Virginia Episcopalian Magazine Summer 2014 Issue | Page 2

Letter to the Editor Who We Are Bishop Johnston, in the Spring edition of the Virginia Episcopalian, observes that he is often asked about the Diocese: “What is it?”, “What does it do?”, etc. But then he all but ignores the questions and devotes his quarterly column to the January 2014 Council. The Council may be important to the Diocese.  But the Diocese surely does not exist just to present a Council to its member parishes and parishioners. And, to add a cautionary note to Bishop Johnston’s enthusiasm about the last Council, it is worth remembering that only about 1 percent of the diocesan membership were present. Perhaps a forthcoming issue can address the relevance and role of dioceses in general and our diocese in particular. I would hope that the bishop or whoever might author such an article would keep in mind that many current Episcopalians have strong congregationalist backgrounds of one sort or another. The Episcopal Diocese of Virginia W. Michael Mahoney Trinity, Washington Virginia Episcopalian Summer 2014 Volume 123 Issue 3 Published by the Diocese of Virginia – Circulation 19,400 Bishop: The Rt. Rev. Shannon S. Johnston Bishop Suffragan: The Rt. Rev. Susan E. Goff Assistant Bishop: The Rt. Rev. Edwin F. Gulick Jr. Editor: Emily Cherry Design/Layout: John Dixon Advertising/Copyediting Assistant: Kendall Martin Virginia Episcopalian (ISSN 15353621, USPS 019711) is published quarterly by the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, periodicals postage paid in Richmond, 23232-9998. Copyright 2013. Contact the editor for reprint permission. Views expressed in this newspaper are not official statements of policy by the Diocese. Editorial/ advertising policy is set by the editor and Executive Board. Postmaster: Send changes of address to the Virginia Episcopalian, 110 W. Franklin St., Richmond VA 23220. Office hours are 8:30 a.m.-4:45 p.m., Monday through Friday. Communicants: $5/year 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 worldwide Anglican Communion and the Episcopal Church. We are a community of 80,000 baptized members and 425 clergy in 38 counties and serveral cities of central, northern and northwestern Virginia, serving the world through 182 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] ext. 1042 Buck Blanchard, Director of Mission and Outreach [email protected] 1016 Mary Anne Bryant, Assistant, Mission and Outreach [email protected] 1017 Joy Buzzard, Financial Administrator [email protected] 1022 Emily Cherry, Communications Director [email protected] 1021 Laura Cramer, Benefits Administrator [email protected] 1040 Stephanie Higgins, Bp. Assistant, Congregational Support [email protected] 1029 Edward W. Jones, Secretary of the Diocese, Chief of Staff [email protected] 1030 Wilbert “Skeet” Jones, Sexton 1028 Ed Keithly, Vocation Officer [email protected] 1015 Mildred Lofton, Bookkeeper [email protected] 1023 Bill Martin, Assistant to the Secretary [email protected] 1025 Kendall Martin, Communications & Transition Ministry Asst. [email protected] 1029 Lindsay Ryland, Transition Ministry Director [email protected] 1013 Mitchell Sams, Bishop’s Clerk [email protected] 1038 Meg Schwarz, Assistant, Christian Formation [email protected] 1043 Julie Simonton, Staff Officer for Congregational Development & Stewardship [email protected] 1035 Karen Smith, Receptionist/Assistant [email protected] 1010 Ted Smith, Treasurer [email protected] 1046 Michael Wade, Asst. to the Director of Christian Formation [email protected] 1027 Kate Wettstein, Assistant to Bishop Gulick [email protected] 703-241-0441 Amy Williams, Assistant to Bishop Johnston [email protected] 1012 The Rev. Canon Pat Wingo, Canon to the Ordinary [email protected] 1024 Non-Communicants: $6/year On the cover: Open doors at St. Mark’s, Richmond. Photo: John Dixon Lee Construction Consultants LLC Assisting building committees in the management of their design and construction teams James M. Lee, President P.O. Box 29074 Richmond, VA 23242 [phone] [email protected] l www.lee-cc.com