[Magdalen] Last Sunday as Senior Warden

[Lynn Ronkainen]

What a wonderful day Ginga - and what a wonderful honor for such a diligent 
worker in the field!

love and hugs
Lynn

website: www.ichthysdesigns.com

When I stand before God at the end of my life I would hope that I have not a 
single bit of talent left and could say, "I used everything You gave me." 
attributed to Erma Bombeck
 "Either Freedom for all or stop talking about Freedom at all" from a talk 
by Richard Rohr

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From: "Georgia DuBose" <gdubose at gmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, February 14, 2016 4:53 PM
To: <magdalen at herberthouse.org>
Subject: Re: [Magdalen] Last Sunday as Senior Warden

> So many blessings. Pictures of the font are in order.
>
> "Come thou +font+ of many blessings,
> May we haste to sing God's praise.
> May Good Shepherd, celebrating,
> Ne'er forget the early days!"
>
> Congratulations on your role in them, leading with vision, hope and
> perseverance.
>
> Georgia+
>
> On Sun, Feb 14, 2016 at 11:10 AM, Ginga Wilder <gingawilder at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Today was my last Sunday as organizing Senior Warden of The Episcopal
>> Church of the Good Shepherd, Summerville, SC.  What a day it was!
>>
>>
>>
>> Forty months ago, on October 21, 2012, a letter from Bishop Mark Lawrence
>> was read in Episcopal churches across the Diocese of SC stating
>> (erroneously) that we were no longer associated with The Episcopal 
>> Church.
>> After years of intentional fracture, schism had finally come to the
>> Episcopal Diocese of SC.  You all know what a grief that was to John and 
>> me
>> and other faithful Episcopalians in SC.
>>
>>
>>
>> That very afternoon, seven Summerville Episcopalians gathered on friends’
>> back porch and committed ourselves to reorganizing an Episcopal
>> congregation from the local remnant.  And, we have done just that…not 
>> just
>> me, not any one person, but the Body of Christ in this place, in this
>> time.  My grief was morphed by my passion to reorganize an Episcopal
>> congregation.  I was named senior warden.  All of us, the original seven,
>> plus those who have joined us in those months to reform, rebuild,
>> reestablish an Episcopal Church, now known as The Episcopal Church of the
>> Good Shepherd, Summerville.   Good Shepherd is a mission church of The
>> Episcopal Church in SC.
>>
>>
>>
>> Lots of gift-giving today.  During worship, John and I presented a new
>> banner that we had commissioned, a banner that speaks visually where Good
>> Shepherd is today.  Then, I was stunned more than I have ever been in my
>> entire life.  The congregation presented the church a hand crafted
>> baptismal font in my honor.  Dave Comer, an architect and gifted 
>> furniture
>> maker from our parish, made the mahogany stand and a glass artisan 
>> crafted
>> the glass bowl.  The bowl has an amazing design…one can see the holy 
>> spirit
>> moving in it.  I am blown away and unworthy and thankful beyond words and
>> want to share that with you.  Photos will be posted on our webpage as 
>> soon
>> as possible.
>>
>>
>>
>> Rejoice with me that God has brought The Episcopal Church of the Good
>> Shepherd to this day and has shed a light on the way into our future.  We
>> have wonderful new leadership coming on board.  The priest in charge has
>> asked me to serve going forward as lay ministry coordinator.
>>
>>
>>
>> Thanks be to God!
>>
>> Ginga
>>