The Rev Stephen Smith
Welcome to Columbus for the 142nd annual Diocesan Convention
We are thrilled to be hosting everyone and will do everything in our power to help make this an event where we not only conduct the business of the Church but also celebrate our sense of community, and stand in awe and worship of the God of all creation who has redeemed us in Christ and brought us together through the power of the Spirit.
The Episcopal Church of Columbus and Central Ohio offers examples of community, innovation, creativity and fresh expressions of ministry. We gather annually in a weekly Lenten School to pool our resources so we can offer classes on numerous topics. St. John’s in Franklinton and Trinity on Capitol Square provide Street Church Sunday ministries to the homeless. St. Matthew’s, Westerville explores innovative and new ways to provide community ministry, utilizing a downtown house and holding Sunday services in a restaurant/bar. We participate in ministries to campus, with youth and children, partnerships with Habitat for Humanity, and so much more. The clergy gather fairly regularly for study of the Sunday lessons and the occasional quiet retreat day. We have nurtured a sense of community and shared ministry among us, and we welcome the whole diocese into that fellowship.