Region IX

In 2017, the six Region IX churches, comprising Westover Church in Charles City County,Varina Church, St. Peter’s – New Kent,and Richmond churches St. John’s, St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s, met three times, and over the course of the year, undertook a journey toward change and transition. In so doing, we worked through a process that met our previously set Region IX goals for 2017 for continuing prayerful consideration of how best to define and free Region IX in terms of our spiritual affinities, and welcome opportunities to serve with radical love, God’s people all around us, within and beyond our walls – and further to acknowledge the affectionate bonds of fellowship developed over nearly fifty years of meetings and working together as this Region IX.

Ultimately, the recommendations of the revisioning committee were accepted and Westover, St. Peter’s New Kent and Varina will bring their collective energy to the new Middle Peninsula region, and St. John’s, St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s will become founding members of the new Central Richmond region. The final joyful action to close out this regional chapter and its accounts was to set aside funds for our churches to bring to the new regions, and for outreach funds to be sent to the Episcopal Disaster Relief fund for hurricane recovery, and a donation in honor of Region IX to Richmond Hill on attaining thirty years serving the greater Richmond community.

The region unanimously nominated Rusty Copland of Westover Church to the Executive Board, for a three-year term that spans the move to the newly minted Middle Peninsula region,reaffirmed supporting our Shrine Mont campers as they move into roles of responsibility as camp counselors and as PYM and Youth Delegates at the Diocesan level, cheeredthe selection of Varina’s Rev. Cathy McKinney as our Dean, and voted unanimously to support Rev. Ben Campbell and the Metro Clergy for RVA Rapid Transitas regional sponsor of this Convention’sResolutioncalling for Improved Public Transportation in Central Virginia and note the need for our united resolve at every level to bring real systemic change to this issue.

We recommend to others what inspires and energizes, even in the hard times of protest, unrest and doubling down on the need, in the words of Presiding Bishop Curry, for the disciplined love shown by Jesus and a revolution of relationships through:

  • Reaching outward and inward, several of our churches continue the work of racial reconciliation through conversations and historical analysis;
  • Laundry Love continuing seeking community in Richmond’s East End by providing detergent, kids’ crafts, and quarters at the hands of volunteers from St. John’s, Varina, and St. Paul’s.
  • Providing solace through inter-faith prayer services following the August 12 white supremacist violence in Charlottesville,and prior to a Richmond rally at the Lee statue, with a prayer service at St. Paul’s led by Bishop Susan Goff;
  • Fiscal accountability as a reminder from St. Peter’s New Kent that diligence pays dividends of satisfaction, after completing a long-term goal to review its administrative processes and all audits;
  • Caring through capital commitments for the places where we experience God together as Westover renovates its parish hall in a lay-led campaign; St. Peter’s Richmond takes bids on its much-needed elevator to strengthen its presence there as a community study center, food distribution point and a place of worship; while St. Paul’s completes work on its underground garage as first step to repairing its sanctuary in a physical way, even as it strives to repair its historical spiritual wounds as well;
  • And in the spring, St. John’s welcomed Rev. Amelie Wilmer as their new Priest-in-Charge; and in the fall, St. Paul’s invited Rev. Sue Eaves to return in an Interim capacity upon the departure of Rev. Wallace Adams-Riley. In a different sort of welcoming, Rev. Andrew Terry of St. Peter’s Richmond, and his wife brought a new member of the baptized and a parishioner into the world, with the birth of their son.

As the work of Region IX draws to a close, we walk in love to serve the Lord in a new way.

Submitted by Susan D. Bland, President