At the recent Trustees & Council meeting, Canon to the Ordinary, Joan Smith, announced her own retirement, effective October 1st. Her last day in the office will be August 31st. After serving as Canon to the Ordinary since December of 2007, she had many stories to share about her history in the Diocese, her plans for the future, and the future of her position. Below are a few excerpts from the interview I had a pleasure to have with her hours after hour announcement. 

Brian Kinnaman: When you began your work as Canon to the Ordinary, what was the biggest challenge you faced?
Joan Smith: Hmm... I guess the biggest challenge I faced was going back into a subordinate position after several years in charge of congregations. 
BK: And that was under Bishop Gulick, correct?
JS: Yes
BK: How did you overcome that?
JS: I had experience before as an assistant priest. I just called on that.

BK: Throughout the entirety of your position as Canon to the Ordinary, what was your greatest achievement?
JS: I don't have to look very far back. I think the culmination of the All Saints Task Force business plan project has been the longest term project in terms of continuity, and I bet it's the most significant diocesan wide.

At that night's T&C meeting, the Task Force presented their proposal for renewing and revitalizing the ministry of All Saints with a combined approach that included the addition of a Director of Marketing and Business Development, creating a dedicated alumni association, and by raising additional financial support through an annual fund and All Saints Sunday.

BK: The execution of that project is going to positively impact the future of Christian formation within the Diocese, youth programming, the physical center itself, and all those who have ever experienced the mission and ministry of All Saints. It really is a wide ranging piece of work. Congratulations on that accomplishment. 
JS: Thank you. 

BK: Throughout your tenure as Canon, you've also impacted the lives and ministries of many different congregations. Are there any specific stories that come to mind in your ministry to those congregations?
JS: The one that comes to mind most vividly is the time that Mary Jane Cherry and I went to western Kentucky during the floods to be with the people in Hickman. We had a number of things we were doing during that one day trip. We celebrated the Eucharist with that very small congregation who had members whose houses were in danger of falling down the bank because of the flooding and undercutting. The town was inundated in the lower levels. Really a town in stress and crisis, and still that congregation reached out to the Coast Guard and were aware that those were very young people a long way from home doing a very dangerous job during a natural disaster. That was very dramatic. Part of it was also the satisfaction of being able to liaise with the city and county leadership on behalf of the Episcopal Relief and Development grant that provided money for meals for people who were doing flood relief work. That was very intense and very memorable. I think it was important that someone from the Diocesan Office was there with the people of Hickman. They were doing good ministry, and it was critically important that they know there weren't doing that alone.

Did you grow up going to All Saints Camp? Did you volunteer at Gatherings or Camps as an adult? This summer, take a weekend to reconnect with other folks whose lives were touched by this special community. Join us for a gathering for folks with connections to All Saints Camp and their families at All Saints July 19-21. Come see the new facilities, get reconnected with old friends, sing camp songs, and help us look toward All Saints' future ministry. 

You can register online here.

For more information, join the Facebook group. If you have any questions about the event, contact Matt Bradley by email at mbradleytu@gmail.com or by phone at 270.227.9109. If you have questions about registration, please contact Brian Kinnaman at bkinnaman@episcopalky.org or by phone at 502.584.7148.

Bishop White announced at the 185th Diocesan Convention that work on the budget will begin far earlier in the year. At the June 27th meeting of Trustees & Council the Preliminary 2014 Diocesan Budget was approved. 

Below you will find links to both a line item budget and a narrative budget. These budgets are meant to be used as complimentary documents so that a wider range of us may have a deeper and holistic understanding of diocesan finances.

2014 Diocesan Narrative Budget

2014 Diocesan Line Item Budget

To "work, pray and give for the spread of the kingdom of God" is one of the duties that we assume as Christians (BCP, p. 856).  Stewardship is our personal response to God's generosity in the way we share our time, talents and financial resources.  While it is easy to think of stewardship as something that happens on a congregational level, we need to remember that stewardship must not be limited to our response at the local level.  We are also called to share our time, talents and financial resources to further the mission of the church at the diocesan level.

The 186th Convention of the Diocese of Kentucky will be hosted by Christ Church Cathedral, Louisville, and will be held November 8-9, 2013.  At this convention, delegates will elect members to a variety of diocesan positions.  Additionally, four members of the clergy (presbyter or deacon) and four laypersons will be elected as Deputies of the Church to the next General Convention.  As the nominating committee chairperson, I ask that every layperson and member of the clergy of our diocese prayerfully consider the time and talents that he/she can offer in support of the work of the Church, and be willing to be nominated for election to one of these positions.

Attached is a list of positions to be filled at the next diocesan convention.  The list includes qualifications for the various positions, continuing members and members whose terms will expire this year.  A one-page Nomination Form is also included.  It is important that the individuals who are nominated have given their permission to be nominated.  Please note that all lay nominees must be active members of one of the congregations in the Diocese of Kentucky.  Priests in charge of congregations will be asked to verify membership.  Nominees will be sent a biographical information sheet that they will be asked to complete and return.

Baptism establishes the "priesthood of all believers" and the discipleship and ministry of each individual Christian, and the baptismal covenant provides a foundational document that leads us into ministry.  Each time we repeat these vows, we are committing ourselves to a life of ministry, but if we posed the question: "Who are the ministers of the Church?" many people would limit the list to priests and bishops.  If, however, we look at the answer to this question as it appears in the Catechism in the Book of Common Prayer, we read: "The ministers of the Church are lay persons, bishops, priests and deacons" (p. 855).  The ministry of the Church is most effective when lay persons, bishops, priests and deacons are working together as a team.  When one of these roles is absent or underutilized, the Church's ministry is incomplete. 

In recognition of this fact and in response to the need for a well-defined and carefully executed program of education and formation for those individuals called to the diaconate or to intentional lay ministry in the Church, the Diocese of Kentucky established a School of Ministry in 2007.  The School of Ministry is a two-year program that meets one weekend each month (September through June) at All Saints Conference Center in Leitchfield.  Students spend the weekend (5:30 p.m. Friday until 4:00 p.m. Saturday) participating in coursework, small group discussion and spiritual formation.  In between weekend sessions, students have reading assignments, ministry projects and papers to write.  The program faculty includes seminary and university professors, clergy and laity.  Tuition for the program is $850 per year and includes housing, meals and all materials except textbooks.  Individuals who will be ordained deacons will spend a fifth semester during which they will complete a unit of Pastoral Theological Education and liturgics.

Applications are now being accepted for a new cohort of participants and will be accepted until August 15th.  It is strongly recommended that applicants have completed at least two years of Education for Ministry.  They must also be recommended by the priest-in-charge of their congregation.  Classes will begin in September 2013 and participants will graduate in June 2015.  Applications and directions for letters of recommendation are available on the Diocesan website (under "Ministries").  If you would like further information about the program, please contact The Rev. Dr. Rose Bogal-Allbritten, Director, School of Ministry, at 270-293-9490 or rosebogal@gmail.com.