New Episcopal bishop consecrated at Savannah’s historic Christ Church

From Georgia-

Following a holy ceremony combining centuries-old traditions and modern technology to abide by COVID-19 precautions, Frank Logue was ordained and consecrated as the 11th Bishop of Georgia at Savannah’s historic Christ Church Episcopal on Saturday, May 30.

After the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia elected Logue to lead as bishop in November 2019, Saturday’s ceremony was originally scheduled to take place at Savannah’s Johnny Mercer Theater to accommodate a large audience. However, after the ongoing pandemic precluded crowded gatherings, the ceremony was moved to Christ Church on Johnson Square, according to Rev. William Willoughby III of Savannah’s Collegiate Church of Saint Paul the Apostle.

On Saturday morning, Christ Church was equipped with multiple cameras so that the ceremony could be livestreamed on the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia’s YouTube channel, while chorus and clergy members participated in the ceremony online from remote locations. Bottles of hand sanitizer were placed around the pulpit, and Logue wore a face mask during the proceedings.

More here-

https://www.savannahnow.com/news/20200530/new-episcopal-bishop-consecrated-at-savannahs-historic-christ-church

Keeping Faith: Savannah churches adjust to hurdles through COVID-19 outbreak

From Georgia (with video)-

The red doors at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church have been closed for weeks, but the Rev. Guillermo Arboleda is adjusting to the new normal. 

“Extended through Easter, now we’re until further notice, we’re on hold," Arboleda said from his Midtown home. 

While churches aim to support local families and communities, that job is made even harder during a time when their resources are cut short. Like many others, Arboleda has switched his congregation's church services online through Facebook live streams.

“So I gather with my musicians, and we put on something that’s similar to a service with my iPhone and tripod I bought for $15 on Amazon," Arboleda said. 

More here-

https://www.wjcl.com/article/keeping-faith-savannah-churches-adjust-to-hurdles-through-covid-19-outbreak/32308873

Denominations representing Augusta churches opt to keep doors closed

From Georgia-

In response to Gov. Brian Kemp’s order Monday that would permit churches to meet in-person beginning Sunday, several denominations representing some churches in the Augusta area have issued statements stating they would not hold services in their buildings.

The Rev. Scott Benhase, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia, announced today the 70 parishes that comprise the diocese in southern Georgia would not meet “for the foreseeable future.”

“Infectious disease experts agree that before we can resume in-person worship responsibly, the number of new COVID-19 cases must be in decline and rapid diagnostic testing must be readily available in a particular area,” he said. “We have not yet seen that decline and Georgia ranks in the bottom fifth of all states in readily available diagnostic testing. It would be irresponsible of me to allow for the reopening of our churches for in-person worship given that reality.”

More here-

https://www.augustachronicle.com/news/20200423/denominations-representing-augusta-churches-opt-to-keep-doors-closed

Diocese of Georgia notified of successful canonical consent process

From Georgia-

The Episcopal Diocese of Georgia has received notification from Presiding Bishop and Primate Michael B. Curry and Registrar of General Convention, the Rev. Canon Michael Barlowe, that Bishop-Elect Frank S. Logue has received the required majority of consents in the canonical consent process detailed in Canon III.11.3.

In giving consent to his ordination and consecration, Standing Committees and bishops with jurisdiction attest to knowing of “no impediment on account of which” Bishop-Elect Logue ought not to be ordained as bishop, and that his election was conducted in accordance with the Canons.
 
The Rev. Canon Frank S. Logue was elected Bishop on November 16, 2019. 

https://mailchi.mp/episcopalchurch/diocese-of-georgia-notified-of-successful-canonical-consent-processla-dicesis-de-georgia-notificada-del-exitoso-proceso-de-consentimiento-cannico?e=886295b85e&fbclid=IwAR2c7oqZo-00zKDfSV1xl0LIG3zc5TSvFULtdXDQoAoDtvIZFCKjVq0_7ms

Episcopal deacon finds home in Savannah homeless camp

From Georgia-

Kevin Veitinger’s pulpit is not in one of Savannah’s ornate Episcopal churches.

Instead, the newly ordained Episcopal deacon holds forth on Sundays in one of Savannah’s homeless camps off Louisville Road as part of his “street church” ministry.

It is part of his journey that has taken him from his United Methodist Church roots to finding a church home in the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia where he will become a priest in about six months.

“I’ve done work with people in poverty most of my career,” Veitinger, 43, said during a chat at the diocesan office on East 34th Street in Savannah. “Homelessness is not about lack of having a paycheck, it’s about a lack of relationships. It boils down to relationships.”

When Bishop Scott Anson Benhase and the Rev. Frank Logue presented him with the homeless ministry option last year, Yeitinger said it seemed like a perfect fit.

More here-

https://www.marshallindependent.com/news/national-news-apwire/2019/12/episcopal-deacon-finds-home-in-savannah-homeless-camp/

Episcopal Diocese of Georgia urged to join bishop’s commitment to address ‘America’s original sin of racism’

From Georgia-

The head of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia is committing a share of the church’s endowment to addressing racism in society and urging diocesan congregations to do the same. 

Bishop Scott Anson Benhase has committed 3% of the diocese’s $2.5 million endowment fund to help form a Resource Team for Racial Reconciliation & Healing to work through a newly formed St. Anna Alexander Center for the same purpose.

He is urging “all congregations in this diocese with endowments to commit 3% of their endowment to this work, as well.”

The bishop, who will retire in May after 10 years in the post, made his plea as part of his final address to the elected lay and clergy leaders of the diocese at the 198th convention earlier this month.

More here-

https://www.savannahnow.com/news/20191129/episcopal-diocese-of-georgia-urged-to-join-bishops-commitment-to-address-americas-original-sin-of-racism

Episcopal deacon finds home in Savannah homeless camp

From Georgia-

Kevin Veitinger’s pulpit is not in one of Savannah’s ornate Episcopal churches.

Instead, the newly ordained Episcopal deacon holds forth on Sundays in one of Savannah’s homeless camps off Louisville Road as part of his “street church” ministry.

It is part of his journey that has taken him from his United Methodist Church roots to finding a church home in the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia where he will become a priest in about six months.

“I’ve done work with people in poverty most of my career,” Veitinger, 43, said during a chat at the diocesan office on East 34th Street in Savannah. “Homelessness is not about lack of having a paycheck, it’s about a lack of relationships. It boils down to relationships.”

When Bishop Scott Anson Benhase and the Rev. Frank Logue presented him with the homeless ministry option last year, Yeitinger said it seemed like a perfect fit.

“This opportunity presented itself,” he said. “I really think it’s kind of a God thing.”

https://www.blufftontoday.com/news/20191117/episcopal-deacon-finds-home-in-savannah-homeless-camp

Diocese of Georgia announces five-person slate of candidates for bishop

From ENS-

The Standing Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia is pleased to announce a slate of candidates who will stand for election as the 11th bishop of Georgia at the 198th Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia on Nov. 14-16.

The Bishop Search Committee, after careful and prayerful discernment, recommended these candidates to the Standing Committee, who have formally approved the slate. The candidates, in alphabetical order by last name, are:

• The Rev. Rob Brown, rector, St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, Spartanburg, South Carolina.
• The Rev. Lonnie Lacy, rector, St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, Tifton, Georgia.
• The Rev. Canon Frank Logue, canon to the ordinary, Episcopal Diocese of Georgia, Savannah
• The Ven. Jennifer McKenzie, Archdeacon of Wigan and West Lancashire, Diocese of Liverpool, Church of England
• The Rev. Canon John Thompson-Quartey, canon for mission development and congregational vitality, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta

More here-

https://www.episcopalnewsservice.org/2019/09/04/diocese-of-georgia-announces-five-person-slate-of-candidates-for-bishop/

Peter Munson passes through Athens as part of 6-million-step journey for charity

From Georgia-

When he stepped foot into Athens, 61-year-old Peter Munson was 251 miles and 17 days into his walk across the country.

His goal? Raise a dollar per step as a part of his 6 Million Steps for Kids project, which aims to support four charities that help children both in the U.S. and around the world.

“My feet are a lot more sore than they normally are,” Munson joked.

Munson, an Episcopal minister from Denver, Colorado, started his journey in Folly Beach, South Carolina, and hopes to finish in San Francisco by November 2019. At the finish line, he will have walked more than 6 million steps and 3,600 miles.

More here-

https://www.redandblack.com/athensnews/peter-munson-passes-through-athens-as-part-of--million/article_51690150-4cda-11e9-bdcf-17b86dbd008e.html

Coastal Georgia woman becomes Episcopal saint

From Georgia-

On her way to a final vote for sainthood, the deaconess won Lent Madness in March.

Deaconess Anna Ellison Butler Alexander, born on St. Simons Island the year the Civil War ended, has been added to the Episcopal Church’s calendar of saints. The vote took place this month during the church’s General Convention in Austin, Texas.

She died in 1947 and, following the required minimum 50-year wait, was made a Saint of Georgia in 1998 because of her mission in life of educating emancipated slaves and the generations that followed, according to the Rev. Canon Frank Logue, Canon to the Ordinary for the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia in Savannah.

More here-

https://apnews.com/ac709c1a917d4a20a703243cd20b19aa

African-American deaconess honored at Episcopal church she founded in countryside north of Brunswick

From Georgia (via Florida)-

Speaking in the modest country church Deaconess Anna Ellison Butler Alexander founded in 1894, the Most Rev. Michael Bruce Curry said she lived the same “Why not” life as Christ during a service Saturday to celebrate her life.

The deaconess is buried in front of the original unpainted two-story Good Shepherd Episcopal Church she founded in the countryside on Pennick Road . It’s also where she founded a parochial school in the building in 1902 and began teaching children to read. In 1907, she was ordained the first African-American deaconess in the Episcopal Church.

She is buried directly in front of the church and school were a monument provides all her history except for her birth, said Anna Iredale, a publicist for the Episcopal Church.

“We say 1865, the year of emancipation,” on Butler Plantation where her parents were newly freed, Iredale said.

More here-

http://jacksonville.com/news/georgia/2018-01-20/african-american-deaconess-honored-episcopal-church-she-founded-countryside

Saint to be honored, Episcopal bishop to speak

From Georgia-

Anna Alexander was a woman born ahead of her time.

Born to emancipated slaves on Butler Plantation in Darien in 1865, Anna Ellison Butler Alexander was an African American educator, who paved the way for the futures of generations of children. But that was just a part of her mission. In addition, she was also named the first black deaconess of the Episcopal Church, serving the people of Pennick and Darien throughout her life.

She spent more than 60 years living her faith through her church, Good Shepherd, in Pennick. Under her guidance, her parishioners gave more support to the needy throughout the world than any church in the diocese, surrendering their pennies and dimes each week to help others. A good example of this charity took place in 1923. That was when more than 200,000 people died during an earthquake in Tokyo-Yokohama, Japan. Deaconess Alexander’s mission diverted building funds to aid the victims.

More here-

https://thebrunswicknews.com/life/saint-to-be-honored-episcopal-bishop-to-speak/article_9c872d47-743d-5b66-af80-e3732050076b.html

Three centuries of Revival in the Diocese of Georgia

From Georgia-

While this week’s tent revival at Honey Creek may seem out of character for the Episcopal Church, the Diocese of Georgia’s history has been marked by revivals, including these three notable examples from our history:

18th century – Beef and Beer Dinners Lead to a Colony

Thomas Bray (1656-1730) was for most of his life, the rector of St. Botolph-Without-the-Walls, in London, but a brief tour of Maryland expanded the scope of his ministry. The Bishop of London, who was responsible for the colonies, sent Bray to the colony as his representative. Bray returned to England with a passion for assisting the work of the Gospel in the colonies. He developed a group of friends who ministered with beef and beer meals in the prisons on Sundays. A young James Oglethorpe joined him in this work. Bray suggested the idea of a colony where people could have a new chance at life. Though he died before Georgia was founded, the charter reflects his Christian utopian vision. Georgia was founded as a place where there would be no slaves, lawyers, and no accumulation of land beyond 150 acres per family.

More here-

http://gaepiscopal.org/?p=7926

School employee bought gun, ammo after being placed on leave

From Georgia-

Sandy Springs Police charged a private school employee after police said he purchased a gun and ammunition after he was placed on personal leave.

Terry Kelly, a dean and basketball coach at Holy Innocents' Episcopal School, was charged with reckless conduct and obstruction of justice following a traffic stop. Police said he was loading a gun when officers pulled him over.

The school was placed on lockdown after he bought the gun Wednesday morning.

He had worked at the school for more than seven years and had been placed on leave for allegedly sending "unprofessional" texts and emails to former students.The students informed their parents of the messages, who then told school officials.

He was placed on leave Wednesday morning and left, the school said. School officials were concerned so they hired a private investigator to follow him. The investigator followed the man to a Bass Pro Shops location, where police said he bought a handgun and ammunition. The private investigator contacted police, who conducted the traffic stop when he was back in the city of Sandy Springs. He was charged with reckless conduct and obstruction based on what happened during the traffic stop, according to police.

Read more:

http://www.cbs46.com/story/33669498/sandy-springs-school-locked-down-after-a-teacher-allegedly-returns-to-school-with-gun#ixzz4Pbpuaou3

Episcopalian Columba House ministry helps young adults live by pillars of faith

From Georgia-

From the outside, Columba House doesn’t look like much yet.

There are no signs to distinguish it from similar houses along the lower end of Central Avenue.

But inside the pink Craftsman-style house, big things are beginning to take shape for young Episcopalians in the area.

The furnishings are sparse – a couple of used couches and a few tables. Missioner Ranie Neislar is looking for donated items to help turn the house into a home.

But it won’t be just any home. If everything goes according to plan, three full-time residents will move in next summer and commit for almost one year to living intentionally by the pillars that shape the Columba House ministry.

“An intentional-living community is a community that essentially is shaped by a common rule of life,” Neislar said. “They’ll adopt this shared rule of life.”

The residents will share meals and will pray together every morning and every evening. They’ll facilitate group discussions among young adults and college students who attend the weekly meetings, and they’ll hold social events for those young adults, all under Neislar’s direction.

More here-

http://m.chronicle.augusta.com/life/your-faith/2015-11-06/episcopalian-columba-house-ministry-helps-young-adults-live-pillars-faith#gsc.tab=0

Evangelism - Bishop Scott Benhase

From Georgia- Video

Bishop Benhase talks about evangelism in preparation for the November 12-14 194th Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia which will work on how we can Spread the Good News of Jesus with our neighbors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jp7koTsPeSk&feature=share

Church in hot water over football field baptism

From Fox Georgia- (with video)

Asking a Baptist preacher to baptize is like asking Colonel Sanders if he wants a bucket of chicken. Somebody’s going to get dunked.

So when a football coach in Villa Rica, Georgia asked to be baptized on the high school football field – the local First Baptist Church obliged.

At the end of the school day somebody hauled out an old feeding trough, plopped it in the end zone near the field house and filled it with water.

A crowd of about 75 folks, black and white, young and old, gathered in the sweltering August heat to watch the coach take the Baptist plunge.

An outward symbol of being washed anew.

Perhaps inspired by their coach’s public display of his faith, some of the players also asked to be baptized. One by one the teenage boys stepped into the trough – as onlookers prayed and rejoiced and applauded.

More here-

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2015/09/02/church-in-hot-water-over-football-field-baptism.html

Holy Trinity: 'We have not broken away'

From Savannah-

It’s been one year since Church of the Holy Trinity in Ridgeland made the decision to disassociate from the national Episcopal Church and remain in the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina.

It’s been one year since life-long members of the church have parted ways, joining other houses of worship and also breaking ties with family and friends.

While the Diocese of South Carolina has commonly been referred to as the ‘breakaway church’, Holy Trinity’s Rev. James Gibson says this portrayal is simply inaccurate.

“Our contention is that we have kept the faith, we have stayed within the historic faith of the church and that our diocese, in the decision it has made to disaffiliate with the national church, is not ‘leaving’ the church,” Gibson said. “We have not broken away, we have branched out and sought a greater unity with the worldwide church.”

More here-

http://savannahnow.com/hardeeville/2015-03-11/holy-trinity-we-have-not-broken-away

Bishop Scott Benhase: suicide is "selfish"

A spirited discussion on Suicide over at the Cafe-

In his most recent eCrozier reflection published by The Living Church, “Robin Williams, My Friend, and the Selfishness of Suicide”, Bishop Scott Benhase of the Diocese of Georgia offers the following pastoral reflection:

I had a dear friend who committed suicide four years ago. Like Mr. Williams, he was brilliant. His brilliance, however, was in a different vocation. He was a palliative care physician. The irony of his life was that he could relieve everyone’s pain but his own (like Mr. Williams who brought so many people joy without finding joy himself). My friend knew he had many people who loved him dearly. I don’t know what was going through his mind and soul when he chose suicide. Clearly, he was in emotional and spiritual pain. Maybe he thought his suicide was an act of love and kindness to us who loved him? It was not. His act was neither loving nor was it kind. It was selfish. I know that sounds harsh, but I believe it to be true.

More here-

http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/bishop_scott_benhase_suicide_i.html

Church doing a non-stop Bible reading

From Georgia-

 For 72 hours straight, members of St. Anne's Episcopal Church are participating in a special project — reading the entire Bible aloud. They began at 9 a.m. Thursday and will go non-stop until worship at 10 a.m. today.

"The Bible is important to us and central to who we are," said the Rev. Lonnie Lacy, pastor of St. Anne's. "We see this as worth our time — a special, holy project that connects us and the scripture."

He told The Tifton Gazette Thursday that when they reach the final chapter, Revelation 22, they will pause worship and everyone will read the final chapter together. They are live-streaming the reading online at www.ustream.tv/channel/st-anne-s-mass.

More here-

http://www.tiftongazette.com/news/article_da542f22-2b96-11e4-bf90-001a4bcf887a.html