20Archive/Archive/Sabbath%20Issue%20Pentecos

Invitation tosabbath

The gift of sabbathtime is always waiting.Slow down, slowdown—and claim it.

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Scripture andsabbath

A look at the biblicalorigins, purpose, andmeaning of time setapart.

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Honoring sabbath

There are countlessways to honorsabbath, butintentionality is thekey.

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www.edusc.orgVisit our diocese online

Pentecost 2008

inside

Keeping sabbathat Gravatt

A special section onthe many changestransforming ourown sacred space,The Bishop GravattCenter.

6 - 14

CrosswalkThe official publication of the Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina

COVER PHOTOGRAPH:Jason Coleman from his“Gravatt Series” (see page 19.) Sabbath timeSabbath time

37598_Crosswalk_OPT1 6/30/08 2:03 PM Page 1

Pentecost 2008 Crosswalk

CrosswalkOfficial Publication of the

Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina

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Bishop The Rt. Rev. Dorsey F. Henderson, Jr.

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[email protected]

Assistant for Communications and Youth Ministry

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The Ven. Frederick C. [email protected]

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2

Bishop’s desk FROM THE Around theDiocese

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Bishop’s desk St. Christopher’s,Spartanburg, marks newbeginning on PentecostBishop Henderson, Canon Bullocklead congregation in wake of rector’sresignation, church split

Pentecost Sunday at St. Christopher’s,Spartanburg, was a watershed event in the life

of the nearly 50-year-old congregation. The weekprior to the feast saw the resignation of the rector,the Rev. George N. Gray, and an unhappy series ofevents that his resignation set in motion, but onPentecost the people of St. Christopher’s joinedBishop Henderson and Episcopalians from allover the diocese to regroup, pray, celebrate, andaffirm their commitment to the future of thecongregation.

A new mission teamOn May 6 Bishop Henderson learned that Fr.

Gray had resigned his position, stating in a letterto parishioners that he could “no longer remaingrounded in TEC [The Episcopal Church].” Amajority of St. Christopher’s vestry also resigned.On May 7 the Diocesan Executive Council andStanding Committee met in emergency sessionand approved Bishop Henderson’s request that St.Christopher’s be returned to mission status andthat he be authorized to inhibit Fr. Gray forabandonment of the Communion of the Church.The Rev. Canon Michael A. Bullock, BishopHenderson’s canon to the ordinary, was namedpriest in charge at St. Christopher’s, and a newcongregational mission team was put in place.

—continued on page 17

“SABBATH. In origin, the closing day of a seven-day week. Thenoun is derived from the [Hebrew] verb . . . ‘to cease, to abstain,to desist from, to terminate, to be at an end.’ Only secondarilydoes this verb connote ‘to be inactive, to rest.’”—The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, vol. 4, p. 135

GRAVATT. “[A] sanctuary where lives can be changed andwhere God can be experienced; where diocesan congregations,individuals, and others will have opportunities for evangelism, Christianformation, retreat, and discovery; so that the Bishop Gravatt Center will be adiocesan home for all parishes and missions, a place of community and a source ofstrength, a place to share and grow in our corporate diocesan vision.”

—The Gravatt Center’s Vision Statement

Beloved, this issue of Crosswalk explores the biblical concept of sabbath,with a special look at the site officially known as The Bishop Gravatt Camp andConference Center. The connection between the two is substantially more thansuperficial.

One of the first things I learned upon becoming your bishop in 1995 wasthat Gravatt has a special place in the hearts of many—largely because it hasplayed a critical role in their spiritual lives, either as the site of a majorconversion experience or in later spiritual growth. Lives were changed therelong before the development of our present vision action plan (One Body, OneMission: Changing Lives). Literally thousands of people, adults and youngsters,have been touched and shaped by God there—generations of Christians who,as a result, are committed to its traditions and also to its continued growth andexpansion in the life of the Episcopal Church in Upper South Carolina.

Simultaneous with my growth in the ministry of a bishop was affirmationthat sabbath time was essential to my own spiritual health. For that reason, andalso as an opportunity to establish relationships with the young people who ledand attended our summer camps, I spent the first few summers at CampGravatt. Believe me, I have found no better site for experiencing God—a placeof reinvigorating rest and renewal where I can recognize and identify withinmy own life those habits and practices “to cease, to abstain, to desist from, toterminate, to be at an end.”

I commend Gravatt to you as a site for sabbath time—for rest, yes, but forpositive spiritual renewal and growth as well. It is ideal for any variety ofcongregational events—for retreats, for vestry and mission committee planningconferences, and the number one choice among our young people for summercamp. And I commend to you the newly developed vision at Gravatt—a centerfor equipping Christians for discipleship and honing our skills for ministry andChristian leadership as individuals, within congregations, our diocese, and the“one holy catholic and apostolic Church” of which we are a part.

Two particular developments have had a serious impact on life at Gravatt.The fire which destroyed Cullum Hall nearly five years ago has required plansfor new conference facilities, and therefore the need for financial support fromboth old and new friends of Gravatt. The construction of a new and nowseparate Chapel of the Transfiguration makes the obvious statement that theworship of God is at the center of all that happens at Gravatt; this happyproject also calls for our financial gifts.

So our challenges are obvious, but the legacy of spiritual enrichment uponwhich we build will insure the role of this holy sabbath place in the lives ofgenerations of disciples to come. I commit it to your prayers, your labor, andyour stewardship.

Faithfully yours in our Lord,

Upper South Carolina VII

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Crosswalk Pentecost 2008

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Invitation to sabbath

By Amy Sander Montanez

The day of silence was scheduled forthe third day of my spiritual

director’s training residency. The firsttwo days we kept a tight schedule oflectures, small groups, individualmeetings, and meals. We also made timefor early morning Eucharist, noondayprayer, compline, and at least one longwalk on the beach. So by the time thethird day rolled around, a new rhythm,one of worship, study, community, andleisure, had begun to be established.This day, however, we were to keepsilence, with the exception of worshipservices.

An unexpected thirstLate in the afternoon, while praying

in the beautiful chapel at Camp St.Christopher, I had the feeling thatsomething deep in me was being fed. Iwas getting a taste of something Irealized I felt a hunger for, a sip that waseasing an intense but unexpected thirst.Right here, without my asking, I wasexperiencing an invitation to truesabbath. All I needed to do was slowdown enough to accept the invitation.

So what did I experience? Almost tenyears later, I can look back on this life-

changing experience of sabbath andspeak of it as surrender. I remember adistinct physical sensation, as if I hadfallen into a bed of feathers that wasperfectly supportive and molded just forme.

I remember having extraordinaryand uncommon thoughts: “Theuniverse will keep spinning if I rest for awhile.” “There is absolutely nothing Ineed that will not be taken care of if Istop and rest.” “I am not indispensable.”“God is in heaven and all will be rightwith the world.” “I am labor’s master,not the other way around.” “Beyond theroles I play, I am just a self, made in theimage of God.”

Knowing and claimingPlease note that theologically and

intellectually I already believed thesethings. I just didn’t really know them tobe true, and I didn’t live like I knew ortrusted them. I lived like so many of uslive, seduced into the drivenness,materialism, and competitiveness of ourculture. So in those moments of grace inthat chapel, I actually experienced fullyand completely those thoughts, and fora few days after that, I boldly lived them.Now I was able to claim those truths ina different way.

Later that same day, while being

visited by the dolphins at the point ofSeabrook Island, I found myselflaughing out loud at their antics, andquickly writing a poem that had beenstuck in my brain for weeks on end. Itwas effortless and fun, and given. It wasa surprise and a grace, and it was ripewith creativity.

An ever-present giftThis gift of sabbath time is waiting

for all of us. It already exists, like all ofGod’s realities: love, forgiveness, grace,mercy, and eternity, to name a few. Wehave to slow down long enough to slideinto the river and float in those truths,and we have to cultivate the qualitiesthat create balance in our heavily skewedculture. In his classic book SabbathTime, Tilden Edwards notes that we

(individually and systemically, orcorporately) seem to be living at twoopposing poles. One is the pole ofdriven achievement and compulsivedrudgery. At this end of the spectrum,we work and work to have more andmore; we work to please our bosses, ourspouses, our children, our friends. Wework because success feeds our sense ofour selves, and we work because wedefine ourselves by the job. (Please note:you can substitute volunteer or parent forthe word work.)

Not new, but radicalAt the other end of the spectrum is

escapism and competitive leisureactivities. We “crash” from our busynessand our duties. We sleep, staremindlessly at the TV or computer, drinktoo much, or eat too much. We mightplay at something very competitively,and this something might be similar towork in the amount of worry, fear,money, and labor that it entails. Thatkind of play is not sabbath, either. Inorder to make room for sabbath time,we have to balance productivity withreceptivity, doing with being, makinghappen with letting go, competitionwith cooperation, masculine withfeminine. It is not new but it is radical,this idea of sabbath.

“As life is seen together by grace for what it is and as it is during sabbath moments, our identity touches its

bottom in God’s image. In such pure sabbath flashes we no longer see through the narrow slits of ego-desire and

fear. We are not ego-Christians then, who imperially protect and assert a little domain of concepts and structures

labeled ‘Christian’ over and against anything that looks different. The Truth of God for a moment shows its

universal quality; barriers between this and that fall to a low level in the light of God’s mysterious grace; we see

the enormous range of that grace in human life, cultures, and nature. For a moment we are not sectarian

Christians with a tribal God, but true witnesses of the universal Christ in whom all that is moves and is being

moved toward the fullness of God. Inner rejoicing and awe at this glimpse of the immensity of God’s ways rise

from the center of our being.”—Tilden Edwards, Sabbath Time (Nashville: Upper Room Books, 1992), page 94.

[The] gift of sabbathtime is waiting for all ofus. It already exists, likeall of God’s realities:love, forgiveness, grace,mercy, and eternity, toname a few.




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By Ted Duvall

Beginning with Genesis and continuing throughthe Old Testament and into the New Testament,

the Bible lays out the origin, meaning, and purposes ofthe sabbath.

“Cease” and “desist”Sabbath’s Hebrew root word means “to cease, to

desist” and refers to the biblical principle that one dayin seven is to be observed as a day holy to God. Thisobservance has several dimensions to it: its origin is increation, its example is God himself; it is meant forhumanity’s rest and renewal, and for our humble,obedient connection to God.

Because sabbath’s origin is in creation, thefoundational biblical text is Genesis 2:2–3. “And on

the seventh day God finished his work which he haddone, and he rested on the seventh day, from all hiswork which he had done. So God blessed the seventhday and hallowed it, because on it God rested from allhis work which he had done in creation.”

God’s will for creationThus, a biblical understanding of sabbath starts

with the realization that whatever the meaning andpurposes of it may be, they are not “man-made,” butcome from God’s will for creation, having in fact beenbuilt into the very fabric of how our world was madeand intended to function. The subsequent biblicalreferences to the sabbath overwhelmingly maintain itsconnection to God’s action in creation. One exampleis Exodus 31:12–17, in which the command to keepthe sabbath, along with explanations of its purpose, iscapped by verse 17: “…that in six days the Lord madeheaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested,and was refreshed.”


By Mary Moore Roberson

Mark 2:27–28: Then Jesus said to the Pharisees “Thesabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind

for the sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.”When Crosswalk editor Peggy Hill called to ask me to write areflection on a witness to the sabbath found in Holy Scripture,she said that if she had her druthers, I’d use these versesencapsulating the core intent, the spirit, of the seventh day, theculmination of God’s creating—about the sabbath having beenmade for us, not us for the sabbath.

Call to clarityAnd so, I had to think, here is Jesus (in Mark 2: 23–28) in

the midst of yet another controversy, being criticized for theactivity of his hungry followers, who, in a strict reading of theLaw, are reaping grain on the sabbath, and for doing so arejudged to be violating the rules of behavior for that holy day.Is he in his reply speaking as a scofflaw? Is he chucking thetradition in which he was raised, is he innovating, or is he, asI believe, calling his hearers, including us, back to thebeginning, to the mercy of God embedded within theexistence of sabbath, to renewed clarity about the purpose andmeaning of, and even an expanded practice of, living within

the last day of the week, the day of God’s resting, of ourresting from the work of creating?

In this time, in this culture, in which we are so defined bywhat we do, by what we achieve, by our output, by results,sabbath is countercultural because it’s about turning from allthat, and turning to a place of peace, of being, though it isfar from entering some kind of zone of suspended animation,of inactivity.

What if . . .?Let’s ask some “what if ” questions about that turning,

that returning to God’s gift to us, about living within Jesus’flat-out pronouncement that the sabbath is made for us,remembering though that that doesn’t give us license to befast and loose with it.

What if we think of sabbath as place, putting ourselvesinto an Eden-like state of mind because sabbath calls us to bein the nearness of God as were our first parents? What if weopen ourselves to the possibility that not only will the dayrelieve us from ordinary work and restore us through rest, butalso that it is on that day that we purposely enter divinespace, walking, talking, ambling along in the company ofGod.


Mark, chapter 2

One sabbath [Jesus] was going

through the grainfields; and as

they made their way his

disciples began to pluck heads

of grain.24 The Pharisees said

to him, “Look, why are they

doing what is not lawful on

the sabbath?”25 And he said to

them, “Have you never read

what David did when he and

his companions were hungry

and in need of food?26 He

entered the house of God,

when Abiathar was high

priest, and ate the bread of

the Presence, which it is not

lawful for any but the priests

to eat, and he gave some to

his companions.”27 Then he

said to them, “The sabbath

was made for humankind, and

not humankind for the

sabbath;28 so the Son of Man

is lord even of the sabbath.”

“WHAT IF . . .”

WHAT’S IN THE WORD

Jesussabbath

and the

God sets the example . . .

The sabbath in scriptureGenesis 2:2-3 teach[es] us the

necessity of keeping the sabbath

ourselves by giving us the strongest

possible example: God, who has set

the pattern we are to follow.


Out the road from Juneau, Alaska(the only road into or out of

town), is a spot where one may pullthe car over and take in the view. Atmile marker 33, the side of the roaddrops at an angle into Lynn Canal. I’min the Tongass National Forest, atemperate rain forest, and I’ve comewith my friend to watch whales. It’s anafternoon for holy leisure.

A life-renewing giftMy friend Maggie is a

fisherwoman. She heard about thelocation of the whales on her marineradio. We find a place to sit, and as Iwait in expectation one of the whalesswims up to my left, still far enoughaway that I need to use binoculars tosee it clearly. Up and down, itsblowhole sounding the sneezelikerelease of air, the whale seems to begetting closer when, suddenly, itsurfaces right below me—not 20 feetfrom where I am sitting on the rockoutcrop. The whale stays there forabout five minutes feeding along the

edge of the estuary before it movesfarther out into the cove. I follow thewhale with the binoculars, and I am soexcited I find it hard to believe thatanother one has surfaced not far away.

In all, five or six whales come to thesurface during the afternoon while wesit there experiencing what it means tohave sabbath time.

What brought me to Alaska was asummer of study through which Iwould renew my teaching license. Ihad a long list of books to read andcopious papers to write. In the midstof all that work, however, I also hadthe opportunity to experience some ofthe most amazing scenery and toobserve wildlife that I’ve only seen inbooks. The time was a life-renewinggift to me.

IntentionalitySabbath time, or shabbat, is that

time-honored practice in our Judeo-Christian culture that allows for therenewal of life—what I experienced inobserving the whales, eagles, and otherwildlife in Alaska. Unfortunately formost of us, sabbath is not as accessible

as it once was. That’s why we musthave intentionality in our practice ofsabbath. That intentionality is really assimple as keeping our focus whiletaking a walk.

Walking and sitting meditation areforms of prayerful awareness that havecome to western Christianity throughthe Buddhist tradition. These involve“mindfulness” and can be practiced inas little as twenty minutes. Choosingto walk the labyrinth as a form ofprayerful meditation also providessabbath time. Many retreat centers andchurches now have labyrinths on theirproperty, making them more accessibleto sabbath-time seekers.

Another way to be intentionalabout sabbath time is simply to go to afavorite place to be quiet. Perhaps thatplace is in your own home, a room setaside for quiet, meditative practice.Perhaps it’s a local park that providesthe space for rest and renewal.Whether that practice is strictlycontemplative, or whether it involveswriting, reading, or playing music, itcan create a space where shabbat isexperienced.

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1) MEPKIN ABBEY (Roman Catholic):

Moncks Corner, S.C., 843.761.8509, www.mepkinabbey.orge-mail: [email protected]

2) THE ORATORY CENTER FOR

SPIRITUALITY (Roman Catholic):

Rock Hill, S.C., 803.327.2097www.rockhilloratory.com

e-mail: [email protected]

4) THE SNAIL’S PACE (Christian):

Saluda, N.C., 828.749.385www.thesnailspace.come-mail: [email protected]

3) CONVENT OF ST. HELENA

(Episcopal):

Augusta, Ga., 706.798.5201www.osh.org e-mail: [email protected]

photo: © Sparky2000| Dreamstime.com

NOT business as usualHere are some retreat centers close to home, offering retreats of varying designs and lengths.

A small litany about silenceBy Felicia W. Smith

Holy Numinous, I come before youspeechless and silent to acknowledge your all-

ness within me. I thank you for the gift ofsilence that frees me to look within and find

you there. With believers and seekers throughtime and across distance, I reach for and find

and touch and am nourished by yourpresence to us through the silence.

Be still and know that I am God.

In the silence, we seek and find you. Wholemountain ranges rest in your silence. The

desert shimmering in midday heat isinfinitely still. Your silence pervades the

ocean calm; your silence engulfs and caressesthe vastness of ripening wheat fields.


In the silence of long-held holy places, yougently and firmly seize our hearts, whether it

be a sacred configuration of geology, or aholy well known for healing waters, whetherit be a sacred grove or the vast inner spaces of

cathedral sanctuary.


In the silence, we sleep for nearly a third ofour lives. Extend the times of silence into ourwaking hours as a daily habit to refresh and

sustain, heal, and restore.


In the silence, let us not be afraid; let us notseek to escape its gifts. Let us not dread thistime when we meet ourselves deeply, gently,

lovingly in the silence.


In the silence, the joy of your presence makesitself known, upwelling in my heart, singing

in my soul, sweeping me to unconsciousunion with you.


Holy Numinous, my heart overflows withwordless thanksgiving for the gift of silence. Ihave but to draw apart from the hectic pace

of life, and I can be at any time in thesilence. For the silence of eternity has always

been, and will always be, always waiting,always ready, for me. Amen.

Felicia W. Smith is a member of St. Simon & St.Jude, Irmo. The author of “A Collection of SmallLitanies,” she offers a one-day program entitled“Writing Litanies as a Spiritual Tool.” She alsoworks with anyone wishing to compose a litany for aspecial occasion or personal concern and writescommissioned litanies tailored to special occasions.Contact her at 803.798.6498.

Waiting for God’s surprises, or . . .

Some ways to

honor sabbath timeBy Janet Atkins


© Kolygok | Dreamstime.com


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Our own holy ground...Keeping sabbath at

It was at the Diocesan Convention in1947 that the Rt. Rev. John J. Gravatt,

second bishop of Upper South Carolina(1939-1953), announced that a gift of100 acres of land, including a 15-acrelake, between Batesburg and Aiken hadbeen given to the diocese. The donor wasMr. St. Julian Cullum, a member of St.Paul’s Church, Augusta, Georgia. Planswere made to raise $3,700.00 for itsdevelopment. Quotas were assigned tocongregations, payable over three years.The property was given the name CampGravatt in honor of the bishop.

Mite boxes firstIn fall 1947 the first use of the site

was made by the rector and youth groupfrom Good Shepherd, Columbia. Therector was the Rev. Lewis N. Taylor. Thefirst diocesan event on the property was achurch school rally for the presentationon of Lenten mite boxes. Bishop Gravattwas assisted by the Revs. Manny C. Reidand E. Hopkins Weston.

In spring 1949 the Rev. CharlesSeymour, then rector of St. Thaddeus’,Aiken, secured an old building at theAiken Army Air Base and had it movedto the camp for use as a kitchen, diningand recreation hall, and chapel. With thefunds received from the assignedcongregational quotas more buildingswere completed: boys’ and girls’ bathsand dormitory and staff cabins. Thus itbecame possible to have camp sessionsfor children and youth.

Happy campersThe first summer camp session was

the “Junior Conference,” which openedon June 13, 1949, under the direction ofthe Rev. Alfred P. Chambliss, rector ofOur Saviour, Rock Hill. Eleven girls andseven boys attended. Later that samesummer Camp Gravatt hosted both theGirls’ Friendly Society and the acolytesfrom St. John’s, Columbia.

Through the efforts of the Rev. B.Duvall Chambers, rector of St. John’s,Hopkins, a pavilion was built to serve aschapel, recreation hall, classroom space,and picnic shelter. By the year 1953 theoriginal kitchen and dining room facilitywas falling into ruin. It was replaced in1954 by a fully equipped dining hall andkitchen. The need for more sleepingspace was met with the addition ofcabins under the auspices of the men ofSt. Martin’s-in-the Fields, St. John’s, andTrinity Church (not yet the cathedral),all of Columbia. In 1954 DiocesanConvention authorized the securing ofloans for the construction of CullumHall, to serve as an assembly hall andchapel, in memory of Gertrude PerkinsCullum, the deceased wife of St. JulianCullum.

Gravatt takes offUpper South Carolina’s third bishop,

the Rt. Rev. C. Alfred Cole, was veryactive in development of the facilitiesand program during his episcopacy

(1953-1963). During the summers, withhis family, he resided in a camper trailerin the lakeside forest. The summerprogram during these early years focusedon the Bible, Church tradition, and theGravatt environment. Parish clergy andseminarians were recruited to participate

in the summer camping program byBishop Cole. The Rev. John G.Clarkson, Jr., provided leadership duringthose early years of construction andprogram development. He was vicar ofSt. Paul’s, Batesburg, and manager of thecamp. —continued on page 14

A history of our holy ground . . .

The Bishop Gravatt Center,1947-2008Compiled and edited by Clyde L. Ireland

Gravatt37598_Crosswalk_OPT1 6/30/08 2:03 PM Page 6

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By Peter Trenholm

In retrospect, the vision was there allalong; the surprise was not its

existence, but the discovery of it,clearly an incidence of grace.

Recent historyPart of the discovery occurred on a

summer day in 2006, when tworepresentatives of the Board ofTrustees of Bishop Gravatt Center metwith members of the Commission onthe Diocese for the purpose ofclarifying the respective responsibili-ties of and interrelationships betweenthe Gravatt Board and DiocesanExecutive Council (DEC). At issue,primarily, were questions of where theauthority laid to make long-term plansand commitments, and who wasultimately responsible for operationaland financial policies. The Gravattboard’s position was that since it heldno property or assets related toGravatt—including the insuranceproceeds received as a result of theChristmas 2003 Cullum Hall / chapelfire—it was limited in its abilities toplan for the restoration of the lostfacility, now critical to the center’sability to continue to provideconference facilities.

The Commission’s response wasmixed, with some members favoringmore diocesan oversight of Gravatt’soperations, particularly the rebuildingof Cullum Hall. Other members wereinclined to the abandonment ofGravatt altogether, the perceptionbeing that the value of the real estateplus the insurance settlement werefunds the diocese could use for more“relevant” internal investment.

Surprise!!The end result of this meeting was

a complete and astonishing surprise.The Commission on the Dioceserecommended to DEC that Gravatt bemade a separate but diocesan-affiliatedinstitution (similar to the Still HopesRetirement Community andHeathwood Hall Episcopal School),with its own independent board,separate bylaws, and possession of theBishop Gravatt Center’s land,facilities, and finances. In return,Gravatt would agree to the perpetualcontinuance of Gravatt as an Episcopalinstitution emphasizing Christianformation, with clergy representationon the Board of Trustees and thebishop an automatic trustee, eitherpersonally or by representation.Further, the property could not bemortgaged for operational purposes.While some of the legal processesnecessary for final arrival at “affiliatedindependence” are still in progress,Bishop Gravatt Center, Inc., is, for alloperating and policy considerations, astand-alone institution of theEpiscopal Diocese of Upper SouthCarolina.

New visionI emphasize this recent history of

Gravatt for one primary reason. Theindependence of Gravatt became thecatalyst by which the visionaryprocesses at work today in Aiken wereinspired—and became possible.Several trustees of the former Gravattboard were undeterred by the tensionbetween Gravtt’s board and DEC.Indeed, they had, without beingspecifically conscious of each other’sviews, begun to entertain some boldideas about Gravatt’s long-termpotential and to imagine a purpose forand value of the property that was amarked departure from its recenthistory and current state of decline.

Common passion &focus

Another surprise was the invitationof Bishop Henderson, at the end of2006, to three of these quietvisionaries to form a Transition Boardof Trustees for the “new” BishopGravatt Center, Inc. Included were Dr.Ron Gregory, Mr. Mitchell Tibshrany,and the author (who was elected chairby the other two when he made themistake of leaving the room to answerhis cell phone). This compatible trio ofvarying but uniquely complementaryinterests and talents discovered ashared passion for Gravatt and acommon focus on how its purposesand resources were applicable to the21st century.

For starters they disinterred a two-year-old long-range plan for Gravatt,which had been relegated to aforgotten bottom drawer. It included asecond conference facility, a newdining hall/kitchen, the conversion ofStewart Hall (the present dining hall)to office/welcoming space, and severalother significant investments inGravatt’s “landscape”—including alake-side chapel.

First stepsOn a Wednesday morning in

January 2007 the transition board metat Gravatt to take stock of thechallenge they had accepted. It was notthe best time to visit Gravatt: inaddition to the unpleasant weather,the campus looked unused and trulyinhospitable—the very antithesis of itsbrochure boasts. Unspoken questionsof “What are we doing here?” werepalpable. On that winter day, even theflags looked ragged, limp, and soiled,and so their replacement became thefirst order of business. (Sometimes,determination begins with the details.)


Gravatt redux

The vision unfoldsThe Gravatt board

speaks . . .

Crosswalk asked board members to talkabout the passion for Gravatt that calledthem to ministry there. Here’s what theysaid.

The Gravatt experience has beenthe transforming experience—that’s what many, many folks havetold me during the years I’ve beenblessed to be the bishop. Gravatt’srole as a place for people—peopleof all ages—to meet God for thefirst time, or to grow in arelationship with God, started inother times, other places. Thatrole continues in a place obviouslyblessed by God to be a site ofblessing for many.

—The Rt. Rev. Dorsey F. Henderson

Since 1949 Gravatt has been asignificant influence in changingand shaping the lives of children,youth, and adults. I am pleased tohave been a part of this ministryfor more than 20 years.As wemove into the 21st century I amexcited to experience newleadership and a new vision forministry.

—The Rev. Clyde L. Ireland

Gravatt uniquely offers a naturalsetting for Christian eduation,fellowship and renewal for all ages.It is heartwarming and gratifying tosee the difference Gravatt makes inthe lives of those who attend thevarious camp and conferencesessions. I am proud to a part ofthis diocese’s commitment tocontinuing and improving theGravatt experience.

—Mr. Benton Williamson

A sanctuary for the ministry ofChristian formation and hospitality

New flags over Gravatt(Photo: Jason Coleman; see page 19)


8


“From generation togeneration” at GravattBy Lauri S. Yeargin

I’m not quite sure how I ended up atCamp Gravatt as a child, except that

God must have had it in his plans. I livedin the “other” diocese, so it wasn’t naturalfor me to attend Camp Gravatt. But from

early on this was my home. My first yearas a camper I was eight. I went throughthe ranks as counselor in training, juniorcounselor, and then counselor. Godplanted seeds for my future during mysummers at Camp Gravatt. As a 13-year-old, I knew I wanted to grow up and bethe director one day so that I could live atGravatt. It seemed like a dream, so I guessyou could say that I really am living mydream.

Living colorBecause of my camp experience, I

attended junior and senior high retreatsand Happening at Gravatt too. Iremember leaving Happening andthinking it was like when Dorothywalked out of her house into Oz—suddenly everything was in Technicolor. Iwas living life in color for the first time.

When it was time to get married, Icouldn’t think of anywhere else I wouldwant to do it. For me, Camp Gravatt wasmy home church—even though it hadbeen several years since I had been here. Iwanted to share it with my husband, whois not a “Gravatt person”—or at least hewasn’t at the time.

Called backIn 2004, I felt God calling me back to

Gravatt. I volunteered for two summers,both times with old friends from camp.It’s funny that I had not seen them inyears, but it was like old times. Ournames were still written on the walls ofthe Byrd Houses, and it felt like we hadn’tmissed a day, despite the fact that thistime we came with our own children.

Now I see my children growing up

here in this place where God worksmysteries. At the end of summer 2006,when I served as assistant camp directorand stayed here for the summer with mychildren, we returned to Rock Hill. Myoldest daughter, Sarah, said, “I feel likeCamp Gravatt is my home now, and Iwant to go home.” I knew exactly howshe felt. Gravatt is a place where you feelat home. You feel like you belong.

The family of GodTwo years later, Gravatt became home

in the technical sense of the word. Howamazing is it that we get to actually livehere! As we walked through the woodsthe other day, Sarah said to me, “I finallyfeel like I really belong somewhere.”That’s what home is—a place you belong.It brings me great joy that now my familygets to live in a place that truly feels likehome. And it brings me joy that everyweek and especially every summer, I getto welcome a family of God’s children“home” to Gravatt.

Ms. Lauri S. Yeargin has been executive director of the Bishop Gravatt

Center since September 2007.The Yeargins at home: Lauri and Dan Yeargin with their children, Sarah (age 9), Gracie (6), Caid (3), and Jack (1), and their faithful dog, Symbia, March 2008

Learning &connecting—with God, self, andothersBy McKenzie Cannon

My life has been changed greatly byCamp Gravatt. Gravatt allows me

to open up and get away from my homestate of Georgia. At Gravatt I am free tointeract with other people my age andhave lots of fun. Gravatt has allowed tome to have more than just fun though. Ithas allowed me to learn more aboutmyself and Christ and other people.Gravatt gives me the chance to take timeoff from all the bad things happeningback home and focus on the thingsoffered there for me. Gravatt has

spiritually changed me. I understandthings more and I’m more in my seriousmode when we are talking about Christand the Bible. I open my mind up andtake the time to empty my soul of all theproblems that I have that distract mefrom God. Sometimes I cry because itfeels so good not having to worry aboutthese things that are on my mind.

Ties that bindI remember the names of all the

counselors I ever had that really made animpact on me. By the end of my stay atGravatt, I always hate to leave thembecause of the connection that weformed. Last summer my counselorbonded with all her campers so muchthat she cried when we were leaving that

morning. It made me feel good inside toknow I meant that much to her, and Ihope to touch people in that way whenI’m older. By seeing her that way, Ibecame a more loving person and a betterfriend who will take my time to helpothers in need and to just take a secondto see how they’re doing.

Counting the daysI can definitely say I have a lot of

friends from Gravatt. They each have aspecial place in my heart and I enjoyedthe times and memories I have sharedwith them. Gravatt has really opened newopportunities for me and I am lucky Ihave gotten to experience this. I considerGravatt my second home and I countdown the days to when I get there!

Ms. McKenzie Cannon comes to camp atGravatt from the Diocese of Georgia

My GravattIt’s all about coming “home”



9


My Emmaus road…By Frederick C. Byrd

Camp Gravatt has been a part of my life since ageeight. I’ll never forget that first homesick

experience. How one could be so miserable and sohappy at the same time I’ll never understand! After acouple of years as a camper, I began working on staff(kitchen, handyman, waterfront, counselor, anddirector for seven years), and, except for a shortseminary sabbatical, I’ve always been involved with thecamp.

In relationshipMy first thoughts of the priesthood began at Gravatt

as I experienced close associations with Bishop Coleand the priests and deacons and faithful laity of thediocesan family. These relationships had a profoundinfluence on me. I saw committed men and women ofGod at work and play. I saw the generous outpouringof unconditional love and concern in a specialcommunity, and it was impossible to be a part of thatcommunity without being “touched by God.”

Relationships! That’s what makes Gravatt so special.Facilities, programs, and activities are important tocamp experiences but the personal relationships haveformed the spirit of Gravatt. Someone asked me todescribe the unique thing about Gravatt, and I couldsay unequivocally that it is the relationship between thestaff and the campers. The welfare, the Christianformation, and the happiness of the campers are the toppriorities, and each staff member commitshimself/herself to those objectives. This means that thestaff inherit a nondescript job. After a multitude ofassigned responsibilities for the day, a staff member mayspend some of the day fishing with a homesick child, ordealing constructively with some conflict that hasemerged within a family group or building up a child

who has low self-esteem, or simply listening to the childwho desperately needs a friendly ear.

Thanking God for GravattThere is no wonder that I spent all my summers at

Gravatt. To see and feel the love and concern that areshared and to experience a child’s learning to feel goodabout herself is a joy that can barely be articulated, onlyfelt and passed on.

In the cool of the evening when the lights are out,the children are tired and quiet, the campfire is but apile of glowing embers, a blanket of stars is visible, thefaithful whippoorwills and frogs begin their serenade,and a cool breeze drifts across the lake, I would sitquietly at the campfire and thank the Almighty that wehave—for our diocesan family—a Gravatt where goodthings happen to children, where Christian formationis both taught and modeled—things that can stay withthem forever.

Holy groundThis year as I prepared a homily for the Third

Sunday of Easter, I was reminded yet again that manyof us travel our own roads to Emmaus, encounteringthe risen Christ in the prayers, in the breaking of thebread, and in relationships. My Emmaus was CampGravatt, where significant people—laity, deacons,priests, and bishops—touched my life. I experiencedthose relationships in our daily life together and as weprayed and as we broke bread together at HolyEucharist beside the lake. My journey towardpriesthood began at Gravatt, and I have always goneback to that holy ground to make major decisionsthroughout my ordained life, including the decision toaccept Bishop Beckham’s appointment as archdeacon in1979.

The Ven. Frederick C. Byrd, now retired, served asarchdeacon of the diocese from 1979 until 2005.

“The best place ever . . .God lives here.” By Christine Tibshrany Koutrakos

When I was nine years old I sat at the lastcamp fire of my first camp session at

Gravatt crying—not quite sure why, but crying.We were singing “Peter, Peter” and the wind wasblowing across the lake. The next day I told myparents that Camp Gravatt was “the best placeever.”

The years that followed that first camp sessionwere filled with Gravatt experiences. I enjoyedbeing a camper as long as I possibly could andthen immediately moved on to be a counselor intraining, junior counselor, and counselorspending my whole summers at Gravatt. Duringthose years I also attended and worked onHappening weekends and other youth events inthe diocese that were at the Bishop GravattCenter. Eventually, I served as a member of theBoard of Directors.

Extended familyMy extended Gravatt family has attended

weddings and memorials at Gravatt. As an adult,I have been to Gravatt for a variety of eventsincluding many parish picnics and retreats andeven a public school faculty retreat. As the yearsgo by the events change—Gravatt changes—butsomething always stays the same.

Recently, I sat at the campfire with my twoyoung sons and some close friends with theirchildren. I will never be nine years old again atthat campfire but the feeling remains the same asit was that night years ago.

God and communityYou see, the other thing I told my parents that

morning after my first session of camp was that“God lives at Camp Gravatt.” My father triedunsuccessfully to explain to a nine-year-old thatGod is other places also. I was convinced heresided in the woods of Aiken County. As anadult, I thankfully have taken to heart my father’swords and carry the knowledge and love of Godwith me daily. I thank Gravatt for clearly teachingme what it feels like to live in Christiancommunity with others and for the confidence toseek it out. I know now that woven through allthe events and days I spent at Gravatt for so manydifferent reasons was God—living there.

Ms. Christine Tibshrany Koutrakos, former camper,camp staffer, board member, happener, and current

Gravatt supporter and volunteer, is a member ofSt.John’s, Columbia.

—“My Gravatt” continues on page 12.

Counselor Byrd in Bible study with his campers


Who’s who at Gravatt

10


Meet the staff, share their dreamsLauri S. Yeargin,ExecutiveDirector

Job Description: I

supervise all aspects ofoperation of the BishopGravatt Center. My job

changes from day to day, minute to minute. I spend mytime supervising people, developing programs, greetingguests, ensuring our hospitality goals are met,budgeting, fundraising, managing our 260 acres,recruiting campers and staff, being visible in the dioceseand Aiken community, writing newsletters, developingthe Web site, managing construction, and on and on. Ihave learned more than I imagined in a short amount oftime, and I continue to learn more each day.

How long you’ve been in your position:Since September 2007; before that I was summer campdirector in 2007 and assistant camp director in 2006.

How you came to work at Gravatt: I grew

up as a camper at Gravatt, participated in youth eventsas a teenager, and was on summer camp staff in the late80s and early 90s. A few years ago I felt God calling meinto ministry and had an urge to return to Gravatt, firstas a volunteer and then on summer camp staff. I reallybelieve God laid out this plan for me to be at Gravattand I followed it.

Your favorite spot and/or time atGravatt: There are so many, it’s difficult to narrow

it down. I suppose one of my favorite times at Gravattwas when I got married in Gravatt’s outdoor Chapel of

the Holy Spirit. It was a perfect weekend. It’s magicalfor me to see my kids growing up here now. But on aday-to-day basis at camp—something I think morepeople can relate to—I have to say my favorite time iscampfire and shalom circle. It’s been the same for aslong as I can remember, and it feels like coming homewhen I stand in the circle of friends and look up into thegorgeous night sky. The vastness of God is truly evidentto me there.

Your dream for Gravatt’s future andyour work: I want Gravatt to be a place to which

people come back. Of course, I want newer, betterfacilities, more programs, and more guests. But I alsowant Gravatt to keep its charm and the feeling that itgives people—campers, youth and adults—that theybelong here.

Thomas K. Coleman, Program Director

Job Description: I manage the Gravatt Adventure

& Discovery Center Challenge Course and the GravattEnvironmental Education Program, serve as assistantdirector for summer camp, and assist with groundsmaintenance, forestry, and land management. At onepoint my job description included handling nuisanceanimals. That’s not written in my description any more,but I think it’s still included.

How long you’ve been in your position:I’ve been in my current position for a year but full-timesince 2004 as the challenge course manager.

How you came to work at Gravatt: I began

at Camp Gravatt as camper in the early 90s, thenbecame a junior counselor, counselor, and the summercamp ropes course director. After studying experiential

education at Appalachian State, I joined Gravatt fulltime.

Your favorite spot and/or time atGravatt: My two favorite places at Gravatt are on the

Sparkleberry Trail or in a tree on the high ropes course.The Sparkleberry Trail is so peaceful and there is alwayssomething new to see or experience. My favorite time atGravatt is anytime during summer when there arecampers here. Every day at Gravatt is different. Twomemories that stand out are wrestling two goats andbeing a part of the recent chapel groundbreakingceremony. Those two just kind of show how differenttwo days at work can be.

Your dream for Gravatt’s future andyour work: To continue to develop our programs

and for Gravatt to grow and improve our programs,facility, and our service, and to continue to createatmosphere where are our guests are “coming home” toGravatt.



11


Leah Lewis,

Office Manager

Job description: My responsibility at Gravatt is to

manage the overall business operation includingpurchasing, personnel record-keeping, payroll, customerservice, and communication with customers from allgroups, as well as campers. I manage all financial recordsand inform our executive director of our income andexpense status. Mine is the first voice you hear when youcall Gravatt.

How long you’ve been in your position:I have been employed at Gravatt since August 2007.

How you came to work at Gravatt: I am

originally from Texas, although I found my way toAiken via St. Croix, USVI, where my husband and Ilived for three years. Our very dear friend is from Aiken,and she asked us to come and remodel her home. Ianswered an ad in the paper for a position as officemanager for the Bishop Gravatt Center and being newto the area, remember asking Executive Director Lauri,“What is the Bishop Gravatt Center?”

Your favorite spot and/or time atGravatt: I have only been here for a short while but

in that time I have found two favorite spots at Gravatt.One is the view I have from my desk, through a largeplate-glass window that looks out to Lake Henry, twobird houses on nearby trees, and the forest. I havecounted 12 redbirds feeding under one tree, seen theleaves turn in the fall and burst forth in the spring, andreveled in the overall beauty of Gravatt. My secondfavorite place is standing under our champion AtlanticWhite Cedar tree, located on Sparkleberry Trail, lookingup and listening to the running water in the creek nextto it and being amazed at God’s work.

Your dream for Gravatt’s future andyour work: My dream for Gravatt and me is to grow

and continue to provide memories for all.

Diane Blocker, Hospitality Manager

Job Description: At Gravatt my main

responsibility is to uphold our mission of Christianhospitality. The first smiling face that you see atGravatt is mine. I ensure that your lodging issatisfactory and your meals are excellent. The mostimportant part of my job is to make certain that yourevent a Gravatt is successful and that you want tocome back and see us.

How long you’ve been in yourposition: I have been a member of the Gravatt

family since October 2007.

How you came to work at Gravatt: I

found out about Gravatt from a family member. I wasskeptical about calling for an interview, but once Icalled and came out for my interview I fell in LOVE!

Your favorite spot and/or time atGravatt: This job is a blessing for me because I

have met some wonderful people, and my strengthand faith in the Lord is rapidly growing through the

prayers of variousgroups that cometo Gravatt. AtGravatt I havefallen in love withevery group, butthe youth groupsare my favorite.Happening andthe Whole LifeRetreats havebeen the mostinspirational. Tomeet teenagerswho have placedGod first in theirlives is such ablessing.

Your dream for Gravatt’s future andyour work: My dream for Gravatt is for us to be

able to accommodate larger overnight groups. Gravatthas been a blessing to me and my family; we LOVE ithere. I feel like this is exactly what God had in his planfor me. I can’t imagine being anywhere else.

Roy Stewart, Director ofBuildings & Grounds

Job description: My responsibilities involve

maintenance and repairs and range from theconference center to camp side. I take care of thegrounds, provide security for groups on weekends,and conduct nature walks on Sparkleberry Trail. Ihave also been known for my fried chicken.

How long you’ve been in yourposition: I’ve worked at Gravatt since 1975.

How you came to work at Gravatt: I was born here in 1956 when my grandfather was thecaretaker. He did that for 44 years. I workedalongside him in 1975 as caretaker, until mygrandfather passed away in 1979.

Your favorite spot and/or time atGravatt: My favorite time is in the mornings,

when the dew is lifting off the pond. To me it looksso beautiful and is very peaceful. My favorite place isHattie’s Creek, because I like to look at the differentplants and wildlife. That’s been my spot since I was akid.

Your dream for Gravatt’s future andyour own work: I have seen many good

changes over the years. My dream for Gravatt is tokeep providing a good environment for kids andadults, providing a ministry for them.


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My Gravatt —continued from page 9

Adventure, discovery, changinglivesBy Thomas K. Coleman

The Gravatt Adventure & Discovery Center is theBishop Gravatt Center’s challenge course program.

The name says it all: adventure and discovery. Webster’sdefines adventure as an “an exciting or remarkableexperience” and discovery as “obtaining sight orknowledge of for the first time.” The Adventure &Discovery Center is unique in that it offers theseexperiences in the context of Christian formation,which is at the heart of Gravatt’s mission.

Just imagine . . . The challenge course program is about adventure,

the opportunity to try something new that will take youand your group to a place you’ve never been before. Justimagine wearing a harness, climbing to the top of atelephone pole, balancing as your group cheers you on,trusting that your rope and belayer—the trained staffmember at the other end of your rope—will keep yousafe, and finally making that jump off the pole to belowered safely to the ground.

While your experience will no doubt be anadventure, the purpose of the program is discovery—ofnew skills, strengths, and relationships, as well as “lifelessons” of the kind that change lives. The programconsists of a series of activities designed to allow

participants to undertake both personal and groupchallenges while learning about teambuilding,communication, leadership, trust, and much more.Debriefing following the experience helps participantsprocess, internalize, and own their discoveries.

You take the high road . . . The Gravatt Adventure & Discovery Center uses

two types of activities to reach these goals—the lowcourse and the high course. Most groups start on thelow-ropes course. Low-ropes activities take place on ornear the ground and are a combination of problem-solving activities, group initiatives, and debriefings. It isexperiential education at its finest—action with apurpose and then reflection. A favorite way to finish thelow-ropes experience is the team wall, which encouragesgroups to set a goal specifying the number of peoplewho will want to attempt the climb over the center’s ten-foot wall, with the assistance and support of their group.The wall offers groups a challenge that not only pushesthem to use the teambuilding skills they been practicingduring the day, but also makes them responsible forkeeping their group safe.

Not height but strengthThe high-ropes course moves participants from

working together as a team to encouraging one anotheras individuals. This course comprises a series of elementsthat has participants climbing in the trees for a differentkind of experience—personal challenge with groupsupport. Lynn Hill, one of the most decorated U.S.female rock climbers, once said: “Height has nothing todo with it; it is your strength that counts.” Although

Hill was referring to rockclimbing, this statementholds true for Gravatt’shigh-ropes course, but thestrength involved is notnecessarily physical. Thecourse is not about howhigh in our trees onemight be able to climb,but about the personaland group strengthdeveloped in trust,teamwork, and mutualsupport, and the impactthese have on helping toovercome challenges and fears.

Challenging “bread” for thejourney

Gravatt’s Adventure & Discovery course can be easily adapted to meet the needs of any community offaith. Like the challenge courses, our spiritual journeysare filled with adventure and discovery. Both requiretrust and faith, communication with God throughprayer, and working together in community. Groundedin these common themes, the Gravatt Adventure &Discovery Center shines new light on seasoned faithjourneys and nurtures others in learning about spiritualjourney and faith formation. Visit the GravattAdventure & Discovery Center to experience it foryourself.

Mr. Thomas K. Coleman manages the Adventure & Discovery Center challenge course and the

Environmental Education Program at Gravatt.

It’s Happening at Gravatt!!By Lisa Bailey and Zach Brown

Over the past eleven years, Camp Gravatt hasbecome my second home. From the first week I

spent at Gravatt as a camper in the summer of 1997 toless than a month later when I returned for a secondsession, I knew that Gravatt would be a place where Iwould return for years to come. Every piece of land onthe camp side holds a special memory for me—the lakewhere I first learned to canoe, the pavilion where Iparticipated in many talent shows, the old dining hallwhere I first had to clean up after myself while cruising,and, lastly, the tents where I learned how quickly astranger can become a best friend.

Change & growthIn tenth grade, I participated in the youth event

called Happening, which takes place on the conferenceside of Gravatt. That weekend in March was the firsttime I turned down the dirt road and did not drive allthe way to the tents and cabins of the girls’ side. (It wasso weird coming to Gravatt and not returning homewith a tie-dyed t-shirt!) That weekend I got toexperience something entirely different and I grew as aperson that weekend. It was extremely comforting toknow that even though I was maturing as a person andmoving on from the lower- and middle-school version of

myself, I could look across the lake and see where my lifeand faith in Christ began when I was a child singing“Shalom” arm in arm as a community.

Energy & empowermentMy favorite thing about Camp Gravatt, however, is

that it is a place I can go to escape and every time Ireturn home, I am re-energized to share not only mylove of Gravatt, but also the joy of my faith in Christ.Whenever life in Columbia gets crazy, I can picture thestillness of the lake and find comfort in the fact that evenif I can not feel God in my life in that moment, he ispresent and I can find him for now in my memories ofGravatt.

This fall as I go off to college, I know the experiencesI take with me are ones that I had at camp. The peopleI have met at Gravatt from my counselors in thesummer, to my friends from camp, to the people I havemet through Happening and other diocesan events, aremore than friends and role models. These people are myfamily. No matter what, Gravatt will always be there forme and it is my home where I am most empowered bythe Spirit of Jesus Christ.

Happener and former camper Ms. Lisa Baileyis a member of Trinity Cathedral, Columbia.

When I was 5 or 6 years old, I can remember goingto Camp Gravatt with my dad, the Rev. Rob

Brown. My favorite thing to do was run all over theplace! I can remember telling my dad that it would beabsolutely awesome to live at Gravatt because yourbackyard was HUGE!

Now that I am 17, some of my best weekends arespent at Gravatt. Some people think that weird becauseit’s a place where kids spend their summers, not theirweekends.

Figuring out faithIn fall 2006 Gravatt gave me something that I may

never be able to pay back. I attended Happening #56and that weekend has affected every moment of my lifesince. Happening is a faith-building weekend that isheld every fall and spring. Happening is hard to explain.A lot of people say there is some big secret involved.There are surprises—that’s true—but the weekend isbasically a bunch of crazy teenagers doing their best tofigure out what faith really is.

The truth of it is that Happening owes a lot of itssuccess to Gravatt. I can think of nowhere prettier in theBible Belt where I would rather learn about Jesus. Iwould like to thank Gravatt for all it has done for meover the years. It truly has been a force in my life that hasbrought me closer to Christ.

Mr. Zach Brown, soon to be rector of Happening #60 inFall 2008, is a member of St. Matthew’s, Spartanburg.

Photo: Jason Coleman;see page 19.


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Gravatt redux —continued from page 7

PrioritiesStill, it didn’t take long for the Transition Board to

establish its priorities:

�Review what Gravatt is and what it should and could be;and develop an overall, doable plan for the continuationand enhanced purposes and services of the facility.

�Get to know, assess, and pay attention to the staff.

�Start the search to fill the vacant position of executivedirector.

�Reorganize and simplify the facility’s financials; createa working budget for 2007.

�Prioritize the upgrading of existing facilities.

�Review the discarded master plan for ideas as to thecampus of the future.

�Resolve issues between the suddenly competingoperations and funding needs of summer camp vs.conference accommodations.

�Start identifying qualified candidates for additionalboard membership.

The chapel was not on the list (but it was in the back ofsome minds).

Still more surprisesWe met with the staff first as a group and then

individually in order to introduce ourselves and thenreassure them of our determination to preserve and

“reinvent” Gravatt. Out of that first encounter with staffcame two more surprises. First, these anxious but dedicatedyoung people were clearly our greatest asset; second, theirsuggestion of a project that subsequently made it to the topof our to-do list: the addition of restrooms to Stewart Hall.

Since construction workers were already on site, it wasdecided to proceed with the restoration, refurnishing andupdating (making it Internet-friendly, for example) of ColeLodge. It was a wiser decision than we could have imagined.During the four months of April–July 2008, conferenceregistrations have increased by a total of 47 percent and totalprojected revenues have nearly doubled. Surely theseincreases reflect, in large measure, Cole Lodge’s newambience and the genuine hospitality of the staff.

Renaissance While construction and refurbishment were progressing,

the board made some other critical internal choices anddecisions. After an extensive search, the trustees, in the latespring 2007, appointed one of Gravatt’s own to be executivedirector: Lauri Yeargin, former and continuing head of thesummer camp program. Yeargin, a long-term camper atGravatt, was also married there, and found her childhood-dream career at Gravatt. (See her story on page 8.) Herselection as executive director has turned out to be a trulyvisionary decision.

Meanwhile, the three-man board was also findingGravatt’s Renaissance, now requiring two monthly boardmeetings, an increasing burden; to help, we urged BishopHenderson and the Rev. Clyde Ireland (former and much-beloved camp and executive director) to lend a hand. To ourdelight—somewhat to our surprise—both accepted. Notlong afterward, Mr. Benton Williamson, a prominentColumbia attorney, also acceded to our persistent urgingsthat he join us. The resultant sharing of the board’s respon-sibilities was a major step toward the vision’s realization.More recently still, Ms. Ellen Luton, a senior officer at anAiken bank, attended her first Board of Trustees meeting—and, of course, has been given a committee assignment.

A priority of the SpiritIt was about the time these internal matters were being

addressed that the subject of a new chapel resurfaced—atfirst as a tentative “alternative” to other priorities,subsequently as a result of the board’s growing recognitionof the need for this kind of holy space, its relevance, and itssymbolic reaffirmation of Gravatt as holy ground. At somepoint the Holy Spirit took over. From board meeting toboard meeting, the appeal—the necessity—of a chapelgradually moved from the wish list to feasibilityconsideration to the “let’s do it!” agenda. The vision wascoming together.

A year and a half after being surprised by DEC, caughtoff-guard by the bishop’s appointments, and utterlyastonished by the enormity of our task (and a coincidentdetermination to succeed), we are a board numberingseven. We work well together, thanks to diversified talentsand even dispositions, as is evident in what has already beenaccomplished at Gravatt—and by our excitement for whatlies ahead. I think most trustees would agree that our initialchallenges became opportunities, which themselves becameindividual, but cohesive, callings.

—continued on next page

The Gravatt boardspeaks . . .

I first visited Gravatt 20+ years agowhile attending a Cursilloweekend—in August.That time apartwas a turning point for me, as it hasbeen for many others. I returned thenext year on Cursillo staff—inAugust, and have been back manytimes since. Gravatt offers thatperfect mix of quiet place, wonderfulstaff, and comfortable food, for atime of fun and renewal. Manyothers have yet to experience ourGravatt, and the new chapel is butone step toward our future ofproviding, as the mission statementsays,“a sanctuary for the ministry ofChristian formation and hospitality.”

—Dr. Ron Gregory

My experience with Gravatt hadbeen limited prior to my becoming aboard member. I had my first visit inJanuary of this year and wasimmediately delighted by theoverwhelming sense of peace andtranquility. Gravatt is a lovely setting in which to escape thestresses of the modern world andfocus on the gifts that God hasgranted us.Although I am notEpiscopalian, I recognize theimportance of the Bishop GravattCenter. I am happy to be a part ofanything that strives to develop andstrengthen people’s relationship withGod.

—Ms. Ellen Luton

Seeing the impact that Gravatt hashad on individuals since I was in highschool has made a lasting impressionon me.That, along with thededication of our staff, has left meno choice but to be involved in thetransitioning of Gravatt to thecampus it can be. I see Gravatt inthe future hosting many people,24/7, with new lodging, dining, andstate-of-the-art conferencefacilities—all in a Christian settingwith the new chapel as a focal point.It’s not, however, about bricks andstucco, but about changing lives.There has always been somethingspecial about Gravatt that makes adifference.This to me is the mostexciting thing about Gravatt.

—Mr. Mitchell Tibshrany

Photo: Jason Coleman; see page 19.


14


Gravatt, 1947-2008 —continued from page 6

In 1957 the Rev. Clyde L. Irelandintroduced decentralized, small-group,coed camping. Following theconstruction of four cottages in 1961,Gravatt’s ministry grew to include thehosting of year-round adult conferences.In 1962 the Rev. Winfield Smithexpanded the summer campingprogram with the use of tepees andcovered wagons as shelters for oldercampers and added as well an end-of-season travel camp to the SmokyMountains. In 1966 Mr. WallisGoodman began ministry as the firstfull-time resident camp director, livingwith his family on site. During thisperiod the purchase of additional landresulted in Gravatt’s development asboth a youth camp and an adultconference center.

Changing timesThe next few decades brought many changes to the diocesan camp and conference

Center, as the facilities grew and improved to meet the increasing needs of guests. Theaddition of the Bishop Cole Lodge in 1982, the renovation of Cullum Hall in 1988,and the construction of a new chapel, donated by Mr. Bailey Dixon of All Saints’,Clinton, enhanced Gravatt’s charm and functionality as a conference and retreatcenter.

Improvements to the youth camp over the years have included the adventure ropescourse, a river canoeing program, a lakeside chapel, bathhouses for boys and girls, and

additional cabins. The most recent construction is the Collett Dining Hall. Thedecade-long tenure of Mr. Mac Westmoreland as camp director, with his wife Janserving as his assistant, contributed significantly to the summer camping program.Other noteworthy influences on the camping program have been the Rev. HarryLawhon, rector of Grace Church, Camden, the Ven. Frederick C. Byrd, archdeaconof the diocese, and the Rt. Rev. William A. Beckham, sixth bishop of Upper SouthCarolina.

A new eraTragically, Cullum Hall, which included Gravatt’s beloved Chapel of the

Transfiguration, burned to the ground in 2003. In April 2008, the Rt. Rev. Dorsey F.Henderson, Jr., seventh bishop of Upper South Carolina, presided at groundbreakingceremonies for a new chapel. Plans are now under way to complete the chapel and tobuild and renovate other buildings to meet changing needs and enhance Gravatt’sconference center facilities.

In 2006, three years after the Cullum Hall fire, the Diocesan Executive Councilapproved the Bishop Gravatt Center’s request to become an independent nonprofitorganization focused on providing Christian ministry in the Episcopal tradition.During the following year, improvements were made to the conference center,including the addition of restrooms to Stewart Hall, which houses the kitchen anddining hall, and the refurbishment of Cole Lodge.

Gravatt’s current executive director is Ms. Lauri Yeargin, a former camper andcamp director. The Board of Directors are Mr. Peter Trenholm, chair; Dr. RonGregory, vice-chair; the Rev. Clyde L. Ireland, Ms. Ellen Luton, Mr. MitchellTibshrany, Mr. Benton Williams, and the Rt. Rev. Dorsey F. Henderson, Jr.

The Rev. Clyde L. Ireland, who retired as executive director of the Bishop Gravatt Center in1996, is a priest of the diocese. Sources used in the preparation of this article include

A Historical Account of the Protestant Episcopal Church in South Carolina, 1820-1957,by Bishop Albert Sidney Thomas; www.bishopgravatt.org, and “Gravatt: Hospitality, place, sacred

space,” by Duncan C. Ely in the Epiphany 2006 issue of Crosswalk.

Gravatt redux —continued from page 13

TransfigurationOn April 19 of this year, ground was consecrated and broken for the Chapel of the

Transfiguration at Gravatt. The building, which is under construction as you read this,will be consecrated at the end of October. In 2009 and 2010, we have scheduled theconstruction of a second conference center facility, with larger capacity than exists atCole Lodge. Targeted for 2010 and 2011 is a Nature Center, which will be part of thesummer camp and of a new Environmental Education Program. Planned for 2012and 2013 is a new dining hall/kitchen facility and the conversion of Stewart Hall to awelcoming center and site office.

Room for allVisions typically cost money. It is our hope that the Chapel of the Transfiguration

will be funded by a small number significant of individual gifts, of which two,amounting to $150,000, or one-third of the estimated total cost, are in hand. Alsopromised are numerous smaller gifts for the furnishing and equipping of the chapel,plus some imaginative gifts of labor and material in kind.

A fund-raising campaign to supplement the remainder of the insurance proceedsfrom the 2003 fire and to allow us to more-than-double our conference capacity is inan advanced planning stage and is designed to make diocesan-wide participation inthe vision as broad and as deep as possible.

Gravatt reduxGravatt redux is, so far, an unqualified success—starting with crisp new flags and,

at long last, straight flagpoles. We are blessed with competent leadership, a devotedstaff, and a spruced-up infrastructure but, most important, with a bold view of thefuture, part of which is under construction—the rest an irreversible commitment.Gravatt has become for me a “late” calling, a vocation and ministry that has a fierce

hold on my faith, even as I enjoy watching it come into fruition. Gravatt is no longer the dubious possibility of three skeptical men studying a

yellow master plan on a cold January day, not then thinking vision, but feasibility andsurvival. In a very short while, much of that vision has become a reality. Thanks be toGod.

Chair of the Gravatt Board Mr. Peter Trenholm is a member of Trinity, Abbeville.

Architect’s drawings for Gravatt’s new Chapel of theTransfiguration. Bishop Henderson broke ground forthe new structure in mid-April of this year. Look for

dedication and conse-cration in the fall!


Jesus and sabbath —continued from page 4

Unhurriedly, lazily, delighting in the company of oneanother, without distraction or hindrance orinterruption. Not having earned the closeness, not beingrewarded with time off for good behavior, not “If you dothis, I’ll do that,” but barrier-free, turned one to theOther, listening, paying attention, concentrating. Godand image of God hand in hand in holy time and space,the Holy One present to us on this day in which we aremost fully willing and able to live in the present, in thatpresence, slowly, slowly, the marking of this timemaking space for the apprehension of God’s grace andfavor—for life: for our life, for the lives of all livingcreatures, for green growing things, for the waters, forthe land and the lights.

Sacred timeWhat if sabbath led to us to recollect the sacredness

of all time; what if, through setting aside these 24 hours,we came to realize something that most any survivor ofa life-threatening illness or accident will tell you.Survivors will say this: “I used to think ‘Gosh, I wishtoday would hurry up and get over with. Will it neverend?’ But my whole attitude is different now. Everysingle day is precious.” No more hump day, no moreTGIF, which, of course, doesn’t mean that some days

aren’t “better” than others (“I’ve had a really good day.”),but that in and of itself, every day of the week is pure giftand there’s not a moment to trash. Waste maybe, butthrow away, no.

Connector and pathwayWhat if we really saw sabbath as a connector, a

pathway to the first day, to Sunday’s liturgy, our primarywork, praying fervently that collect for Morning Prayer,saying, “Grant that we, putting away all earthlyanxieties, may be duly prepared for the service of yoursanctuary, and that our rest here upon earth may be apreparation for the eternal rest promised to your peoplein heaven?” The sabbath then becomes a window to theeighth day, to the consummation of all time, as the claspbinding creation; it points toward humankind’s re-entryinto Eden, unspoiled, unsullied, beyond state of mind—to our place of full being, as we have been created to be,as we are being created to be.

Community and beyondBut what about the in-between time, between the

sabbaths now and the eighth day, the Eden, to come? Issabbath all about feeding me? Is it only for my personalenjoyment and enrichment, relief and refreshment or isthere a much larger purpose? The seventh day has alwaysbeen understood to be a communal occasion: first withGod, with family, and friends, with those who “belong.”

However, because our Lord’s pronouncement thatthe sabbath is made for humankind is not only attachedto the controversy of the grain-gathering disciples, butalso is flanked, in Mark 3:1-6, by yet anothercountercultural scene—the sabbath-day miracle ofhealing a stranger’s withered hand—I believe that theday is meant also to be a time of widening our horizons,of noticing the impediments and impairments andlimited life-conditions of others, including strangers,and of responding by calling out “Come here” and bygoing “there.” In its fullness the sabbath also becomes ahallowed day in which the impregnable barrier ofhardness of heart is shucked off, the siren call ofindividuality is abandoned, the neediness of all creationis recognized, and our call to the work of its repair isattended to.

The Rev. Mary Moore Roberson is rector’s associate at St. John’s, Columbia.

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[E]very day . . . is pure gift and

there’s not a moment to trash.

Waste maybe, but throw away, no.

Sabbath in scripture —continued from page 4

Therefore, insofar as God establishes sabbath as howthe world is made and is to be, we see God himselfsetting the example in keeping it. While the language ofGenesis 2:2–3 is anthropomorphic (although God is nota weary worker in need of rest like you or me), it meansto teach us the necessity of keeping the sabbath ourselvesby giving us the strongest possible example: God, whohas set the pattern we are to follow.

Set apartThis creation ordinance is then enshrined in the life

of the people of God as the fourth of the TenCommandments. Exodus 20:8-11 (italics added):“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days youshall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day isa sabbath to the Lord your God; in it you shall not do anywork, you, or your son, or your daughter, or yourmanservant, or your maidservant, or your cattle, or thesojourner who is within your gates; for in six days the

Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is inthem, and rested the seventh day; therefore the Lordblessed the sabbath day and hallowed it.” At least threeimportant notes are sounded in this comprehensivepassage (note the highlighted words).

Humble turning to GodFirst, both here in the Decalogue and in other

passages, it is made clear that the sabbath belongs to theLord and is primarily his day. All else aside, the primaryreason then for observing it is that it is a day that he hasblessed and set apart as holy. It is not a day on whichpeople are to do what pleases them, but rather to do thewill of God. The sabbath is a means by which we ceaseand desist from the distractions of life which obscure orbreak our connection to God. In keeping sabbath wemake our minds, bodies, and lives turn in humbleobedience to God.

Blessing, gift, and obligationSecond, sabbath is a gift of God to us for our rest and

renewal in body, mind, and spirit. Don’t work all thetime, says God! This is a gift to you specifically, and toyou my people generally: I am blessing you by callingyou to what you need—to stillness, and quiet, to rest,and rejuvenation. Enter into my rest.

But note, third, that this gift and blessing is notmeant for me or you only, but for all people. There isdefinitely an ethical dimension to the biblicalpresentation of sabbath. It is pleasing to the will of Godwhen we extend to others the blessings that he hasextended to us. The man/maidservant and the sojournerare to be accorded this rest, too. The people of God arealways to remember that, whether as slaves in Egypt or

as slaves to sin, we were not always granted righteousrest, but we are in holiness obligated to grant this gift toothers.

Keeping the sabbath holySo Genesis establishes the divine rest called sabbath,

and the other books of the Pentateuch establish itsobservance for God’s people. The prophetic books alsoreference and support this sabbatical legislation in anumber of passages. Hosea 2:11 is a good example ofhow the prophets often critically link the sabbath withother appointed feasts, not to condemn the sabbath assuch, but to condemn the misuse of it. “And I will putan end to all her mirth, her feasts, her new moons, hersabbaths, and all her appointed feasts.”

In the New Testament, we hear about sabbathprimarily in the context of the ongoing tension betweenJesus and the Pharisees. Like the prophets before him,Jesus does not contradict the Old Testament’sunderstanding of the place and purpose of the sabbath.Instead, he is critical of the burdensome humantraditions that had grown up over time around theobservance of it. An example of this is Mark 2:23–28,which depicts Jesus and his disciples picking grain to eaton the sabbath, and includes Jesus’ saying that “thesabbath was made for humankind, and not humankindfor the sabbath.” The Pharisees had made observance ofthe sabbath more rigorous than God intended. Finally,underlying Jesus’ critique of this hyperscrupulosityregarding sabbath observance is the fundamental claimthat it is not wrong to do good on the sabbath! John5:1–18 and Luke 13:10–17 are good examples of this.To heal is a work of mercy, and the Lord of the sabbathis merciful.

The Rev. Ted Duvall is senior associate at Christ Church, Greenville.© Hmproudlove | Dreamstime.com


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Invitation to sabbath —continued from page 3

A different modeSabbath is not

necessarily a special day,although setting aside aday for worship has beena part of Christiantradition. Sabbath is adifferent mode, adifferent way of being.Sabbath is about being inrelationship with Godand self, and it usuallyrequires that we areintentional about thattime.

Although many relyon church to provide sabbath time, even our churchesare culpable in the loss of this quality of time. Whilekeeping communal sabbath times can call us intoaccountability and give us support for setting aside a dayto be different, Sundays can be so full of programs andmeetings that there is no time for sabbath. A worshipservice that does not make room for quiet reflection, forbreathing, for a full use of all of the senses does notencourage sabbath. And if church is just another duty weaccept, another thing we have to do to please God andothers, another item on the list of things to be done onSunday, then surely it will be difficult to find realsurrender during that one hour.

Intention, firstSo how do we get to the different mode of being?

First, we have to be intentional and make time. We cantake mini-sabbaths, those daily times when we stop longenough to remember our divine image, to breathe in thegift we call life, to accept what is and be fully present.This can be as simple as taking a three-minute“breathing break,” when we purposefully breathe deeplyand attentively with eyes closed or entering into a longermeditation with holy reading and prayer. It could be adaily, meditative walk, intent on tuning in to God, orlingering over a cup of coffee for the purpose ofcultivating a grateful attitude. We do not need to escape;all we need is available here and now if it is seen throughthe lens of grace and gift.

We can take longer sabbaths as well. We can claim aday, or at least half a day, when we slow down and attendto God or just “waste time” with God. We can start

with a church service and continue by sitting on a porchlaughing with friends, singing in the garden, taking ahike with the intention of looking for the beauty ofGod’s creation, or fixing and eating a ritual meal.

Re-memberingWe can take extensive sabbaths—long weekends or a

week for deep restoration, for re-membering ourrelationship with God as an end in itself. It is oftenhelpful to go away for these sabbath times so as not to beseduced by all that calls out from the “to do” list. Andalthough few job paths actually offer one, thosefortunate enough can take a sabbatical, those month orlonger retreats designed to loosen stagnant imaginations,chip away at the roles that we play, and remind us of ourtrue identity in God and in God’s design for our lives.

No substituteMy experience in the chapel at Camp St. Christopher

tells me that there is really no substitute for experiencingsabbath, so rich are its possibilities and complexities. Arewe willing to trust that when we are achieving orproducing nothing, God is still God and we are stillokay? Good news awaits us when we enter true sabbathtime: God’s love for us is always present and absolutelyunconditional, totally independent of our works orproductivity. Thanks be to God. Alleluia.

© 2008 Amy Sander Montanez

Amy Sander Montanez, D. Min., is a member of Trinity Cathedral, Columbia.

Honoring sabbath —continued from page 5

NOT business as usualSabbath is so important to our overall health that

taking a retreat at least once a year, if not more often, isvital. My favorite time of year for retreat is the weekbefore Christmas when we are deep into Advent.Retreats can vary in length and design, so it’s best to aska trusted friend who has taken retreats regularly forsuggestions that best suit the needs at hand.

The most important thing to remember aboutsabbath is that it is NOT business as usual. We don’ttake a sabbath day to cook for our family or to do thelaundry, nor do we take one to write a long overduearticle or catch up on paperwork—if the intention issimply to do more, or a different kind of, work. Sabbath

time is time spent with God. Sabbath time includesworship as well as leisure. Attending the liturgy iscertainly an important way to find rest and renewal andto honor God. The Church provides for those needs onSundays and other days, but we can also pray one ormore of the Daily Offices, either alone or corporately,giving us time and space to experience little sabbathswith God.

One of my favorite ways to spend time with God isin my garden. When the irises and day lilies areblooming, I enjoy sitting on the porch or walkingaround gazing at them. Of course, I enjoy getting myhands dirty pulling weeds and planting new additions tothe beds as well. Taking a drive in the mountains orgoing on a hike are also ways to experience sabbathtime. Walking slowly, paying attention to what’sunderfoot, and stopping to look at each flower and treeadds to the benefits sabbath time. Just try naming thetrees in the woods! It is important to appreciate eachplant and animal with which we share the naturalenvironment.

“It’s good.”A regular practice of sabbath helps to keep us from

becoming the slaves to too much work. In today’ssociety, we all have far-too-busy schedules, but giving alittle space for personal restoration and acknowledgingthat God is present even in our busyness is tooimportant to ignore. Like God, we should be able tostop and rest and say, “It’s good.”

It seems to me that what most of us really want toexperience in life is a sense of contentment—the abilityto live in the present moment without fear or anxiety.During that summer in Juneau, in addition to my“whaling” adventures, I had several opportunities to goout on Maggie’s boat to fish for salmon. While we weretrolling on Auke Bay, the world slipped farther andfarther away. We were surprised occasionally by sea lionsand dolphins, but fishing was at the heart of thatsabbath time. We would bait the hooks, set thedownrigger, and send the line into the deep unknown,waiting to see what would happen. That’s what shabbatis—a time to “bait the hook” and then wait for God’ssurprises, fully expecting God to bless us in ways whichwill be more than we can ask or imagine.

Ms. Janet Atkins is a member of St. James, Greenville, and

director of the St. James Center for Spiritual Development.

Sabbath is a different mode, a

different way of being. Sabbath is

about being in relationship with

God and self, and it usually

requires that we are intentional

about that time.

© Ljchris | Dreamstime.com

© Alexvalent | Dreamstime.com

© hrotgers | stockxpert.com


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St. Christopher’s —continued from page 2

In a May 7 letter reporting the inhibition of Fr. Gray,Bishop Henderson explained that Fr. Gray, “effectiveimmediately,” is “suspended from active ministry in thisChurch.” According to the terms of the inhibition, if Fr.Gray reverses his decision to leave the Episcopal Churchwithin six months, the inhibition would be lifted.Failing that reversal, at the conclusion of the six-monthperiod, Bishop Henderson would either depose him orrelease him from his obligations and duties as a priest ofthe Church.

The next chapterIn response to the situation at St. Christopher’s,

Bishop Henderson reconfigured his visitation schedulein order to celebrate the Pentecost liturgies there. “Letus,” he told the congregation, “gather to pray for a joyfulrenewal of life within us all—a rebirth of the familywhich is St. Christopher’s—and, to be sure, with fondremembrance of and thankfulness for all who havecontributed to the life and witness at St. Christopher’s.”

Writing to the congregation as priest in charge laterin May, Canon Bullock invited members to jointogether “in a guided visioning process that will quicklyculminate in this community fashioning a renewedpurpose statement and identifying in the most concreteof terms new priorities for ministry, mission, andcommon life. Re-equipped with this refocused identityand purpose,” he said, “St. Christopher’s will not onlybe in a dynamic position to move ahead in fruitful waystoward renewed parish status; St. Christopher’s will alsobe in an exciting position to invite others to join in onthis new life.”

Upper SC wins 12 awards fromEpiscopal Communicators

For the fourthconsecutive year, Crosswalkhas been named among thethree best diocesanpublications by the nationalEpiscopal Communicators,who met in conference inApril in Seattle. “Awards ofExcellence” were given toPamela H. Steude for bestsingle feature photo for herphoto on the back of thePentecost 2007 issue; for thefront cover of the Lent 2007issue, based on a watercolorby Philip C. Linder+, as bestsingle illustration; and toBethany Human for the2007–2008 diocesan youthcalendar magnet shedesigned—best “Non-paperPromotional Item.”

Other winners: Marjorie Campbell, “The DailyOffice—Just Do It!” (Crosswalk, Pentecost 2007); JohnNieman+, “The Prayer Book’s Crown: Our ‘ProperLiturgies for Special Days’” (Pentecost 2007); JackHardaway+, “Grace for the World,” watercolor, backcover (Advent 2007); Susan Heath+, “Blueprint forHope,” book review (Lent 2007).

Amy Sander Montanez received two awards forpieces in her “In the moment” series for the e~DUSCelectronic newsletter: “Anything but the Kitchen Sink”and “Love with Wild Abandon.” The Pentecost 2007

issue of Crosswalk, on The Book of Common Prayer, wonan award for a series of articles on a single topic, andyouthspace.edusc, our diocesan youth electronicnewsletter was named among the best onlinepublications.


“Best Single Feature Photo”—Pamela H. Steude’s umbrellas onthe back cover of Crosswalk for Pentecost 2007

“Best Single Illustration”—The front cover for Crosswalk, Lent2007, a mosaic of photos that together display Philip C.

Linder’s painting “The Passion.”

“Best Non-paperPromotional Item”—

Magnet, pull-apart phrase-maker, and the 2007–2008

diocesan youth calendar!!

� Keep Gravatt in your prayers.

� Send your child to camp!

� Visit us! Use the conference center year-round for your church retreats, picnics, andparish weekends as well as for otherorganizations and businesses in which you areinvolved.

� Join the Friends of Gravatt Annual Fund. Please mail you donation to:The Bishop Gravatt Center, Inc, ATT: Friends of Gravatt, 1006 Camp

Gravatt Road, Aiken, SC 29805, or donate online atbishopgravatt.org/contributions.asp.

� Make a designated donation for the Chapel Fundor General Building Fund.

� Become a Gravatt Ambassador, serving as a liaisonconnecting Gravatt and your home church.

� Tell your school about the Gravatt EnvironmentalEducation Program, a field trip program for schools andyouth groups.

� Use this link for your onlineshopping, and part of your purchase pricewill be donated to Gravatt with noadditional expense out of your pocket:www.visitourmall.com/gravatt.

� Purchase Gravatt Series photographyby Jason Coleman: www.freewebs.com/

jasoncolemanphotography/. (To see more of Jason Coleman’sGravatt Series in this issue, go to the front cover,pages 7, 12, 13, and just above, to the right.)

� Purchase and wear Gravatt gear. We have t-shirts, hoodies, bumper stickers, koozies,blankets, and more!

Around the Diocese A sanctuary for the ministry of Christian Formation and hospitality

www.bishopgravatt .org803.648.1817

How to support Gravatt

Photo: Jason Coleman


18


Around the Diocese

86th DiocesanConvention tofocus onbusiness,celebration,leadershipOctober 17 -18—Y’allcome!

This year’s Diocesan Convention and LeadershipConference—“Equipped for Action: Changing Lives”—will take place at the Columbia MetropolitanConvention Center and adjacent Hilton Hotel onOctober 17 and 18.

Friday, October 17, will focus on the business ofthe diocese and wrap up in the evening with a grandcelebration, complete with the Bishop’s Awardsrecognizing Upper South Carolinians who have madeextraordinary contributions to the life and ministry ofour diocese.

On Saturday, October 18, all who want to deepentheir knowledge and skills for mission and ministry andto move their congregations to the next level ofdiscipleship are invited to come and be energized andempowered as we take on Bishop Henderson’s four goalsfor a seamless transition, which he outlined at last year’sconvention.

This will be a time to come together to worship,share stories of mission and ministry, and learn how eachone of our congregations can move forward. Weavingtogether the Story we all share and the stories of ourfaith communities will be special guest and masterstoryteller the Rt. Rev. Charles F. Duvall.

Three Columbia hotels—Hampton Inn(803.231.2868), Rodeway Inn (803.779.7790), andComfort Suites (803.744.4000)— have blocked rooms(Mention Diocesan Convention!), but you’d bettermove quickly: it’s football season and the rooms aregoing fast! Reservations may also be made at the HiltonHotel (803.758.6051), the Radisson (803.731.0300),or the Clarion (803.771.8711). Visit the diocesan Website, www.edusc.org, for full, up-to-date information.

Healthy Church Initiative wayforward for Upper SCBy Michael A. Bullock

It has been rightly said that transitions are the onlytime for real, systemic change. Taking this truth to heart,Bishop Henderson marks his own transition as ourdiocesan bishop by taking concrete steps to complete hisepiscopacy in a manner that will present the healthiestdiocesan Church possible to his successor. The bishop

has called on Upper South Carolinians to focus on fourgoals, three ministry priorities and a fourth “measuringstick,” as a faithful way to celebrate his leadership amongus and as a reliable pathway into a healthy future.

Christian formation, congregational development, andmission (a.k.a., strategies for assertive evangelism) are thethree priorities that the bishop has named for us, and themeasure of how we progress in these is our work towardachieving the Millennium Development Goals(MDGs), eight goals agreed to in 2000 by 189 heads ofstate and governments, including the United States, toaddress extreme global poverty in the developing world.At the heart of the priority for congregationaldevelopment stands our diocesan Healthy ChurchInitiative.

“HCI”Begun more than a year ago

through a generous gift to thebishop, the Healthy ChurchInitiative (HCI) brought churchconsultant Tony Watkins to thediocese. Since that time, Watkinshas continued to meet with ourcongregations and communities tohelp them analyze what it wouldtake to reach their most significantgoals as healthy, faithful Christiancongregations. In those cases wherecapital funds are called for to

realize these mission goals, he provides professionalfund-raising guidance as part of the bishop’s program.To date, more than 44 of the diocese’s 65 congregationshave availed themselves of Watkins’s expertise, and atleast two of our congregations are in the process ofbuilding to realize their mission dreams.

Plan, Covenants, ReviewsThe Healthy Church Initiative is not primarily about

raising funds, but rather about establishing a disciplinedprocess of strategic planning in each congregation, to theend that each local community in the diocese has areliable map that concretely and publicly defines theirmission and ministry. Through these strategic maps,each of our congregations can focus their vocationaldreams and energies in a manner that truly changes lives. In its essence, HCI seeks to establish fruitfulpartnerships among us for ministry and for mission. Assuch, the core of our movement toward congregationaldevelopment through HCI includes three definingparts:

�The Plan—engaging a congregation’s membershipin a visioning process, the purpose of which to is toanswer the key question: “What is the vocation ofyour church?”

�The Covenants—describing how and by whomthe Plan will be executed, defining the working

relationships among the congregation’s leadership sothat skills and experience may be offered in aproductive partnership that fulfills the community’spurpose and ministry.

�The Reviews—bringing together the Plan’sguiding strategic vision with the original Covenantto refocus, to regroup, and to renew.

Resurrection businessThe business of the Church is resurrection, expressed

in communion. HCI endeavors to put this business inthe best possible position to succeed and to make surethat our diocesan vision of—that we are One Body, withOne Mission: Changing Lives continues to be true.

This is the task to which the bishop has called everycongregation and community in the diocese. Maturelyformed Christians create healthy congregations, whichin turn reach out in faithful and dynamic mission.Amen!

The Rev. Michael A. Bullock is diocesan canon to the ordinary.

Youth deputies to Conventionelected

At the 85th Convention in 2007 Upper SouthCarolina joined a growing group of dioceses in theEpiscopal Church in giving seat, voice, and vote to aselected group of young people. Convention adopted achange to the diocesan canon entitled “Lay Members ofthe Convention,” adding that lay members would nowalso include two youth deputies from each convocation,elected to a one-year term. The youth deputies would beconfirmed members in good standing in their localcongregations.

The following were elected during a round of Aprilconvocation meetings: Ms. Liz Blake, Christ Church,Greenville (Reedy River Convocation); Mr. ZacharyBrown and Ms. Sydney Buckner, both from St.Matthew’s, Spartanburg (Piedmont); Ms. SamanthaColman, Grace Church, Anderson (Reedy River); Ms.Catheine Collins, St. John’s, Columbia (Midlands); Ms.Lindsey Gause, Church of Our Saviour, Rock Hill(Catawba); Mr. Clarke Saunders, St. Thaddeus’, Aiken,and Mr. Brad Thompson, St. Bartholomew’s, NorthAugusta (Gravatt); and Mr. Philip Zion, St. Simon andSt. Jude, Irmo (Midlands).

Delgates raise “YES” cards to vote to include two youthdeputies per convocation to convention’s lay delegation.

Tony Watkins,diocesan HCI

consultant


Around the Diocese

M O N E Y T A L K

19


Outreach and evangelism driveSt. Michael’s consignment salesBy Doug Martin

Twice a year for a number of years, St. Michael’s,Easley, has sponsored a children’s consignment sale. Thesale is an Episcopal Church Women’s activity but men inthe church participate as well. A percentage of the sales isdistributed to local Christian ministries and charities (51percent of the “profit”), and consignors generally donateunsold articles to local helping agencies.

The spring 2008 sale brought in more than $5,000.The primary community beneficiary was Mary’s House, ashelter for battered and abused women in Easley.Michael’s has been involved in the larger communityeffort of getting Mary’s House off the ground.

How toAny congregation can replicate this sale, which is a

great tool for outreach and evangelism. Here’s how itworks. Anyone can be a consignor and, at St. Michael’s,there are many repeat sellers. The sale is advertised byword of mouth, flyers distributed locally, and notices inthe local newspapers. Over the years a thorough taggingsystem has been developed to expedite the sale andfollow-up. The process also assures that the goods are in

excellent condition, clean, and appropriate to the season.The sellers benefit from recycling items no longer neededand the community benefits from an economical supplyof goods children need.

The entire process of setup, inspection, andacceptance of articles for sale, tracking, and the sale itselftakes a full week of effort beginning after services oneSunday and ending in cleanup the following Saturday.The sale takes place over three days, with an advanceopportunity to buy provided to consignors and theirguests. For the past two years Shannon Keyes has overseenthe entire process with assistance from many members ofthe congregation.

With many hundreds of participants passing throughover three days, it is a wonderful opportunity to reachpotential new members. This year vestry members joinedin by greeting buyers, handing out a flyer about St.Michael’s, answering questions, and inviting people toreturn for services.

Mr. Doug Martin is a member of St. Michael’s, Easley.

Ashley Cummings and Deborah Lanford of Mary’s House(second and third from left) pose with friends from St.

Michael’s: Shannon Keyes, sale coordinator; Anne Martin,ECW president, and the Rev. Jim Workman, rector.

On the coversFront coverOne of 28 photos byWeb designer andphotographer JasonColeman in his “GravattSeries.” To see all theGravatt Series photos,visit www.freewebs.com/jasoncolemanphotogra-phy/. The photographsare available forpurchase, with proceedsbenefiting the GravattAnnual Fund. Contactthe Bishop Gravatt Center, 803.648.1817.

Back cover“Solitude,” by Roger W. Hutchison

Solitude.Sanctuary.Silence. Sabbath.

In the quiet lightof our kitchen, Isqueeze the water. . . the sky . ..and the mountains onto my fingers.

The void is filled with blues and greens, silentwhites, and listening browns.

Is it the destination? Is it the journey?

It is both. We walk the path together—God andCreation. We seek a place of refuge and peace . . .a place of Holy rest. Sabbath.

I am almost there.

Mr. Roger W. Hutchison is canon for children’s ministries atTrinity Cathedral, Columbia. To see more of his work, visit

his blog, rogerhutchison.blogspot.com. Contact him [email protected], 803.771.7300.


Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina1115 Marion StreetColumbia, South Carolina 29201

Nonprofit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDPermit No. 848Columbia, SC

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Deans/Lay Wardens to meet with Bishop Henderson

Diocesan House closed (Independence Day)

Episcopal Youth Event, San Antonio,TX

Celebration of New Ministry, St.Andrew’s, Greenville

Bishop Henderson’s vistation to St. Barnabas’, JenkinsvillePiedmont Convocation meeting, St.Margaret’s,Boiling Springs

Lamebeth Conference through August 3

Midlands Convocation meeting, St. Luke’s, Newberry

Gravatt Convocation meeting,All Saints’, Beech Island

Bishop Henderson on vacation during August

Catawba Convocation meeting, St. Matthias’, Rock HillReedy River Convocation meeting, Redeemer, Greenville

Diocesan House closed (Labor Day)

DYLC meeting, St. Luke’s, Newberry

Bishop Henderson’s visitation to Holy Cross, SimpsonvillePiedmont Convocation meeting, St.Christopher’s, SpartanburgMidlands Convocation meeting, St.Mary’s,Columbia

Fall Clergy Retreat, Lake Logan,NC

Bishop Henderson’s visitation to St.Andrew’s, GreenvilleCatawba Convocation meeting, Christ Church, Lancaster

Junior High Fall Retreat, Gravatt

Gravatt Convocation meeting, Our Savior,Trenton

Continuing Education Day

Bishop Henderson’s visitation to St.Christopher’s,SpartanburgReedy River Convocation meeting, Redeemer, Greenville

Bishop Harris’s visitation to Resurrection, GreenwoodBishop Henderson’s visitation to Grace Church, Camden

86th Diocesan Convention,Columbia Metropolitian Convention Center

Bishop Harris’s visitation to Good Shepherd, Greer

Diocesan House closed

Cursillo #111, Gravatt

“24”, Senior High Youth Event, Gravatt

DEADLINE for next issue of Crosswalk:August 15.Send submissions to [email protected]

Send photos to [email protected] Send items for the calendar to [email protected]

The official publication of the Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina

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Pentecost 2008

CrosswalkI go among trees and sit stillAll my stirring becomes quietaround me like circles on water.My tasks lie in their placeswhere I left them, asleep like cattle.

Then what is afraid of me comesand lives a while in my sight.What it fears in me leaves me,and the fear of me leaves it.It sings, and I hear its song.

Then what I am afraid of comes.I live for a while in its sight.What I fear in it leaves it,and the fear of it leaves me.It sings, and I hear its song.

After days of labor,mute in my consternations,I hear my song at last,and I sing it. As we sing,the day turns, the trees move.

—Wendell Berry

Copyright © 1999 by Wendell Berry from A Timbered Choir: The

Sabbath Poems 1979–1999. Reprinted by permission of the publisher.

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“Solitude,” by Roger W. Hutchison. See “On the covers,” page 19.


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