[Magdalen] Last Sunday as Senior Warden

[Judy Fleener]

I know this journey has not been easy for you and John.  The church is
blessed by your presence.
Judy

On Sun, Feb 14, 2016 at 6:29 PM, Molly Wolf <lupa at kos.net> wrote:

> Oh Ginga, how wonderful your gifts have been, not just to your church but
> to all those blessed by your love and wisdom, me included.  May your parish
> flourish and be full of grace.
>
> Love,
> Molly
>
> The man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no
> other way. -- Mark Twain
>
> > On Feb 14, 2016, at 2:10 PM, 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
>



-- 
Judy Fleener, ObJN
Western Michigan