News Briefs
Episcopal News Service. September 26, 1985 [85197]
In response to a request from the Rt. Rev. Duncan M. Gray, Bishop of Mississippi, the Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Relief has issued an emergency grant of $5,000 to assist in the relief efforts following hurricane Elena, which struck the Mississippi Gulf Coast Sept. 1.
In addition to electing a new executive committee (see DPS #85183), the 1985 Triennial Meeting of the Women of the Episcopal Church, which met here concurrently with the General Convention Sept. 7-14, also elected provincial representatives to serve on the new Triennial Committee. These are: Marjorie A. Burke, Massachusetts, for Province I; Joyce Hogg, New York, for Province II; Barbara Myrick, Southeast Florida, for Province IV; Eileen Witzky, Michigan, for Province V; Sherry Maule, South Dakota, for Province VI; Mary Gail Ruark, Oklahoma, for Province VII; Charlotte Green, San Joaquin, for Province VIII; and Thelma Wilson, Nicaragua, for Province IX. The new member for Province III will be announced at a later date. Two members of the 1985 Triennial Committee have been elected to work with the new members. They are: Lillian LaPorte, Maryland, and Anne Fulk, Arkansas. Liaison member for the United Thank Offering will be Thelma Blaine of New Jersey.
Members of the Evangelical and Catholic wings of the Church of England have joined forces in the "Association for an Apostolic Ministry," an organization set up to provide literature about the priesthood which would be an "alternative" to material supplied by the Movement for the Ordination of Women. Last year, the Church of England's General Synod voted in favor of women's ordination, but the alliance hopes, in the elections for this year's Synod, to prevent the two-thirds majority necessary on the next vote for the measure to become law.
Bishops of the Church of England have published a code of practice which calls for the appointment of "visitors" to counsel deserted wives of clergymen and help them with housing and family problems. Clergy and their families here have rentfree housing, and finding low-cost housing is often among the most traumatic things facing wives and children involved in clergy marriage breakup. The committee also calls on each diocese to establish a contingency fund to aid abandoned clergy wives.
The Episcopal Church of St. Thomas, here, joined with the Vatican Mission to the U.N. and Holy Family Roman Catholic Church to sponsor an interdenominational ceremony, held at Holy Family, asking God's blessing on the United Nations 40th General Assembly, which began Sept. 17. The service was hosted by Cardinal John O'Connor, Archbishop of New York, and was attended by Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar; former president of the General Assembly, Ambassador Paul Lusaka; members of international Roman Catholic organizations; diplomats from the 159 U.N. member states and members of New York's international community.
Shortly after the publication of an article in which Archbishop of Canterbury Robert Runcie urged the Church of England to be generous to divorcees who wish to remarry, his son, James, announced his own intention to marry a divorcee. Runcie will bless the couple at Lambeth Palace following a civil ceremony. The Archbishop has often argued for a compassionate approach to divorce and remarriage. His recent article, which appeared in Women's Realm, a nationally popular weekly, said, "I've known many people seeking a second marriage determined to build something positive from the faults, the failure and misunderstandings of the first. And if they're entering into the marriage with a genuine desire to make it work, I believe they should be given the blessing of the Church." He cited some of the many reasons why marriages fail -- some simply die, others fall to mistaken expectations. He also noted life expectancy changes: "200 years ago, the expectation of marriage was 15 years. Now it's around 50 years."
The Rt. Rev. John T. Walker and the Rev. Provost Charles A. Perry have announced the appointment of Suzy Mink to be director of development for the Washington Cathedral. Mink came to the Cathedral four years ago to direct the Annual Fund, having held a similar position at her alma mater, Hollins College, in Virginia. She has since served as associate director of development for major gifts and deputy director of development. In 1980, Mink was one of the Olympic torch bearers for the winter games in Lake Placid, N.Y.
The Rev. Kwasi Thornell is the new Canon Missioner at the Washington Cathedral. Thornell, who was vicar of St. Stephen's, St. Louis, when he accepted the call, will have as his special province relating the Cathedral to the City of Washington and the city to the Cathedral. He will also develop and participate in ecumenical programs and be involved in the design of special worship services. While in the Diocese of Missouri, Thornell served as a member of the Standing Committee, the Nigerian Task Force and the Task Force on Racism, as well as being a member of the St. Louis Public School Desegregation Committee and chairing the St. Louis Committee to Free South Africa. He attended the recent General Convention as a Deputy from the diocese, the second time he has so served. Prior to his work at St. Stephen's, he was Deputy for Urban Mission in Missouri, and has served at Intercession, New York; Grace, Detroit; and as director of the Alex- ander Crummell Center for Worship and Learning.
In late June, the Association of Theological Schools accepted Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry here as an accredited member. Founded in 1975 by a group of clergy and laity in western Pennsylvania, Trinity opened in the fall of 1976. It had three full-time faculty members and 17 students. The Rt. Rev. Alfred Stanway, retired bishop of Central Tanganyika in Tanzania, East Africa, was the founding dean. This year's incoming class of 30 will bring the student body to approximately 130 -- 80 full-time and 50 part-time students, including three from East Africa. Trinity offers a three or four year master of divinity degree and a one year lay studies diploma. An application for degree-granting status for a master of arts in religion program from the state of Pennsylvania is pending.
An American Committee is being formed under the chairmanship of Henry Darlington, Jr., to assist the work of an Episcopal Church in Florence, Italy. The "Friends of Saint James," as they are called, will include both American and European residents who have either had personal contact with "The American Church" and those who have a particular love for the city of Florence, sometimes known as "the cultural gem of the Western world." Early members of the Committee include Presiding Bishop John M. Allin, Cyrus Vance, Robert Gordon (a former consul-general and ambassador), and Paul G. Pennoyer, Jr., whose ancestor, J. Pierpont Morgan, was a major donor to the present church, built in 1907.
A new version of "Mission in Many Places", a slide and cassette presentation on the overseas work of the Episcopal Church, is available on a loan basis from the Office of Communication at the Episcopal Church Center here. The presentation lasts 18 minutes and shows 133 slides, which portray the many facets of the work of the Episcopal Church around the world. The principle of partnership in mission is explained in practical terms, and Episcopalians have the opportunity to see what their offerings do in evangelistic, relief, development and educational work. "The presentation is an excellent educational tool so that our people can understand the scope and magnitude of our work," said Bishop G. Edward Haynsworth, executive for world mission at the Episcopal Church Center. The slides and cassettes are available from: Office of Communication, Episcopal Church Center, 815 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10017; phone: (212) 867-8400.
The Anglican Consultative Council announced this summer that its Inter-Anglican Theological and Doctrinal Commission, which was set up five years ago, has completed its work ahead of schedule. It did not, however, reach complete agreement. Based here, the Commission is made up of 14 members of Anglican churches from North American, the Pacific, Africa, Asia and Europe. Findings are being revised and will be published early in 1986 for consideration by member churches of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The Council expects the document to be considered fully by the bishops attending the 1988 Lambeth Conference in Canterbury, England. Secretary of the Commission, the Rev. George Braund, said, "Complete agreement was not achieved, but it became clear that insights arising from one context could illuminate those of others, and that a multi-cultural and pluralist church had the possibility of fuller understanding of the Gospel."
Carmen Etel Alves Gomes has become the first woman to be ordained deacon in the Episcopal Church of Brazil; she will serve a mission church here, near the border with Uruguay. She has served in Church leadership positions since her early youth, and her brother, Naudal, is a priest and was her presenter. More than 300 people attended the ceremony.
The Rev. W. Richard Kew has been appointed the first executive director of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge/United States of America (SPCK/USA), founded here in 1983. Prior to his appointment, Kew had served for 16 years in parish ministry, both in England and the United States. Throughout, he has had a particular interest in Christian education and the worldwide mission of the Church. He was a founding member of the South American Missionary Society of the Episcopal Church and served as chairman of its board of trustees from its inception until 1984. SPCK/USA's stated purpose is to raise funds to enable the development and distribution of Christian literature within Christian communities throughout the world. Its parent organization, SPCK of London, was founded nearly 300 years ago as the first English missionary society.
A church stewardship manual written by William U. Whipple, vice-president for development at the University of the South, has been translated into Spanish by the Episcopal Church Center in New York. "Stewardship Program Manual: Prepared for the Episcopal Church," was published in English last year and is already being used by congregations in 28 dioceses, including the Diocese of the Northern Philippines. According to the Rev. Herbert Arrunategui, national hispanic officer, the initial printing of the Spanish edition (1,000 copies) will be utilized by hispanic congregations in the United States. The manual provides a comprehensive stewardship program for parishes that strives to also be sensitive to the mission of the Church and is based on Whipple's more than 20 years as a stewardship consultant to parishes, dioceses and Church-related institutions.
Repair work continues -- reportedly ahead of schedule -- on York Minister cathedral, partially destroyed by fire a year ago July. But craftsmen have discovered they need at least 20 great oaks, free from imperfections, and aged between 200 and 300 years -- they must be a minimum of 60 feet high, so that 52 lengths, 40 feet each, can be cut from them. The Minister has already received many oaks from all over the nation, which are being used to rebuild the vaulted ceiling of the fire-ravaged south transept with 200 oak ribs. The giant oaks are needed to support the top of the roof. It is believed that this is the first time rebuilding work of this scale has been attempted, and the work is expected to take five years to complete.