The Episcopal Church in Western Washington
It is a time of transition within the Diocese of Olympia, and we have three new clergy calls and three clergy departures to announce as we end the year and look forward to 2021. Calls All Saints’, Tacoma has called the Rev. Dr. James (Jim) Warnock as their Vicar. Father James Warnock earned a PhD in History from the University of Washington in 1989 and served as a History Professor in several institutions of higher learning before heeding his call
Dear People of the Diocese of Olympia and beyond, At our most recent Diocesan Convention you overwhelmingly passed a resolution supporting the Anti-Racism Covenant put forth initially by the Rt. Rev. Deon Johnson, Bishop of Missouri, and co-sponsored by many other bishops. My name has been on this covenant since just after its posting, however, I have now, on your behalf, added not just my name and office but the entire Diocese of Olympia. I provide a link below which
Downloadable PDF As we prepare for the start of 2021 and make plans to hold our annual meetings virtually due to the continuing COVID-19 crisis, the Office of the Bishop wanted to prepare a brief document on best practices on virtual meetings based on the things we learned during our own virtual Convention. While the virtual meeting space can be intimidating, we do believe that there are some basic settings and procedures you can put into practice to make your
Downloadable PDF COVID-19 has forced us to rethink many of our current practices and adapt to new restrictions. The Episcopal Church has a long tradition of democratic governance at every level. One of the core principals of that tradition is the gathering of our congregations and other communities to elect leadership and decide on major initiatives and endeavors. One of the defining characteristics of the Episcopal Church is we act as a community. Annual meetings are a key part of
From Aaron Scott, Missioner for Anti-Poverty Organizing and Staff Organizer for Chaplains on the Harbor: Dear friends and family in struggle and hope, What a year it’s been! We broke ground at our new permanent site for Harbor Roots Farm, overhauled all our outreach programs to meet COVID safety protocols, marched for Black lives and an end to police brutality and got help up by a militia, expanded our shelter to operate every night from November through March, hired four
From Sue Tait, Diocesan Librarian: There are certainly plenty of “introductions” to the bible available, and here is another one, published this year from Church Publishing – Blessed to Bless: An Introduction to the Bible, by Tim Sean Youmans (Church Publishing, Inc., 2020. CUR 220.61 You). The author is department chair at Casady School in Oklahoma City, a pre-K through 12th grade Episcopal college preparatory school, and curriculum for middle school students includes a four-year survey of the Bible. Youngmans invited parents
The Psalm 25 1 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; my God, I put my trust in you; * let me not be humiliated, nor let my enemies triumph over me. 2 Let none who look to you be put to shame; * let the treacherous be disappointed in their schemes. 3 Show me your ways, O Lord, * and teach me your paths. 4 Lead me in your truth and teach me, * for you are
From Adam Conley, Seattle Service Corps Director: When COVID-19 hit, the possibility that Seattle Service Corps (SSC) would not be able to host the 2020-2021 program year dimmed to a faint flicker. Certainly, every parish and ministry in the Diocese of Olympia continues to navigate the challenges of a profoundly altered reality. However, the prospect of gathering seven young adults under the same roof while four of the members provide direct services to the public in the middle of a
St. Andrew’s House began as a retreat center for the Diocese of Olympia in 1954, when the Lodge and its seven acres were given as a gift to the diocese by the Norton Clapp family, purchased from the Arthur Symons family, who had built the Lodge in 1928. Shortly thereafter, the Hawthorn Dent family donated the Cottage, below the Lodge on the Hood Canal, to Bishop Stephen Bayne as a place for his rest and recreation. Bishop Bayne then dedicated
The Diocese of Olympia is very excited to announce that Chaplains on the Harbor has just received a three-year grant from Group Health Foundation for $165,000 per year. Added to a previous three-year grant of $75,000 a year, this brings their three-year total to $720,000. The funding will be used to expand COH’s paid apprenticeship positions for people getting off the street, out of jail, and in recovery from addiction. Apprentices will work at Harbor Roots Farm, growing food to