News Briefs
Episcopal News Service. November 5, 2002 [2002-255-1]
Black, Native American, Asian missioners leaving Church Center staff
(ENS) The Rev. Lynn Collins, missioner for Black and Urban Ministries, and the Rev. John Robertson, missioner for Native American Ministries, will conclude their work at the Episcopal Church Center by the end of 2002. The announcement was made November 5 by Pat Mordecai, chief operating officer and assistant to the presiding bishop for administration.
"[L]ast February the decision was made to begin a search for a Director of Ethnic Congregational Development and the ethnic missioners were informed at that time that their positions as presently configured were to end as soon as we had named the director of the department," Mordecai said. "They were also told that the new positions would have a much stronger focus on growing and developing congregations, while maintaining the advocacy role so important within these communities.
"Because we have not had success as yet in naming a Director of Ethnic Congregational Development, we believe now eight months later that it is important to begin the process of transition and for some of the ethnic ministries staff to bring closure to their work as presently constituted.
"Early in the new year, we will begin a search process for filling the new positions in Ethnic Congregational Development, and we will continue in our search for a director," the statement concluded. "In the meantime, we hope to name an Acting Director of Ethnic Congregational Development in the near future."
Mordecai said the church center is "very grateful" to Collins and Robertson for "their years of service and contributions to the life of this organization, our ethnic communities, and the church at large."
On November 1, Mordecai announced the retirement of the Rev. Winston Ching, missioner for Asian Ministries, after 29 years at the Church Center, calling it "a remarkable accomplishment."
El Cajon parish, mayor reach temporary compromise on homeless shelter
(ENS) As a midnight deadline approached on October 29, Mark Lewis, the mayor of El Cajon, California, and the Rev. John Conrad, the rector of St. Alban's Episcopal Church in El Cajon, were able to work out a tentative plan for homeless people camped on the church's property. As a result, a news conference and candlelight vigil, originally scheduled as protests, became, as Conrad put it, "more Easter than Good Friday."
There are no services for homeless people in El Cajon, a small city near San Diego. An earlier, non-binding resolution by the city council had not resulted in action toward creating a shelter for these people.
The people of St. Alban's made a commitment to help the homeless in the city early in the summer. To date, most of their efforts have run afoul of city government and their neighbors. Efforts to provide toilet facilities and to allow people to camp on a vacant lot next to the church have generated complaints from neighbors and threats of legal action by the city.
On October 22, the city council voted to give St. Alban's one week to remove the homeless people camped on the property or face legal action, including the threat of revocation of the conditional use permit that allows the church to operate. At that time, some 12 to 15 people were camped on the lot in tents, using a portable toilet supplied by the church.
Over the next week, the camp occupancy doubled. The campers included several families with small children and two men who used wheelchairs. A second toilet was installed to accommodate their needs. The camp was kept clean and orderly but still dismayed many neighbors.
At noon on October 29, Lewis visited the camp and church to discuss the situation with Conrad. During their conversation, they worked out a plan for the future. Lewis would advocate allowing a temporary shelter to be installed either at St. Alban's or on another vacant lot, and St. Alban's would commit to the running of a shelter this winter. Tentative plans included the use of portable buildings similar to the portable classrooms used in many local schools. The shelter would include services designed to assist guests to find permanent homes, jobs, medical treatment and other necessities for transitioning away from life on the streets. This would provide a temporary solution, allowing the city more time to design, fund and create a permanent regional center for the homeless.
Lewis called this "a win-win situation that meets the needs of the community, the neighbors, downtown merchants, the church, and the homeless." Conrad declared, "I prayed from midnight till morning that something like this would happen."
The city council, where the mayor has one vote in five, must still approve the actions and some opposition is expected when they meet on November 12. Until then, the city attorney is bound by the October 22 vote to seek legal action against the church for not complying with the request that the homeless camp be removed. The people of St. Alban's have promised to continue to care for the campers until a shelter is in place for them.
Conrad estimates that the temporary shelter will cost approximately $600,000 for the first year. He pledged 1 percent of St. Alban's budget and 1percent of his salary toward the effort and called on other churches in the city, other Episcopal churches in the Diocese of San Diego, and the city of El Cajon to pledge 1percent of their budgets toward the effort. Conrad has raised $10,000 by emailing local Episcopal clergy. Donations to assist may be made to the St. Alban's HELP Fund, Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, 2728 Sixth Ave., San Diego, California 92103.
'Firewall' resolution passes in Pittsburgh
(ENS) A resolution touted as an attempt to build a "firewall" between self-described "orthodox Anglicans" and decisions of the General Convention passed at the 137th annual convention of the Diocese of Pittsburgh on November 2.
The resolution, modeled after one passed in February by the Diocese of South Carolina, states that the diocese:
+ affirms "the Creedal confession of the Triune God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and of the unique saving work of Jesus Christ. We cannot use liturgies that depart from scriptural revelation and the historic Faith"
+ affirms "that in God's love for all people, the only sexually intimate relationships receiving His blessing in Scripture and Tradition are those of a man and a woman within an intended life-long, faithful, marital covenant. The Church cannot bless any other sexual relationship, and we cannot recognize the blessing of any other."
+ affirms "the right of conscience for those who cannot agree with changes in the Faith, Order, or Practice of the Episcopal Church when those changes contradict the expressed mind of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the historic catholic faith. We cannot accept canons which mandate clergy and laity to comply with such changes."
A similar resolution was passed earlier by the Diocese of Fort Worth.
The 93 priests and deacons at the convention favored it 73-14, with six abstentions. The 174 lay deputies adopted it 119-49, with six abstentions.
"We voted and recorded the pattern of our vote. We tried not to be winners and losers, but rather brothers and sisters. Though divided, we sought to be 'one church' in how we did what we did," said Pittsburgh bishop Robert Duncan. Duncan, who initially supported the resolution, stated later in pre-convention meetings that he thought the resolution "divides and hurts people." He also provided assurances that the resolution would not limit the use of future liturgies by individual parishes wanting to use them, although such use might have to be overseen by another bishop. Duncan took no part in the discussion of the resolution, although he did preside.
The vote was taken by secret ballot after a motion to table the resolution failed. After its passage, members of the ad hoc group Those Opposed to Resolution One (TORO), accompanied by supporters, walked to the front of the convention floor wearing signs that read "Christ Unites, Resolution 1 Divides," and the Rev. Cynthia Bronson-Sweigart of Church of the Redeemer in Squirrel Hill read a statement.
"We are in profound pain over the positions stated in this resolution and concerned about the consequences its adoption will have on the already fragile common life of this diocese," the statement said. "We believe this unyielding document further divides our people, rendering some of us invisible. Some priests and parishes will bear allegiance to the dictates of this document and the diocese, and some will bear allegiance to the dictates of the national church. In a diocese where the fabric of unity is increasingly threadbare, passage of this resolution creates a tear which is almost impossible to mend."
The statement was followed by silent prayer for the unity of the church and a statement from the Rev. J. Douglas McGlynn, speaking for the sponsors of the resolution. Noting that the resolution was not intended to silence the voice of those who were opposed to its content, McGlynn introduced a motion to append the voting tallies, both clergy and lay, to the communication of the resolution to the appropriate officers of the General Convention, scheduled to meet next summer in Minneapolis.
The TORO group held "A Vigil of Prayer for the Unity of the Church" at Trinity Cathedral in downtown Pittsburgh the weekend before the convention. They reported to the convention that they had gathered 645 signatures in opposition to the resolution.
Frade protests treatment of Haitian migrants
(ENS) Bishop Leo Frade of the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida is protesting the treatment of more than 200 Haitians who came ashore near Miami's Rickenbacker Causeway on October 29.
The migrants had left Port-au-Prince 18 days before and picked up three Cubans on a raft along the way. The migrants, including 150 men, 35 women and 26 children, are being held at a detention center and at Miami hotels. Another 19 people fished from the waters off Miami are being held aboard a Coast Guard cutter, awaiting repatriation. The Bush administration changed its detention policy on Haitian refugees in December, 2001. Before the policy change, Haitian migrants applying for asylum were released into the community while their petitions were processed.
"As a Christian, as an American and as an immigrant to this country, I am deeply disturbed by our government's unjust treatment of the Haitian refugees who came ashore in our community this week," Frade said. "These people, whose desperation and courage led them to undertake a dangerous voyage to escape the political violence in their own country, are now in jail. Because of an INS regulation directed only at asylum-seekers from Haiti, they will remain in detention for an indefinite period, while their claims are processed, which may take many months. To add to their distress, families have been separated, with men held in one facility while their wives and children have been taken elsewhere.
"Scripture teaches us again and again to welcome the stranger, reminding us that God's love and hospitality are without limits, and that all people are our neighbors. While it is not realistic to think that Miami-Dade County--or the whole United States--can reasonably accept everyone who would like to come here, I believe we are obligated as Americans, of whatever faith, or no faith, to treat with respect and fairness everyone who comes to our shores," Frade added.
Frade, who came to the U.S. from Cuba in 1960, urged President George Bush to direct the INS to "rescind the unjust directive that singles out Haitian refugees for such punitive treatment."
Support urged for aid to needy families
(ENS) Episcopalians are being urged to contact their senators and representatives about passing a three-year reauthorization for Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program.
TANF is the primary funding source for states to assist those moving from welfare to self-sufficiency. Proponents, who originally backed a five-year extension, now want Congress to consider a compromise to extend TANF without change for three years. Congress returns to Washington on November 12 for a post-election "lame duck" session.
"We believe that a 3-year extension would help poor working families much more than a 1-year extension," said a letter signed on behalf of the Episcopal Church by the church's Office of Government Relations. "Our decision to support a 3-year extension has been made because: 1) state officials and governors--those who administer TANF programs--have stated their concern that without a 3-year extension, many state legislatures, particularly those that only meet biennially, would not be able to plan adequately for the budgeting and administration of their TANF programs; 2) securing a stable level of federal funding for domestic social programs will probably be more feasible in 3 years, compared to 1 year from now; and 3) a 3-year extension would significantly de-politicize welfare reform. A 1-year extension does not adequately address these concerns and the needs of welfare recipients."
A resolution passed by Executive Council in February 2002 supported reduction of domestic poverty and called on the U.S. Congress and the Bush administration to "support federal programs…offering dignity and opportunities for the working poor to move out of poverty. The Church supports the reauthorization of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families."
Church World Service moves new Africa initiative forward
(CWS) Church World Service is moving forward plans for a new Africa Initiative, through which CWS and its partners will seek to bring increased attention and resources to the struggles faced by the majority of Africans.
The CWS Africa Initiative will extend over at least five years and aims to target new resources for maximum impact on a few significant issues. It will work with African national councils of churches and other partners to build, improve and expand their humanitarian services, institutions and leadership. The Africa Initiative will target three particularly vulnerable populations: 1) children; 2) people living with HIV/AIDS, and 3) uprooted peoples, including refugees, migrants and internally displaced persons. It will focus on three root causes of hunger and poverty affecting these vulnerable groups: 1) violence, conflict, peace and reconciliation; 2) water, health and food security, and 3) globalization and poverty reduction. And it will give specific and intentional attention to the needs and rights of African women and girls, who long have faced discrimination and violence.
One component of the Africa Initiative that is generating particular interest is the concept of schools as "Safe Zones." Executive Director John L. McCullough said, "We would seek to promote schools as safe zones where children could be secure from violence, receive one hot meal a day, and pursue education."
The Africa Initiative in general, and the "Safe Zones" component in particular, also will seek to engage corporations, especially those that have been taking resources from the continent. "We will encourage them to reinvest in communities there," McCullough said. "The first priority for reinvestment should be the schools."
The Africa Initiative also sets out to "strengthen the voice of our partners in the international arena," said Kirsten Laursen, an Episcopalian who serves as CWS Deputy Director for Programs. "CWS has the unique opportunity to facilitate representation of our partners' concerns," on, for example, the New Economic Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), a major 21st century initiative for engaging the international community in partnership with Africa for Africa's development.
The CWS Board of Directors reviewed the evolving initiative at its fall meeting, held October 22-23 in South Bend, Indiana, and gave its unanimous support. Formal launch of the Africa Initiative is set for January 2004. Throughout 2003, CWS will work to enlist U.S. denominational support and will hold a series of follow-up planning meetings with African church leaders.
CWS is the $70 million a year, global humanitarian agency of the 36 Protestant, Orthodox and Anglican member denominations of the (U.S.) National Council of Churches, and works in more than 80 countries. CWS has broad U.S. grassroots support--particularly through its nearly 2,000 annual CROP WALKS, which last year raised more than $17 million to fight hunger in the United States and around the world.
White House AIDS chief addresses NEAC conference
(ENS) Episcopalians and Lutherans concerned about HIV/AIDS met in Austin, Texas, October 11-12 for "New Directions 2002," a joint conference of the National Episcopal AIDS Coalition (NEAC) and the Lutheran AIDS Network (LANet).
Featured speaker for the gathering was Dr. Joseph O'Neill, newly appointed director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy. He is responsible for guiding national health policy on HIV/AIDS care and treatment, health care financing, and access for medically underserved populations. A member of the faculty at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, he previously served as acting director of the Office of HIV/AIDS Policy in the Department of Health and Human Services and was associate administrator in the HIV/AIDS Bureau of the Health Resources and Services Administration, where he ran the Ryan White CARE Act program.
The NEAC conference was the first "faith based" event that O'Neill had addressed since taking his position with the White House in July. O'Neill, whose two brothers are Jesuit priests, congratulated those present for their work in the area of HIV/AIDS and spoke about how government has learned from members of the faith community. He mentioned that government was "late to the fight" against HIV/AIDS and, once there, saw members of the faith community deeply involved in care and support. O'Neill also spoke to the need to do more to combat HIV/AIDS overseas.
Sessions included discussions of HIV prevention for persons over 50; AIDS and the spirit; an overview of a Dallas needle exchange program; the progress of the Latino AIDS Prevention Project in Los Angeles; fund-raising for AIDS service organizations; the impact of HIV/AIDS on American rural communities; and how to rebuild diocesan HIV/AIDS task forces and make them more effective resources.
Though death rates for U.S. men from HIV/AIDS have gone down 18 percent, death rates for U.S. women have gone up 3 percent. AIDS is now the leading cause of death for U.S. Latina women aged 25-44.