Loading...Did you know that St James is one of two churches in the Diocese of Kentucky and in the state of Kentucky which belongs to the Consortium of Endowed Episcopal Parishes?
Every year the Consortium hosts a splashy conference for leaders to network and promote the gospel. When I arrive, my first priority of course is to see my brother Luke who serves as the past President of CEEP and is curently rector of the Church of the Holy Spirit, Lake Forest, IL.
I feel so proud to have represented St James. Here’s an abridged report of my experience this year.
My flight is delayed so by the time I arrive, Luke and I decide to walk to the grocery store in the brisk night air for deli cuts and veggies to eat in the room. If the trip ended now I would be satisfied. The next morning I meet with friends old and new at the Women Clergy Gathering. We swap stories, walk through a guided meditation, hear about the importance of the female dollar and bond over common experiences and emerging hopes. This group of women inspires me. If the trip ended now I would be satisfied.
After a quick lunch break (yes, I went for a run along the snow-sloshed sidewalks) we reconvene at the Rectors and Deans Gathering. Dr. Christena Cleveland, http://www.christenacleveland.com/ author of Disunity in Christ introduces her topic for the afternoon (and entire next day) with a prayer by Pixie Lighthouse called Prayer Honoring Worthiness. She braces us for what is going to be a rough ride. The population of the room is 70% white male. She carefully defines the terms “white privilege” and “woke” and guides us through the stages of understanding our racial roles. If the trip ended now I would be satisfied.
That night I attended the St John’s Bible dinner and made more new friends. (https://www.saintjohnsbible.org/) The next morning Rectors and Deans gather again with Dr. Cleveland. Ray Suarez former voice of NPR facilitates a dialogue between Dr. Cleveland and the 300 clergy gathered. Then it’s a small group sharing time with topics like “What stage of wokeness are you in?” “How to disrupt structural integrity” and “What does it mean to belong?” Answers I thought I’d grasped are lost, and preconceived notions I’d hoped to leave behind returned and seems to cling more closely. Am I going to leave feeling like I ‘unlearned’ more than I learned? - Feeling Unsatisfied. A welcome break comes at lunch with the team from Church Investment Group where CEO, JoAnn Hanson led us through a refresher of the nuts and bolts of managing an endowment. https://churchinvestment.org/ Time for another run. Then cocktail hour hosted by St Francis Ministries https://www.thesaintfrancisfoundation.org/.
That evening we gathered in Trinity Church where I got to see The Right Rev Barbara Harris for the first time during the Eucharist. I always feel uplifted when I worship with 700 other people at once, especially in a historic space and beautiful music. Dinner with Luke again. In between all these meetings and presentations I browse the vendor booths including https://www.datastoryconsulting.com/.
The next morning I meet Stewardship guru Laurie Brown and we go to Soul Cycle before I head to the airport. As satisfied as I feel about all I gained here I somehow leave wanting more. How do summarize all I learned and how important these relationships are to me? Impossible. I will simply urge all who read this or hear me blathering on and on about it to choose the ministries they feel most passionate about and attend this February 19-22 at the Omni Hotel IN LOUISVILLE! https://www.ceepnetwork.org/
