Virginia Episcopalian Magazine Summer 2012 Issue | Page 2

LETTER TO THE EDITOR WHO WE ARE I miss the Virginia Episcopalian’s old format. It had the feel of a newspaper, appeared more frequently and thus seemed closer to ordinary people. In contrast, the new format is too slick, too upscale and too neatly-manicured. It has the feel and appearance of a corporate annual report. Diana Butler Bass’ article in the April 16 issue of USA Today, “Spirituality, Religion Collide,” discusses the current tension between top-down control and grassroots empowerment, not only in Anglicanism, but in institutions more broadly. The new corporate image of the Virginia Episcopalian suggests that the Episcopal Church in Virginia is out of step with the grassroots. Jim Sanders Christ Church, Alexandria THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF VIRGINIA CORRECTIONS In the article commemorating 50 years of camps at Shrine Mont in the Spring 2012 issue, we reported that the Rev. Jim Lincoln was rector of Emmanuel, Harrisonburg when he founded St. George’s. He was actually director of Christian education for the Diocese at the time. In the article, “If Walls Could Talk” in the Winter 2012 issue of the Virginia Episcopalian magazine, we incorrectly referred to the church of St. Mark’s, Beazley as constructed for an African American congregation. It was actually established for a Native American congregation. Read on for an explanation from the diocesan Native American Ministry Team. The Native American Ministry of the Diocese of Virginia has long been an area of passion for Virginia churches, many of whom have traveled to reservations in South Dakota and New Mexico. In exploring our relationship with the native people, we realized that our new project in Virginia had a story to tell “beyond restoration of a building,” but a revealing and rich history of the Rappahannock Indian people. In 1924, at the urging of Dr. Walter Plecker and with the support of many Virginians, the General Assembly passed the Racial Integrity Law, which created two racial categories, “pure” white and everybody else. Plecker, the registrar in Virginia’s Bureau of Vital Statistics, aggressively enforced this law. Plecker would write an individual into “negro” status thus creating legal recorded documents that altered the history of the Virginia Indian identity. The term “colored” represented Negro or African American, as Virginia did not recognize Native American people, holding instead that all native people were either extinct or considered as mulatto and no longer Indian. Due to these intentional actions against the Indian people, the census records were altered or documented incorrectly. FOR CHRIST. FOR THIS TIME. FOR ALL TIME. The Mayo Memorial Church House: 110 West Franklin St. Richmond, VA 23220-5095 800-DIOCESE 804-643-8451 Fax [phone] The Episcopal Diocese of Virginia is a part of the world-wide Anglican Communion and the Episcopal Church. We are a community of more than 80,000 baptized members and 425 clergy in 38 counties of central, northern and northwestern Virginia, serving the world through 183 congregations, six diocesan schools, two diocesan centers and six diocesan homes, and home to the largest Anglican seminary in the world. Our episcopal seat is the Cathedral Shrine of the Transfiguration, Orkney Springs. Organized 1785. How to Reach the Diocesan Staff: Paris Ball, Director of Christian Formation: [email protected] ex. 1042 Austin Bartenstein, Bishop’s Clerk: [email protected] 1038 Buck Blanchard, Director of Mission and Outreach: [email protected] 1016 Mary Anne Bryant, Assistant, Mission and Outreach: [email protected] 1017 Henry Burt, Secretary of the Diocese, Chief of Staff: [email protected] 1030 Joy Buzzard, Financial Administrator: [email protected] 1022 Frances Caldwell, Dir. of Development and Stewardship: [email protected] 1035 Emily Cherry, Communications Officer: [email protected] 1021 Laura Cramer, Benefits Administrator: [email protected] 1040 The Rev. Susan Goff, Bishop Suffragan Elect: [email protected] 1011 Kathlyn Jones, Asst., Office of Christian Formation: [email protected] 1031 Wilbert “Skeet” Jones, Sexton 1028 Ed Keithly, Assistant to the Canon to the Ordinary: [email protected] 1015 Michael J. Kerr, Treasurer: [email protected] 1020 Mildred Lofton, Bookkeeper: [email protected] 1023 Chris Miller, Temp. Assistant to Bishop Gulick: [email protected] 703-824-1325 Anna Moncure, Assistant Secretary: [email protected] 1025 Lindsay Ryland, Transition Ministry Officer: [email protected] 1013 Karen Smith, Receptionist/Assistant: [email protected] 1010 Michael Wade, Asst. to the Director of Christian Formation: [email protected] 1027 Amy Williams, Assistant to Bishop Johnston: [email protected] 1012 VIRGINIA EPISCOPALIAN SUMMER 2012 Published by the Diocese of Virginia–Circulation 19,850 Bishop: The Rt. Rev. Shannon S. Johnston Bishop Suffragan Elect: The Rev. Susan E. Goff Assistant Bishop: The Rt. Rev. Edwin F. Gulick Jr. Editor: Emily Cherry Design/Layout: John Dixon Advertising Assistant: Karen Smith Virginia Episcopalian (ISSN 15353621, USPS 019711) is published quarterly by the Epis