Curry

The Diocese of Central Florida will be part of a worldwide mission to invite those interested in being ordained into the ancient order of priesthood in modern-day society when the Ancient Order, Radical Vocation (RADVO) Conference is held this week in Dallas, Texas.

“The main purpose of the conference is to talk about Anglicanism and invite those who are interested in serving and leading within the Episcopal Church to join us,” said the Rev. Canon Dr. Justin Holcomb, Canon for Vocations in the Diocese of Central Florida.

As co-sponsor in this first-time event, the Diocese of Central Florida will send at least 10 people to the conference, scheduled to be held Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Sept. 20-22, at Church of the Incarnation, 3966 McKinney St., in Dallas. Bishop Greg Brewer, along with Holcomb; Deacon Caroline Miller, Grace Episcopal Church, Ocala; three or four priests, and four seminarians will make up the diocese’s contingent, Holcomb said.

“We will have a great representation,” Holcomb said.

The Diocese of Central Florida is pairing with the Diocese of Dallas in putting on the conference, which will serve as a continuing education resource for clergy and laity, as well as an opportunity for people discerning a potential call to ordination in the radical vocation Anglican ministry.

The three-day event will feature some of the top leaders in the Anglican and Episcopal communion, including the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. Welby will preach at the opening Evensong.

Welby

“I’m thrilled to have Presiding Bishop Curry and Archbishop Welby there,” Holcomb said. “The fact that they wanted to be there shows that this is an important event for them in discussing Anglicanism and also recruiting leaders to lead and serve.

“To have the presiding Bishop for our denomination of the United States, that’s huge,” Holcomb said, “especially given his time constraints and how busy he is. And to have the Archbishop, the role that he plays of the highest level of influence … for him to give his time to be there is huge.”

Holcomb said this conference has been two years in the making. He said he been working closely with the Rev. Dr. Jeremy Bergstrom, Canon for Vocations in the Diocese of Dallas.

The two have helped plan a multi-faceted event. The conference will help explain what ministry looks like in the Anglican tradition and provide an outlet for those reflecting on a possible calling to ordination to priesthood. Participants do not need to be Anglican to attend this conference, and seasoned clergy also are invited to come.

Participants will have the opportunity to listen to an array of top speakers, including Welby. Also scheduled to speak are: Stanley Hauerwas of Duke Divinity School in Durham, North Carolina; Oliver O’Donovan, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland UK; Ephraim Radner, Wycliffe College, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and N.T. Wright, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland UK.

“The speakers are also top-notch speakers within the worldwide Anglican Communion,” Holcomb said.

Holcomb said the biggest takeaway he hopes to gain from the event is to “invite more to discern with us that we might be a good spot, that the Anglican Communion would be a good place for them to lead and serve.”

For more information, access https://radvoco.org/ on the internet.