Disciple: Rising to the Challenge
Pulling together in a time of pandemic
It’s been a tough year. No doubt about it. A pandemic, social unrest and a tumultuous election have come together to affect virtually every aspect of our lives.
And yet—some things didn’t change.
For the last few years, the work of the Diocese of North Carolina has been focused on five mission priorities in our journey of Becoming Beloved Community. The priorities were built on the foundation of work that came before, and since the pillars that serve as our guideposts were announced in 2017, the work has been unwavering, ongoing and growing.
Sure, 2020 required changes. Some of the work we did in person moved online. Ministries were reimagined. New plans were developed. We adapted worship.
But the work continued.
And it will continue in 2021. Not only continue—it will grow. It will grow because no matter what else happens in the world, our work, our focus—our mission—does not change. More importantly, it will grow because, throughout 2020, the faithful of the Diocese of North Carolina have proven that in good times and bad, we remain a united and dedicated community.
We’ve said for years that the Diocese of North Carolina is not an office but rather a collective “we.” The gifts and strength of this diocese have always been and continue to be the 120 worshiping communities that comprise it—working together, supporting each other, sharing with each other and moving as one toward Becoming Beloved Community. Especially in a year like this, we have learned to adapt, share the lessons we’ve learned, teach each other how to do what’s working, be honest and open with each other about the unprecedented road we’re navigating, and support one another in every way we can.
It is an extraordinary community—of which we’re all a part.
A COLLABORATIVE FOUNDATION
If ever a year has proven the necessity and impact of our diocesan priority of collaboration, it was 2020, for collaboration was at the heart of everything we did and were able to share.
It began in the very early days of the pandemic with the offering of twice-weekly calls for clergy and lay leadership. The calls were a time for church leaders to spend time with the bishops, receive news and updates, share what their congregations were experiencing, discuss ideas about how to proceed, ask questions, offer feedback on evolving policies and provide pastoral support to one another. The calls eventually moved to once a week, and they continue today, with more than 100 church leaders taking part every Tuesday.
From those calls, a task force emerged when it became clear the pandemic was going to last and impact us longer than two weeks. Drawing on expertise from across the Diocese, the task force was called upon to develop recommendations and protocols in several areas, including “All Things Sunday Morning,” encompassing worship, formation, nurseries, acolytes and altar guilds; pastoral care and services, including baptisms, weddings, funerals, unction and lay Eucharistic visits; outreach, direct services and schools; other organizations and meetings, such as Bible studies, vestry meeting and groups that meet on church properties; protection, equipment, safe practices and prevention; and advocacy. The task force researched, gathered and collated information and resources, bringing together recommendations, key information and best practices for moving forward through the pandemic, stage by stage. That information was then shared, discussed, adapted and adjusted, the end result being the comprehensive regathering plan from which we all continue to work today. The plan represents the work of many, both clergy and lay, staff and volunteers.
But the plan is never considered final, and we realized early on constant vigilance and upkeep was going to be necessary. Following the work of the initial task force, the call went out across the Diocese to serve on working groups and provide ongoing expertise related to buildings and supplies; children, family ministries, schools and daycare centers; COVID-19 learnings; direct services; newcomer ministry; pastoral care; protection, prevention and equipment practices; small and rural congregations; and, of course, worship. During the last six months, these groups have continued to monitor and adapt plans and recommendations to the ever-changing landscape and demands of COVID-19.
In addition to the working groups, member-led affinity groups were organized and created, allowing for those working in specific areas of church life to gather and share ideas, experiences and wishes. Online Worship, All Things Music and Stewardship were the first to be formed, and earlier this month the first Women’s Clergy affinity group meeting took place. In each case, the focus of the groups was peer support and sharing, as every one of us has been on a learning curve and having to adapt at high speeds to changing situations.
All of these steps were vital and pivotal to the course of the year. Not just because it is incomprehensible that any one person or small group could absorb and process all of the information and considerations that required attention since the start of the pandemic, but because, from the start, an atmosphere and environment of open and genuine collaboration was created, all of which nourished seeds that grew into fantastic offerings that have brought us together to inform us, entertain us and feed our souls.
INNOVATIVE WORSHIP
Of course, the thing we missed most in our church life is the ability to gather together in person. But our ability to worship together in a different way quickly manifested as churches across the Diocese, large and small, technologically savvy and completely new to the digital world, found ways to worship online. Some did it on Facebook and some on YouTube, while others gathered on Zoom. Some churches livestreamed worship, some pre-recorded the services, but every effort was put forth with the goal of helping us feel connected. It proved to be an offering that yielded unimagined gifts.
As expected, parishioners used to seeing one another each week enjoyed being able to exchange greetings, prayers and other conversations. What came as a surprise to many were those who found the services and joined worship: former parishioners that had moved away and family members who, because of geographical distance, for years hadn’t been able to worship with fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles. Strangers entered the virtual doors and decided to stay because of the warmth and fellowship they found there. Families who found it a struggle to make it to church on Sunday found themselves attending together while staying at home.
What seemed strange and new at first became a constant source of inspiration. Over the last eight months, churches have experimented and innovated, adapted and improved their online worship offerings. No two are alike, each reflecting the unique and wonderful individual personalities of the congregations. Yet all reflect the traditions and liturgies we hold dear and in whose familiarity much comfort is found.
The Diocese first partnered with churches during Holy Week and Easter, recording sermons and pre-recording services with churches to offer on the holy days. Diocesan canons and missioners recorded sermons for churches to use in their own services and to support congregations currently without full-time clergy. The Rev. Daniel Robayo, missioner for Latino/Hispanic ministries, began livestreaming a Spanish-language service every Sunday for Spanish-speaking congregations, a service still shared each week. The partnerships proved so fruitful that the collaboration expanded throughout the spring and summer, when the weekly diocesan morning worship featured churches from across the Diocese volunteering to share their worship with us all. As we moved through the fall and the bishops’ visitations resumed, the Diocese began sharing their visitations each Sunday morning.
Throughout it all, we found collaborative support. On the weekly leadership calls, we exchanged ideas and experiences so that we could learn from one another. Webinars and one-on-one assistance took place to help those getting started and learning their way. Resources were shared. Affinity groups expanded. Silos broke down. Our sense of community grew.
BUILDING FORMATION
Online worship was only the start of the adaptations made during the pandemic, for it is only part of the formation practices that truly feed the soul. Formation is the heart of Becoming Beloved Community, and all those who serve in this area worked incredibly hard to adapt in-person offerings to pandemic-friendly formats and to incorporate our mission priorities, keep our efforts moving forward and help us remember that the work we do in the world is rooted in the tenets of our faith.
The diocesan youth department provided myriad examples of this kind of creativity. The first-ever diocesan-wide confirmation class was held for high-school students using a hybrid of self-study, online meetings and one-on-one sessions with mentors. Led by Leah Dail, assistant youth missioner, and Amy Campbell, children’s and family missioner, those who came together to make the offering happen included bishops, congregational clergy, youth leaders and youth mentors. The next class begins on January 11, 2021.
The younger members of the diocese were also encouraged to take part in “Speaking the Truth,” a five-week series of youth conversations, and a youth edition of Dismantling Racism, the newly adapted anti-racism training developed through a partnership between the Racial Justice and Reconciliation Committee and the Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing in Atlanta. Youth ministers and other leaders developed and shared resources, and the momentum continues as plans develop for annual events, like Bishops’ Ball.
For those in the young adult community, campus missioners worked with each other and their local communities to support those navigating their first years of adulthood. Ecumenical and community partnerships created ministry and worship events, expanding the number of young adults reached. Campus ministries supported food banks when it became clear how many, especially students, were experiencing food insecurity after they lost part-time jobs. Even the young adult podcast “And Also with Y’all” did a special series, “The Pandemic Diaries,” to give voice to the struggles facing that particular age group, from those in college to recent graduates to young families.
The Christian Education and Formation Committee was also central to creating new formation offerings and adapting others to online and at-home versions as we adjusted to life during a pandemic. One notable collaboration offered an online version of Christian Essentials, a multi-session offering that invites participants to explore, grow and deepen their faith and life with God. In a partnership among the Diocese, the committee and Christ Church, Charlotte, the course was offered to those interested in becoming Christian Essentials trainers themselves. More than 30 people from across the Diocese took the training, both for themselves and in the hope of being able to bring it to their churches, and training continued after the course ended.
Several webinars exploring topics like praying in a pandemic, exploring the gospel manuscripts of John, Christian/Jewish conversations on resurrection and a multi-faith exploration of divine inspiration and anti-racism activity informed and engaged us, leading our minds and spirits in new and invigorating directions.
The ways formation was reinforced in our lives this year are almost countless, and every one of them demonstrated the importance of faith practices in our lives as well as the strength they can provide. The diocesan commitment to formation will continue and be well affirmed in 2021 as the search is underway for the new diocesan missioner for adult formation and lifelong learning, a position that will include a focus on learning in an online world and the creation of digital offerings for at-home formation use.
THE WORK OF RACIAL RECONCILIATION AND SOCIAL JUSTICE CONTINUES
The need to continue the work of racial reconciliation and social justice was as great as ever this year, and continue it we did.
The Rev. Kathy Walker, missioner for Black ministries, began her tenure at Diocesan House only weeks before it closed for the pandemic. But she enthusiastically began building relationships with the congregations she serves most closely, helped by fellow clergy who participate in the Clergy of Color clericus.
As mentioned earlier, the Racial Justice and Reconciliation Committee, in partnership with Dr. Catherine Meeks and the Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing, was already hard at work on redeveloping the former “Seeing the Face of God in Each Other” anti-racism training course into “Dismantling Racism: Reclaiming Our Baptismal Promise.” Intended as in-person training, the new curriculum was released just as the pandemic took hold. The committee was not deterred, and its members went back and redesigned the curriculum once more as an online offering.
We continued beloved traditions as well. The annual celebration of the feast of the Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray has been held in recent years at St. Titus’, Durham, and it was this year, too, gathering participants to offer prerecorded music, a sermon by the Rev. Hershey Mallette Stephens of Saint Augustine’s University Chapel and a special video presentation by the Pauli Murray Project of Durham. The Diocese was invited in and celebrated the service together online.
The Rt. Rev. Sam Rodman shared the work of this mission priority when he took part in a Province IV webinar on reimagining policing, hosted by the Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing. He and the Rt. Rev. Anne Hodges-Copple held a special service in July when the nation lost in the space of a single weekend civil rights icons Rep. John Lewis and the Rev. C.T. Vivian, celebrating their lives and reaffirming our diocesan commitment to racial equity and justice.
Several projects around racial equity and justice were inspired, proposed and put into development throughout the year, projects about which you will hear more in the coming months.
TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS
The business of the Diocese remained vigorous in 2020, too. Both Diocesan Council and Standing Committee worked closely with diocesan staff from the very beginning of the pandemic, not just on business-as-usual matters, but on issues that would ensure the long-term health and strength of the Diocese and its ability to provide support to its churches and ministries.
The diocesan finance department and the congregational missioners and canons worked with countless congregations and vestries to navigate pandemic support programs, including the Paycheck Protection Program, the CARES Act, EIDL loans and clergy pension waivers and the creation of online giving programs.
The 205th Annual Convention was rescheduled for 2021, and the Dispatch of Business team not only planned a celebration in its stead, Diocesan Council and Standing Committee activated an option in the Constitutions and Canons to move forward with the elections of new council and committee members, who will begin their service on January 1. When the word went out for nominations, more names were submitted than there were spots to fill.
The North Carolina Episcopal Church Foundation (NCECF) has partnered particularly closely with the Diocese this year. When the Diocese proposed the ideas of adaptation grants to assist with salaries and insurance premiums for clergy and lay employees, and the new innovation grants to help churches gain the resources they need to build community in a new online world, NCECF didn’t hesitate to fund the grants, recognizing that helping churches reach their communities in online ways was the “bricks and mortar” building blocks of the 21st-century church. To date they have committed more than $300,000 to these support efforts.
NCECF was not alone in their efforts to expand their efforts to include as many applicants as possible. Every one of the funding committees administering the 11 diocesan grants and scholarships put forth extra time and energy to find new and innovative ways to walk with our congregations.
ON THE LIGHTER SIDE
As serious as this year could be, it had its lighter moments as well. Two book reads were created for Pentecost and All Saints. Bishop Sam Rodman and the Rev. Daniel Robayo partnered to read The Day When God Made Church by Rebekah McLeod Hutto in both English and Spanish, and Robayo returned again to partner with Bishop Anne Hodges-Copple for the All Saints’ book read, I’m a Saint in the Making by Lisa Hendey.
The younger members of our diocese put our bishops to the test with the summer video series, “Ask the Bishop,” in which each week the bishops answered the questions sent to them about God, the world and everything else on the hearts of our youth.
One of the most beloved and anticipated events of the year, HUGS Camp, took place as an online adaptation, where campers gathered in a special Facebook Group to enjoy crafts, music and worship together. Helper campers who haven’t been able to participate since they became adults returned to take part, recording worship and songs and rejoicing to take part again. The campers themselves ensured the camp-favorite talent show went on, creating videos showcasing their talent, the things they love and glimpses into their lives at home.
Churches from across the Diocese shared photos and stories of inspiration and joy for #EveningGoodNews, the daily diocesan offering intended to end every day with a reason to smile. Look for it again in the new year!
MOURNING TOGETHER
This year has not been all about the celebration of collaboration, adaptation and innovation, of course. It couldn’t be. The very nature of the circumstances that necessitated the things we’re celebrating brought with them pain, heartbreak, stress, insecurity and grief.
Partners across the Diocese produced two key series to help navigate the grimmer realities of pandemic life. The end-of-life webinar series helped with advance directive planning, holding the difficult conversations associated with end-of-life situations and planning, providing care for those tasked with the role of caregiver and, finally, understanding what happens to our bodies when we die. Informative and more comforting than you might expect, these webinars remain available to those for whom the information may be valuable.
Families with children, too, faced special challenges, especially in dealing with the grief and anxiety the upheaval of 2020 brought to young lives. The diocesan Children’s and Youth Mental Health Committee created a series of webinars to offer perspective, understanding and easily implemented tips tailored especially for children of different age groups. The webinars for assisting children were so well received that requests for similar guidance for parents and all adults were answered with additional offerings just for them. The series returned to help us reimagine the holidays as they took a new shape during these last several weeks.
Just as we’ve been there for each other as we lived into our new reality, so, too, have we been there for each other as illness affected our families, friends and even our neighbors we don’t know. As the pandemic has progressed, we’ve held closely in prayer those whose names were shared with us, and countless hours have been spent in pastoral conversations to comfort and share the burden.
We grieve as recent days have brought more and more news not just of those falling ill but also those who have lost their lives to COVID-19. To honor them, memorial prayers are now included in the weekly Noonday Prayer service shared online every Tuesday. (If you’d like to submit a name for inclusion, please send it to either Bishop Sam Rodman, Bishop Anne Hodges-Copple or the Rev. Canon David Sellery.)
As many words as we’ve dedicated to sharing the impact working together has produced this year, we’ve still only scratched the surface. If we were to dedicate this entire issue of the Disciple to all the contributions made by clergy, lay leaders, parishioners, partners, allies, colleagues and friends, even then we couldn’t capture how much was so freely given to us and to each other to make this most-challenging year not just bearable, but one that leaves us feeling grateful and truly blessed.
IN IT TOGETHER
If you want an idea of how many diocesan churches played a role in helping this diocese not just survive but thrive this year, whether through participation in the weekly leadership calls; serving on a diocesan council, committee, task force or working group; taking part in an affinity group or being active in the communicators network; sharing worship; representing a congregation at the November celebration or simply staying in conversation or offering a word of support, feedback or encouragement, take a look at the list:
Abundant Life, Greensboro
All Saints’, Concord
All Saints’, Greensboro
All Saints’, Hamlet
All Saints’, Roanoke Rapids
All Souls’, Ansonville
Calvary Church, Tarboro
Calvary Church, Wadesboro
Chapel of Christ The King, Charlotte
Chapel of the Cross, Chapel Hill
Chapel of the Good Shepherd, Ridgeway
Chapel of the Transfiguration, Southern Pines
Christ Church, Albemarle
Christ Church, Cleveland
Christ Church, Charlotte
Christ Church, Raleigh
Christ Church, Walnut Cove
Christ’s Beloved Community/Cominidad Amada de Cristo,
Winston-Salem
Church of the Advocate, Chapel Hill
Church of the Ascension Fork, Advance
Church of the Epiphany, Eden
Church of the Good Shepherd, Cooleemee
Church of the Good Shepherd, Raleigh
Church of the Good Shepherd, Rocky Mount
Church of the Holy Comforter, Burlington
Church of the Holy Comforter, Charlotte
Church of the Holy Family, Chapel Hill
Church of the Holy Innocents, Henderson
Church of the Holy Spirit, Greensboro
Church of the Messiah, Mayodan
Church of the Messiah, Rockingham
Church of the Nativity, Raleigh
Church of the Redeemer, Greensboro
Church of the Saviour, Jackson
Davidson College Campus Ministry, Davidson
Emmanuel, Warrenton
Emmanuel Parish, Southern Pines
Episcopal Campus Ministry-Raleigh
Episcopal Center at Duke University, Durham
Galilee Ministries of East Charlotte, Charlotte
Galloway Memorial Church, Elkin
Good Shepherd, Asheboro
Grace Church, Lexington
Grace Church, Weldon
Grace Mission, Clayton
Holy Trinity Church, Greensboro
La Iglesia De La Guadalupana, Wilson
La Iglesia El Buen Pastor, Durham
LEAF (Elon Campus Ministry), Elon
Saint Augustine’s University Chapel, Raleigh
San Jose Mission, Smithfield
St. Alban’s, Davidson
St. Alban’s, Littleton
St. Ambrose, Raleigh
St. Andrew’s, Greensboro
St. Andrew’s, Haw River
St. Andrew’s, Rocky Mount
St. Anne’s, Winston-Salem
St. Barnabas’, Greensboro
St. Bartholomew’s, Pittsboro
St. Christopher’s, Garner
St. Christopher’s, High Point
St. Clement’s, Clemmons
St. Cyprian’s, Oxford
St. David’s, Laurinburg
St. Francis’, Greensboro
St. John’s, Charlotte
St. Mark’s, Huntersville
St. James’, Mooresville
St. John’s, Battleboro
St. John’s, Henderson
St. John’s, Wake Forest
St. Joseph’s, Durham
St. Luke’s, Durham
St. Luke’s, Eden
St. Luke’s, Salisbury
St. Luke’s, Tarboro
St. Margaret’s, Waxhaw
St. Mark’s, Halifax
St. Mark’s, Raleigh
St. Mark’s, Roxboro
St. Mark’s, Wilson
St. Martin’s, Charlotte
St. Mary Magdalene, Seven Lakes
St. Mary’s, High Point
St. Mary’s, Speed
St. Mary’s House (Greensboro Campus Ministry)
St. Mary’s School, Raleigh
St. Matthew’s, Hillsborough
St. Matthew’s, Kernersville
St. Matthew’s/San Mateo, Salisbury
St. Matthias’, Louisburg
St. Michael And All Angels’, Charlotte
St. Michael’s, Raleigh
St. Michael’s, Tarboro
St. Patrick’s, Mooresville
St. Paul’s, Cary
St. Paul’s, Louisburg
St. Paul’s, Monroe
St. Paul’s, Salisbury
St. Paul’s, Smithfield
St. Paul’s, Winston-Salem
St. Peter’s, Charlotte
St. Philip’s, Durham
St. Stephen’s, Durham
St. Stephen’s, Erwin
St. Stephen’s, Oxford
St. Stephen’s, Winston-Salem
St. Thomas’, Reidsville
St. Thomas’, Sanford
St. Timothy’s, Raleigh
St. Timothy’s, Wilson
St. Timothy’s, Winston-Salem
St. Titus’, Durham
Staff – Diocese of North Carolina
Trinity Church, Fuquay-Varina
Trinity Church, Mount Airy
Trinity Church, Scotland Neck
Trinity Church, Statesville
UNC-Charlotte / Central Piedmont / Johnson & Wales
University Campus Ministry
UNC-Chapel Hill Campus Ministry, Chapel Hill
Winston-Salem Campus Ministry, Winston-Salem
You are correct. We’re all on there.
It has been a year to remember—not only the challenges, but the way we—all the worshiping communities of the Diocese of North Carolina—came together to face and overcome those challenges. We did it because we are a community, and none of us walks alone. Great work was done in 2020, and the work will continue and grow in 2021 and beyond. We are committed to our journey of Becoming Beloved Community because we are the Diocese of North Carolina.
STILL HERE FOR YOU
One of the benefits of having so much of the year take place online is that much of what happened is still available for you to access, revisit or enjoy for the first time!
Webinars
All webinars are available on the diocesan Vimeo channel. We encourage you to browse the collections, as they are arranged by topic and easy to navigate.
Worship
Also on Vimeo is the complete collection of worship and sermons shared this year, including Noonday Prayer, Sunday worship, and special offerings, including the recent Advent Lessons & Carols and Christmas Lessons & Carols.
Pastoral Care
Among its many coronavirus resources, the Diocese offers a number of resources related to pastoral care, including resources related to isolation, mental health, substance abuse, domestic abuse and suicide prevention.
Among its many coronavirus resources, the Diocese offers a number of resources related to pastoral care, including resources related to isolation, mental health, substance abuse, domestic abuse and suicide prevention.
General Coronavirus Resources
The portal to all diocesan resources related to COVID-19 begins on the general resource summary page. From there, all resources related to worship, formation, financial assistance, staying connected and pastoral care are easily accessed.
The portal to all diocesan resources related to COVID-19 begins on the general resource summary page. From there, all resources related to worship, formation, financial assistance, staying connected and pastoral care are easily accessed.
Additional Resources Requests
The diocesan staff remains ready to assist you however we can. If there is assistance or a resource you need, please let us know, and we’ll do our best to connect you with it.
Christine McTaggart is the communications director for the Diocese of North Carolina.
Tags: North Carolina Disciple
