Companion Diocese Annual Report – Diocese of Southwest Florida

Companion Diocese Annual Report- Diocese of Southwest Florida
By Bill Kunkle
Posted September 23, 2016

This report is included on page 49 of the Southwest Florida convention booklet. For the complete booklet, click here.

Since 1997 the Diocese of Southwest Florida and the Diocese of the Dominican Republic have been in relationship with each other, for the purpose of strengthening each other across cultural and geographical boundaries.

Over these past 20 years the Diocese of Southwest Florida has sent nearly 65 exploratory and mission teams as well as over a thousand persons on short-term missions to participate in ministry with our Dominican brothers and sisters. We take our lead from Bishop Julio Holguín who shares his priorities for the development and self-sustainability of the Dominican Episcopal Church.

This year has seen mission teams from the Clearwater, Tampa and Venice Deaneries continuing their work to help a number of the Episcopal Church-sponsored schools to enlarge kitchens and build lunchrooms that facilitate the students attending full-day classes. The Companion Diocese Committee has helped these deaneries provide tables and chairs for these new lunchroom facilities.  The Naples Deanery continues its financial support of El Buen Samaritano in San Francisco de Marcorís. Along with deanery teams, once again this year we have also had a youth mission team from the Church of the Redeemer, Sarasota, travel to Puerto Plata, D.R. for the purpose of working with two local churches – San Simon and Cristo Rey, painting, restoring pews, installing drainage pipes in the parish hall and holding a VBS for 125 children. And for the 17th year, a mission team from the Cathedral Church of St. Peter traveled to the D.R. in order to assist two churches in Santiago present Vacation Bible School programs for the children of two parishes.

We are very proud of our history and extremely blessed by the relationships that have been created down through the years. We invite everyone to join us in this work of love.

Bill Kunkle, Executive Director