Chaplains Conference 2012
Campus Ministers from across the Episcopal Church gathered June 24-25 at Berkeley Divinity School at Yale for their annual conference hosted by the Office for Young Adult and Campus Ministries. This year’s event preceded the Global Chaplains Conference held at Yale in New Haven, Connecticut June 25-29.
The annual Episcopal chaplain’s conference takes place each year at the end of June for the purpose of orienting new campus ministers and providing professional development. This gathering provides a space for sustaining the common mission and visioning for the future.
At the opening worship, The Very Rev. Joseph H. Britton, Dean of Berkeley Divinity School, officiated Evensong with The Rt. Rev. Ian Douglas, Bishop of Connecticut, preaching and presiding at the Eucharist. The conference focused on how the campus ministries network can adapt to changes in the church and culture. Other topics included an increased emphasis on new ministries at community college campuses, digital communications technologies, and partnerships with Episcopal Service Corp.
At a celebratory banquet last night, the annual award for Distinguished Leadership went to The Rev. Susan Terry of the Diocese of Kansas for her pioneering work in community college ministry start-ups. The Sam Portaro Award for Creative Expression and Intellectual Enquiry went to The Rev. Peter M. Antoci of the Diocese of Washington for his recently published book Reflections on the Spirituality of Campus Ministry. A special Distinguished Service Award went to The Rev. Greg Bezilla of the Diocese of New Jersey for his interim leadership in the Office of Campus Ministry for the Episcopal Church.
As part of the network’s preparation for General Convention, Deputy Chief Operating Officer and Director of Mission, Mr. Sam McDonald joined The Rev. Dr. Glenn M. Libby, interim Coordinator for Campus Ministries, The Rev. Shannon Kelly, interim Coordinator for Young Adult Network Development, and Mr. Jason Stewart Sierra, Officer for Young Adult Leadership and Vocations in hosting a town hall meeting on the future of young adult and campus ministry in the Episcopal Church.
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