Episcopal Church Women, Author at National Episcopal Church Women

National Board Met in Birmingham AL January 17th 2025

16th street Baptists

Board at Baptists Church Birmingham AL On their second board meeting, The National Episcopal Church Women spent part of their time commemorating the Birmingham Civil Rights Movement. The trip began with a tour of the 16th Baptist Church, the Kelly Ingram Park and The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. The NECW would like to thank the tour guide for sharing so much information about the church. Just to mention, its history began in 1873 as the First Colored Baptist Church of Birmingham. The present-day church was built in 1911. The church met notoriety when a bombing took place on Sunday September 15, 1963. On this day four girls were killed in that bombing. They were Addie Mae Collins (age 14), Carole Robertson (age 14), Cynthia Wesley (age 14) and Denise McNair (age 11). After which the well-known Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham began.

Image Right: 16^th Street Baptist Church – Birmingham, AL

At Kelly Ingram Park, the NECW board took a moment and said prayer in front of the “Four Spirits”

The “Four Spirits” is a memorial sculpture of the 4 young girls, depicting what they were doing, in the basement of the church just moments prior to the bombing. According to research, in January 2017, Pres. Barack Obama signed legislation declaring the area around Birmingham’s Kelly Ingram Park, which includes the church, as the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument.

Four Spirits Birmingham The tour of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute was an individual tour in which each board member could walk through and see the many cultural and educational research that comprise this great Civil Rights Institute.

Respectfully Submitted – Gloria Rogers, 2^nd Vice President

Episcopal Church Women2025-02-28T19:17:19+00:00February 28th, 2025|

Publishing Deadlines for 2025

The National Board maintains two publications.

For monthly information about the Episcopal Church Women and all is local groups, this email newsletter provides a great resource. You can register to receive the News Blast at the bottom of this page.

Four times per year, the National Board publishes a print and digital magazine. The Communique’ is delivered to individuals as well as religious institutions around the world. The magazine publishes articles and news about many subjects that impact women’s lives.

News Blast email newsletter

Publish Month	Delivery Date	Deadline for Submission
March	March 1st	February 24th
April	April 5th	March 31st
May	May 3rd	April 28th
June	June 7th	June 2nd
July	July 5th	June 30th
August	August 2nd	July 28th
September	September 6th	September 1st
October	October 4th	September 29th
November	November 1st	October 27th
December	December	December 1st

Communique’ Magazine

Delivery Month	Submission Deadline
June 2025	April 15th, 2025
October 2025	August 15th, 2025
January 2026	November 15, 2025

Episcopal Church Women2025-02-28T14:54:47+00:00February 28th, 2025|

WEEK 1 The Burden of Injustice

March 6th 2025

Station 1: Jesus is Condemned to Death

We stand with you, O + Christ, in solidarity against violence.

For by your love and sacrifice, you call us to work for justice and peace.

In this season of reflection, we hear from the prophet Isaiah.

Scripture: Isaiah 53:7-8

⁷He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
⁸By oppression^[^a^] and judgment he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was punished.

May God’s word take root in our hearts.

Reflection: (Rev. Canon Debbie Royals)

On unjust judgments faced by victims of gender-based violence and the need for justice and advocacy.

Q: What small steps can each of us take to support victims and advocate for justice?

Hymn: When I survey the Wondrous Cross, 474 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDkuxEIcpdI

Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy Immortal One.

Have mercy upon us.

Station 2: Jesus Takes Up His Cross

We stand with you, O + Christ, in solidarity against violence.

For by your love and sacrifice, you call us to work for justice and peace.

In this season of reflection, we hear from the Gospel according to Matthew.

Scripture: Matthew 11:28-30

²⁸“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

May God’s word take root in our hearts.

Reflection: (Rev. Canon Debbie Royals)

Considers the burdens carried by survivors of violence and the importance of community support

Q: What does meaningful community support look like for survivors?

Hymn Come unto me, ye weary, 337 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lKA_7oXXlk

Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy Immortal One.

Have mercy upon us.

Episcopal Church Women2025-02-28T14:28:39+00:00February 28th, 2025|

Human Trafficking Egregious Exploitation in Our Midst

A Two-Hour Presentation on Zoom
Yvonne O’Neal, Presenter
Saturday, April 5, 2025
Start Times: 10am PST / 11am MST / 12pm CST / 1pm EST

A Zoom link will be sent to registrants the week of the event

Human trafficking is pervasive, with millions of vulnerable individuals around the world being exploited. The scale of human trafficking is horrifying. It occurs not only in distant regions but also in every state In the United States, within our communities and neighborhoods.

This presentation will address the various forms of human trafficking, also referred to as modern-day slavery, and the reasons it continues to thrive. Attendees will learn how to recognize the signs of trafficking. We will examine how our societies often choose to look the other way and discuss what can be done to change this.

What can The Episcopal Church and ECW do to help dismantle this multi-billion-dollar business of human trafficking? Please bring your compassionate hearts, and let’s explore how our churches can become safe spaces and advocates for victims.

Yvonne O’Neal, Presenter

Yvonne O’Neal is a dedicated social justice advocate focused on ending human trafficking, modern-day slavery, and violence against women and girls. She is a founding member of the Episcopal Diocese of New York Task Force Against Human Trafficking and actively participates in the NGO Committee to Stop Trafficking in Persons at the United Nations. Yvonne has organized webinars on human trafficking and has spoken at important events, including the first UN Ocean Conference in 2017.

As a representative of the Africa Development Interchange Network, Yvonne has held leadership roles in various NGO committees and has produced numerous panels. She has served on different boards, including the Episcopal Diocese of New York’s ECW board, and is currently a member of the Church Pension Group Board of Trustees, where she chairs the Audit Committee. Having grown up in the church, Yvonne has been involved in her parish, Holy Trinity in Manhattan, and has promoted international mission outreach.

Her contributions to advancing women and girls have earned her several accolades, including the Society of Financial Service Professionals’ Paul S. Mills Scholarship and the Equitable Community Leadership Award. A retired financial consultant with multiple industry qualifications, Yvonne holds a Master of Arts degree from New School University and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Puerto Rico. She has also completed the Women’s Leadership Institute certificate program at Hartford Seminary.

This event will be video, and audio recorded. We reserve the right to share any part of one’s participation on our website, in our print collateral, or with other registered participants. If you sign on to participate through our Zoom link, you acknowledge your understanding of and agreement to this notification.

For additional Information: Ginny Guzman-Walsh, Chair NECW VIRTUAL EVENT SERIES ginnygw@icloud.com

Episcopal Church Women2025-03-02T19:25:48+00:00February 27th, 2025|

Stations of Hope: A Thursdays in Black Journey Against Violence

Introduction and Background:

Lent is a sacred season in the Christian tradition—a time for deep reflection, repentance, and renewal. It invites us to walk with Jesus on his journey to the Cross, contemplating his suffering, sacrifice, and ultimate triumph over death. Yet, it is also a time to confront the harsh reality that Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion were acts of violence. His story resonates deeply with the experiences of countless people who suffer violence and injustice in our world today.

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a global crisis. Statistics tell us that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 9 men are victims of GBV each year. Survivors are often silenced by fear, shame, and social stigma while cycles of violence continue.

Through Thursdays in Black, we are called to raise awareness, offer solidarity, and seek practical solutions to end sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). This Lenten series, Stations of Hope, invites us to reflect on the Stations of the Cross through this lens. Each station becomes a space to consider the reality of violence, particularly SGBV, and to explore how we—individually and collectively—can respond with compassion, advocacy, and action.

Together, let us walk this journey of reflection and renewal, holding onto the hope that love and justice will prevail.

Dates: Thursdays, March 6 – April 17, 4:30 PM, EST

Location: Zoom – we will email the link to everyone before the event. No need to register.

Each session includes: Scripture, a brief reflection, and a hymn

Join us as we reflect, pray, and take action together in hope and love.

Week 1: The Burden of Injustice (March 6)

Week 2: Support and Compassion (March 13)

Week 3: Acts of Kindness and Solidarity (March 20)

Week 4: Vulnerability and Wounds (March 27)

Week 5: Hope and Perseverance (April 3)

Week 6: Community and Restorations (April 10)

Week 7: Love and Service: A Maundy Thursday Reflection – April 17

More information about this program coming next week.

Episcopal Church Women2025-03-01T18:45:01+00:00February 19th, 2025|

Summary of January 2025 National ECW Board Meeting

The National ECW (NECW) was blessed to be able to spend time with the Diocese of Alabama ECW Board while in Birmingham for our January 2026 board meeting. They joined the NECW for a tour of the 16^th Street Baptist Church, hosted dinner, and then provided transportation to the Cathedral for the Advent for Sunday Services. The board had the opportunity to visit the Civil Rights Institute on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The board also had three productive days of board meetings.

The next board meeting is scheduled for: May 1-5, 2025 – Province VI – Billings, Montana.

Below is a summary of current activities by the NECW.

The UTO submitted a motion to the Executive Council to change the funding allocation derived from the Wright Trust Fund to a 50/50% split between the UTO and ECW in 2023. In response to this the NECW board has submitted a motion to the Executive Council asking that all Wright Legacy Trust Fund monies be allocated to the NECW. The ECW notes that UTO currently holds more money in their trust fund coffers and receives more annual income for administrative expenses than the ECW. It is also noted that in April 2024 Executive Council approved UTO bylaw changes to include all genders and UTO now holds itself to be a ministry of the whole church and is no longer an exclusively women’s ministry. The Wright Trust is to be applied to the use of official women’s organizations, and UTO is no longer a women’s ministry organization per their current by-laws. Currently the Wright Trust Fund dividends are split between the ECW at 79% and the UTO at 21%.

The following motions were approved:

To allocate $500 for a sponsorship for the Association of Episcopal Deacons Conference.

The NECW board voted to donate $1000 to Sawyerville of Birmingham, AL. The mission of Sawyerville, a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama, is to create opportunities for children and youth in Hale County through free summer programs, mentoring, and scholarships. All of their programs work to serve God, broaden the horizons of participants and staff, improve race relations in Alabama, and enrich the lives of those living in poverty.

In response to the wildfires in Southern California, the NECW board voted to donate $1000 to the Diocese of Los Angeles One Body One Spirit annual appeal.

After attending Sunday services at the Cathedral of the Advent in Birmingham the NECW board voted to donate $100 to the church.

The board voted to advocate and address issues of murdered and missing indigenous women as our Social Justice initiative for the year.

The NECW will pursue completion of a history of Triennials that was started by the 2018-2024 President and to investigate publishing pricing.

At the invitation of The Diocese of Taiwan in Taipei, President Lisa Bortner and Province VIII Representative Ginny Guzman-Walsh will attend the Taiwan Diocesan Convention in May for the purpose of creating goodwill and understanding between the Diocese and the ECW ministry.

The NECW Social Justice Chair along with the National ECW President will be representing the National ECW at the NGO United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in New York City from March 10-16, 2025. Other members of the board will be attending the meeting at their own expense.

The Ad Hoc Creation Care and Environmental Committee’s job description for the Member at Large position was approved. The position will be advertised and chosen in the upcoming months. Look for more information on this in the ECW News Blasts, Facebook and on our website.

The board voted to create two scholarship programs. The first is to be called Women in Theology and will be awarded to women pursuing a master’s degree in theology in the amount of $2500. The second scholarship is to be called Women in Healing Professions and will be awarded to a woman pursuing an advanced degree in a healing profession in the amount of $2500. The criteria for the scholarships and applications are to be released in June 2025.

The NECW Virtual Event Series will continue with the next session being held on April 5 on human trafficking and then the following event scheduled for July 12 on prison ministries.

During lent the NECW will promote Thursdays in Black. The World Council of Churches website explains: “The campaign is simple but profound. Wear black on Thursdays. Wear a pin to declare you are part of the global movement resisting attitudes and practices that permit rape and violence. Show your respect for women who are resilient in the face of injustice and violence. Encourage others to join you.”

The NECW chose their 2027 Triennial theme: “Women at the Well: Faith in Action”.

The NECW continues to encourage all ECWs to register and be counted. You may register your ECW on our website at ecwnational.org.

Episcopal Church Women2025-02-03T18:19:52+00:00January 30th, 2025|

Episcopal Church Women in the News 01-04-24

Episcopal Church Foundation, ECF, Chooses Longtime Associate as New Leader

The ECF manages $709 million in assets for Episcopal congregations and institutions, and sponsors a variety of programs and resources that seek to strengthen the church and prepare for its future.

Wheeling Island Church Members Show It’s Better To Give Than Receive

After Santa came down the chimney, he went to Wheeling Island for one last opportunity to spread holiday cheer.

The Art of Iconography at Holy Trinity Church

A Santa Fe church takes on a massive—and ancient—art project that inspires awe and underscores the harsh reality of faith.

Q&A: Bishop Carol Gallagher looks back on 35 years of service in dioceses across the church

She ordained a priest in 1990 and consecrated a bishop in 2002, plans to retire in early 2025

Building a Fighting Church Part I: Defending the Dignity of Trans and Non-Binary People in 2025 and Beyond

Episcopalians and all others interested in justice for women, LGBTQ+ justice, and social justice are invited to join this webinar to learn from gender justice leaders within and beyond The Episcopal Church about the current legislative terrain in the U.S. impacting these areas and the work that can be done to uphold the dignity of all God’s children.

Episcopal Church Women2025-01-03T22:11:48+00:00January 3rd, 2025|

Gratitude as a Spiritual Practice

Janet Strickler

A 2-hour Mini-Retreat – online workshop

Presented by: Janet Strickler

January 11th, 2025 – 1 PM Eastern

Get your New Year off to an inspiring start with this mini-retreat on Zoom. Most of us have heard that a practice of gratitude is supposed to be good for our health and happiness, and even the Bible encourages us to “give thanks in all circumstances,” (I Thess 5:18) but many of us have tried that and run out of steam after a few days. Get a fresh start with this fun retreat, in which we’ll explore gratitude beyond the usual things we think of being grateful for, and incorporate elements of play, art, poetry, and song.

Janet Strickler is an artist and a Franciscan, and has lived in Colorado for nearly all of her life. For over 20 years she has made gratitude an important part of her daily spiritual practice, eventually spending several summers studying with Brother David Steindl-Rast, the founder of gratefulness.org.

Janet is author of The Little Handbook of Spiritual Practices, and Grateful Every Day; a set of 60 inspiration cards for gratefulness. She was Artist in Residence at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Longmont CO for many years, and often has a booth selling her art at General Convention and other church conferences.

This workshop will be video recorded

Zoom meeting link will be sent to those who register.

Workshop is limited to the first 100 persons who join the Zoom meeting the day of the event.

Supplies Needed

Please have something to write on and something to write with.

A notebook, journal, or scratch paper are all fine, and if you have favorite pens or even colored pencils, have them handy. Since this is a mini-retreat time, you might also want to choose something to create a little sacred space, like a candle or icon, and clear your space of extra distractions.

For Additional Information

Contact Ginny Guzman-Walsh, Chair
NECW ZOOM WORSHOPS SERIES
ginnygw@icloud.com

More Resources From the Retreat Presenter

Janet Strickler

Thanks, everyone, for joining me to start the new year off with some practices of gratitude! I hope you will continue to make it part of your spiritual life.

Here are some links to things I mentioned during the retreat, and further resources you might be interested in:

www.grateful.org is the website begun nearly 20 years ago by Brother David Steindl-Rast, who is also the author of Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer. On the website, you will especially want to delve into the Explore tab, where there are hundreds of articles, stories, poems, and videos.

www.artoftheordinary.net is my own website. If you’d like to see some of the artwork I made over the years as Artist in Residence for my church, (something new for each liturgical season each year,) check out the Liturgical Art tab.

If you’d like to see the piece of art I eventually made that includes (completely hidden when the piece was finished,) over 350 of the blessing prayers I wrote, it is called The Heavens and the Earth.

Grateful Every Day is a set of 60 inspiration cards I designed a few years ago, to help inspire a gratitude practice. Each one has on the front something to be grateful for, and on the back, some questions and prompts to help you think about that topic. A set of cards is $20, and the link above will take you to them on my Etsy shop.

Little Handbook of Gratitude Practices is a small hand-drawn booklet I created a few years ago, which is fun and inexpensive, fits into a greeting card envelope if you want to send them to friends, and the three practices we did today all came from this book. Those are $3.50 each, but if you want more than 10 copies, to give as gifts or use with a group, the price goes down dramatically, so email me for information about that, which isn’t on Etsy. My personal email address is janartist@gmail.com, if you’d like to order anything directly from me, or ask a question, or anything else.

Another thing I will be offering during Lent this year is a Daily Gratitude Practice via email. It is based on the Grateful Every Day cards, and each day during Lent, participants will receive an email with a topic for the day, questions and prompts to help you think about that, and some other related bonus; a poem, video, article, or song. This is by donation, with the amount up to the participant. If you’d like to be notified when registration is open for that, you can sign up for my mailing list via my website: https://www.artoftheordinary.net/mailing-list/

And lastly, (thanks to those of you who read this far!) here are links to the two videos we saw this morning, and to TSSF, my Franciscan Order, if you’d like to know more about that:

A Good Day, with Brother David

Grateful: A Love Song to the World with Nimo Patel

TSSF: the Third Order of the Society of St. Francis

Thank you all, Janet

Episcopal Church Women2025-01-23T14:47:00+00:00December 5th, 2024|

Episcopal Church Women in the News 12-07-24

A message to The Episcopal Church from Executive Council

Executive Council members gathered for our first meeting of this triennium

New Jersey convent welcomes its first new postulants in over a dozen years; TikTok played a role

Two new postulants to the century-old convent building in Mendham, New Jersey.

For the Daughertys, cooking over 200 Thanksgiving meals at All Saints Episcopal Church for North County seniors is a family tradition

The program started 40 years ago.

Episcopal Church loses nearly 40K members, but sees worship attendance grow

For the second consecutive year, the denomination saw a rise in average Sunday worship attendance

New Jersey parents explore ways to talk to adult children about their disinterest in church

There is a largely unspoken tension between parents and their adult children in many Episcopal families.

Sean Rowe wants to realign the Episcopal Church

Rowe’s been chosen to bring some fiscal and organizational restructuring to a denomination in decline.

How a Baptist found common grace in the Episcopal Church

“We sing to the same God, even if our approach to the Lord’s Supper, baptism and leadership differs wildly.”

Former Green Bay, Wisconsin, church becomes new home for women and families in recovery

Amanda’s House is more than just a residence; it is a safe haven where women and their children can find the support they need to reclaim their lives.

Midwinter Student / Young Adult Retreat

February 7-9, 2025 Chicago, IL

Open to students in higher education and young adults Registration

Friday, Feb 7: 4 pm – Arrive at the HI Chicago Hostel (24 E Ida B. Wells Drive) and check in any time after 4pm.

6:30 pm- Program Begins – Snacks, fellowship, and music in the Nichols Room.

Sunday, Feb 9: 12 noon-ish – end after Eucharist on Sunday Morning

Trafficking: Faithful Response and Support

Join this online course to learn how to recognize human trafficking and support those reentering our community after human exploitation. This 90 minute course will introduce participants to the basics of trafficking, how to respond when trafficking is suspected, and how their community can help those on their journey from surviving to thriving.

Monday, Jan 13, 2025, 7-8:30 pm ET / 6-7:30 pm CT

Registration link

Thursday, Jan 30, 2025, 7:30-9 pm ET / 6:30- 8 pm CT

Registration link

———

View Past Women in Action News Blasts

Episcopal Church Women2024-12-04T17:31:21+00:00December 4th, 2024|

Moving Forward in Faith and Service

My dear sisters in Christ,

As we reflect on the conclusion of another election season, we are reminded that the work of our faith is never tied to any political cycle or earthly division. Our purpose as women of the Episcopal Church transcends the temporary shifts of the world around us. In this moment, let us take a collective breath and move forward with hearts full of faith, love, and understanding, trusting that God’s call remains steady and unchanging.

We, the women of the Episcopal Church, have a profound responsibility and a remarkable opportunity to bring Christ’s light to a world in desperate need of hope, justice, and compassion. We stand behind our purpose statement to empower women of the Episcopal Church to carry on Christ’s work throughout the world. Each day, we wake with a renewed yearning to do God’s will, to love our neighbors as ourselves, and to be the hands and feet of Christ. As we walk this path of service, we are called not just to look outward in service to others, but also inward, strengthening our own communities and bonds of sisterhood.

As we continue to move forward together, let us do so in unity—supporting each other, lifting one another up in prayer, and working side by side to bring hope to those who are hurting, lost, or in need. Let us be bold in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, knowing that our collective work as women of faith is both a witness to the world and a deep reflection of the love we share with each other.

As we step forward in faith, let us be ever mindful of the words of our Lord, who calls us to love without condition, serve without reservation, and move forward together with hope, joy, and an unwavering commitment to justice.

In Christ’s service,

Lisa Bortner

National ECW President

Episcopal Church Women2024-11-07T20:24:35+00:00November 7th, 2024|

Episcopal Church Women

About Episcopal Church Women

News Blast email newsletter

Communique’ Magazine

March 6th 2025

Station 1: Jesus is Condemned to Death

Station 2: Jesus Takes Up His Cross

Yvonne O’Neal, Presenter

Introduction and Background:

Below is a summary of current activities by the NECW.

The following motions were approved:

Supplies Needed

For Additional Information

More Resources From the Retreat Presenter

Trafficking: Faithful Response and Support