Written by Bishop Poulson:
I am excited that our annual clergy retreat at Saint Crispin’s is right around the corner. Building on the positive feedback from last year, we will continue to emphasize this as a retreat rather than a conference, grounding our time in prayer with ample opportunity for reflection, rest, conversation, and time in God’s creation. The retreat will begin with check-in anytime from 3-5 pm on Tuesday, October 25 (Saint Crispin’s Day), and will end Thursday, October 27, after lunch. Attendance is an expectation for any clergy serving in our diocese as rectors, vicars, and deacons. For those who are bi-vocational priests and deacons, if you are not able to attend due to your work, please let me and Lesli know. Those who are retired are more than welcome to attend if you wish.
Our retreat leader will be Dr. Liza Anderson (biography is below). She is a remarkable lay leader and scholar, currently the teaching professor of Church History and Ascetical Theology at General Theological Seminary.
You will see that there is a modest fee for this year’s retreat ($70, which covers approximately 25% of the cost of the event, with the Diocese covering the rest). As Saint Crispin’s moves towards greater financial sustainability amidst inflationary pressures, events there are costing more. The expectation is that the congregation, rather than the clergy themselves, will cover this. If this is a particular hardship, please let me know.
I look forward to seeing you soon!
register here
Liza Anderson is a professor at General Theological Seminary who specializes in the ecumenical history of Christian spirituality, monasticism, and liturgy. She works especially on the ancient and medieval histories of Christianity in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, and also on the history of Anglican monasticism, the Anglican Communion, and the modern ecumenical movement.
Liza is currently the President of the North American Academy of Ecumenists, serves on the board of the Society for the Study of Christian Spirituality, and is the Associate Editor of the Anglican Theological Review. She has been involved nationally and internationally in both ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue, has taught at seminaries in Iraq and Ukraine, and has studied Islam and Muslim-Christian dialogue in Yemen, Egypt, and Morocco. She brings an international and multicultural perspective to her work, having lived and traveled in more than 100 countries, and having studied 18 foreign languages.
Liza has been a member of the Episcopal Church since her baptism as an undergraduate, and is active in Episcopal Church governance and church-wide leadership. She has served as a member of the ExecutiveCouncil, the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music, the General Board of Examining Chaplains, and the Liberian Covenant Committee. She is also in the final stages of completing an MBA in leadership and change with a focus on denominational polity and on the changing landscape of theological education.
Liza holds degrees from Swarthmore College, Trinity College Dublin, Harvard Divinity School, and Yale University, and has had faculty appointments at Episcopal Divinity School, Claremont School of Theology, and the College of Saint Scholastica. Her work has been supported by Fulbright, Mitchell, and Javits Scholarships, and by fellowships from the Louisville Institute, the Episcopal Church Foundation, the American Academy of Religion, the Collegeville Institute, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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