The program of the Diocese of Virginia is supported and implemented through the work of many diocesan committees, commissions, task forces, related organizations and boards and the volunteers who work with them.
In the Diocese of Virginia
Committees
Committee on Addiction and Recovery:
The mission of this committee is to educate our diocese on the spiritual, physical, disease and recovery potential of alcohol, drug and other addictions; to support interventions and recovery for the addict and the affected families and friends. This committee offers a Fall and Spring Retreat for persons in recovery. Chair: The Rev. Charles Aiken, St. Mark’s Church Richmond. Diocesan Staff liaison: The Rev. Lynne Washington. Lwashington@thediocese.net
The Committee on Aging believes that aging is a natural human process which God has ordained as a time for continuing spiritual growth, and not a need or a problem which should be healed or cured. The Committee on Aging of the Diocese of Virginia is dedicated to fostering ways to encourage older adults to live out their lives with purpose in the knowledge that all God’s children—whatever their age—are sustained by God’s grace.
The Committee on Aging offers several program events each year. Fall Camp held at Shrine Mont each October is a three day retreat for persons over 50+ Wedding Celebration is an event to celebrate and honor persons who have been married 50 years or more. The 85th Birthday celebration is to honor persons who have reached or exceeded this age and to encourage oral history and record it. In addition to these program offerings, the Committee on Aging has a number of publications available through their lending library.
Chair: Ms. Elizabeth Power, St. Stephen’s, Catlett
Staff Liaison: The Rev. Percy Grant, pgrant@thediocese.net.
Committee on Education
The mission of the Committee on Education is to encourage, promote, develop, coordinate and support the efforts of all who are involved in Christian education. They offer the Annual Parish Education Day as well as a newsletter and quarterly network meetings.
Chair: The Rev. Gary Barker
Staff Liaison: The Rev. Percy Grant
Mental Health
This committee seeks to live out the reconciling love of Jesus Christ by offering educational programs and networking resources so that the church may be a hospitable dwelling for persons living with mental illness.
Co-Chairs: Mrs. Claire Williams, St. Barnabas, Annandale, and Barbara Ambrose, St. Bartholomew's Church in
Staff Liaison: The Rev. Lynne Washington lwashington@thediocese.net
Ministries in Higher Education
The mission of this committee is to advocate with and for the ministries of the students in colleges and universities, and to facilitate the work of the faculty and parishes involved with them.
Staff Liaison: The Rev. Percy Grant, pgrant@thediocese.net.
Parish Youth Ministries
This committee strives to enable young people to be full and active participants in the life of the Church. This committee has three main objectives within the Diocese of Virginia: 1) to develop and maintain a youth ministry network; 2) to provide quality programs, planned, facilitated and nurtured by young people and the adults who work with them; and 3) to encourage representation of youth on parish, diocesan, provincial and national levels.
Co-chairs: Ms. Beth Magill, Christ Church, Alexandria and Mr. Cameron Bouton, St. Andrew’s, Burke
Staff Liaison: The Rev. Percy Grant pgrant@thediocese.net.
Prison Ministry Network
The Prison Ministry Task Force is a network among the three dioceses of Virginia, Southern Virginia and Southwestern Virginia. "Our need for redemption calls us to be Christ's presence in proclaiming the Good News to the Captive."
Staff Liaison: The Rev. Lynne Washington lwashington@thediocese.net
Race Relations
The mission of the Committee on Race Relations is to support the diocese, its churches, committees, commissions and related organizations in eliminating racism and encouraging cultural diversity, recognizing and incorporating the diverse & enriching gifts of all races and cultures.
Co-Chairs: The Rev. Rick Greenwood, St. Paul's, Millers Tavern, and Ms. Mareea Wilson, St. Barnabas, Annandale.
Staff Liaison: The Rev. Lynne Washington lwashington@thediocese.net
Stewardship
This committee assists parishes in stewardship by teaching the Biblical principles of Christian Stewardship and ways to carry out year-round stewardship programs in parishes. Each March the committee offers a day-long Stewardship Conference. In June 2002 the Diocese of Virginia will be co-sponsoring an International Stewardship Symposium in Washington, DC.
Co-Chairs: Mr. Harry Raab, Jr. Good Shepherd Burke, and Ms. Elizabeth Henry, St. Barnabas, Annanadale
Staff Liaison: Boyd Spencer bspencer@thediocese.net.
Stewardship of Creation
This committee develops teaching materials and other resources for use at the diocesan, parish and personal levels to encourage people to identify ways in which they can become better stewards of the environment. They sponsors a Conference on Christianity, Science and the Environment each year.
Chair: Mrs. Elizabeth Sedlins, Emmanuel, Middleburg
Staff Liaison: The Rev. Lynne Washington lwashington@thediocese.net
Women in Mission and Ministry
This committee provides for the spiritual and professional development of lay and ordained women within the church in the Diocese of Virginia.
Chair: The Rev. Dr.
Staff Liaison: The Rev. Lynne Washington lwashington@thediocese.net
World Mission
This committee seeks to expand involvement in overseas missions by providing financial assistance for short-term mission trips by individuals in our Diocese, in an effort to encourage support and excitement for missions in our parishes, that the love of Jesus Christ might be spread throughout the world.
Chair: The Rev. Herb McMullan, Truro Church, Fairfax
Staff Liaison: The Rev. Lynne Washington lwashington@thediocese.net
New Section:
The General Convention of the Episcopal Church meets once every three years; each diocese is represented by its bishops in the House of Bishops and by elected deputies, clerical and lay, in the House of Deputies.
Province III Synod
Province III Synod is comprised of the following 13 dioceses: Pennsylvania, Central Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, Bethlehem, Delaware, Easton, Maryland, Northwestern Pennsylvania, Virginia, Southern Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Southwestern Virginia.
Deputies to Provinical Synod consist of one clerical deputy and two lay deputies.
Responsibilities
Deputies to the Provincial Synod are expected to attend a two-day overnight meeting in June each year, and report to the Executive Board or Council annually. The term of office is three years. Deputies may be re-elected.
Deputies to the Provincial Synod
Clerical order:
The Rev. Simeon Newbold, St. Peter's , Richmond, Region 9
Lay order:
Ms. Joan O'Malley-Inger, Christ Church, Winchester, Region 14