Diocesan Digest
Episcopal News Service. November 3, 2005 [110305-03]
COLORADO: Mission, unity highlight 118TH convention
HAWAI'I: Bishop Chang announces pending retirement
MINNESOTA: Five deacons ordained to serve Indian congregations
NORTHWEST TEXAS: Convention acts on parish pledge option
PUERTO RICO: Bishop Holly commemorations planned
RHODE ISLAND: Convention approves plan for building stronger diocese
SPOKANE: Outreach to Mississippi spans the country
TEXAS: Evacuees improve Episcopal's game
UPPER SOUTH CAROLINA: Convention endorses Windsor Report, moves forward in mission
WASHINGTON: Renowned Preacher to Bring "Word to the City"
WESTERN MASSACHUETTS: Thanksgivings highlight convention
COLORADO: Mission, unity highlight 118TH convention
[SOURCE: Diocese of Colorado] Delegates to the Diocese of Colorado's annual convention passed a resolution that emphasized the diocese's work "for the unity of the body both here and abroad."
The resolution was brought to the floor by a group of clergy that represented the full theological spectrum on the difficult issues of governance, authority and sexuality facing the church, according to diocesan spokesperson Beckett Stokes. The group told the convention that their resolution would provide an opportunity for members of the diocese to walk together and stay together in a climate of trust for one another.
The resolution welcomed the Windsor Report, issued by the Lambeth Commission of the Anglican Communion. It also expressed support for Bishop Robert O'Neill and pledged that individuals and parishes will continue to study the report and "have charitable discussion … for the sake of discerning how members of the Anglican Communion can continue to walk together in Christian communion."
The convention was framed by three addresses by O'Neill focusing on the ministries of proclamation, discipleship and servanthood, which he described as three distinct but inseparable threads in the fabric of the Church's mission.
The convention heard from several diocesan groups including Colorado's Jubilee ministries that pursue peace and justice ministries for the needy and underserved; the Colorado Haiti Project, which is working with the Diocese of Haiti to provide facilities and services to the community of Petit Trou de Nippes; and the Sudanese Community Church, a congregation of refugees that worships at St. John's Cathedral in Denver. The convention also welcomed a new mission congregation – the Church of the Good Shepherd in Colorado Springs.
The convention met October 27-29 in Grand Junction, Colorado, making it the first diocesan convention in 25 years to be held on the Western slope of Colorado. St. Matthew's Episcopal Church hosted the convention.
HAWAI'I: Bishop Chang announces pending retirement
[SOURCE: Diocese of Hawai'i, Associated Press] Bishop Richard S. O. Chang told the 37th annual convention that he intends to retire sometime after his 65th birthday, which is November 30, 2006.
"I believe that I have served the Church faithfully for these years. I believe that I leave the Diocese of Hawai'i in a healthier place than when I began my episcopal ministry in 1996," Chang told the convention that met October 28-29 on the island of Maui. "I believe that the time is right for the diocese to move into your future with new episcopal leadership. More importantly, I believe that the time is right for me and my family."
Bishop Chang intends to remain in office until his successor is consecrated a bishop. That event is expected to take place sometime in the spring of 2007.
Since Chang took office, the church has paid off a $4 million-dollar debt tied to a financial misstep that forced his predecessor, Bishop Donald Hart, to resign. The church had guaranteed a $4 million loan to the developer of a luxury retirement community. After spending more than $12 million, the project stalled, leaving the diocese responsible for the loan. The repercussions cost jobs, curtailed programs and affected the budgets of the diocese's 41 parishes.
MINNESOTA: Five deacons ordained to serve Indian congregations
[SOURCE: Diocese of Minnesota] In a festive liturgy with a star quilt hung over the altar, a new ministry team was commissioned and five people were ordained to the diaconate as part of the diocesan convention's closing Eucharist on October 29.
The diocese welcomed six new Department of Indian Work Ministry Members of the team commissioned by Bishop James Jelinek are: Loretta Balfe, James Loud, Theresa Loud, Gayle Rogers, Hanna Rock, and Richard Smith, Jr. Then, five new deacons were ordained, also for Indian ministry: Martin Balfe, Delores Beaulieu, Marilyn Goodwin, John Rock, and Carol Smith.
The hundreds of worshippers sat in a circle beneath huge banners of yellow, white, red, and black representing the four directions from which, in Native tradition, everything in this world comes.
The service included "Sky Blue Waters" a newly-commissioned prelude composed by Mark Maronde of St. John the Evangelist, St. Paul. The many performers (brass, handbells, organ, and miscellaneous percussion) were located at the four corners of the room. The ringing of handbells emerged from a loud organ solo representing the cataclysm of creation, and other instruments gradually joined in. Brass instruments played fragments from Monte Mason's Red Lake Mass or from "Vernon," an old hymn tune used in the liturgy. Wind chimes from each corner represented the four sacred winds. All swelled to a powerful climax, and then faded as the bells led into the emergence of a Native drum and dancer as the liturgy began.
Six bishops participated in the service. In addition to Jelinek, two assisting bishops for the Diocese of Minnesota were present: Dan Swenson, retired bishop of Vermont, and Fred Putnam, retired bishop of Navaholand and retired bishop suffragan of Oklahoma. Along with them were two of the former Minnesota priests who are now bishops: Mark MacDonald of Alaska and Michael Smith of North Dakota. Lastly, there was Carol Gallagher, assistant bishop of Newark and the first Native woman to be elected bishop in the United States.
The service was followed by another Native tradition -- a feast of chicken, wild rice, fry bread, and more -- offered as a gift to the congregation.
During the business side of the convention, delegates passed resolutions supporting the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and recommending the celebration of a creation season
Debate on a third resolution concerning the Windsor Report ended with the passage of a substitute resolution. The original resolution commended the report "as a way forward together through the contentious issues which threaten permanent divisions in both the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion."
The substituted version "commends the Windsor Report to all congregations and members of the diocese for study, reflection and prayer as a way forward together through the contentious issues which threaten permanent divisions in both the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion." It also encourages members of the diocese to communicate their views on the Windsor Report to its General Convention.
NORTHWEST TEXAS: Convention acts on parish pledge option
[SOURCE: Diocese of Northwest Texas] The 47th annual convention of the Diocese of Northwest Texas, hosted by St. Stephen's Church in Lubbock, focused on the joys of evangelism, on the many opportunities for community ministries, and on the issue of reconciliation within the church.
A resolution giving parishioners the option of redirecting a portion of their pledge away from the Episcopal Church at the national level was at first defeated narrowly on October 29, but was then approved on a 101-71 vote the following day.
The resolution, a continuation of one approved in 2003 and 2004, was again brought before the convention on a motion to reconsider by clergy delegates who expressed a strong desire for the diocese to "hold together" following General Convention 2003. Several delegates at the convention said it was important for the diocese to continue honoring the views of all, even though there was widespread disagreement on the issue.
"We are a family in this diocese," one delegate remarked after the closing worship service on October 30. "And members of a family often disagree on issues. But they're still a family."
Another delegate said the diocese "is known throughout our province for our love, and we need to remember that our love and respect for each other is what is most important."
As the diocese has done the past two years, parishioners will have the option in 2006 of electing - in writing - to direct that none of their pledge be sent to the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society.
Delegates narrowly defeated a resolution urging General Convention in 2006 to affirm the church's historic place in the worldwide Anglican Communion.
PUERTO RICO: Bishop Holly commemorations planned
[SOURCE: Diocese of Puerto Rico] The November 8 observance of James Theodore Holly's consecration as bishop approaches.
James Theodore Holly (1829-1911) was consecrated at Grace Church New York City on Nov. 8, 1874 as the first bishop of Haiti and thus became the Episcopal Church's first black bishop and the second black bishop of a major Christian denomination.
A celebration of that anniversary is planned for November 6 at 11:15 a.m. at St. John's Cathedral in San Juan.
Other commemorations are planned elsewhere including: November 6 at the 7:45 a.m., 9:00 a.m., and 11:00 a.m. services, St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Freehold, New Jersey; November 12 at 4:00 p.m. at St. Paul 's Et Les Martyrs D' Haiti (Episcopal),Miami, Florida; and November 13 at 4:00 p.m., St. Philip's Episcopal Church, Buffalo, New York and at 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. at Episcopal Church of the Messiah-St. Bartholomew's in Chicago, Illinois.
The suggested lessons for Bishop Holly are Deuteronomy 6:20-25, Psalm 68:24-36, Acts 8:27-39, and John 4:31-38. To learn more about Holly, click on http://www.episcopalchurch.org/5888_58930_ENG_HTM.htm
There are efforts underway to ask the General Convention in 2006 to include Holly in "Lesser Feasts and Fasts."
RHODE ISLAND: Convention approves plan for building stronger diocese
[SOURCE: Diocese of Rhode Island] Delegates to the Diocese of Rhode Island's 215th convention in Cranston on October 28-29 approved of a set of strategic recommendations from a committee charged with reviewing diocesan health and vitality.
In 2003, in response to concerns about the systemic health of the diocese, especially the relationship between Diocesan Bishop Geralyn Wolf and the clergy, the 213th diocesan convention asked that a process of study, assessment, and recommendation be undertaken. This resulted in the set of five recommendations that were given by a Bridgebuilders Action Planning committee, and then approved by the Bishop, the Standing Committee, and the Diocesan Council.
In turn, the delegates accepted, with minor amendments, these implementation strategies:
* Establish and strengthen the covenant between bishop and clergy
* Build a widespread, grassroots agreement on a mission and maintain a consistent focus in implementing it
* Encourage the development of strong leadership and collegiality among clergy
* Enhance the diocese's ability to successfully communicate and execute its strategy
* Review, revitalize, and recognize the diaconate
The convention also approved resolutions requiring anti-racism training for all clergy and lay leaders, recommending study of the Episcopal Church and its heritage of scripture, tradition, and reason, recommending that each parish engage in a new social justice ministry in 2006, and commending prayer for the election of the next Presiding Bishop.
Delegates also discussed the issues surrounding the Windsor Report. They tabled resolutions affirming the report, asking that the diocese take steps to remain in the Anglican Communion should the Episcopal Church "walk apart," and affirming the Lambeth statement on human sexuality (Lambeth 1.10, 1998).
They approved, as amended, a resolution proclaiming the "divinity and Lordship of Jesus Christ." As presented, the resolution also specified that Jesus Christ is the only means of salvation, affirmed Holy Scripture as the sole authority in our church, upheld the 39 Articles, and affirmed the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral of 1886 and 1888. These additional clauses were removed by the delegates, leaving only the affirmation of divinity and Lordship in the text of the resolution.
SPOKANE: Outreach to Mississippi spans the country
[SOURCE: St. Luke's Coeur d'Alene] A team of volunteers from St. Luke's Church in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, is helping to rebuild Trinity Church, Pass Christian, Mississippi, and is linked with 15 other Episcopal churches around the country.
Currently there is a team in Pass Christian with volunteers from St. Luke's; Trinity Church, Princeton, New Jersey; and St. George's Church, Nashville, Tennessee, with a few more volunteers arriving soon.
The team will be there until November 9, working on repairs to the main structure of Trinity Church. The main structural arches survived Hurricane Katrina, but the parish house and school buildings were destroyed, according to Robert Runkle, St. Luke's outreach ministry leader.
St. Luke's website reports that all of Trinity's pews are gone. Half of the stained glass may be retrievable. Parishioners found the Pascal Candle stand and they pulled the altar cross out of the debris and saved it. The church secretary took the parish computer to the second floor before the storm, which saved it from the damage.
The team's objective is to create walls to enclose the church building, run electricity and make the structure water-resistant. Some of the team will be assisting some of the older parishioners begin cleaning their homes.
Trinity Church was completely destroyed in 1969 by Hurricane Camille.
TEXAS: Evacuees improve Episcopal's game
[SOURCE: Houston Chronicle] Change has been good this season for Houston's Episcopal High School volleyball team, which inherited four players from New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Along with bringing their talent and their stories, the players have helped put the Knights in the win column with consistency. The season-opening roster of 12 expanded to 16 when seniors Emily Clements and Tracy Blackerby, junior Kaitlyn Cole and sophomore Amanda Reese ended up at Episcopal after being displaced from the Crescent City. Clements, Blackerby and Reese came by way of Newman High School in New Orleans; Cole came from rival McGehee.
"Coming to a new school and meeting and playing with a new team was a little overwhelming," Clements said.
Clements, who has committed to play for UCLA next season, has been the biggest addition. The 6-0 outside hitter is a southpaw but plays on the right side, causing trouble for opponents.
The experience of having to adjust to a new school and team wasn't easy for Clements but was made easier by the fact she had familiar faces around such as Blackerby, her co-captain at Newman, and the 6-1 Reese.
The adjustments weren't just difficult for the transfers but something the incumbent Knights had to deal with as well. Naturally, there was a feeling-out period that everyone had to go through.
"At first it was awkward on the court, because you didn't know where to set them and where they played or what their abilities were," team co-captain Lizzy Heilman said. "Now we've played together and we know what their capabilities are."
Teammates offered to help the transfers with rides and opened their homes to them as parents traveled back and forth to New Orleans to deal with important matters.
"Ever since I came to Episcopal, I've loved it," Reese said. "Everyone has been welcoming. It has made the experience worthwhile."
UPPER SOUTH CAROLINA: Convention endorses Windsor Report, moves forward in mission
[SOURCE: Diocese of Upper South Carolina] The 83rd Convention of the Diocese of Upper South Carolina adopted a resolution "receiving," "accepting," and "endorsing" the Windsor Report, pledging to "comply with its proposals and expectations," and urging "the General Convention of the Episcopal Church to do likewise."
Upper South Carolina's bishop, the Rt. Rev. Dorsey F. Henderson, Jr., had earlier commended the resolution to clergy and lay delegates. "You know my position," he remarked in his address to convention. He summarized that position as "that by accepting the recommendations of the Windsor Report we can remain faithful both to the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion."
Other resolutions adopted included one affirming the Millennium Development Goals and .7% giving at diocesan, congregational, and individual levels and another calling on "all relevant authorities of influence" to work to "ensure the full observance of the principle of humanitarian neutrality" for those working for justice and peace in Haiti.
A third resolution urged open dialogue and increased effort "in building the bonds of affection" with other Christian denominations and charged 2006 General Convention deputies to recognize with compassion "a Christian's free will to choose the expression of their religious life, that we may not 'charge' them with 'abandonment.'"
Henderson announced a new Bishop's Fund for Mission Effectiveness, designed to provide "each and every congregation" with the resources necessary to "reach its full spiritual potential." Stating that seed money for the fund has already been provided by an anonymous donor, the bishop explained that additional monies will come from congregations who make use of diocesan stewardship, planned giving, or capital campaign consultants. Consultants will be offered at no cost to congregations, who in turn will be asked to tithe a percentage of the money raised to the fund.
The convention met October 21-22 at Trinity Cathedral in Columbia, South Carolina.
WASHINGTON: Renowned Preacher to Bring "Word to the City"
[SOURCE: Diocese of Washington] Washington National Cathedral will be home to a good old-fashioned revival on the evenings of November 15 and 16.
The Rev. James Forbes Jr., one of America's most celebrated preachers, will bring the "Word to the City" at 7 p.m. ecumenical services hosted by Bishops John Bryson Chane and Barbara C. Harris of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington and the Very Rev. Samuel T. Lloyd, dean of the cathedral.
"We face some new challenges in our time: social inequities, environmental degradation, the widening gap between the haves and the have-nots, the loss of confidence in the national purpose," said Forbes, senior pastor at the Riverside Church in New York City. "Spiritual renewal can put us in a position to bear the kind of witness that can actually make a difference."
The Union of Black Episcopalians gospel choir is among several gospel groups that will perform at the revival. The Rev. Susan Newman, senior advisor for religious affairs for Mayor Anthony A. Williams and the Rev. Frank Tucker, pastor of First Baptist Church of Randolph Street, will be among those leading devotions.
On November 15, Forbes will speak on "God's Response to Gideon's Question."
"If God is with us, then why is all of this befalling us?" Forbes said, paraphrasing Gideon's query. "At this particular time – when our nation has to decide whether or not it will seek to spread democracy largely through military means or through the lifting up of the ideals of democracy – you need to stop, see if you can get your vision clear and see if you can renew your commitment and dedication."
On November 16, Forbes will speak on "God's Concern for Our Satisfaction." If listeners take anything from these remarks, Forbes said, he hopes they will note that "God desires us to have fulfilled and fruitful lives, and that he actually wants us to be satisfied with the meaning of our lives."
"I would like for participants to believe that within our faith, there are resources to help us cope with the problems we encounter in these perilous times," Forbes said.
WESTERN MASSACHUETTS: Thanksgivings highlight convention
[SOURCE: Diocese of Western Massachusetts] The Rev. Hallie Cowan, the chaplain for the 104th convention of the Diocese of Western Massachusetts, opened the two-day gathering on October 28 by asking the delegates to give thanks for something wonderful that happened to them in the year, in the week or in the day.
At a table in the back of the room, Audrey Cronin of St. Francis, Holden, shared with her tablemates that her son had returned from South Korea after two years ago. Her husband, Dennis Cronin, gave thanks for a new career.
With hundreds of thankful hearts, so began two days of business, prayer and fellowship.
Bishop Gordon P. Scruton reminded the group that convention is not just a business meeting. "This is a place where we gather together in a sense of God's prayer," he said. "It's a family gathering of the diocesan family."
Convention highlights included break-out sessions in which church leaders talked to small groups of delegates about innovations in their parishes from spiritual formation to evangelism.
News and updates on various diocesan missions and initiatives were also offered – in verbal and video presentations – and delegates had the opportunity to worship together on Friday night at Christ Church Cathedral.
As a church with a structured past and tradition, Carl Hervieux from St. Luke's Springfield said he was pleased to see that the diocese is more accepting of different innovations. "It's so nice to see the way that we've opened up and we're really reaching out, not just here but around the world," he said.
Susan Roy of St. John's, Northampton, said she was excited to attend her first Convention and to visit Christ Church Cathedral for the first time.
"I thought I would be bored to death," she said, adding, "I'm having a great time. We're really getting to know one another's witness in our lives."
Stories and reports on convention are posted at www.diocesewma.org. The bishop's two addresses can be read in full on the Web site.