No Summer Slow-Down: The June 2024 Communiqué

The Anglican Church in North America has called the Rt. Rev. Stephen D. Wood as Archbishop and Primate. He has been the Bishop of the Diocese of the Carolinas since its formation in 2012, and has been the Rector of St. Andrew's, Mount Pleasant, SC, since 2000. Wood succeeds the Archbishop Foley Beach, who has served the constitutional maximum of two five-year terms. Following a summer sabbatical, Beach will continue on as Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of the South.

"I can testify to the Holy Spirit’s work in the election of Steve Wood," said Bishop Alex Farmer. "It was unexpected but clear. Steve is a gifted leader who will move us forward in mission. He is also the unifying bishop we need for the continued work God is calling the Anglican Church in North America to be about in this next season."

At Provincial Assembly's Closing Eucharist on Friday, June 28, Bishop Wood will receive from Archbishop Beach the Provincial Cross and the spiritual authority take up this office.

My dear brothers and sisters in the Gulf Atlantic Diocese,

I am writing to you from the airport in Atlanta on Father’s Day. I have just returned with Canon Andrew Rowell and Archbishop Emeritus Bob Duncan from the first Assembly of the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GFSA) in Cairo, Egypt. Approximately 200 clergy and lay delegates gathered at a retreat center in the desert (it got to 110 degrees in the afternoon!) two hours from Cairo. I wanted to get this message out to you quickly, so that you may rejoice with me in the progress we have made in resetting the Anglican Communion and so that you may know how best to be praying in the days ahead.

First, some background: Why “Global South''? Who is the GSFA? Years ago, the Anglican Communion created this entity to foster cooperation and ministry among the Anglican Churches in the Southern Hemisphere.

By trade I'm an artist, and more specifically a theatre and production director. I serve as the Director of Fine Arts at a private school in Jacksonville. I have had years of teaching a class called Theological Arts, which focuses on viewing God and the study of Him through our particular lens as artists. Additionally, I help the team of chaplains as the chapel music coordinator, and with other arts integration opportunities (including writing and directing the Christmas chapel, the Passion Week chapel performance, dramatic readings, etc.). I also work to train student preachers in homiletics.

As the chaplain's duties have grown across our three campuses, our Dean of Spiritual Life asked me a few years to serve as the leader of the Pre-K chapel program, doing music and "preaching" weekly with my puppet. To add to all that …

Incarnation Tallahassee and St. Andrew's, Douglas, GA, both launched scholarship programs for seminarians from the Gulf Atlantic Diocese this year. Independently, both churches awarded their inaugural offerings to Will Henry Lawrence, a postulant from St. Peter's Anglican Cathedral who will begin studies at Trinity Anglican Seminary this fall.

Will Henry writes:

We are tremendously grateful for the generosity of Incarnation Tallahassee and the provision of the Timothy Scholarship, and to St. Andrew's and the provision of the Campbell Memorial Scholarship. Additionally, we are grateful for the emphasis these initiatives place on being sent to residential seminary already as a postulant for ordination, having had my call to ordained ministry affirmed through discernment with both our parish and diocese. We feel accountable not only to ourselves, but to the whole Diocese. The Timothy Scholarship and Campbell Memorial Scholarship are both an incredible blessing to us and we’re eager to see how they bless the future generations of the Gulf Atlantic Diocese as well!

Will Henry has been married to Ellie since 2016; they have two sons. The son of an Anglican priest, he has been involved in ministry his whole life and most recently has served as Communications Director for the Cathedral. The family will begin their move to Ambridge, PA, this July.

By Deacon Kathy Ayres | One of every three houses in a neighborhood is impacted by someone with a disability. If we want to reach our neighbors with the gospel of Jesus Christ, we need to be prepared to minister with people with disabilities. Fifty percent of adults over 65 years old experience one or more impairments. One in seven children receive special education services. Every Anglican church has members or visitors impacted by disabilities. Access Leadership Network (AcLN) wants to help you remove barriers, build friendships, and develop leaders to become a church where people with and without disabilities worship, grow, and serve together

You can view all upcoming diocesan events on our Events page.

Camp Araminta, whose mission is to support the children and youth ministries (4th–12th grades) of our diocese by offering a short-term intense experience of Christian community and discipleship, is July 22-27. The registration deadline is July 8, so hurry!

Registration Info

Anglicans for Life make Life SUMMIT Videos Available

All of the recordings from January's Life SUMMIT are now available to the general public. There were a variety of wonderful speakers and presentations that are well worth another look or an extra listen! You can view the entire playlist archive here. If you have any issues accessing the presentations, please contact the AFL offices at info@AnglicansForLife.org or (412) 749-0455.

Watch here

ARDF to Host "Getting Started" Virtual Event

Come learn about parish preparedness and how your congregation can get started! ARDF's vision is to see every church in the province equipped to help their neighbors in the event of an emergency, turning chaos into compassion, and assisting families to find their "new normal" in times of disaster. This online event will feature panelists covering important topics to help your church begin this kind of ministry. For details, contact Lee-Anna Upperman.

Register here