NEWS & STORIES

Lent is a sacred season—a forty-day journey of prayer, reflection, and renewal that begins on Ash Wednesday and leads us toward the hope of Easter. Rooted in Scripture and shaped by our worship and shared life, Lent invites us to turn again toward God with honesty and intention. This 2026 Guide to Lent offers curated resources for individual and group study to support you as you pause, listen, and deepen your faith during this holy season. Reconciliation: From Ashes to Peace

Reconciliation: From Ashes to Peace You are invited to journey into the heart of reconciliation with your Central Gulf Coast sisters and brothers, either in a small group or individually. Through Scripture and tradition, we are formed in the realization that Lent is the season intended to lead believers through honest self-examination, repentance, and restored relationship with God and each other. This five-week, diocesan-sponsored study, facilitated by members of our own dio

I recently had a fruitful discussion with one of our priests about the role of deacons in our diocese and the impact on future generations. Since 2017, the School for Ministry has raised five locally formed permanent deacons, one of whom is the Rev. Kay Dennis of Marianna, Florida. Kay is shining her light brightly in her community in a variety of ways, one of which is through her numerous newspaper articles and the publication of her own books. For Advent, Kay produced a bea

Status: Search committee formed; building profile; interim in place Contact: The Rev. Ashley Freeman, Canon to the Ordinary, at ashley@diocgc.org with inquiries. Location: 480 North County Highway 393, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459

Deacon Pratt Paterson We are pleased to announce the appointment of the Rev. Pratt Paterson, deacon serving Christ Church Cathedral, Mobile, and Executive Director of Wilmer Hall, as the Diocese’s Disaster Preparedness and Response Coordinator. In this role, Paterson will serve as the diocesan liaison for disaster-related resources and response opportunities, train congregations in preparedness and resilience, and connect local efforts with broader diocesan and national partn

This video is intentionally silent. Here is the text: Shhh. Merry Christmas. You made it. What has been done...has been done. What has not been done...has not been done. Let it be. Now listen. “The Word became flesh and lived among us.“ “A child has been born----for us.” For you. A child. Emmanuel. God is with us. God is with you. You. Your life matters to God. Your life matters for God. His name is Jesus which means God saves. Not God curses. Not God damns. Not God condemns.

Whenever I meet with candidates to discuss the confirmation service, I focus on the two questions of the examination: Do you reaffirm your renunciation of evil? And do you renew your commitment to Jesus Christ? I point out that both hinge on that tiny, telling prefix re. And because of that little syllable, I remind the candidates that confirmation is rooted not in something new, but in something already given—baptism. In baptism, God bestowed the gift beyond all gifts: life

By Ethan Rowell, member of the Commission on Racial Justice and Reconciliation St. Josephine Bakhita was born in 1869 in western Sudan to a respected and prosperous father in the village of Olgossa. In February of 1877, at no more than seven or eight years of age, she was abducted by Arab slave traders and forced to walk barefoot 600 miles to El Obeid, where she was bought and sold twice before her arrival. Over the course of twelve years, she was bought and sold three more

55th Annual Convention of the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast "Let There Be Light" Friday, February 27, 2026, to Saturday, February 28, 2026 Hilton Pensacola Beach 12 Via de Luna Drive, Pensacola Beach, Florida Hosted by St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church, Gulf Breeze Dear clergy and senior wardens in charge of congregations, Below are links to important memos and information for our 55th Annual Diocesan Convention. Please read over the details carefully and communicate

The beautiful music at St. Paul's in Foley is even more joyful thanks to the recent installation of the Noack Organ Opus 170, made possible by a generous donation from an anonymous donor. The organ, one of few, only-pipe organs in Baldwin County, was dedicated on November 1st during an Evensong for the Feast of All Saints, with more than 115 church and community members attending. The installation was more than two years in the making. In 2023, the Rev. Brent Norris was appr

Four churches across the Episcopal Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast have something new to celebrate—a set of large barbecue grill trailers designed to strengthen parish fellowship, expand community outreach, and provide a vital resource in times of disaster. Bishop Russell's matching contribution helped make it possible for St. Jude’s, Niceville; St. Paul’s, Foley; Trinity, Apalachicola; and St. Mary’s, Andalusia, to each acquire a new smoker or barbecue trailer. These trail