Episcopal Relief and Development Conference

I have been named the West Texas Diocesan Coordinator to Episcopal Relief and Development. I am going to the ERD Network Conference in Minneapolis on Thursday through Sunday of this week. I hope I will learn a lot about what my job entails, since few people I've spoken to even know what it is. When I was asked to do this, I was told I could do "as much or as little" as I felt like doing. Our interim priest commented that obviously the past coordinator did very little; neither have I so far!

Province VII is one of nine regional groupings in the Episcopal Church, USA. Look way down to the bottom and you will see the Diocese of West Texas, which has 91 congregations. There are over 27,000 members spread across 60 counties of South Central Texas; from Brady in the north to Brownsville in the south, and from Victoria in the east to Del Rio in the west. I attend one of those 91 churches--All Saints Episcopal Church in Corpus Christi, TX.

I am excited about going and don't know what to expect. I just hope I'll learn a great deal and also be inspired to act.

ERD provides emergency assistance in times of disaster; rebuilds devastated communities and offers long-term program development solutions to fight poverty.

ERD’s mandate is found in Matthew 25: 37-40.