President Paul Kennedy Spends First Year Visiting All Churches in Central Deanery

Central Deanery President Paul Kennedy took it upon himself to visit every church in his deanery for a Sunday service in the first year of his three-year term.

“Truly, this is the greatest honor, to support and grow 24 churches in the Central Deanery,” he explained. “It excited me! Without this, I wouldn’t have met so many amazing people and had so many wonderful experiences.”

A deanery is a geographical section or area within a diocese. It is presided over by a dean, who oversees the lay representatives and clergy of the deanery. The deanery serves as a support network for the clergy and parishioners, facilitating communication and collaboration within the community. Deaneries are also where the bishop meets with clergy and parishioners to discuss matters of faith and governance.

Five deaneries make up the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida: Central, Northeast, Southeast, Northwest and Southwest. They encompass a variety of parishes across 15 counties in Central Florida, comprising 80 churches in all.

As deanery president, Kennedy represents the lay members. “I asked Canon to the Ordinary Dan Smith if there was a manual to do this job and what I would have to do,” he explained. “He said, ‘Represent as best you can, listen, be a sounding board and serve on the Diocesan Board once a month. Meet as many people in the deanery as you can.’ He inspired me to visit the parishes.”

Outgoing Central Deanery President David Johnson helped Kennedy understand and prepare for his position. “He helped me so much in learning the job,” Kennedy said. “He said, ‘Try to assist.’ So I said, ‘I will try.’

“God selects ordinary people to do remarkable things,” he continued. “I am the chipmunk at the bottom of the totem pole. I feel like I am the least qualified. I am in a deanery of heroes. I’m just trying to serve the greater good.”

“I went out to meet the clergy and membership just to meet them,” Kennedy said. “When I announced my intention to do that at the Diocesan Board meeting after I was elected, the Rev. Sara Oxley quietly slid her business card to me. Church of the Good Shepherd, Maitland, [where Oxley then served as rector] was the first parish I visited.”

The deanery president enjoyed all his visits. “There is not a congregation in the deanery that is not an elevation or revelation in its own right,” he said. “I’m the beneficiary of all the clergy’s wisdom in the deanery and the diocese.”

Kennedy was in awe at the Sign of Peace at the Spanish-speaking parishes. “During what is usually a five-minute ritual, a 15-minute fiesta of love breaks out,” he said. “It’s so genuine and spectacular!”

The contemporary service at All Saints, Winter Park, also surprised him. “It was amazing!” he said. “Rev. Stu Shelby was in his priestly vestments, conducting the service on his own. The praise band, which included bongo drums, created such a spirit of worship. Young families with children made up most of the congregation. I think 100 children were at the service. Stu’s homily was wonderful.”

“The Sunday I attended St. John’s, Kissimmee, the now-Rev. Carlos Cabrera [former Diocesan Board member and now a resident at Grace, Ocala] made sure I knew who everyone was,” Kennedy said. “He broke the ice for me.”

The final parish he visited was Holy Cross, Sanford. “Rev. Jared Jones is doing great things there,” he said. “It’s a historic church, and it was wonderful to see all the plaques and photos.”

Kennedy never announced that he would be at a particular church on any given Sunday. “I sat in the back, observed and listened,” he said. “I made notes in my head.”

This is his first time working with the deanery. “Bishop Dabney Smith asked me to stand for election. I am a member of the Cathedral, and have been on the Library Board, a lector, an usher and a very enthusiastic belfry bell ringer.”

“I was confirmed at The Cathedral in 2000,” Kennedy said. “My marriage was blessed by Dean Reggie Kidd at the Cathedral. The Cathedral is my home. But after my visits, I feel like I now have 24 homes.”

He is excited to begin his second year of service. “Our relationship with Christ is a personal one, so we use the personal pronoun ‘I’ in our thoughts, our witness and our prayers,” he said. “What I have found during my visits is that when we worship and elevate the Lord, we become the ‘we.’ My duties make me a small part of the ‘we,’ and I am so excited about that!”