Episcopal Press and News
EAST TENNESSEE: Convention welcomes Jefferts Schori, continues commitment to MDGs
Episcopal News Service. February 13, 2007 [021307-08]
Mary Frances Schjonberg
The Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee, meeting February 9-10 in its 23rd annual convention, heard Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori say supporting the Millennium Development Goals is "not just a matter of identifying a place to send your money."
"It is about developing truly giving relationships and listening to and learning from other people's experiences," she said. "Transformation can begin with partnerships, through building up the body of Christ in interpersonal relationships. Those partnerships can begin to move us away from an approach to the suffering of this world that is merely putting Band-Aids and charity on the problem, and move us forward, transforming the systems of this world that permit the ungodly and inhumane suffering and poverty and violence that are so rampant."
She also said that advocacy is important. "That means being willing to write letters and call Washington to say that children are starving in Bangladesh or dying of AIDS in Zimbabwe, that we care; we want our government to do more to put a stop to it," she said. "Remember, they work for you."
Countering the protest that the church is not supposed "meddle in politics," Jefferts Schori said "Well, my friends, politics is the art of living in community."
"The kingdom of God is about a society of peace and justice. The goals won't be achieved without the willingness to use all the gifts at our disposal, including politics," she said. "All of Jesus' preaching and teaching about the kingdom of God is a pointed way of saying that God is in charge, and not any human government. Our task is to challenge those governments to live up to a higher standard, one that is worthy of God's devotion."
Jefferts Schori's entire address is available in a number of formats here.
Bishop Charles vonRosenberg told the Convention that the diocese's congregations need to be concerned about stewardship in 2007, and about how to respond to the diocese's asking.
"Our parishes have not accepted the diocesan financial askings to the extent that we had anticipated. Those askings are based on a fair share formula for all our churches, but not all of our churches have accepted their fair share," he said. "As a result, our programs and ministries will suffer from lack of funds this year; and those ministries will be impacted – significantly and negatively."
Still, vonRosenberg said, the 2006 budget and that of 2007 commit money to the MDGs "as a diocese, as the Episcopal Church, as members of the Anglican Communion, and as citizens of the world."
The bishop urged the diocese and the church to keep moving forward on the journey of faith. "The period of time between 2003 and 2006 - like any other period of history - has passed. Unfortunately, some people of faith have chosen that period as the defining moment in the history of our church and they continue to consider that time with lament and with accusation," he said. "What precedes that period apparently seems inconsequential to them; what follows it seems irrelevant. For these folks, that time has defined the Episcopal Church. I submit to you, though, that in a strange and ironic kind of way, such a perspective makes a false idol out of those years."
The complete text of vonRosenberg's address is available here.
Among the resolutions the Convention approved was one to urge every parish to "see itself within the watershed in which it is placed," distribute a good practices brochure on water quality to its parishioners and raise awareness on this issue and urge that future construction by the diocese examine the environmental and water quality impact of impervious surfaces and surfacing, and examine and weigh alternatives.
The Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee comprises about 16,650 Episcopalians worshiping in 45 congregations.