Church of the Incarnation
     on the Canterbury Trail...
Dear Friends,

I am pleased to announce to you a significant development in our common life and specifically in my calling.   I announced a couple of Sundays ago that we at Incarnation had an opportunity for a significant partnership with Canterbury Retreat and Conference Center (http://canterburyretreat.org) 

After 19+ years of dedicated service as the Executive Director of Canterbury Retreat and Conference Center The Rev. Paul McQueen accepted a call to become the Rector of Church of the Resurrection in Longwood.

There was a Canterbury Board meeting a couple of weeks ago to discuss Canterbury's future after this significant shift in leadership.  In the initial process of looking forward the suggestion was made by Bishop Howe (to my great surprise) that I take this position.  In that discussion I suggested Canterbury and Incarnation "merge" (probably too strong a word) but for us to partner, with me in a dual role as Executive Director and Vicar at Incarnation began to be discussed with some vigor.  For those of us engaged in the mission this would mean quite a paradigm shift for us as we think about our future. It would mean moving our operation as a congregation on to the Canterbury campus.  Securing a future for us as congregation on the Canterbury property.  It would greatly increase our assets.. It would mean (and this is a lament) but eventually in all likelihood selling the Mission House property and investing those funds into buildings for Incarnation to operate and exist at Canterbury.  It accelerates our plan for growth and ministry and places us on already sacred ground.

For Canterbury it is a new day and we will begin the process a reinventing of its mission and ministry building upon the legacy and hard work of The Rev. Paul McQueen.  Canterbury gets a strategic partner in us the congregation at Incarnation.  It gets my skills, leadership and gifting when it comes to programs and conferences.  There are models for this in many places - schools / conference centers and other institutions sharing space and facilities - some have been doing this for many decades.

Some would ask how can Fr. Jon do two full time jobs?  There would be added income allowing for two new positions... a full time assistant at Incarnation and an operations manger at Canterbury.  With this staff I am confident we could move forward in mission and ministry together advancing the Kingdom of God.  It is quite an amazing turn and our vestry voted unanimously in favor of pursuing this partnership at its vestry meeting on October 15th. 

There are many, many questions to be answered in defining this relationship in terms of assets, finances, staffing, legalities and much more.  We do not know what this will all look like.  We can only speak in possibilities at this point.  

This will be a developing story and the next step took place today when Canterbury's board to agreed to pursue this partnership with us.  Today they called and I accepted the position of Executive Director while enthusiastically remaining as Vicar of Church of the Incarnation.

In regards to defining this partnership, Steve Overstreet has agreed to be our coordinator in this process and I would ask that you submit ideas; comments; thoughts; questions; and concerns to him at overstrs@aol.com  In the next several weeks a committee of Canterbury Board members, leaders of from Incarnation and some diocesan representatives will begin work on crafting the agreement between Church of the Incarnation and Canterbury Retreat and Conference Center.   This will take some time and there could be something we do not currently see to stop this but as early as mid-January or so Incarnation could be meeting on the campus of Canterbury.

On November 15th, Bishop Howe will visit us in the morning for confirmation.  We have scheduled a picnic at Canterbury following our service (12:30 pm)  We are inviting the Canterbury Board, the Canterbury Staff to join us. This will be an opportunity for our congregation to walk around Canterbury, see the facilities and in someways begin to picture ourselves worshipping and ministering in that space and context.   The following Sunday on November 22 we will have a Canterbury Forum at 9am for the congregation to interact with me and other leaders of the church in regards to this opportunity. I am soliciting the members of Incarnation to engage and participate in this process; to pray and discern the will of God for us as His people in this community. We endeavor to enter this process with all due diligence to secure a preferred future for both entities.  The words from Dave Buehring's sermon a few weeks ago are ringing in my ears we do this in The Fear of The Lord - reverencing and referencing God in all things - every step of the way.   In our journey this is possibly a course correction a turn we did not expect or anticipate but one that will lead us into greater vision.  We've had these before in our journey and know it is a common occurrence in following the Lord. As I spoke  recently in a sermon - we are invited to follow Jesus and that is what I promise as your Vicar - we will follow Him wherever He leads.

This may be shocking but it is good news - God has his hand on us giving us all we need - to do all he has called us to do.   So let's pray: pray for the vestry and Incarnation's future; pray for Canterbury and the success for their mission and ministry. Let us be patient in this process waiting upon the Lord not getting ahead of Him and His plans for us but walking instep keeping our eyes on Jesus the author, pioneer and perfector of our faith.

Living, dwelling and rejoicing in the land where blessings abound!

Fr. Jon / Vicar

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Below is:
*the resolution by our vestry;
*an email Bishop Howe sent out to the clergy announcing this;
*a memo A Vision For Canterbury  I prepared focusing on the Canterbury side of this equation.
RESOLUTION OF THE VESTRY OF CHURCH OF THE INCARNATION...
 
WHEREAS, Church of the Incarnation desires to enter into a mutually beneficial partnership with Canterbury Retreat and Conference Center and we believe that God has provided a Holy opportunity to make both ministries successful without limits and to further His Kingdom in Oviedo and beyond, and  
 
WHEREAS, God has blessed Church of the Incarnation for which we are thankful and humbled; and

WHEREAS, we pray that He may show this to be His will; and

WHEREAS, Church of the Incarnation remains a faithful people to our Lord Jesus Christ and possesses a fear of the Lord through a reverence and reference to Him in all that we do and especially during this decision making process; and  

WHEREAS, we invite the Holy Spirit to enter our hearts and open our minds; and

WHEREAS, the Vicar and Vestry enthusiastically agree to move forward in a pursuit of a relationship with Canterbury Conference Center; and  

WHEREAS, there are a significant number of strategic, operational, personnel, legal, stewardship, financial and questions to be answered; and  

WHEREAS, Church of the Incarnation has a unique opportunity with this Vicar and this Bishop to build a relationship and a campus on this already deeply hallowed setting.
 
NOW, THEREFORE, The Vestry of Church of the Incarnation resolves:  

1. To with good faith, earnest desire, due diligence and a commitment under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to prayerfully enter a season of investigation and discernment to answer the many significant questions concerning this
partnership and to define as fully possible how these two distinct ministries
would operate in cooperation together.  

2. To define and understand the short, medium and long term phases and goals of creating this partnership in ministry  

3. To engage the Canterbury Board and the Board of the Diocese of Central Florida fully in this process in pursuit of a positive outcome for both Church of the Incarnation and Canterbury Retreat and Conference Center in forming this
partnership in ministry.  

IN THE MOTION OF Jeff Woodside, seconded by Greg Seavers, the foregoing
resolution was duly passed unanimously and adopted by Vestry of the Church of the Incarnation this 15th day of October, 2009.
An Email from Bishop Howe

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
 
As you all know, Fr. Paul McQueen tendered his resignation after nineteen years of being Executive Director of our Canterbury Conference Center.  His last day was Friday October 23.  On behalf of all of us I want to thank Paul, again, for leading Canterbury, and extending to us and our congregations and vestries its wonderful hospitality for nearly two decades.
 
Paul takes up his new responsibilities as Rector of the Church of the Resurrection in Longwood in December.  And between now and then he and Roberta will be enjoying some travel and sabbatical time.  May the Lord's blessing attend all of that as you prepare for your new responsibilities, Paul.
 
In the midst of the current economic downturn Canterbury (along with all such facilities) has suffered this past year.  Several groups have canceled, and "business" is "off" generally.  I have been meeting with the Canterbury Board pretty regularly this year, and I have been part of their deliberations as to where things are headed, especially given Paul's decision to step down.
 
Last month, as the Board discussed the need for a "new beginning," I was as surprised as was anyone else in the room to hear my own suggestion that the person needed to become the next Executive Director was seated at the table with us: Fr. Jon Davis, Vicar of the Church of the Incarnation in Oviedo.
 
Church of the Incarnation met for its first four months on the Canterbury campus, before the Diocese was able to purchase a piece of property just a couple of miles down the road from Canterbury, where they have converted a small house into a meeting place, while renting facilities for Sunday worship at Reformed Theological Seminary, also in Oviedo.
 
Over the past month numerous conversations have confirmed that Jon should indeed be invited to accept this position, while continuing as Vicar of Incarnation, and that the possibility of sharing facilities is something to be explored with the leadership of both the mission congregation and the Board of Canterbury.
 
There are a thousand questions yet to be addressed, but the Canterbury Board voted this afternoon to extend the invitation to Jon to become Executive Director (and continuing as Vicar), and he has accepted, with the full backing of his Vestry Committee to do so.
 
I invite and request your prayers for Jon and for all the staff of Canterbury, and, indeed, for all of the members of the Church of the Incarnation and the Diocese of Central Florida as we begin to live into this new reality.
 
Warmest regards in our Lord,
 
The Right Rev. John W. Howe
Episcopal Bishop of Central Florida
A Vision for Canterbury...
Canterbury's shared values and direction with Church of the Incarnation...
      To live into the Great Commandment and the Great Commission
        - loving God, loving each other - proclaiming this love to the world.

       Advancing the Kingdom of God into the hearts and lives of men, women,
       children everywhere

Incarnation does this through the ministry of the church: evangelism; discipleship; worship; mission; fellowship and more

Canterbury does this through training, education and hospitality becoming the "hub" for Christian renewal and spiritual activity in this diocese and beyond.
 
Some short-term goals (no particular order):

Focus Canterbury on the mission of serving the church

Evaluate current situation in regards to staff, operations, finances and ministry. Look for an operations manager to oversee the day-to-day activities at Canterbury.

Evaluate and find ways to reduce charges for churches coming to Canterbury - making it affordable for churches to hold events at Canterbury.

Raise money for:
     the two needed roofs (Falwell Building and Chapel)
     Renovation of all lodging rooms
  
Craft new programs for 2010 that will engage the Churches of the Diocese
     (i.e Discipleship / Worship / Missions / Church Growth and Church Planting)

Make Canterbury profitable in 2010.
 
Long Term Goals:
For Canterbury to become central and essential to the life of the Diocese of Central Florida, the place where the church gathers for renewal, teaching and fellowship.

For Canterbury to extend its reach to the greater church becoming the chosen destination for Christian conferences and retreats.

To become the home of an Anglican Theological Institute partnering with local seminaries in offering the definitive Anglican theological formation experience in the church.

Church of the Incarnation to build necessary space (meeting rooms / classrooms / fellowship hall / enhancing  worship space) for its function and that Canterbury will be able to use for programming.

Canterbury to build additional lodging building (50-70 rooms)  Size / space goal - to have facilities large enough to host diocesan convention.