Diocese of New Jersey | Bishop Councell

It is a delight to publish this blog on St. Luke's Day, the second anniversary of my consecration as the Eleventh Bishop of New Jersey. By the grace of God and with the help of your prayers, I am grateful for the privilege of serving and leading the Church in this Diocese. As we prayed on that day in October of 2003, may we continue to pray that the love and healing power of Jesus Christ may work in and through our Church, to the praise and glory of our God. Amen.

St. Andrew's, Camden. On the night before we left for our annual vacation, Ruth and I shared in the joy of St. Andrew's, Camden, in their celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Ordination to the Priesthood of the Rev. Pedro Guzman. Padre Guzman renewed his ordinations vows. He and his wife, Odeida, renewed their wedding vows as well. Canon Martin Gutwein graciously hosted this celebration at St. Paul's in Camden.

St. Augustine's, Atlantic City. I was delighted to celebrate the Eucharist with the people of St. Augustine's at a Gospel Fest and rally held at Pop Lloyd Stadium in Atlantic City. Nearly two years after a fire destroyed their parish house and damaged their sanctuary, the congregation continues to worship regularly at the Church of the Ascension (Thank you, Fr. Wayne Smith and Ascension!). The Rev. Augustine Unuigbe, Priest-in-Charge, and the leaders of St. Augustine's wanted to announce to the community that they are still standing. We heard a marvelous sermon by Dr. Unuigbe. We sang, we sweltered and we rejoiced that God is good, all the time. Watch for more information about how our Diocese can assist St. Augustine's, as we assisted churches that suffered from the floods of the summer of 2004.

Grace, Pemberton. On September 4th, I was glad to preside at Evensong in Pemberton marking the conclusion of the ministry of the Rev. Joan Watson as Rector, where she served since 1989. Grace Church really turned out, as did many of Joan's family and friends to give thanks for her leadership and ministry.

Archdeacons: Coming, going, and being honored!
The community of Deacons gathered at Trinity Cathedral on Saturday, September 10th for a morning of reflection and celebration. We marked the retirement of the Ven. Carol Stoy and conferred upon her the title, "Archdeacon Emerita," after her six years of service. At the same Liturgy it was my privilege to recognize the following Deacons, who will succeed Carol in the office and ministry of Archdeacon: the Ven. Victoria Cuff (Christ Church, Middletown); the Ven. John Hanson (St. Augustine's, Camden); and the Ven. Keith McCoy (St. John's, Somerville).

John 10:10 Tour: Lookin' for Life in all the Right Churches
Back on the road in September...

All Saints', Navesink. On September 11th I resumed the John 10:10 Tour with my first official visit to Navesink. The Rev. Hugh Tudor-Foley, Interim Rector, continues to give faithful care and direction to this congregation. Glorious music, great participation and an absolutely charming sanctuary made for worship "in the beauty of holiness."

And on to the Monmouth Convocation, number one of eight That afternoon we held the first of eight fall Convocation meetings. We were hosted by St. George's in Rumson. I was joined by members of Diocesan Council and Diocesan Staff to offer a "State of the Diocese" message on the progress we have made and the challenges that lay before us.
Since then I have visited the following Convocations: Woodbury, September 13th, at Trinity, Vineland; Camden, September 20th, at Grace Church in Haddonfield; Atlantic, October 11th, at Christ Church in Somers Point; and Watchung, at St. John's, Somerville, on September 12th.
Next month we will gather at Trinity, Vincentown (Burlington Convocation), at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, November 2nd; at Trinity Cathedral (Trenton Convocation), at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 8th; and at Trinity, Cranford (Northern Convocation), at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, November 9th. All Wardens, Vestry members and parishioners are welcome.

St. Peter's IGBO Church, Trenton. On September 17th, I was happy to preach, confirm and celebrate the Eucharist at St. Peter's IGBO Church, now meeting at the former St. Andrew's Church on Brunswick Avenue in Trenton. This church building was scheduled to be sold. When Canon Lee Powers and I met with the Rev. Linus Amonu, Vicar and the Rev. Canon Martin Oguike, Vicar of St. John's, Fords and St. John's, Sewaren, we quickly determined that the "re-cycling" of this space would advance the mission of the Church. At the feast following the service, I was presented with a beautiful Nigerian shirt and trousers, with matching cap. Ndewo!

Grace, Linden. It was my privilege to make a visit to Grace Church in Linden on September 18th. Not only did we celebrate a beautiful Liturgy (carefully crafted by the Rev. Terry Blackburn), including an adult baptism, several confirmations and receptions, I was welcomed to a parish picnic on one of the most beautiful days of the year.

St. Paul's, Westfield. That afternoon I presided and preached at the re-dedication of the newly renovated and refurbished St. Paul's. The service was preceded by a wonderful organ recital by Charles Banks, Organist/Choirmaster. The Rev. Andrew Hamersley, Rector, and devoted lay leaders have done great work together to complete this project. I was moved to tears by this offering of worship to the glory of God and building up of the church for mission in the world. Well done.

Down to San Juan and the House of Bishops meeting
I attended the Fall meeting of the House of Bishops in San Juan, Puerto Rico, September 22-26. We began by receiving presentations from the Bishops of Louisiana, Mississippi and Central Gulf Coast on the suffering, displacement, damages and losses suffered by the people, clergy and churches of their dioceses because of Hurricane Katrina. As we met, Hurricane Rita was approaching Texas and Louisiana. We also heard reports from representatives of Episcopal Relief and Development and Episcopal Migration Ministries. One of the sayings emerging out of the affected dioceses is, "The Church is Still Standing." Along with more than 50 other bishops, I signed up for our Diocese to participate in our Church's offering of help and support under the title, "We Will Stand With You."

'We Will Stand With You'
I am deeply grateful to announce that we have two Diocesan Coordinators who are beginning work to organize our response and channel our best efforts and talents to meet the needs of our brothers and sisters in that region. The Rev. Brian Burgess, Rector of Christ Church, Woodbury and the Rev. Catherine Esposito, Deacon at St. Peter's, Freehold, are working together to determine precisely what help is needed in those areas. Our mission will be determined by those needs. More information will be forthcoming and will be posted on this Web site. I am proud that New Jersey will stand with them.

From bishops to brides . . .
I returned early from the House of Bishops meeting in order to travel to The Church of the Holy Spirit in Lake Forest, Illinois, where it was our joy to celebrate and bless the marriage of our daughter Martha to Luis Vargas on October 1st. Our daughter Sarah was married to Bob Turner at the Chapel of the Virginia Theological Seminary on April 9th. It's been a busy and wonderful year of celebrating blessings, thanks be to God.

New rectors at Riverton and New Providence
One of the greatest of the many privileges of this ministry is the opportunity to preside at the Celebration of a New Ministry. On October 5th, we celebrated the new ministry of the Rev. Richard Wrede as Rector of Christ Church in Riverton. On October 8th we celebrated the new ministry of the Rev. Margaret Hodgkins as Rector of St. Andrew's, New Providence. Both of these were splendid occasions, radiant with faith and hope, with love and joy in our Lord. May our Lord bless and prosper the work now begun between these new clergy and lay partnerships in ministry.

St. Peter's, Clarksboro. I enjoyed my first visitation to this historic church in the South. The Rev. Dennis Nichols presented a wonderful group of young people for Confirmation. St. Peter's present sanctuary was dedicated by Bishop Doane in 1846 and has been beautifully preserved. "Right Onward!" as the second Bishop of New Jersey would say.

Trinity, Vincentown. Severely damaged by a flood during the summer of 2004, Trinity is still standing. Dr. Peter Molnar, the Wardens and Vestry and people worked hard and long to restore this charming church. They were blessed by the help of Jan White Molnar. We celebrated and rededicated everything in sight. Remembering the words that Blessed Francis of Assisi heard while praying in the ruins of a chapel at San Damiano ("Francis, rebuild my church"), we rejoiced to see this church restored, by the grace of God and the sacrifice and service of the people.

The fun and power of U2
Along the way I was blessed to attend a concert by the Irish band U2. I was the guest of the Rev. Dr. Raewynne Whiteley, Vicar of Trinity, Swedesboro. This is a band of great talent and a strong social conscience. In the middle of the performance, the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights was displayed across the television monitors. As so often happens, the troubadours convey the message of the Gospel more effectively and more powerfully than the bishops and theologians. God bless them.

A confirmation before shipping off to Iraq
I was honored to administer Confirmation to a young man named Larry Henry prior to his leaving this last weekend for duty with the U.S. Navy, in Iraq. He was prepared and presented by the Rev. Mantelle Bradley. His name and the names of several other members of our Diocese who serve in our military are remembered each day at Morning Prayer in this office. We pray for peace, justice and reconciliation and for safety for all of those who are in harm's way in this sinful and broken world. God bless them

Recently read
The Clerkenwell Tales, by Peter Ackroyd; Chaucer, by Peter Ackroyd; and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, by Jonathan Safran Foer.

Currently reading
Where God Happens: Discovering Christ in One Another, by Rowan Williams and Everything is Illuminated, by Jonathan Safran Foer.

Waiting to read
The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time, by Jeffrey D. Sachs; Speaking My Mind, by Tony Campolo; The Church Enslaved: A Spirituality of Racial Reconciliation, by Michael Battle and Tony Campolo; and The Power of Asset Mapping: How Your Congregation Can Act on Its Gifts, by Luther K. Snow.

On the Episcopal CD changer
Possibilities, by Herbie Hancock, with various artists; Back Home, by Eric Clapton; Souls Alike, by Bonnie Raitt; We Get A Kick Out of Jazz, by various artists; Get You a Healin', by various artists; and The Soul Truth, by Shemekia Copeland.

Right Onward!

Faithfully yours,
+George

The Right Reverend George Edward Councell
XI Bishop of New Jersey