NEWS & STORIES

By Kim Giryluk St. Francis Episcopal Church is pleased to announce it has been awarded an $8,500 Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grant from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship to launch a new community initiative, Healing for Your Mind, Body, and Spirit: Come and Be Loved. This funding will support a year-long series of monthly healing services designed to foster spiritual renewal, emotional well-being, and meaningful community connection. Building on St. Francis Episcop

Status: Starting process; forming search committee Contact: The Rev. Ashley Freeman, Canon to the Ordinary, at ashley@diocgc.org with inquiries. Location: 1050 Azalea Rd, Mobile, AL 36693

Status: Starting process Contact: The Rev. Ashley Freeman, Canon to the Ordinary, at ashley@diocgc.org with inquiries. Location: 14755 Oak St, Magnolia Springs, AL

Status: Interim in place; search committee formed Contact: The Rev. Ashley Freeman, Canon to the Ordinary, at ashley@diocgc.org with inquiries. Location: 28 Miracle Strip Pkwy SW, Fort Walton Beach, FL

Status: In process; starting transition Contact: The Rev. Ashley Freeman, Canon to the Ordinary, at ashley@diocgc.org with inquiries. Location: 6270 Bon Secour Hwy, Bon Secour, AL 36511

The Commission on the Integrity of Creation has been working in partnership with creation care commissions in the Dioceses of Louisiana and Mississippi to form the Watersheds of the Gulf Coast Eco-region. The priorities of our new eco-region include wetland and biodiversity loss, industrial incursion, sea level rise, warming waters, and pollution of waterways, drawing on local and historical knowledge and practices, and on great spiritual resilience. We will accomplish this e

By Valerie Mitchell, Co-Chair, Commission on Racial Justice and Reconciliation This year’s Jonathan Daniels and the Martyrs of Alabama Pilgrimage will take place in Hayneville, Alabama, on Saturday, August 15. The Episcopal Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast, through its Commission on Racial Justice and Reconciliation and others, will be representing. Everyone is invited to join us there. You can contact Commission Co-Chairs Joe McDaniel (mcdanieljoe43@yahoo.com, (415) 225-906

Building Partnerships, Serving Our Community One of the great joys of ministry at St. Monica's Episcopal Church in Cantonment, Florida, is witnessing how God continues to open doors for us to serve our neighbors. While outreach has long been part of our parish identity, this past year has been marked by the development of new partnerships that are allowing us to expand our impact in ways we could not accomplish alone. Feeding Children During the Summer In the summer of 2025,

The Rev. David Clothier, EfM Coordinator for the Episcopal Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast Education for Ministry (EfM) offers a unique opportunity to deepen your faith, connect Christian tradition with daily life, and grow in your ability to live out your baptismal calling. Through mentor-guided study, theological reflection, and small-group discussion, participants gain a richer understanding of Scripture, theology, and the Church's tradition while discerning how God is a

From the Rev. Joy Blaylock, PhD, Dean of the School for Ministry I have begun to get inquiries about our Lay School options for next year, so I want to share some pertinent information. The School for Lay Ministry offers five tracks: pastoral care leader, worship leader, preacher, catechist, and evangelist. You can find the application and a detailed description of each track here on our diocesan website: https://www.diocgc.org/_files/ugd/4525a9_b72707a49302441c83d5db419cb98

By the Rev. Dr. Brent Norris, Standing Committee president At the 55th Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of the Gulf Coast, delegates passed a resolution to begin revising the diocese's canons to better guide the Church's work and mission in our present context. The resolution required that the bishop and Standing Committee invite nominations for lay and clergy members to serve on the committee and to assemble the committee in a way that reflects, as much as possible