2017 Annual report of

REGION XI

to the Diocese of Virginia

Region XI is led by Region Dean, The Very Rev. Phoebe A. Roaf and Region President, Deborah Taliaferro. The executive board members are: Ginny Ferguson, Treasurer; Margaret Woody, Secretary; and Diocesan Executive Board Member, Cynthia Dyson. Our Youth Delegate for 2017 is Meghan Bower, All Soul’s Church.

Region XI’s fourteen congregations include urban, suburban and rural parishes located in the City of Richmond and counties of Hanover, Henrico, and King William. Although Region XI is vast, clergy and laypersons support and build relationships by sharing information, ideas, and communicating about their ministries related to the Diocese of Virginia and The Episcopal Church.

Meetings are held quarterly throughout the region. The 2017 meetings were held in February –

Church of the Creator, Mechanicsville; May – Church of the Epiphany, Henrico; and

August - St. Thomas, Richmond.

REGION XI TRANSITIONS IN 2017

Clergy Transitions:

  • 3/2/17 The Rev. Rock Higgins Interim downtown missioner until June 30, 2017
  • 4/23/17 The Rev. Susan Buchanan completed her service as rector of St. Thomas
  • 4/23/17 The Rev. Charles Spignor’s completed his service as Interim at Rector at

Immanuel Old Church

  • 7/01/17 The Rev. Chris Miller will begin as Rector at Immanuel Old Church
  • 4/30/17 The Rev. Amelie Wilmer was called to St. John’s, Richmond as Priest-in-Charge
  • August The Rev. Whitney Edwards is acting Priest Associate at St. Thomas
  • 8/31/17 The Rev. Anna Brawley completed her service as rector of St. James-the-Less
  • 8/2017 The Rev. Katherine Dougherty is Deacon-In-Charge at All Souls
  • St. David’s continues to use supply priest, until a permanent Vicar can be found
  • November 4 The Very Rev. Phoebe Roaf will completed her tenure as Dean of Region XI
  • November 4 The Very Rev. Connor Newlun will become Dean of No. Richmond Region

Region XI will become the North Richmond Region. All churches will remain in the new North Richmond region with the exceptions of: St. David’s Aylett, Middle Peninsula Region; Christ Ascension, St. Philip’s, and St. Thomas will join the new Central Richmond Region.

FINANCE

Financial support was extended to St. David’s Aylett, the Anna Julia Cooper School, Peter Paul Development Center, and to the St. Thomas Refugee Resettlement Project, Tanzania Pig Project.

Remaining Region XI funds were divided between region mission churches: All Souls, Calvary Hanover, and St. David’s Aylett.

SPECIAL SERVICES

Many creative and special services took place across the Region XI such as:

Blessing of the Animals, Blue Grass Mass, Contemplative Mass, Healing Services.

LENTEN AND SPECIAL PROGRAMS

Most churches held Lenten programs. Some of the programs were created by the churches and some used known curricula such as:

All Souls –

·  “Lenten Spirituality & Your Personality (Meyers Briggs) Program with Prayer Types Ignation (NT), Thomasistic (ST), Franciscan (SP) and Augustian (NP)

·  Faith Formation and Baptismal Covenant

·  Book Study of Desmond Tutu’s book, “God Has a Dream”

St. Philip’s – “Just Walk Across the Room: How to Leave Circles of Comfort and Extend Hands of Care, Compassion and Inclusiveness”

Fork Church – 500 Years of Reformation Celebration

Immanuel – Music in the Old Church Concert Series

Christ Ascension – Bible Series: “5 Marks of Love”

Church of the Epiphany – “Invite/Welcome/Connect”

St. Thomas – Adult Movie Fellowship/Bible Study based on the movie “The Way”

Emanuel Brook Hill – Arts and Spirituality Center

YOUTH

St. Paul’s Hanover – Youth participated in a mission project in South Carolina.

Immanuel Old Church – Youth went to Liverpool, England. The Liverpool youth then came

to visit enjoying trips to Williamsburg, Washington, DC, etc. They were joined by youth from

St. Philip’s.

Children/Youth education was a high priority, we continued with programs such as: “Cherub School”, “Godly Play”, “J2A”, Full Day Vacation Bible Schools, Youth Sundays, Youth Sermons, Boy Scouts, and Girl Scouts.

ADULT EDUCATION AND FORMATION

EFM (Education for Ministry), Book groups, Contemplative Bible study, yoga groups, Tai Chi groups, Vestry retreats, and college ministries enhanced Adult Education and Formation throughout the region.

MISSION WORK

Region XI Tanzania Pig Project, St. Thomas Congolese Refugee Ministry, Adult group home residents, 6 congregations hosted CARITAS (Congregations Around Richmond Involved to Assure Shelter), community gardens (7 of 15 congregations), ecumenical projects, “Sack Hunger” lunch bags, firewood ministries, youth food collections and a Halloween party for Peter Paul Development Center, food pantries, Habitat for Humanity, home winterizations, “Donuts for Dads” at JEB Stuart School, Micah Initiative, school supply drives, youth mission to South Carolina, youth mission to Liverpool, tutoring neighborhood students, and Episcopal Church Women projects were just some of the mission work around Region XI.

SPECIAL EVENTS AND FUN TIMES

There were special events and lots of fun activities also such as: church bazaars and yard sales, Oyster and Chili Festivals, Brunswick stew cook-offs and sales, parish picnics, and many parish retreats at Shrine Mont.

Respectfully Submitted,

Deborah Taliaferro

Region XI President

October 18, 2017