Discernment and Planning for Community Ministries and Pastoral Care
With fall around the corner, I thought it may alleviate some anxiety to know what next steps are for our good work with community ministries and pastoral care. Above all, we want to give ourselves time to listen for the Spirit, to see how we need to focus the new Associate Rector position. I have asked key people in the parish from areas with worship, pastoral care, community ministries, younger families, and eucharistic ministers to help me discern what might be possible. Let us give thanks for Stuart Deaderick, Senior Warden; Jason Voyles; Donna Murray; Anita Smith; Cheryl Kelley; Daniel Thompson; and Marsha Kump for their keen eyes and caring hearts.
We will have an interim period beginning in November, and I am so grateful that the Rev. David and the Rev. Dr. Betsy Powell can rotate through and share in our Sunday services, as well as other needed worship and prayer spaces that arise. David and Betsy have long roots in Gainesville and at Grace, and I know their presence will be a wonderful source of grounding and prayer for us all. Even though David and Betsy are retired, they have offered their presence to many surrounding parishes who have solo priests who need support, and they have been gracious to help at Grace for several years now as well.
Also, I want to share that Sr. Genevieve Lynn, a Benedictine nun in the Community of St. Luke, will work with me and the staff as a part-time Pastoral Assistant during this interim time. Many of you have had the chance to meet Sr. Genevieve, and she has already shared her wisdom with the community over the past year. I am personally excited that we will be able to experience the richness of having a religious, an Episcopal nun, among us to help support the many needs of our pastoral life. I am excited for you to learn more about the rich history of monastic life within the Anglican Tradition and Episcopal Church. You can read more about Sr. Genevieve on her bio below—and you should immediately notice her wisdom and pastoral sensitivity from her longstanding work as a school counselor in school systems.
The search group will begin our work in due time, and the pastoral and worship team will continue to nurture the heart of our community—giving enormous thanks for all those who share their gifts with the parish and the wider community. Thanks be to God for the strength of this community and the deep care that so many offer.
Many blessings to all,
Stuart
Sister Genevieve Lynn, OSB
Sr. Genevieve Lynn is a solemn professed member of the Companions of St. Luke (CSL), a Benedictine community formed under the Canons of The Episcopal Church and a society in communion with the See of Canterbury. She serves CSL as the Dean of Continuing Education and as a member of the CSL Council. Much of her day is spent in prayer and study of Scripture, which strengthens her desire to follow the CSL charism of preferring nothing to Christ.
Having been raised in a Protestant church, she learned the importance of having a church family and the joy of attending services weekly. In 2008 when she bought a new home in South Carolina, she began looking for a new church home and decided to check out the Episcopal Church. During the following years, she fell in love with the prayers offered during the Eucharist and the special prayers found in The Book of Common Prayer. She grew spiritually because of the contemplative nature of the church. It provided a safe place for her growing interest in spiritual development. She was received into the Episcopal Church in 2015, began her formation as a Benedictine nun in 2018 and made her solemn vow in 2024. She became a parishioner of Grace Episcopal Church in December, 2023.
Sr. Genevieve Lynn holds a Bachelor of Science in Middle Grades Education from Georgia College and State University and a Master’s of Education from The University of West Georgia, also in Middle Grades with added coursework in School Guidance and Counseling. For forty-one years, she served in several schools as a teacher or school counselor. In 2022, she became a Certified Spiritual Director and set up a practice that gives directees a safe place to practice “the sacred art of listening.” Having recently retired from the school system, she now is a part time member of Grace’s staff.
For more information on The Companions of St. Luke, please go to https://csl-osb.org