News Detail

September 16, 2010, New York, NY -- Vestry Papers, the ECF publication that has inspired and informed Episcopal leaders since 1995, will become a free website, ECF Vital Practices (www.ecfvp.org), on October 18. Nancy Davidge, departing director of communications and marketing at Episcopal Divinity School, has been named editor.

“For 15 years, ECF and Vestry Papers have provided vestry members with spiritually grounded, practical resources to build healthy congregations in service to God’s mission,” said Donald V. Romanik, president of ECF. “Now it is time for Vestry Papers to respond to the changing needs of the Church, and to do so, we too must change.”

The new site will include Vestry Papers articles by experts and peers, a lively blog where readers can share ideas and experiences, stories about real life congregational issues, and proven, practical tools and resources. Other occasional features, including live webchats with authors and experts, are also planned.

“We hope that the site will not only provide resources, but also create community,” said Anne Ditzler, senior program director at ECF, who will oversee the site. “Congregational leaders will be able to share their own stories, experiences and practices on ECF Vital Practices, and we hope that Episcopalians across the church will be able to learn from each another and find a community of support to help sustain their leadership.”

Davidge, who begins her new post on September 27, said that she was attracted to the job because it offers the opportunity to expand the ministry of communications. “God is calling me in a new direction,” she said. “As editor of ECF Vital Practices, I’ll be part of the team developing new ways of supporting congregations by building virtual communities of people with common interests using shared resources. Together, we will develop new ways to support each other, reaching across geographic and other borders which divide us.”

The project team hopes that ECF Vital Practices (ecfvp.org) will attract new users as well as retain the loyalty of long-time Vestry Papers readers. Miguel Escobar, assistant program director at ECF, will manage social media for the project. “Across the church, Episcopalians of all ages and walks of life are turning to blogs, Facebook and other online media to connect with each other and share news and ideas. ECF Vital Practices gives church leaders a new place for focused, spiritually led conversation about congregational life and leadership.”

Between now and October 18, people can visit ECF Vital Practices (www.ecfvp.org) and sign up to receive more information via email.