Virginia Episcopalian Magazine Fall 2013 Issue | Page 7

Saying ‘Yes’ to the Holy Spirit
By any measure, the Diocese of Virginia is one of the more
active dioceses engaged in mission in the Episcopal Church.
But what is truly remarkable is how that willingness to
connect with others locally, nationally and internationally
leads to completely unexpected ministries that we never
would have anticipated when the relationships began.
Churches in Virginia feel a call by the Holy Spirit, and instead of
letting fear convince us that we cannot respond, we typically
find a way to say “yes” and follow the call. And every time it is
astounding where the path takes us.

What do Korea, Liverpool and the Pamunkey Indians
have in common? On one level, very little. But as the articles
below demonstrate, each is a ministry that grew out of a
willingness to take a risk and to imagine future possibilities
without insisting that tomorrow be precisely mapped out.
We simply said “yes,” and engaged in relationships of mutual
respect, caring and love, letting the Holy Spirit lead us
forward. Saying “yes” opens doors we never knew existed,
and there is astonishing light behind every one of them.

Going ‘Glocal’ with South Korea
The Very Rev. James C. McCaskill
As the “buy local” movement for local
ingredients has ballooned in Virginia,
another movement has been taking root
in corporations, universities and even
churches as investment has grown in our
global interconnectivity. It’s a movement
called “Go Glocal.”

In the church setting, it means that
local and global partnerships – together,
without neglecting one over the other –
can contribute to a vibrant congregation.
Our understanding of missiology has
been evolving in recent years away from
the traditional model of an individual
or group with good intentions traveling
to a depressed area to give the good
news of Jesus and free handouts, and is
now moving toward a model of longlasting, two-way relationships between
international partners.

The vitality of the Diocese of Virginia
includes a number of international
partnerships – and most recently, Bishop
Johnston has opened the way for new
partnerships between the Diocese of
Seoul in the Republic of Korea (South
Korea) and our Diocese that will benefit
the Anglicans in Korea, our own parishes,
our two Korean congregations, and
newly forming diocesan efforts to reach
out to the large Korean population of
Northern Virginia.

There are five aspects to this
“glocal” relationship: 1) parish- Ѽ