It's been an

exciting and eventful six years for me.

In August of

1996, my family joined with eleven other people to begin something that

had never before existed in this area. We began a "charismatic Episcopal

church." In December of that year, Cal Beverly asked me to consider

writing a weekly column in The Citizen newspapers. So, in a real sense,

the church and this column have grown together.

Sometimes people

ask, "What the heck is a 'charismatic Episcopal church?'"

I usually define

that term by saying that "charismatic" comes from the Greek

"charismata" and refers to the giftings of the Holy Spirit.

Simply put, we believe that if something was possible in the New Testament

church, it is possible today. We also believe that if something was normative

in the New Testament church, it ought to be normative today.

"Episcopal"

is also from the Greek, "episkopos," and is often translated

"bishop." Our bishops and other clergy, for those who are knowledgeable

about such things, are ordained in "historic apostolic succession,"

which means that their "ministerial pedigree" can be traced

all the way