PB Affirms Ministry of Communication in Williamsburg
Episcopal News Service. April 27, 1989 [89078A]
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (DPS, Apr. 27) -- Calling the Episcopal Church and its sense of mission "one of the best-kept secrets," Presiding Bishop Edmond L. Browning reaffirmed his strong commitment to communications at the annual meeting of the national Episcopal Communicators (April 17-20).
Browning spoke at the opening banquet of the largest gathering yet of the professional organization representing those engaged in ministries of communication in the Church.
Ruth Nicastro of Los Angeles, who finished her three-year term as president of Episcopal Communicators, introduced Browning as the person who has done more than anyone else to "raise the ministry of communications in the Church."
Browning told the group that he had come to affirm them in their ministries and that, as his own hope and vision for communication in this Church has broadened, he has become increasingly aware of the importance of the work diocesan, parish, and other communicators do, frequently with limited resources.
"The authentic ministry of communications emulates the powerful and life-changing ministry of Jesus," Browning said. "There is no proclamation without communication."
Particularly at a time of historic and controversial change for the Church, "We can no longer let other people speak for us. We can no longer let other people talk about us," Browning said, "and let the crepe hangers fill the mail boxes of Episcopalians."
"We have a wonderful story to tell," Browning said, of "a Church which is finding itself more inclusive, discovering the necessity of seeing its mission not only in evangelism but also in social ministry." He described the Church as one that is "reaching out in compassion, willing to challenge the systems, to combat the isms of our society... a Church that is, thank God, discovering the sacrament of baptism, the ministry of every person."
That kind of Church recently consecrated the Rev. Barbara Harris as suffragan bishop in Massachusetts, the first woman bishop in the 450-year history of the Anglican Church, Browning said. He called it "the most exciting, the most renewing, the most stimulating experience of my ministry" because through it "God was lifting up a new ministry, the tremendous richness of black culture, and a people truly on a pilgrimage."
Browning acknowledged that not everyone shared that sense of excitement, and that, for many, the ordination of women is still deeply disturbing. In a reference to a synod called by the Evangelical and Catholic Mission (ECM), meeting in Fort Worth, Texas, in the first week of June, Browning said, "Many of those people love the Church as much as any of us sitting in this room. But they are feeling scared, angry, betrayed, isolated, and not loved. They are asking, 'What happens from here?' 'Where do we stand?' 'Is there room in the Episcopal Church, or must we go elsewhere?' That story is yet to be told," he said.
The Eames Commission, appointed at last summer's Lambeth Conference of Anglican Bishops to study the impact of women in the episcopate, is "putting together a deeply theological report," Browning said. "What will it say to Fort Worth? What will is say to the Episcopal Church? How will it be read? How will we see God's spirit in that document and what it says about the mission of the Church?" he asked.
The Presiding Bishop finished his speech by saying, "What I am leading to is this: I believe with all my heart that God, in a very mysterious way, in the wisdom that comes from the very nature of God, is bringing the Church to a point asking, who do we want to be? Who are we as the people of God? Do we have the inclusiveness to move forward?" Browning concluded that "in the love of Christ and by the love of Christ, we can reflect this kingdom; we can be something more than we are today."
At the banquet, the Episcopal Communicators honored its 11 founders and presented it's first Janet Pierce Memorial Award, to Salome Breck, one of those founders, a former editor of the Colorado Episcopalian and active in establishing the Journal of Women's Ministries. The award, named for the managing editor of The Episcopalian who died last year, will be given occasionally to "those who live the life, ideals and goals of Janet Pierce."