Bishop’s Journal

August 2026

2 | Travel to Vicksburg

Visitation, St. Mary’s Church, Vicksburg

Preached.

A wonderful Homecoming Sunday at St. Mary’s Church, Vicksburg! Beautiful worship! Many thanks to everyone who helped make today so special – and special thanks to Marie Cunningham for rushing over to St. Mary’s from Christ Church to serve as our organist today! So very grateful that the one-and-only Dr. Anita Parrott George and her daughter Lori were able to join us today, too (and so very grateful, too, for Lori’s beautiful musical offerings)! A delicious homecoming luncheon and fellowship followed!

Travel to Jackson

2 | Meeting with visiting clergypersons

3 | Bishop’s sabbath

4 | Staff meeting

4 | Meetings with staff members

4 | Bishop-to-Bishop call

4 | Smaller Churches Collaborative meeting

5 | Ribbon-cutting for Allin House mural

Many thanks to artist Andrea Kostyal for her vision and to Downtown Jackson Partners for the collaboration! This wonderful public art installation that tells part of the 200-year history of our diocese. Come on down to Allin House to see the mural!

5 | Meeting with clergyperson

5 | Meeting with seminarian

5 | Conference call with National Fund for Sacred Places

6 | Meeting with clergyperson

6 | Conversation with Chancellor

7 | Pastoral conversations

7 | Correspondence

9 | Visitation at St. Columb’s Church, Ridgeland

Preached 8:30 & 10:30, confirmed 5, reaffirmed 6, and received 1.

Beautiful worship at both services – and many thanks for the lovely music at 10:30! Welcome to the newly confirmed, received and reaffirming!! And thank you all for the tremendous hospitality!!

9 | Meeting with vestry

10 | Bishop’s sabbath

11 | Staff meeting

11 | Meetings with staff members

11 | Meeting with Dr. Blake Thompson, President of Mississippi Christian University and campus tour

12 | Meeting with clergyperson

12 | Meeting with CPAs

12 | Call with National Fund for Sacred Places

13 | Meeting with clergyperson

13 | Call with bishop

13 | Meeting with aspirant

13 | Follow-up call with National Fund for Sacred Places

14 | Meeting with Mission Committee

14 | Meeting with aspirant

14 | Zoom with Ministry Architects

14 | Habitat Drawdown at St. James’ Church, Jackson

The Drawdown to Build Up a new home for Habitat for Humanity brought together folks from St. James, Chapel of the Cross/Madison, St. Columb’s, St. Andrew’s and St. Philip’s. A well-attended and fun evening!!! We’ll all look forward to the new home build beginning—and giving a fresh start to a family in need of our support!! Thanks so much to St. James for hosting, for all of the churches’ participation and to everyone who joined us!!!

15 | Burial Service for the Rev. Jerome Burns, St. Mark’s Church, Jackson

16 | Meeting with vestry

16 | Meeting with clergyperson

17 | Meeting with wardens and clergyperson

18 | Burial Service for William Revies, St. Columb’s Church, Ridgeland

18 | Meeting with clergyperson

18 | Staff meeting

18 | Meetings with staff members

19 | Meeting with clergyperson

19 | Travel to Vicksburg

19 | Meeting with Dr. Tracy Cook, President, Alcorn State University

19 | Travel to Jackson

20 | Meetings re: accounting issues

21 | Chapel, St. Andrew’s Lower School

21 | Ribbon-Cutting, St. Andrew’s Lower School

Preached.

What a wonderful day! It was ribbon-cutting day at the new St. Andrew’s Episcopal School Lower School! What a humbling privilege to ask God’s blessing and dedicate this space to God – where students will continue to wonder, worship, love and learn a profound sense of belonging! So thankful to everyone who helped bring this amazing day to pass! And so thankful for the continued opportunity to shape and form lives within and beyond these walls!!

21 | Interfaith meeting

23 | Visitation, Church of the Advent, Sumner

Preached.

23 | Visitation, St. Thomas Church, Belzoni

Preached.

Started this day with a visitation to Episcopal Church of the Advent, Sumner, the church that clearly doesn’t know it’s small in numbers, as it’s mighty in spirit! Doyle Tubbs and the choir offered such beautiful music – and our wonderful worship was followed by a delicious BBQ lunch! We didn’t get everyone in the group pic, but we got a few lunch pix with more of us! From Sumner it was on to St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Belzoni! More beautiful worship, and a lovely reception and fellowship time following! A full and wonderful day!! #sothankful

24 | Meeting with vestry

25 | Staff meeting

25 | Meetings with staff members

25 | Zoom meeting with clergyperson

25 | Meeting with clergyperson

25 | Meeting re: accounting issues

26 | Meeting with COM Chair

26 | Meeting with aspirant

26 | Meeting with clergyperson

26 | Zoom meeting with seminary dean

27 | MS Chapter of National Museum of Women in the Arts

Invocation, Luncheon.

I was so deeply honored to offer the invocation at the Mississippi State Committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts Honored Artist Luncheon! Andrea Kostyal, who painted the amazing mural on the side of the Diocesan offices of The Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi, was one of the honorees. So many thanks to these three women – and all women – who contribute so much to our world through the visual arts, as well as the performing arts, and the written and spoken word.

27 | Standing Committee

27 | Meeting with Quiet Waters

27 | Conversation with clergyperson

28 | Bishop coach

28 | Pastoral conversation

28 | Becoming Beloved Community Steering Committee

28 | Commission on Ministry

28 | Consultation with counsel

29 | Travel to Coast

29 | Worship at St. John’s Church, Pascagoula

29 | Meeting with clergyperson

30 | Visitation, St. Mark’s Church, Gulfport

Preached, 5 confirmed, 1 reaffirmed, and 3 received.

This Sunday’s visitation was at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Gulfport, with the Rev. Stephen Kidd, the Rev. Clelie Mccandless, the Rev. Deacon Vicki Miller and all of the St. Mark’s parish family – as we commemorated the patronal feast of St. Mark. Welcome to the newly baptized, confirmed, received and reaffirming! (And many thanks to Shawn Leopard and the choir for allowing me to join in for the Offertory anthem…truly a gift for me!) A delicious lunch and gracious fellowship followed our worship! I’m truly grateful!

30 | Meeting with clergyperson

30 | Travel to Jackson

31 | Meeting with vestry