Check out our first edition of the convocation newsletter, The Encouraging Word! We will publish quarterly editions of the newsletter to our facebook page. Member clergy and lay leaders are welcome to contribute announcements, church bios (called "parish spotlights" in the newsletter), articles, poetry, theological musings, or letters-to-the-editor. All submissions for the Winter 2013 Edition of The Encouraging Word are due by Nov. 27th, 2013. You can send them via facebook message, or you can email them to midsouthanglicanconvocation@yahoo.com.

1. V O L U M E 1 ∙ I S S U E 1 ∙ S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 3
A Publication of
The Mid-South Anglican Convocation
133 Executive Dr. ∙ Suite C ∙ Madison, MS ∙ 39110
Issue
Highlights
Note From the Dean
Letter from the Editor
Parish Spotlights
All Saints
Jackson, TN
St. Peter’s
Birmingham, AL
All Saints
Hot Springs, AR
From Fellow Laborers
in the Field
Jesus Still Meets Us at His
Table
Planning Community
Events Without Losing
Sight of Your Purpose
Some Thoughts on Modern
Hymnody
Convocation
Announcements
Mid-South Anglicans
Communicating
Cooperating
Collaborating
For the Growth of the Kingdom
The Mid-South Convocation came into existence a
year ago. Its beginning reflects the heart of bish-
op Foley Beach, to care for existing parishes and to
encourage new mission throughout the Mid-South.
The goals were simple! We wanted to incarnate a
united Anglicanism with a shared commitment to the
Scriptures and Sacraments and a shared dependence upon the
Spirit.
God has been kind to us in this first year. We are experiencing
growing relationships and cooperation between parishes and
jurisdictions across Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, Western
Tennessee and Alabama. This began at our first clergy retreat
last November, when we all committed to open communica-
tion, active cooperation, and missional collaboration as God
gave us opportunity and grace. These priorities led to a joint
confirmation by Bishop Foley, which involved several parishes
A NOTE FROM THE DEAN

2. and multiple jurisdictions in early 2013. They were furthered as clergy and laity gath-
ered in Memphis last month to discover how we could all move from “Maintenance to
Mission”, under the leadership of Canon Phil Ashey of the AAC.
Going forward, we will continue to envision, equip and encourage mission and united
Anglicanism here in the Mid-South. We have an opportunity to see the Kingdom come
and the Gospel transform our region as we will actively partner together. These are ex-
citing times and God is at work all around us. Please make it a priority to join together
through the Convocation for all of our upcoming events, which you can read more
about in the announcements section of the newsletter.
Please know that I count it a joy to serve each of you as the Dean of this convocation. I
am here to pray for you and support you through the good and the bad you face.
Please do not hesitate to call on me.
Peace and Grace be with you,
Keith+
News from Fr. Keith’s Parish
Holy Trinity ∙ Madison, MS
Holy Trinity, by God's grace and provision, plans to break ground on their first building
in 2014. The parish successfully completed a capital campaign this fall in which over 90
percent of the parishioners sacrificially gave. In addition, the parish has contracted
with the firm Young+Weir+Boerner to work up a design for phase 1 (the multi-
purpose building seen below). This will have a worship and fellowship space, educa-
tional space, a children's playground, and office space. Phase 2, which will come later,
will consist of a traditional nave and prayer garden. Please join us in prayer and
thanksgiving as we seek to build not only a building, but disciples who
will encounter and share the Holy Trinity through worship, community and mission.
Page 2

3. Page 3
Well, this is it, our very first
issue of the Encouraging
Word. As the name implies, our news-
letter is intended to be a useful re-
source for all of our member clergy, a
jumping off point for increased coop-
eration and collaboration among the
various parishes of the Mid-South An-
glican Convoca-
tion. Of course,
there can be no
cooperation or
collaboration
without shared
and open com-
munication. It is in the hope of fos-
tering such communication that this
newsletter has been compiled.
Inside, you will find parish spot-
lights, articles written and prepared by
the staff of some our convocation
churches, articles which are meant to
inform you about your fellow clergy,
about their ministries, and about the
successes and failures that they have
experienced in their work. We were
able to spotlight three parishes in this
issue , and we hope to spotlight sever-
al more in the winter edition of the
Encouraging Word.
You will also find three articles writ-
ten by some of our fellow laborers in
the field, one from a priest and semi-
nary professor, one from a youth minister
soon to be ordained, and one from a lay
leader. These articles address different top-
ics associated with ministry in the mid-
South, and attempt to answer some of the
following questions: What is unique and
valuable in Anglican expressions of the his-
toric Christian faith? How should we as An-
glicans interact with the culture which sur-
rounds us and with the people who live
among us? What should we hold on to as
essential to our faith? What should we be
willing to give-up or adapt?
The answers provided to these questions
by our guest writers are, of course, their
opinions. You may disagree with their ap-
proaches or with their views. If this is the
case, please consider offering a counterpoint
to their thoughts in the next issue of the En-
couraging Word. Where you find valuable
or helpful insights, please also consider
mentioning them in the forthcoming publi-
cation, as doing so will undoubtedly encour-
age and edify our brothers and sister in
Christ who worked diligently to pen these
submissions. Above all, use these articles
and the newsletter in
general as a plat-
form for increased
dialogue between
your church and
others in our com-
munion.
Finally, you will
find at the end of the newsletter a list of up-
coming events and other announcements.
All events are listed chronologically, so as to
avoid showing partiality to one particular
church or diocese. We hope that we have
left no one out!
Issue Number 2 is scheduled for release in
December of 2013. If you have any an-
nouncements, articles, or other submissions
that you would like to have included in the
next issue of the Encouraging Word, be sure
to send them to:
midsouthanglicanconvocation@yahoo.com
by November 27th.
LETTER
________________________________________________BY Dcn. Brian Larsen Wells
Associate Pastor of College, Youth, and Children
All Saints Anglican Church ∙ Jackson, TN

4. Page 4
A
ll Saints Anglican Church
of Jackson, TN was found-
ed in 2004 under the di-
rection and oversight of
Bishop Gideon Githiga of Thika, Ken-
ya. In 2009, All Saints be-
came a part of the Angli-
can Church in North Amer-
ica and came under the
local jurisdiction of the In-
ternational Diocese of the
ACNA.
All Saints ministers to a wide range
of people in the Jackson area and is
particularly interested in making
people in our community aware of
the treasure trove which is Anglican
liturgical worship. We have found
that the liturgy is attractive to peo-
ple from a broad range of socio-
economic, ethnic, and educational
backgrounds and that it appeals to
people of all ages, from 3 – 93.
Currently, All Saints is served by
Bishop Bill Atwood of the Interna-
tional Diocese, Fr. Chuck Filiatreau,
Deacon Brian Larsen Wells, Deacon
Wesley Gristy, and Dr. Jordan Tang.
Bishop Bill Atwood, in addition to
serving as the diocesan Bishop of
the International Diocese, serves al-
so as General Secretary of the Ekkle-
sia Society. Through his strong in-
ternational ties, Bishop Bill has
played key roles in many of the nu-
merous efforts to stand for orthodox
Anglicanism in the United States. He
resides with his wife, Susan, in Frisco,
Texas.
Fr. Chuck Filiatreau is the Rector of
All Saints, having accepted the call to
lead the newly-formed congregation in
June of 2004. He served as a parish
priest in the Episcopal Church for over
thirty-five years in the Dioceses of Ar-
kansas and West Tennessee. Fr. Chuck
and his wife, Gretchen, have been mar-
ried for forty-six years, and they have
two grown children, Melisande and
Beau.
Deacon Brian Larsen
Wells is the associate
Pastor of Children,
Youth, and College at All
Saints. He has been in
the ministry for over
twelve years and has
worked abroad in locations such as
Seoul, South Korea and Montreal,
Canada. Besides working at the
church, Brian also serves on the Eth-
ics Board of the Jackson-Madison
County General Hospital and is pur-
suing his PhD in philosophy from
McGill University. He and his wife,
Amanda, have been married for
eight years. God willing, Brian will
be ordained as a priest in November
of this year.
Parish
All Saints Anglican Church
Jackson, TN

5. Page 5
Deacon Wes Gristy is the Associate
Pastor of Programs at All Saints, hav-
ing come on staff in September of
2012. Though he's been in church
ministry for over fifteen
years, Wes is relatively
new to the Anglican tra-
dition, seeking to be or-
dained to the priesthood
in November of this
year. He also serves on
the board of a non-profit
organization in Nicara-
gua called El Ayudante,
is married to his wife, Abbie, of
twelve years, and has a four-year-old
daughter, Natalie, and a one-year-
old son, Lawson.
Jordan Tang is the Choir Master and
Pianist at All Saints. Jordan has previ-
ously served as the Music Director and
Conductor of the Jackson Symphony.
He has been a guest conductor of or-
chestras all over the world and has
served as an adjunct professor at sev-
eral universities. He received his PhD
in music from the University of Utah.
With such a talented and passionate
group of people working on staff, it is
no wonder that All Saints has almost
doubled in size over the past two
years, and now serves nearly 130 peo-
ple each Sunday! May God continue
to bless the work of this church in Jack-
son!
Spotlights
S
t. Peter’s Anglican Church, lo-
cated in the Birmingham, AL
suburb of Mountain Brook, is
called by God to a special min-
istry of leadership develop-
ment. Working with Beeson Divinity
School as an approved mentoring
site, St. Peter’s provides structured
ministry opportunities which not only
include the usual children’s or youth
ministry work, but also participation
in staff and committee meetings,
budget planning, structuring and
leading worship services,
and managing the day-to
-day logistics of a church
(something seminarians
are not typically taught in
school).
The program is under the oversight
of the Pastor of St.
Peter’s, the Rev. Dr.
Mark Quay, and the
church’s Leadership
Development Team,
chaired by Ken Mah-
ler, Vice President
for National Ac-
counts at Assurant
Corporation. The
team is composed of
corporate execu-
St. Peter’s Anglican Church
Birmingham, AL

6. Page 6
tives, medical professionals, and col-
lege administrators. It reaches out to
local colleges and seminaries to re-
cruit potential interns and also pro-
vides regular
meetings with
influential lay
leaders to discuss
such issues as
strategic plan-
ning, decision
making, and con-
flict resolution, all
from a Christian
worldview. Cur-
rently there are
four paid interns
in the program,
with an additional three prospective
interns in the pipeline.
St. Peter’s will be 11 years old this
October. Founded as an Anglican
Mission in the Americas parish, it
joined the Anglican Diocese of the
South in October 2012 at its
10th
anniversary celebration, coming
under the oversight of Bishop Foley
Beech.
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Foley Beach is the
Rector and Pastor of Holy Cross An-
glican Church in Loganville, Georgia.
and Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of
the South. Dr. Beach is a graduate of
Gordon-Conwell Theological Semi-
nary, the School of Theology at the
University of the South, and Georgia
State University. He has served in
ministry with Young Life, the Episco-
pal Church,
and the Angli-
can Church.
His passion is
to share the
Word of God
in such a way
as to help oth-
ers discover
the incredible
living Jesus.
Married for
over 28 years,
he and his
wife, Allison, have two children.
Fr. Mark Quay is assisted at Saint Pe-
ter’s by members of the ministry staff,
—Mr. Harold Edington, the Family Life
Minister, and Fr. Glandion Carney,
who assists with the Pastoral Care Pro-
gram—as well as by several important
resident clergy and ministry interns.
For more information about St. Peter’s,
it’s leadership development program, or
its staff and interns, please contact Fr.
Mark Quay or visit the church website at
www.stpetersbhm.org.

7. Page 7
A
ll Saints Anglican Church of
Hot Springs, AR formed No-
vember 1, 2003 – the very first
All Saints Day of its history.
Over the ten years since that day, All
Saints has been blessed again and again
as they remained focused on God and
upon His Holy Word. Several gracious
benefactors need be mentioned in rela-
tion to these blessings—the Faith
Lutheran congregation, Mr. Phil Hale
of Caruth Village Funeral Home, and
the late June Snow at Coronado
Community Center. All of these
men and women have graciously
provided worship space to the con-
gregation over the years. At pre-
sent, All Saints worships in a leased
space at 10 Ponderosa Lane. Sun-
day services begin at 10:30 and in-
clude communion each Sunday.
But, soon All Saints will be moving….
On June 29, 2013 at 6:00 p.m., All
Saints Anglican Church celebrated
the realization of a long time dream.
The congregation has been saving
funds over the past several years towards
the purchase of a plot of land to eventu-
ally build a church home upon. So, on
that glorious Saturday evening in June,
the church family gathered on their new-
ly purchased land with joy in their hearts.
Visions for their new church building
were mingled with memories of their ex-
citing history. Once more, the All Saints
family was moving forward in faith!
Rev. Rick Moore, pastor, gathered eve-
ryone together to listen to God’s Holy
Word as recorded in scriptures and
Psalms. With songs of praise and pray-
ers of thanksgiving, thoughts turned
from the excitement of building a church
to a focus on God’s provision. The peo-
ple of All Saints know that they must
seek His will daily in the coming months
and years. Rev. Moore prayed for God
to bless the land, the church
to be built on it, and the
people who would come to
worship, study, pray, and
enjoy fellowship in that
church.
Gary Weeter, the Sr. Warden, presented a
conceptual site plan for the proposed
church building. He encouraged the con-
gregation to Imagine the Possibilities when
God is Our Focus.
After a delightful time walking on the
land and imagining the placement of
church, memorial gardens, and parking lot,
Gary and Elaine Weeter hosted a pot luck
dinner at their home.
The church is to be built at the corner of
Balearic Road and Jardinero Drive and will
share a border with the 9th
hole at Coro-
nado Golf Course. This is perfect for the
congregation’s many golfers!
All Saints invites the community and
summer visitors to join them for worship.
While you are visiting, take time to see the
model of the new church building. If you
are looking for a warm and welcoming
church home that is firmly rooted in tradi-
tional Christianity, accepts Christ as their
Savior, and believes salvation comes by
Grace alone, through Faith alone, in Christ
alone, come for a visit.
All Saints Anglican Church is a member of
the Anglican Church of North America, An-
glican Diocese of the South, under the
episcopal oversight of Bishop Foley Beech.
All Saints Anglican Church
Hot Springs, AR

8. Page 8
E
ucharistic celebration is
central to Anglican piety.
It is a key element of Prayer Book wor-
ship, and has been since Cranmer. My
own journey into Anglicanism was driven in
large part by a growing awareness that the Eu-
charist is central to Christian worship. I grew
up in a church body which viewed liturgy with
suspicion and rarely observed the sacraments.
In college I began attending a non-
denominational charismatic church. The peo-
ple of this congregation would never have de-
scribed themselves as sacramen-
tal, and they certainly were not
liturgical. Nevertheless, the first
time I participated in one of their
rare Communion services I had
an overwhelming sense that Je-
sus was present. I did not know
what to make of the experience,
but I knew after that evening
that Jesus meets with His people
at the Table.
Some years later, after finishing
my seminary training, I served as
a youth minister. Again, this was
a thoroughly non-liturgical and –
sacramental church, but that did not prevent
Jesus from showing up at the Eucharist. On
Holy Wednesday we observed the Lord’s Sup-
per. It did not seem at first that anything unu-
sual was happening. Two of the especially de-
vout kids in my youth group were clearly
blessed in receiving the Eucharist, but nothing
beyond that was apparent. I was in for a
shock, though: three girls in the group ap-
proached me afterward and asked me to pray
with them that Christ would give them grace
to lead a new life. These girls were already
nice, churchgoing teenagers, but that night
was a transforming mo-
ment for them. The kicker?
No invitation had been giv-
en, no altar-call made.
Very simply, Jesus met
them at His Table and they
realized they wanted more
of Him—much more.
During my seminary
training I remember read-
ing Calvin’s discussion of
Eucharist in the Institutes
and being both excited at
the beauty of it and a bit
suspicious of how
“Catholic” it sounded to my very Protestant
ears. Going on to graduate study and engag-
ing Luther’s writings on the Eucharist was
even more challenging for me, but it also
made sense of my weekly experience of Jesus’
presence at the Table in the Anglican parish
we had by then begun to attend. These two
The first time I
participated in …
Communion
services, I had an
overwhelming
sense that Jesus
was present.
Jesus
Still Meets
Us at
His Table
ARTICLE
BY Fr. Carey Vinzant, PhD_____________________________________________
Prof. of Systematic and Historical Theology
Wesley Biblical Seminary ∙ Jackson MS

9. Page 9
giants of the Reformation, Luther and Cal-
vin, certainly disagreed about some aspects
of Eucharistic doctrine, but on this point
they were patently agreed: in the bread
and wine the believer receives the nourish-
ment of Jesus’ Body and Blood. Against
their Roman contemporaries, both upheld
the necessity of faith to receiving the bene-
fits of the Eucharist. The Lord’s Supper does
not magically absolve and transform the
unrepentant. Against the mainstream of the
Swiss Reformation, both held that more
happens in the Eucharist than mindfulness
of Christ. Eucharist is a means of grace; it is
first something God does and only second-
arily something the
Church does.
These two emphases—
the importance of faith
and the transforming
presence and power of
Christ in the Eucharist—
clearly emerge in the
Book of Common Prayer
as well. In the 1549 BCP,
the words for administra-
tion of the bread are:
“The Body of our Lord Je-
sus Christ, which was giv-
en for thee, preserve thy
body and soul unto ever-
lasting life.” This is a clear
statement that what God’s people receive is
not merely bread—it is the Corpus Christi.
Cranmer’s words in the 1552 BCP imply a
more Protestant emphasis: “Take, eat this in
remembrance that Christ died for thee, and
feed on Him in thy heart by faith.” There is
no mention here of Christ’s Body; the em-
phasis is upon personal faith. By 1559,
however, the words of administration had
taken what we know as their classic shape:
“The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which
was given for thee, preserve thy body and
soul unto everlasting life. Take, eat this in
remembrance that Christ died for thee and
feed on Him in thy heart by faith.”
By combining the 1549 words with those
from 1552, the 1559 BCP speaks a better
word than either earlier version could on its
own. The emphasis on the Eucharist as the
Body of Christ reminds us that we are not
merely left to our own resources to muster
enough faith or religious feeling to “do it
right.” In the Eucharist Jesus comes and
gives us His Body and Blood in the bread
and the wine. Faith, humble gratitude, and
joy are the most natural responses in the
world to such an encounter. On the other
hand, the emphasis on remembering Christ
and personal faith is a pointed exhortation
to us: the Eucharist does not deliver grace
apart from faith. It is not a magical cure for
death; rather, it reminds us of Jesus, Who
died for our sins, and it calls us to “sharing
in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His
death” in order that we may “attain to the
resurrection from the dead” (Phil 3:10-11).
The Eucharist calls us to
discipleship.
One key issue in the
Reformation was, “What
is the Church?” Luther
argued that the Church
was defined by faithful-
ness in proclaiming the
Gospel and administer-
ing the sacraments. The
BCP follows this basic
pattern, presenting the
ministries of Word and
Table as the two key
events in Anglican wor-
ship. In the Liturgy of
the Word we hear about
who God is, who we are, why we need
Christ, and how God intends His people to
live in His world. In the prayers and the
penitential order we face the reality that
God’s Kingdom has not come in all its full-
ness, nor are we yet the fully committed
Kingdom citizens God intends us to be. We
own these painful realities, praying for what
is broken in our world, confessing our sins,
and asking to be forgiven and transformed.
We then hear the absolution and prepare to
go to the Lord’s Table. The tension we ex-
perience in the time between the end of the
Sermon and the Eucharist is the tug of war
between that in us which is dying with this
world and that which is being drawn for-
ward toward the coming Kingdom.
Through the bread and wine Christ feeds us
with his Body and Blood, nourishing the
new people we are becoming, the Kingdom
citizens God is making of us.

10. Page 10
Planning community events without losing
sight of your purpose and vision...
D
uring my time as an undergrad-
uate student, I had the privilege
of working as a Resident Assis-
tant in my college’s dormitories.
One of my responsibilities as a Resident
Assistant was to organize and implement
various programs throughout the year
that could increase student involvement
in and around the campus. These pro-
grams could be anything from educa-
tional activities, to community service
projects, to team building games.
The intended goal of these programs
was to further the educational experi-
ence of the students. However, more of-
ten than not, we as RA’s simply executed
an event without paying much attention
to that ultimate goal. For example, one
of our annual social programs consisted
of a late night breakfast, where the Resi-
dent Assistants would cook a meal for
the students in their complexes. The
preparation and implementation of the
breakfast was fast-paced, highly stressful,
and, quite frankly, a bit overwhelming.
When we had finally served the last plate
of food and cleaned up the kitchen, we
all happily patted ourselves on the back,
believing that we had done some really
great work that night. In retrospect,
though, I ask myself, "Was this really a
successful event? Did the students bene-
fit from our activity in a lasting way? Did
we really do what we were asked to do?"
The truth is that we spent a significant
amount of our RA funds on that event,
wore ourselves out executing it, and then
watched the students eat and leave with-
out building any new or meaningful rela-
tionships with them. To make matters
worse, a number of students wanted to
come to the event, but, seeing how
crowded the room was at the height of
the activity, they simply went to eat at
the campus dining hall instead. Accord-
ing to our goal of enhancing the stu-
dents’ educational experience, the late
night breakfast was a dud.
ARTICLE
BY Cameron Scalera_________________________________________________
Minister to Youth and Families
Faith Anglican Church ∙ Cordova, TN

11. Page 11
Social programs like the student break-
fast are not at their core bad programs.
They just need to be focused according
to a clear and distinct purpose. With re-
gard to church programs, par-
ticularly outreach programs,
that purpose must be the ex-
pansion of the church’s minis-
try into the world around it.
Towards the end of October,
Faith Anglican Church in Cor-
dova, TN, will be implementing
a Trunk or Treat program de-
signed to offer a safe and fun
alternative to normal trick or treating.
This program is purposefully geared to-
ward community outreach. We at the
church will devote a great deal of energy
to planning the event and to organizing
games, food, parking, bouncy houses,
costumes, and an absolute smorgasbord
of candy. However, if this is all that we
do, then we will have achieved little for
the kingdom. We also hope to develop a
strategy for reaching young children and
families in our area with the message of
Christ. These strategies include collecting
attendees’ contact information for future
connection, promoting our ministries
during the event, and
enlisting a team of
greeters to engage our
guests in casual conver-
sation during the event.
This team of greeters
will serve as ambassa-
dors for the church and
will begin the process of
integrating visitors into
our community and
making them feel welcome in our midst.
In the next issue of “The Encouraging
Word,” we will be sure to share more de-
tails of our process, as well as give an
evaluation of our event. Blessings to all
of you in your own activities and endeav-
ors!

12. Some
Thoughts
On Modern Hymnody
Over the years, I have come to realize
that so much of our musical prefer-
ence is based in memory. For in-
stance, I have warm memories of sitting on
my mother’s lap, my head resting on her
chest, listening as she sang out in her perfect
alto voice hymns like Take My Life and Let it
Be. I would twist the string of pearls that she
always wore to church around her neck, and
I would think how beautiful those pearls
were. I would think about how, one day
when I was old enough, I would stand and
sing in church, maybe wearing a beautiful
string of pearls like my mom’s.
I also remember standing beside my father
one Easter morning. He had already opened
his hymnal to the appropriate page, because,
of course, we would be singing his favorite
song, Jesus Christ is Risen Today. After all,
what is Easter without that tune? I remem-
ber that he always made sure to hold the
hymnal down so that I could see the words,
and, even though I couldn’t read very well
yet, he would run his machinist’s fingers be-
low the lines of music so that I could follow
along.
Many of us have experiences like these, ex-
periences that have shaped the way that we
musically relate to God, to one another, and
even to ourselves. I’m sure that there are
hymns or praise songs that you know by
heart and can easily recognize even before
their first line has been completed. Un-
doubtedly, some of these songs are intimate-
ly connected to certain seasons of your life.
Music can capture a particular feeling or
thought in a way that no other media can.
We express our emotions and affections
through song, some of us by writing, some
through singing, and some simply by listen-
ing. And, as with all things that we are so
deeply and personally invested in, music can
ARTICLE
_________________________________________________BY Amanda Larsen Wells
Worship Leader and Musical Accompanist
Jackson, TN
Page 12

13. Page 13
be a hot-button issue. For instance, though I
know that the church has historically used sev-
eral different hymn tunes in the performance of
Take My Life and Let it Be, the “correct” version
will (in my eyes) always be that one that my
mother sang while I twiddled with her pearls.
Music is simply that deeply ingrained in our
lives!
The church certainly recognizes these facts,
and I believe that it has done a great service
through the ages of offering us hymns, psalms,
and service music which have been and which
continue to be written in the “language of the
people.” By language
of the people, I mean
that the church has al-
ways attempted to
adapt its mode of mu-
sical expression to its
people in one way or
another. It has em-
braced instrumenta-
tion familiar to the
everyday man at vari-
ous points in its histo-
ry, voices and arrange-
ments that would be
familiar to a people’s
way of hearing, words
and lyrics which spoke
to the eternal truth of
God’s word but which
also addressed in a
timely way the actual lived experience of the
people in this world. Piano, organ, chanting, all
of these were musical “languages” that the
people embraced at one point or another in
the church’s history.
And I believe that, as time has progressed,
the language of the people has changed yet
again. If you turn on the radio, it is unlikely
that you will hear classical piano, organ, or
chanting. The everyday man is not as familiar
with these “languages” anymore. So it is time
for the church to once again adapt in order to
embrace the people’s new mode of musical ex-
pression. We do not want to throw out the
beautiful hymns, psalms, and chants that have
been handed down to us from antiquity, but
we do have to ask ourselves, “How can we
translate these beautiful hymns of old into the
new language of the people? How do we en-
sure that our modern church music is accessi-
ble to our congregants, so that the people in
the pews can actually participate in its signing,
even as we attempt to hold onto all that is
good and wonderful
from our past?”
There is nothing so
sad to me as a congre-
gation of believers
dully listening to the
choir or the worship
leaders perform musi-
cal selections during
the Eucharistic service.
The people should be
singing! It is the duty
of the choir master or
the worship leader to
engage the people in
the worship of God
with their whole
hearts, souls, minds,
and strength. If you
find in your congrega-
tion that the people are not so engaged or that
they are not actively participating in the worship
of our Lord alongside the choir, you must stop
and assess the situation. Are they failing to par-
ticipate because the music is it too difficult for
them to sing? Or is the music just unfamiliar to
them?
Here are some rules of thumb that I have used
in leading congregational worship over the past
10 years, rules that I think can be useful for con-
gregations of all sizes and make-ups. My prayer
is that these simple principles would prove help-
ful to you if and when you should begin to assess
your own service music.
Know how to adapt your sound to the
ears of the people. People are very familiar
with certain modern modes of instrumenta-
tion—Piano/Keyboard, guitar, bass, and drums
(kit/hand drums etc). These are instruments
that they hear in their daily interaction with
music; this is the language that they hear
throughout the week in their musical space.

14. Using these instruments in Sunday worship
helps the people to connect with the theolo-
gy that we are proclaiming in song. People
are also very comfortable these days follow-
ing a mic’d choral leader. When we sing our
hearts out in the car to our favorite songs, it’s
usually accompanying a solo singer, not a
choir of singers. Having a clear and defined
leader who is mic’d and makes it easier for
the people to follow the melodies.
Recognize that people’s musical back-
grounds are very different than they once
were. People aren’t necessarily trained mu-
sically in school
these days. Those
of a certain age will
remember how we
were taught to sing
classically, how to
use our voices to
reach higher notes.
Sadly, in schools,
this is no longer a
priority and hasn't
been for quite
some time. Choir,
if available at all, is
an elective, and,
from what I have
noticed of late,
these elective
groups tend to sing
quite a bit of mod-
ern music—radio
music—not classics,
and not songs with
a wide range of
notes. Classical
studies are reserved for the few who can
qualify for special All State audition choirs or
who go on to higher level studies. Therefore,
it is fair to assume that your average congre-
gant—even your average choir member!—
will not have the skills to sing complicated
hymns, follow shape reading psalters, or hit
those high notes. What I have noticed is that
your average woman will be an alto, and will
be uncomfortable singing over a C on the
staff. Men’s voices tend to vary more from
person to person, but they also seem to be
limited in their individual ranges.
Keep it simple. I have also noticed that
people these days connect with very simple
melodies. The history of music reveals that
there is a regular swing between the complex
and the simple as regards melody lines and
musical composition. We are in an era that
embraces simple hymnody. Thus, a good rule
that I have used in my own hymn writing is
to stay within about 5 or 6 notes and not to
move around too much melodically. Again,
this comes from being familiar with the mod-
ern music that your congregants are listening
to on a day to day basis; for better or worse,
music on the radio is very simple, pretty re-
petitive, and very memorizable.
Apply basic musical theory. So how do
we move from difficult, “un-singable” church
music, still desiring
to preserve our
hymns and tradi-
tions, but speaking
them in the lan-
guage of the peo-
ple? In my experi-
ence it is not as dif-
ficult as one might
initially think. Here
are some sugges-
tions. First,, drop
the keys! We can
easily keep most
melodies of the
hymns we sing.
Most people are
familiar with the
tunes and have had
connections to this
hymn music
throughout their
whole lives. But
they’re confused as
to why they can’t
sing the songs with which they have such an
intimate connection. It’s very simple. The
music is too high for them to sing without
proper vocal training. The melody line is
what you want most people singing. If they
are not musically trained, they will not easily
find the harmony line, so you want the melo-
dy to be in a key that is comfortable for the
average vocalist. I have noticed that if you
drop the key about 2 or 3 full keys you will
land in a comfortable zone. When transpos-
ing (changing the keys), make sure your mu-
sic minister works with a male singer and a
female singer (preferably average singers
from your congregation, not the best singers
from the choir) to make sure that the new
keys are comfortable for both male and fe-
Page 14

15. Page 15
male ranges. Second, stay within the major
triad in your harmonies. Using dissonant
chords can be really powerful in anthems, or
special music, but the average congregant in
the pews will not be able to follow such nota-
tions, and people will wonder if they’re sing-
ing the wrong note or if
someone is playing the wrong
chord. The focus should be
on worship, and ease of wor-
ship, not the intricacies of the
music itself.
Do-it-yourself or use
these helpful resources. Us-
ing the principles listed in the
paragraph above, you can re-
write the melodies of old
hymn tunes, add choruses to
songs, and write some of your
own service music for psalms.
But there are also some fan-
tastic resources out today for worship leaders
and choir masters. I love to use hymns from
Indelible Grace (igracemusic.com), a group
based out of Nashville, TN who writes new
hymn tunes for classic songs and anthems.
Keith and Kristyn Getty along with Stuart
Townend are some of the premier modern
hymn writers and have produced some songs
with fantastic lyrics (Behold the Lamb is one of
my favorite communion hymns). Chris Tomlin
has recently released a version of Crown Him
With Many Crowns in which he added a very
simple chorus and updated the music of the
hymn but maintained the basic melody and
message of the song. And bands such as Jars
of Clay have released whole albums of mod-
ern hymns, some updated classics and some
beautiful originals (see their album Redemp-
tion Songs).
Look for the best, but the best in all. One
of the blessings of our Hymnal and our Angli-
can tradition is that they have consistently
called the people to elevate their worship of
God, to recognize Him as holy and worthy of
our praise, and to prepare the very best offer-
ings we can bring to Him. Therefore, I advise
you to use excellent musicians and leaders,
challenging them to rehearse often and to
conduct themselves with an attitude of rever-
ence. What they bring to God and to your
services should be the very best of them-
selves! Using "modern" or "contemporary"
music is not an excuse for substandard musi-
cianship or lyrics. The theology we sing is just
as important as the theology we read and
hear from the pulpit. At the same time, be
inclusive. While there may be some in your
congregation that are especially gifted in mu-
sic, there may be some less gifted people who
want to participate as well. Recognize that
they have something to offer
God, too. Find a spot for eve-
ryone who desires to partici-
pate...even if that means that
some people sing further
away from the mic’s than oth-
ers! But know that every of-
fering is valuable, even those
that might not be technically
perfect. I have known far too
many people who have been
hurt by the exclusivity of
choirs, praise teams, or wor-
ship bands, and, while I have
always been on the other
side—in the band or leading the team—I have
seen the hurt that happens when someone
feels that he or she is not good enough to
participate.
In closing, whether your parish chooses to
use very traditional music with choirs and or-
gans or a blend of traditional and contempo-
rary that utilizes praise teams and guitars, our
focus should be on glorifying our Lord
through the participation of our parishioners.
Are people singing? Can your average at-
tendee participate, or are they confused?
Our focus is Christ, we want to worship Him
through all that we do, we want to raise our
voices loud in praise to God--Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit. We know that the Anglican
Church was born so that the people could
worship in their own language. Let’s make
sure that we’re still doing that!

16. Page 16
International Diocese
2013 Clergy and Spouse Retreat
Monday, October 7 - Thursday, October 10, 2013
Christ Our King ∙ New Braunfels, TX
Don’t Miss Out!
Convocation
Announcements
What is the Clergy and Spouse Retreat?
A biannual retreat held for all International Diocese Clergy and their Spouses. This year’s
retreat will feature a time of fellowhip., encouragement, and prayer, as well as teaching
sessions with Allan Wright and Fred Markert.
What is the Cost?
We are keeping the cost for this event as low as possible. Registration, all meals, and out-
ings to the Alamo and Riverwalk are all included in the $50 registration fee. Lodging is
provided at the Comfort Inn and Suites for $68 per night.
How do I register?
You may register online at www.planetreg.com/E5693010122898
Please contact Suzie Johnson (suzie@iDio.net) to make hotel reservations.
________________________________________Schedule______________________________________________
Monday October 7th
All Day - Shuttles from airport
6:00pm - Welcome Supper
Tuesday October 8th
8:00am - 8:30am: Coffee & Pastries Worship
Time
8:30am - 9:30am: Bible Study, Sharing &
Prayer
9:45am - 10:45am: Alan Wright
11:00am - 12 noon: Alan Wright
12 noon - 1:00pm: Lunch
1:00pm - 2:00pm: Marriage Ministry & Re-
sources
2:00pm - 2:30pm: Cold Drinks & Snacks
2:30pm - 3:45pm: Alan Wright
4:00pm - 5:30pm: Discussion
6:00pm: Dinner
Wednesday October 9th
8:00am - 8:30am: Coffee & Pastries Worship
Time
8:30am - 9:30am: Bible Study, Sharing &
Prayer
9:45am - 10:45am: Alan Wright
11:00am - 12 noon: Fred Markert
12 noon - 1:00pm: Lunch
1:00pm - 2:00pm: Fred Markert
2:00pm - 2:30pm: Cold Drinks & Snacks
2:30pm - 3:45pm: Prayer over Clergy &
Churches
4:15pm - 5:30pm: iDio Life
6:00pm: Alamo and "Fiesta iDio Dinner" on
the San Antonio Riverwalk!
Thursday October 10th
All Day - Shuttles from airport

17. Page 17
Anglican Diocese of the South
2013 Synod
Friday, November 1 – Saturday, November 2, 2013
Holy Cross Pro-Cathedral
3836 Oak Grove Road Southwest
Loganville, GA 30052
What is Synod?
Synod is a time for us to worship together, to fellowship, to learn together, and to discern together. While
important decisions are made in our plenary sessions, there are so many other great events going on as
well. During our plenary sessions, lay delegates who have been elected by member congregation have
seat, voice and vote. Resident clergy have seat, voice, and vote as well. Even if you aren’t participating in
the plenary sessions, Synod is a great opportunity for worship, fellowship, and learning. Join us!
________________________________________General Schedule_________________________________________
______________________________Seminars/Workshops – Saturday at 10am_________________________
Ordinations
On Saturday, after the official close of Synod, we will hold our annual Diocesan ordination service. Please
stay, if you are able, to celebrate God’s work in our diocese!
How do I register?
Online Registration will begin in early September at www.adots.org. Registration costs are very
low: $25.00 for Observers, $35.00 for Delegates. Registration includes a box lunch on Saturday. There
will also be a dinner with the bishop on Friday night, with pre-purchased tickets at $10.00. A list of local
hotels will be provided, and host families will be available upon request.
We hope to see you there!
Friday, November 1, 2013
1:30 - 2:00 Clergy Pre-Registration
2:00 - 3:00 Bishops Meeting with Clergy
in Worship Space
3:00 - 4:30 Clergy Convocation Meetings
with Deans
4:30 - 5:30 Registration for Synod
5:30 - 7:00 Synod Opening Worship
7:00 Dinner on the Grounds with
the Bishop ($10 for pre-
purchased tickets)
Saturday, November 2, 2013
8:30 - 9:00 Morning Prayer
9:00 - 9:50 Plenary Session 1
10:00 - 11:00 Seminars/Workshops
11:15 - 11:50 Plenary Session 2
11:50 - 12:00 Noonday Prayers
12:00 - 1:00 Lunch
1:15 - 2:00 Plenary Session 3
2:30 - 4:00 Ordination Service
Aaron R. Anglican Frontier Mission
“Catechesis Reawakened”
Tripp Prince, New Grace Church, Fleming Island, Florida
“Alpha as a Vehicle for Change and Evangelism”
John Richardson, Church Planter and Alpha Atlanta
Regional Leader
“The New Altar Guild Manual and Your Church”
Gail Kelly, Holy Cross Anglican Church
“How You and Your Congregation Can Support Life”
Georgette Forney, Anglicans for Life
“Grace and Giving: Anglicans and Social Justice”
Nancy Norton, Anglican Relief and Development Fund
“Planting Churches: Why? How? Where? When?”
Dan Alger, Church Planter; Staff Member, Anglican
1000
“Music in Worship: The Best of the Old and the Best of
the New”
David Clifton, Music Director, Apostles, Knoxville, TN
“Welcoming and Incorporating Youth and Young
Adults”
Don Shepson, Young Anglicans Project; Chair of Minis-
try & Leadership, Toccoa Falls College
“6 Ways to Reach God’s World”

18. Page 18
Ordinations happening within
the Convocation, God willing!
November 2, 2013 @ 2:30 pm
November 9, 2013 @ 10:00 am
Please let us know if you or someone at your
church will be ordained in the coming
months!
Jesus Loves Memphis
October 26, 2013 @ 8:00 am
2013 marks the third year for the Jesus Loves Memphis Project, “a
movement among evangelical churches in Memphis to lift up the name
of Jesus Christ through acts of kindness and projects of community
service.” On Saturday, October 26, participants from Faith Anglican will
gather at 8 am with volunteers from churches around the city to work
on projects that range from community improvements (lawn care,
painting, repairs) to food and clothing distribution. After the morning’s
work, the teams will stop for lunch and fellowship, followed by a time
of praise and prayer. For more information, visit the event website:
www.jesuslovesmemphis.org
For His Kingdom!

19. Important events in the lives
of Convocation Churches:
Grace Church ∙ Olive Branch, MS
Grace Church began to take shape in the heart of Chas Williams
in 2006, when he began to act on a calling from God to plant a
church in Desoto County, MS. The small group who shared his
vision started Bible Study groups and worship services in their
homes. Grace Church was officially launched on Palm Sunday,
2007 and began worshiping at the Olive Branch Karate School.
In 2008 we began to share worship space with the Olive Branch
Seventh Day Adventist Church and entered into a lease/
purchase agreement for that space.
On July 31, 2013 we secured the loan to purchase the
property. Praise God!!!
Help us rejoice with our brothers
and sisters in Christ!
Convocation-Wide
Confirmation
Location to be announced
Save the Date!
Page 19
Upcoming
Convocation Retreat
Dec. 5-6, 2013
Cost: $123 for single room
$78 for shared room
Save the Date!

20. Mid-South Anglican Convocation
102 Elm Court
Madison, MS 39110
Recipient's Address Here
Presorted
Standard
US
Postage
Here
For more news and information