New canon to the ordinary is appointed

The Rt. Rev. Edwin F. Gulick Jr., the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Kentucky, announces the appointment of the Rev. Joan Smith as the diocese’s new canon to the ordinary. The canon serves as the bishop as the chief administrator and congregational development officer. Her appointment was affirmed Tuesday, Nov. 6, by the Trustees and Council, the diocese’s chief governing body, during a meeting at Christ Episcopal Cathedral in Louisville. Her appointment is effective Dec. 1.

Smith replaces the Rev. Dr. James B. “Jay” Magness, who was called to serve as the interim rector of Galilee Episcopal Church in Virginia Beach, Va. Located in the Diocese of Southern Virginia, the parish has more than 2,000 members.  Magness joined the diocesan staff on Jan. 15, 2004, following his retirement as a captain in the U.S. Navy, where he served as fleet chaplain for the U.S. Atlantic fleet and command chaplain for the U.S. Joint Forces Command. His new ministry will begin Nov. 19.

A canonically resident priest in the Diocese of Lexington, Smith has served as an interim priest for numerous congregations in both dioceses since 1998. In the Diocese of Kentucky, she most recently was the interim rector at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Henderson, from January 2006 until this summer, when a new rector was called. She also served as the interim rector of Church of the Advent, Louisville (2003-2004), and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Louisville (2002-2003).

In the Diocese of Lexington, she was priest-in-charge at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, Harrodsburg (2004-2005); interim rector at St. Raphael’s Episcopal Church, Lexington (2000-2002); interim assistant to the rector at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, Lexington (1999-2000); and Church of the Nativity, Maysville (1998-1999).

As canon to the ordinary, Smith will have two primary responsibilities: she will oversee the diocesan staff and the daily operations of diocese, and she will assist, as needed, the vestries of the diocese’s 36 churches in expanding their congregations and their ministries. She also will continue the diocesan organizational work begun by Magness, who was a central figure in restructuring and revamping the diocese’s departments of Christian Formation, Mission and Evangelism, Justice and Jubilee, and Finance and Stewardship. He also spearheaded the development of the recently published Diocesan Policy Manual. 

Magness’s other major responsibility, clergy deployment officer, has been taken over by the Rev. Mark Linder, retired rector of Christ Episcopal Church in Bowling Green.