As we approach the bicentennial of our founding, From the Field has shared the story of the Diocese of Georgia in 42 articles. When possible, the articles relied on quotations from contemporary accounts or the person’s own words to assist in sharing history the way those who lived it told their story. Though more than 22-thousand words in length, this series is far from a complete history. Yet we have seen many of the people and events that have shaped our Diocese. Along the way, the abiding characteristics of our Diocese, resilience and adaptability, have been revealed together with the ways we have changed, in seeing the image of God in all people.
Our core beliefs remain the same. As Bishop Logue told the Diocesan Convention in November, “Since the first Anglicans arrived in 1733, so much has changed, yet our core purpose has remained the same: Sharing the Good News of Jesus. This Gospel is worth getting up for in the morning and is worth spending your days and giving your life to accomplish.”
The series ends with next week’s article on the ninth Bishop of Georgia, the Rt. Rev. Henry I. Louttit, Jr. The story of the Diocese from 2010 onward will be written in time. We end there as perspective assists in considering history. One notable example of how this is true is that the book History of the Episcopal Church in Georgia 1733-1957 did not even mention Deaconess Anna E.B. Alexander. Bishop Louttit’s Saints of Georgia booklet later elevated her story. The Episcopal Church has since added her to the calendar of Lesser Feasts and Fasts. Our history is richer for sharing her holiness of life and steadfast devotion.
Pictured: (top) The First Bishop of Georgia, the Rt. Rev. Stephen Elliott places a Book of Common Prayer in the cornerstone for the University of the South, and (bottom) Jenna Ramer’s painting of Deaconess Anna Alexander that is at Christ the King in Valdosta.
