WHAT WE DO
OUR MISSION, MINISTRIES,
AND PRIORITIES
In the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama we are guided by the affirmations we make in the Baptismal Covenant: “to proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ; to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves; to strive for justice and peace among all people; and to respect the dignity of every human being.”
Our recent capital campaign, Equipping the Saints: A Transformative Campaign for the Episcopal Church in Alabama, is an excellent starting point for understanding our mission, ministries, and priorities.
The campaign focuses on three areas: Congregational Vitality, Camp McDowell, and Racial Healing & Pilgrimage
"BEHOLD, I WILL DO A NEW THING": When the vestry and congregation of Holy Comforter, Montgomery, addressed questions about the parish’s sustainability, they decided to pursue a ministry program that would benefit their city. The Many Colors Collective was established and has brought hope and excitement to the parish and community.
Strengthening the vitality of our congregations is at the heart of the Diocese of Alabama’s mission, and we are dedicated to equipping congregations with the support and resources they need to grow and serve God’s people. Three years ago we launched Renew and Refresh grants for small parishes. To date we have helped over 60 parishes with an average Sunday attendance of less than 150 complete improvement projects focused on their physical plant, communications, and programming.
Building on this success, $4 million from the Equipping the Saints campaign will create an endowment to fund not only the Refresh and Renew grants, but also to help congregations remain competitive in clergy searches, and to offer administrative assistance in areas such as governance, finances, and communications. They will expand leadership development opportunities and lay leader training in congregations where hiring clergy is not currently feasible. By strengthening recruitment and formation processes, we will address the critical clergy shortage facing The Episcopal Church.
Congregational Vitality Highlights
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22 clergy trained in Leading in Hope since 2023
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13 postulants and candidates are currently in formation for ordained ministry
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19 parishes received a parish-based outreach grant from the Department of Mission and Outreach totaling $58,100*
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29 parishes received a $250 creation care mini grant from the Task Force for Creation Care totaling $7,250*
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55 parishes received Renew and Refresh Grants 2.0 of up to $5,000 for projects that removed barriers to congregational vitality. A total of $261,604 was awarded*
*In 2024
WHAT WE DO
Camp McDowell is nestled in 1,140 acres along the edge of Bankhead National Forest in Winston County, and its canyons, waterfalls, and forests have earned it the name “Beautiful Queen of Clear Creek.” A ministry of the diocese, McDowell is home to six programs: Summer Camp, Special Session, the Conference Center, the Alabama Folk School, the Environmental Center, and the Farm School. Everyone who visits is given the opportunity to be formed as a disciple through worship, work, play, and fellowship. We welcome all to “God’s backyard,” where people of all ages, abilities, and socioeconomic backgrounds form deep relationships with God and each other.
The Equipping the Saints campaign raised $2.5 million for much-needed maintenance and renovations to ensure Camp McDowell continues to serve the next generation of Episcopalians in Alabama.
WHAT WE DO
Camp McDowell Highlights
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Approximately 30,000 visitors come through the camp gates each year
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The House of Bishops gathered March 19-24, 2025 at Camp McDowell for its annual spring retreat
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In 2025 nine summer camp sessions were attended by 1000+ campers, supported by 33 counselors
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Ninety-nine non-Episcopal groups, including Enneagram and Hope Heals—a week-long camp for families experiencing disabilities—were hosted in 2025
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Bethany's Kids inclusion camp hosted 36 campers, 53 volunteers, and 11 Herman Fellows
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By the end of 2025, the McDowell Environmental Center will have welcomed 85 schools from across the Southeast, totaling 4,286 students and 1,265 chaperones and teachers
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The Folk School has hosted 500 attendees this year, with 40 individual artists and musicians hired annually to teach
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The Farm School taught classes to 2,600 students and 800 adults. Over the last four years, the farm has planted over 25,000 seeds and produced 4,500 pounds of produce
Racial healing is a spiritual journey that calls us to learn from our history, recognize our strengths and challenges, and work toward building diverse and inclusive communities. As the Episcopal Church in Alabama, we seek to be on the right side of history in the future, even as we acknowledge the times we have fallen short in the past. This is why we actively pursue racial healing today—so that every person in our diocese and beyond knows they are seen, heard, welcomed, and loved by God and by the Episcopal Church, and so that we stand alongside all who fight for justice and equality.
Alabama is uniquely suited for racial healing and pilgrimage. Our state’s history—including slavery, segregation, and resistance to the Civil Rights Movement—is heavy, but we can’t ignore it. As a diocese, we have committed to the work of reconciliation by establishing the role of Missioner for Racial Healing and Pilgrimage in 2022 and offering programs like Sacred Ground and Courageous Conversation. For the past 28 years, we have co-hosted the annual Jonathan Daniels Pilgrimage honoring Alabama’s Civil Rights martyrs.
The Equipping the Saints campaign will invest $1 million in ministries of racial healing and reconciliation. This funding will support renovations at Good Shepherd, a historically Black parish in Montgomery and a significant civil rights pilgrimage site. Updating the kitchen, bathrooms, and common spaces will help meet the existing demand from pilgrims and expand Good Shepherd’s capacity as a sacred space for holy experiences and conversations that lead to racial healing.
The campaign will also fund training to equip clergy and lay leaders across the diocese to support their congregations in addressing racial issues, fostering inclusion, and building strong relationships among people of diverse backgrounds. Through pilgrimages, education, training, and intentional ministry, we remain committed to the work of healing, restoration, and unity—trusting that God calls us to this holy and necessary work in our time.
WHAT WE DO:
Racial Healing Highlights in 2024
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29 youth participated in Person2Person, Sawyerville’s pilgrimage for high school students
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450 registered for One Diocese, One Book, a small group study of Dr. Catherine Meeks’ The Night is Long But Light Comes in the Morning
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29 individuals completed Seeing the Face of God anti-racism training
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21 attended Having Courageous Conversations About Race: A Lunch and Learn Series
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Over 200 people participated in the Jonathan Daniels and Martyrs of Alabama Pilgrimage
There are many additional groups, programs, and events that make up our life together in the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama, and you can learn more about them in the diocesan profile. We are proud of the ministries that set Alabama apart and speak specifically to our corner of God’s creation. These ministries reflect our call, the point where our God-given gifts and resources meet the needs of our diocese and the needs of our neighbors.