2023 GEMN Global Mission Conference
May 3-5, 2023
noon to noon
In person at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Tampa, Florida
and online via Zoom
"Mission: Journey into Healing"
The annual Global Mission Conference for the Episcopal Church, organized by the Global Episcopal Mission Network, will be held Wednesday-Friday, May 3-5, at St. Mark’s Church in Tampa, Florida.
Healing is central in God’s mission. “Your light will break forth like the dawn,” wrote the prophet Isaiah, “and your healing will quickly appear.” Jesus restored people to physical health and healed them spiritually as he interacted with their faith and hope. Christian hope expects God’s mission to culminate in “a new heaven and new earth,” the healing of the cosmos.
Healing is the process of becoming well, being restored to health. Spiritually, we are healed as we enter into a reconciled relationship with God in Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. People are healed both physically and emotionally from illness and injury. Economic empowerment helps heal the hurt of poverty and deprivation. Wounds inflicted by oppression, injustice and conflict are healed as ethnic and political groups forge justice and reconciliation.
The 2023 Global Mission Conference focuses on healing as we participate in God’s mission:
– Healing in medical mission and post-Covid mission revival
– Healing from the traumas of conflict and catastrophe
– Healing from the oppression and degradation of poverty
– Healing from legacies of racism and colonialism
– Healing of the missioner who ministers as a “wounded healer”
Gather with the Global Episcopal Mission Network to reflect on mission as a journey into healing – our own healing, the healing of others, God’s healing in the human family.
The Mission Formation Program, which offers mission activists a background in biblical mission, mission theology and history, cultural dynamics and networking skills, will be held in tandem with the conference, on May 2-3.
Plenary speakers will include:
• The Rev. Dr. Alberto Moreno, Latino Missioner for the Diocese of Oklahoma, on “Healing in God’s Mission: A Theological Perspective”
• Ms. Rebecca vander Meulen, Executive Director of the J. C. Flowers Foundation, on “Healing in Medical Mission and Public Health”
• The Rev. Canon Walter Brownridge, Canon for Cultural Transformation in the Diocese of Vermont, on “Healing amid the Legacies of Racism and Colonialism”
This is the first in-person Global Mission Conference since 2019. The 2020 conference was canceled because of the pandemic, and the 2021 on creation care and the 2022 conference on women in mission were held online only. Networking opportunities will abound Tampa, including for healthcare missioners, groups working in Haiti, and the newly appointed Diocesan Global Mission Advocates. Plenary talks will be accessible online.
Registration & Fees
In-person Attendance: $250
Official Diocesan Global Mission Advocates, In-person: $125
Online Attendance: $75
Archived Video Access (included for in-person and online registrants): $50
GEMN Mission Formation Program Fee: $85
GEMN Mission Formation Program Fee for official Diocesan Global Mission Advocates, In-person: $40
Yearly Individual GEMN Membership: $35
Conference Sponsorship, Pacesetter Level: $500
Conference sponsors at the Pacesetter Level will be recognized in conference materials. Your donation will help GEMN put on the best possible conference and enhance future GEMN projects and activities.
Conference Sponsorship, Benefactor Level: $1,000
Conference sponsors at the Benefactor Level receive recognition in the conference materials as a major conference sponsor. Your donation will help GEMN put on the best possible conference and enhance future GEMN projects and activities.
In order to register for the conference, each registrant must submit the conference fee in full and complete the Conference Networking Form below.
Payment may be made through the link below or by check. Make checks payable to: Global Episcopal Mission Network, P.O. Box 1434 Dublin, OH 43017-6434.
Please be advised: While donations to GEMN are tax-deductible, any conference fees are not tax-deductible. Beware that some confirmation emails may erroneously label conference payments as such — ignore such information!
Also note that each type of payment will necessitate a separate transaction. If you have any questions, or are in need of a receipt for conference payment transactions, please contact Nelson Pike, Conference Coordinator, at nelson@gemn.org.
Location and Accommodation
Flight destination is Tampa International Airport.
All conference sessions will be held at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 13312 Cain Road, Tampa, FL 33625. Their website is here.
Conference attendees are responsible for making their own room reservations. Two hotels reasonably near St. Mark’s have set aside blocks of 30 rooms each, at a reduced conference rate until March 30. A 15-person conference van will be available to shuttle conference attendees between hotels and St. Mark’s Church. After March 30, rates will increase to the normal rates.
Conference will open with lunch at noon on Wednesday and conclude at noon on Friday. Registrants are asked on the Networking Form linked above to confirm their participation in the opening Wednesday lunch at St. Mark’s.
Holiday Inn Express and Suites
- 9402 Corporate Lake Drive, Tampa, Florida 33634
- 813-885-3700
- 3.1 Miles from St. Mark’s Episcopal Church
- Rate information:
- Standard rooms: 1 King or 2 Queens: $149.00 per night plus 13.5% tax (Including Breakfast)
- Suites: 2 Queens: $169.00 Per night plus 13.5% tax (Including Breakfast)
- Dedicated reservation link for attendees here. To book, click on the orange button that says, “Book Now”, input dates desired, and group rates will populate
- Alternatively, call 813-885-3700 and use Group Code “GEM”
- Discount rate available until March 30, 2023
Courtyard by Marriot Hotel
- 12370 Citrus Park Lane, Tampa, Florida 33625
- 1.2 miles from St. Mark’s
- Rate information:
- Standard Rooms King or Queen $188/night + 13.5% tax (Including Breakfast)
- Call 813-920-2011 and mention the GEMN group rate.
- Discount rate available until April 9, 2023
Plenary Speakers
- The Rev. Dr. Alberto Moreno, Latino Missioner for the Diocese of Oklahoma
- The Rev. Canon Walter Brownridge, Canon to the Ordinary for Cultural Transformation, Diocese of Vermont
- Ms. Rebecca vander Meulen, Executive Director, J. C. Flowers Foundation
- The Rev.
- Dr.
- Panelists:
- The Rev.
- Ms.
- Mr.
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Plenary Speakers
Healing in God’s Mission: A Theological Perspective
The Rev. Dr. Alberto Moreno, Latino Missioner, Diocese of Oklahoma
Healing in Medical Mission & Public Health
Ms. Rebecca vander Meulen, Executive Director, J. C. Flowers Foundation
Rebecca J. vander Meulen serves as Executive Director for the J.C. Flowers Foundation, which works with a wide range of partners to solve critical health and social problems affecting hard to reach, or “last-mile,” communities. Vander Meulen manages the Isdell:Flowers Cross-Border Malaria Initiative, which supports malaria elimination programs in Angola, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Earlier she served as the Isdell:Flowers senior director for Africa. Vander Meulen has extensive experience in community health, and served as the community development director in the Anglican Diocese of Niassa (northern Mozambique) for 15 years, where she oversaw the formation of more than 400 social action groups that included more than 10,000 community volunteers.
In 2003, vander Meulen earned a Master of Public Health degree in International Public Health from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, which in 2009 awarded her with the Matthew Lee Girvin Young Alumni Award in recognition of her dedication to the field of public health and her contributions toward improving the lives and health of others. She is a graduate of Calvin College in Grand Rapids. The Bishop of London conferred on her the St. Mellitus Medal in recognition of her HIV and community development work in the Diocese of London’s partner Diocese of Niassa.
Healing amid the Legacies of Racism & Colonialism: “Between Memory and Hope: Finding Healing Amid the Tragedy of History”
The Rev. Canon Walter Brownridge, Canon to the Ordinary for Cultural Transformation, Diocese of Vermont
Walter Brownridge and his wife Tina served as missionaries of the Episcopal Church in Cape Town, South Africa from 2003 to 2006. Ministering out of St. George’s Cathedral, he became friends with Nobel Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu during the early years of Black majority rule in South Africa and the struggle to overcome the racism and colonialism of apartheid. In Vermont, Brownridge is responsible is responsible for inspiring, forming, and gathering the people of the diocese as they seek God’s vision for Beloved Community, particularly in the areas of racial reconciliation, creation care and stewardship. He organizes Civil Rights Pilgrimages to Atlanta, Montgomery and Selma. He serves on the Episcopal Church’s Standing Commission on World Mission. Walter is a co-editor and contributor to the August 2022 tribute volume of the Anglican Theological Review in honor of Archbishop Tutu. He was also a contributor to the award-winning anthology, Preaching Black Lives (Matter), published in 2020.
Brownridge previously served as priest associate at Christ Church, Grosse Pointe, Michigan. A graduate of General Theological Seminary in 2000 and ordained a priest in the Diocese of Ohio in 2001, he served congregations in Ohio, Delaware and New York City. For five years he was dean of St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was associate dean at the School of Theology at the University in the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. Prior to ordination, Brownridge practiced law for ten years as a federal prosecutor in the area of public policy and served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. He and Tina have two adult sons.
Conference Panelists
Panel: Healing from Poverty
The Rev. Carola von Wrangel, Food for the Poor
Healing in Medical Mission & Public Health
Ms. Rebecca vander Meulen, Executive Director, J. C. Flowers Foundation
Rebecca J. vander Meulen serves as Executive Director for the J.C. Flowers Foundation, which works with a wide range of partners to solve critical health and social problems affecting hard to reach, or “last-mile,” communities. Vander Meulen manages the Isdell:Flowers Cross-Border Malaria Initiative, which supports malaria elimination programs in Angola, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Earlier she served as the Isdell:Flowers senior director for Africa. Vander Meulen has extensive experience in community health, and served as the community development director in the Anglican Diocese of Niassa (northern Mozambique) for 15 years, where she oversaw the formation of more than 400 social action groups that included more than 10,000 community volunteers.
In 2003, vander Meulen earned a Master of Public Health degree in International Public Health from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, which in 2009 awarded her with the Matthew Lee Girvin Young Alumni Award in recognition of her dedication to the field of public health and her contributions toward improving the lives and health of others. She is a graduate of Calvin College in Grand Rapids. The Bishop of London conferred on her the St. Mellitus Medal in recognition of her HIV and community development work in the Diocese of London’s partner Diocese of Niassa.
Healing amid the Legacies of Racism & Colonialism: “Between Memory and Hope: Finding Healing Amid the Tragedy of History”
The Rev. Canon Walter Brownridge, Canon to the Ordinary for Cultural Transformation, Diocese of Vermont
Walter Brownridge and his wife Tina served as missionaries of the Episcopal Church in Cape Town, South Africa from 2003 to 2006. Ministering out of St. George’s Cathedral, he became friends with Nobel Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu during the early years of Black majority rule in South Africa and the struggle to overcome the racism and colonialism of apartheid. In Vermont, Brownridge is responsible is responsible for inspiring, forming, and gathering the people of the diocese as they seek God’s vision for Beloved Community, particularly in the areas of racial reconciliation, creation care and stewardship. He organizes Civil Rights Pilgrimages to Atlanta, Montgomery and Selma. He serves on the Episcopal Church’s Standing Commission on World Mission. Walter is a co-editor and contributor to the August 2022 tribute volume of the Anglican Theological Review in honor of Archbishop Tutu. He was also a contributor to the award-winning anthology, Preaching Black Lives (Matter), published in 2020.
Brownridge previously served as priest associate at Christ Church, Grosse Pointe, Michigan. A graduate of General Theological Seminary in 2000 and ordained a priest in the Diocese of Ohio in 2001, he served congregations in Ohio, Delaware and New York City. For five years he was dean of St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was associate dean at the School of Theology at the University in the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. Prior to ordination, Brownridge practiced law for ten years as a federal prosecutor in the area of public policy and served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. He and Tina have two adult sons.
Mission Spotlights
Short overviews of particular mission initiatives were screened from time to time during the conference to illustrate the diverse ways in which people are participating in the richness of God’s mission.
Haitian Mission of the Society of St. Margaret – presented by SSM sisters in Port au Prince, Haiti, and Duxbury, Massachusetts
Virginia Seminary’s Center for Anglican Communion Studies – presented by the Rev. Dr. Katherine Grieb, director
Global Mission Digital Toolkit & the Standing Commission on World Mission’s Guiding Principles – presented by Ms. Jenny Grant
Riches of the World Christian Encyclopedia, 3rd edition – presented by co-author Dr. Gina Zurlo
Stand With Iraqi Christians – presented by the Rev. Chris Rock
World Mission Board of the Diocese of Texas – presented by the Rev. Meredith Crigler, chair
Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing – presented by Dr. Catherine Meeks, director
GEMN’s Mission Formation Program – presented by the Rev. Holly Hartman, convener
Missional Aspects of the 2022 Lambeth Conference – presented by the Rev. Dr. Chuck Robertson, Canon to the Presiding Bishop for ministry outside the Episcopal Church
Guatemala Youth Initiative – presented by Mr. Greg Lowden and Ms. Sophie Swallow, Episcopal Church missionaries
Mission Testimonies
Conference registrants were invited to submit one-minute, pre-recorded Mission Testimonies about women in mission. Did you have an inspiring time working with women in some part of the world? Were you awestruck by a particular woman missionary? Are you intrigued by the work of a women’s group grappling with a particular challenge? The Mission Testimonies were dropped in at points during the conference.
Tribute to the late Rev. Elizabeth Frank – presented by the Rev. Dr. Grace Burton-Edwards
Tribute to Marilyn Kean Robertson – presented by the Rev. Abeoseh Flemister
Mission Journey in the Dominican Republic – presented by Mrs. Karen Carroll
Mission Journey in Madagascar – presented by the Rt. Rev. Todd and the Rev. Patsy McGregor
MISSION FORMATION PROGRAM
GEMN’s Pre-Conference Mission Formation Program is recommended for mission activists seeking a background in biblical mission, mission theology, mission history, cultural dynamics and practical organizing skills. Register for the one-day Formation Program alongside the conference registration. The program will begin at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, May 2, and conclude with lunch on Wednesday, May 3. Fee is $85.
Registrants of the Formation Program should be sure to affirm their choice on the Conference Networking Form when registering for the Conference.
More information about the Mission Formation Program is available here.
2023 Global Mission Conference Schedule
Conference details are subject to change. Stay tuned for more information as it develops.
Sponsored by the Global Episcopal Mission Network
3-5 May 2023 at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church
13312 Cain Rd, Tampa, Florida 33625
Pre-Conference Opportunity: Mission Formation Program
This one-day program is recommended for mission activists seeking a background in biblical mission, mission theology, mission history, cultural dynamics and practical organizing skills. Register for the Formation Program alongside the conference registration.
Tuesday, May 2
1:00 Mission Formation Program begins
5:30 Break
6:00 Dinner for Formation Program participants
7:30 Optional Formation Program session
Wednesday, May 3
7:00 Breakfast at Hotels
8:15 Mission Formation Program resumes
11:45 Formation Program adjourns
Conference Schedule
The conference start time has been set in order to require two instead of three hotel nights. Conference attendees should plan to travel early enough on Wednesday to arrive in Tampa in time for hotel check-in and for lunch at noon on Wednesday. If your location makes that difficult, we recommend that you arrive on Tuesday.
Tampa Airport is about 15 minutes by car from St. Mark’s Church and the nearby hotels. Please travel by taxi, Uber or Lyft.
Wednesday, May 3
12:00 Lunch at St. Mark’s Church (for attendees who registered for lunch)
1:00 Conference Welcome and Opening Worship
1:30 Networking Circle
2:30 Plenary: Healing in God’s Mission: A Theological Perspective
- The Rev. Dr. Alberto Moreno, Latino Missioner, Diocese of Oklahoma
3:30 Table Groups Discussion
4:00 Break & Hotels Check-in
4:45 Plenary: Healing in Medical Mission & Public Health
- Ms. Rebecca vander Meulen, Executive Director, J. C. Flowers Foundation
5:45 Panel of Respondents
6:10 Mission Spotlight Video
6:15 Break
6:30 Dinner
7:30 Social Time
Thursday, May 4
7:00 Breakfast at Hotels
8:30 Morning Worship
9:00 Plenary: Healing of Mission Relationships Post-Pandemic
- Panelists tbd
10:00 Table Groups Discussion
10:30 Break
10:45 Eucharist with Bishop Douglas Scharf of Southwest Florida
12:00 Lunch
1:00 Annual Meeting of Global Episcopal Mission Network
2:00 Plenary: Healing amid the Legacies of Racism & Colonialism
- The Rev. Canon Walter Brownridge, Canon to the Ordinary for Cultural Transformation, Diocese of Vermont
3:00 Table Groups Discussion
3:30 Break
4:00 Networking Time: Haiti, Advocates, Medical Missioners & Others
5:15 Mission Spotlight Video
5:20 Reports
5:50 Evening Devotion
6:00 Break
6:30 Dinner
7:30 Reception in Memory of the late Rev. Beth Frank
Friday, May 5
7:00 Breakfast at Hotels
8:30 Morning Worship
9:00 Panel: Healing amid Poverty & Deprivation
- Panelists tbd
10:00 Table Groups Discussion
10:30 Break
10:45 Summary Remarks & Discussion
11:30 Closing Worship
12:00 Adjourn
GEMN Annual General Meeting, 2023
On Thursday, May 4th, GEMN will hold its Annual General Meeting. Participants will hear presentations from officials and vote on new Board members. The Agenda for the meeting will be made available in advance.
Conference Sponsors
The Global Episcopal Mission Network wishes to thank all generous sponsors who have supported the work of the 2023 conference at both the Conference Partner and Conference Pacesetter levels:
Sponsoring Organizations
The Standing Commission on World Mission
St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Diocese of Georgia
Episcopal Diocese of Ohio
Jerusalem Peacebuilders
United Thank Offering
Episcopal Relief and Development
American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem
Food for the Poor
Virginia Theological Seminary
American Friends of the Episcopal Church of the Sudans
InterChristian Initiatives (www.interchristian.org)
One World One Church, Episcopal Diocese of Iowa
Dominican Development Group
Sponsoring Individuals
The Rev. Walter Brownridge
The Rev. Dr. Grace Burton-Edwards
The Rev. Canon Margaret D’Anieri
Nancy Hardison
The Rev. Deacon Jack Karn
The Rev. Robin Newman
The Rev. Canon Dr. Titus Presler
The Rev. Judy Quick
The Rev. Carola Von Wrangel
Dr. Martha Alexander
The Rev. Dr. Katherine Grieb
The Rev. Holly Hartman
Dr. Richard Jones
William Kunkle
Kathy Mank
Mr. Sean McConnell
The Rev. Paul Rajan
The Rev. Melody Rockwell
Dr. Nancy D. Searby
Christy Wallace