The Provincial Coordinators of the Provincial Leadership Conference are sponsoring a series of four webinars to help bishops and deputies prepare for decision making at GC 2018. Each webinar will provide opportunities to explore issues and resolutions coming before the Convention. Presenters were selected because of their work in the topic areas and/or because they have been part of GC resolution development.

This month's presenters will focus on Evangelism, Leadership Formation in Small Churches, and Church Planting. Our presenters include: 

The Rev. Colin Mathewson graduated from Valhalla High School in East County, San Diego and Stanford University with a degree in Urban Studies. He's since served as a campaign manager, community organizer, press assistant, executive assistant, foundation program officer, and as a volunteer in El Salvador before starting seminary in 2010. He and his wife Laurel graduated from The School of Theology of the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee in 2013 and served together as deacons and priests at St. Paul's Cathedral until becoming vicars-in-charge at St. Luke’s Episcopal in North Park. Colin is continuing in his role as pastor for the Misa Congregation.

Laurel Mathewson was born and raised in Oregon, but found her way to the San Francisco bay area to attend Stanford University. While there, she also found a passion for the intersection of faith, politics, and social justice; the cultural and spiritual implications of landscape. Before seminary at the University of the South (Sewanee), Laurel worked as a research assistant, an editorial assistant at Sojourners, and a campus missioner at UCSD. In October 2016, the Mathewsons moved across Balboa Park to begin a new adventure with St. Luke's in North Park. Laurel is passionate about teaching and preaching the ever-surprising love of God, parenting her two young children, trees, well-made cookies, and inspiring writing (which she aspires to create, sometimes and some days).  

Aimee Altizer is the Executive Director of Flourish Bakery and Unshackled. She brings with her a unique blend of skills being both an award-winning, classically trained pastry chef and Episcopal Priest.  With nearly 30 years of culinary industry experience, Aimee has directed the opening and operations of pastry programs at several notable locations like – Firewood Restaurant, Zermatt Resort, and Talisker Club & Canyons. To support the work of transformation and reconciliation in the Unshackled & Flourish community, Aimee brings a holistic understanding of recovery and her passion for mentoring young culinarians.

Tom O’Brien a native New Yorker, Tom served in the U.S. Navy before practicing corporate law in New York and Florida for 30 years. He retired in 2001 and started teaching Theology and Scripture in a variety of venues in Southeast Florida. His service to the Episcopal Church includes Secretary of the Diocese of Southeast Florida (2006 to 2008), Executive Board (2001 to 2008), Lay Deputy to General Convention (2006 to 2018), Examining Chaplain for Holy Scripture in the Diocese (since 2005), PB&F (2005 to 2009), HOD Education Legislative Committee (2012), Acting Chair of the Standing Commission on Lifelong Christian Formation and Education (2012 to 2015), Vice Chair of the HOD Legislative Committee on Structure (2015), and Secretary of the Task Force on Clergy Leadership Formation in Small Congregations (2015 to 2018). He will serve as Chair of the HOD Legislative Committee on Formation and Discipleship at General Convention 2018.   Since 2015, he has served on the PHOD Council of Advice. Tom received his B.A. magna cum laude from Notre Dame in 1964, an LL.B. from Yale Law School in 1967, and an M.A. in Theology summa cum laude from St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach, FL in 2003.

The Rev. Canon Susan Brown Snook is Canon for Church Growth and Development in the Diocese of Oklahoma. Previously, she was church planter and rector of the Episcopal Church of the Nativity, Scottsdale, Arizona. She serves as a member of The Episcopal Church’s Executive Council and chairs its Local Ministry & Mission committee, which oversees church-wide evangelism ministries. With four other people she helped create the Evangelism Charter for the Church. She has served as a three-time deputy from Arizona, and sponsored the 2015 legislation that established the Genesis project on church planting and new missional initiatives. She is a leader of the Acts 8 Movement, a group that supports prayer and evangelism in the church.

Ellen Bruckner,  the Province VI Coordinator, will facilitate these presentation.  

In preparation, you may want to look at the 2018 General Convention Blue Book and proposed resolutions.