THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE of ALABAMA March/April 2016 • Vol
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THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF ALABAMA March/April 2016 • Vol. 101, No. 2 2 • THE ALABAMA EPISCOPALIAN Around Our Diocese Danielle Dunbar named Director of Mission Funding for Diocese of Alabama anielle Dunbar has been named as Director of Dunbar began work with Camp McDowell in 2008 Mission Funding for the Episcopal Diocese of as the Folk School Director. After several years helping DAlabama. She previously served as Director of people recognize and share their God-given artistic gifts Development & Marketing for Camp McDowell. and talents, she stepped up to help expand the mis- The new position expands her role to include sion and ministry of Camp McDowell at Bethany. She work with parishes and departments regarding stew- and the Rev. Mark Johnston, Camp Director, continue ardship, annual giving, planned giving, and capital to work together to raise the remaining funds needed giving programs supported by the Department of to complete Bethany Village. Dunbar remains on the Stewardship, Alabama Episcopal Foundation Board, and Alabama Folk School advisory board. the Department of Development. Dunbar will serve as She graduated from Auburn University with a BS the staff liaison to those departments as well as the Task in Environmental Science. She and her husband, Rob, Force for the Stewardship of Creation. She will coor- have two teenage children, Hayden and Evan. They dinate the annual Easter Fund Appeal to help extend are members of St. Stephens Episcopal Church in the pastoral ministry of the bishops to our clergy and Birmingham. families and to provide additional resources for evange- Parishes can reach Dunbar by email at ddunbar@ lism and outreach. dioala.org or by phone at (205) 358-9234. St. Simon Peter, Pell City launches tax assistance ministry olunteers at St. Simon Peter Episcopal community, did the research, communicated with Church in Pell City have launched a new AARP and determined that indeed we would Vministry – a free tax clinic for senior and qualify as a site for their program, according to low-income taxpayers. Roberts. He brought the concept before the The church became a clinic site for the first vestry, it was heartily endorsed, and, here we are time this tax season. It began operation Feb. 1 and being the hands and feet of Jesus in a twenty-first at press time the staff had completed 29 tax returns century way. and provided assistance to three additional people. Sixteen St. Simon Peter volunteers received “That is more than most start-up sites do in total several days of training and were certified either their first year,” said the Rev. Mollie Roberts, St. as tax preparers or client facilitators. Facilitators Simon Peter rector. “We are so happy to be able provide initial contact with the clients and help to provide this service at no cost to the clients, them ensure they have all the necessary documents none of whom are members of our parish.” before meeting with the tax preparer. “I don’t know who it was that said it first, but The St. Simon Peter site is part of the AARP ‘a church is the only organization that exists to (American Association of Retired Persons) help those who are not its members.’ Jesus always who come to join us for worship and community, but Tax-Aide Program, which is part of the Internal met people where they were -- yes folks came to him we also try to meet the people of Pell City where they Revenue Service Volunteer Income Tax Assistance for help -- but mostly he went to them,” explained are and to help serve the needs that they have. “ and Tax Counseling for the Elderly Programs. AARP Roberts. “We want to model his behavior. We are here The St. Simon Peter ministry is the brainchild of provided the church with the computers, software and in Pell City and welcome with open arms any-and-all parish treasurer Stan Atkins. He saw the need in the program materials. THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH In the Diocese of Alabama In the United States The Anglican Communion About 34,000 baptized members in 92 parishes A community of about An 80-million-member and worshiping communities and 8 college 2.4 million members in 119 dioceses worldwide community of campus ministries. Established in 1830. in the Americas and abroad. Established 38 provinces. in 1789. Bishop Archbishop of Canterbury The Rt. Rev. John McKee Sloan Presiding Bishop The Most Rev. Justin Welby Assistant Bishop The Most Rev. Michael Curry Lambeth Palace, London The Rt. Rev. Santosh K. Marray Episcopal Church Center England SE17JU Carpenter House 815 Second Avenue 521 North 20th Street New York, NY 10017 Birmingham, AL 35203 212/867-8400 205/715-2060 The Alabama Episcopalian is published 6 times per year (January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, and Novem- The Alabama Episcopalian ber/December) by the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama. Previous names for this publication include The Diocese of Alabama (1892), The Church Record Dave Drachlis, Editor (1893–1922), The Alabama Churchman (1923–1987), The Apostle (1988–1997 and 1999–2009), and The Alabama Apostle (1998). Periodicals rate Miles G. Parsons, Art Director postage paid at Birmingham, Alabama. Denise Servant, Circulation Secretary All editorial submissions should be sent to Dave Drachlis at [email protected]. The deadline for each issue is the first day of the Volume 101, Number 2 month of publication. ON THE COVER March/April 2016 Students from the Randolph School learned about the soil and USPS 070-910 All address corrections or additions should be sent to Denise Servant at [email protected] or Carpenter House, 521 North 20th Street, Birmingham, AL 35203–2682. resources needed to grow food during their Plant It, Earth! class ISSN 1041-3316 at McDowell Farm School. POSTMASTER: Please send address corrections to Denise Servant, Circulation Secretary, The Alabama Episcopalian, 521 North 20th Street, Birmingham, AL 35203–2682. March/April 2016 Around Our Diocese THE ALABAMA EPISCOPALIAN • 3 Beloved gather at Bethany for 185th Diocesan Convention by The Rev. Michael Rich; photos by Charlie & Anita Scott he theme was “Beloved.” The location was confer God’s belovedness upon others. We can only convention center is that you pay for each room by the Bethany Village at Camp McDowell. The weath- reflected it back to others, helping them to see the love hour,” said Georgeanne Perrine, convention coordinator. Ter was perfect mid-winter cool. The event was that they have had from God all along. “Here, we have every building for the whole time. So the 185th Convention of the Diocese of Alabama. The Rt. Rev. Kee Sloan, diocesan bishop, and the we took advantage of it.” It was the long-awaited convention debut at Camp Rt. Rev. Santosh Marray also picked up the theme of Some of the gatherings were theological: Tom McDowell, with delegates gathering in the cavernous Belovedness in their addresses. Brackett expanding on his keynote, Bishop Marray on Doug Carpenter Hall and in buildings all over camp for Despite the allure of being on 1,140 acres known the Five Marks of Mission. Some called upon the loca- the annual gathering of the Diocese, Feb. 5-7. as “God’s Backyard,” delegates did knuckle down to tion: hikes and a talk on renewable energy with the Convention is the annual business meeting of business. Delegates unanimously passed a resolution camp’s director, the Rev. Mark Johnston. And some were the Diocese, but Bishop Kee Sloan often describes it as condemning predatory lending in Alabama, urging the just plain fun: mosaics in the Epiphany Art Studio and the church’s family reunion. Fostering that atmosphere Legislature to address auto-title loans and so-called sauce-making in the Rogers Teaching Kitchen. The was one goal of gathering at camp. payday loans. The Rev. Dn. Mark LaGory explained that group “3 on a String” performed to a standingroom- “I think it created tight community very quickly such lenders charge interest in the neighborhood of 500 only crowd in Hall Hall Friday evening. within the first day here,” said Whitney Moore, assistant percent annually. Convention schedules have shifted over the past director of camp. “That’s what camp does best, anyway.” Delegates approved budgets for the Diocese and for half-dozen years after a 2009 request from delegates that Bishop Sloan explained: “An adage of liturgy is ‘You Camp McDowell. The diocesan Pooled Investment Fund the annual gathering be shortened and made as cost- can’t overcome your architecture.’ This place fits and reported a 2.75 percent dip in 2015, but the overall effective as possible. This convention was unusual in that enables what convention should be, comfortable and budget came out $3,497 in the black. Camp McDowell it offered a third day of fellowship, with a Sunday morn- joyous.” reported its first loss since 2003, owing to the dif- ing Eucharist. Some parishes worshiped with Morning In a break from recent tradition, convention began ficulty of predicting income and expenses in the new Prayer as their priests worshiped with other delegates in on a Friday afternoon and ran through Sunday lunch, Bethany Village. Budgets for 2016 plan for a balance the Chapel of St. Francis. including a Sunday-morning worship service in the in the Diocesan budget and a slight income for Camp “I know I put some clergy in a bind by asking them Chapel of St. Francis. McDowell. to come to a service on Sunday,” Bishop Sloan said, “and The keynote speaker and Sunday preacher was the The tone of convention could be described as laid- I’m pleased so many were able to be here.