Register today for Life Summit 2019!

Calling all Anglicans into Action for Life! You are invited to attend Summit 2019: Mobilizing the Church for Life in Falls Church, VA on Thursday, January 17, 2019.  Amidst a culture that embraces assisted suicide and abortion, this event seeks to inspire and equip you for life-affirming ministry!  Visit https://anglicansforlife.org/summit-2019/ to see list of speakers, schedule, and registration details. Click here to register today!

Register for ySummit: Mobilizing Young Anglicans for Life

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER! • Click here for more information!

Clergy, delegates and friends gather from across the Diocese

By Lynn Milograno

The family of the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic gathered together November 16 and 17, 2018,  at All Saints’ Church, Woodbridge, VA, for our annual Synod. We were thrilled that over 100 people attended Equip!2018, the Pre-Synod workshop on church planting, Friday afternoon. Following the workshop, we gathered with over 300 clergy and lay members of the Diocese as we celebrated Holy Eucharist together on Friday evening. You will find a link to the sermon, preached by the Rev. Dr. Winfield Bevins, Director of Church Planting at Asbury Theological Seminary—as well as other talks from the weekend—here.

On Saturday, following morning prayer led by the Rev. Mary Hays, the Synod was called to order and Bishop Guernsey gave his report, which included highlights and other key events occurring in the diocese during past year.

The Rev. Tom Herrick, DOMA Canon for Church Planting, gave a report on the work of the Great Commission Committee. We celebrated together as Incarnation Anglican Church, a plant of Restoration Anglican Arlington, was received as a mission of the Diocese and Christ Anglican Fellowship’s status was changed from mission to congregation in acknowledgment of their growth.

Elections were held for positions on the Standing Committee, the Constitutions and Canons Committee and for delegates to Provincial Assembly.

Those elected include:

• Standing Committee: Rev. Dan Marotta, Rev. Robbie Pruitt, Jim Osterhaus, Bassam Youssef
• Committee on Constitution and Canons: Suki Dicker, Greg Hampton, Lide Paterno
• Provincial Assembly: Rev. Liz Gray, Rev. Rick Wright, Rev. Erin Bair, Rev. Joe Acanfora, Rev. Richard Crocker, Amy Rowe, Bassem Youssef, Albert Thompson, Bo Machayo
• Provincial Assembly Youth Delegates:  Andrew Burgess, Katelyn Burgess, Josh De Berry, Jordan Hamrick, Wes Hurd

Delegates to Provincial Council, elected in 2017, include Rev. Jim Beavers, Christ Anglican Fellowship, John Miller, Immanuel Anglican Church, Jeff Walton, Restoration Anglican Church. These delegates will also be delegates to Provincial Assembly.

Noonday prayers followed the elections, with the Rev. Justin Baldwin officiating.

Five breakout sessions were offered during lunch. These sessions were recorded and can be found here.

After lunch, Treasurer Gary French presented, and the Synod adopted, the Diocesan budget for 2019.

The Rev. Becki Neumann presented a report from the Constitution and Canons Committee, after which the Synod approved several amendments to the Canons and gave final approval to an amendment to the Constitution.

Clergy, delegates, and guests then attended a wide variety of workshops which were recorded and are available on the diocesan website (see "Synod 2018 speakers and workshops now online" in this issue of The Mid-Atlantic Messenger for more information).

After a final hymn and prayer, the Synod was adjourned.  

We are so grateful for the army of volunteers who helped make this event a success. From providing a welcoming smile, manning the registration table, counting ballots, overseeing our audio-visual needs, and leading our worship, to serving lunch and so much more, these folks’ gracious ministry was a wonderful support for the weekend. Thank you also to All Saints’ Church for their warm welcome and continuing ministry of hospitality to the Diocese.

We are already looking forward to Synod 2019 and invite you to join us! We will meet next year on November 15-16, 2019, at All Saints' Church, Woodbridge, VA. We hope to see you there!

Lynn Milograno is the Administrator of the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic. Photos by Ed Glancy.

Synod 2018 speakers and workshops now online

Synod 2018 Reports

The Bishop's Report to Synod 2018 - The Rt. Rev. John Guernsey - VIDEO

Report from the Constitution and Canons Committee - The Rev. Becki Neumann - VIDEO

Report from the Great Commission Committee - The Rev. Dr. Tom Herrick - VIDEO


Sermon

Opening Eucharist Sermon - The Rev. Dr. Winfield Bevins - VIDEO

Lunchtime Breakout Sessions

AUDIO
1. “Advance Care Planning”…What does this new phrase being used in the healthcare industry mean for the elderly, terminally ill, and disabled? This workshop will explain all the terms like “Comfort Care,” “Medical/Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment,” “Hospice,” “Palliative Care,” “DNR’s” and “Advance Directives” and the positive and negative impact each can have on patients. We’ll discuss when they should or should not be employed, whether for you or your loved ones. We will also examine patients’ rights and how families need to be involved to ensure they get the best care.

The Rev. Georgette Forney, Deacon, is President of Anglicans for Life, the only global Anglican ministry dedicated to helping the Church address issues at the beginning and end of life, including abortion, abstinence, adoption, euthanasia, and embryonic stem cell research. She is also the co-founder of the Silent No More Awareness Campaign, an effort to raise awareness about the physical, spiritual and emotional harm abortion does to women and to let those who are hurting from abortion know help is available.

The Rev. Scott Bailey is an assisting priest at Christ Church in South Riding, VA. He also serves on the chaplain team for University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health Systems and is an endorsed chaplain, licensed by the ACNA Special Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy. 

AUDIO
2. Islam At Our Doorstep…Never have believers in America had a better opportunity to share the good news of Jesus Christ with their Muslim neighbors! Our area is home to one of the largest concentrations of Muslims in the U.S. with over 400,000 Muslims, 75 mosques and the two largest mosque complexes in the nation. Yet many of us feel timid around Muslims and are hesitant to meet and talk with them. Come and be encouraged as we consider what God is doing among American Muslims today and how each of us can effectively communicate Christ's love with them.

The Rev. Robert Watkin is the founder and president of the Oasis Life Network, an organization aimed at equipping and mobilizing the church for effective ministry among Muslims. Robert served for 15 years at The Falls Church Anglican, most recently as the Director of Outreach. In the 1990s, he lived in the Republic of Kazakhstan and taught English at Aktau University for five years, helped launch an educational center for the community and planted a multi-ethnic congregation with predominantly Kazakh leadership. He earned his M.Div. from Trinity School for Ministry and is currently completing his doctorate at Gordon-Conwell Seminary. 
 

AUDIO
3. Five Years In: Continuing to Raise the Bar in Child Protection…DOMA’s Child Protection Policy is five years old! Child Protection Chair Lindsey Feldman and Chancellor Scott Ward will update church leaders on the newest version of the child protection policy, answer legal and practical questions, and make recommendations to aid in the implementation and maintenance of best practices in your church to keep our children safe.

Lindsey Feldman is the chair of the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic’s Protection of Children Committee and Children’s Ministry Director at All Saints’ Church in Woodbridge, VA. Lindsey trains Child Protection Workshop Leaders throughout the diocese and in other denominations. With a BSW and a MA in Counseling, Lindsey worked for many years as a Probation Officer and Family Counselor for the Juvenile Court and helped establish and lead the Juvenile Justice Parenting Program through Cooperative Extension.

Scott J. Ward is the Chancellor of the Anglican Church in North America, of our Diocese, and of The Falls Church Anglican. He is a shareholder in the law firm of Gammon & Grange, and his practice concentrates on the law of religious and other nonprofit organizations, child abuse prevention and response, employment and human resources law, computer and internet law and other areas.
 

AUDIO
4. Your Church and the New Wineskins Global Missions Conference: Why Bring a Team?…The New Wineskins Global Missions Conference is the primary mission-mobilizing event for the Anglican Church in North America. Held every three years, it brings together those engaged in local mission and international mission; it draws missionaries and senders, clergy and laity, intercessors and evangelists, teachers and disciples. Come hear New Wineskins Missionary Network’s Executive Director, Jenny Noyes, share about the impact that next September’s conference can have on your church’s missional zeal. A number of congregations in our Diocese have discovered the power of bringing a team to experience New Wineskins—a conference that changes lives and changes churches. Come hear about the 18 pre-conferences that will go deeper on a variety of mission topics. Learn how everyone from young children to seniors can be challenged and equipped to take the Great Commission seriously.

Jenny Noyes is Executive Director of New Wineskins Missionary Network, an Anglican mission-mobilizing ministry based in Greensboro, NC. They host the triennial New Wineskins Global Missions Conference, which is coming up September 26-29, 2019 at Ridgecrest, NC. Jenny has served on the staff of Alpha USA and as Evangelism Director of the Anglican Communion Network, the precursor to the Anglican Church in North America. 
 

AUDIO
5. Conversation for Church Planters…DOMA church planters and prospective church planters are invited to have lunch and conversation with our pre-Synod seminar leader, The Rev. Winfield Bevins.

The Rev. Dr. Winfield Bevins is an author, artist, and speaker whose passion is to help others connect to the roots of the Christian faith for discipleship and mission. He is the Director of Church Planting at Asbury Theological Seminary. Prior to coming to Asbury, he was a pastor, college professor, and planter of Church of the Outer Banks (Diocese of the Carolinas). He has taught on four different continents, speaking at conferences, churches, and seminaries on a variety of topics. He has a Doctorate of Ministry from Southeastern Seminary in Wake Forest, NC. Having grown up in a low-church background, Winfield eventually found his spiritual home in the Anglican tradition, but freely draws wisdom from all church traditions.

Afternoon Breakout Sessions

VIDEO
1.  Transgenderism: Compassion, Clarity & Conversation…An increasing number of people in Western culture, especially teens, identify as transgender. Their “inward” experience of masculinity or femininity feels askew to their “outward” biological sex, male or female. With this topic now mainstream, Christians need to think carefully and compassionately about an array of questions, including: What anthropological assumptions underlie popular views and treatments? What does a loving Christian response look like? 

The Rev. Samuel D. Ferguson is currently working on a Ph.D. in the area of biblical anthropology. He also serves as part of the pastoral team at The Falls Church Anglican, Falls Church, VA, where he transitions to the role of rector in the spring of 2019. 

 

AUDIO
2. Becoming an Everyday Missionary…We often compartmentalize our “spiritual” and our “secular” lives when in actuality everything we are and possess is sacred and should be used to further God’s kingdom on earth. This workshop will give you practical ideas of how to be a missional Christian, engaging with those around you on a 24/7 basis as you live your everyday life. What do you have? Will you give it to Jesus?

Jenny Noyes is Executive Director of New Wineskins Missionary Network, an Anglican mission-mobilizing ministry based in Greensboro, NC. They host the triennial New Wineskins Global Missions Conference, which is coming up September 26-29, 2019 at Ridgecrest, NC. Jenny has served on the staff of Alpha USA and the Anglican Communion Network, the precursor to the ACNA province, as Evangelism Director. 

 

AUDIO
3. North America: The New Mission Field…We live in an increasingly multicultural, secular, and global context, and because some churches in the United States do not understand these shifts, they have either stopped growing or are in decline. These shifts, however, have created tremendous opportunities for mission, as the mission field has now come to us, along with fresh voices from the global church from which we can grow and learn. Dr. Winfield Bevins, Director of Church Planting at Asbury Seminary will be sharing how each one of us can join in God’s mission to reach North America with the gospel of Jesus Christ through personal evangelism, church planting, and revitalizing existing congregations.

The Rev. Dr. Winfield Bevins is an author, artist, and speaker whose passion is to help others connect to the roots of the Christian faith for discipleship and mission. He is the Director of Church Planting at Asbury Theological Seminary. Prior to coming to Asbury, he was a pastor, college professor, and planter of Church of the Outer Banks (Diocese of the Carolinas). He has taught on four different continents, speaking at conferences, churches, and seminaries on a variety of topics. He has a Doctorate of Ministry from Southeastern Seminary in Wake Forest, NC. Having grown up in a low-church background, Winfield eventually found his spiritual home in the Anglican tradition, but freely draws wisdom from all church traditions.

AUDIO
4. Tomorrow’s Leaders in Your Church Today: How to reach and form college students as leaders for the Church…Local, national, and global leaders for tomorrow are students on college campuses today. 53% of these students report feeling hopeless. Only 4% of this generation of students has a Biblical worldview. Regardless of the size and style of your church, there are important ways you can help to bring the hope of Jesus Christ to campus and disciple next generation leaders for ministry in the Church and the world. Join in an interactive session to discuss best practices in reaching college students with the Gospel and integrating them into the life of your parish. 

Nicole Shirk serves as the Executive Vice President for Campus Ministry of the Coalition for Christian Outreach (CCO), providing leadership to all facets of Campus Ministry, Recruiting, Fellowship Program, and Support Raising Ministries. She attended Wake Forest University in North Carolina and had plans as a student to serve the Lord through economic development in West Africa. The Lord had other plans. Now in her 17th year of ministry with the CCO, Nicole delights in God disrupting her life with better plans than she could imagine. Nicole’s work with the CCO has included ministry to Carnegie Mellon University students, regional leadership, and executive roles overseeing the CCO’s ministry to students in partnership with local churches. 

Elliott Simko has served with the Coalition for Christian Outreach in the Metro Philadelphia region since graduating from college in 2008. During that time, he served as CCO campus staff in partnership with Manoa Community Church, reaching students at Haverford College and Eastern University. Elliott then worked as a Partnership Coordinator for the Metro Philadelphia region, and he recently took on a new role as Director of Campus Ministry, through which he provides leadership to the CCO’s regional leaders and helps develop CCO church partnerships nationwide. 

“Pipelines” and Raising Up Future Leaders for the Church

By Rick Wright

In the church planting world there is much discussion of ‘pipelines’, ‘syphons’, and methods for recruiting future church planters.  Leadership development is another way of putting it, in the field of church planting the key factor is the church planter.  It starts with them; once you have the person with the calling, passion, skills, vision, support and ministry plan to plant a church you can then begin the actual work of planting a church.  However, finding a person with those qualities is not easy, only perhaps ten percent of pastors have what it takes to plant a successful church.

Hence the need for a structural process to develop, recruit and train people who will become church planters. These days we call those structures pipelines.  Some denominations have very developed pipelines, starting with church youth ministries, those funnel people into college ministries, then seminary, then internships, and then finally they may become church planters.  The percentage of those who first enter the pipeline and then come out at the end is very low, less than one percent.  Yet they can be very fruitful.  

At The Falls Church there have been church planting pipelines for a long time. Some of them are formal, others are informal.  John Yates has been emphasizing leadership development for many years.  It was one of his highest priorities when he first came to The Falls Church.  The first additional full-time position he hired for was a youth worker.  The priority became known as ‘Raising Up Future Leaders for the Church.’ The methodology adopted was the same that has been used by the South American Mission Society (SAMS) since its inception; start small, follow God’s leading, put money in a secondary place, then under God everything depends upon the quality of those chosen.  The pipeline at TFC started small, and as John and the parish went on from there the Lord gradually added pipelines and leaders for the future church.

One of the early pipelines was the youth ministry.  It developed over the years into quite the network of pipes.  The team of volunteers-mainly young adults-who led small groups for the youth became known as the ‘youth family’, and it grew to over eighty people.  So from youth, it grew into youth + Youth Family’.  The Fellows Program was started at TFCA, and they also helped serve in the youth ministry. Youth + Youth Family + Fellows Program.  Then summer college interns were added. Youth + Youth Family + Fellows Program.  More youth staff were hired.  A yearlong internship program to train youth workers was added, called the Nehemiah Program. So the pipeline just from a small start with the youth ministry ended up being: Youth + Youth Family + Fellows Program + Youth Staff + Nehemiah Program.

In addition to the youth ministry pipelines there were others.  Some went onto to seminary after serving on the church staff in other positions, not just youth ministry.  We had seminarians from Virginia Theological Seminary for many, many years.  Summer seminarians have been serving at the church from seminaries in the US, Canada, and England. And most recently the Timothy Program and Associate Timothy Program have been added to our structural pipelines.  About fifty people have been ordained through the Falls Church over the past forty years, and some of them have gone on to plant churches.  

There are both formal pipelines, like those described above, and informal pipelines.  It is hard to say which have been more important in this church.  This article is focusing upon church planting.  But the number of missionaries and lay leaders that have come from the parish is beyond counting.  I remember hearing in the early days of the formation of the ACNA that a newly formed ‘Standing Committee’ for a new Diocese in another nearby state was composed primarily of former Falls Church lay members.  John Yates knows more people in our denomination and throughout the Anglican world than just about anybody and he has been a major source of church planter recruits.  But the training and development has come through the more formal pipelines, so my hunch is that they typically go hand in hand.  And they grow gradually over time.  So start small, follow God’s leading, put money in a secondary place, and remember that under God, everything depends upon the quality of those chosen.

The Rev. Rick Wright is Director of Congregational Care at The Falls Church Anglican. Photo: Ed Glancy.

 

Coracle offers new retreats and events for 2019

By Bill Haley

Welcome to the Advent season. It is officially the start of a new church year, according to the liturgical calendar.  Accordingly, many of our minds are turning towards 2019.  At Coracle, we are no different. We've just finished our Annual Report for 2018 which includes a look into 2019 also.  We'd love for you to read it and rejoice with us for all that it contains!  We are also very excited about what is coming up in 2019.

We're doing a lot more in Northern Virginia, weekly actually! All are welcome to join us for contemplative evenings and prayer on the first and third Wednesdays (starting January 16). and on the fourth Wednesday (starting January 23) we'll have book discussions (all are welcome!) once a month.   We'll start with "The Everlasting Man" by GK Chesterton.  Email Karla to get more information or to sign up for any of these gatherings.

We'll have a NEW retreat at Corhaven on February 23 called "How to Fall in Love with Jesus", with more retreats at Corhaven being added throughout the year. And importantly, we're holding a day-long seminar on February 9, on race, spirituality, the civil rights movement, and reconciliation in today's society.  See details for that below.   We'll once again offer "An American Lent" with The Repentance Project starting Ash Wednesday (March 6), and provide several service opportunities in Washington DC.

We have at least three pilgrimages happening, one here in Virginia on race in April, one to Israel and Palestine also in April (password: Coracle2019), and we'll go to Portugal and Spain to hike the Portuguese Camino in August.  You can email us if you're interested in attending any of these. We're thinking about Iona, so be in touch if you're interested in that.

AND, 2019 marks the 10 year anniversary of the beginning of Corhaven. We'll be throwing a big celebration on September 21, let us know if you're hoping to come.

We're excited for what God has for all of us in 2019 and continuing the journey with you.  Join us! 

The Rev. Bill Haley is Executive Director of Coracle and is the Associate Rector of The Falls Church Anglican.

Check out Life Summit 2018 talks online!

Click here to watch the video playlist of all the Life Summit 2018 talks or click on the speakers' names below to watch individual talks.
 

Clenard Childress
Founder and North-Eastern Director
of BlackGenocide.org





Mark DiGiacoma 
CEO and Senior Advisor for Crossroads
Leadership Development, LLC





Wesley J. Smith
Author and Senior Fellow at the Discovery Institute’s
Center on Human Exceptionalism






Cheryl Sullenger
Senior Vice President, Operation Rescue






Rick Bergh
Thanatologist, Author and Counselor

Stephanie Gray
Pro-Life Author and Speaker






David Bereit
Author and Former CEO of 40 Days for Life
 

Pre-March for Life Worship Service






The Rt. Rev. John Guernsey
Bishop of the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic
 

DOMACAST: Talks and Reports from Synod 2018

The Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic brings insightful podcasts featuring a cross section of speakers from all walks of our Christian life.  Listen on the diocesan website and subscribe to DOMACAST here.

Now available: Talks and reports from Synod 2018
Click here for a full list.

You may also find featured talks in the DOMACAST podcast available for free in the iTunes Store here.  You may listen to episodes online, download to your device, or subscribe.

Check out the Jobs Board

One of the top hits on the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic website is our Jobs Board that advertises employment in our churches and related organizations in the diocese.

Click here to see the latest employment openings. To request that a position be posted, please send an email to Mary Ailes with the position title, a brief description of the position, a website link to further information if available, the deadline for applications if appropriate, and the email address of a point of contact.  

Get the message out and pass the word

It's easy to subscribe to receive the Mid-Atlantic Messenger. All are encouraged to sign up to receive the official newsletter of the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic. You may post the link on your Facebook page, tweet it or run the information in your weekly service leaflet.

To receive the Mid-Atlantic Messenger just click here and fill out the simple form online. After you finish completing the form, be sure to click on the link sent to you in your confirmation email and you are all set!  Questions?  Contact Mary Ailes at mary.ailes@anglicandoma.org.

The Mid-Atlantic Messenger