Disciple: New, Notable & Newsworthy

Bishop Jennifer Brooke-Davidson to Remain Assistant Bishop of Diocese of North Carolina

The Diocese of North Carolina is delighted to announce that Bishop Jennifer Brooke-Davidson is remaining with the diocese in her role as assistant bishop.

“After a prayerful and intentional discernment process with our governing bodies–Standing Committee, Diocesan Council and Trustees–we decided not to call for an election of a suffragan bishop, and instead to affirm and continue the relationship with Bishop Jennifer,” said Bishop Sam Rodman, bishop of the Diocese of North Carolina. “Her passion for evangelism and Christian discipleship, along with her inspired preaching and teaching, are a gift to our diocese, especially as we move more deeply into our missional focus, supporting and amplifying the work of our congregations around formation and our other mission priorities.”

Brooke-Davidson came to the diocese in the fall of 2022. It was a time of transition for the diocese, following the retirement of Bishop Anne Hodges-Copple, then-bishop suffragan, in October 2022. Brooke-Davidson arrived ready to serve in a full range of episcopal capacities, including Sunday and other visitations, oversight of Latino ministries, oversight of Christian discipleship, oversight of the diocesan regional structures, including the deans; oversight of the Committee for Congregational Mission; support of persons in the ordination process; congregational development; conflict transformation, and work with other diocesan committees and commissions.

She has done all that and more. Her seamless transition also gave the diocese an important gift: the time and space to discern whether to proceed with a search for a new bishop suffragan or to pursue another avenue of leadership. Diocesan governing bodies used that time well, discussing and considering a number of options, weighing each in the best long-term interests of the diocese. Among the considerations were the cost of a bishop suffragan search, which would likely run in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, the pros and cons of ongoing transition versus constancy, and the fact that from the start, Brooke-Davidson established herself as a capable leader with a passion for the gospel and a heart for formation, an enthusiasm for the mission priorities of the Diocese of North Carolina, a creative capacity for congregational and leadership development, and a skillset and leadership style that complements those of Rodman.

Diocesan Council affirmed the decision earlier this year that Brooke-Davidson will remain the assistant bishop of the Diocese of North Carolina until the end of Rodman’s episcopacy.

“I am honored and delighted to be able to continue to walk alongside Bishop Rodman with the people of the Diocese of North Carolina,” said Brooke-Davidson. “From the beginning, it has been a joy to work among you, and I see so much energy and hope in our shared commitment to the Gospel transformation of our world into a place of truth, justice, grace, peace and divine love. I give thanks for this call and I look forward to serving and supporting you in our shared journey of faith.”

Remembering Rabbi Raachel Jurovics

Rabbi Raachel Jurovics, the beloved rabbi-in-residence for the Diocese of North Carolina, died unexpectedly on Saturday, March 9 at her home in Raleigh, North Carolina. All who knew her, as a peer, a collaborator, a friend or even as a voice of wisdom, continue to mourn deeply. But even as we do, we also remember with deep fondness and gratitude all the gifts she shared with us.

Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Jurovics was raised in Los Angeles, graduating from the University of California, Los Angeles, where she earned B.A. (1967), M.A. (1969) and Ph.D. (1976) degrees in English Literature. She founded a consulting firm that taught writing and communication skills to corporate clients throughout the United States. Jurovics first entered rabbinic training in 1998 and was ordained in 2003.

North Carolina became her home in 1983, when she relocated here with her husband, Stephen, and their children. Throughout her life, as shared in her obituary, Jurovics’ life “was guided by her faith and her commitment to Tikkun Olam –the Jewish belief that it was our responsibility to work to heal or mend an imperfect world. She recognized the presence of the Divine everywhere, and within everyone, and endeavored to share her faith in a wonderous universe and the inherent goodness within ourselves.”

Among her professional achievements, Jurovics was Rabbi Emerita of Yavneh: A Jewish Renewal Community; served as President of OHALAH: The Association of Rabbis and Cantors for Jewish Renewal; and a member of the Executive Committee of Ruach Hiddush: Rabbis and Cantors for Religious Freedom and Equality in Israel.

Jurovics became a part of the Diocese of North Carolina in 2020, when she accepted the newly created role of rabbi-in-residence. The idea came from the diocese’s deep commitment to interfaith conversation and born of an ongoing interest in learning from one another by exploring the historic connection and contemporary expressions of the relationship between Judaism and Christianity. In her time as the diocesan rabbi-in-residence, Jurovics created theological curriculum, shared seasonal messages, authored articles and, most recently, co-hosted with Bishop Sam Rodman “To Differ is Divine,” a podcast that explored the idea of spiritual permeability.

“We shared a vision for a partnership that would draw us both into a deeper understanding of each other’s faith tradition and into a fuller and freer expression of our own,” said Rodman. “We shared ideas, we debated a broader definition of justice, we posed questions and we tried to imagine the ways God might be delighting in our differences.”

Though the diocese will always feel the loss of our beloved Rabbi Raachel, the lessons she taught us about what we can learn from each other when it comes to matters of faith remain. She was a gifted theologian and a powerful activist, and her legacy runs deep. Her words and teachings are timeless, and the diocese gives deep thanks that we were blessed to be the recipients of the many gifts she shared and left to us.

THE LESSONS OF RABBI RAACHEL

• Explore the Rabbi Raachel video collection.
• Read “Create in Me a Pure Heart” (Disciple, Spring 2022).
• Listen to “To Differ is Divine.”
• Listen to “Roundtables on Race: Season 4, Episode 2.
  

Diocese Welcomes the Rev. Marion Sprott as New Transition Ministry Officer

The Diocese of North Carolina welcomes the Rev. Marion Sprott to the diocesan staff as the new transition ministry officer.

A native of South Carolina, Sprott earned a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Music degree from the University of South Carolina. She worked as a collaborative pianist with regional opera and theater companies prior to pursuing a call to ordained ministry.

She answered that call, graduating from The School of Theology at the University of the South, Sewanee, in 2019. Following her ordination that same year, she served as associate rector at St. Martin’s, Charlotte. From there, Sprott became the second vicar of Church of the Advocate, Chapel Hill, before becoming its first rector when the Advocate moved from mission to parish status at the diocese’s 208th Annual Convention in November 2023.

“Marion’s call to this work was clearly a response to the movement of the Holy Spirit,” said Bishop Sam Rodman, bishop of the Diocese of North Carolina. “She brings a deep passion for discernment in community, a strong and compelling capacity to build trusting relationships, and a vision for leadership in the church that is both inviting and celebrates the rich diversity of the whole church.”

The search for the new transition ministry officer marks the first diocesan search using approaches following an in-depth training on diversity in hiring. The training was conducted by consultants in diversity, equity and inclusion; diocesan staff and leadership took part, as well as members of our governing bodies. With the consultants’ assistance, new protocols were developed and implemented, including search oversight by a hiring committee comprised of both staff and non-staff members, extended recruitment avenues and objective decision-making tools.

“We are grateful for the tools we are now incorporating into all our staff search processes,” said Rodman. “Part of Marion’s role in her new position will be to share these tools and learnings with congregations and search committees throughout our diocese.”

As the position’s title suggests, the transition ministry officer assists clergy and parishes in transition. Sprott will succeed Canon Catherine Massey in this role, as Massey completes her own transition as canon to the bishop, a role that is assisting with a missionally focused, diocesan culture shift intended to move away from the traditional focus of a diocese as part of an institutional organization and toward greater emphasis on our collective diocesan call to mission.

“It has been a privilege to walk alongside our clergy and congregations during times of transition,” said Massey. “I’m thrilled that Marion will be joining our team, bringing new life and energy into this wonderful ministry. I look forward to leaning into my new role and seeing what the Holy Spirit has in store for us.”

Sprott will report to Massey and work closely with diocesan staff, especially the congregational vitality team. When not working, Sprott enjoys playing with her dog, Abraham, traveling and learning photography.

“I’m so excited to journey with congregations in their transitions and discern where God is in the midst of it all,” said Sprott.

Sprott began her tenure June 10.

Elect Your Delegates for the 209th Annual Convention

As summer gets underway, don’t forget that now is the time to elect your delegates to the 209th Annual Convention. The deadline to submit names of delegates and alternates is July 31, but make your plans now to elect those who will represent you at Convention. Find all information related to the 209th Annual Convention.

New Book Has Diocesan Connections

If you’re looking for some spiritual summer reading, the new release, Experiencing God: Faith Narratives of Episcopalians. It is not just another book; it is a book with diocesan connections! Edited by deacon the Rev. Kimberly Dunn, Bishop Sam Rodman is a contributor.

Experiencing God shares the stories of those who learned to share their faith. Readers will meet “a group of leading Episcopalians [who] share moments of deep spiritual intimacy. When did they sense the presence of God? How did they experience the presence of God? What is prayer like? How do they pray? What is it like to walk each day with Jesus? How seriously do they take the promptings of the Holy Spirit? How does the “transcendent” feel in their lives? How does the “transcendent” show up in their daily lives? This is a unique book that invites the reader to also start sharing their own sense of God with others.”

Experiencing God: Faith Narratives of Episcopalians is available wherever books are sold. If you are interested in learning to share your own faith, you are invited to try the “Go Speak” resources.

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