Dear Friends in Christ,
I hope you and your loved ones are doing well and assured of God’s presence in your life.
On August 8th, I drove onto St. Bart’s campus feeling rested and ready to move forward! Three months of sabbatical was very busy. Busy in a good way! My last message to you in April shared the plan for each month. Living it out completely took my mind away from parish ministry, the point of a sabbatical. And I resisted the temptation to drive by the church. The closest I came was Pike’s Nursery.
This past week, I learned of all that transpired in my absence. Much gratitude is extended to John Carter, senior warden, Stephen Frketic, director of music and organist, and the Rev. Alex Sherrill, as each helped keep things going. Others also joined in this effort, as it takes more than a few, so I am grateful to each of you.
On Sunday, September 22nd at 9:30 AM during Adult Formation, I will provide an overview of each sabbatical month: May – a journey to Alaska with my father met with flight delays. June – a Jewish Heritage Tour to Bulgaria, North Macedonia, and Greece. Then, in July – family genealogy. I drove over 4,400 miles, which has eliminated a desire I once had to be a truck driver!
As I reenter life at St. Bart’s, I continue to process the sabbatical with the mindset of Sankofa, looking back and bringing forward all that was good and instructive. It was glorious. I feel extremely blessed to have received a Lilly grant to make it possible.
What follows is one thought-provoking experience that happened toward the end of July. Three days were spent on a semi-silent retreat at the Benedictine Sisters Sacred Heart Monastery, Cullman, Alabama. On the morning of the last day, I opened the back door of the guest house to place an umbrella back in a stand. My eyes drew to movement about ten feet away as something bright apple-green fluttered on the concrete. I rushed to get my phone to take a photo of what I immediately discerned to be a moth. It was huge. Its wings were four to five inches spread across. Unfortunately, the moth struggled, but I trusted God would care for it. When I got home, I put the image in Google search to identify the species – Luna moth! A few more details popped up that fascinated me. The Luna moth only lives 7 -10 days. It has no mouth or digestive system. It lives off energy accumulated in its previous life as a caterpillar. Its singular purpose is procreation. The species is not endangered but due to being nocturnal, it is seldom seen. Luna moth, another of God’s beautiful creatures, symbolizes transformation and new beginnings. Seeing it immediately brought delight to my spirit. The color and size of it was amazing. It was all so unexpected. We are all called to keep alert for God speaking to us in astonishing ways. The Luna moth is beautifully created by God for a purpose, as are you.
My name is Reverend Deacon Florence Cooper Mitchell. I was ordained in 2022 as deacon in the Dioceses of Atlanta. Prior to becoming a deacon I taught science in the following Georgia counties and city school districts: Dooly, Crisp, Dougherty and Atlanta Public Schools. During my tenure as an educator I taught: chemistry, biology, physical science, mathematics, forensic science and environmental sciences. I was born in Brooks County Georgia and reared on my maternal grandparents’ farm in Quitman, Georgia. Upon graduation from Brooks County High School, I enrolled in Fort Valley State College where I earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Chemistry. I continued my education by earning a Master of Science in Biology from Albany State University.
Karen Dickey was born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina and has called Atlanta home for the last 28 years. She received her bachelor’s degree in accounting from North Carolina A&T State University and her master’s degree in accounting from Keller Graduate School of Business. Karen has been involved in church accounting for the last 10 years. She considers church accounting “her ministry” where her skill, working with God’s people, and passion for social justice intersects. Her hope is to use her gifts to enhance St. Bartholomew’s community centered mission.
Maquita is a published storyteller with a deeply rooted dedication to truth-seeking and narrative change work in overlooked communities. Maquita has seven years of experience in marketing and content communications for the financial, higher education, and government sectors. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts in English with an emphasis in Journalism. She was the editor-in-chief of two teen magazines, the author of three books, and now ghostwrites and documents some of life’s precious moments through video, podcast, and an online journal.
My name is Rev. Shirley Porter. I am a Priest Associate at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church at the invite of the Rector, Rev. Dr. Angela Shepherd, and I look forward to meeting with you!
Hello, I’m Kristi Painter is St. Bartholomew’s Parish Administrator. Kristi has a Master of Divinity from Candler School of Theology and a degree in Industrial Engineering from The Georgia Institute of Technology. She recently moved back to Atlanta after spending several years in Philadelphia working as a United Methodist young adult missionary with a homeless services organization. Her calling is assisting congregations in living out their faith through both service and advocacy.
Hello, I’m 
The Rev. Alex Sherrill
The Rev. Canon Dr. Angela F. Shepherd 
Debbie Kerr 
The Rev. Peter Wallace 
The Rev. Dr. Stefanie Taylor
Audry Gagnon
Stephen Frketic 
Kenneth Hilson
Deacon Katharine Hilliard-Yntema
The Rev. Bill Deneke,
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