Our regional clergy gatherings are in full swing in person this fall. Each gathering will begin with the Daily Office led by the host clergy, followed by a check-in, a teaching, and end with lunch or supper conversations.

The discussion will be based on the book Do I Stay Christian?: A Guide for the Doubters, the Disappointed, and the Disillusioned by Brian McLaren and will focus on one of the chapters.

The pandemic and other factors have led us to understand more than ever that the Church as we know it will be changing to adapt to a new world. We just don’t yet fully know how. Our faith if a living tradition, meant to evolve with a changing world, yet to always stay grounded in the love of Jesus. McLaren’s new book faces head on the dire straits we as a Church, a nation and a world are in, as well as the facets of Christianity that have done and continue to do harm in the world.

“Parts of this book may be disturbing to some people,” said Bishop Sutton, “but it’s good to revisit our history, have questions and doubts, to exercise the gifts of critical thinking and imagination that God has endowed us with. McLaren’s book challenges us to do so. We are stronger in our faith when we can question it and where it’s going, whether it is making the impact on the world that Jesus would have us make.”

Brian McLaren will speak with actor, playwright and Episcopalian Lee Osorio at AwakeningSoul ’22 at Kanuga Camp and Conference Center November 3 – 6. They will address how we hold the tension of the opposites and the paradox of the difficult and conflicted times we are living in. AwakeningSoul has been adopted by Kanuga as one of its official conferences in memory and honor of Fran McKendree, AwakeningSoul’s co-founder. The retreat is wrapped in a sacred space of music, art and community.

Learn more about AwakeningSoul.

Attend if you can. Virtual option still available! A great fit for clergy who can’t be away and or those unable to travel as far as to North Carolina. Email Aimee Bostwick, Director of Community and Spiritual Life at Kanuga Camp and Conference Center at abostwick@kanuga.org to register.

Dr. Catherine Meeks, Executive Director of the Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing in Atlanta and core AwakeningSoul presenter, will join for a portion of the time to read from her new book,

The Night Is Long But Light Comes in the Morning: Meditations for Racial Healing, foreward by Presiding Bishop Michael Bruce Curry