One of the more public departures is that of the rector, assistant, and vestry of Grace Episcopal Church in Orange Park. Increasingly, the clergy and vestry leadership of this congregation has distanced itself from the remainder of the diocese and from our denomination. Recently, after much prayer and negotiation with those leaders, we reached an agreement for the clergy and vestry leadership to depart immediately after Easter Sunday. While we always regret the departure of brothers and sisters for different flocks, we wish them well on their continuing walk with Christ. For those who have chosen to leave, please know you are always welcome to return to Grace to re-join our church family or periodically visit with old friends.

For those who are committed to maintaining an Episcopal presence on Kingsley Avenue in Orange Park, I am pleased that Grace Episcopal Church will return to its Episcopal roots. Beginning the first Sunday after Easter, April 23, there will once again be Episcopal services at Grace. The Rev. Barnum McCarty, retired rector of St. Mark's Episcopal Church and former Interim Dean of St. John's Cathedral, has graciously agreed to lead the beginning of the re-building effort at Grace. Please join me in thanking Fr. McCarty for his continued love and care for those in the diocese whom he has come to know during his almost 50 years as a priest in our midst.

To help re-establish the Grace congregation, existing and new members who are interested in the re-building effort are invited to come to an initial organizational meeting. I am currently working with regional leaders and will announce the date and venue for this meeting shortly. At that time, Fr. McCarty and I will meet with the new Grace congregation and make plans for Episcopal life and worship to recommence in two weeks on Kingsley Avenue at the historic Grace location. I am also pleased to confirm that Grace Episcopal Day School, one of the fine day schools in our diocese, will continue in its mission and ministry uninterrupted.

Please join me in keeping the departing clergy and lay leaders of Grace Church in your prayers, and help me celebrate new life together as Episcopalians in Orange Park.

Another congregation's clergy and vestry leadership have also decided to leave the Episcopal Church. Unfortunately, the leaders of Redeemer Episcopal Church have left the church, but are attempting to keep all the diocese's property. We have repeatedly attempted to negotiate a mutually acceptable date for their departure from our building, including allowing these leaders to remain a reasonable length of time until new accommodations could be found. Unfortunately, despite our offers of assistance, the Redeemer leaders have said they will remain until ordered to leave by a court of law. Therefore, on Monday, I directed the diocese's lawyers to file a simple ejectment lawsuit against these individuals, together with a request to the court to appoint an independent Special Master to take possession of and account for Redeemer property belonging to the diocese.

As Florida law clearly supports our church canons - in addition to the fact that the church deed is titled in the name of "The Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Florida, Inc." - I anticipate the court will quickly determine the diocese's rights. Even then, please know that I remain willing to work with Redeemer's clergy and lay leaders to help them find a new home for their on-going worship, albeit in a church of a different denomination. Please remember that all of our departing friends remain brothers and sisters in Christ.

Finally, as chief pastor of our diocese, I want to tell you of a new event in our common life together so that you may keep all concerned in your prayers.

Today, I learned that a lawsuit may have been filed against the diocese alleging misconduct by one of our deceased clergy. The incident allegedly occurred over 36 years ago in 1969. The priest named died four years ago at age 83. The purported church was closed about three decades ago. Unfortunately, the plaintiff's lawyer, seeking publicity, has decided to notify our local newspaper and television stations. Therefore, I wanted you to hear about this development from me directly rather than from some other source. Please keep this matter in your prayers, particularly the family of our deceased brother priest together with his accuser.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, we have much to celebrate in our common life together. Yet, these are also difficult times. Jesus never told us life would be easy... but he did tell us life in him would be worth it. I have staked my own life on this promise as I know each of you have, also.

Continued blessings this Lenten season.

+John

The Right Rev. Samuel Johnson Howard is the Episcopal Bishop of Florida