The Episcopal Evangelism Society (EES)—a national organization that funds innovative evangelism projects led by Episcopal seminarians and recent graduates—has awarded a 2024–2025 evangelism grant to The Rev. Durango Jenkins, a graduate of Virginia Theological Seminary and priest serving both Saint Paul’s Carroll Street and Christ Church Cobble Hill in Northwest Brooklyn.
Jenkins’ project, Why We Tell the Story: Intergenerational Evangelism in Northwest Brooklyn, centered on strengthening Christian formation and storytelling across two distinct parishes—each shaped by deep neighborhood diversity, dense urban life, and a wide range of Anglican expression. His work focused on helping people of all ages articulate their faith with clarity and confidence.
The EES-funded initiative unfolded across three major components:
• A diocesan Children’s Formation Training Day, gathering leaders from Brooklyn and Queens for a day of formation led by The Rev. Dr. Lisa Barrowclough. The Diocese of Long Island now plans to replicate this model in suburban regions in 2026.
• Five weeks of intergenerational evangelism sessions, designed to help participants explore Scripture, church history, and their personal stories of faith.
• A joint Sunday School shared by Saint Paul’s and Christ Church, which created a critical mass of children and families and has become a central source of growth and new energy for both congregations.
Across all three initiatives, the project revealed a strong hunger for formation—especially among families seeking welcoming, spiritually rich environments for their children. The joint Sunday School, in particular, has become a sustained point of vitality and collaboration between the two parishes, drawing new families and deepening community connection.
Jenkins’ work continues to shape how both congregations support families, empower lay leaders, and nurture a culture of storytelling rooted in the Gospel—reflecting the Diocese of Long Island’s wider mission to build strong, creative, and welcoming communities across Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk.
Founded in 1945, EES supports creative approaches to sharing the Gospel by equipping emerging church leaders to imagine and test new models of evangelism in diverse ministry contexts across the Episcopal Church.
Read the full story from the Episcopal Evangelism Society