"We Are All Inheritors" - By the Rev. Canon Cameron Nations

From the nave-rattling hymns sung by a packed church to the huddle of bishops gathered around Richard to lay their hands upon him, there were many moments that moved me during Bishop Richard’s consecration and ordination service on June 27th. Perhaps the moment that got me the most was when Bishop G physically handed over the crozier, ceremonially signifying the transfer of pastoral oversight from one bishop to another. 

It was a powerful emblem of tradition in the fullest sense— which is to say, that which is handed down. While we often use the word “traditional” colloquially to refer to something old, the Latin root of the word doesn’t necessarily imply age. Rather, it refers to something handed over. Something received. 

All of us are inheritors— inheritors of our faith, of our baptismal hope, of our various ministries in the life of the church. And all of us will leave an inheritance. This is the cycle of discipleship. We are all stewards who seek to use our gifts in service to God and to one another. The stewarding of one’s gifts is one way that we understand our vocation and call— whether that’s to ordained ministry or to serve as a member of the Altar Guild. We are all called to take up what we have been given, to steward it for a season, and to pass it along to someone new.

A few weeks ago, we celebrated those who have completed our most recent lay leadership cohorts in preaching, worship leading, and pastoral care. We gathered at All Saints in Homewood and acknowledged the work that each of our lay leaders has done in offering themselves and their gifts in service to the diocese. 

Work like this will continue even as I transition to a new call of my own as the next Dean of Trinity Cathedral in Columbia, SC. 

The Rev. Kelley Hudlow helped to build the role of Canon for Vocations here in Alabama, and she trained our first cohorts of lay preachers. I have done my best to faithfully steward the wonderful inheritance I was given from her, and I hope to leave things in good shape as the next Canon for Vocations is called to serve in the future. 

As we head into fall, the work of raising up leaders here in the Diocese of Alabama will continue uninterrupted. Once my time at Carpenter House comes to a close on July 31st, Anne Tippett will be handling all administration related to the ordination process. 

If you have been in discernment with your priest and parish and are near the end of your parish-level discernment process, now is the time to complete and submit your application and make an appointment to meet with Bishop Richard. The application and accompanying materials can all be found on our website under the “Leadership Development”—> “Vocation and Call” —> “Parish-Level Discernment” tabs. 

Nominee orientation is set for August 20th. This is where all folks entering diocesan-level discernment will meet the Commission on Ministry and learn the contours of our process. (Please note that you have to have completed your parish-level discernment prior to engaging in this step!) 

For those already in formation who are preparing for ordination, our Fall Meeting with the COM and Standing Committee will be on September 17th. I ask that you keep all of these folks in your prayers as they continue in their journey toward ordained ministry. 

Andas has been the custom during Bishop G’s tenure, we will celebrate ordinations at our Clergy Conference at Camp McDowell on Thursday, October 15th. 

All of these are markers that God continues to work in us as we seek to remain faithful stewards of what God has given— traditional in the best sense.