Over the past four years, The Rev. José Rodríguez and the Iglesia Episcopal Jesús de Nazaret in the Azalea Park neighborhood of Orlanod have stepped up to lead the community with voter drives and natural disaster relief. Now, the church is on the front lines of the effort to combat COVID-19, conducting a series of…
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One priest married to another brings change and challenge, delight and demands. “The biggest challenge for me is the calendar maintenance, making sure we know when the other is called to be at their parish for an event and knowing if the other’s presence is needed,” said The Rev. Phyllis Bartle, rector of St. Jude’s,…
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Originally from Kenya, The Rev. Samuel Nsengiyumva was called to be the new rector at Holy Trinity, Fruitland Park. He previously served congregations in Maryland, Wisconsin and Indiana after arriving in the United States in 1998. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biblical studies with minors in Christian ministries and community development from Daystar University…
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The 52nd Annual Diocesan Convention was literally a virtual success! This first-ever virtual Convention streamed live on Zoom and YouTube from Canterbury Retreat and Conference Center on Feb. 6, 2021, and was well-received by diocesan staff, delegates and the viewing public. The four-hour event kicked off with Bishop Brewer gaveling the meeting to order followed…
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Priests who are married to a fellow priest encounter both ups and downs. At least that’s what the three diocesan couples who spoke with the Central Florida Episcopalian say about the unique rewards and challenges of their dually ordained status. For The Rev. Canon Ellis Brust, rector at St. Andrew’s, Ft. Pierce, and The Rev….
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With recent events, such as the killing of George Floyd and subsequent Black Lives Matter demonstrations provoking a national conversation on race, one church made a big effort to bring people together to discuss a way forward. As profiled in the Nov.-Dec. 2020 issue of the Central Florida Episcopalian, The Rev. Jeremy Bergstrom of St….
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On Monday, Feb. 8, 2021, The Rt. Rev. Gregory O. Brewer, bishop of the Diocese of Central Florida, conducted a service at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke in downtown Orlando ordaining four candidates to the Transitional Diaconate. The diaconate is one of the three clerical orders in the Episcopal Church: deacons, priests and bishops….
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Join Bishop Gregory O. Brewer at the 52nd Diocesan Convention as he reviews the highlights and challenges of an unprecedented year in the life of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida. Bishop Brewer delivers a stirring address as he expounds on his convention theme of Weaker, Deeper, Stronger. Throughout Scripture, we witness a pattern of…
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“Weaker, Deeper, Stronger.” Those words not only form Bishop Brewer’s theme for the Feb. 6, 2021, annual Diocesan Convention but provide both context and clarity for the event. “The theme is profound,” says diocesan Director of Communications Erik Guzman. “I think the annual convention, and what we’re doing in putting on an all-virtual convention, is…
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John Pfeiffer had his life all figured out. A retired computer programmer, he describes himself as a “good Episcopalian” who went to church on Easter, Christmas and whenever his late wife, Lynn, asked him to attend. She served as the longtime church organist and choir director at St. Mary’s, Belleview, and urged him to come…
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