Report to Diocesan Council, March 10, 2012

January 20 to March 3, 2012

1. The Reverend Earl Koopercamp has been called to serve as Priest in Partnership at Church of the Good Shepherd, Barre, and will begin his ministry in VT on May 27, 2012. The Reverend Regina Christianson has been called to serve as Rector at Calvary Church, Underhill. The Reverend Sherry Osborne has resigned as Rector of Saint Mark’s, Springfield, effective March 18, 2012.
2. The following congregations are in transition (mostly with respect to calling new clergy leadership): St. Peter’s, Bennington; St. Luke’s/St. Mark’s, Castleton/Fair Haven; Christ Church, Island Pond; St. Peter’s, Lyndonville; St. Stephen’s, Middlebury; St. Mark’s, Newport; Gethsemane, Proctorsville; Saint John’s, Randolph; St. Ann’s, Richford; Trinity Church, Rutland; St. Mark’s, Springfield; St. Paul’s, Windsor.
3. Our efforts in response to various continuing needs arising from Tropical Storm Irene continue. Ann Cooper is serving as our response Coordinator, thanks to a grant from Episcopal Relief and Development. We are in the process of applying for a continuing grant from ERD to carry us through the remainder of 2012.
4. I attended the Annual Province One Chancellors and Bishops Conference – January 26-28 in Sturbridge, MA. Vermont hosts this gathering in 2013. I will travel to Las Vegas in February for the Annual Meeting of the Living Stones Partnership.
5. I will travel to El Salvador in February for a meeting of the Cristosal Board of Directors.
6. I attended the Annual Meeting of the Living Stones Partnership in Las Vegas February 4-7, 2012. Our Vermont presentation (case study) focused on the ministry of Christ Church, Bethel in response to Tropical Storm Irene.
7. I attended the Annual Meeting of the Cristosal Foundation in El Salvador February 12-20, 2012. I serve as a member of the Board of Directors.
8. I attended a meeting of the Trustees of the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge February 23-25. I am a Trustee of EDS and some very good things are happening there these days.
9. Our General Convention Deputation held a teleconference meeting this past week to begin preparation for General Convention this July 3-13 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
10. I will attend the House of Bishops meeting at Camp Allen in Navasota, Texas from March 14-21.
11. The formal dedication of Solar Installation on the Rock Point property will take place on Monday April 30, 2012 at 11:00 AM. Our guest speaker will be Bill McKibben and we hope for the involvement of many civic leaders. All are welcome.
12. I continued my work with the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music of The Episcopal Church and our preparation of materials for the blessing of same gender relationships for inclusion in our “Blue Book” report to General Convention. I will attend the Province IX Pre-General Convention meeting March 6-8 in the Dominican Republic; I will lead a presentation at the upcoming House of Bishops meeting; I will be a presenter at the Province One Pre-General Convention Synod on April 13-14, 2012.
13. I will preside at the Celebration of a New Season of Ministry at Christ Church, Montpelier on Sunday March 11, 2012 at 4:00 PM. All are welcome!
14. Diocese (and your bishop) mourns the death of William Rayner, a member of the Church of Our Saviour, Killington and a devoted member for many years of our Diocesan Insurance Committee, who died this past week. I have known and worked with Bill for many years, including in Connecticut before he and his family moved here, well before I became bishop. R.I.P. dear friend, and may God’s love embrace you as you and your ministry embraced us.

Faithfully,
+Thomas