More Photos from Blessing of the Animals

Provincial Council

St. John's is well represented on Provincial Council for Province II of the Episcopal Church.  Our Rector. Dahn Gandell as the clergy representative from Executive Council and Neil Houghton as lay representative serve on this group. In the structure of the Episcopal Church there are 9 Provinces, each a grouping of dioceses.  Province II includes the dioceses in New York, New Jersey, The US Virgin Islands, Haiti and the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe.

One presentation was given by Stephanie Spellers, Canon for Missional Development in the Diocese of Long Island.  She talked about training people in various models of organizing to apply for funding. Missional Enterprise Zones and New Church Plants.  In accordance with General Convention Resolution A073 the Episcopal Church has set aside $2,000,000 for these purposes.

Neil asked that specific ways in which small towns and rural churches can take advantage of this be identified.

The Provincial Council is discussing strategies to offer training for this.

The Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers

Blessing Of The Animals

Last Sunday we had our annual blessing of the Animals.  It is held each year on the Sunday closest to the the Feast of St. Francis.

Iconic Photo leads to Marriage at St. John's

On Friday, October 4, Sgt Brandon Morgan and Dalan Wells were married at St. John's.  At this small ceremony, The Rev. Dahn Dean Gandell, pronounced them legally married at 11:21 AM.  The ceremony was witnessed by the Dalan's father, David Wells, our parish administrator and Neil Houghton and Kyle Craword, parishioners, who signed the legal documents.

Dalan and Brandon are the subjects of a photograph that went viral in February, 2012, shortly after the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" ban was lifted by President Obama is executive order.