Episcopal Church Women

Beth Agar

Province VI – Diocese of Nebraska

Beth Agar is an active member of St. Martha’s Church, Papillion, Nebraska, where she serves on the Altar Guild, the Vestry, and helped found the annual “Are-You-Tired-of-Fish-Yet Pasta Night” during Lent. When something needs to be done, Beth is there.

She has been a major force in Nebraska in starting and fostering new chapters of Daughters of the King; she has served the needs of the Commission on Women’s Ministries through many roles, including retreat planning and currently is the co-convener. She served on the National ECW Board during the 2015-2018 triennium. She is the mother of four, grandmother of four and loving wife to her life-partner, Deacon Wes Agar.

Barbara Hopwood

Province VI – Diocese of Minnesota

Barbara’s lifetime work extends from service as a Churchwoman serving in Guilds and other local ministries, diocesan Episcopal Churchwomen and United Thank Offering and councils, the Province 6 ECW Board and  the National United Thank Offering Committee (now known as the Board), and also as the National UTO Finance Officer in charge of awarding and completion of projects sponsored by Ingathering funds.

She and her husband Joe, an Episcopal priest, attend All Saints in Northfield Minnesota.

Dottie Hawthorne

Province V – Diocese of Western Michigan

Within her parish of Emmanuel, Petoskey, Dottie Hawthorne consistently sets an example of faithful service, providing practical support for ministries, and inspiring the parish with new ideas.  The current co-chair of the Outreach Ministry, Dottie was instrumental in implementing the parish’s newly established Soul Food Community Garden.

An active member of Petoskey Interfaith Common Ground, a Thursday Lunch volunteer, and choir member, she has represented Emmanuel at Diocesan Convention and is consistently eager to participate in the diocesan life. Dottie hosts Coffee Hour, chaperones Youth Group events, volunteers with the Northmen Den food pantries, co-facilitates Emmanuel’s book group, and cheerfully helps maintain the church buildings and grounds.

Dottie is passionate about social justice, equality, creation care, and advocacy for the parish neighbors. Within her local community/region, she is an officer of the Petoskey Garden Club, volunteers with the Char-Em County Fair and Friendship Center of Emmet County, and co-chairs the South of Straits Sierra Club.

A retired librarian, she participates in the reading assistance program at Sheridan Elementary School. In all that she does, Dottie embodies love of God and neighbor in her church and the wider community.

Katrina Mundy

Province V – Diocese of Southern Ohio

Katrina Mundy has been given much by God and she has returned those gifts threefold to increase the bounty of humanity.  She is a lifelong Episcopalian baptized and confirmed at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Cincinnati.

A member and leader in the St. Andrew’s ECW, Vestry, Sr. Warden, Delegate to Convention and most recently a member of the Parish Audit Subcommittee.

On a diocesan wide basis, she served on the Commission on Congregational Life, Advisory Committee on Compensation and Resources (ACCR), The Lawrence Home Association Board and Subcommittee on Academic Grants for Minority Women, Group Convener for Resolutions presented/approved by Diocesan Council at the 2017 Exodus Convocation and the DSO Reimaging Task Force.

Professionally, she was employed by the State of Ohio -Civil Rights Division, Human Resources Administrator, General Electric Company as a Human Resources Administrator for Exempt/Non-Exempt Salaried Relations Employees and the local Community Action Agency as a Director of Human Resources.

Well Done Thy Good and Faithful Servant.  God is Not Through With You Yet, Katrina Mundy.

Janet Smart

Province V – Diocese of Ohio

Janet Smart was an active member of St. Andrew’s (now closed) and St. James Episcopal churches in the Youngstown, Ohio area. She served these parishes in several ways, including as Sunday School teacher, vestry member, Senior Warden, altar guild member, choir member, parish ECW President, and diocesan convention delegate. She was a long-time active ECW diocesan board member and served as Diocese of Ohio ECW President from 2002-2005. She continued her service on the diocesan ECW board as the representative of her mission area.

She participated in several Triennial meetings. Janet received her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education and Teaching from Youngstown State University and an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership and administration from Kent State University.

During her 27 years as a teacher, she was active in teachers’ associations. She was a long-time board member of the Hunger Network in Ohio and completed a term as chair of this board. She also served on the boards of the Youngstown Church Women United and the Austintown Historical Society for many years. Janet was a long-time member of Gamma Sigma Sigma service sorority. Janet passed away on November 16, 2021.

Posthumous award

Jane Henning

Province V – Diocese of Milwaukee

Jane Henning, the epitome of an Episcopal Church Woman, exercises her gifts freely, inspiring and nurturing members of Grace Episcopal Church, as well as the larger church, with exceptional organizational skills, humor, and humility.

Jane has served her parish as president of ECW, Rector’s Guild, and Altar Guild, leading by example and encouraging young women.

Her gracious stewardship has renewed Grace’s physical and spiritual spaces — from caring for the courtyard garden to fundraising for an historic stained-glass window for Grace’s 150th Anniversary Celebration.

She welcomes visitors at Grace’s Reception Desk, plans elegant parish celebrations, and records Sunday services for shut-ins, recruits volunteers for the Grace Estate Sales generating funds supporting the Dioceses of Newala, Haiti, Liberia, and beyond. Her “Nourishing Grace Committee” created  togetherness during COVID.

Jane is Diocesan Altar Guild President and initiated Altar Guild Adventures, visiting significant churches in Wisconsin and Chicago. Her crowning achievement was the 2010 Diocesan Convention Liturgical Treasures display of diocesan churches’ sacred objects. She received the “Bishop’s Shield Award” for her accomplishments.

Her ECW Board enthusiastically nominated Jane Henning for this honor. Her spirit prodigious; her energy endless. Few enter Grace Church without being touched by something she has created, tended, or inspired.

Angela Breeher

Province V – Diocese of Missouri

Angela Breeher has made a significant difference in this Diocese, spending a lifetime in service to the churches and leadership. Beginning with her work as an assistant in the offices of the Bishop under Bishop Hayes Rockwell, she went on to serve as parish administrator at Emmanuel, Grace, and Holy Communion.

In addition to a career as a professional servant of the church, Angela has faithfully given her spare time to her congregation at St. Paul’s, St Louis. Just in my tenure at St. Paul’s, she spent two years as Sr. Warden and subsequently led as a delegate to convention. While serving as Sr. Warden, she oversaw a ¼ million-dollar renovation of our building.  She has also served on Diocesan Council, has faithfully led and attended convocation meetings, and has coordinated Diocesan events in support of mission. In the midst of her church, professional and family commitments, Angela served on boards, mentored, and cultivated neighborhood community by hosting an annual pumpkin carving.

As a single mother, Angela raised two fine young men. Her son, Bill sustained a permanently disabling brain injury at young age. Angela tirelessly worked to enable Bill to become the independent adult he is today. She is wholeheartedly committed to her family and keeps her large family a priority in the midst of a busy schedule. Angela will never put herself forward, but she is a tireless advocate and servant for the people and organizations she loves and believes in. While the majority of her time is spent serving the church, she also tirelessly advocates for the Episcopal City Mission and the youth in detention there.   She is a woman of distinction in every respect.

Barbara Wills

Province V  – Diocese of Indianapolis

We at Grace Church, Muncie, Indiana, think that Barbara Wills should be honored because she is a tireless servant with great leadership skills in the parish and the community.

She has served as Senior Warden for over 5 years. She co-chaired and worked on “Urban Day Camp” for middle school children in the downtown area; they learned to bake bread, plant trees and cook and had 3 meals a day.

A member of the Altar Guild, and The Order of Daughters of the King, Inc., she chaired a Technology Committee co-authoring Technology Grant for Grace Church.   Barbara and her husband volunteer in the “Gathering Grace” program which began in 2008, and has grown, now serving 100-150 free hot meals every Sunday.  Barbara has been there every Sunday.

She has been a member of Sacred Places Committee, helping to write grants to establish a commercial-grade kitchen in order to ensure the continuation of Gathering Grace and to assist in offering cooking classes to Second Harvest clients. Many applications for grants were submitted and our new kitchen is now completed, thanks, in part, to the work of Barbara Wills.

Susie Brock

Province V – Diocese of Chicago

Susie Brock and St. Lawrence Church Libertyville have literally grown together, and she is now our longest standing parishioner and a dedicated ECW member.

As our parish administrator for 17 years, Susie performs her job responsibilities exceptionally well, but more importantly practices radical hospitality, offering compassion, a sympathetic ear and collaborative problem solving.

In addition to clergy team support, Susie initiates programs for the women and children of St. Lawrence. She organizes potluck dinners and United Thank Offering Ingathering Sundays, and encouraged parish women to create 400+ girls dresses from pillowcases in the “Little Dresses for Africa” program.

Her simple act of comfort – having on hand a box of graham crackers for needy visitors – has now grown to feed 70+ families weekly thru Hope Food Pantry.

Susie has contributed to the National Church too. She and The Rev. Vicki Garvey ran the children’s program at the diocesan convention for 8 years; in 2018, she developed and implemented children’s programs and child-care services for General Convention vendors, deputies and ECW Triennial attendees in Austin, Texas. Susie personifies the words of Mother Teresa: “Small things done with great love will change the world.”

Joan Summerfield

Province IV – Diocese of Western North Carolina

Joan Summerfield, grew up in a Christian home and attended Sunday school every Sunday.

After marrying a priest, she joined Grace Episcopal Church in Morganton, NC. Her first experience with ECW was going to their wonderful Thanksgiving Bazaars, and later attending several weekend retreats sponsored by the ECW.

She worked as a Registered Nurse most of her married life in Mental Health and finally as Director of Infection Control at the Harlem Valley Psychiatric Hospital in Wingdale, NY.

Retiring  to North Carolina in 1995, she joined the Episcopal Church Women’s group, serving the Diocesan Board of the Western North Carolina ECW, by first chairing  the All Saints Day Memorial Offering (ASDMO). She became Vice-President for two years and then President for 2003-2004.

Their weeklong mission trip to San Palo Sula, Honduras in  January 2005 to “Our Little Roses Ministries” was a highlight of her tenure. She later served as co-chair of the Foothills Deanery of  Western North Carolina Diocese.

She says, “It has been a pleasure serving with such a fine group of women for so many years.”