Atlantic
City Mission Board
Emerging in the 1980s after the closing of an historic parish, this
board, originally composed of two Atlantic City churches, along with
Pleasantville and Ventnor parishes, now has seven member churches.
The ACMB binds shore and near-shore parishes in a network of friendships
and support.
The
Hughes Commission
This commission focuses on strengthening parishes in the Atlantic
convocation and investigating the potential for church planting in
this important shore region. An outgrowth of the ACMB, it is named
for the Honorable William Hughes, former ambassador to Panama, congressman,
and active Episcopalian.
Companion
diocese relationship
We’re in our seventeenth year of companionship with Central
America and our fourth year with the Diocese of El Salvador. We’ve
forged many connections, and here are just a few: The Reverend Hannah
Atkins spent the first four years of her ministry there; the first
ordained woman in El Salvador. Since the 2001 earthquakes we’ve
raised $200,000 to rebuild homes. We support Christian education development
for clergy and lay leadership, committing about $15,000 a year to
that. Annual youth trips in August and adult trips in February take
us to El Salvador and several clergy, along with Bishop Martin
Barahona, have come to New Jersey to visit us. We look for increasing
opportunities to share our dreams and hopes for the increase of the
Gospel in our dioceses.
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of Cristo Rey, teaching a class. |
Deacon
Formation Program
The program covers all seven canonical areas of study, an introductory
“Survey of the Diaconate” course, homiletics, and practical
liturgics. There are two classes and eight meetings each semester.
An extended unit of CPE is built into the program as well. Our faculty
is drawn from General Theological Seminary, New Brunswick Theological
Seminary, and Drew University, among others.
Since its launch in 1982, roughly 90 people have entered the program, of whom 95 percent have been ordained. Eleven will be ordained in September 2002 and 11 are aspirants in the Class of 2005. There are 47 deacons canonically resident, of whom 39 are physically resident and active. Overseeing the program are a director, a Committee on the Diaconate (part of the Commission on Ministry) and a Deacons Council, which plans social, spiritual, and continuing education events.
Jubilee
Centers
Seven parishes in our diocese with significant and innovative ministries
have been granted Jubilee-Center status. Examples? For 12 years, Grace
Church, in a deteriorated area in the industrial city of Elizabeth
Port, has provided a monthly food supply at a fraction of the actual
cost for 100 people, through its senior citizen brown-bag program.
In Spotswood, St Peter’s offers a Wednesday night fellowship
supper, a nourishing meal offered free to the needy, the lonely, and
anyone in the community. And St Simeon’s-by-the-Sea in North
Wildwood provides day care for working mothers in back-to-work programs
through its Suffer-Not Infant Care and Pre-School Academy.
Organizations
From chapters of Daughters of the King, the Order of St Luke, and
Integrity to Episcopal Church Women, the Hunger Task Force, and Migrant
Ministry, there are numerous ways for parishioners to become involved
at a local, diocesan, and national level. Some commission members
are elected by diocesan convention, some are appointed by the bishop,
and others are open to everyone. And many share their activities across
the diocese. For instance, at the 2002 diocesan convention, Episcopal
Church Women hosted a breakfast with the Honorable Taimalelagi Fagamalama
Tuatagaloa-Matalavea, Anglican Observer to the United Nations. She
fascinated listeners with stories of ministry in her native Samoa
and observations on her UN role.
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participating in a CROP walk. |
Servant
ministry
For
the last few years, we’ve been inspired by the concept of the
servant-church: it’s about reinvigorating our diocese, increasing
the size of our worshipping communities, and energizing our evangelism
efforts. The Servants of the Vision committee has attended several
conferences in the Diocese of Texas and is working on specific initiatives
we could embark on. At the 2002 diocesan convention, Hamilton Beazley,
co-author with the Right Reverend Claude Payne (Texas) of Reclaiming
the Great Commission, gave the keynote address. The candor, energy,
and enthusiasm of his speech prompted sparks that we look forward
to kindling in years to come.
Youth
activities, education, and programs
Our Diocesan Youth Commission is the starting point for much of our
work with children and young people. From diocesan-wide Happenings
to national Episcopal Youth Events, acolyte festivals to lock-ins
at the cathedral, children and young people take part in programs
that connect them to the church through a network of friends and activities.
We coordinate conferences, events, and workshops for adults involved in Christian formation of children and youth. Recently “The Hightstown Event,” an ecumenical workshop for clergy, educators, and lay people, covered everything from “Keep ‘em Coming: Sunday Schools for Senior Highs” to “Church Music for the Very Young.” Speaking of music, our summer music camp at Cape May is a long-time favorite.
As a result of a resolution at our 2002 diocesan convention, we’re searching for a full-time Director of Youth Ministry to ramp up our programs and initiatives and take us to the next level. The next bishop should find this important new staff member already on board.
Next: Our parishes are historic, modern, vital, extraordinary