House of Bishops calls economic crisis an invitation to 'deeper simplicity, broader generosity'
Episcopal News Service. March 18, 2009 [031809-03]
Pat McCaughan
Members of the House of Bishops concluded their six-day retreat at Kanuga Conference Center on March 18 by unanimously approving a pastoral letter about the hope the church offers despite "a culture of scarcity" and a deepening crisis "both economic and environmental."
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori described the meeting, framed in daily worship, bible study, and prayer, as a "wonderful" time with discussions ranging from economics to politics, from the Anglican Communion to full communion with the Moravian Church, and electing the Rev. Luis Fernando Ruiz of Colombia as bishop of Ecuador Central.
The meeting "showed a church that has moved beyond strife and (that is) getting ready for the next phase of our mission in the world and the country," said Bishop Tom Shaw of Massachusetts during a post-meeting telephone briefing with members of the media.
On a more personal note, bishops "spoke from the heart" at the gathering, said Bishop Ed Little of Northern Indiana. "Somehow, it seemed extraordinarily more intense the way bishops showed respectfulness in the listening. That was most encouraging … we listened profoundly to one another and to God," he said.
Bishops also welcomed enthusiastically the news of a strategic plan for embracing ministries to Latinos, who by the year 2050 will comprise about one-third of the United States' population, according to the Rev. Canon Anthony Guillén, national program officer for Latino/Hispanic ministry.
"We want the church to not think of Latino ministry as holding an ESL (English as Second Language) class but about providing a spiritual home for Latinos," Guillen said about his March 17 address to bishops.
About 126 active and retired bishops attended the regularly scheduled gathering at the Hendersonville, North Carolina camp and conference center, according to TEC public affairs officer Neva Rae Fox.
'Fallen short' but invitation to hope
The bishops' pastoral letter called the church to repentance for failure to address the sorry state of national and international economic and environmental crises.
The letter cited "unparalleled corporate greed and irresponsibility, predatory lending practices, and rampant consumerism (that) have amplified domestic and global economic justice" and raised a specter of fear in the United States and the world. It also took to task a tendency "to ignore the Gospel imperative of self-sacrifice and generosity, as we scramble for self-preservation in a culture of scarcity."
"We have too often been preoccupied as a Church with internal affairs and a narrow focus that has absorbed both our energy and interest and that of our Communion—to the exclusion of concern for the crisis of suffering both at home and abroad," the letter continued. Examples of that suffering included ongoing wars and human and natural disasters that destroy the land.
Bishops also chided the church for failures "to speak a compelling word of commitment to economic justice. We have often failed to speak truth to power, to name the greed and consumerism that has pervaded our culture, and we have too often allowed the culture to define us instead of being formed by Gospel values."
Despite the Episcopal Church's commitment to the eradication of extreme poverty through the millennium development goals, "we have … often fallen short of the transformation to which God calls us," according to the letter.
The current crisis "presents us with opportunities to learn from our brothers and sisters in faith in other parts of the world who have long been bearers of hope in the midst of even greater economic calamity." The church can also learn from its "spiritual ancestors," the letter continued.
"We recognize in this crisis an invitation into a deeper simplicity, a tightening of the belt, an expanded Lenten fast, and a broader generosity," the bishops wrote.
Shaw, who is a member of the pastoral letter writing committee, said the letter reflects "the response of the church during a time like this and reminds people of what the church has to offer, what all of us [have] to offer people suffering around … dioceses and churches."
The full text of the bishops' letter may be found here.
Ruiz elected Ecuador bishop; advancing Latino ministry
Bishops also elected the Rev. Luis Fernando Ruiz as Bishop of Ecuador Central on the first ballot. Ruiz, of the diocese of Colombia, received 102 of the 117 ballots cast on March 17.
Ruiz is the rector of the Catedral de San Pablo in Bogotá. He has served several churches in the diocese of Colombia, was a member of various committees and commissions of the Episcopal Church, and was a deputy to the 2006, 2003 and 1991 General Conventions. As a lawyer, he held various posts in the Colombian judicial system, including judge of a family and juvenile court. He taught aspects of law in various universities.
A simple majority of votes cast by the bishops was necessary for election. Since the election was held within 120 days of General Convention in July, it will be presented to the House of Deputies for confirmation. If the election is approved, the consecration is slated for August 1, 2009.
The other candidates were: the Rev. Thomas Mansella, of the Diocese of Virginia, language services coordinator for The Episcopal Church; and the Rev. Canon Servio R. Moscoso, of the Diocese of New Jersey, the rector of Iglesia San José in Elizabeth.
Bishop Leo Frade of Southeast Florida, called a strategic plan presented by Guillen "to reach Hispanics" very exciting. "He told us that the United States is the second larges Hispanic/Latino country in the world. We have more Hispanics here than in Spain."
Guillén, in a telephone interview from his Los Angeles regional office, said bishops were very enthusiastic about his presentation and the "vision of hope for the Episcopal Church."
"We are called to respond because … by 2050, 30 percent of Americans will be Latino," Guillén said. "We are not an immigrant population, although we have some immigrants," he added. "We know that 60 percent of Latinos in the United States are born here. The church is challenged to learn about Latino culture and spirituality." His office is in the process of producing a how-to manual incorporating anecdotal stories as well as models for creating Latino ministry.
Some media questions at the concluding news conference focused on comments made on bishops' blogsites, such as those written by Bishop Dan Edwards of Nevada, about a response to the communiqué issued after a February meeting of Anglican Primates (leading archbishops and presiding bishops) in Egypt.
Edwards described the dilemma of exercising ‘gracious restraint' in same-sex blessings while cross-jurisdiction interventions continue, including in his own state of Nevada.
"There will probably be some move to repeal the ‘restraint' resolution to comply with the moratoria at General Convention this summer," he wrote. "What to do?"
Jefferts Schori and other bishops at the media briefing said the issue was not discussed at any plenary session. "We had a brief conversation, about one-half hour total, about communion-wide issues that will be in the mix at General Convention," she said.
As regards the economy, "there are varied experiences around the church," Jefferts Schori said, in response to another question. She said that some of the dioceses that include major financial centers are hurting more than some others.
Bishops are concerned about the budgets of their dioceses, but "all of them hoped they would be able to fulfill their apportionment" to the larger church, Shaw added.
Bishop Ed Little of Northern Indiana said there were some wide-ranging questions "but no pressure in the discussion" about Bishop-elect Kevin Thew Forrester of Northern Michigan, whose February 21 election sparked controversy after published reports that he had received a Buddhist lay ordination.
"I am not an ordained Buddhist priest," wrote Forrester, who is expected to be consecrated October 17 in Marquette, Michigan, in a letter posted on his diocesan website. "I have been blessed to practice Zen meditation for almost a decade. About five years ago a Buddhist community welcomed me as an Episcopal priest in my commitment to a meditation practice -- a process known by some Buddhists as ‘lay ordination'."
Jefferts Schori also expressed "great sadness" when asked about a March 11 letter by former Southern Virginia Bishop David Bane, notifying the church he had joined the Anglican Church of North America and intends to serve as its assistant bishop in the Diocese of Pittsburgh.
"I have not seen the letter yet," the Presiding Bishop said, adding, "We discussed it in a pastoral way."
Bishops also heard from presenters about blogging during the Kanuga meeting, a practice some intend to continue at the upcoming July 8 - 17 General Convention in Anaheim. They received a General Convention orientation from Anne Rudig, communication director for the Episcopal Church. Other presenters included Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann, speaking about polarization and engagement; author Bill Bishop, about The Great Sort a study of polarization; Harvard Business School professor Warren McFarlan about the state of the economy; and North Carolina Congressman David Price about the political process of addressing the recession.
Additional discussion topics included full communion relationships with the Moravian Church; aspects of Title IV of the Episcopal Church canons; and mission funding with Church Pension Group personnel Pat Coller and Susan McCone.