The Rev. John S. Smylie has been elected the 9th Bishop of Wyoming. The bishop-elect presently serves as rector at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Casper. He is married to Jill Smylie, a counselor at Verda James Elementary school, also in Casper. The Rev. Smylie’s election, held at St. Matthew’s Cathedral in Laramie, is a first for the Episcopal Diocese: all previously elected bishops have been from out-of-state. The delegation from St. John’s included Ron Lytle and Megan Nickles voting as clergy, and Sue Woods and Katy Lytle voting as lay representatives from the church.
 The Consecration is scheduled for July 31 at the Casper Events Center. The Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, Katharine Jefferts Schori, will be the chief consecrator.

The Rev. Ed Wetzel

The service to commemorate the life of Ed Wetzel will be Thursday, January
7, 2010 at 11 a.m. at St. John’s Episcopal Church. Bruce Caldwell will
preside at the Eucharist. Ed fulfilled his call to priesthood throughout
his life; to honor his brief but fruitful time as an ordained priest, clergy
attending may vest and sit together as is customary.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Heart Mountain Volunteer Medical
Clinic, which provides medical care to the under- or un-insured. Ed was a
board member of this clinic and he held the cause close to his heart.

Blessings on all of you in your grief, and we hope you come and rejoice with
us as we celebrate the sure and certain hope of the Resurrection.

********************

The Funeral service for The Reverend Edward A. Wetzel was Thursday, January 7, 2010 at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Powell. Nearly 200 of his friends and family from coast to coast came to honor his life. Their ready laughter and tears were a witness to the wide swath of good work Ed cut over the years.

Ed was born in New York City on June 11, 1933, the oldest of six children born to Edward Albert and Gertrude (Fitzpatrick) Wetzel. His childhood years were spent in Scarsdale, N.Y., where he attended Immaculate Heart of Mary Grammar School and Stepinac High School. Ed graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., in 1955. Following graduation from college he began a career in advertising. For 20 years he worked in the field, becoming an officer of two of the largest advertising agencies in New York City. He would often share stories about the brainstorming meetings or barroom conversation where some of the most famous tag-lines were imagined, including the United Negro College Fund’s “A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste.”

On Oct. 6, 1956, Ed married Carra Quinlan. Eventually Ed and his family moved to Dayton, Ohio, where he managed the office of another large advertising agency. There, in 1978, Ed almost died of alcohol dependence. After several months of physical recuperation, Ed began the second half of his life, devoting his energies to his own recovery through Alcoholics Anonymous and to the recovery of those he could help. He became a substance abuse counselor and worked at treatment facilities in Georgia and Virginia. He was most involved with those whose addictions had led them into the criminal justice system.

In 1995, Ed and his wife, Carra, moved to Powell to be near their son and his family. Ed assisted in developing the Park County Drug Court and served as the coordinator during its formative years.

His spiritual journey led him to St. John’s Episcopal Church. On his first visit there, the church was hosting a carry-in dinner. He sat at the table and ate and remarked with his trademark charm and wit: “Everything I’ve heard about Episcopalians is true…real plates!”

He was called by the congregation to enter ordained ministry and was ordained a priest in January 2008. He also served on the board of the Park County Library Foundation and, at the time of his death, was a member of the board of the Heart Mountain Volunteer Medical Clinic.

He was, as his brother William put it, “a major backer” in our lives. He encouraged and inspired his family, friends and parishioners with his bedrock faith, humor, and ability to know what was important. He knew his life had been redeemed by God, and he made the most of his time living in that redemption, and calling others to it.

During his illness, he opened himself to all of us, and let us walk near him on his path, even on the steepest and most difficult passages. Doubtless is he on that mountain top and sitting at the feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines. On real plates.

Blessings, brother. We will miss you.

• Wyoming Diocesan Convention, presided by The Most Rev. Dr. Katharine Jefferts Schori, takes place Thursday, October 1 to Sunday, October 4. Sue Woods is attending as the delegate from St. John’s and Carra Wetzel as alternate. Also attending is Megan Nickles and Ed Wetzel. In addition, Robert Rumbolz will perform with John Rapson and Ronnie Bedford & Friends, reprising the Jazz Eucharist performed last spring at St. John’s Lenten Music Series.
• St. John’s Thrift Shop continues to be a successful and thriving enterprise. In addition to its Mon.-Wed.-Fri. hours from 1-3:30 pm, the Shop will also be open on the first and third Saturdays of each month from 12 noon to 2:30 pm. In September, the Thrift Shop workers donated $500 to each of the following organizations: Powell Valley Hospice, Lifeline, Northwest Wyoming Family Planning in Powell, and the Powell Boys and Girls Club.
• On Sept. 12, Laura Greathouse, Sue Woods, and Megan Nickles attended “Raising Up Your Congregation,” a workshop sponsored by the Wyoming Episcopalian Foundation. Held at Thomas the Apostle Center, the event focused on maintaining an informative, instructional level of integrity to administrative tasks within the church.
• Our prayers are with Ronnie Oltorf who is in the Powell Nursing Home, and Nancy Bonner and Louise Snedden in the Heartland. We also remember Chip and Victor who are serving in the military.
  Thank you to all who mowed or provided mowing for the lawn and grounds this past summer. We extend a special thanks to Pete Chidsey for his hard work on the lawn, the equipment, and sprinkler system maintenance.
• The Annual United Thank Offering In-Gathering will take place Sunday, October 18. All offerings are used to support grants for ministries at home and overseas as an outreach of the Episcopal Church.
• St. John’s Birthday Party will follow service on Sunday, November 1. Lunch will be served and there will be a table for gifts. The church’s gift “wish list” is posted on the bulletin board in the Undercroft.
• St. John’s “English as a Second Language” classes are going smoothly. The tutors are doing an excellent job and though there are a number of consistent students, there is room for more. Please spread the word. Classes are held at St. John’s on Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Textbooks are available free of charge. Classes are taught in small groups or one-on-one and childcare is provided. This is St. John’s contribution to the Episcopal Diocese of Wyoming’s Mustard Seed Mission. The Diocese challenged each of its parishes to find ways to serve the larger community in which they reside and provided funding.
• Hold the Date: Saturday, December 5 – Annual Christmas Tree-Cutting Trip in the. Join the group for a day of sledding, campfire, chilidogs, hot chocolate, and winter fun.

Download a printable PDF of The October/November newsletter

Charlie Larsen will celebrate his 4th birthday on February 7… but we’ll have cake and ice cream on the 8th after Sunday’s service. Come down and wish the li’l stinker a happy birthday!

Our group of the usual suspects are headed again to HR Camp in July for Jr. High Adventure Camp. Grant Nickles, Quin and Ben Wetzel and Lindsay Kindred will attend together. Ed Wetzel will also be making the trip to act as co-chaplain with Russ Murphy from Buffalo.

Grant Nickles, Laura Scarbro, and Gretchen Beerline were confirmed by Bishop Vern Strickland and a joyful crowd of members and friends from Region I on Saturday, May 31. The service was preceded by a celebration breakfast during which confirmands met with the Bishop. Lunch and a regional meeting followed. Thanks to Diana Anderson for leading the hospitality ministry that day and to all who prepared the tables and, provided clean-up.

If you could use some help learning how to speak more like Christ, Mary Kassian will teach you seven powerful speech-transforming elements that can change your life, as well as those you come in contact with daily.
“Conversation Peace” is an in-depth interactive Bible study written by renowned author Mary Kassian. This workbook and video-based Bible study will present biblical principles to help women revolutionize their speech habits and improve their relationships. The study by focuses on ways to positively avoid sharing gossip, throwing negative barbs, or snapping sarcastic replies throughout everyday life.
The series has seven sessions, which will begin this summer. Specific meeting times and dates will be established based on the schedules of interested participants. Jane Woods is providing leadership for this study. Please contact her for more information: 754-4433 or 254-1038.