.png)
“Remember, Reorient, Renew.” That’s the theme that the Jubilee Committee has chosen for the 50th-year celebration, and it offers opportunities not only for recollections of the past but also for recommitting ourselves to our Christian discipleship, re-invigorating our faith and moving forward with restored energy and vigor.
With the leadership of the Rt. Rev. Russell Kendrick, the committee has adopted a tentative calendar that will break the year into thirds, each emphasizing a word from the theme. The first part of the year, for example, will be dedicated to “remembering,” which will include everything from the history of the diocese and individual churches to re-acquainting ourselves with the various agencies of the diocese — Wilmer Hall, Beckwith and Murray House. With a soft launch in January, the Jubilee Year will formally kick off at the diocesan convention in February 2020.
As the year progresses, parishes will be asked to focus on creation care, liturgy and worship, racial justice and reconciliation, discipleship, evangelism and generosity, among other topics. The year will end with a celebratory weekend in December featuring the Most Rev. Michael Curry, the presiding bishop, who has offered to share his preaching and fellowship with us. The weekend will also offer a lecture by well-known death penalty lawyer Bryan Stevenson, founder of the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery.
During the Jubilee Year, each parish will be invited to employ its creative energies — and its unique talents and knowledge of its community — to plan programs to carry out the themes locally. And we are here to help! The Jubilee Committee is working hard to construct materials to assist with that process. You will hear more about those in the coming months.