E-News from the Diocese of Louisiana

E-dolaOctober 1 - 8, 2009Volume 3, Issue 39

And the Nominees Are...The Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana has announced a final list of six candidates who will stand for election

as the 11th Episcopal Bishop of Louisiana on December 5, 2009, at Christ Church Cathedral, New Orleans.“We are so pleased with the caliber of outstanding candidates who feel called to lead the Episcopal church

in south Louisiana,” said David R. Pitts, chair of the diocesan Episcopate Committee, the group charged with oversight of the nomination process. In alphabetical order the candidates are:

All of the candidates will visit St. Martin’s School in Metairie and Episcopal School in Baton Rouge on Saturday, No-vember 7th for “walk-abouts” to give lay members of the diocese an opportunity to meet them. In addition, clergy will meet with the candidates the previous day, Friday, November 6th at Solomon Conference Center. In accordance with the canons of the Episcopal Church, an election will be held on December 5, 2009, at Christ

Church Cathedral, New Orleans. Lay and clergy delegates from each congregation will vote in what is a special ses-sion of the diocese’s convention. Assuming consents are received from bishops with jurisdiction and the diocesan Standing Committees, the person

elected will be consecrated on May 8th, 2010.

To learn more about each candidate, please visit www.edola.org — or click here. This information will also be available in ChurchWork, which will go out next week.

The Rev’d Kurt Dunkle, Rector, Grace Episcopal Church,

Orange Park, Florida

The Rev’d Paul A. Elliott, Rector, St. Michael & All Angels Church,

Stone Mountain, Georgia

The Rev’d Paul A. Johnson, Rector, Christ Episcopal Church,

Glen Allen, Virginia

The Rev’d Ken Ritter, Rector, Trinity Episcopal Church,

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

The Rt. Rev’d Michael G. Smith, Bishop, Diocese of North Dakota

Fargo, North Dakota

The Very Rev’d Morris Thompson, Dean, Christ Church Cathedral

Lexington, Kentucky

E-DoLA StaffBishop Charles E. JenkinsPublisher

The Rev’d Canon Mark StevensonCanon to the Ordinary

The Rev’d Canon Scott AlbergateCanon for Mission and Congregational Development

Rebecca Todd PitrePublications Coordinator

Carrie CrockettCommunications Officer, ODR

Kenn ElderWeb Coordinator

AROUND THE DIOCESE...Ritter to Step Down as President of the Standing CommitteeIn light of the announcement that

his name has been placed on the official list of candidates for the 11th Bishop of Louisiana, The Rev. Ken Ritter has decided to step down as President of the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Louisiana, effective at the end of the Standing Commit-tee’s next meeting on October 8th. The Standing Committee will elect its next President at that meeting. At the request of Bishop Jenkins, Fr. Ritter has agreed to remain as a member of the Standing Committee.

2010 Health InsuranceThe Diocese of Louisiana has com-

pleted selections of plan options for the 2010 plan year. There are two new plan offerings for 2010: United Healthcare Choice and United Healthcare Choice Plus 80/60. Our Open Enrollment period will be October 19th-30th. We are offering group Open Enrollment meetings on October 15th and 16th (locations to be announced soon), to review the plan offerings as you make your health care coverage selection. If your current health plan is through

the Diocese of Louisiana’s group plan, you will receive, or have re-ceived, enrollment instructions directly from the Episcopal Church Medical Trust. To help employees and employers

make an informed choice, review the materials at the following website link www.edola.org/insurance2010.html. If you do not have internet access and would like a hard copy of these materials mailed to you please call Jennifer Hirstius 225.706.6634. If you have a question during Open

Enrollment, please contact Jennifer Hirstius or another member of the bishop’s staff. We are your advocate throughout the year and are always happy to assist you.

It’s Fall again and St. Martin Church on Metairie Road is holding its annual Pumpkin sale in front of Gayle Hall, 2216 Metairie Road.Beginning Monday, October 5th and ending October 31st , traditional pump-

kins, pie pumpkins and minis will be on offer.The Pumpkin Patch is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Cash or checks

only, please — no credit cards accepted. For more information, call the church office at (504) 835-7357.St. Martin Episcopal Church, 2216 Metairie Road, Metairie, La holds Sunday

services at 8 a.m., 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.For more information go to www.stmepiscopal.com or email the office at

info@stmepiscopal.com.

St. Martin’s Pumpkin Patch

St. Martin’s Linda Maumus at the 2008 Pumpkin Patch in Metairie.

Trinity, N.O. Artist SeriesOct. 4th: Virtuoso pianist Lelia Molthrop Sadlier returns to her native city

with her husband tenor David Sadlier in a program of Schumann’s lieder and Beethoven piano music. Oct. 11th: Eve’s Lucky Planet Band - Jazz * Afro-Cuban * Reggae * FolkEve’s Lucky Planet band is a New Orleans band with influences from reggae,

folk and country to African, Afro-Cuban, and Jazz. New Orleans Jazzfest 2008 described them as an “acoustic New Orleans band with a breezy Caribbean touch”. Oct. 18th: The Tommy Sancton New Orleans Quintet. Will perform Gospel

and traditional Jazz. Tommy Sancton is a celebrated clarinetist and author of the book “Song for my Fathers”.