resolve to do everything in ourpower to support and sustain them. And workingwith these young people, I have no doubt they can.

Editor’s Note: For more information about theInvisible Children campaign please visit www.invisi-blechildren.com; for more about the SawyervilleWork Project, please visit www.sawyerviller-workproject.org.

16 • FOR AND ABOUT YOUTH


FOR AND ABOUT YOUTH

The Look of Youth LeadershipBy Grant Thompson,Tennessee Valley Adult Advisor, St. John’s in Decatur

Photos by Leslie Manning and Fred Matthews

Young people from across our diocese gathered at the Ascension in Montgomery on February 1-3 for the EYC Convention 2008.

The newly elected members of our diocesan Youth Department with Bishop Sloan


FOR AND ABOUT YOUTH/CAMP MCDOWELL/AROUND OUR DIOCESE • 17

Think Summer!Make plans now to join in the fun at Summer Camp 2008! You can download an application at

www.campmcdowell.com; applications are also available in parish offices. For more information please con-tact Michael Goldsmith at 205/387-1806 or [email protected].

May 23-25 Primary I (entering 1st and 2nd graders and a parent)May 27-30 Elementary I (entering 3rd and 4th graders)June 2-11 Senior Camp (entering 10th-12th graders)June 16-21 Junior High I (entering 6th and 7th graders)June 24-July 1 Sophomore Camp (entering 8th and 9th graders)July 1-8 Special SessionJuly 10-15 Middler Camp (entering 5th and 6th graders)July 17-24 Junior High II (entering 7th and 8th graders)July 26-30 Elementary II (entering 3rd-5th graders)August 1-3 Primary II (entering 1st and 2nd graders and a parent)

CAMP MCDOWELL

Canterbury Students Reach OutBy the Rev. Ken Fields, Chaplain and Rector of Canterbury Chapel in Tuscaloosa

Each fall the 11 University of Alabama (UA) students who live at CanterburyChapel park cars on the chapel’s lawn during home football games.Then, after thebeginning of the Spring term, they meet to decide how to give one third of themoney they raised in the fall away as a part of their contribution to the ongoingoutreach programs of Canterbury Chapel.This year the residents have given:* $1,000 to the Mental Health Association of West Alabama,* $1,000 to Vocare in the Diocese of Alabama,* $1,000 to the Rev. Jeremy Lucas for his mission work in Namibia (please see thestory below),* $1,000 to the Special Session at Camp McDowell for people with disabilities, and* $500 to the diocesan Hispanic mission in Aliceville.

This outreach is in addition to the money the residents and other UA studentswho attend Canterbury have raised for Invisible Children and the ACTS 2Campaign, totaling more than $1,000. During this past year, the outreach funds given

by Canterbury’sstudents thusexceeds the $5,100provided by thediocesan budget forthe support of thestudent program atCanterbury.Whenthese students grad-uate they’ll be tak-ing with them tothe parishes in the towns where they will live a heart for and a habit of outreach .. . not a bad return on a $5,100 diocesan investment.

For more information please contact the Rev. Ken Fields at 205/345-9590 [email protected].

Canterbury students Adam Rudolph, Elizabeth Frost,Andy Harris,AustinKendrick,Ann Tucker, Logan Pate, and John Elder had fun while theyengaged in meaningful outreach.

Upcoming EventsJune 1-6 Young People Painting BirminghamJune 21-29 Sawyerville Day Camp; please download staff applications from

www.sawyervilleworkproject.orgJune 24-30 Province IV Youth EventJuly 1-8 Special Session at Camp McDowellJuly 8-13 Episcopal Youth Event in San Antonio,TexasJuly 20-27 Youth Pilgrimage to Alaska sponsored by our diocese and Episcopal Mission Exchange

For more information please contact Leslie Manning at [email protected] or 205/715-2060 ext. 325 orSarah Sartain at [email protected] or 205/715-2060 ext. 314.

Penny and Jeremy Lucas; photo by the Rev. Polk Van Zandt

Supporting Our New Missionaries in Namibia

This summer Penny and Jeremy Lucas, the formerrector of St.Timothy’s in Athens, will be leaving towork in Namibia for three years as Episcopal Churchmissionaries.They have asked each of us to keep themand the people of Namibia in our prayers.

For up-to-date information about Penny andJeremy and their work, please visit their blog atwww.missionnamibia.blogspot.com. If you would liketo become a partner in their mission work please senddonations to the Diocese of Alabama 521 North 20thStreet, Birmingham,AL 35203; please memo yourcheck Mission to Namibia.

Help Complete the Chapel—One Brick at a Time! You can help complete the Chapel of St. Francis at Camp

McDowell by supporting the Brick Campaign: Completing theVision One Brick, One Act at a Time. Just purchase one ormore of the bricks or pavers that will be used for walkways andpatios.You can have a name or phrase engraved on each brick

or paver in honor or memory of a loved one or friend. Formore information or to obtain an order form please visitwww.campmcdowell.com or contact Michael Goldsmith at205/387-1806 or [email protected].

THE BLESSINGS OF STEWARDSHIP—THE 10TH ANNUAL PARISHLEADERSHIP TRAINING EVENT (PLTE)April 5 at St. Luke’s in Birmingham

The Rev. Michael E.“Corky”Carlisle, the interim rector of St.Thomas’ in Huntsville and a nation-

ally recognized stewardship educator, will give thekeynote address at this year’s Parish LeadershipTraining Event (PLTE).The daylong event beginswith registration at 9 a.m.This year’s workshopsinclude the Bishop’s Workshop for Wardens and NewVestry Members,What Is God Calling You To Do?Discovering Your Spiritual Gifts, DevelopingGenerous Children in a Materialistic World,Empowering Congregations to Give from the Heart,Business Affairs in the Church, Lay Readers Training,Episcopal Church Women:The Hub of the Parish,Truth and Myths about Social Networking amongYouth,Volunteers: How To Get Them—How ToKeep Them, and Music with Preschool Children. Formore information please contact Sarah Sartain at [email protected] or 205/715-2060 ext. 314.

FIRST-EVER MOTHER/DAUGHTER RETREAT

“ONE SIZE DOESN’T FIT ALL—HOW TO SELECTCURRICULUM FOR YOUR CONGREGATION”May 10 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., St. John’s in Montgomery

Christian Formation specialist Sharon Ely Pearsonwill lead this free workshop, which is sponsored byMorehouse Education Resources/Church Publishing.She will help participants learn about different typesof curricula for use with children, youth, and adults;how to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of eachcurriculum; how to determine the needs of yourcongregation; and how to select a curriculum thatbest fits your needs. For more information please e-mail [email protected].

12TH ANNUAL FOUNDATION FOR LITURGICAL MUSICCONFERENCEJune 26-28 at John Carroll Catholic High School,Birmingham

The Foundation for Liturgical Music (FLM), a non-profit ecumenical organization, has been bringing top-notch liturgical musicians to the Birmingham area forthe past eleven years for Music Ministry SeriesConferences.The theme for this year’s event is I SendYou Out On a Mission of Love. Participants can choosesessions from specific areas including vocal (choralexperience and master cantor), liturgy, keyboard, guitar,instrumental, and percussion. Courses are also beingoffered for people involved with children and youthministries.

This year’s faculty includes renowned liturgicalartists John Angotti, Bobby Fisher, Deanna Light, StevePetrunak, and Paul Tate, as well as two-time UnityAward winner Sarah Hart and talented percussionistDion Clay.The artists will give a free concert at 7 p.m.on Friday, June 27.The deadline to register for the con-ference at the early-bird rate is June 1. More informa-tion please visit www.foundationforliturgicalmusic.org.

ALTAR GUILD FESTIVAL DEEMED A SUCCESSBy the Rev. James Wallace

On January 26, 155 men and women from 27parishes around our diocese enjoyed the hospitality ofthe Cathedral Church of the Advent for a day ofEucharist, workshops, and fellowship during the thirdDiocesan Altar Guild Festival, sponsored by our

Diocesan Altar Guild.The Rev. Canon Heidi Kinnerset the tone for the day in her homily as she likenedaltar guild to John the Baptist. Just as John prepared theway for Jesus, the altar guild prepares the way for theEucharist. John, who always pointed the way not tohimself but to Jesus, reminds us the altar guild actingquietly “behind the scenes” sets the stage for the con-gregation to meet Christ in the sharing of the breadand wine.The Rev.Alison Carmody conducted themorning workshop explaining the symbolism and useof the altar linens.After a hearty lunch Maloy Love,from Mountain Brook Florists, put new meaning intoliturgical floral arranging.Through the use of color andflower selection he demonstrated arrangements that fitbeautifully into the seasons of the Church year.

Everyone deemed the day a success, and ourDiocesan Altar Guild was able to present $1,500 toBishop Parsley for sacristy furnishings in the newchapel being built at Camp McDowell.



UPCOMING RETREATS, CONFERENCES, AND SPECIAL EVENTS

Servicios en Español/Services in SpanishIglesia Episcopal de la Gracia Sábado 6 p.m.901 Kingman Road Saturday 6 p.m.Birmingham,AL 35235 Domingo 2 p.m.205/838-2565 Sunday 2 p.m.

Iglesia Episcopal de Todos los Santos/All Saints’ Domingo 9 a.m.3rd Avenue NE/PO Box 401 Sunday 9 a.m.Aliceville,AL 35442205/372-4071

Iglesia de la Ascensión/Ascension Tercero Domingo de Mes315 Clanton Avenue 9:15 a.m.Montgomery,AL 36104 Third Sunday of the month334/263-5529 9:15 a.m.

Iglesia Episcopal de la Gracia/Grace Church Domingo, 10:30 a.m.5712 First Avenue North (beginning Easter Sunday)Birmingham,AL 35212 Sunday, 10:30 a.m.(Mrs. Magaly) 205/937-2441 (beginning Easter Sunday)

English classes are offered at La Ascensión/Ascension in Montgomery every Sunday from 4 to 5:30 p.m. If youwould like to serve as a tutor for one or more of the weekly classes, please contact Pam Long at 334/590-1441 [email protected]. For more information about services and/or Spanish-speaking classes, please contact theRev. Dr. Hernan Afanador, our Diocesan Missioner for Hispanic Ministries, at 205/381-4885 [email protected].

Food & Faith edited and compiled byMichael SchutThe writers included in this intriguing bookprompt us to explore the meaning of ourmeals.They discuss basic issues related tofood—its sacramental character, its connec-tions to health, the demise of the family

farm, the human and ecological impacts of industrialagribusiness, questions of genetically modified organisms,and world hunger.These different voices and the studyguide point to promising directions that individuals andcommunities can take to bring about a healthier and moreequitable world through the food we eat.

Simpler Living, Compassionate Life edited and compiledby Michael SchutIn this rare collection of voices, Henri Nouwen, Cecile

Andrews, Richard Foster, and others exploreour use of money, the practice of simplicity,listening to our lives, widening our circle ofcommunity, and other topics at the core ofhow we live out our faith in our homes andworkplaces. It includes a study guide for alife-changing four, six, or eight-week course

for individuals or study groups.

For information about these and other books or to have astaff member research and special order a particular book,please contact the Episcopal Book Store, 2015 Sixth AvenueNorth, Birmingham,AL 35203; 205/323-2959; e-mail:[email protected] can also visit the bookstoreonline at www.episcobooks.com.The bookstore is openMonday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundayfrom 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Diocesan Convention February 19-21, 2009, in MontgomeryCursillo Weekends #162 April 9-13, #163 June 11-15,#164 September 17-21, #165 October 15-19Episcopal Youth Event (EYE) July 8-13Parish Leadership Training Event (PLTE) April 5Province IV Youth Event June 24-30Sawyerville Day Camp June 21-29Special Session at Camp McDowell July 1-8Young People Painting Birmingham June 1-6

March 28 Midday Musical Menu featuring the University ofMontevallo Concert Choir under the direction of Robert Wright at12:30 p.m. at the Advent in Birmingham. For more information pleasecontact Music Associate Charles Kennedy at 205/226-3505 or [email protected].

March 28-30 Summer Camp Counselor Retreat at CampMcDowell led by Susanna Whitsett. For more information please contactMichael Goldsmith at 205/387-1806 or [email protected].

April 5 Parish Leadership Training Event (PLTE) with keynoter theRev. Corky Carlisle at St. Luke’s in Birmingham. For more informationplease see page 18 or contact Sarah Sartain at Carpenter House, 205/715-2060 ext. 314 or [email protected].

April 6 Organ Recital featuring concert organist Marilyn Keiser at4 p.m. at the Advent in Birmingham. For more information please con-tact Music Associate Charles Kennedy at 205/226-3505 or [email protected].

April 11-13 “Peace, Forgiveness, Reconciliation—a Weekend ofLearning, Challenge, and Transformation” led by the Rev. Dr. JohnWesterhoff and Caroline Westerhoff at Nativity in Huntsville. Formore information please contact Zara Renander, director of the nativityCenter for Pilgrimage and Reconciliation, at [email protected] 256/533.2455 ext. 212.

April 18-20 First-Ever Mother/Daughter Retreat at CampMcDowell led by the Rev. Sara-Scott Wingo, priest associate at St.Luke’s in Birmingham, and her daughter Anna. For more informationplease see page 18 or contact Michael Goldsmith at 205/387-1806 [email protected].

April 25 Midday Musical Menu featuring A Broadway Cabaret:Four for Time (Carl Dean, Jan D. Hunter, Lonnie Parsons, and KristiTingle Higginbotham) at 12:30 p.m. at the Advent in Birmingham.For more information please contact Music Associate Charles Kennedy at205/226-3505 or [email protected].

April 27 The combined choirs of St. Luke’s and St. Mary’s on-the-Highlands present Requiem by Maurice Duruflé at 4 p.m. at St.Mary’s on-the-Highlands in Birmingham. For more information pleasecontact Director of Music and Organist James Dorroh at St. Luke’s,205/871-3583 or [email protected].

April 27-May 2 Photography Retreat VII at Kanuga ConferenceCenter in Hendersonville, North Carolina. For more information pleasecall 828/692-9136, e-mail [email protected], or visit www.kanuga.org.

April 3 2nd Annual God and Jazz concert featuring the Top Secretband at 6 p.m. at St. Luke’s in Birmingham. For more informationplease contact St. Luke’s at 205/871-3583 or Livy Abele at 205/586-6069 or [email protected].

May 4-8 Fly-Fishing Retreat at Kanuga Conference Center inHendersonville, North Carolina. For more information please call828/692-9136, e-mail [email protected], or visit www.kanuga.org.

May 10 “One Size Doesn’t Fit All—How To Select Curriculum forYour Congregation” workshop led by Christian Formation specialistSharon Ely Pearson from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at St. John’s in Mont-gomery. For more information please see the description on page 18 or e-mail [email protected].

May 16 Midday Musical Menu featuring an organ recital byCathedral Music Associate Charles M. Kennedy at 12:30 p.m. at the Advent in Birmingham. For more information please contact Music Associate Charles Kennedy at 205/226-3505 or [email protected].

What’s New/Noteworthy at the Episcopal Book Store

The Creation:An Appeal to Save Life onEarth by E. O.WilsonCouched in the form of letters to aSouthern Baptist pastor, E. O.Wilson askswhy religious leaders haven’t made protect-ing the creation part of their mission. Heissues a forthright call for unity between

religion and science in order to save the “creation,” or liv-ing nature, which he says is in “deep trouble.”

Every Earthly Blessing: Rediscovering theCeltic Tradition by Esther de WaalThis concise and clear introduction toCeltic spirituality provides an overview ofall aspects of Celtic understanding. By pro-viding readers not only with a narrativebut also with the poetry and songs of theancient Celts, Esther de Waal explores

Celtic views of pilgrimage, solitude, creation, and healing.She also looks at the Celtic understanding of coreChristian concepts, including sin, sorrow, salvation, and thecross.Written accessibly, this book is excellent for parishstudy as well as individual reading.

You Can Prevent Global Warming andSave Money by Jeffrey Langholz andKelly TurnerIf you just follow the no-cost and low-cost tips in this book, you will save morethan $2,000 and prevent the emission of25,000 pounds of carbon dioxide everyyear! The book contains 51 topics, and

offers hundreds of tips and suggestions that will help youaddress this global problem.Whether you are one of thenearly 75 percent of Americans who consider themselvesenvironmentalists or you’re interested in practical ways youcan save money each year, this straightforward informationwill make this one of the most important and useful bookson your bookshelf.

Stop Global Warming:The Solution Is You!by Laurie DavidLaurie David shows how and why others(particularly young people) should getinvolved in this and other environmentalissues by explaining that global warming isnot an opinion but a scientific reality, one

that policymakers by and large have failed to address.Theshort statements by celebrities and average Americans inter-spersed throughout the text will reinforce why haltingglobal warming is so critical to our future.This importantbook will cause you to think more about our planet andchange your habits.

First to Follow:The Apostles of Jesus byJohn R. ClaypoolJohn Claypool recognized that by studyingthose whom Jesus selected as apostles andwhat he did for them, to them, with them,and through them, we can learn much abouthow we experience the holy in our own day.

In this book he shares his understanding about those apos-tles, their relationships with Jesus and with each other, andwhat the dynamics of that community can teach us.

Mark Your Calendar


AROUND OUR DIOCESE • 19

A Most Creation-FriendlyConventionBy Charles Scribner

In 2007 our diocesan Task Force for the Steward-ship of Creation asked me to lead environmentalinitiatives for the 2008 Annual Diocesan Convention.Thanks to all the Task Force volunteers and consider-able help from St. Stephen’s organizers, diocesan staff,and Sheraton employees our recent convention was themost “creation-friendly” in the history of our TaskForce and the Sheraton Birmingham!

Mark P. Noyes, general manager of the SheratonBirmingham, called us “the first convention to takesuch aggressive steps to be eco-friendly,” and Task ForceChair Dr. Eleanor DelBene added that conventionrecycling and environmental awareness had never beenbetter since the Task Force had its first booth in 2004.Indeed,Task Force member Freya Neely once againorganized a record-breaking recycling effort (includingpaper, plastic, aluminum, corrugated cardboard, and cel-

lular phones) with the much-appreciated participationof all convention attendees.

Everyone at convention learned a multitude ofconservation facts and tips from the memorable mes-sage boards designed by Eleanor and Freya and placedthroughout the meeting rooms. During Friday’sworkshops Task Force members Michael Churchmanand Lane Young taught a large audience how to con-serve water by constructing rain barrels.Theirdemonstration complemented the excellent watershedpresentation by Beth Stewart, Executive Director ofthe Cahaba River Society. Perhaps the most ground-breaking moments occurred during Bishop Parsley’sAddress when he encouraged all Christians to“embrace God’s call to us as Stewards of Creationwith new passion and commitment.” Bishop Parsleyapplauded the many “green” initiatives that have beenundertaken throughout our diocese, and he promotednew efforts including “carbon footprint” reductions atlocal parishes.After Bishop Parsley’s Address, eachparish received a seedling from a native Alabama treeto plant on their church grounds.The Task Force andits new chair, the Rev. Deacon Gerri Aston, pray thatthese trees will flourish as part of our diocese’s grow-ing Care for Creation.

The parish choirs of St. Luke’s and St. Mary’son-the-Highlands in Birmingham will presentRequiem by Maurice Duruflé at 4 p.m. at St. Mary’son-the-Highlands. Directors of Music James Dorrohand Ann Giambrone will conduct the combinedchoirs as well as an orchestra of strings, trumpets,tympani, harp, and organ. For more information please contact James Dorroh at 205/871-3583 or [email protected].

St. Luke’s in Birmingham cordially invites every-one to the parish’s 2nd Annual God and Jazz concertat 6 p.m. on Wednesday,April 30.This year’s concertfeatures the Top Secret band under the direction of

Shaun Pezant, the Music Director ofHoly Apostles’ and La Gracia’sparishes. For more information pleasecontact St. Luke’s at 205/871-3583or Livy Abele at 205/586-6069 [email protected].

Episcopal Place in Birminghamis seeking a chaplain/lay chaplainand also a part-time developmentdirector. For more information pleasecontact Executive Director JillHoogstra at 205/939-0085 [email protected] or visitwww.episcopalplace.org.

St. Francis’ in Indian Springs(Birmingham) is seeking a part-time director of religious educationfor youth go facilitate and superviseall of the parish’s children’s ministryprograms and activities. For more

information please log on to www.dioala.org and clickon the Deployment link or call St. Francis’ at205/988-4371.

St. SimonPeter’s Well-Kept SecretBy the Rev. Jeffery Garner,Rector

There is a well-keptsecret in our midst—someone we at St. Simon Peter’s are most proud of,and we want to let you in on our joy. Nestled amidour quiet, laid-back parish community, just a stone’sthrow down from the Pell City Civic Center atHighway 34 and Mays Bend Road, resides one of themost brilliant young choirmasters and organists tocome along in many years. His name is MasterWilliam Kenneth Lewis, known to most of us here asjust “Kenny.”

Born in 1987 in Birmingham, Kenny is quite pos-sibly the youngest choirmaster/organist in our dio-cese and possibly even in the Episcopal Church. Nowa sophomore at Birmingham-Southern on an OrganPerformance scholarship, Kenny is faithfully pursuinghis B.M. degree in Church Music in Organ. Heaspires to an advanced degree and becoming anAssociate Professor of Music.

Though reared in both the nondenominationaland Methodist traditions, Kenny fell in love with theAnglican tradition and sacred music through his affili-ation and confirmation at St. Luke’s in Birmingham.Kenny served as a paid singer and sub-organist for St.Luke’s until he became the choirmaster and organistat our parish in 2007. Kenny also serves as an organistfor the Saturday evening services at St. Elias’Marionite Catholic Church and as one of three stafforganists at the Alabama Theatre.

We are proud and honored to have Kenny as ourmusic enthusiast and leader, and we look forward to along and productive relationship with him. He is atreasure who has a bright and encouraging future inboth the music field and in Christ’s greater Church.Kenny, many thanks for what you have done . . . whatyou are doing . . . and for what you will do in yourpromising future to the glory of God!


MAILING ADDRESSES ANDDEADLINES

Postmaster, parishes, and individuals, please sendall address changes to Circulation Secretary DeniseServant, Carpenter House, 521 North 20th Street,Birmingham,AL 35203-2682; 205/715-2060 ext. 300;E-mail [email protected].

Please send all submissions to Editor NormaMcKittrick (205/979-2680). Please E-mail text [email protected]; mail photographs and printed materials to 2156 Kent Way, Birmingham,AL 35226.

The submission deadline for the May issue is April 1;the deadline for the June issue is May 1.


Charles Scribner, Eleanor DelBene, Gerri Aston, and Freya Neelywith one of four recycling loads carried away from convention in ahybrid car to the AEC Recycling Center in Birmingham

Dr. Marilyn Keiser, a concert organist and profes-sor of music at Indiana University, will present a freeconcert at 4 p.m. on Sunday,April 6. Her programwill include works by J. S. Bach, Joseph Rheinberger,Herbert Howells, Louis Vierne, Henri Mulet,AlecWyton, Dan Locklair, and Robert Powell.

The Men and Boys Choir ofSt.Thomas’ in New York Citywill present a concert of sacredmusic at 7:30 p.m. on Monday,April 28. St.Thomas’ Organistand Director of Music John Scottwill direct the internationally

acclaimed choir. For information about tickets for this concert,please contact Music Associate Charles Kennedy at 205/226-3505or [email protected].

Cathedral Church of the AdventPresents Special Concerts

Kenny Lewis

the apostle - amazon s3s3.amazonaws.com/dfc_attachments/public/documents/100351/... ·...

Documents