Connections:home… parish… diocese The 179th Annual Convention Recap: Bishop’s Address to Convention Election Results Photos and more... Vol. 5, No. 2 February 2011 Bishop’s Notebook… page 3 ● Feature Story… page 4 ● Diocesan News… page 6 From the Field… page 8 ● Around the Diocese… back cover The Mission of the Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee is to encourage and equip one another as baptized people of God, to witness to the transforming and reconciling power of Jesus Christ. Welcome to the February 2011 issue of Connections: home… parish… diocese. We will accept submissions for Connections from throughout the The Episcopal Church diocese. As space permits, we will use as much content as possible, subject to editorial revision. Short announcements of 100 words or less may be sent In the Anglican Communion via email to [email protected]. For feature-length A global communion of stories, contact us in the diocesan office at 615-251-3322. 77 million Anglicans in 25 member provinces Digital photos can be submitted as above and must include activity, date and identities of everyone in the photo. Archbishop of Canterbury The Most Rev. and Rt. Hon. Submissions are accepted until 12:00 Noon on the 15th of the month Rowan Williams Anglican Consultative Council prior to the upcoming issue and will be given consideration on a first Partnership House come/first served basis. 157 Waterloo Road London, England Episcopal Seat: Canterbury Cathedral Protecting children from sexual abuse. Preventing adult sexual misconduct. In the United States A diocesan workshop for vestries,* nursery workers, A communion of 2.5 million members in 112 dioceses Sunday school teachers, volunteer youth leaders and in the Americas and abroad employees, part‐time and full‐time, Established 1789 anywhere in the diocese. Presiding Bishop The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori February 26 Trinity Church Clarksville 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon Episcopal Church Center March 12 St. James’ Church Sewanee 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon 815 Second Avenue New York NY 10017 800-334-7626 Please call the diocesan office at 615‐251‐3322 to sign up. *Newly elected vestry members should attend. Episcopal Seat: Washington National Cathedral Safeguarding God’s People is a curriculum provided by the Church Pension Group. Mount St. Albans Washington DC 20016 Receiving Connections - three ways, your choice. In the Diocese of Tennessee A communion of 16,000 Online Edition: Connections is posted on the diocesan website for viewing, reading or printing! Visit Episcopalians in www.episcopaldiocese-tn.org for the Online Edition of Connections. Past issues are archived. 47 congregations in Middle Tennessee Email Updates: If you would like to be added to the diocesan Email Distribution List, visit the dioce- Established 1828 san website and subscribe. A reminder will be sent to you when the latest Connections is posted. Bishop Print Subscription: If you do not have Internet capabilities, or you simply prefer the Print Edition of The Rt. Rev. John C. Bauerschmidt Connections, call the diocesan office at 615-251-3322 to subscribe. Connections will be mailed to Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee your home. 50 Vantage Way, Suite 107 Nashville TN 37228 615-251-3322 Connections: home… parish… diocese Episcopal Seat: Published by the Diocese of Tennessee. Christ Church Cathedral Publisher: The Rt. Rev. John C. Bauerschmidt Editor: Cathy Hendrix I also want to thank our Diocesan staff persons, a small group of folks who do good work in supporting the work of all of us. I’m grateful to Canon Snare, who works with clergy and congregations in transition and with the Commission on I’m also grateful for the presence of Ministry; to Jan Pate, who works with Convention Address Robert Radtke, President of Episcopal lay leaders on the Diocesan and congre- Introduction. Relief and Development (ERD), who gational level on finance, insurance and My well-beloved fel- will share with us tomorrow some in- development issues; to Cathy Hendrix low clergy and lay formation about the work of ERD, who assists us with communications; leaders of the Dio- especially in connection with the Dio- and to Mitzi Kirby who provides ad- cese of Tennessee, cese of Tennessee in the wake of the ministrative support to all of us. I’m and our honored and Great Middle Tennessee Flood of also grateful to Canon Fred Dettwiller, esteemed guests, I 2010. His presence is a reminder of who in the midst of running his own bid you welcome to the common ministry we share with successful business is our Canon for the 179th Annual Convention of the others as we respond in service to the Finance, Administration and Develop- Diocese of Tennessee. needs of the world. ment, working on a number of special projects in relation to congregational We gather this year under the banner I also wish to thank the clergy of the life as well. I’m grateful for their sup- of the Lord’s words, “I am the Vine, Diocese of Tennessee who as a group port as I go about my own wide- you are the branches,” celebrating the have labored hard over this past year, ranging vocation. I too seek to be common life we have in Christ as the often in circumstances that are de- grounded in the True Vine who is the Church in Middle Tennessee. I am manding and challenging to faith. Our source of our common life. thankful this year for the presence of priests and deacons are our chief assets the Rt. Rev. Gary Lillibridge, Bishop in ministry, and they give of them- Common Vision. of West Texas, and his wife Catherine. selves sacrificially as leaders of the Common life demands a common vi- I’m particularly grateful to Bishop Church. I’m grateful to them for their sion. A little over a year ago, following Lillibridge for addressing us today on work and their support. We are also our 2009 Convention, a series of focus our Convention theme, and thank him blessed in our lay leaders in the Dio- groups were held with clergy and a rep- in advance for preaching tomorrow. cese of Tennessee, who have been resentative group of lay leaders in the The theme points us toward the com- challenged this year as well to keep the Diocese, to think about the future. Pro- mon life we have together in the Dio- parishes and missions of the Diocese jects large and small were surfaced and cese of Tennessee, the life of the True of Tennessee moving forward in mis- identified. The feedback from the ses- Vine that this Annual Convention ex- sion and ministry. I thank you who are sions was invaluable, and will help us emplifies. We are involved in mission gathered here for your care for the move forward in this coming year, but and ministry together, rooted and Church and your passion for the Gos- it also helped to clarify for me a com- grounded in Christ who is the source pel. We are branches rooted in the mon vision for our life together, which of our life. Vine who is Christ himself. (continued on page 9) that was printed on the bookmark given to them along Keeping “Faithful and Focused” with the pledge card, and were offered the chance to In Focus For The Future make a gift or pledge during convention. Several people took the opportunity to do so. During the recent Convention, Bishop Bauerschmidt spoke more on the Faithful and Focused Annual Fund As of February 1, 150 individual gifts have been made, Drive, recounted in his Convention Address above. Con- bringing the total contribution to date $49,135. vention attendees were asked to pray together the prayer ATTENTION CLERGY: Clergy Colloquium Registration Information: The Clergy Colloquium, May 10-12, 2011 will be held at the DuBose Conference Center, Monteagle. Guest speaker will be the Rev. Victor Austin, theologian in residence at St. Thomas Church, Manhattan. Clergy may arrive at 4:00 pm on Tuesday, May 10. The colloquium will end with a Eucharist at 11:00 am on Thursday, May 12. You can register by e-mailing or calling Mitzi Kirby ([email protected] or 615-251-3322). There is no need to contact DuBose directly. This gathering is underwritten by the Diocese of Tennessee. www.episcopaldiocese-tn.org Connections February 2011 3 So begins the hymn composed by Eric der at 2:40 pm. After Certification of a The bishop announced appointments of Wyse, director of music at the host par- Quorum, the Convention Officers were the Rev. Jody Howard as the Ecumeni- ish, St. Bartholomew’s Church Nash- elected: the Rev. Randall Dunnavant, cal Officer and of the Very Rev. Timo- ville, for the Annual Convention held Secretary to the Convention; the Rev. thy Kimbrough and the Rev. Tim Jones on January 21 and 22, 2011. With Canon Pamela Snare, Assistant Secre- as Examining Chaplains. words based on John 15, the theme cho- tary to the Convention; the Rev. Canon sen for convention by Bishop Bauer- Fred Dettwiller, Assistant Secretary to Bishop Bauerschmidt introduced the schmidt, and music written by Justin the Convention; Gareth Aden, Chancel- guest speaker, Bishop Gary Lillibridge and Molly Cole, the hymn was sung at lor to the diocese, Parliamentarian. of the Diocese of West Texas. Bishop Holy Eucharist by delegates and guests Lillibridge began his talk with a com- as an affirmation that Christ is the vine Clergy in transition, either in new calls parison of the two states of Texas and and we are all his branches. or new to the diocese, were introduced Tennessee and then pointed out simi- and appointments by the bishop of Con- larities.