Region I Annual Report 2005
Region I is comprised of 20 churches in the geographic center of the Diocese. A wide range of churches is represented including small country churches, rural churches, suburban churches, city churches, historic churches, new churches, traditional churches, and conventional churches. The Region extends across many counties including Caroline, King George, Louisa, Madison, Culpeper, Spotsylvania, Stafford, and into the northwestern corners of both Westmoreland and Essex Counties. The largest population center in the Region is the City of Fredericksburg and the immediate surrounding area. This geographic diversity challenges the Region efforts to coordinate, cooperate, collaborate, and communicate with the individual churches, and also the churches with one another.
The Region began last year an experimental program of letting small clusters of churches in a closer geographic area to meet together hopefully to plan activities and hopefully effect a closer working arrangement on church related activities. This year we again met in three Sub-regions in February instead of holding a large meeting as we’ve done in the past. These meetings were productive and some joint activities were planned. For example, the five churches in one Sub-region will hold a combined Ascension Day service next May 25, 2006. These Sub-region meetings will be continued into 2006, with meetings scheduled for February 12 th.
The Region I Missions Committee met and distributed $4000 divided among the following agencies: Mary Washington College Campus Ministry in Fredericksburg and the Volunteer Emergency Family Services in Louisa. Additionally, the Missions Committee agreed to help support an Evangelical trip to China for the purpose of baptism of newly converted Christians.
The Region also sponsored several mission trips in 2005. A group from Aquia Church in Stafford went to New York to visit Ground Zero and participate in the Night Watch program at St. John’s the Divine. Piedmont Church in Madison sponsored two groups. An older group went to the Navajo Reservation in Arizona for two weeks both as a pilgrimage and mission trip as part of their participation in the Journey to Adulthood program. The younger group from Piedmont participated in a mission trip along with members of the Lutheran Church to Marion, Virginia, to work on rehabbing a house there. A group from the Church of the Messiah in Chancellor went to Montgomery, West Virginia, to help the disadvantaged in their daily activities. A mission trip was sponsored by Christ Church, Spotsylvania to the Crow Indian reservation in Montana to work with individuals on projects designed to improve living conditions and the quality of life. These trips were largely for Region I youth and the total funding provided by the Region was $ 3,050.
Recognizing the need to address youth education, the Region brokered “The Journey to Adulthood” program to the churches in the Region. This began by supporting a two day training event open to all who wanted to attend from the region churches. Additionally, we invited any interested individuals for other churches outside in other regions to attend if they were interested in learning more about the program. Four churches decided on implementing the program, three right away and one at a later time. The three which were starting right away, Christ Church-Spotsylvania, St. George’s-Fredericksburg, and St. John’s-King George, were given $600 each for the teaching materials needed to get started. From all indications, the program is working well in these three churches.
It is customary in Region I to have an annual event during the summer months as one of its scheduled meetings. In alternate years, the Region holds a dinner with a program afterwards. The other years, the region looks to hold something outdoors, like a picnic, seafood festival, etc. This year the Region had a picnic at Pitts Pond, a privately owned facility just south of Bowling Green. Approximately eighty people attended and took part in the Holy Eucharist celebrated by Bishop Lee, Bishop Jones, and Region I Dean Ron Okrasinski. Afterwards, everyone enjoyed an old fashioned church picnic and played games, swam, and enjoyed the fellowship of friends. It was a success by all accounts. Next year the Region will have a more formal dinner at one of the more centrally located churches in Fredericksburg.
Region I is very proud of having three individuals from the Region serving in leadership positions at the diocesan level. Pat Piland from St. Asaph’s Church in Bowling Green, is just ending a term as President of the Episcopal Church Women. Her successor in the same position will be Anna Lou Flynn from St. James Church in Louisa. Don Metheny, from Trinity Church in Fredericksburg began a three-year term as member of the Executive Board.
Respectfully Submitted,
Bill Wick, President