[Magdalen] Last Sunday as Senior Warden

[Rick Mashburn]

How wonderful, Ginga! What a great story of rebirth and resurrection!!!
Thanks be to God!

Peace, Rick

On Sun, Feb 14, 2016 at 6:36 PM, Marion Thompson <marionwhitevale at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Well done, good and faithful servant.  Many would have accepted the
> situation, however sadly, and left it at that.
>
> Marion, a pilgrim
>
>
> On 2/14/2016 2:10 PM, Ginga Wilder 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
>>
>>
>