Episcopal Relief and Development hosts annual Network Meeting in New Orleans
Episcopal News Service. May 23, 2007 [052307-02]
Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) held its annual Network meeting May 17-20 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The theme of this year's meeting was "Partners in Hope, Partners in Life."
The ERD Network is a group of volunteers who support and promote ERD and its programs throughout Episcopal parishes, dioceses, and seminaries, according to an ERD release. A total of 138 attendees representing 67 Episcopal dioceses and six seminaries attended the meeting, which is held each year specifically for diocesan and seminarian coordinators. There are close to 3,000 network members including more than 2,800 parish representatives.
"The Network meeting generated fresh energy and vision for working together as partners to bring God's hope and life to the world," said the Rev. Lynn Sanders, ERD's director of Church Relations.
Suraya Yahaya Bowermaster, ERD diocesan coordinator for the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado, felt a renewed sense of hope and gratitude from the meeting. "Gratitude for the people from all walks of life who respond to the needs of people whom they've never met. Hope because this response is proof that despite our differences, there is a way for us to work together for a common good. I am grateful to see the work that ERD has helped support so far, and excited about the work that we're going to do."
The meeting honored the late Canon Joyce Hogg, former ERD network director who died in June 2006.
Workshops offered during the meeting included topics such as reaching out to dioceses, parishes, and seminaries and public speaking for ERD.
Abagail Nelson, ERD's vice president for Program, moderated a discussion on international development.
Special guests and panelists included the Most Rev. Martin Barahona, Primate for the Anglican Church of Central America and Bishop of El Salvador; Ramón Aristides Valencia Arana, executive director of the Mangrove Association of El Salvador, which is a partner to the Diocese of El Salvador; and Sanjana Das, coordinator of Children's Concerns of the Church of North India.
Network coordinators visited ERD-supported Katrina recovery sites in New Orleans and Mississippi. Reflecting on his visit, Barahona said, "It affected me deeply to see the devastation of Katrina. I long to see the end to suffering and the reunification of families after this crisis."
ERD president Robert Radtke said he was proud of the steps the dioceses of Mississippi and Louisiana have taken to rebuild communities devastated by Katrina.
"It was powerful and moving to witness the programs that the dioceses of Mississippi and Louisiana are carrying out under the leadership of Bishops [Duncan] Gray and [Charles] Jenkins and in partnership with ERD," Radtke said." It was gratifying to see the beginning of hope return to these devastated communities and give honor to the work of the network coordinators in making this possible."