Contributors to this blog are the General Convention deputation from Southwest Florida:
Lay Deputies:
Dr. Navita Cummings James, St. James House of Prayer, Tampa;
Mrs. Joan O. Kline, Church of the Ascension, Clearwater;
Ms. Karen O. Patterson, St. Mary’s, Dade City;
Mr. Roger D. Schwenke, Church of the Ascension, Clearwater;
Ms. Judith A. Stark, 1st alternate, St. Peter’s Cathedral, St. Petersburg
Clerical Deputies:
The Rev. Robert S. Hennagin, rector, St. Hilary’s, Fort Myers;
The Rev. John D. Hiers, rector, Church of the Ascension, Clearwater;
The Rev. Sharon L. Lewis, rector, Church of the Holy Spirit, Osprey;
The Very Rev. Michael G. Rowe, rector, St. Mary’s Church, Bonita Springs;
The Rev. Canon Georgene “Gigi” D. Conner, 1st alternate, canon evangelist, St. Peter’s Cathedral, St. Petersburg
The Diocese of Southwest Florida is a constituent member of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the Episcopal Church in the United States. Our 77 congregations total some 36,000 baptized persons who share an exciting pilgrimage of ministry and mission. On any given Sunday, about 17,000 people worship in Episcopal churches in Southwest Florida.
We extend along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, with our northernmost congregation in Brooksville and our most southern on Marco Island. We include the cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota and Fort Myers. Our easternmost congregations are in Plant City, Arcadia and LaBelle.
The diocese was formed in 1969 when the Diocese of South Florida was split into the dioceses of Central, Southeast and Southwest Florida.
As a diocesan community we seek to live out Jesus’ Great Commission that we should be in the world to make disciples of all people ministering God’s redemptive gifts of love and grace. “Make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded.” Matthew 28:19-20a.
