On May 8, 1837 ”“ 175 years ago — St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Penn Yan was officially incorporated under the laws of the State of New York.
The parish celebrated this historic event on the weekend May 5-6, beginning with a concert on Saturday evening featuring Mitzie Collins and Striking Strings Hammered Dulcimer Ensemble from Rochester, as well as St. Mark’s singers Chris Holder, Craig Sandberg, and Deb Henderson.
Many years ago I was the warden””the senior layÂperson””of a small suburban Episcopal church in northern Virginia. During that time, the bishop assigned to our parish an elderly priest, in some kind of distress and in need of a parish, to serve as an assistant pastor. I never knew the Ânature of his problem. We just welcomed him into the church, treated him as one of us, and ministered to him, just as we ministered to one another. He was with us for a year. On his last Sunday, he was assigned the Âsermon. As he finished, he looked out over the congregation and with a smile on his face quietly concluded, “Always show more kindness than seems necessary, Âbecause the person receiving it needs it more than you will ever know.” That sentence hit me with a special force that has remained with me for four Âdecades. His lesson was clear: Kindness is not just about being nice; it’s about recognizing another human being who deserves care and respect.
When George Washington was in Philadelphia for the Continental Congress, he attended services at a relatively new Episcopal church called St. Peter’s in what’s now known as Society Hill.
Now, more than 250 years after it was built, the same church still stands at Third and Pine streets. It serves more than 400 families and educates children at its elementary school across the street.
The stalwart church, however, is in danger after so many years.
The Episcopal Church of the Advent in Kennett Square has a new pastor, and he knows he has big shoes to fill.
Michael Bullock was recently named pastor of the church and its 1,200 members. He succeeds Rev. David P. Thomas, who died in 2010. Thomas was very active in the community, helping to form Kennett Consolidated School District’s After-The-Bell program, and was a board member of the Kennett Area YMCA and Jennersville Hospital.
The Diocese of San Diego does not have a general policy that applies to all same-sex couples seeking a blessing, however, Bishop Mathes has given our clergy approval to proceed pastorally in celebrating the union of LGBTQ members. All clergy must receive express permission of Bishop Mathes. Congregations must study the Holiness in Relationships Task Force Report (.pdf in sidebar) and receive the vestry’s permission before proceeding. Each individual wishing to receive a blessing must write a letter to Bishop Mathes explaining what the service means and how it will change his or her life. If a congregation does not want to support same-sex blessings, that position is honored as well.
Same-sex marriage is not currently legal in California.
St. David’s Episcopal Church of Austin would be among the first Episcopal congregations in Texas allowed to offer a liturgy blessing same-sex unions if the Episcopal Church, as expected, approves the trial rite at its general convention in July.
The Rt. Rev. Andy Doyle, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, has named only one other church, St. Stephen’s Episcopal in Houston, as among the first with permission to bless same-gender covenants.
Like other denominations, the Episcopal Church has wrestled with the issue of homosexuality for decades. Texas does not recognize same-sex unions, and a number of traditionalists in the Episcopal Church do not favor them.
The President went on to justify his new definition of marriage with these words: “The thing at root that we think about is, not only Christ sacrificing himself on our behalf, but it’s also the golden rule ”” you know, treat others the way you would want to be treated”¦” Mr. President, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary was for the sins of the world. Jesus did not die to take away the moral law or the God-given teaching on marriage. He died to redeem us from our inability to keep that law. The Golden Rule is also misapplied in this instance. To redefine marriage in a way that is contrary to God’s word is to do immeasurable harm to one’s neighbor, not good.
On this day after the announcement, we are told that pollsters have now determined that 50% of the country aligns with President Obama’s position on redefining marriage. Whether or not we believe these numbers, it is important to remember that some decisions are not about the majority or what we feel is best. Some decisions are made in eternity and determined by a loving and just God. Some decisions are above our pay grade. And so I say respectfully No, Mr. President.
A Scranton Roman Catholic priest who was previously an ordained Episcopalian has been named the first priest in a new national Catholic jurisdiction that incorporates elements of the Anglican faith.
The Rev. Eric Bergman was incardinated on Tuesday into the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, a jurisdiction of U.S. Catholics established by the Pope at the start of the year that welcomes Anglicans and some of their traditions into the Catholic Church.
The U.S. ordinariate is just the second such group established by the pope. The first, for England and Wales, was created in 2011.
More than 80 people gathered to view artwork and dance, and to hear poetry and music, as part of “eARTh Night: The Art Around Us” at St. David’s, Austin, on Sunday, April 22. The event celebrated the beauty of the world and the creativity of artists who expressed that beauty in a variety of media.
With almost 100 entries submitted by local writers and artists, the event featured photographs, paintings, felt constructions, jewelry, mosaics and an editorial cartoon by Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist Ben Sargent. Members of Art from the Streets at Trinity Center, which serves downtown homeless neighbors, provided more than a dozen entries.
Police have identified the man who they believe shot two women in an Ellicott City church, killing one and critically injuring the other before turning his gun on himself….
The two women shot at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church were identified Friday morning as the church’s co-rector, Mary Marguerite-Kohn, and its administrative assistant, Brenda Brewington, according to the county Police Department.
The Kansas Supreme Court heard arguments Monday morning in a local case with statewide implications for historic preservation.
Topeka attorney Pedro Irigonegaray, arguing for the neighborhood group Friends of Bethany Place, told the court that the Topeka City Council made an “arbitrary and capricious” decision when it voted 9-0 to allow an Episcopal church to clear the trees from the historic grounds nearby and build a 43-spot parking lot.
…talk about landmark status for the perpetually unfinished Episcopal church is starting to percolate again, as developers ready plans for a new apartment building on leased cathedral property along 113th Street in Morningside Heights.
Real-estate firm Equity Residential hopes to start construction on the 15-story apartment building next year. The new structure’s footprint would be some 70 feet north of the cathedral itself, replacing large metal sheds and parking spaces in the area now.
Our deliberations confirmed the relevance of our mission, yielded possible solutions and strategies to be further explored and also revealed some urgent needs which must be addressed, in order to properly execute The church’s Mission. Three major objectives were identified that need to be immediately pursued:-
1. Greater interaction of the church with the immediate and wider communities, leading to an expansion of the membership of the congregation.
2. Attracting more youth and young adults into the membership of the church and reversing the tendency of our young adults leaving Ascension for membership in other churches.
3. Expansion & enhancement of the physical facilities of the church to adequately meet the needs of the present and future congregation.
Q. The Episcopal Church is often at the forefront of hot topic issues; given that we all have opinions on these issues, which do you view as the most serious issue facing the Church and how does/will your opinion impact the diocese in its response to the issue?
People are leaving the pews, evangelization is carrying a poor connotation and theChurch seems to be conforming to society rather than conforming society. These are the
dangerous things happening in congregations and I believe the most serious issues facing the Church. We know right from wrong, but most of us make a choice to live somewhere in between in the decisions we make. Our mission of bringing Christ to the world is diminished when we are viewed by those outside our Church to be a people who frustrate the mission with our own internal arguments; our own misunderstanding of what is right and what is wrong. My hope for the future of our children is that being drawn into the family of God, the ills of the world will be dealt with in a swift manner that will put down the desires of the Evil One and give us strength to walk the way of the Via Dolorosa.
Issues focused around sexuality, social justice, and Church politics seem to be most often referred to when someone is claiming a position to extol. These are certainly issues that easily flare up and lend themselves to heated discussion. Addressing same-sex relationships, how we care for those who live in the margins of society, or bishops and dioceses moving from one association to another, and the Church’s handling of that movement, many times evoke distances in thought that seem impossible to bridge. When we begin to flare over issues that we believe to be unfair, it is the Church which is called to stand up for those who are persecuted. I believe this stems from our desire as the children of God, to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul and mind, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.In living out our call to love our neighbor as ourselves and to respect the dignity of every human being as we vow in our baptismal covenant, we truly desire to make all things “right” with humanity. Controversies in our Church arise when we attempt to make all things right by making all things “okay.” Our Church is known for accepting people as they are, and that is a good thing. We do not do Christ’s ministry justice, however, when we leave them where they are….
Read it all. Then take a look all the finalists for Episcopal Bishop of Western Louisiana and their answers to questions as the election approaches on April 21.
On Easter Sunday, the great hall of Grace Episcopal Church was quiet. The choir wasn’t singing, the Rector wasn’t preaching and Sunday school wasn’t ending because it hadn’t begun in the 166-year-old building in almost a year.
Last August, an earthquake centered in Virginia shook the congregation out of their home at Grace Episcopal in downtown Charleston.
Instead of pews, there’s scaffolding. Red ‘danger, do not enter’ tape covers the hall instead Easter decorations.
As the oldest Protestant church continuously operating on the same site in Detroit, Christ Church Detroit has a long history.
But the Episcopal congregation is moving forward with new programs to engage with the city. It recently started a reading camp that teaches about 40 to 50 children from poor backgrounds. And it plans to start this year a center for homeless people in the daytime.
Currently, there are overnight facilities for the homeless in Detroit, but they often don’t have a place to go in the morning.
According to the U.S.Census Bureau’s figures, Nebraska has grown in population from 1,711,263 in 2000 to 1,826,341 in 2010. This represents a population growth of approximately 6.7% in this time frame. (Of passing interest, please note that the population of the United States as a whole went from 281,421,906 in 2000 to 308,745,538 in 2010, an overall American growth for the decade of 9.7%).
According to Episcopal Church statistics, the Diocese of Nebraska went from Average Sunday Attendance (or ASA) of 4,022 in 2000 to 2,814 in 2010. This represents a decline of 30.0% during this decade.
To see a pictorial representation of some of the statistics for the diocese of Nebraska you may examine the graph here.
Click here to see a pictorial representation of some of the statistics for the parish mentioned in the previous posting.
In response to requests from new members, the rector led a series on “What it means to be a member of the Episcopal Church, what it means to be a member of Trinity, and what the expectations are”. Letters are sent to welcome new members and a welcome basket is given including treats, a mug, and other things related to Trinity. Then there are follow up phone calls but nothing aggressive”¦
Lucy [Amerman] says “There is always a balance between welcoming and stalking”. They are developing a way to formally welcome people into the church in between visits by the Bishop because 18 months is a long time to wait. People don’t have a sense that they belong to the parish until something is done to celebrate their membership. Trinity has been studying the issue of church growth and is looking at the demographics of the congregation and the surrounding area. There is a map pinpointing where the members and nursery school parents are located. They have asked themselves do they want to grow and if so, how? After a year of self examination they decided the answer was yes, and the way to grow was through their children, so that’s where they are concentrating their efforts. So far the results have been positive, with growth beginning and a congregation that is increasingly committed to its life as a community of faith in Christ.
Read it all (pp.2-5 of the pdf).
Five candidates visited the 11-county diocese last week. They have diverse convictions on some issues that led to the split. But all pledged to avoid imposing their own agenda on the 32 parishes, which range theologically from evangelical to moderately liberal. All have experience with mediation or reconciliation among feuding Episcopalians. All have led the revival of tiny parishes similar to many here.
And all intend to spend more time in parishes than in an office.
“The next bishop will have to be a missionary bishop, not an administrator,” said the Rev. R. Stanley Runnels, 60, rector of St. Paul’s Church in Kansas City, Mo., in a view expressed by all candidates.
Now that the Anglican Covenant is dead in the water, those who seek to revise what it means to be the Church have no need to worry about the process set out in the fourth section of that document (assuming that they would have needed to worry if the Covenant was adopted anyway). Regardless, the drive for CWOB is a manifestation of commitment to an “autonomous ecclesiology” rather than “communion ecclesiology.”
Click here to see a pictorial representation of some of the statistics for the parish mentioned in the previous posting.
[The] Reverend Edward Harrison grew up all over the United States ”“ including Florida, Ohio, and Mississippi. “My dad was an Episcopal priest, and growing up as a clergy kid I swore I would never work in the church.” Throughout his early life, Rev. Harrison wanted to be a lawyer. “If I wasn’t serving in the church, I probably would have gone to law school.” During his senior year at Yale University, he started thinking about going to seminary to get his own questions about God answered. It was there that he started to think that he might want to serve in the church.
Harrison’s Coronado Story begins over fifteen years ago when he was living in Jacksonville, Florida. “I also was a Navy Reserve Chaplain, so back in 1995 I spent two weeks at the Amphibious Base doing my summer training. I fell in love with Coronado — I remember driving by the church here and thinking ”˜whoever has that job has really sweet place.’” He went back home and forgot all about Coronado. About three years ago an opportunity in Coronado arose, and he started an interview process with the church here.
Read it all and note that the parish has a behavioral covenant.
A $7 million renovation project, which should be completed by the summer of 2013, involves restoring its signature organ and delicate stained glass windows and bringing the cathedral’s electrical and structural components up to code ”” a major undertaking for a building completed in 1925.
The renovation, like many home-repair projects, uncovered something a bit unusual: The marble floor around the altar was held up by concrete, plaster of Paris and straw.
“We were pretty much astounded,’’ said The Very Rev. Douglas Wm McCaleb, who is overseeing the project.
Not everyone had the capacity of the willingness to suffer through the audio, and now through the kindness of some very hard working individuals you can read a transcript if you are interested.
It’s where the nation’s capital gathers to mourn, to pray and to seek comfort during tragedies. Now the Washington National Cathedral needs help weathering its own financial emergency.
The church has long been a spiritual center for the nation, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors and worshippers each year. It’s the burial site of President Woodrow Wilson and for Helen Keller. It’s hosted funeral services for Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and other presidents. And during ordeals such as the Sept. 11 attacks, it’s been a place for interfaith reflection.
But the Episcopal cathedral is facing one of the worst financial binds of its 105-year-old history. An earthquake in August severely damaged its intricate stone work and architecture, with repair costs estimated at $20 million. Aside from that damage, the structure faces $30 million in preexisting preservation needs.
It’s a dramatic sight at one of the United States’ historic landmarks. St Margaret’s Episcopal Church is closed on a Sunday, not a person in sight.
The church dates back to the 1800s and this was one of the oldest wooden church still in operation in America. Not anymore, as the Episcopal Diocese of Florida decided to shut it down.
Last Sunday was the final day for services at the church in Hibernia.
