The September ’08 newsletter of St. Katharine’s Church, Martin, SD, contains a report on The Pine Ridge Episcopal Mission Council meeting of August 31st.
The following is from that report.:
“…read two letters from Bishop Robertson regarding the Ministry on the Pine Ridge Mission. Both letters concern the viability and presence of the Episcopal Church on the Pine Ridge Mission and both offer an (sic) new and different vision for the ministry on the Mission…
‘…Effective the first Sunday of Advent, November 30, 2008, the following actions will be implemented…
…The churches of Christ, Red Shirt Table; St. John’s, Oglala; Epiphany, Wolf Creek; St. Andrew’s, Wakpamni Lake; St. Thomas, Manderson; St. Barnabas, Kyle; St. Timothy’s, Potato Creek; St. Alban’s, Porcupine; and Inestimable Gift, Allen, will be closed and property disposed of according to Diocesan Policy.'”
Timothy Fountain nails it squarely on the head, and asks some hard-but necessary-questions. Thanks for posting this.
I wonder how TEC plans to minister to these people, now that they’re walking out on them?
Bishop William Hobart Hare built these places nearly single-handedly, traveling frequently in the 1880’s back and forth to the east coast to solicit donations from a then VERY focused upon mission (and Christian) Episcopal Church. He put up 100+ churches and was given the Native American name Zitkano Duzahan (or “Swift Bird”) due to his amazing ability to “fly like a bird†and visit ALL of these churches via horseback and/or horse and buggy. Creighton hasn’t visited Tim Fountains’ parish in THREE YEARS. These 9 churches comprise about 12% of the church property in the diocese. It is SHAMEFUL what this bishop – and TEC have done with the legacy. The property is nothing. Just think of the lost souls out there.
Sun Star Church, an Anglican Church in America parish, continues to function on the reservation. Fr. Apple, Sun Star rector, has long ministered, not only to the ACA flock, but to many in the TEC parishes who were not comfortable with the ministrations of the female-priests that the TEC parishes often employed.
Fr. Apple would love to have the Lakota language Books of Common Prayer that may still be found in these closing parishes. If anyone has any “pull” and could help put these books to good use, any and all help would be greatly appreciated. The best way to contact Fr. Apple is by mail. His phone is sometimes shut off and he has no e-mail contact of his own. Or go to http://www.saintbarnabas.net and contact the rector.