The Very Rev. Porter C. Taylor, dean of the Southeast Deanery, has announced that the deanery has raised $15,000 for United Society Partners in the Gospel to provide humanitarian relief and assistance in Ukraine. The Diocese of Central Florida will also contribute $5,000 from the $1 million Lilly Grant it was awarded in December 2020.
The deanery-wide effort was agreed upon during a clergy meeting in March 2022. All rectors appealed to their parishes to give throughout Lent, but funds continued to trickle in during Eastertide.
Assistance to Ukraine was the primary impetus for this effort, but the clergy of the Southeast Deanery are also committed to partnering together in new ways. “One of the blessings of this joint venture has been the opportunity to share in mission and ministry as a deanery,” Taylor said. “Geographically, the deanery spans 127 miles and about two hours from tip to tail, which makes on-the-ground partnerships difficult. Raising funds for Ukraine has allowed our local, parochial focus to shift to a global perspective while also bringing a sense of camaraderie among our clergy and parishioners.”
March 2022 Southeast Deanery clergy meeting at St. David’s by-the-Sea in Cocoa Beach, Florida | Photo Credit: The Rev. Canon Ellis Brust
During their March 2022 meeting, clergy discussed the fact that many of their parishioners know they belong to the diocese, but few understand that they are a part of a deanery as well. This partnership changed that. Over half of the churches in the deanery participated and contributed funds.
“It has been truly special seeing our parishes come together in an outreach effort, watching as men and women gave beyond their usual tithes and offerings during challenging economic times in order to aid our sisters and brothers in Ukraine,” said The Rev. Tracy Dugger, rector of Nativity, Port St. Lucie, one of the churches that participated in this fundraiser. “Our deanery-wide goal was $5,000. I was so thrilled when I found out that we raised three times that before the Lilly Grant contribution.”
The USPG has partnered with the Church of England’s Diocese in Europe to collect funds for these efforts. In its petition for support, USPG noted, “Funds raised by the appeal will support Christian charities and churches carrying out humanitarian work both in Ukraine and responding to the arrival of refugees in neighbouring countries.
“Our partners on the ground are providing food, medicine, shelter, care for children and people internally displaced in Ukraine. With refugees they are supplying care at the border and beyond, including attention to those from Africa and Asia as well as Ukrainians who are fleeing the war.”
“Our church was honored to be a part of this,” said the Rev. Canon Ellis Brust, rector of St. Andrew’s, Fort Pierce. “We believe that helping those who have been displaced by war is another iteration of loving our neighbor and therefore a gospel imperative. Our call was to be faithful to Jesus by building bridges of grace.”
The clergy of the Southeast Deanery hope to continue working together not just in outreach efforts, but also in collaborative seminars, workshops, evangelism events and fellowship opportunities for clergy and their families. “God is at work in and through our deanery, and it’s so exciting to see,” Taylor said. “There is much work to be done, and I’m grateful to have these partners in mission and ministry.”
Find more information about the emergency call for funds from USPG at this link.