The Episcopal Cursillo Ministry is an evolution of a Christian renewal movement which originated in Spain, and the Roman Catholic Church of the 1940s. The goal of Episcopal Cursillo is to help participants deepen their faith and strengthen their commitment to serving others.
A Cursillo Weekend brings together a diverse group of Episcopalians to share the richness of many modes of worship and broaden our appreciation for our Church. Lay people conduct the Weekend with two or three clergy members as spiritual advisors.
Cursillo presumes that those who attend a Weekend are already well grounded in the faith. It is not intended to be a conversion experience, but an enriching and deepening of what is already there. It often provides new insights into our faith as well as fostering ministry among lay people. There are now two formats for the Episcopal Cursillo Weekend, the original three-day schedule and the newer two-day schedule. The choice of which schedule is used is determined by the individual Cursillo diocese and its needs.
In 2023, Bishop Marty shared her vision for bringing the Episcopal Cursillo program to the Diocese of Montana. She believes this program will help revitalize the faith of Episcopalians in the diocese, and create a community of committed Christian leaders who can serve the church and the world.
To make her vision a reality, Bishop Marty empowered a leaders team, known as a Secretariat, to begin work on bringing Episcopal Cursillo to the Diocese of Montana, by 2024. The Secretariat is responsible for planning and implementing Cursillo weekends. Cursillo Weekends are three-day retreats that include talks, group discussions, worship, and fellowship.
The Secretariat is also responsible for training and supporting the team of laypeople who will lead future Cursillo weekends.
The current members of the leadership team are:
Spiritual Leaders: Doug and Judy Anderson
Lay Leaders: Frank Pickett (temporary chair), David and Geri Campbell, Nancy Shively, Kathy Johnson, and others to be named. These individuals will be working hard to lay the foundation for the Episcopal Cursillo program in the diocese.