Region XV, Episcopal Diocese of Virginia

2017 Annual Report

Region XV hosted two significant events in the area this calendar year. The first was fully underwriting Mary Palmer’s free workshop for vestry and clergy in the spring on mission-driven inviting, welcoming and connecting with new congregants. The second was helping to underwrite, along with Christ Church and St. Paul’s Memorial, the travel and food expenses associated with Bishop Curry’s visit to Charlottesville on September 7th. In the aftermath of the hate-filled violence of August 11th and 12th in Charlottesville, Bishop Curry met with and attentively listened to the clergy of Region XV, lunched with and presented to these same clergy and the leadership of the Diocese and then preached late that afternoon to an overflow audience at St. Paul’s Memorial.

In addition to these service projects for the Church, Region XV this year recommitted itself to:

*to providing the funds in 2017 and 2018 to stabilize the precarious physical condition of the Schoolhouse Thriftshop, one of the Region’s leading annual contributors. These badly needed capital improvements are designed to enhance the health and safety of both employees and customers at the Thriftshop, located adjacent to Church of Our Saviour;

*to continue to provide the funds to help feed residents of Albemarle, Greene and Orange counties through the Alliance of Interfaith Ministries, the GRACE alliance and the Christian Emergency Council respectively;

*to again support battered women though Mitchell House at located at Trinity Church;

*to again offer deaconate scholarship support for a member of St. Paul's Memorial;

*to contribute to the successful Shrine Mont capital campaign.

With the uncommitted funds yet remaining in the 2017 budget the Executive Committee of Region XV will later in October discuss the possibility of establishing new or recommitted relationships with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Albemarle Housing Improvement Program, the Blue Ridge Food Bank and Loaves and Fishes to help improve housing and the quantity and quality of food for those with the least of means in our community.

Region XV is delighted to retain St. Thomas Church as a member and to welcome Church of the Incarnation (Mineral), St. James’ Episcopal Church (Louisa) and St. John’s Episcopal Church (Columbia) when Region XV becomes the Charlottesville region at the Annual Convention.