The Diocese of Southern Virginia, at its annual council Feb. 11-13, began the new millennium by forming a "new" tradition and "Singing a New Song." The new tradition was a continuation and expansion of the "Stories of Faith" begun in 1999.

Time was given for representatives from each convocation to tell a personal story of faith. They ranged from an account of how the city of Franklin came back from the ravages of Hurricane Floyd in September to personal stories of how Christ is acting in the lives of one or two of his people.

The opening Eucharist included an address by the keynote speaker, the Rt. Rev. Ted Daniels, Bishop of the Virgin Islands, Southern Virginia's new companion diocese.

The Rt. Rev. David Bane, Bishop of Southern Virginia, challenged people to new actions. He said, "... what if each year we identified a couple (of new ministries) that we could take on together as a diocesan family? I am not talking about a top-down program of some kind, but an invitation to consider ways we can cooperate at the convocation and congregational level to do ministry in the name of our Lord."

Council adopted a 2000 budget of just over $1.7 million.

Carlyle Gravely