2024 Conference

2024 Missio

March 20th-22nd, 2024, 12-3pm Eastern US Time
Online, via Zoom


Conference Theme:
Joining God’s Mission in Tension Times

Conference Overview

“Joining God’s Mission in Tension Times” will be the theme of this year’s Missio, the Global Mission Conference for the Episcopal Church, which will be convened online by the Global Episcopal Mission Network (GEMN), March 20-22.  The Wednesday-Friday gathering will be held from noon to 3pm Eastern on each of the three days.

Many dioceses, mission organizations, congregations and religious orders are courageously and passionately engaged in mission companionships with people in places of civil unrest, violence and sometimes war.  This Missio is an opportunity to learn from people on both sides of those companionships as they join God’s mission in danger zones such as Sudan, Haiti, Pakistan and Israel/Palestine.

The online conference will be held on Zoom.  It is offered free, and donations are encouraged to help support the conference.  Register herewhere donations can be made via Stripe. (Checks with the memo “Missio Donation” can be sent to GEMN at PO Box 1434, Dublin, Ohio 43017.)  Stay tuned here for the Missio speakers and detailed schedule as they are finalized.

GEMN’s Annual Meeting will meet online an hour before Missio on Thursday, March 21, at 11 a.m.

Last fall the GEMN Board renamed the annual conference Missio, the Latin word for mission.  The 2024 dates occur in the week before Palm Sunday.

In deciding that this year’s Missio will be online, the Board recognized the importance of in-person gatherings, especially with the experience of the post-pandemic Missio on “Mission: Journey into Healing” that was held last May at St. Mark’s Church in Tampa, Florida.  Meeting in person encourages friendship and enhances collaboration.  The online format for 2024, however, was chosen in light of other events in the spring and General Convention in the summer.

For Missio after 2024, the Board has designated Wednesday-Friday in the second week of Easter as the gathering time.  In 2025 Missio will be held April 30-May 2 in the Diocese of Honduras at the invitation of Bishop Lloyd Allen.  In 2026 the dates are April 16-18; in 2027, April 6-8.

The purpose of GEMN is to gather, inspire and equip people to participate in God’s global mission.  Its core values are humility, inclusion and companionship.  The network includes dioceses, mission agencies, congregations, seminaries, religious orders and individuals.

Register here!

Follow this link to register for the 2024 Online Missio. Hurry, the last day to register is March 18th!

Zoom information will be sent closer to conference time. Questions regarding registration should be sent to the Missio Coordinator, Nelson, at nelson@gemn.org. 

Plenary Speakers & Respondents

  • The Most Rev. Samuel Peni, Archbishop of the Internal Province of Western Equatoria in the Church of South Sudan, Bishop of Yambio, in conversation with retired Bishop Alan Scarfe and the Rev. Canon Kathleen Milligan, Member, One World One Church Commission, Diocese of Iowa
  • The Rev. Jean Berthol Phanord, Bon Samaritan Episcopal Church, Bondo, in conversation with Ms. Beth Shires, South Florida Haiti Project, St. Gregory’s Church, Boca Raton
  • The Rt. Rev. Humphrey Sarfaraz Peters, Bishop of Peshawar, Pakistan, in conversation with the Rev. Reagan Cocke and the Rev. Robin Reeves, Bridges to Pakistan
  • The Rev. Canon Helen Van Koevering, D.Min., Rector, St. Raphael Episcopal Church, Diocese of Lexington, & former longtime missionary in Mozambique, in conversation with Rt. Rev. Manuel Ernesto, Bishop of Nampula, Mozambique
  • Mr. Buck Blanchard, Stand with Iraqi Christians, American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, in conversation with, the Rev. Chris Bishop, Stand with Iraqi Christians, and Mr. Greg Lowden, Guatemala Youth Initiative
  • The Rev. Jameel Maher Khader, Rector, Good Shepherd Anglican Episcopal Church, Rafedia, and St. Philip’s Anglican Episcopal Church, Nablus, in conversation with the Rev. Max Sklar, St. Peter’s/San Pedro Episcopal Church, Salem, Massachusetts

Missio Prayer Wall

Got a prayer burning on your heart? Check out our new GEMN Missio Prayer wall to leave a prayer and/or pray the prayers of others on global mission. 

Topics & Speaker Biographies

On Mission Companionship amid War in Sudan

The Most Rev. Samuel Peni, Archbishop of the Internal Province of Western Equatoria in the Church of South Sudan & Bishop of Yambio
Archbishop Samuel Peni is the Bishop of the Diocese of Yambio in the Episcopal Church of South Sudan, and is the Archbishop for the Western Equatoria Province of the ECSS. Previously he was Bishop of the Diocese of Nzara from its founding as a diocese. after having served as diocesan social development officer in the mother diocese of Yambio. He received an honorary doctorate in theology from Wartburg Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa, where he had also studied for a Master’s degree prior to being appointed Bishop of Nzara. During his time in Iowa he became a beloved friend of the Episcopal Diocese there; and it was natural that the two dioceses of Iowa and Nzara would become companions under their bishops. The companionship has been sustained for more than a decade and is now continuing under successive bishops in both dioceses. 
 
Throughout his time as a priest and as Bishop, Archbishop Peni has overseen an expanding ministry in a time of war, with particular emphasis on health services and education, along with the Church’s mandates for evangelism and clergy development.  His relational skills have been recognized by army commanders on both sides of the conflict, who would often consult with him, and the Episcopal Church of South Sudan appointed him as Chair for Peace and Reconciliation during the outbreak of civil war in South Sudan. He serves as the Archbishop of South Sudan’s representative in the ongoing peace efforts led by Pope Francis and Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury. In his capacity as a pastor and theologian, Archbishop Peni has researched successful reconciliation processes developed in the aftermath of other major international conflicts, and has created teaching tools on healing war trauma for use in his dioceses and Province. He is widely known in many parts of the global Church, and anchors his life through his wife, the Reverend Ambassador Aida Peni, and their large and extended family.

Respondent: 

The Rt. Rev. Alan Scarfe, Bishop of Iowa (retired)
Alan served as the mission-activist Bishop of Iowa from 2002 to 2021. He was born and raised in Bradford, England, in a parish committed to global mission.  After studying theology at Oxford, he spent two graduate years at the Romanian Orthodox Institute, where he also worked clandestinely for human rights. He was confirmed and became a lay reader in the Anglican Church in Bucuresti. In the USA Alan trained missionaries for the Slavic Gospel Assn. in Wheaton, Illinois, and directed a research agency, Keston USA, which supported religious freedom in communist nations. As a parish priest in Los Angeles he supported work in the Middle East and South Africa. In Iowa, Alan oversaw companionships with the dioceses of Swaziland (Southern Africa), Brechin (Scotland), and Nzara (South Sudan), and he traveled to each diocese multiple times. Alan is a member of the GEMN Board and a member of its Endowment Committee.

Respondent: 

The Rev. Canon Kathleen Milligan, One World, One Church Commission, Diocese of Iowa
The Rev. Canon Kathleen Milligan serves as the priest at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Newton, Iowa, and in the One World, One Church mission organization of the Diocese of Iowa. She has also served on the Standing Committee and as Interim Rector of Trinity Church, Muscatine.

On Mission Companionship amid Violence in Haiti

The Rev. Jean Berthol Phanord, Bon Samaritain Church & School, Bondeau, Haiti

Pere Phanord obtained his degree in Theology in Barbados (West Indies) and served St. Matthew’s Parish in Leogane and also was the General Administrator of Sainte Croix Hôpital in Leogane before coming to Bondeau located just southeast of Miragoane along the southwestern coast of Haiti.

He has served at Bon Samaritain Church and School in Bondeau since 2012 where the school expanded from 8 grades to 13 grades giving students the opportunity to earn graduation diplomas.  His creativity and vision added the secondary wing and a night school for adults and teens. He also oversaw the building of the largest church in Haiti and the first church built after the 2010 earthquake.

One of his favorite quotes is “God knows everything” which he states with such confidence and faith for all to remember that God is always with us and will never fail us.

Respondent:

Ms. Beth Shires, South Florida Haiti Project

Beth Shires became involved in Haiti through medical missions as a partner to the South Florida Haiti Project (SFHP), which is coordinated from St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church, Boca Raton, in the Diocese of Southeast Florida.  After 9 medical missions working with the Bondeau community, Beth transitioned Healthcare into the SFHP Strategic Agenda and officially joined the Board in 2015.  Her professional work as a Ministries Coordinator brings her passion for mission work in Haiti and Madagascar along with 16 years of public relations and event management experience to SFHP. She became the first Executive Director (part-time) in January 2023.

Building deep relationship with the Bondeau community and growing as partners is both motivation and fulfilment for Beth.  Working closely with Pere Jean Phanord has strengthened and grown the partnership with Bondeau. 

South Florida Haiti Project is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in partnership with the community of Bondeau, Haiti.  SFHP’s shared partnership with the people of Bondeau, Haiti is to journey together embracing the transformative power of God’s love. Relying on the Core Values of God’s Call… Partnership… Education…Transformational Growth… Health… Holiness… and Dignity, SFHP chooses to see beyond the poverty of Haiti to focus on the amazingly resilient people with a vibrant culture of creativity, beauty, and possibility. South Florida Haiti Project supports Haitian leaders doing transformative work in education, community development, healthcare, and sustainability.

On Mission Companionship amid Persecution in Pakistan 

The Rt. Rev. Humphrey Sarfaraz Peters, Bishop of Peshawar, Church of Pakistan

Since 2010 Bp. Peters had led the Diocese of Peshawar, which covers the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where he was born in Bannu along the border with Afghanistan. This province has borne the brunt of extremist violence, including against Christians. During his term he has served as moderator of the Church of Pakistan, a member of the Anglican Communion’s Primates Standing Committee, a pioneer in the formation of the Anglican Alliance, and vice chair of the Pakistan Council of World Religions, also known as Faith Friends. His theological studies were undertaken at Rippon College Cuddesdon at Oxford, England.

Respondent: 

The Rev. Reagan Cocke, Bridges to Pakistan

Longtime chair of Bridges to Pakistan, a Texas-based mission agency that supports the ministries of the Diocese of Peshawar, Reagan Cocke is vice rector of the Church of St. John the Divine in Houston, Texas.  Says Reagan: “I have a master’s degree in Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania and was licensed in the State of Texas until 1998. Now I’m just an Episcopal priest who once sold bagels to pay for his honeymoon! I’ve been married to Stephanie since 1986. We have two adult children.” 

Respondent: 

The Rev. Robin Reeves-Kautz, Bridges to Pakistan

Robin has been committed to the Church of Pakistan since she visited the Diocese of Peshawar during her studies at the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin.  She is a longtime member of the board of Bridges to Pakistan.  She has served as rector of St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church in Lake Jackson, Texas, since 2022. Before accepting that position, she served St. George’s, Texas City, where she spear-headed several community outreach initiatives, as featured in the Galveston County Daily News

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On Mission Companionship amid War in Mozambique

The Rev. Canon Helen Van Koevering, D.Min., Former longtime missionary in Mozambique

Helen Van Koevering worked as a missionary in Zimbabwe before beginning work in Mozambique in the late 1980s.  There she worked on a farm mission with women’s groups on a TearFund project.  She met Mark Van Koevering, who was an agriculturalist supported by the Mennonite Central Committee, and they married in Mozambique.

The Van Koeverings experienced the reality of the war of destabilization in Mozambique during the 1990s.  Ministering in Mozambique until 2015, they saw extensive post-war extensive church growth, community development initiatives, and new forms of training and leadership, alongside faithful friends and colleagues. One of those colleagues is now the Bishop of Nampula, Manuel Ernesto, who has spoken out about ongoing violence and environmental disaster in his northern diocese.

Mozambique and Angola became their own Province in the Anglican Communion in 2021, Igreja Anglicana de Mocambique e Angola (IAMA). The Van Koeverings’ relationship with the Mozambican church remains strong, even at a distance, and they visited friends and colleagues there in 2023.

Mark was the Bishop of Niassa (northern Mozambique above the Zambezi River) for 13 years before returning to the US, where he is now the Bishop of Lexington, Kentucky. Helen was the first ordained woman in the Anglican Church in Mozambique, and is now rector of St Raphael’s Church in Lexington. She holds the D.Min. degree from Virginia Theological Seminary. A member of the GEMN Board and co-convener of the Mission Formation Program, she is the author of Dancing their Dreams: The Lakeshore Nyanja Women of the Anglican Diocese of Niassa. 

Respondent:

The Rt. Rev. Manuel Ernesto, Bishop of Nampula 

Bishop Manuel is married to Laura and they have 3 children. They originate from Monapo, Nampula province where he was a bank manager. He then studied Theology in Maputo and received scholarships to attend the University of KwaZulu Natala and the Free University of Amsterdam.  In Sept 2011 he was ordained to the diaconate at Messumba Cathedral. After studies at Ricatla seminary, Maputo, which included studies in Amsterdam and participation in BILC (Bible in the Life of the Communion), he began his ministry in Lichinga, including serving two parishes, Bairro Popular and Sanjala, teaching at the local seminary training laity and future clergy, Diocesan Secretary, a member of the Diocesan Standing Committee, Diocesan Administrator, and as acting Archdeacon of Lichinga.

In 2014, Rev Manuel established a project with women, ‘Haggai & Ishmael’, supporting ABCD (called Umoja in Niassa) training with single mothers, supported by MU and members of the Lichinga parishes. The outcome was backyard planting of fruit trees for family nutrition. He was known in his pastoral ministry for encouraging the planting of trees at baptisms – new life for people, the church and the land.

In 2014 he was elected Suffragan Bishop of Niassa for the Episcopal area of Lurio and Zambezia, before becoming bishop of the new diocese of Nampula in 2019. He was appointed the Liaison Bishop for the Environment for the Anglican Church of Southern Africa in 2021. 

On Mission Companionship amid Risk

Mr. Buck Blanchard, Stand with Iraqi Christians & American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem

Buck has worked on mission and outreach ministries for 14 years in Virginia, Colorado, and as a member of the Presiding Bishop’s staff. Buck is passionate about connecting with and learning from Christian communities throughout the world. SWIC’s mission and ministry aligns well with Buck’s passions and interests. Currently Buck serves on the Board of Directors of Stand With Iraqi Christians and on the Board of Trustees of The American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem. 

Respondent:

The Rev. Chris Bishop, Stand With Iraqi Christians

Chris is an Episcopal priest and the founder of Stand With Iraqi Christians (SWIC). 

In 2015, at the height of the ISIS campaign in the Middle East, Chris traveled to see firsthand the desperate conditions Iraqi Christians were enduring in refugee camps in Erbil, Kurdistan. From this experience, including the documentary film he made while there “Where Is Our Place?”,  Stand With Iraqi Christians was created. He is encouraged by the continuing and increasing capacity of SWIC, through dedicated folk joining this mission, to walk in friendship and mutual uplift with the people of Iraq.

Respondent:

Mr. Greg Lowden, Guatemala Youth Initiative

Executive Director of the Guatemala Youth Initiative, Greg Lowden has experience in the history of field consulting, program design and implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and international non-profit management. He is currently based in Guatemala running a youth development center focused on sexual education, access to contraception, maternal education and scholarships for youth-at-risk in marginalized urban communities. He holds degrees from the universities of Virginia and Glasgow.

On Mission Companionship amid War in the Holy Lands

The Rev. Jameel Maher Khader, Rector, Good Shepherd Anglican Episcopal Church, Rafedia, and St. Philip’s Anglican Episcopal Church, Nablus

“I am from from Zababdeh in the northern West Bank, near Jenin, in Palestine where my parents live and where I have two sisters and two brothers. I graduated from the Arab American University in Jenin in 2015 and went to work in a bank in Ramallah for a year. I offered myself for ordination in the Anglican Church and went to train at the Near Eastern School of Theology (NEST) in Beirut, Lebanon, where I was the only ordinand from the Diocese of Jerusalem. I graduated from NEST with a Masters of Divinity in 2021.

“Archbishop Hosam Naoum ordained me as a deacon in September 2021.  This occurred in St. Matthew’s Anglican Church in Zababdeh, where I attended Sunday School and youth meetings while growing up.  I had also served as an acolyte there and participated in summer camps, where I became a leader.

“On the day of my ordination I also became engaged to marry Loma Abou-Hanna, whom I met six years earlier at a Christian camp in Nazareth.  She and I married in August 2022, and we now have an 8-month-old daughter named Naya. 

“After serving in the north of Jordan in St. John the Baptist Anglican Episcopal Church in Al-Huson/Irbid, Archbishop Hossam Naoum ordained me a priest in September 2022.  He assigned me to Nablus, where I now serve the Good Shepherd Anglican Episcopal church in Rafedia and St. Philip’s Anglican Episcopal Church in the old city of Nablus.”

Respondent:

The Rev. Max Sklar, Young Adult Service Corps member, returned from Jerusalem

As a Young Adult Service Corps missionary, Max Sklar lived and worked in a Palestinian Christian community in Ramallah in West Bank, until he was recalled in the current conflict. Max will reflect on his experiences in Palestine both before and after the October 7 attack. He will also speak about his experiences in raising awareness and confronting the discourses around Israel/Palestine in the United States. A 2023 graduate of Yale Divinity School, Max was recently ordained priest in the Diocese of Massachusetts, where he serves St. Peter’s/San Pedro Episcopal Church in Salem. 

Resources in Advance

General

World Christian Database

The World Christian Database provides comprehensive statistical information on global Christianity, other world religions, and Christian activities in all 237 countries. Extensive data are available on thousands of Christian denominations, ethnolinguistic people groups, cities, and provinces. The World Christian Database transforms current statistics on religion into a real-time analysis tool that takes just minutes to perform even detailed research. This comprehensive database brings together a fully updated and cohesive dataset on religion with a world-class database architecture. The result is a simple, yet powerful tool that enables users to customize reports and download data for in use in charts, tables, and graphs. Subscription or institutional access is required. 

US State Department Countries and Areas List

Organized by global region, the US State Dept. provides up-to-date information regarding all countries’ relationship with the United States, travel information, and political and historical analyses. 

Sudan:

Atrocities Mount in Sudan as War Spirals, U.N. Says

Anglican Communion secretary general says Christians should challenge hostile approaches to asylum-seekers

American Friends of the Episcopal Church of the Sudans website

Haiti:

The Wife of Haiti’s Assassinated President Is Accused in His Killing

In Haiti, Episcopalians stand at intersection of pandemic, political violence

South Florida Haiti Project website

Education Haiti website

Friends of St Marc in Trouin, Haiti (FOSMITH)

Coalition of Episcopal congregations and individuals based primarily in northern Virginia. Our primary work for the last 11 years has been sponsorship of a Trade/Life Skills program that is offered after daily academic classes finish at St. Marc in Trouin.  We work closely and share resources with the Haiti Education Foundation and Haitian Hope that sponsor the primary and secondary school classes, respectively. We support the work of Voix et Actions, a Haitian organization, led by James Duracin, to sponsor a University Scholarship Program for graduates of St Marc and a Village Farm in Trouin. Contact: Russell Collins russcoll1@comcast.net 

Global Birthing Home Foundation

Haiti Nursing Foundation

Haiti Companions

Kansas Diocese 

‘Promotes a number of companionships with congregations and schools in Haiti.’ St. Michael’s and All Angels has been involved in Torbeck, on the southern peninsula of Haiti, since 1984.  The foci of the diocesan Haiti Ministry are education of students, health and environment improvement, and community relationship building. Contact: Gary Welker, gewelker@gmail.com

Light from Light

Springing from relationships formed in 1987, Light from Light and its sister organization sister organization, Lespwa Timoun (‘Hope for Children’ in Haitian Creole) focus on supporting healthcare, nourishing children, empowering local leaders & strengthening infrastructure. Contact: Tram Jones, jonestram@gmail.com

Mission in Haiti of Grace Church, Amherst Mass., and St James, Indian Head, Md. 

13-year outreach to L’Ecole St. Matthieu, Bayonnais, Haiti. Contact: Sandy Muspratt, muspratts@gmail.com

Society of St. Margaret, Duxbury, Mass.

Convent in Port au Prince & Holy Trinity School

St. John’s Church, Minneapolis

Parish partnership program of Diocese of Haiti; Contact: Dr. Dianne Pizey

St. Vincent’s Center

Pakistan:

Religious Minorities Across Asia Suffer Amid Surge in Sectarian Politics

Titus on Mission blog post on persecution in Pakistan

“Christians make up 80 per cent of believers persecuted for their faith”, report finds

Archbishop Justin Welby meets Pakistan terror victims

2015 GEMN Conference Highlights: “Proclaiming God’s Peace Through Mission”

Rubbish of the World”: Cruciform Mission Amid Muslim Pressure,” 

by Titus Presler.  Keynote address at Missio 2015, the Global Mission Conference sponsored by GEMN in Atlanta, Georgia.

Horrified and Fascinated: A Biblical Meditation on Persecution and Martyrdom,”

by Titus Presler.  An address at the conference, “Hear the Cry: Standing in Solidarity with the Suffering Church,” convened by the Episcopal Council for Global Mission at the Seamen’s Church Institute in New York City in 1998.  Published in Hear the Cry: Standing in Solidarity with the Suffering Church by Sharon Sheridan, edited by Margaret Larom (1998).

Diocese of Peshawar website

Bridges to Pakistan website

Voice of the Martyrs 

A non-denominational missionary organization that serves persecuted Christians in the world’s most difficult and dangerous places to be a Christian. Founded in 1967 by Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, VOM is dedicated to solidarity with persecuted Christians and to fulfilling the Great Commission.

Mozambique:

Dancing their Dreams: The Lakeshore Nyanja Women of the Anglican Diocese of Niassa 

by Helen E. P. Van Koevering, former longterm missionary in Mozambique and current GEMN Board member.

Where a Million Died

Using Dance to Tell the Story of Mozambique’s Struggles

New Anglican Province of Mozambique and Angola

Risk:

Stand with Iraqi Christians website

American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem website

Guatemala Youth Initiative website

2022 GEMN Spotlight on the Guatemala Youth Initiative

2023 GEMN Spotlight on the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem

Holy Lands:

American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem website

Conversation between Presiding Bishop Curry and Archbishop Hosam

GEMN Mission Thursday on the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem

GEMN Mission Thursday on Jerusalem Peacebuilders

Episcopal support helps Diocese of Jerusalem, Al Ahli Hospital respond to suffering

The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem issue Christmas message

2024 Missio Schedule

  • Times listed are in Eastern US Time.  The midday timing is designed to make Missio accessible to people around the world as well as to North Americans.

WEDNESDAY, March 20

11:45     Arriving in good time

12:00     Welcome by MC the Rev. David Kendall-Sperry

  • Greeting from Ms. Ayda Patricia Martin GEMN President
  • Greeting from Canon Dr. Titus Presler,  GEMN Executive Director

12:10     Worship

  • Led by GEMN Board members:
    • The Rev. Paul Rajan: GEMN Vice President. Global Mission Advocate for Diocese of Newark.  Rector, Church of the Good Shepherd, Wantage, N.J.  
    • The Rev. Dr. Nancy Searby: Diocese of Virginia.  Program Manager for NASA’s Earth Science Applied Sciences Capacity Building Program.

12:20     Plenary 1: Mission Companionship amid War in South Sudan

  • The Rt. Rev. Samuel Peni, bishop of Yambio & archbishop of the internal province of Western Equatoria in the Episcopal Church of South Sudan
  • Respondents: Mission activists in the Diocese of Iowa: Bishop Alan Scarfe (retired) and Canon Kathleen Milligan

1:10     Q&A

1:20     Break

1:25     Plenary 2: Mission Companionship amid Turmoil in Haiti

  • The Rev. Jean Phanord of Bon Samaritan Episcopal Church, Bondo, Haiti
  • Respondent Companions: South Florida Haiti Project, represented by Ms. Beth Shires, St. Gregory’s Church, Boca Raton, Florida

2:15     Q&A

2:25     Discussion Groups

  • What have we learned about companionship under pressure from today’s presentations?
  • How can we integrate these learnings into our mission companionships?

2:55     Plans for Thursday: MC David Kendall-Sperry

2:57     Concluding Prayer & Dismissal

  • GEMN Board member: The Rev. Meredith Crigler: Chair, Diocese of Texas, Global Partnerships in Mission Commission.  Rector, Trinity Church, Baytown.

3:00     Adjournment

THURSDAY, March 21

10:45     Arriving in good time

11:00     GEMN Annual Meeting

  • All are welcome!  Meeting will include reports, budget review & Board elections.

12:00     Welcome by MC the Rev. David Kendall-Sperry

12:05     Worship

  • Led by GEMN Executive Director: Canon Dr. Titus Presler  

12:15     Plenary 3: Mission Companionship amid Persecution in Pakistan

  • The Rt. Rev. Humphrey Sarfaraz Peters, Bishop of Peshawar, Church of Pakistan
  • Respondent Companions: The Rev. Reagan Cooke & the Rev. Robin Reeves, Bridges to Pakistan

1:05     Q&A

1:15     Break

1:25     Plenary 4: A Missionary‘s Companionship during the War in Mozambique

  • The Rev. Dr. Helen Van Koevering, former missionary in Mozambique & Rector of St. Raphael’s Church, Lexington, Kentucky
  • Respondent Companion: The Rt. Rev. Manuel Ernesto, Missionary Bishop of the Diocese of Nampula in Mozambique

2:15     Q&A

2:25     Discussion Groups

  • What have we learned about companionship under pressure from today’s presentations?
  • How can we integrate these learnings into our mission companionships?

2:55     Plans for Friday: MC David Kendall-Sperry

2:57     Concluding Prayer & Dismissal

  • GEMN President: Ms. Ayda Martin: Iglesia San Andrés de Santo Domingo, Iglesia Episcopal Dominicana

3:00     Adjournment

FRIDAY, March 22

12:00     Welcome by MC the Rev. David Kendall-Sperry

12:05     Worship

  • Led by GEMN Board member Canon Walter Brownridge: Canon to the Ordinary for Cultural Transformation, Diocese of Vermont

12:15     Plenary 5: A Mission Catalyst on Call and Risk in Mission Companionship

  • Mr. Buck Blanchard, board member of Stand with Iraqi Christians and the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem
  • Respondent companions: Mr. Greg Lowden, Executive Director of Guatemala Youth Initiative (Iniciativa Guatemala), and the Rev. Chris Bishop, founder and co-chair of Stand With Iraqi Christians

1:05     Q&A

1:15     Break

1:25     Plenary 6: On Mission Companionship amid War in the Holy Lands

  • The Rev. Jameel Maher Khader, rector of St. Philip’s and Good Shepherd’s Churches in Nablus/Rafidia in the West Bank
  • Respondent: The Rev. Max Sklar, Young Adult Service Corps missionary recently returned from Jerusalem

2:15     Q&A

2:25     Discussion Groups

  • What have we learned about companionship under pressure from today’s presentations?
  • How can we integrate these learnings into our mission companionships?

2:45     Concluding Worship

  • Led by GEMN Board members:
    • The Rt. Rev. Alan Scarfe: Retired Bishop of Iowa
    • The Rev. Dr. Grace Burton-Edwards: GEMN Secretary.  Member, Global Mission Commission, Diocese of Atlanta.  Rector, St. Thomas Church, Columbus, Georgia.

3:00     Adjournment

Missio Supporters

The Global Episcopal Mission Network wishes to thank all generous donors who have supported the 2024 Missio at the Sponsor, Advocate, Benefactor, & Changemaker levels: 

 Sponsors: $50

Judith Rogers

Edith Hawksworth

David Telleen-Lawton

Paul Rajan

Rebecca Yarbrough

Walter Brownridge

Meredith Crigler

Molly O’Brien

Frederico Garza

Thom Bales

Joe Madison

Abigail Livingood

Susan Hannan


Advocates: $100

Alan Scarfe

Martha Alexander

Kathy Mank

Grace Burton-Edwards

Edward Wright

Todd McGregor

Robin Newman

Jean Pritchard


Benefactors: $250

Titus Presler

David Kendall-Sperry

Nancy Searby


Changemakers: $500

Kathleen Milligan

Judy Quick