Central Florida Episcopalian Online

The Diocese of Central Florida has been awarded a $15,000 Reflective Practices for Project Sustainability grant through Leadership Education at Duke Divinity, an initiative funded by the Lilly Endowment Inc. In December of 2020, the Diocese of Central Florida was awarded a $1 million Thriving in Ministry grant. The majority of the Thriving in Ministry…

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Advent is a season of waiting, one in which Christians throughout the world anticipate the celebration of the birth of Christ. But in the case of the Diocese of Central Florida, Advent 2022 is also a season of waiting for the election of its fifth bishop. The Search Committee has selected the three candidates, and…

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The Rt. Rev. Gregory O. Brewer ordained his final group of deacons on Dec. 7 in a service at Church of the Messiah, Winter Garden. The Rev. Garcia Barnswell-Schmidt, The Rev. Elliott Drake, The Rev. Elizabeth “Libby” Garfield and The Rev. Jacob “Jake” Schlossberg all received ordination as transitional deacons. As required by the Canons…

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The Rev. Dr. Robert Strenth, one of the newest priests in the Diocese of Central Florida, has been called to serve as rector of St. Matthew’s, Orlando. His ordination took place Nov. 19 at Holy Cross, Sanford. Strenth had been serving Holy Cross as a deacon there since 2017 but sensed a call to the…

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God continues to move through the Diocese of Central Florida’s bishop search process, now entering its final phase. Even before The Rt. Rev. Gregory O. Brewer’s official announcement at the 2022 Diocesan Convention of his July 2023 retirement at age 72, as mandated by the canons of The Episcopal Church, the Standing Committee had put…

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The annual diocesan Clergy Conference followed the theme of this year’s guest speaker, The Rt. Rev. Dr. Jo Bailey Wells, who urged participants toward the challenge of “going deeper” in faith and fellowship amid the peaceful setting of Canterbury Conference Center in Oviedo. Held Monday afternoon, Oct. 24, through Wednesday noon, Oct. 26, the conference…

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The Rev. Andrew Lazo is the newest participant in the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida’s residency program, serving as apprentice rector at Church of the Messiah, Winter Garden. The Houston, Texas, native and his wife, bestselling author Dr. Christin Ditchfield, made the move to Central Florida from Virginia in June and have quickly felt at…

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In a neighborhood safely out of a flood zone, The Rev. Jason Murbarger, rector of St. Mary’s, Daytona Beach, looked out of his window mid-day on Thursday, Sept. 29, to check on his property in the onslaught of Hurricane Ian. Water extended halfway over the sidewalk in front of the house, and since it was…

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Two priests, both women. Both serving in the Diocese of Central Florida. Both ordained within days of each other by The Rt. Rev. Gregory O. Brewer. Different ages, different gifts, different journeys. But The Rev. Laura “Lo” Cook and The Rev. Kay Mueller share a love of God, people and The Episcopal Church that transcends…

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    ACTUALIZACIÓN DE LA GIRA DIOCESANA: Después de consultar con el Comité Permanente, el Comité de Transición y el Comité de Búsqueda de Obispos, el horario de la Gira Diocesana ha sido cambiado debido a la tormenta tropical inminente/Cat. 1 Huracán Nicole. La noche original del miércoles 9 de noviembre, preguntas y respuestas en…

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