January 26, 2008

The Rt. Rev. John W. Howe

 

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”  (Philippians 1:2)

 

I welcome you to the Thirty-Ninth Annual Convention of the Diocese of Central Florida, and I want to thank our hosts here at St. James Episcopal Church.  It is good to be back in Ormond Beach!  Special thanks to all who have helped with set-up, registration, transportation, the music and liturgy, and hospitality in general.

 

            Canon Bennett suggested that I warn you to fasten your seat belts, as the first part of this ride is going to be a bit bumpy. 

 

Update Regarding “Disaffiliation” 

 

I want to begin with an update on recent events.

 

I think most of you know that on October 18, 2007 seven Rectors, two Church Planters, nine Senior Wardens, and their two lawyers came to see me, and our Chancellors, at Diocesan House.  They had all decided to “disaffiliate” from The Episcopal Church, and therefore, from the Diocese of Central Florida, as well.  They said their congregations were behind them in their respective decisions.

 

My life has been completely consumed by this for the last three months, as has Ernie Bennett’s.  It has taken hundreds of hours of attention by our Chancellors, Butch Wooten and Bill Grimm.  There have been extra meetings of the Diocesan Board and Standing Committee.  And our staff has been pushed to the limit.

 

Our desire and commitment have been to deal with this in as Christlike a manner as possible, and if possible to avoid litigation and any kind of recrimination. 

 

I am very pleased to be able to report that as of a week ago Thursday we “signed off” on agreements with eight of the nine congregations whose clergy came to see us back in October.

 

Let me give you some brief details:

 

At St. Anne’s, Crystal River, the Rector, Kevin Holsapple, had a complete change of heart.  He told me he could not go through with this, even if it cost him his job.  I told him I would do everything I could to ensure it would not.  His announcement was greeted with great appreciation by most of the congregation, many of whom had not embraced the plan to “disaffiliate” in the first place. 

 

At St. Edward’s, Mount Dora, the Rector, Woody Volland, and a portion of the congregation left as of December 31, 2007.  The former Rector, Bob Maurais, who retired in 1996, is back in place as Interim Rector.  Some parishioners who had left in recent months have begun coming back. 

 

In Gloria Dei, Cocoa, the congregation is virtually unanimous in wanting to become an independent community church, and the Diocesan Board has agreed to rent the facilities to them for the next three years.  We will need to reevaluate at that point.  When I met with the Rector, Paul Young, and the Vestry last month they said they had lost a lot of their members, and they hoped that in becoming independent some of them might return.

 

            At Holy Cross, Winter Haven, the Rector, Andy Doan, and a portion of the congregation left after services on January 6, 2008.  Fr. John Wright, a retired clergyman from Maryland who has worshipped at Holy Cross this past year, has become Interim Rector as of January 7.  We had an interesting Annual Meeting at Holy Cross on the seventh.  The congregation elected a vestry, Senior and Junior Wardens, a Secretary, a Treasurer, a new Altar Guild Director, a new Head of the Ushers; they appointed a Musician, elected delegates to this Convention, passed a budget, and reflected on a homily by the Bishop…in a meeting that lasted exactly 50 minutes! 

 

At Good Shepherd, Maitland, the Rector, John Nyhan, and a portion of the congregation are planning to leave early next month.  Canon Bennett chaired an Annual Meeting for the remaining congregation there just three nights ago.  They, too, elected a vestry, Wardens and other officers, made decisions and appointments.  But, for whatever reason, it took Ernie three hours to get through that meeting.  Fr. Reid McCormick has agreed to become Interim Rector.  Reid has previously served at All Saints, Winter Park, and Emmanuel, Orlando.  Reid and Jackie are traveling this weekend, and could not be with us.

 

Grace, Ocala, hosts and sponsors a school by the same name, though it is actually a separate corporation.  The school has been bursting its facilities for some time, and it has recently been given a fifty-acre plot of land about three miles away.  The plan is for the school to become independent, still Christian, and for the Rector, Don Curran, and a portion of the congregation to leave and build a new community church on the school property.  The Assistant Rector, Jonathan French, will become Interim Rector at Grace.  This plan, by the way, has the full support of the donor of the land.  Don Curran has been President of the Standing Committee up until last Thursday, when he submitted his resignation; and I want to say: Don, we are going to miss you. 

 

We had two “Church Plants” that began just last year: St. Philips, Lake Nona, and St. Nicholas, Poinciana.  Neither of them had grown to the stage of becoming “Organized Missions,” so, technically neither of them was actually “affiliated” with the Diocese.  But the “Church Planters,” Paul Jagoe and Geoff Boland, and the members of those two congregations left as of November fifteenth and January first, respectively.  St. Philips has given the Diocese a $10,000 “tithe” of their start-up money, and St. Nicholas plans to return the $25,000 given by the Diocese during 2007.

 

In all of these situations I am very pleased we have been able to avoid litigation or acrimony.  We are very conscious of the fact that we remain brothers and sisters in Christ with those who have felt the need to leave The Episcopal Church.  This is a sad time, in many ways, as we part company with folks with whom we have worked and worshipped.  But we bid them Godspeed, and I would like to ask all of us to think of this as a time of new beginnings rather than endings.

 

This leaves us with Trinity, Vero Beach, one of our largest congregations, and one that has a magnificent physical plant, with a new, state-of-the-art main church building completed just within the past couple of years.  The Rector, Lorne Coyle, all of the staff, and a large portion of the congregation apparently wish to “disaffiliate.”  But there is a significant Remnant of the congregation that does not.  This has yet to be resolved, and I ask your prayers for everyone involved.

 

Separating the Twins

 

Let me share an anecdote with you.  On January seventh I received emails from Woody Volland, former Rector of St. Edward’s, Mount Dora, who had just had his first service with the departing congregation, and Bob Maurais, Interim Rector, who had just had his second Sunday with the continuing congregation.  Both were rejoicing in the Lord.  Both reported wonderful worship the day before.  Both saw the Holy Spirit moving in their midst anointing and blessing God’s people.

 

And a powerful image came to mind.  On the last day of General Convention 2006, our newly elected Presiding Bishop, Katharine Jefferts Schori, said that The Episcopal Church is of two minds, especially on the sexuality issues.  She compared us to conjoined twins, saying “this body of Christ is not wholly one and not wholly two.”  And she reminded us how difficult and dangerous it is to separate conjoined twins.

 

And I thought to myself: “That’s exactly what we’ve done!” – at least at St. Edward’s, Mount Dora.  And now in all these other places, as well. 

 

There are those who simply have to leave The Episcopal Church for conscience sake.  I understand that.  I don’t agree, but I don’t believe we should punish them.  We shouldn’t sue them.  We shouldn’t depose the clergy.  Our brokenness is a tragedy.  The litigation that is going on in so many places is a travesty.

 

And although some seem to be trying to do so, I don’t think you can hold a Church together by taking everybody you disagree with to court.

 

One year ago I stood before you and said, “This is my promise: if there are those who decide to leave I will be more fair-minded and generous to them than any policy that could possibly be established.  And I don’t have to ask you to believe that; I’ve proven it.”

 

Well, Dear Friends, we have proven it, again (and again, several times).  As I promised we would, we have said to those leaving, “Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.”

 

You all know that personally I am no happier than those who are departing about some of the recent decisions of The Episcopal Church.  But I am committed to staying the course for as long as it is possible to remain both an Episcopalian and an Anglican.  And the Archbishop of Canterbury has given me, personally, and all the world, assurances:

 

“…that any Diocese compliant with [the] Windsor [Report and the requests made by the Primates of the Anglican Communion] remains clearly in communion with Canterbury and the mainstream of the Communion, whatever may be the longer-term result for others in The Episcopal Church.”

 

            In his Advent Letter he reiterated his commitment to developing an “Anglican Covenant” that will further spell out what it means for a Province or a Diocese to continue in full constituent membership in the Communion.  He said that a significant part of the agenda for this summer’s Lambeth Conference will “relate to implementing the recommendations of Windsor, including the development of a Covenant.”

 

            I don’t honestly know whether that will be enough to hold the Communion together, but I believe that is the only possible hope we have of doing so.  I have accepted the Archbishop’s invitation to participate in the Lambeth Conference, and I ask your prayers for the Bishops throughout the world as we prepare for our time together next July and early August.

 

            This has been a very difficult three months, and we are not finished with it, yet.  But we are getting through it.  And we will get through it.  And I believe God still has a wonderful future for the Diocese of Central Florida and the congregations of the Diocese.  And in the midst of all the “disaffiliating,” we are about to officially welcome, and celebrate the birth of, our newest congregation.  And isn’t it lovely that its name is: Corpus Christi, “the Body of Christ” – a reminder of who we are, all of us, and that we need each other. 

 

            St. Paul said, “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”  And he compared us to the various parts of the human body, all needing each other and interacting together.  You know the passage.  “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you,’ nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’”  And because one part is not another it cannot cay, “I do not belong to the body.”  Many members, each different, all needed, no spare parts.  (c.f. 1 Corinthians 12:14-27)

 

            Corpus Christi: it is our newest congregation; and I promise you, it will not be our last one!  Some are going to walk a different path, but we are going to continue to grow, evangelize, disciple, and plant churches.

 

Church Planting Conference

 

            Two and a half months from now, April 10–12, Thursday evening through Saturday morning, the Diocese of Central Florida is sponsoring a conference called “Church Planting/Church Growth…A Kingdom Mandate.”  We will be meeting at All Saints, Winter Park, and I hope many of you will plan on being there.  This is a conference that can very much help the congregations that need to rebuild.  And it will also provide practical information about starting something new for those congregations that are strong enough to do so. 

 

            There is a brochure about this conference in your packet, but let me underscore a couple of things regarding it.

 

            Dr. Steve Childers, President of Global Church Advancement, and Professor of Practical Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary, will be one of the keynoters.  This is his statement from the conference brochure:

 

“The Church really is the hope of the world.  Think about it.  The Church is the only institution in the world both designed and equipped by God for the spiritual, cultural and social renewal of all nations.  Governmental organizations, educational institutions, and even specialized ministries…are addressing many of today’s most pressing global concerns.  But there are no organizations that can parallel the potential long-term, holistic, transformational impact on the world like healthy, growing, reproducing churches.”

 

            I have long believed that is absolutely correct, and the brochure also reprints a comment I made some time ago:

 

“The best way to see the Kingdom of God grow is through planting new churches.  It is our best tool of evangelism, and we are committed to seeing the Kingdom expand in Central Florida into the hearts and lives of men and women, young and old, rich and poor, strong and weak, every language and culture.  The Great Commandment (loving God and loving others) plus the Great Commission (going into all the world to proclaim the Gospel) is the formula for a Great Church!”

 

            The Rev. Mike Atkins, Senior Pastor of the Chapel at River Crossing in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, is one of the other keynoters.  Mike is known to many of you, having done a number of conferences and teaching weekends in various Central Florida parishes. Mike is a seasoned church planter with a remarkable gift for communicating Biblical truth in fresh and practical ways.

 

            The conference itself is only $25.  Hotel accommodations will obviously add a lot more to that. But if you would prefer, several All Saints families are opening their homes to those who would like to stay with them without charge.

 

            As far as I am concerned, it is long since time to get on with the work of the Gospel, and this conference will help us do it.  So, put it on your calendar, and plan on coming – April 10-12. 

 

Clergy and Seminarians

 

            Let me move on to some other matters.  During the past year eight new Rectors and two new Assistants were called into the Diocese.  And, apart from those congregations working through the “disaffiliation” issues, we have a record low of two vacancies for Rectors at this moment.  Evidently, Central Florida is still a place where a lot of clergy want to serve.

 

            During 2007 we ordained five persons to the Vocational Diaconate, and nine to the transitional Diaconate and Priesthood.   And, if you include ordinations done on my behalf by other bishops, as of last month we passed the number 250 in terms of new ordinations to the diaconate and priesthood during my time here. 

 

            There are currently eleven seminarians attending the following seminaries: Asbury, here in Orlando, Nashota House in Wisconsin, The School of Theology at the University of the South in Tennessee, Trinity School for Ministry in Pennsylvania, and Berkley Divinity School at Yale in Connecticut.  During 2007 the Diocese of Central Florida was able to assist these seminarians with some $55,000 of tuition support.

 

            The Commission on Ministry is currently tracking the discernment process for thirty-four individuals: thirteen aspiring to the Vocational Diaconate and twenty-one aspiring to the Priesthood.  And some twenty-four persons attended the September Conference on Ministry, to learn about licensed lay ministry and the ordained ministry.  That is back up to historic highs.  God is still calling people into ministry leadership.

 

The Institute for Christian Studies

 

            Our own Institute for Christian Studies is known around the country for the fine quality and organization of its program, and we often respond to inquiries from other dioceses regarding the process of creating and retooling such programs. Most recently a representative of the Diocese of Southwest Florida visited and returned home with an armload of materials and ideas.

 

            The Religion Studies year has the largest group of enthusiastic students in several years; most in this group of first year students anticipate completing - God willing and the people consenting - both the School of Continuing Education and the School of Diaconal Training (for a total of four years).

 

            The Parish Health Ministry program has been awarded a generous grant from the Winter Park Health Foundation.  So, great things are happening.

 

            And overall, the quality and commitment of both the students and the instructors remains very high.  I believe we have the absolutely finest Adult Education program and School for Diaconal Training of any Diocese in the country.

 

Youth Ministry

 

            Our Diocesan Youth Ministry programs are designed to cooperate with, strengthen, and supplement what is happening in our congregations.  Everything we are doing is aimed at attracting young people to Christ, introducing them to him, helping them get to know and trust him in a personal way, and encouraging them to become true disciples.

 

            This is all obviously counter-cultural.  And if you know anything at all about young people, you know that their greatest need is for reinforcement by other kids who are also committed to following Christ.  So, it was absolutely wonderful to see over 400 students and leaders converge on Camp Wingmann for last year’s Great Youth Celebration.  At the closing Eucharist all the students donated school supplies for our Companion Diocese, Honduras.

 

            Last summer’s “Engage” event represented a new level of commitment to equipping students with an integrated Biblical worldview.  Engage is a four-day, intensive discipleship event dedicated to increasing senior high students’ knowledge of the Biblical narrative and applying the Word of God in their everyday lives.

 

            Our annual discipleship weekends for middle and senior high students - New Beginnings, BCAD (“Baptismal Covenant and Discipleship”), and Emerge – are all aimed at helping students become passionate about following Jesus Christ.  Hundreds of students and leaders are impacted deeply through these events every year.

 

            Monthly networking meetings with the professional and volunteer youth leaders to provide the very best in training events and fellowship opportunities remains a priority commitment as we move into 2008.

 

Natural Disasters

 

            2007 was a relatively gentle year for Central Florida from a “natural disaster” perspective.  Happily, we were spared most of the dire events predicted by many of the weather forecasters.  The major exception was the series of violent tornadoes that tore through the area on February 2, predictably dubbed, by the media, the “Groundhog Day Tornadoes.”

 

            Fortunately, there was no serious damage to any of our churches.  However, we gave a significant gift to the Lady Lake Church of God whose building was demolished.  We had several parishioners who experienced everything from damage to a few items to the loss of an entire home.  Some folks had to be removed to other locations, and a family member of one of our parishioners was killed.

 

            Numerous trips were made to the various impacted areas by our clergy and parishioners.  Hand-to-hand assistance was given, ranging from food, clothing, and assistance with obtaining emergency housing, medical attention, and help in many other ways.  Two of our clergy, Meg Ingalls and Don Lyon, especially, were among the first responders, able to relieve a great deal of the hurt, loss, and frustration being experienced by the victims of the storms. We are working closely with Habitat for Humanity to provide new housing for some of those who have lost their homes.

 

            Outside the Diocese there have been other disastrous events that we have helped address.  From ongoing Hurricane Katrina assistance to the California fires to the Honduras hurricane, we have been active in collecting and disbursing funds to aid victims.

 

            We have learned that immediate and mass relief to stricken areas is usually best facilitated by sending money, rather than items.  Accordingly, we put out the calls and the response has been prompt every time.  During 2007 the Diocese of Central Florida collected and distributed approximately $116,000 in relief grants to victims around the globe.

 

Risk Management

 

            We continue the very highest level of commitment to “Risk Management.”  Since we began the “Safeguarding God’s Children” program for the protection of children and youth, approximately 5,000 people have completed the training either in a classroom setting on through the Armatus on-line training.

 

            Canon Ernie Bennett is part of a group working with the Church Pension Fund to update the training that is currently available.  The new program is scheduled to be released later this year.

 

What’s Next for the Diocese?

 

            In closing, let me return to the subject I began with.  Last Monday the President of the Prayer Book Society, Dr. Peter Toon, published a most provocative piece which we have linked to the Diocesan web site.  It is entitled, “On Seceding from The Episcopal Church: But Where to Go?”

 

            Toon raises a number of essential questions for anyone thinking of “disaffiliating” or “realigning.”  They boil down to a very strong caution: look extremely carefully before you leap.  He says,

 

“Before exiting [from The Episcopal Church] you have to decide what kind of an ‘Anglican’ you wish to be: a…traditional one…a contemporary-style evangelical, charismatic one…or something in between….  To do justice to the possibilities will take you a very long time in study and research.  And be aware that those who sell their group to you will probably not tell you of its weakness and faults!”

 

            Note that “Anglican” is in quotation marks in that statement.  Because, while people can call themselves anything they like, the only true “Anglicans” are those in full communion with Canterbury.  The Anglican Mission in the Americas, The Convocation of Anglicans in North America, the Reformed Episcopal Church, the Charismatic Episcopal Church, the Evangelical Episcopal Church, the Anglican Province in America, and so on…are NOT.

 

            So, the process of “disaffiliation,” and “realignment” – in order to be more truly “Anglican” seems to me a fairly specious and vain enterprise.  The way to remain Anglican - at least for now - is to remain Episcopalian!

 

            Jon Davis reminded me of a scene in that most quintessential “guy movie,” Braveheart.  (That’s my second favorite movie, by the way, after Titanic.  You can ponder the combination of those preferences.)  William Wallace has just been knighted, and the Nobles are all bickering about crowning a King for Scotland: who should it be?  Wallace gets up to leave.  “Sir William – Stop!  Wait!  Where are you going?”  He answers, in effect, “While you sit and argue I’m going to go take York.”  And he does!

 

            And I say: let those who want to engineer some novel connection to the Anglican Communion attempt to do so.  For me, it’s time to take Central Florida for Christ.  Let’s go for it.

Warmest regards in our Lord,

 

+ John W. Howe