News Briefs
Episcopal News Service. February 21, 2001 [2001-44]
Series explores religious 'fault lines'
(ENS) A six-part public lecture series entitled Religious Fault Lines in American Democracy begins February 22 at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. The series will be held bi-weekly on Thursday evenings from 7-9 p.m. Organizers say the series is designed to inform "mainline religious communities, whose historic social justice traditions are being targeted by the right." The series' co-sponsors include the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine and St. Mary's Episcopal Church of West Harlem.
Scheduled speakers include:
February 22: The Changing Landscape of Religious Conservatism, with C. Welton Gaddy, executive director of Interfaith Alliance; Alfred Ross, president of the Institute for Democracy Studies
March 8: Religious Institutions Besieged: The Southern Baptist Convention and the Mainline Protestant Renewal Movements, Lewis C. Daly, senior program associate of the Institute for Democracy Studies
March 22: The Catholic Right and the Global Culture Wars, Lee Cokorinos, research director of the Institute for Democracy Studies
April 5: Feminism and Women's Rights in the Crosshairs of the Religious Right, Eleanor Smeal, president of Feminist Majority Foundation
April 19: Racial Justice at Risk: Conservative Policy Agendas, James Lawson, lecturer in urban ministry of Harvard University Divinity School; former president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
April 26: Challenging the Religious Right -- A Critical Crossroads in American Democracy, Beverly Harrison, professor emerita of Union Theological Seminary; Joseph Hough, president of Union Theological Seminary
The concluding address will be followed by a banquet in honor of Dr. Beverly Harrison, beginning at 8:15 p.m., in the seminary refectory. Reserve dinner seats at $12.50 each (send check to IDS). For more information, contact Lew Daly at IDS (212) 423-9237, or e-mail at lewisdaly@institutefordemocracy.org.
Ugandan bishops blast formation of Integrity chapter
(ENS) The House of Bishops of the Anglican Province of Uganda said in a recent statement that it "categorically condemns the practice of homosexuality" and "deplores" the formation of a chapter of Integrity in Uganda. Integrity, which describes itself as "a lesbian, gay, and bisexual ministry in and to the Episcopal Church," has 70 chapters in the U.S., Canada and Australia. This would be the first chapter on the African continent.
Acknowledging the formation of the chapter and the election of leaders, the bishops said, "We therefore strongly advise our public or citizens not to let this kind of un-biblical and inhuman movement to be established in our country." Pointing out that the Episcopal Church has not approved the ordination of non-celibate gays and lesbians nor the blessing of same-sex relationships, the statement said, "Why then should we invite amongst us something we are not familiar within our country?"
In a response, the Rev. Michael W. Hopkins, president of Integrity USA, stressed the fact that the chapter in Uganda "is entirely indigenous" and charged that the statement by the bishops "sends a message of fear and demoralization among lesbian and gay Anglicans in Uganda" by referring to the new chapter as "inhuman."
The February 15 statement called on the Ugandan bishops "to examine their statement in all humility and Christian conscience and find a better way to state their disagreement, one which does not question the fundamental humanity and dignity of members of their own church."
In response, the Integrity Uganda's leaders said that they wanted to make it "categorically clear" that it is not an alien influence from the West. "It is simply a local initiative borne by a strong need amongst Anglicans in Uganda," a signal that Uganda has its own share of "diversity and pluralism which goes to the very root of her human identity and sexuality." The purpose of the chapter is "aimed at celebrating full human sexuality as a gift to be honored and cherished by all people of all ideologies, race and cultures. One of the beauties of our Anglican faith is, despite our different diversities, we still hold together...."
The statement by Integrity Uganda said formation of the chapter was "a wake-up call to all Church of Uganda bishops who are still playing the ostrich." They cited resolutions from recent Lambeth Conferences of the world's Anglican bishops that state the issue of sexuality is far from resolved and calling on further study, listening and understanding of the issue in light of Scripture.
25 Episcopal churches in 'top 300' list
(Episcopal Life) A Lilly Endowment-funded nationwide study of local church excellence has identified the 25 Episcopal churches among the 300 outstanding Protestant congregations in the United States.
The two-year study, headed by Paul Wilkes, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, said, "We looked for churches that nurtured the spirit, welcomed and yet challenged, both preached -- and more importantly --lived the Good News," Wilkes said.
"These churches we found are simply wonderful places to be," he added. "They not only take care of their members and the newcomer, but reach out generously into the world."
The Rev. Mark Beckwith, rector of All Saints Episcopal Church in Worchester, Mass., was astonished, but proud, that his parish was chosen among the top 17 on the list and the first among Episcopal churches.
"I think the ouija board fell on us," Beckwith said, suggesting that good fortune accompanied the commendation. "In no way do we aspire to be anything more than faithful."
The congregation at All Saint's, a parish of about 600, is culturally mixed, inclusive and economically diverse. The church is involved in ecumenical feeding programs and is a participant in the Interfaith Hospitality Network, providing housing for homeless families. The downtown church, first established in Worcester in 1835, has strong ties to the neighborhood, providing facilities for community meetings, a Head Start program for 80 children and a summer Bible school.
"The parish has done tremendous work on all fronts," said Bishop Gordon Scruton. "It has always been the mother church of Worchester, which is the second largest city in New England. "It has been a central place of witness to the Gospel for the city."
Scruton said parishioners have been visible in the neighborhood with processions, prayer vigils at murder sites and outreach to single parents.
"It's a holistic congregation. There's a healing group, a prayer and praise team that reaches out in the community. The parish offers retreats and study groups to help people grow spirituality."
In explaining the criteria for making his choices, Wilkes said the amount of resources, location, or denomination was not relevant. "It's really a matter of having faith in God, faith in each other and a sense of imagination."
The most successful, he said, are those parishes willing to take risks - with leadership, liturgy and programs. "They are also welcoming to newcomers who don't look or act like themselves."
His findings will be summarized in a book, Excellent Protestant Congregations: the Guide to Best Places and Practices, to be published this spring by Westminster John Knox. The study also identified 300 excellent Roman Catholic parishes.
Souper Bowl means more than beer, chips
(Episcopal Life) On Super Bowl Sunday, more than $3.5 million was raised from 12,500 congregations in 50 states and Canada in an effort to help hungry and needy people.
More than 300 Episcopal churches reported participating in the Souper Bowl of Caring on Jan. 28, raising $88,000. In all, 40 denominations participated in the annual event, and donations are still pouring in, according to Souper Bowl officials.
The effort, which began in the Senior High Youth Fellowship of Spring Valley Presbyterian Church in Columbia, S.C., in 1990, involves parishioners giving $1 each, or one canned good, as they leave worship on or close to the day of the big football game. Young people from congregations in all parts of the country stand at sanctuary exits and receive the donations in large soup pots. All the money and any food collected are then sent directly to a charity selected by each youth group.
Thom Chu, officer for ministries resources at the Episcopal Church Center, represents the presiding bishop on the Council of Stewards for the Souper Bowl. "It's a great grass-roots effort, which involves a lot of young people on a day for sports, yet it helps people to focus on something more than just the game," said Chu. "This is a moment when people can focus on the needs of others."
Anglicans and Orthodox continue their dialogue
(ACNS) The official dialogue between the Anglican Communion and representatives of the Orthodox churches continued with a mid-February meeting in Greece. The dialogues were established in 1973 to explore and, if possible, reconcile differences between the two churches. It published two documents of agreements, the first in Moscow in 1976 and another in Dublin in 1984.
Now in its third stage, the International Commission of the Anglican-Orthodox Dialogue has produced interim statements in 1998 on "The Trinity and the Church," another on "Christ, the Spirit and the Church," and "Christ, Humanity and the Church."
At its meeting in Greece, the commission began its examination of ordained ministry in the church and its relationship to the unique high priesthood of Christ and the royal priesthood of the whole Christian community, according to a communiqué issued on February 15. It will continue that discussion at its meeting next year. It also approved an agreed statement on "Episcope, Episcopos and Primacy."
The commission is chaired by Metropolitan John of Pergamon for the Orthodox and Bishop Mark Dyer, the retired Episcopal bishop of Bethlehem (Pennsylvania).
Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches available on CD-ROM
(NCC) The National Council of Churches (NCC) recently announced that all 68 "Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches" editions from 1916 through 2000 are now available on CD-ROM. This new format, which will preserve all statistical and essay pages, is the latest enhancement under a three-year, $635,000 redevelopment grant from the Lilly Endowment and the Robert Johnson Foundation.
"Lilly was concerned that the yearbook's one-of-a-kind body of information collected since 1916 be preserved and made available to social scientists, church leaders and historians, journalists, libraries, seminarians and other scholars and the general public," said the Rev. Eileen W. Lindner, NCC deputy general secretary for research and planning. "The new CD-ROM is an enduring contribution to the study of American Christianity," she said. "Until now, the yearbook's corpus simply was unavailable to all but the very few researchers who could find their way to our offices and spend time pouring through increasingly fragile volumes."
The cost of the "Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches Historic Archive" CD is $29.50. To order, call (888) 870-3325 or email yearbook@nccusa.org
Vatican to give Internet its patron saint
(ENS) Pope John Paul II is about to name St. Isidore of Seville as the patron saint of computer users and the Internet.
The proposal for such a move was made in 1999, with Spanish Catholic bishops advocating St. Isidore as the best candidate on the grounds that in the 7th century he produced one of the world's first databases in the form of a twenty-volume encyclopedia called The Etymologies.
The Web is known to be high on the list of the Pope's concerns, and the Vatican has had its own website since 1996, powered by three computers dubbed Raphael, Michael and Gabriel. A Vatican spokesman said that the Holy See was receiving a growing number of requests to name St. Isidore, and the matter was "under active consideration."
Left Behind left behind at box office
(Albuquerque Journal) Across the country, Left Behind: The Movie has been a box office flop.
Based on the best-selling book by evangelist Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins, the movie was only the 17th most popular movie in the country for the week ending February 4, earning only $2.2 million in comparison with $6 million earned at the same time by a film about bank-robbing cheerleaders called Sugar and Spice.
The movie, described by Christian fundamentalists as an end-of-the-world scenario, was supported by a guerrilla marketing effort in which evangelical Protestant churches across the country paid at least $3,000 apiece to sponsor the film's theatrical release in their cities. The goal was to give moviegoers some old-time religion with their popcorn, and to show the film industry there is a market for faith-based films.
But not all churches think the film or the books on which it is based are a good idea. A Presbyterian group representing 23 churches in southern New Mexico passed a resolution in January against the "Left Behind" book series and movie after church members read some of the books and became alarmed. "It's crazy business," said the Rev. Jon Shannon Webster, executive presbyter of the Sierra Blanca Presbytery in Roswell. "This interpretation of the Bible is foreign to most mainstream denominations."
The resolution asks the national Presbyterian Church to take a stand against the books and the film, which Webster said are based on "false theology," and to provide materials and resources to Presbyterian churches across the country to "educate people about what the Book of Revelation really says."
NCC survey finds more Americans in need since welfare reform
(NCC) More Americans are working as a result of the 1996 welfare reform legislation, but many of them are poorer than before, according to faith-based social service providers and advocates polled by the National Council of Churches (NCC).
The survey, released on February 15 during a related NCC-sponsored consultation, said that working families are the fastest growing category of people in need, and are coming to faith-based organizations seeking food, rent or mortgage assistance, utility payments, child care, job training and placement.
"Florida voters may have left a lot of dimpled chads, leaving ballot counters puzzled at their intent, but survey respondents were clearly outraged at the increase in numbers of working poor," said Mary Cooper of the NCC's Washington office, who tallied the results. "They jabbed at the survey form and put multiple checkmarks as they described working people struggling to stay housed but unable to pay their utilities and turning to the church for help. This winter it's going to be terrible for people trying to pay for heat."
The survey results were pieces of the NCC's broader, 10-year "Poverty Mobilization" launched in November 2000 to explore initiatives in such areas as health care, children, environment, education, and housing, with the aim of identifying achievable goals for combating poverty in the United States.
Under 1996 legislation, people leaving welfare often are forced to take any job that is available without regard to their family needs, the survey confirmed. "Jobs people take when they lack education and training often don't pay enough to support a family," respondents said, "and in many states they lose Medicaid, food stamps, child care, and housing subsidies when they get a job, or the value is sharply reduced. The result is they are poorer working than they were when they were on welfare."
Welfare reform has worked best, according to the survey, where states provide significant literacy and job training and continue supportive services.
Diocese of Virginia sets goals
(ENS) At the 206th Annual Council of the Diocese of Virginia, over 400 clergy and lay delegates unanimously passed Resolution R-1, which calls for a diocesan-wide capital and planned giving campaign to expand the mission and ministry of the church.
The campaign will support the following four initiatives:
· Strengthening existing congregations
· Expanding youth ministries
· Expanding outreach to our local and global neighbors in need
· Establishing new churches in the diocese
While no monetary goal has been set, the resolution outlines $53 million in needs, including $20 million for the church planting initiative. Northern Virginia is an area of exponential population growth and 30-35% of the population does not have a church family.
U.N. preparing for special session on HIV/AIDS in June
(ENS) In preparation for a special session on HIV/AIDS in June, the United Nations has released a report, calling the global community to an intensified, coordinated action to deal with an epidemic that is "the most formidable development challenge of our time."
Secretary General Kofi Annan said that "leadership is fundamental to an effective response…vital if the nature of the epidemic is to be clearly understood throughout society and a national response mobilized."
By the end of last year, over 36 million people around the world were living with HIV or AIDS and almost 22 million had died from the disease. Last year there was an estimated 5.3 million new infections globally and over three million deaths, the highest yearly total ever. An even greater epidemic can be prevented, according to the report. Large-scale prevention programs have clearly demonstrated that the spread of HIV can be reduced, especially among young people and hard-to-reach populations.
"AIDS has become a major development crisis," said Annan. "It kills millions of adults in their prime. It fractures and impoverishes families, weakens workforces, turns millions of children into orphans, and threatens the social and economic fabric of communities and the political stability of nations," he added.
"Collective experience with HIV/AIDS has evolved to the point where it is now possible to state with confidence that it is technically, politically and financially feasible to contain" the epidemic and "dramatically reduce its spread and impact," Annan said in the report.
Successful responses will have their roots in communities, the report argued. Empowering young people and women is essential and an approach taking into account human rights is fundamental. It is also necessary to combat the stigma that accompanies the disease, fighting denial and shame that are major obstacles in discussing and confronting the epidemic.
OBITUARIES
Austin Cooper civil rights champion
The Rev. Austin R. Cooper, Sr., 67, died of heart attack February 14 while driving home from a meeting of the Southeast Florida Episcopal Foundation, of which he was a board member. The son of Bahamian immigrants, Cooper, a native of Miami who began his ministry there, returned from Cleveland, Ohio, upon retirement last year.
He served in parishes in the dioceses of Southeast Florida, Florida, Central New York, Rochester, and Ohio and was headmaster of an Episcopal parochial school in Dallas.
Cooper represented the Episcopal Church on the communion-wide Anglican Consultative Council and was a co-founder, charter member and first secretary of the Union of Black Episcopalians. He was a staunch supporter of the church's black colleges and in 1991 was instrumental in the establishment of the Episcopal Legacy Fund to make visible the church's efforts to combat racism by providing scholarships for minority students.
In 1979, the Greater Cleveland Interchurch Council and two newspapers honored him in recognition of his civil rights work. During his time as president of the NAACP in Cleveland, shots were fired into his home and his life was threatened.
He leaves his wife, Patricia; son Austin Cooper Jr.; daughters Dr. Angela Cooper-Carty and Kimberly; brothers Clement and William, and sister Leona Baker.
Arizona educator co-founded order
The Rev. Mother Virginia Russell Schofield, 92, who helped found Episcopal schools for nearly half a century, died February 5. She was head of Tucson's Tuller School, a co-ed day and girls' boarding school for 200 students from kindergarten to Grade 12, and was mother superior of the Episcopal order of the Teachers of the Children of God from 1968 until 1997.
She was co-founder of the teaching order of nuns with the Rev. Mother Abbie Loveland Tuller, who died in 1972. The nuns also started other schools in Alaska, California, Connecticut, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island and the Navajo Reservation at Window Rock, Arizona.