INVITATION

Bishop Transition Committee Announced

DioET Convention

Hugs, Smiles

& High Fives

Spanish Immersion at St. Peter’s School

Grace House, Athens - God Says ‘What’s Next?’

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DioET Connections JAN-FEB 2016

MY DEAR SISTERS AND BROTHERS OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN EAST TENNESSEE,

FROM THE BISHOP | THE RT. REV. GEORGE D. YOUNG, III

INVITATION

DioET Connections is a publication of:

The Episcopal Church in East Tennessee 814 Episcopal School Way Knoxville TN 37932 65.966.2110 http://dioet.org

DioET Connections is published four times a year by the Office of Communications of The Episcopal Church in East Tennessee.

Publisher: The Rt. Rev. George D. Young, III

Editor : Vikki M:yers

To submit a story idea, please contact editor@dioet.org.

We are building a direct-mail list during 2016, but for now, print copies are being delivered to your church, and you may pick-up a copy there.

We are also sharing a copy online for those who prefer to read on their tablet or other mobile device at http://bit.ly/DioETConnections. Email editor@dioet.org if you would likeww to be included in our direct-mail list.

News & Inspiration is our monthly eNewsletter, which features events around the diocese or of interest to our folks, news, pictures, and stories of interest in addition to loads of inspiration to be found in the stories of our churches. If you have an item you’d like to share in our eNews, please send it to Vikki Myers, editor@dioet.org.

Sign-up online to receive it each month at http://dioet.org/enews-signup.html.

Over the past few years we have continuingly been talking about “mission.” At the heart of this conversation is that we are a “sent people” – sent out by Jesus into the world, to live lives that express the love, justice, and reconciliation that Jesus incarnated. Some are clear and focused that they are living lives – as individuals and as congregational communities – very much this way. Yay! Some are energized by the opportunity to examine their lives and do some new things to follow Jesus in new ways. Yay again! There is so much incredible mission happening in East Tennessee and beyond, and we are continuously inspired by our Presiding Bishop Michael Curry to take our place in the Jesus Movement. Yay, yay, yay!!! For us Episcopalians, the foundation of that mission is our regular, weekly gathering for worship and fellowship.

We’re coming up on a time of year when many people want to come to church – even if they haven’t been all year. Following inspiration offered by the Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers (Canon to the Presiding Bishop for Evangelism and Reconciliation, and our 2016 Convention presenter), I want to encourage us to spend some time and energy (and maybe even money) to look closely at our hospitality in worship and fellowship in this season. And at this point in our country, inviting people to join us who are looking for reconciliation and peace in the world might be a wonderful idea!

A dynamic for all of us to acknowledge is that statistically at least 4/5 of people who attend a church for the first time do so because someone they KNOW invited them. Mailings, signs, email blasts, and other “advertising” are all well and good, but the bottom line is that this is about relationship and connection. Another significant fact is that the overwhelming majority of people who attend a church for the first time do so because they have recently experienced a significant transition in their life, which may be positive or negative. They may have moved (by choice or not); may have started a new job or lost a job; may have been recently married, or divorced; may have had a birth in their family, or a death; they may have recently experienced healing in body, soul, or relationship, or may have been diagnosed with a serious illness. Whatever the transition, our guests are looking for hope, and meaning, and belonging. And they’ve come to the right place.

Look around your campus and facilities. Would it appear to a guest that you really care about your parish home? Are buildings clean, uncluttered, colorful, and inviting? Are restrooms well marked and clean, childcare offered and visible, signage clear and the main entrance to the worship space completely obvious? When a guest enters, are they warmly welcomed by a greeter and/or an usher who does more than hand them a bulletin? Will some seats in the back rows be available for guests who often if not usually want to keep a low profile? Will the regular members slide over to let them in, or make them crawl over? Will the bulletin have the full text of the liturgy printed so that guests completely unfamiliar with our kind of worship can feel comfortable, or will they get a bulletin with BCP page numbers and Hymn numbers, and strange words like “Gloria” and “Sanctus” and “Nicene Creed”? Is the extra paper and preparation worth it? Will regular church members watch for guests who are struggling (cont. page 3)

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with keeping up, and move to them and offer help?

Do we hear the lessons read as intriguing stories? Is the sermon inspiring, inviting, encouraging, personal, and substantive without being dense? Are the Prayers of the People contextual – maybe even crafted by parishioners – or do we use forms III and VI like we always have? Is there pause and invitation for people to offer their own petitions? Are the hymns sing-able? Do people sing like they mean it?

Since most of our parishes have announcements after the Peace, will guests be warmly welcomed by the clergy, and not (please!) be asked to stand up and identify themselves? Will there be an invitation to the table to everyone, whether that is to receive communion or a blessing? Will the announcements be relevant to guests, or will everything be in “code” and directed to the insiders?

When the liturgy is over, will people intentionally speak to guests? Some churches have a “5 minutes rule” – members are asked to look for and approach guests for 5 minutes before speaking to their friends and taking care of that piece of parish business. If guests are approached, what will they feel in that? Pure kindness and gratitude that they’re there? An invitation to coffee hour/fellowship? Maybe lunch? Will they feel pounced on – especially if they have children? Will there be a non-threatening method for getting their contact info so that someone may contact them? And will someone contact them, right away, this week? And will they get a clear message that they won’t be hounded as many have in other places?

I said earlier that our guests are looking for hope, and meaning, and belonging. And they’ve come to the right place*. Will they experience that when they worship and enjoy fellowship with you? If not, why are we bothering?

Let’s ask ourselves – why are we grateful guests have joined us? Do we sincerely, primarily intend that they will sense God’s presence and love with us? Are we desperate for new people to work and pledge and boost our numbers?

In an address shortly after being elected Presiding Bishop, Michael Curry said,

God came among us in the person of Jesus of Nazareth to show us the Way. He came to show us the Way to life, the Way to love. He came to show us the Way beyond what often can be the nightmares of our own devisings and into the dream of God’s intending.

That’s why, when Jesus called his first followers he did it with the simple words “Follow me.”

“Follow me,” he said, “and I will make you fish for people.”

Follow me and love will show you how to become more than you ever dreamed you could be. Follow me and I will help you change the world from the nightmare it often is into the dream that God intends. Jesus came and started a movement and we are the Episcopal branch of the Jesus movement.

I pray that we will do all we can to invite others to join us in the Jesus Movement. Thank you, thank you – each of you – for all the ways you are making this happen!

[*Check out the “Mystery Worshiper” - http://shipoffools.com/mystery/usa.html, and imagine what a visit to your parish would look like!]Peace in the risen Christ,

Senior High

sabbathDecember 16-18 @ Grace Pointregister at http://www.etnyouth.org/

DioET Connections JAN-FEB 2016

of them has a story that will crush you as far as how their addiction has destroyed their lives.”

Grace House has rules by which the men must abide. Alcohol and illegal drugs are not permitted, neither is misuse of prescription drugs. Men newly off the street are not per-mitted to go anywhere for 28 days outside of the buddy system. They can’t get a job or have a phone for 28 days. But they do service; they work removing rubbish from the creek banks or working on upgrades to the Grace House and St. Paul’s Commu-nity Center buildings.

Everybody signs in and signs out so they’re accountable for where they are all the time. Not because of an attempt to assert control but be-cause accountability is “massively important” in addiction.

The men get drug tested once a month, as do the supervi-

St. Paul, Athens, started a food pantry which grew into a weekly

free hot lunch at the church that is open to all in the community. The church got good at it; 40-80 people come in off the streets at noon on any given Wednesday. “We got good at it and when we get good at some-thing, God says ‘Open your ears; what’s next?’ ” said St. Paul’s rector, the Rev. Hendree Harrison. “So we said, ‘I wonder if we could shelter people?’ We knew we had homeless people in our town and in our county and we knew in particular about one homeless man who was living down-town.”

That is how Grace House was born – out of compassion for a man who, they learned, was homeless be-cause of mental diminishment. He was living in downtown Athens and sleeping on doorsteps, getting him-self arrested for trespassing because he had nowhere to call home. “That cannot be our community’s answer to homelessness,” Harrison said. “Instead of the police taking him, we asked if we could take him.”

St. Paul’s parishioner Kathy Clark said that people in town tried giving him tickets to Knoxville and he kept coming back because Athens is his home. “I thought we should be able to shelter our own homeless people,” she said.

Clark took the lead on seeking a shelter, working with a local donor who had an empty building. The building was very crude, an aban-doned shed really, but a mattress was put in the shed and some friendly Christian builders put on a new tin roof to keep out the rain.

The church later reached out again to that donor – who owned two abandoned residential houses on the same property as the shed. The houses had been empty for a long time and were in disrepair. St. Paul’s didn’t have money to buy the hous-es, but the property owner rented them to St. Paul’s for a very minimal amount in exchange for use and ren-ovation. St. Paul’s and Grace House do the maintenance and pay all the expenses and utilities.

Grace House started with one house and expanded to two. A third house, across and down the street from St. Paul’s, was bought and is being renovated. That house serves as a community center, and provides an apartment for St. Paul’s Outreach In-tern and a meeting place for Narcot-ics Anonymous.

Grace House is the only homeless shelter that runs 365 days a year in Athens, Tenn. Its focus is on provid-ing shelter for men who are home-less for reasons related to drug and alcohol addiction.

St. Paul’s was able to help one man, then expanded to four people. The shelter grew to six beds and today it’s at 10 beds. Harrison said that it runs on a budget of $20,000 a year and in seven years has sheltered over 350 people.

Harrison said that addiction is re-sponsible for the large majority (nine out of 10) of people who are home-less. “If it’s not our primary problem, addiction in some form is in our top three. McMinn County often leads in the state and we’re in the top five or 10 in the country. The men we help are totally homeless and they’ve de-stroyed every relationship. Every one

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GOD SAYS ‘WHAT’S NEXT?’Bishop’s Pilgrimage with AMRT Visits Grace House

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by vikki myers

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(cont. page 5)

The Appalachian Ministries Resource Team (AMRT) holds an annual pilgrimage with the bishop visiting and learning about ministries in our diocese. This year, pilgrims visited Grace House in Athens, and the St. Elmo Reading Center and Southside Abbey in Chattanooga. We’ll have stories about the St. Elmo Reading Center and Southside Abbey in future editions of DioET Connections. But if you’d like to know more now, contact Eric Haralson, AMRT chair, at ericHaralson@fahe.org.

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sors, even Harrison – everyone gets drug tested. They do three group meetings a week and everyone goes to a 12-Step meeting. Harrison said he teaches the men Centering Prayer on Tuesday afternoons, so there is group work with them all week. About half come to St. Paul’s for Sun-day Services, but there is no require-ment that they attend.

Counseling is not included in the program but many make use of local mental health agencies.

Men who aren’t able to keep the rules can’t stay. Clark said, “What I think is really good is that they know we’re here, and, if they’re willing to abide by the rules they can come back. Many have come back several times; they don’t generally make it on the first try. They generally make it on the third try.”

The program is a graduated program, so the longer they stay, the more responsibility they get.

“One of the things that keeps us humble,” Harrison said, “is that the vast majority of our guys come to us with no sobriety; most come having never really been sober since they were a little kid. So we’re really able to provide a place where people

come into a completely new way of life. After they’ve been here for 30 days, we often hear, ‘That’s the longest I’ve ever been sober since I was 14 years old.’ So this really is the ‘Grace House.’ ”

Walter Dotson, the onsite supervisor said, “I was an addict for a long time. Mainly we teach them to be honest for the first time in their life. You don’t have to lie anymore and you’d be surprised how much comes out of a person when you don’t have to lie – it’s as simple as that. If you can’t be honest, you can’t do it.”

“We do it as a team, but Walt is a big reason why things are things are running as smooth as they are today,” Harrison said.

Harrison said that although it started from St. Paul’s Church, the Athens community has also been involved all the way through. “It’s an ecumenical ministry today,” he said.

Meals are provided Tuesdays, Thurs-days, Saturdays, and Sundays. And everything in the houses from ap-pliances to furniture and dishes has been donated.

“I can speak to the perspective of a normal parishioner,” Nancy Chinchor said. “My only experience in this

house is in the kitchen and the din-ing room because I sometimes bring meals here – I consider it a privilege. One time I came by myself and I sat down with the guys at the table. It was a good experience for me because I tend to get separated from people who have these problems. It’s not that I don’t know anything about these problems – I have a whole fam-ily full of people with these problems, but you know, still it’s really good for me. Parishioners really like it ; we feel like when we donate money to the church, we’re donating it to the community and that makes a big dif-ference, because we all always know what’s going on all around us and we don’t always know how to help. So it’s nice to have a way of helping.”

“I love this work – I feel called to it,” Harrison said. “We in East Tennes-see want to help others; we want to make a difference in our com-munities so it’s great for the parish too. The Grace House is sort-of the signature ministry of St. Paul’s Par-ish. It’s really helpful for us here and it’s a reason for people to come here. They’re proud of it, they like it and they want to be involved in a parish that’s doing something really great in the streets.” n

Grace House (cont. from page 4)

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32 4 5Photos: [1] The Rev. Hendree Harrison (left), rector of St. Paul, Athens, introduces Kevin Sliger (center), one of the Grace House leaders, and Richard Barton (right), St. Paul’s Outreach Intern, to AMRT pilgrims and Bishop George. [2] Walter Dotson, the Grace House on-site supervisor, speaks to pilgrims in the Grace House kitchen. [3] A hat rack with a message in one of the apartments at Grace House. [4] St. Paul parishioners Cecile Keith, and, [5] Nancy Chinchor talk about their experiences bringing meals to Grace House. [6] Harrison talks to the bishop and pilgrims at the Community Center house St. Paul’s is renovating. St. Paul’s Outreach Intern has an apartment there and it’s used for Grace House meetings and Narcotics Anonymous holds meetings there. Soon it will hold the Grace House dining room. Photos by Vikki Myers

DioET Connections JAN-FEB 2016

¡Hola! (Hello!) 15 kindergarteners call out as I walk into their

classroom – as much in unison as kindergarteners can be. The children are having “circle time,” sitting on a rug with Lead Teacher Betsy Cake.

“Ella es Vikki Myers, (This is Vikki Myers)” Cake says, introducing me then clapping her hands to the rhythm of a song to keep the children’s attention. “Vamos a cantar a Vikki la cancion de hoy, (Let’s sing today’s song to Vikki)” she says and she and the children sing “Si usted esta feliz apaluda las fuerte ... (If you’re happy, clap your hands).” Then the children say together “¡Me allegro de verte! (I’m glad to see you!)”

This is the kindergarten Spanish Language Immersion class at St. Peter’s School in Chattanooga.

Meredith Ruffner, who became head of school four years ago had a vision for a Spanish language immersion program at St. Peter’s so a team was formed to look into it. There were questions about whether Chattanooga was ready for a program like this and whether parents would embrace it, but “the more we talked about it, the more impressed we were with how it fit

our mission as an Episcopal school. We just felt it was what our school needed,” Ruffner said.

Sarah Steffner, president of the Board of Trustees at the time, said, “Our team was doing a lot of research and through God and serendipity, a teacher was leaving as Monica Griffin [Spanish Immersion Curriculum Coordinator] found the school.”

We decided that if we were going to do this, we would need to do it right,” Ruffner said. The team found add.a.lingua, an education consultant company that helps schools implement a second language in the school. Ruffner and Griffin spent several days at the company’s headquarters in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to talk with people at the company and tour schools that were already working with the program. They liked add.a.lingua’s philosophy and comprehensive program. St. Peter’s is now partnering with the company.

Two years ago, St. Peter’s began offering the immersion program to three-year olds as “kind-of an experiment,” a pilot program, to see how it would go. Steffner said, “It was kind-of tricky. Between spring and fall the whole thing changed.”

It turned out to be a success all around – after an initial “bump” –

students and parents loved it. “We are fortunate that our Board and parent teacher organization are very supportive of it, but some of the parents initially had qualms about the program”, Ruffner said.

“We found out approximately a month before school started; we had so many questions and fears,” said Brandy Biederman, a St. Peter’s parent. “We had no clue what Spanish immersion was. I was and am very outspoken and immediately asked for meetings to answer our questions. This was

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SPANISH IMMERSION AT ST. PETER’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOLIN CHATTANOOGA

by vikki myers

(cont. page 7)

DioET Connections JAN-FEB 2016

our baby girl and we were going to throw her into an unknown setting with unknown people and an unknown language. Had it not have been for Meredith, we wouldn’t have done it. We trust her, always have.” Biederman says she and her husband are now the biggest fans for Spanish immersion at St. Peter’s.

Ruffner said, “There isn’t a large Hispanic population in Chattanooga and the vast majority of students are not connected to Hispanic culture at all – the parents just see the value in learning a second language. We talked a lot with our parents in the community about what the research says about children’s minds, and, as they grow and develop, what is best for them. Language is at the top of the list.”

The goal is that when the children graduate from fifth grade, they’re completely bilingual – able to read, write, and do math in both English and Spanish. Ruffner said that those

skills are transferrable, so whatever skills they’re learning in Spanish, they’re transferring to English.

Ruffner said “About mid-way through the first year, the school started talking with parents about their thoughts for the next year to see if they wanted to go into our regular junior kindergarten 4 year old class and everybody was saying, ‘We want immersion.’ This year, that class has moved up to kindergarten. Now we have three full classes.”

In 2015, St. Peter’s became the first school in the state of Tennessee to implement a 100% Spanish language immersion program. It is Chattanooga’s first and only elementary school that offers a language immersion track alongside its classic curriculum.

Teachers are native Spanish speakers and the children quickly learn the most common things they need to know, such as the names of things in the classroom, words for quieting down (sussuren-whisper), and words for if they need to go the bathroom. In class, they have a normal kindergarten curriculum – including learning numbers, letters, and songs. They are also assigned kindergarten tasks in Spanish that help their teacher and other students, such as, abrir la puerta (open the door), and ayudar con el bocatillo (help with the snack).

Most parents and siblings speak English at home, but pick up Spanish from the young children in the immersion classes. Biederman said, “We only speak what we have learned from them. It’s definitely interesting how much we have picked up and don’t realize. Our grocery app is through Amazon’s

Alexa and when I pull it up, most of the items are in Spanish because that’s how we say it for her to order it. I didn’t even realize that until now. Some immersion teachers expect the parents to know Spanish as well, we don’t. We rely on Google translate,” she said.

The Rev. Quinn Parman, whose son is in the program, said in a new video, “We love stories – and you can tell as you’re reading that there’s nothing missed. He gets the stories and he understands them. The fact that he knows Spanish and learns English at home does not in any way hamper our ability to do that – in fact, it probably amplifies what he’s doing in school.”

“The time I notice him growing the most in Spanish is when I see him teaching his sister. I’ll hear them playing and sometimes when I hear them playing restaurant, there’s a couple foods I’ll hear him saying in Spanish as well,” Rachelle Parman said in the video.

Griffin said, “We have a lot of older siblings in my class. Their parents send me videos all the time about them playing and being on the playground and in the playroom and reading to their younger siblings – it’s adorable to see.”

Biederman said that add.a.lingua and St. Peter’s are very open to meetings and discussions. “I have access to Monica, Meredith and all of the teachers as needed. We have frequent evaluations as well. So parents can ensure that their child’s educational needs and parents’ expectations are supported in the program.”

Biederman voices the (cont. page 8)

SPANISH IMMERSION AT ST. PETER’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOLIN CHATTANOOGA

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Monica Griffin, Spanish Language Immersion Curriculum Coordinator and Preschool Lead Teacher at St. Peter’s School in Chattanooga has “circle time” with children in classroom.

Photo from video about Spanish Language Immersion Program at St. Peter’s School, used with permission

Spanish (cont. from page 6)

A sense of urgency came over me when I learned that my husband Boyd and I were awarded a grant to work in youth ministry in Israel

and the West Bank this summer. My mission was to work in summer camps for children in the region, but I could not imagine how I could serve children who spoke a different language. I was worried about being accepted by the children and the other leaders. I was pleasantly surprised in both cases. We found that the language of hugs, smiles, and high fives is universal, and that the children loved interacting with Boyd and me at the Arab Evangelical Episcopal School in Ramallah, as well as at the summer camps in Zababdeh and Nazareth. Most of the youth spoke some English so we were able to communicate and have fun at the same time.

Like children in our own diocese, the children in Palestine loved crafts, music, singing, and dancing. However, the one thing they seemed to enjoy the most, especially at St. Matthew’s in Zababdeh, was games involving water balloons. Water balloons gave them some happiness amidst the hardship of living in the occupied West Bank.

The Palestinians I encountered were very different than I expected, es-pecially after listening to the news reports of violence in the area. The kindness and peace I felt as we traveled throughout the West Bank gave me a sense of security that I did not always find in the area. (cont. page 7)

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by kathy evans

HUGS, SMILES AND HIGH FIVES - THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE

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hope that other parents also have for their children, “We hope this is a springboard for them to learn even more languages in middle/high school. We also hope this opens up limitless opportunities for their career choices.”

She notes that although some parents prefer the classic curriculum for their children, “We are the biggest fans for Spanish immersion at St. Peter’s,” Biederman said. “As parents, we are constantly looking for ways to give our children every advantage, St. Peter’s provides just that. By the children learning in another language, our hopes are that they will learn to process complex issues with a greater ease. My two children will leave 5th grade bilingual and fluent. That’s a life altering skill that will provide leverage throughout their life,” she said.

“I feel very proud of my son, that he’s learning a new language and that he’s growing in new ways,” Rachelle Parman said.

Quinn Parman said, “I really hope this gives [my son] a drive to want to connect and make the world a better place.”

Ruffner provides a framework in the school’s mission for why the Spanish Immersion program is important to the school. “Our mission is a love of learning, joy of service and a lively faith. We feel that a global heart and a global mind goes right in with that because we’re wanting to instill in our children a desire to help and serve and interact with people, not just in their community, but all over,” she said. n

spanish (cont. from page 7)

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There was one woman, Sister Najah Rantisi, who took me under her wing and cared for me while Boyd traveled to Gaza with the Episcopal Peace Fellowship. Sister Najah cared for me as the Good Samaritan in the Gospel of Luke.

After the death of her mother, when she was a young girl, her father left her at the home and school started by the Sisters Emmanuel in Ramal-lah. While she was growing up in the home, it was hit by a stray Israeli bomb, which killed two of her friends and wounded two teachers who were attempting to protect the girls. This would scar most people for life, yet Sister Najah looked at the experi-ence and learned how to help oth-ers in their time of need. When she became a young woman, she heard the call to commit her life to Christ and become an Anglican sister. She now lives out the Gospel as a mem-ber of the Anglican Order, the Sisters Emmanuel.

Sister Najah is the person who fam-ilies call during their time of need. While we were there, Sister Najah, Boyd, and I delivered extra eggs from the food pantry sponsored by the United Nations. Sister Najah, is a saving grace for so many people; she is an example of the Palestinian heart and giving sprit we experienced during our visit.

We went on several adventures to Emmaus, Jericho, Taybeh (the only remaining fully Christian Village in the region), and St. George’s Ortho-dox Church in Burqin, where Jesus healed the ten lepers.

Sister Najah and I became friends for life, and, through sharing her

routine of navigating checkpoints and segregated roads, and applying for a Visa as a Palestinian woman, I saw firsthand how tough it is to live in Palestine. We were not allowed to travel on all roads and I learned that many are not able to travel into Israel where many of their family and friends live. I found that Palestinians do not have access to civilian courts; they are subject to military law and are often intimidated or killed by military seeing them as a threat.

After living in the region for a while, my concern grew about the inequal-ities faced by Palestinians on a daily basis and abuse of human rights that Boyd and I personally witnessed.

I pray others will look at our rela-tionship with Israel and Palestine. I pray others will join me in support-ing human rights and contributing to ending abuses and the global con-flicts we hear about every day in the news. n

Hugs, Smiles, High Fives (cont. from page 8)

Boyd and Kathy Evans were awarded a grant to work in youth ministry in Israel and the West Bank during the summer. Below are some pictures from their trip. [1] A wall with a message behind a chainlink and barbed-wire fence. [2] Kathy and Boyd pose with Sister Najah Rantisi (at left in the photo), In-stitution Director for the Evangelical Home for Children in Ramallah-Palestine, who became a lifelong friend while working and traveling with Kathy. [3] A woman at a checkpoint in a war-torn barren street - empty except for heavily armed soldiers. [4] and [5] Children pray and play at summer camp. Kathy found that hugs, smiles, and high fives is a universal language! Photos by Boyd Evans

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What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love

kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Micah 6:8

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The Standing Committee is happy to announce the appoint-ment of the members of the Bishop Transition Committee,

under the able leadership of its chair, Ms. Linda Graydon.

Mr. Jim Anderson, St. Stephens, Oak Ridge The Rev. Jim Anderson, retired Mr. George Arrants, Ascension, Knoxville Mr. Bruce Blohm, St. Paul, Chattanooga Ms. Susan Bolt, St. John’s Cathedral, Knoxville Ms. Linda Graydon, Nativity, Fort Oglethorpe, Committee Chair The Rev. Chris Harpster, St. Paul, Kingsport The Rev. Christopher Hogin, Ascension, Knoxville The Rev. Jay Mills, retired The Rev. Lou Parsons, St. Francis, Ooltewah Ms. Jean Turney, Christ Church, South Pittsburg

Are you wondering about the duties of the Search and Nomi-nating Committee and of the Transition Committee?

The Search and Nominating Committee will (1) develop and oversee a process for creating a diocesan profile, (2) receive nominations, (3) evaluate the qualifications of those being con-sidered, (4) submit to the Standing Committee at least three nominees who have consented to stand for election and whose backgrounds have been received and approved; and (5) publish complete profiles of the nominees and any other educational material deemed helpful.

The Transition Committee will (1) provide “walk about” oppor-tunities for all nominees to meet with as many members of the diocese as possible, (2) provide hospitality for the candidates and their families, (3) holds the primary responsibility for the planning of the Consecration and/or Seating of the new bish-op, (4) assist the bishop in adapting to and being introduced to the diocesan community; and (5) provide for the transition of the retiring bishop from office.

Nominate potential candidates for bishop and keep up to date on our search at our Bishop Search website: http://www.bishopsearch.dioet.org/ n

BISHOP TRANSITION COMMITTEE ANNOUNCED!

February 10-11 & July 28, 2017 Holiday Inn World’s Fair Park St. John’s Cathedral, KnoxvilleFebruary Session Highlights:

• Alan Roxburgh

• Fran McKendree

• The Rt. Rev. Neil Alexander

• Elections of diocesan leaders

Are you called to serve? See nomination information on convention website!

• 6 ordinations!

• Saturday procession in downtown Knoxville

• Photography Exhibit & Competition

• Exhibits

At the July Session:

• Election of 5th bishop of the Episcopal Church in East Tennessee

Find out more on our convention website! http://bit.ly/2017DioETConvention

33rd Annual Convention of the Episcopal Church in East Tennessee

DioET Connections JAN-FEB 2016

invitation

Here are clergy who have come into the diocese in the last quarter, changed churches, started working after being

ordained a deacon or priest, or decided it’s time to retire. We’re also letting you know about those who have died. The list below is in order by date, and, folks who are Licensed or Officiate or Licensed to Serve here have the diocese to which they are connected listed next to their name.Dorothy Pratt is Rector at Good Shepherd, Knoxville

John Bonner is Interim Rector at St. Peter, Chattanooga

Caroline Vogel is Associate Rector at Good Samaritan, Knoxville

Taylor Dinsmore is Associate Rector at St. Timothy, Signal Mountain

Harry Shaefer is Extended Supply Priest at St. Timothy, Kingsport

Rob Henley is Extended Supply Priest at All Saints, Morristown

Bo Townsend is Interim Rector at St. Luke, Knoxville

Jim Sharp is Priest in Charge at Church of the Annunciation

Retirements and Calls Outside Our Diocese

Claire Keene has retired from Church of the Resurrection, Loudon

Joe Minarik has retired from St. Francis, Norris

James Anderson has retired from St. Luke, Knoxville

David Garrett has retired from Church of the Annunciation, Newport

Bob Leopold has left Southside Abbey

Mark Bigley, formerly rector at St. Alban, Hixson, has accepted a new call in Texas

Sarah Cardwell has accepted a call as assistant rector at Middleham and St. Peter’s Parish in southern Maryland

Boyd Evans has accepted a call as priest-in-charge at St. Thomas, Abindingdon, Virginia

Licensed to Officiate & Licensed to Serve in DioET

The Rev. Charles (Chuck) Ellestad, LexingtonThe Rev. Lisa McIndoo, West TennesseeThe Rev. Robert Thompson, KentuckyThe Rev. Bowman (Bo) Townsend, TexasThe Rev. Molly McGee Short, North CarolinaThe Rev. Joshua Nelson, Northern Indiana

Rest in Peace

The Rev. Canon Robert Rizner The Rev. Wade Frye

CLERGY CHANGES AND TRANSITIONS

DioET Connections FALL-WINTER 2016 | 11

BISHOP’S VISITATION AND PRAYER CALENDAR

SUN., DEC. 4 – ST. ANDREW, HARRIMANPrayersSt. Andrews, HarrimanMediator, Kyle, SD

SUN., DEC. 11 – ST. JAMES, KNOXVILLEPrayersSt. James, KnoxvilleAll Angels, Spearfish, SDSt. James Feeding Ministries, Knoxville (Diocesan Jubilee Center)

SUN., DEC. 18 – ST. THOMAS, KNOXVILLEPrayersSt. Thomas, KnoxvilleChurch of the Ascension, Blackfoot, SDSt. Thomas Station, On the Tree, SDEmmanuel, White Horse, SD

SUN., DEC. 25 – NO VISITATIONPrayersRenewal of Life (BCP, p. 213)

SUN., JAN. 1 – NO VISITATIONPrayersSt. Raphael, Crossville Gethsemane, Sisseton, SDCumberland Adult Reading Council, Crossville (Diocesan Jubilee Center)A New Light in Our Heart (BCP, p. 213)

SUN., JAN. 8 – ST. JOSEPH, SEVIERVILLEPrayersSt. Joseph the Carpenter, Sevierville Advent Station, Calico, SDGood Shepherd, Little Oak Creek, SD

SUN., JAN. 15 – CHRIST CHURCH, CHATTANOOGAPrayersChrist Church, Chattanooga Project Canterbury, Chattanooga St. Andrew, Cherry Creek, SD St. Philip, Dupree, SDSt. James, Bear Creek, SDSt. Peter, Thunder Butte, SDSt. Luke, Iron Lightning, SD

WED., JAN. 18 – ST. MARK’S, COPPERHILL

SUN., JAN. 22 – ST. THOMAS, ELIZABETHTON 11 A.M.ST. COLUMBA – BRISTOL 9 A.M.

PrayersSt. Columba, BristolSt. Thomas, Elizabethton Holy Innocents, Parmalee, SD Grace Church, Madison, SDFood for the Multitude, Elizabethton (Diocesan Jubilee Center)

SUN., JAN. 29 – ST. TIMOTHY, SIGNAL MOUNTAINPrayersSt. Timothy, Signal MountainHoly Apostles, Sioux Falls, SDChattanooga Community Kitchen, Chattanooga (Diocesan Jubilee Center)

SUN., FEB. 5 – THANKFUL MEMORIAL, CHATTANOOGAPrayersThankful Memorial, Chattanooga St. Peter, McLaughlin, SDSt. Elmo Neighborhood Reading Center, Chattanooga (Diocesan Jubilee Center)The 33rd Annual Diocesan Convention Diocesan Staff

SUN., FEB. 12 – ST. PETER, CHATTANOOGAPrayersSt. Peter, ChattanoogaSt. Peter’s Preschool, Chattanooga St. Mary, Mitchell, SD Incarnation, Gregory, SD

SUN., FEB. 19 – ST. PAUL, ATHENSPrayersSt. Paul, AthensSt. Paul, Brookings, SDSt. Stephen, DeSmet, SD

SUN., FEB. 26 – ST. ELIZABETH, KNOXVILLEPrayersSt. Elizabeth, Knoxville Trinity, Watertown, SD

If you send us a picture from the bishop’s visit at your church, we’ll share it on our Facebook page - or - maybe it will appear here. You take awesome photos and we look forward to sharing

them! Send your photo to editor@dioet.org. This is Bishop George at St. Francis, Ooltewah.