CONGREGATIONAL VITALITY
The diocese’s mission priority for congregational vitality is to recognize the diverse God given gifts of each member of the church and amplify these gifts through worship, formation and service. Congregational vitality is an outgrowth of the laity and clergy using their gifts and resources to love and serve ourselves and our neighbors.
Bishop Jennifer Brooke-Davidson’s sermon to the 209th Annual Convention (2024) focused on congregational vitality.
CONGREGATIONAL VITALITY LEADERSHIP
Canon Catherine Massey
Canon to the Bishop
Canon Catherine Massey
Canon to the Bishop
919-600-5307
EMAIL
Canon Massey graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a degree in Mass Communications and has over 15 years of experience in sales, marketing and association management. Prior to working at Diocesan House, she served as parish life coordinator for St. John’s, Wake Forest.
Canon Massey works with the congregational development team and the office of transition ministry, and she supports congregations and clergy in transition. She also helps support our diocesan staff, the Safe Church program, and the work of the Commission on Ministry, the Pastoral Response Team and the Disciplinary Board.
Canon Massey enjoys learning how people and organizations work together and says it is an honor and a privilege to serve the clergy and churches in our diocese.
Canon Massey is a native of Richmond, Virginia, and has lived in North Carolina with her family for 20 years. She and her husband, Robert, have three young adult daughters and two Scottish terriers. The Masseys live in Wake Forest and are members of Christ Church, Raleigh.
Joy Shillingsburg
Joy Shillingsburg
Mission Strategy Coordinator
919-521-5927
EMAIL
Joy Shillingsburg is a lifelong educator who served as the director of youth and outreach at St. John’s, Wake Forest, for more than a decade before joining diocesan staff. Prior to serving at St. John’s, Joy spent 15 years as a classroom history teacher outside of Philadelphia and in the Wake County Public School System. Her commitment to teaching historical truths and how these truths have the power to liberate and transform our lives and society has been a through line of her work. At St. John’s, Joy led vibrant intergenerational programs that linked formation rooted in Becoming Beloved Community to vibrant outreach ministries. As an extension of her work as director of youth and outreach, Joy founded Wake Forest Community Table. This thriving nonprofit served more than 25,000 meals from 2020 through 2022 while connecting diverse members of the community to each other through quarterly gatherings that explore the history, laws, personal stories, and systems that necessitate the twice-weekly meal distribution.
Joy lives her faith by serving her neighbors and is deeply committed to leading diverse stakeholders to do the work of Becoming Beloved Community. Joy earned her M.S. in History Education at Villanova University. She lives with her family in Wake Forest. Joy loves biking, hiking, traveling, and podcasts almost as much as reading!
Lynn Buggage
Lynn Buggage
Canon Missioner for Congregational Vitality, East Region
984-263-5422
EMAIL
Lynn previously served as the canon for administration at the Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral in the Diocese of Pennsylvania. After years of active lay service in Louisiana and professional work in the nonprofit, public health and human services sectors, she brought her skills to the church as a full-time employee and servant leader.
Lynn partners with the congregations of this diocese to build the Beloved Community. She brings an advanced toolkit and a caring heart to this work. She enjoys traveling, listening to good music, discovering new restaurants and curling up with a good book in her leisure time.
The Rev. Canon Lindsey Ardrey
Canon Missioner Diocesan Restitution & Reparations Ministry
The Rev. Canon Lindsey Ardrey
Canon Missioner for Diocesan Restitution and Reparations Ministry
919-600-5303
EMAIL
The Rev. Lindsey Ardrey lives in Durham, but before landing in North Carolina, Lindsey served as a children’s and youth minister, school chaplain, and co-chair for the Racial Reconciliation Commission in the Diocese of Louisiana. A deep believer in healing as a vital medium for issues stemming from race, Lindsey brings this perspective into every conversation and space she occupies, whether it’s on the parish or The Episcopal Church level. Creativity, artistic expressions, and practices of embodiment infuse her approach to this work.
Lindsey is a lover of books, plants, hot tea, and manifesting dreams her ancestors didn’t know they had. She is a writer, an auntie, a serious seeker of rest, a godparent, and a human in deep need of laughter and silence in equal measure.
The Rev. Canon Marion Sprott
The Rev. Canon Marion Scott
Transition Ministry Officer
919-600-5319
EMAIL
A native of South Carolina, Marion 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, Marion 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 is married to the Rev. Sara Arnette, who is the associate rector at Emmanuel Church in Southern Pines, where the two make their home with a boisterous Labrador named Abraham.
The Rev. Kathy Walker
The Rev. Kathy Walker
Canon Missioner for Black Ministries
919-600-5317
EMAIL
The Rev. Kathy Walker previously served as the associate rector for pastoral care and parish life at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Tallahassee, Florida, though her call to church leadership and ministry is one she has answered her entire life. Prior to becoming a member of the clergy, over her lifetime she has served as a licensed lay reader, a lay Eucharistic minister, vestry member and church officer. She was instrumental in the founding of the David Henry Brooks chapter of Union of Black Episcopalians in the Diocese of Florida, and while serving as its president organized multiple forums about the future of Black churches.
Kathy believes strongly in the honoring and continuity of Black churches and hopes in her new role to help as many as possible not only survive, but flourish. She also wants to work with congregations to deepen their churches’ roots in the communities they already serve so well, and build leadership opportunities in the Church for future generations.
DIOCESAN LEADERSHIP COMMITMENTS
- Support and equip lay and clergy leadership to identify the resources and gifts of the congregation and discern how these gifts can lead to lifegiving worship and outreach and operational practices.
- Connect congregations to ideas, resources and other congregations that will create a strong foundation to offer their gifts to the wider world (Focus areas might include trainings on vestry, stewardship, youth ministry, formation, financial management, administration and volunteer coordination best practices).
- Create and maintain networks of churches, affinity groups, and volunteers to work with congregations and missions that aid and unite congregations and missions in shared ministries.
- Empower lay leadership of all ages by providing lay leadership trainings and developing and utilizing the work or the Lay Commission on Ministry.
- Assist and encourage congregations to leverage digital tools for worship, communication and outreach.
- Recognize historic barriers to funds and wealth for historically Black and Hispanic congregations that have hindered vitality and assist in dismantling those barriers.
CONGREGATION & INDIVIDUAL COMMITMENTS
- Identify and assess the skills and gifts of members and discern how these gifts will be used to strengthen your congregation and community.
- Develop and empower lay leadership of all backgrounds, ages and abilities to engage in the life of the church and in the broader community.
- Embrace and utilize technology for worship and connection with members and with the wider community.
- Encourage creative worship experiences that are rooted in tradition and engage and inspire spiritual growth for diverse members of your community.
- Collaborate with local non profit organizations, diocesan staff, neighboring churches and participate in diocesean offerings that strengthen your congregation.
DIOCESAN RESOURCES
CLERGY
Find resources for clergy (active or retired) in the Diocese of North Carolina.
PARISHES & VESTRIES
Access resources that help your parish/vestry plan for the future and build healthy, strong congregations.
RESOURCES
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