Bellwether Farm is continuing to fulfill its mission of promoting physical and spiritual wellness by providing hospitality to nearly 30 different groups and organizations since September 2018. We have hosted family camps, leadership conferences, confirmation retreats, deacon formation retreats, the Diocesan Youth Event, parish retreats, and many others. I encourage you and your parishes to consider hosting an event at Bellwether.

For many of us, there is nothing that brings back good memories like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Sadly for some, that same PB&J sandwich may be the only thing keeping them from going hungry. For more than ten years, Food for Thought, a Toledo-based grass roots organization, has been making PB&J sandwiches and delivering them to people in need each Saturday. The operation takes place at Trinity Episcopal Church in downtown Toledo. In addition to the sandwiches, Food for Thought volunteers share conversation with the people that they meet, treating everyone with the dignity and respect that they deserve.

Anyone who has committed themselves to following Jesus for any amount of time has learned that he seems to revel in pulling us out of our comfort zones. I am not a seasoned traveler and yet I found myself spending six weeks of my summer break from Seminary of the Southwest in our companion diocese, the Diocese of Belize.

Philander Chase was elected the first Bishop of Ohio on June 3, 1818, less than a month after the death of his beloved spouse, Mary. It took eight months and nine days before he was consecrated to that office. The why and wherefore of this is an important story and fodder for another article. To whet your appetite, there were some in the church who tried to malign Philander’s character by stating that he had been a slaveowner while serving as the rector of Christ Church in New Orleans, Louisiana. For more information about this attempt to refute his election (and indeed his worthiness), see Smythe’s History of the Diocese of Ohio. Happily, for Philander and the fledgling church in Ohio, the issues were resolved beyond reproach and on February 11, 1819 the Right Reverend Philander Chase was consecrated a Bishop in God’s church by William White, assisted by John H. Hobart, James Kemp, and John Croes. The very next day, he mounted a horse and headed back to his diocese.

As a senior in high school, this DYE marked the beginning of the last year of youth events for me, but the first of many youth events for Bellwether Farm. During a previous visit to the farm during the Spring Youth Gathering, we placed our handprints on the concrete floor of the Worship Barn. Walking into the Worship Barn at DYE and seeing the changes, namely the wood floor, was overwhelming. The wood we were contra dancing on Friday evening was laid on top of our prayers. It felt like God's love was rising from the floor and gathering within us. Saturday morning brought about the scavenger hunt where we all got soaked in the rain, but that didn't faze us too much! We simply changed our clothes and hung them to dry over the banister. Bellwether truly became another home.