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Parliamentary Procedure Per Pandemics

The national emergency brought on by the pandemic that has swept our planet has required thinking well beyond the proverbial box in almost every institution and process. Certainly, the ramifications of social distancing, the now-clear evidence for the need to wear masks and the like, have wreaked havoc on our ability to meet together in groups and has required parliamentarians to reassess new ways of processing the dynamics of group interaction—oft now referred to as “virtual meetings.” Questions arise as to whether bylaws or other rules (namely “Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised,” abbreviated RONR) allow for these meetings, what the rules to follow might be, what to do if annual meetings (or biennial or triennial for that matter) must be postponed or cancelled and more.

It is this parliamentarian’s view that the paramount concern for any society is the safety of its members. Certainly, there can be nothing more important than that. Secondarily is the survival of the Society itself so that whether the bylaws state that electronic (or virtual meetings) are allowed is moot. In the face of this emergency, a society must do what it needs to do to progress, to fulfill its obligation to its members and to the community at large, and to strengthen its foundation to meet future challenges.

The most current edition (12^th) of RONR has just now hit the bookshelves (i.e., Sept. 1). RONR is the parliamentary authority for all branches of the Episcopal Church as well as most other societies, and this newest edition automatically supersedes all previous versions without any further action by the society that had already adopted it. An entire section (in the Appendix) has been added to this edition on sample rules for electronic meetings. If your group finds the need to use such, I highly recommend your purchasing a copy (available on Amazon for approximately $20). This 600-plus page manual is a must for serious students of parliamentary procedure and for all others who suffer from insomnia. RONR states that meeting by electronic means of any sort must be authorized by the bylaws if any business is to be conducted. An example for such an authorizing bylaws section is included in the text (Section 56). Whether the group is holding a simple teleconference meeting without any Internet support or a full-featured Internet-supported meeting—or any combination thereof—it is important to develop special rules of order for their conduct. The following are just some examples of the kinds of provisions that may be necessary, depending on the needs of the group:

Information on how to log into the meeting; the date/time, perhaps, and the specific time zone.
The process for signing in and out of the meeting.
How the quorum is to be established and maintained.
Whether the chair may, on their own initiative, cause a member to be disconnected if their connection is causing “undue” interference or if the member is causing a disruption (subject to appeal).
How the floor is to be assigned when members seek recognition to debate, make motions, ask questions and the like. Note that RONR suggests that after a member is recognized and has finished speaking the chair calls on the next person to seek recognition. This instead of establishing a queue for members upon initially seeking recognition. It is this parliamentarian’s belief that a fairer way is to have such a queue and with a little support from staff or another member perhaps this can easily be accomplished.
Means by which a member may make an interrupting motion such as a Point of Order or a Question of Privilege must be noted.
The process of how voting is to be accomplished using the show of hands feature of whichever Internet meeting service the group has selected or roll call by the secretary if necessary. It is highly recommended, however, that the chair in most instances try to have most questions decided using unanimous consent (i.e. “if there is no objection”). A huge amount of time can be saved by doing so, but this would entail members not objecting to an action simply for the sake of objecting—especially when it is clear from debate what the outcome is going to be.

These are just a sample of the kinds of rules which need to be considered in order for an electronic meeting to be successful and efficient. It is strongly suggested that members who have experience using the various on-line formats or professionals be consulted so that all can be in place prior to the beginning of the process for holding such a meeting. Once the meeting has been called to order, special rules (such as those noted in outline format above) should be adopted early on.

As noted in the second paragraph, should the bylaws of a society not state that business meetings of its board or members be allowed to meet electronically, in light of the current national emergency either the board or the membership may need to meet virtually (i.e., by teleconference, online, etc.) in order to consider and adopt a bylaws amendment that would allow for such (as noted above). It should also be noted that if a society is unable to meet to elect new officers that unless there is a process in place in the bylaws to do otherwise—elected officers remain in place and continue to function and serve until circumstances allow for a proper meeting can be held to do so. It is also this parliamentarian’s view that this does not hold true for election of government officials at any level. In the event that a business meeting that has been previously called or one that is required by the bylaws (such as an annual meeting or convention) has had to be canceled for any reason, a future meeting may be set by use of the privileged motion to “fix the time to adjourn” (see RONR Sec. 22 for how to use this motion).

No matter what decisions a society makes during the uncertain and certainly unusual days ahead, it is my belief that it is on firm ground if it follows the concepts of courtesy toward all members, logic and common sense, equality and fairness, majority rule while protecting the inherent rights of the minority of its membership and again the overriding factor of the safety for all of its members.

Your national president has allowed that if your particular group has specific questions that need addressing or if we can be of any assistance to you, feel free to send an email to the address below. We will be happy to help as possible. Finally, I would remind readers of the words of the great and oft-quoted Greek philosopher, Anonymous, who reasoned that “there is no dishonor in the wearing of masks to protect one’s brothers.”

Dennis Clark, PRP
dclarkrp@gmail.com

Episcopal Church Women2020-11-20T18:28:45+00:00November 20th, 2020|

You, Too, Can Make Disciples!

By Lisa Bortner

“So you must go and make disciples of all nations.” Matthew 28:19. We, in the Episcopal Church, often feel that we lack the skills to evangelize, but clearly this is what the Lord commands us to do. How can we respond to this marching order gracefully and with a servant’s heart? Clearly, we can identify in the first-century church, as recorded in the New Testament, that the early church was a multigenerational one. Paul instructs young and older women, young and older men. He takes young Timothy under his wing and sends him out to make new disciples. It is our call to continue making disciples, and the first place we can start is in our own homes. Consider what Dee Ann Thomasson has done in her household: She has fostered the love of God, not only to her daughters, but to her much-loved grandchildren. Here’s her story.

Helen Dee Ann Lundgren was born weighing four pounds in 1942 in Brady, Texas. For two months she lived in a wooden apple box in the sterilization room at the local hospital. The Lord must have blessed her from birth because she has surely prospered since. She grew up in the Methodist Church and met her husband, Mike, at a small Methodist college in Abilene, Texas. They joined the Episcopal Church in 1966 in Temple, Texas, where they were both teaching at Temple Junior College. They moved to Austin when Mike decided to attend seminary. This helped change and clarify their focus with work in the church. Although Mike chose to leave seminary, they remained in Austin and soon joined St. Mark’s, where they raised their two daughters, Sarah and Anne, in the church. Dee Ann was drawn to the liturgy of the church and the people who joined together to do God’s work. Both daughters now have children of their own who also attend St. Mark’s. Dee Ann relates that she wanted her daughters to grow up in a home where the church was the center of family life, where they could learn to treat others as they would like to be treated. She also wanted them to know and believe God was always present and they need not be afraid or anxious of anything. This is also her hope for her five grandchildren that range in age from 5 to 13. It is very important for Dee Ann that her grandchildren remain active in the church. On any given Sunday you can easily see which child spent the night with Grandma because they are at her side in the pew.

In addition to bringing her grandchildren to church, Dee Ann modeled service at St. Mark’s to her daughters. She served as parish administrator for many years before deciding to provide childcare in her home, first with the local school principal’s baby girl, followed by two of her grandchildren and then the school principal’s baby boy. She loved and cared for all of these little ones until they became school-age. When asked what she is passionate about, she includes cooking, gardening, required walking for health reasons and spending time with her grandchildren.

Dee Ann first took on the role as the ECW President of St. Mark’s in 1983. Since that time the organization has grown and changed, but Dee Ann always remained a faithful member. Eventually the name of the organization changed to the Women of St. Mark’s. Dee Ann has continued to play significant roles in the ministry, serving as president seven times as well as serving at various times as secretary and treasurer. She states that with the organization representing every woman in every pew, it just seemed like the activity she should be involved in at the church. Many years ago, she started the tradition of handing down her ECW butterfly pin from one ECW president to the next. In 2012 Dee Ann was chosen as St. Mark’s Honored Woman for her dedication and service to the church.

Father Zac Koons characterizes Dee Ann as a vigilant servant leader in the St. Mark’s community. Father Zac comments, “Anywhere she is, she quietly identifies what needs doing, and she gets on doing it without drawing attention to herself. Before you know it, the hedge has been pruned, the flowers are in full bloom, the kettle is boiling, and beautiful fellowship is bubbling at St. Mark’s, and not many people know it, but it was Dee Ann who made that all possible. She is like a priest in that way–she facilitates the interaction between God and God’s people through humble service.”

If you look up the word “service,” you may find Dee Ann’s name there. She has filled her life with ways to serve. She has served on the vestry of St. Mark’s once and served on two search committees. She also served on the clown ministry, was a member of the Back Door Players (a church theater group), has been a member of the altar guild for many years, was chair of the St. Mark’s community-wide chicken barbeque for several years and also assisted with organizing fall bazaars and Maggie’s Café, which raised funds for the ECW. In addition, she is a member of St. Mark’s shower ministry, which provides hot showers to homeless women once a week at the Trinity Center in Austin. She has also taught Vacation Bible School and included art projects and kitchen activities in the curriculum. Of course, both of her girls attended Vacation Bible School and later, her grandchildren attended. She also volunteers in the church office, is a member of the garden guild, and is one of the “Marthas” who set up and provide refreshments for events.

We give thanks to the Lord for all the other mothers who nurture multigenerational God-loving children and grandchildren. During this time of sheltering at home, how can we continue to instill hope and love of Jesus Christ into our sons and daughters and grandchildren? It is our duty to continue to make disciples. Let us start with our own households. Invite your children and grandchildren to online worship. Buy the little ones their first Bible and then read it to them. Zoom or FaceTime with your family weekly as you spread the love of our Savior. Set an example in being a good neighbor. Your small acts will not go unnoticed. You, too, can make disciples!

Episcopal Church Women2020-11-20T18:28:20+00:00November 20th, 2020|

Brotherhood of St. Andrew Enters Uncharted Territory

Prior to 2015 the men’s ministry program through the Brotherhood of St. Andrew was the best kept secret in the church. The Great Recession, doctrinal disagreements, the social media explosion and an aging membership population provided an impetus for a do-or-die scenario. Change is difficult enough in the business world. In the nonprofit it is worse because most dedicated souls are volunteers. The men’s ministry program has been around since 1883. We represented the laity in the early years with our evangelism centered around prayer and Bible study. We were passing out Bibles in hotel rooms way before the Gideons even thought of it. We were responsible for today’s Lay Reader program. Moreover, we even put the resolution for the Daughters of the King establishment before the General Convention in 1886.

We were also responsible for missionaries in the 1890s that accelerated our growth into the Philippines, China, Japan and South Africa. From 1890 to 1900 chapters had been chartered in Canada, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Panama, Scotland and Alaska. In the Nov. 30, 1900, annual report, the National Council announced that the Brotherhood had reached the 1,000 chapter milestone with 17,000 men in the ranks. We were incorporated by an act of the U.S. Congress, signed by (Brother) President Theodore Roosevelt, on May 30, 1908.

We were quite active in World War I, serving military bases and posts on the East Coast. We also welcomed the men home, taking care of them as they transitioned back into everyday life. We repeated these actions in some respects during WWII. After the war, the Men’s Ministry was responsible for creating the Kiyosato Educational Experiment Project (KEEP) in Japan; Faith Alive; Prayer, Evangelism, Worship and Service (PEWS) Action/Reconcilers for Christ; and the Forward Movement. In the period 1980 to 2010, men were active in extending their discipleship into the African continent.

A flurry of tornadoes, explosions, hurricanes and tsunamis meant ministry funds had to be diverted to emergency operations in the U.S. and Japan. But a larger concern became self-evident: The Brotherhood membership was getting older and, like the membership in the Episcopal Church, smaller. A long period of discernment was begun. The National Body organization was a clumsy top-down organization using 1950-’60s governing constitution for guidance. Several ideas were bantered back and forth but nothing seemed to be sticking.

Finally, Vice President for Field Operations Jeff Butcher convinced the Executive Board to undertake creating a statistical Benchmark Data matrix to see where we stood at that point in time. It was concluded: How can you develop a future plan if you don’t know from whence you are starting? This information was most revealing. It also paved the way for the first ever public opinion poll from the membership on how they felt about their men’s ministry program. Over 500 men responded to a Survey Monkey 24-question survey.

We discovered several distinct areas for improvement. Our programs should be useful at the local level and we need to focus on recruiting younger people. Our ministry thrives by seeking out bishop endorsement and realizing that one vote for every chapter allows for better budgeting and forward planning.

These findings were really taken to heart. Change was evident. We were like a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier that travels six miles in the Pacific Ocean before it can come to a complete stop. This was not going to happen overnight either.

Nowhere in the survey or in the responses was there a concern over International Chapter Building. Neither was there any reference to the orphanage in Uganda. This was a continuing problem throughout Br. Dennis’s term in office as the 28th national president. In the end, the cost/benefit ratio between staff and the orphans served had been tipped to an unacceptable level compared to industry standards. The senior leadership determined we needed to find a new partner who had local boots on the ground. The Chain Foundation, Texas, came forward and offered to let us merge with them, thus relieving the BStA of the financial burden that had become too much to bear. It was closed in 2015.

Dennis and Butcher together concluded that the benchmarking and Survey Monkey would serve as a guide for the Brotherhood’s 2015 Triennial Convention in Philadelphia. This National Council Meeting was built around a Ministry Fair concept. It comprised outside vendors, organizations (except Boy Scouts) and alliances nurtured during the last three years. It gave attendees a taste of what was relevant today in men’s ministry.

Based on the Survey Monkey findings, internal changes had to be made first. Vice presidents should have a presidential appointment over an election. Financial control and stability were next. The constitutional change for Phase I was passed. The incoming president could now appoint men for specific missions based on need in the local parish. The Foundation Trustee relationship was bylaw driven. That would take one more year to modify.

New leaders plus veterans comprised the Senior Leadership Team. Several key vice president position appointments took hold immediately. The elected leaders were Jeffrey K. Butcher, president; Jack Hanstein, senior VP for administration; Dr. Richard “Hoop” Hooper, National Council chairman; Robert Dennis, treasurer; and Charles Craven, secretary.

We began 2020 in the black financially with nearly 5,400 members in 462 chapters nationwide. Numerous plans were underway for further growth in 32 dioceses where there was not a men’s ministry currently.

One primary strategic plan element was the expansion for social media growth using Facebook, Zoom meeting formats, webinars, podcasts, Twitter and Instagram. All of these activities were in various stages of solidifying and implementing on March 1, 2020.

Province VII and Province III were holding monthly Zoom meetings with senior leadership team members in their respective areas of responsibility. Province II was hosting quarterly free conference calling sessions for their leaders. The goal was to have every province conducting such gatherings before year’s end, 2021.

By April 1 it became evident that the quarantines were going to be around for quite some time into the summer. The early adopters of new ideas and meeting formats immediately went about setting up weekly Zoom meetings, which the parish, chapter or an individual offered to cover the costs.

The 25-member Executive Board, who had been holding Zoom meetings monthly, took an inventory to discover the board had six subscriptions for hosts. An ad hoc committee was formed to develop immediate plans to assist parishes who were wanting to maintain communications. Suddenly the national president, senior VP for administration and executive director could all be present at a local chapter virtually –another significant milestone for the men’s ministry history.

Meanwhile, the national president sent out a constant contact email to all chapter officers. “Brothers and Sisters: This is a most challenging period we are all facing together. We must realize in our community we are never alone. One way for us to reinforce this fact is to create a Brotherhood Phone Tree for your chapter. Moreover, you might even include non-BStA members, too. Can you imagine the sense of unity this might create in the men’s ministry community at your parish?”

In this same message, a midweek prayer time on Wednesdays at 11:45 a.m. was put forward for the Brothers Andrew network. Men were asked to pause individually to offer silent prayers and intercessions for clergy, health care providers, first responders, sick and quarantined, and the grieving. Concurrently, a separate national line was added. Moreover, members were encouraged to email info@brothersandrew.net as another way to provide information on those who have been infected and/or who have died due to this terrible invisible enemy.

Community service work continued throughout this period with appropriate physical distancing and masks. Five parishes in the Phoenix area partnered with the U.S. Vets on a rotational basis every Friday to feed 100 vets. Other locations are in Arizona (one); California (four); Houston and Hawaii (two each); Las Vegas; Washington, D.C., and Guam.

Atlanta Brotherhood members at St. Peter and St. Paul have three different feeding programs for homeless, families and addicts in recovery. These include “Must Ministries,” “Extension,” and “Hope for the Hungry,” according to Tom Martin, team member.

Rocklin, Calif. continues doing online fundraising for feeding ministries. Dick Griffith, Villages, Fla., commented that St. George Parish had to stop serving food in their parish hall due to the COVID-19 virus. However, they continued to keep the kitchen open and packaged the dinners to go. A week later the supply of food dried up. Dick reported, “We had to temporarily close the ministry. In early May, our regular food sources and some new sources started providing food. It is harvest time and they had no market. They have provided tons of fresh produce.”

Every Saturday morning, we make up family boxes of food and hand them out as the needy drive through our parking lot. The number of families has been increasing each week. Last Saturday (May 30, 2020) they provided food to over 340 families.

Visiting prisons this time around has been nonexistent, according to the Dr. Ed Davis, national VP for Restorative Justice [Prison Ministry] in Texas.

The men’s ministry community is supporting local efforts to find those who need help all over the country despite some of the complications they have been facing. These simple acts of kindness are typical in each of the seven primary missions the Brotherhood is using today to all those who need a helping hand of hope, love and nurturing in every way possible.

by Jeffrey K. Butcher—National President, and Thomas A. Welch, executive director

Episcopal Church Women2020-11-20T18:27:40+00:00November 20th, 2020|

Latinas Episcopales Laicas Sirviendo A Sus Comunidades Como Organizadoras Comunitarias

¡Juntas en nuestra diversidad hacemos la diferencia!

By The Rev. Ema Rosero-Nordalm

La historia de Eva María Torres Herrera

Nací en la ciudad de México. Soy la segunda de tres hijos. Estoy casada. Tengo un solo hijo y soy abuela. Soy Licenciada en Administración de Empresas. Durante cinco años trabajé en mi profesión. Cuando nació mi hijo empecé a trabajar como maestra. Descubrí que educar es mi vocación y una de mis pasiones. Trabajé como maestra en la escuela secundaria, en la preparatoria y en la universidad. Tuve la oportunidad de trabajar en uno de los colegios más vanguardistas de mi país en cuanto a la educación. El Centro Universitario Doctor Emilio Cárdenas, me abrió un abanico de conocimientos, herramientas y posibilidades.

En el año 2005, mi esposo Octavio fue contratado por una firma de arquitectos del norte de Virginia. En julio de 2006 emigré a los Estados Unidos con mi hijo de doce años y dos maletas. En una iban mis libros y en la otra alguna ropa. Iba emocionada recordando que igual que yo, mi abuela paterna con sus tres hijos había emigrado a los Estados Unidos en 1913. Llegué a este país como dice la canción: “Con una maleta llena de sueños” y con las palabras de mi madre que me han acompañado siempre: “No olvides tus raíces ni tu origen”. En 2008 perdimos nuestro estatus migratorio tomando la decisión más fuerte de nuestras vidas y asumiendo lo que eso implicaba. Ahora puedo ver después de 12 años que Dios siempre tiene un plan para nosotros, que ese plan siempre es perfecto y que a través de ese plan Él nos va mostrando el camino que nos tiene destinado.

En el 2010 mi hijo vio esfumadas sus esperanzas del Dream Act que le permitiría estudiar en la universidad. El dolor, la incertidumbre de mi hijo me hizo empezar a involucrarme y a seguir a los “Dreamers”. Siempre he pensado que la educación nos abre las puertas en todos los niveles y nos permite mejores oportunidades económicas. Manteniendo la esperanza y la fe como toda madre lo hace, y transmitiendo esa confianza a nuestro hijo para lograr su sueño, él consiguió realizarlo. Actualmente es arquitecto egresado de la universidad Católica de América.

En 2013 empecé a participar a nivel nacional con el grupo de madres llamado DREAMers’MOMS. Formé el grupo de Virginia, Maryland y DC donde conocí a un grupo de mujeres y madres que admiro y respeto. Me identificaba con cada una de sus historias; con el dolor y el miedo que sentían de ser deportadas y separadas de sus familias. Al mismo tiempo me animaba su fuerza espiritual de luchar por una Reforma Migratoria acompañada de gran fe y confianza en Dios. Hoy cada uno de sus hijos e hijas pudieron estudiar y actualmente son egresados con carreras universitarias, maestrías y algunos iniciando el doctorado.

El mismo año conocí al Padre Daniel Vélez-Rivera de la Iglesia Episcopal San Gabriel en Leesburg, Virginia. Lo conocí en una Vigilia que se organizó afuera de las oficinas de uno de los Representantes del congreso, pidiéndole que apoyara la Reforma Migratoria. El Padre Daniel ha sido una de las personas más importantes en la historia de DREAMers’MOMS en Virginia y en mi historia personal. Su invitación a ofrecer talleres informativos a sus comunidades es como me acerqué nuevamente a mi fe y sobre todo a la Iglesia con la confianza de que era bienvenida.

Cuando no se tienen documentos, la persona no siente esa seguridad de pertenencia. Siempre hay un miedo inconsciente y una inseguridad y más, cuando “no has salido de las sombras” como decimos cuando se vive sin documentos, no se habla de la situación migratoria. Aunque sepas que tienes derechos siempre hay temor y más en estos momentos de odio, exclusión y racismo.

En 2015 ya participando activamente en la Iglesia San Gabriel, el Padre Daniel se enteró de que era maestra y que mi amiga inseparable Araceli Martínez también nos comentaba que en Leesburg había un número importante de latinos que no sabían leer ni escribir en español. Es en ese momento cuando esa maleta cargada de sueños que viajaron conmigo empezó a darle forma a “Educando con Amor”. Todo lo que había aprendido y las herramientas que había adquirido en México y con DREAMers’MOMS se podían utilizar para darle a nuestra comunidad las herramientas necesarias para desarrollar su liderazgo y las destrezas necesarias para desempeñarse en esta sociedad.

Se organizaron diferentes programas para el ministerio latino de la iglesia y para la comunidad latina del Condado de Loudoun. En este momento estamos en Denver Colorado y en Utah donde están participando mamás y niños. Nos guía el mensaje de la comunidad Episcopal: “Todos son bienvenidos”.

Las clases que ofrecemos para niños y niñas son clases donde enseñamos a leer y escribir en español y también destrezas de vida. Complementamos su educación abriendo el abanico de posibilidades a través de clases de Inteligencia Emocional, Gimnasia Cerebral, Ciencias Matemáticas, Arte y Liderazgo entre otros. De esta manera, les brindamos oportunidades que muchas veces no tienen debido a diversas situaciones. Y a los padres les ofrecemos clases de Inglés, clases de Computación. Durante estos meses de pandemia hemos iniciado talleres virtuales ofrecidos por una de nuestras maestras de ciencias: Cómo cuidarse durante esta Pandemia, Clases de Nutrición, Charlas comunitarias de regreso a clase y la Escuela para Padres.

Agradezco a cada una de las maestras voluntarias que se han unido a “Educando con Amor”. Aunque no todas asisten a nuestra congregación, ellas se sienten identificadas con el trabajo comunitario que ofrecemos. Durante esta pandemia ellas han sugerido muchas maneras de mantener el contacto con los niños y las familias de manera virtual. Estas familias también están recibiendo una despensa semanal proveniente del ministerio de Comida y Justicia Social de San Gabriel. A cada familia le llevamos esperanza y compartimos el pan.

Yo creo que un pueblo que adora ora, aprende, comparte el pan, comparte la vida, atiende a sus prójimos, es portador de buenas nuevas, busca justicia y descansa y crece en el espíritu dondequiera y de cualquier manera que se reúna. Que el Espíritu nos reúna para unirnos en la oración comunitaria y nos envíe a una misión común para el Pueblo de Dios.

La historia de Isamar Ortega

Llegar a USA desde Honduras hace 5 años, tal vez ha sido el reto más grande de mi vida. Yo me había prometido que, si me dejaban entrar para sentirme a salvo y con mi hija menor, sería una mujer independiente que ayudaría a la comunidad con todos mis valores morales, espirituales y las habilidades y destrezas que traía conmigo.

El día que fui puesta en libertad me dije: bueno aquí estoy y dispuesta a comenzar de cero. Llevaré a mi hija a la escuela, buscaré un trabajo, una iglesia, y voy a insertarme a este nuevo mundo con lo mejor de mí.

Uno de mis primeros fracasos fue cuando me dijeron que no podía manejar sin una licencia hasta que mi situación fuera diferente. Pasé más de un año a veces deprimida, ya que no podía hacer nada de lo que había imaginado. No tener una licencia de conducir me hacía dependiente de otras personas, me sentía inútil, me sentía que me habían cortado los pies, las alas. Con el paso del tiempo pude obtener una licencia de conducir y eso fue como si me hubieran devuelto mis alas, mis piernas para caminar.

Desde ese momento mi vida cambió. Comencé a realizar cada cosa que me propuse: encontré un trabajo, busqué una iglesia donde serví como catequista 2 años. Pero seguí buscando porque no todavía no me sentía realizada. Observaba todo y escuchaba a muchas personas decir: “Para que tú puedas adaptarte a este país tendrás que pasar 10 años viviendo aquí”. Me asustaba al escuchar eso y me decía: ¿por qué debo esperar 10 años, por qué no comenzar ahora?

En mi búsqueda pude ver un anuncio invitándonos a una reunión para luchar por las licencias de conducir para toda la comunidad inmigrante de Virginia. No podía creer lo que leía, pero mi alma me decía que debía ir. Sabía lo que era no tener una licencia de conducir y si podía luchar para que todos la tuviéramos ¡eso sería realmente asombroso! No pensaba en nada más que buscar esta oportunidad para todos.

Llegué a la reunión y me di cuenta de que era mi oportunidad de conocer a la Nueva Mayoría de Virginia. Me enteré de que es una organización que lucha por las comunidades inmigrantes, de color y LGTB, para que tengan mayores espacios de equidad, igualdad y justicia.

Me hice voluntaria al comienzo y gracias a mi pasión y perseverancia de luchar para cada persona en nuestras comunidades, me ofrecieron un trabajo como Organizadora Comunitaria. ¡No podía creer que me pagaran por hacer lo que más me gusta, que me pagaran por ayudar a la comunidad!

Me prometí empoderar a mi comunidad latina. Les ayudaría a encontrar las herramientas que necesitaran para vivir mejor. Que supieran que nadie está solo, que hay organizaciones que luchan día a día por nuestras necesidades y nuestros derechos. En mi trabajo escucho con atención y consigo lo que las personas necesiten, así sea una cita médica si están enfermas, o un abogado si tienen una cita en la corte de inmigración. El trabajo dedicado y constante para las tarjetas de privilegio de conducir y las licencias de conducir ha dado resultado. Se aprobó una ley que va a permitir a toda la comunidad inmigrante de Virginia obtener una licencia de conducir a partir de enero 2021.

En estos momentos de pandemia producida por el COVID-19, nos hemos reinventado. Sabemos que nuestra comunidad está sin trabajo y temen que los desalojen de sus casas, de sus apartamentos. Estamos luchando para que los programas de renta sean más accesibles para las personas y familias más vulnerables mientras dure la emergencia.

Conocí al Padre Daniel Vélez-Rivera en una reunión en la cual dábamos a conocer el trabajo que estamos haciendo con la comunidad inmigrante en el área. Allí escuché hablar sobre el trabajo de la Iglesia Episcopal con la comunidad y lo que él estaba haciendo. Entonces me dije: yo tengo que ir a esa iglesia que trabaja para la comunidad. Doy gracias al Padre y a la Iglesia San Gabriel por haberme abierto sus puertas y su corazón. La iglesia San Gabriel hace el trabajo que Dios quiere que hagamos: trabajar con la comunidad, con el más desposeído, con el más vulnerable de sus hijos.

Como madre y esposa y con mi esposo tenemos muchos quehaceres en el hogar, nos ayudamos en lo más posible para sentirnos bien. Mi hija Samara ha visto el trabajo en comunidad desde muy pequeña y ahora a sus 18 años está estudiando en la universidad y hace su voluntariado en la Loudoun Free Clinic. Su sueño es llegar a ser enfermera profesional y seguir ayudando a la comunidad.

Durante esta pandemia, mi esposo y yo tratamos de dedicar mucho de nuestro tiempo libre para servir a la comunidad. Junto con nuestra diácona Holly y otras compañeras episcopales, hemos organizado llevar ayuda de víveres y otros artículos a las personas que lo necesitan. Toda la ayuda nos llega de feligreses de nuestra comunidad de fe y de otras congregaciones. ¡Recibimos abundancia y damos de nuestra abundancia!

Cuando pienso en el trabajo que Jesucristo Nuestro Señor hizo con las comunidades que encontraba en su camino, creo que Él fue el mejor organizador comunitario y nuestra inspiración para vernos y conocemos más de cerca nosotros mismos y a nuestro prójimo.

Seguiré luchando para que existan más espacios alternativos para la educación. Creo que una comunidad educada es una comunidad pensante y con más oportunidades para servir al mundo. Ojalá llegue el día donde podamos tener espacios de igualdad, equidad y justicia. En el Padre Nuestro escucho lo que Dios quiere que siempre hagamos todos los días para que el amor habite siempre en nosotros.

La historia de Paula Callaghan

Soy Paula Callaghan (Paula Patricia Morato Parada). Soy boliviana. Nací en la ciudad de Oruro, el hermoso altiplano y crecí en el trópico de mi país, la ciudad de Santa Cruz de la Sierra. Asistí al Colegio católico Cardenal Cushing como parte de mi formación escolar. Durante la secundaria participé activamente de un programa social liderado por las religiosas de mi escuela que consistía en capacitar en oficios útiles para la gente de escasos recursos. Educamos, ofrecimos clases de alfabetización y enseñamos habilidades básicas que ayudaran a salir adelante a personas que tuvieran limitaciones por no poder asistir a escuelas elementales y/o llevar a cabo estudios universitarios.

Participé activamente en el mundo de Rotaract Grigota y Santa Cruz de la Sierra Distrito 4690. Estos son clubes de servicio a la comunidad donde semanalmente teníamos que desarrollar y ejecutar proyectos de vivienda, comida y otros de acuerdo con la necesidad de cada villa. Fui escogida como líder representante de esta institución donde se aprende mucho del liderazgo del servicio y la ayuda social.

En cuanto a mis estudios universitarios en el año 1995 ingresé a la Universidad Nur en la ciudad de Santa Cruz de la Sierra y me gradué como Licenciada con especialización en Relaciones Públicas.

En el transcurso de mis estudios universitarios pude aprender profundamente el trabajo en el área del capital social y humano que es tan importante para poder crear, desarrollar e implementar sistemas de envíos que sean válidos para las sociedades.

El año 2004 llegué a Estados Unidos. Soy mamá de dos varones. Tuve el privilegio de ser ama de casa por doce años mientras el papá de mis hijos salía a trabajar. Pasado ese tiempo quise volver a las etapas de la universidad y de las tesis que había desarrollado para obtener mi licenciatura y salí a explorar el mercado. Encontré una mamá líder en Leesburg, Virginia, la ciudad y el estado donde vivo. Con ella, con la Sra. Fuentes pude llegar a conocer las necesidades de la comunidad, cómo viven, qué desafíos tienen como padres viviendo en una cultura diferente a la nuestra, cómo crían a sus hijos y a sus hijas, qué les falta en cuanto a su educación. De esta manera me involucré y siempre quise establecer una escuela de padres.

Con la llegada del COVID19 y siendo trabajadora esencial de primera línea para el Sistema de Salud Pública me he dado cuenta de cuánta falta de atención médica necesitaban nuestra comunidad latina. Actualmente trabajo para la Clínica gratuita del Condado de Loudoun, uno de los condados más ricos de esta nación. Yo estoy a cargo de la elegibilidad y del programa de alcance en una de nuestras campañas de reclutamiento de nuevos pacientes. En el año 2019, en el segundo semestre logramos alcanzar alrededor de 150 en una población de 400 habitantes de los cuales 20% somos latinos.

Al iniciar esta etapa de COVID19 que la marcamos a partir del 11 de marzo debido a que el sistema de escuelas del condado decidió no continuar con clases presenciales debido a esta pandemia, nos vimos obligados a hacer una proyección aproximada de unos 150 nuevos pacientes que nos necesitarían hasta la semana de agosto del 2021. Llegamos a los 323 nuevos pacientes con un total de pacientes activos de 971. El año pasado en el mes de julio teníamos un total de 604 pacientes activos. ¡La necesidad es grande!

Como católica romana que nací y crecí, asistía a misa, pero para mí no era suficiente el solo asistir. Fui juzgada por no haberme casado dentro de la religión Católica Romana. Fui prácticamente expulsada porque se consideraba que estaba viviendo en adulterio.

Yo siempre buscaba una comunidad inclusiva y que nos acogiera y nos hiciera sentir bien los unos con los otros sin tener que juzgarnos. Es así como una amiga mía, S.L.B. me presentó en el año 2017 al Padre Daniel Vélez-Rivera de la Iglesia Episcopal San Gabriel en Leesburg, Virginia. Desde ese día me considero Episcopal y mis hijos también. Asistimos a misa todos los domingos (ahora virtual por las circunstancias) y dejé de asistir a la iglesia a la que iba anteriormente. Y esto ¿por qué? ¡Porque los hermanos Episcopales en la diversidad todos hacemos la diferencia!

Esta pandemia nos ha traído muchas lecciones para aprender y nos ha unido aún más. Mi fe ha crecido mucho porque puedo continuar haciendo el trabajo con las personas más necesitadas y también darles un espacio para poder crecer con las diferentes opciones de justicia social e igualdad que tenemos o que para las cuales somos instrumentos de guía en dichos espacios.

Episcopal Church Women2020-11-20T18:26:58+00:00November 20th, 2020|

Lay Episcopal Latinas serving their communities as community organizers

Together in our diversity we make a difference!

By The Rev. Ema Rosero-Nordalm

The story of Eva María Torres Herrera

I was born in Mexico City, the second of three children. I am married. I have only one child, and I am a grandmother. I have a degree in business administration. For five years I worked in my profession. When my son was born, I started working as a teacher. I discovered that education is my vocation–one of my passions. I have worked as a teacher in middle school, high school, and college. I had the opportunity to work in one of the most avant-garde schools in my country. The Doctor Emilio Cárdenas University Center opened a range of knowledge, tools and possibilities for me.

In 2005, my husband, Octavio, was hired by an architectural firm in Northern Virginia. In July 2006, I immigrated to the United States with my 12-year-old son and two suitcases: in one were my books; in the other, some clothes. I was excited, remembering that like me, my paternal grandmother with her three children had emigrated to the United States in 1913. I arrived in this country as the song says: “With a suitcase full of dreams” and with the words of my mother: “Don’t forget your roots or your origin.” In 2008 we lost our immigration status by making the strongest decision of our lives and assuming what that entailed. Now I can see after 12 years that God always has a plan for us, that that plan is always perfect and that through that plan He is showing us the path that He has destined for us.

In 2010 my son’s hopes that the DREAM Act would allow him to study at university were dashed. The pain and the uncertainty of my son made me get involved and start following the DREAMers. I have always believed that education opens doors for us at all levels and allows us better economic opportunities. Maintaining hope and faith as every mother does and transmitting that confidence to our son helped him manage to achieve his dream. He is currently an architect after graduating from the Catholic University of America.

In 2013 I began to participate at the national level with the group of mothers called DREAMers’ MOMS. I started the chapter from Virginia, Maryland and DC, where I met a group of women and mothers that I admire and respect. I identified with each of their stories–with the pain and fear they felt of being deported and separated from their families. At the same time, I was encouraged by great faith and trust in God to fight for immigration reform.

That same year I met Father Daniel Vélez-Rivera of San Gabriel Episcopal Church in Leesburg, Virginia. I met him at a vigil that took place outside the offices of one of the congressional representatives, as an effort to win his support for immigration reform. Father Daniel has been one of the most important people in the history of DREAMers’ MOMS in Virginia and in my personal history as well. His initiative to offer informative workshops to his community is how I returned to my faith and the Church in particular with the confidence that I was welcome.

When there are no documents, a person does not feel the security of belonging. There is always an unconscious fear. When “you have not come out of the shadows,” as we say when you live without documents, you do not talk about immigration. Even if you know that you have rights, there is always fear in these moments of hatred, exclusion, and racism.

In 2015, when I was already actively participating in the San Gabriel Church, Father Daniel learned that I was a teacher. At the same time my inseparable friend Araceli Martínez learned that in Leesburg, VA there were a significant number of Latinos who could not read or write in Spanish. At that moment that suitcase full of dreams that traveled with me began to shape Educating with Love. Everything I had learned and the tools I had acquired in Mexico and with DREAMers’ MOMS could be used to help our community develop its leadership and the skills necessary to function in this society.

Different programs were organized for the church’s Latino ministry and for the Loudoun County Latino community. Right now, we are in Utah and Denver, Colo., where moms and kids are participating. We are guided by the message of the Episcopal community: “Everyone is welcome.”

The classes that we offer for boys and girls are classes where we teach life skills and reading and writing in Spanish. We complement their education by opening the range of possibilities through classes in emotional intelligence, brain gymnastics, math, art, and leadership, among others. In this way, we offer the children opportunities that many times they do not have due to various situations. And for parents we offer English and computer classes. During these pandemic months we have started virtual workshops offered by one of our science teachers: How to Take Care of Yourself During this Pandemic, School for Parents, nutrition classes, and community back-to-school talks.

I thank each of the volunteer teachers who have joined Educating with Love. Although not all attend our congregation, they feel a part of the community work that we offer. During this pandemic they have suggested many ways to keep in touch with children and families virtually. These families are also receiving a weekly pantry from the San Gabriel Ministry of Food and Social Justice. We share bread and bring hope to each family.

I believe that a people that prays, learns, shares bread and shares life is the bearer of good news, seeks justice and rests and grows in the spirit wherever and in whatever way they meet. May the Spirit bring us together to unite in community prayer and send us on a common mission for the People of God.

The story of Isamar Ortega

Coming to the U.S. from Honduras five years ago has perhaps been the biggest challenge of my life. I had promised myself that, if they let me in, to feel safe with my youngest daughter I would be an independent woman who would help the community with all values and skills that I brought with me.

The day I arrived I said to myself: Well, here I am and I’m ready to start from scratch. I will take my daughter to school, look for a job and a church, and I will insert my best self into this new world.

One of my first failures was when I was told that I couldn’t obtain a driver’s license until my status changed. I spent more than a year often depressed, since I could not do anything that I had imagined. Not having a driver’s license made me dependent on other people. I felt useless. I felt that my wings had been cut off. After a period of time, I was able to get a driver’s license and it was like my wings had been given back.

From that moment my life changed. I began to do everything that I set out to do. I found a job. I found a church, where I served as a catechist for 2 years. I was still searching, though, because I still didn’t feel fulfilled. I watched everything and heard many people say: “For you to adapt to this country you will have to spend 10 years living here.” It scared me when I heard that. I said to myself: Why should I wait 10 years? Why not start now?

I came across an advertisement inviting the public to a meeting to fight for driver’s licenses for the entire Virginia immigrant community. I couldn’t believe what I was reading, but my soul told me that I should go. I knew what it was like to be without a driver’s license. If I could fight for all of us to have them, that would be really amazing! I was thinking of nothing more than to work for this opportunity for everyone.

I came to the meeting and realized that it was my chance to meet the members of the New Virginia Majority. I learned that it is an organization that fights for immigrants, people of color and the LGBTQ community to have equality, equity, and justice.

I started as a volunteer and–thanks to my passion and perseverance to fight for every person in our communities–I was offered a job as a community organizer. I couldn’t believe that they paid me to do what I love the most: help the community!

I vowed to empower my Latino community. I would help them find the tools they needed to live better. I would let them know that no one is alone: There are organizations that fight every day for our needs and our rights. In my job, I listen carefully and get what people need, whether it be a medical appointment if they are sick or a lawyer if they have an appointment in immigration court. Steady and dedicated work for driver’s privilege cards and driver’s licenses has paid off. A law was passed that will allow the entire Virginia immigrant community to obtain driver’s licenses as of January 2021.

In these moments of pandemic produced by Covid-19, we have reinvented ourselves. We know that many in our community are out of work, and they fear that they will be evicted from their homes. We are fighting to make rental programs more accessible to the most vulnerable individuals and families while the emergency lasts.

I met Father Daniel Vélez-Rivera at a meeting in which we shared the work we are doing with the immigrant community in the area. There I heard about the Episcopal Church’s work with the community and what he was doing. So I said to myself: I have to go to that church that works for the community. I thank Father and the San Gabriel Church for opening their doors and their hearts to me. San Gabriel Church does the work that God wants us to do: work with the community, with the most deprived, with the most vulnerable of His children.

As a mother and wife with my husband, we have many chores at home. We help each other as much as possible to feel good. My daughter Samara has seen community work from a very young age. Now at 18 she is studying at university and volunteering at the Loudoun Free Clinic. Her dream is to become a professional nurse and continue helping the community.

During this pandemic, my husband and I try to spend a lot of our free time serving the community. Together with Deacon Holly and other fellow Episcopalians, we have arranged to bring food aid and other items to those in need. All help comes to us from parishioners in our faith community and from other congregations. We receive abundance and we give from our abundance!

When I think of the work that Jesus Christ Our Lord did with the communities He encountered, I believe that He was the best community organizer and our inspiration to see and get to know ourselves and our neighbors more closely.

I will continue to fight for there to be more alternative spaces for education. I believe that an educated community is a thinking community with more opportunities to serve the world. Hopefully the day will come when we can achieve equality, equity and justice. In the Lord’s Prayer I hear what God wants us to do every day so that love always dwells in us.

The story of Paula Callaghan

I am Paula Callaghan (Paula Patricia Morato Parada). I am Bolivian. I was born in the city of Oruro, in the beautiful highlands, and I grew up in the tropics of my country, the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra. I attended Cardinal Cushing Catholic College as part of my school training. During high school, I actively participated in a social program led by the nuns of my school that consisted of training in useful trades for people with limited resources. We educate, offer literacy classes and teach basic skills that will help people who have limitations due to not being able to attend elementary schools and/or carry out university studies.

I actively participated in the world of Rotaract Grigota and Santa Cruz de la Sierra District 4690. These are community service clubs where weekly we had to develop and execute housing, food and other projects according to the needs of each village. I was chosen as the representative leader of this institution, where a lot is learned from service leadership and social help.

As for my university studies, in 1995 I entered Nur University in the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra and graduated with a specialization in public relations.

In the course of my university studies, I was able to deeply learn the work involved in the area of social and human capital that is so important to be able to create, develop and implement shipping systems that are beneficial for societies.

In 2004 I came to the United States. I am a mother of two boys. I had the privilege of being a homemaker for 12 years while my children’s father went out to work. After that time I wanted to go back to the realm of the university and the theses that I had developed to obtain my degree. I went out to explore the market. I found Ms. Fuentes, a lead mom in Leesburg, Virginia, the city and state where I live. Through Ms. Fuentes, I was able to get to know the needs of the community–how they live, what challenges they have as parents living in a culture different from those of their homelands, how they raise their sons and daughters, what they lack in terms of education. In this way I got involved and worked to establish a school for parents.

With the arrival of Covid-19 and being an essential front-line worker for the public health system, I have realized how our Latino community lacks medical attention. I currently work for the free clinic in Loudon County, one of the wealthiest counties in this nation. I am in charge of the eligibility and outreach program in one of our new patient recruitment drives. In the second semester of 2019, we managed to reach around 150 in a population of 400 qualified inhabitants, of which 20% are Latino.

At the beginning of this stage of Covid-19 that we marked as March 11 because the county school system decided not to continue with face-to-face classes on that date due to this pandemic, we were forced to make an approximate projection of some 150 new patients who would be in need until the week of August 2021. We reached 323 new patients with a total of 971 active patients. The prior year in July we had a total of 604 active patients. The need is great!

As a born-and-raised Roman Catholic, I attended mass, but just attending was not enough for me. I was judged for not having married within the Roman Catholic religion. I was practically expelled because I was considered to be living in adultery.

I was always looking for an inclusive community that would welcome us and make us feel good about each other without having to judge each other. In 2017 S.L.B., a friend of mine, introduced me to Father Daniel Vélez-Rivera of San Gabriel Episcopal Church in Leesburg, Virginia. Since that day I consider myself and my children Episcopalians. We go to mass every Sunday (now virtual due to the circumstances), and I stopped going to my former church. Why? Because we Episcopalians in our diversity all make a difference!

This pandemic has taught us many lessons and has brought us even closer. My faith has grown a lot because I can continue to work with the most needy people. I can give them a space to grow with different options for social justice and equality, and I can be an instrument of guidance in those spaces.

Episcopal Church Women2020-11-20T18:26:22+00:00November 20th, 2020|

Province I

The Province One Board has met twice since the last NECW Board meeting – September 21 and October 19th. The boards of the dioceses of Province have not been meeting.

Diane Nichols (62) our Program Chair and Diocese of Western Massachusetts UTO coordinator, died October 16th of cancer. She was a lovely dynamic God filled woman who was a great joy to know and be with. We miss her.

The Rev. Liz Habecker of Diocese of Rhode Island has become the Chaplain to the Province Board.

As reported in August, Province 1 held a very successful Zoom Annual Meeting. Still receiving positive comments in October.
Susan Howland, President, is preparing a special report for the Province Web and Facebook for Advent which will feature the history and story of Deacons. If not ready for Advent will be posted for Epiphany.

The next Province Annual Meeting for 2021 was discussed. Possibly in April.

We think we cannot hold virtual elections. Therefore, there will be a hold on officers until we can have elections in person. It was decided to drop the nomination/election of a representative for Church Periodical Club. This is currently in our bylaws. Looks like some bylaw changes are scheduled to be made.
Susan met with Emily Kenniston, Province 1 coordinator. Emily is very interested in women’s ministries and would welcome an ECW presence on the Province 1 board.

The Province 1 ECW Board will meet again November 16th.

Margaret E. Noel
Province 1 Representative
October 24, 2020

Province II

There is no report for Province 2 at this time.

Jennifer Kenna
Province 2 Rep
National Board of Episcopal Church Women

Province V

2020 Report to the Diocesan Convention

The Episcopal Church Women (ECW) has continued to serve the women of the diocese through an historically difficult year. All of our monthly board meetings were immediately moved to Zoom.

Annual Meeting

While we had planned our usual events, starting with an Annual Meeting scheduled for April 18^th to be held at St. James Commons, COVID-19 shut that down in its final stages. Since this is the one meeting which we are required to hold per our incorporation in Illinois, the meeting has been rescheduled to November 14^th and will be a virtual event. In addition to a short business meeting, the focus will still be on Creation Care and will feature short presentations by Catherine Duffy, the Province V Creation Care Coordinator, and Mary Lawrence of Magdalene House-Chicago. We will close the half-day event with a liturgy, “Stations of Creation,” authored by Fr. John Crist and featuring Lisa Rodgers Lee as our vocalist.

Fall Retreat

This was also planned as an in-person event and changed to a virtual event to be held on October 24. As of this writing, we have 34 women registered to “attend” on Zoom for a day of “Journeying Inward to God.” The focus will be on this time of pandemic as a time of grace and change.

We are planning for our 2021 events to be virtual rather than in-person gatherings, which is quite a change, but necessary at this time and for the foreseeable future. We will be using this time of grace and change to continue our examination of how and to whom we minister as an organizational board.

Respectfully submitted,
Jane Schenck, Convener

Diocese of Indianapolis

Province V ECW Fall Board Meeting

Zoom Virtual Platform

October 2020

Mission:

The Episcopal Women’s Ministries (EWM) serves to connect and support women throughout the diocese as they grow in their baptismal ministry. We do this by sharing and encouraging women’s ministries within and beyond the diocese; seeking, developing and recognizing women leaders; and educating and advocating for justice.

Membership in the EWM: all women communicants in good standing in the Diocese of Indianapolis are members of the Diocese of Indianapolis Episcopal Women’s Ministries and the larger national association of Episcopal Church Women.

Leadership of the EWM: The ministry of the EWM is coordinated by the EWM Council which collaborates with or represents several ministries of the national church: Episcopal Church Women (ECW), The Order of the Daughters of the King, United Thank Offering, and other ministries. The EWM Council meets 4 times annually, with extra meetings added as needed. This year, all meetings have been held virtually on the Zoom platform. The Council also serves as a resource for the women of our diocese to explore different ministries and events available in our diocese, Province 5, and National ECW.

Social Media – Facebook (FB): https://wwwfacebook.com/EWMINDYTEC (official site for events)

Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/EWMINDY (here you can comment on posts)

We normally have 2 main events a year: Spring Luncheon and Fall Retreat:

Spring Luncheon – It is attended by an average of 80 women of the diocese, both lay and clergy. This event, which includes a keynote speaker, worship and a luncheon, is a valuable inter-congregational opportunity for fellowship, networking, encouragement and inspiration. Childcare is available. A modest registration fee supports this program. Because the pandemic closures were put in place near the date of this event, it had to be cancelled this year. We will be making plans to hold the event virtually in 2021, unless the situation with Corona Virus changes for the better.

Fall Retreat – Because we had great cooperation from our EWM Council members, the successful, free event was virtual on Zoom. We opened up registration to any and all comers: women, men, youth across the country – with a very satisfying number applying – 46 total. The title was “Living Our Call as Disciples – a Virtual Retreat”, led by Canon Kristin White, Canon to the Ordinary for Congregational Development and Leadership in our diocese. We gathered virtually Friday, Sept. 25 from 7:30 PM – 9 PM for a welcome/meet and greet. Saturday, Sept. 26, yoga was offered, then we met for 2 morning sessions and 2 afternoon sessions which included teaching, discussion, prayer and silence. We reflected on discipleship and learned practices to help us become better disciples. So far, we have had very favorable feedback from our attendees. Many thanks to Beth Petti (Chicago) who gave us good advice on hosting an online event and to our tech-savvy Council members who are AMAZING!! Our tech expert, Lara Dreyer, created a detailed script which we rehearsed several times to fine-tune the flow. The result was a well-run presentation. Since the retreat serves as an annual meeting of diocesan women, a short business meeting was scheduled at which time we elected officers and approved bylaws.

In 2021, Bishop Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows will lead our Fall Retreat.

Honored Women from the Diocese – Every 3 years, we invite our parishes to participate in our Honored Woman Program. Each church is encouraged to send us the name of a special woman in their parish. In 2020, EWM recognized and celebrated the lives and ministries of 9 Honored Women and will select one as the Distinguished Woman from our diocese to be recognized during the ECW Triennial Meeting in 2021. We created a slideshow starring the women and a short bio of each one. The video was played during part of our virtual Fall Retreat. It is also posted on our official FB page.

What a crazy year? Nothing we had planned early in the year came together as we hoped. BUT – we have grown from this year’s experiences. And it’s not over yet!

Respectfully submitted by,

Lisa Matucheski and Beverly Ruebeck

Co-Chairs, EWM

Diocese of Milwaukee – 2020

There is very little going on across our diocese at this point. The Mary and Martha newsletter goes out each month and we share the zoom meetings, retreats and programs that are available from around the diocese and beyond. We have done some lists from our Roundtable Library book supply that are available and this has been used by several women. We celebrated the 100^th anniversary for women’s suffrage since Wisconsin was a big part of that movement. We shared prayers for the pandemic and poetry that fit our current situation. And we shared jokes that make us smile and laugh for a brief period of time. We look forward to moving ahead into our transition and into the unknown of where our parishes will be at in the months to come.

We ( the diocese)are in a mighty state of transition which will keep us in the creative mode for time even beyond the settling down from the pandemic. Last Saturday we had our final diocesan convention with our current Bishop who has been with us for 17 years. It was done virtually and went very smoothly. He will be leaving the end of October for retirement in Florida. On January 1 we will be getting a provisional Bishop suggested by the national church. He/she will work with us through the spring and then we will vote whether to keep that person for the next 3-5 years. The concern for many is that during that time there will be discussions of the makeup of the 3 Wisconsin dioceses. The Diocese of Eau Claire and the Diocese of Fond du Lac are moving into a relationship where they will have one Bishop. For years there has been discussion about these 3 dioceses formally coming together. In the midst of this there have been many parishes that have been closed by our current Bishop. Communication is sparse and hopefully will get better with the provisional Bishop.

A highlight of our convention was our Necrology which we do every year. There are always people on it that you know. This year it was done with music, pictures and dates – it was beautiful and I hope will be continued. I share that as an idea for future spring meetings of the women of Province V as well as taking it to your diocese for their possible use.

We have 2 people who are thinking of going to Triennial and look forward to information about that meeting.

Connie Ott – Chair, Diocese of Milwaukee ECW

Diocese of Missouri

It is an understatement to say 2020 has been a challenging year! The adversity of the pandemic has brought the women of the Diocese of Missouri closer as we looked out for the needs of our communities. The ECW Board had to pivot from previous scheduled activities to immerse ourselves into our mission statement – helping the women of our diocese to combine energies to take care of the community in myriad objectives.

As we prayed for the victims of COVID-19 and the people caring for them, we put out pleas from various churches in our diocese to sew masks for support staff at local hospitals, our parishes and to help supply masks to economically challenged communities in the St. Louis Metro area. The women in the Diocese of Missouri have been very generous of their time, talent, and money, helping where and how they are able. It has been amazing to watch the creative ingenuity at work as women solved logistics and streamlined procedures to keep everyone safe while implementing this ministry. The abundant of sharing of resources and knowledge has impressed and humbled the ECW Board. We are honored to be a part of this awesome team.

There were many pick-up ministries born of necessity centered around feeding people who have been without homes for a while and those facing hard times due to sudden unemployment. There are people on the streets now, who until recently, helped those who had no shelter. The women in the Diocese of Missouri took to the streets bringing food and fed people outside the back doors of their churches.

We had planned to begin a new program this year, connecting women from three or four churches to mingle over “happiest of hours.” The need for social distancing led to better opportunities to connect with the women across our diocese. Zoom meetings became a gathering place where we could meet, catch up with old friends and make new friends. The ECW Board is now holding online gatherings every other month with a speaker and include small break- out sessions where participants can get to know one another. This has become so popular, we will continue after social distancing is over.

An added benefit to the Zoom Connections Events is an increased awareness of other dioceses that exist in Province V. We try to acknowledge women from other dioceses, first as an act of hospitality, and then of the ever- expanding circle of sisterhood, ministry and faith other dioceses share. This is in large part due to the efforts of our Province V and National ECW leadership, who are willing to give of their time and make that necessary effort to extend the hand of friendship.

The Diocese of Missouri consecrated our new Bishop, The Rt. Rev. Deon K. Johnson this summer. Although very few people could attend physically, the staff of the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri made sure everyone could attend virtually. Bishop Deon, as he likes to be called, is very supportive and helpful in the ministries of the Church.

Listening and responding to the voices of the women of our diocese in asking for help in getting the word out their various ministries has encouraged more parishes in the church to seek our help in getting word out about their various ministries, especially ones that are in the phases of needing more publicity in order to advance or to financially support the ministry.

Speaking of financial support, the budget of the ECW Board took a real hit with the downturn in the economy, but we were able to reallocate expenses for travel to fund the virtual programs we are now offering. We will need to find ways to increase our income to meet our obligations, if we are to keep expanding programs. Actually, this is a good problem to solve, as it means we are growing into our mission statement.

We have been planning our Annual Meeting and Retreat to be held October 17, 2020. Ironically, the theme chosen back in early February, is Strong Women: Ancient & Modern. Yes, we are!

Deborah Caby, president

DIOCESE OF NORTHERN MICHIGAN

The WMC was formed to fill the need for Women’s companionship & planning for the Winter Retreat within our Diocese. With Covid 19 in place, we can’t meet face to face so we meet via zoom or phone. Our place for the Retreat is reserved for next February, but not sure if we will be able to meet.

We continued to have a monthly phone conference for Book Study & set up whatever it is we are working on, ie: Winter Retreat registration & planning. We have done 2 books this spring & fall: Consider the Women, a provocative guide to three matriarchs of the Bible, author: Debbie Blue; & The Alsolife, author: Barbara C. Crafton. We update our Prayer Chain at this conference call.

All women of the Diocese are welcome to join us. Presently we have core group of 8-10. The group remains ecumenical. We enjoy the companionship & will be so glad when we can again meet in person.

Teena Maki, Coralie Voce

Diocese of Ohio

The annual meeting and retreat, which had originally been planned for May 2020, was rescheduled and consequently cancelled for September 15 & 16, 2020. It has been rescheduled a second time for May 15 & 16, 2021 at Bellwether Farm. We are planning an exciting program regarding the environment. In addition to the business meeting and keynote speaker’s presentation, there will be a choice of activities/workshops. Two of these will take place outside (weather permitting).

In 2020, we awarded a $1,000 to one applicant for the Carlotta East Scholarship. This scholarship was established to provide aid to Episcopal women who need financial assistance to complete their education, upgrade their skills before returning to the workforce, or complete training for the priesthood. In addition, we used our local CPC funds to award a $500 book grant to one of our seminarians.

On Saturday, June 13, 2020, we held a business meeting via Zoom. On Saturday, October 17, 2020, we will meet again via Zoom for a business meeting.

Susan Quill

President, Diocese of Ohio Episcopal Church Women (ECW)

Diocese of Southern Ohio

The Book of Remembrance chair received no scholarship applications by the deadline of 3/31/2020. Plans to fully integrate the Book of Remembrance with the Diocesan website were put on hold with COVID.

Our Diocese had plans to co-host the 2020 ECW Province V Annual Meeting, May 1 – 3, 2020 at Bellwether Farm with the ECW Diocese of Ohio. COVID-19 changed the planned in person meeting to a Virtual meeting that the Province V ECW Board coordinated and delivered via Zoom. Our Diocese may be reconsidered for hosting a future in-person Province V ECW Annual Meeting.

As previously reported at our Board meeting on February 1^st, we were notified by the Bishop that the Diocesan UTO Coordinator position would become a Diocesan position filled by a priest in the Diocese. As far as I can tell, the new coordinator signed a grant application and had her own church contribute to the Ingathering. The Board will discuss petitioning for the work to return to ECW whenever we meet again.

The Diocese received a 2020 UTO annual grant of $33,800 for “Sharing Stories of Blessing in Southern Ohio” – related to Becoming Beloved Community.

The Feb. 1^st Diocesan ECW Board meeting reminded me of the recent Biden -Trump debate – no respect for the other, talking over each other and there was a search for a mute button by the convener. I should require anyone continuing to serve on the Board to take the Church Next Civil Discourse online training. Please pray for our Board as we have not addressed the problems – we tried to get a consultant from the Diocese to assist, but COVID took resources away.

Our Board Vice-President wants to continue ECW in the Diocese. We did apply for funds from the 2021 Diocesan budget, will receive them and hope to be off PAUSE due to COVID next year. Our Bishop will be retiring Nov. 29^th (the first Sunday in Advent) after a long illness. He had not been especially supportive of ECW partly because there are not ECW’s on college campuses. We will try to put forth ECW to be considered in the search process.

As the year winds to a close, we may still host a virtual morning pre-Advent retreat following Diocesan Convention (virtual on 11/7/2020).

Submitted by Kathy Mank,

Diocese of Southern Ohio, ECW president

CPC (Church Periodical Club)

Have you ever hoped to find a treasure in your attic or at yard sale? Then taken to be appraised to be told this is a rare find and value is beyond calculation.

Welcome to the Hidden Treasure of Ministry of the written word. The above statement is exactly what CPC represents. Our Province (V) has in the past a wonderful supporter of CPC. In recent years, this ministry appears to be faded from involvement. Our giving has been done. The financials to share with you will be available Sunday October 11, 2020 and will be send to you regarding which dioceses have donated.

In addition, Diocese of Fond du lac and Diocese of Ohio supports seminarians with book grants. Other dioceses in our province may do this but I have not been informed.

Our province received an adult grant to Diocese of Missouri for hymnals and prayer books for their campus ministry. There is a grant in process for Diocese of Western Michigan for Children’s grant (Miles of Pennies).

Seminarian grants were funded at 800 dollars for all 10 affiliated Episcopal Seminaries. (total 8,000). Applications for adult grants were funded in full however, less grant applications were received.

CPC will be hosting an on line auction of quilts in order to raise operating funds as all monies received go to grants unless designated to administration. More information will be forth coming. Your contribution make a significant difference in providing the written word.

Contact persons are needed for many of our dioceses. Please contact Maryfran Crist 815-257-7012 maryfrancrist64@gmail.com for further information.

Addendum: Blessings and thanksgiving to Bernie Wilkins for her patience waiting for her quilt which was delay due to a long arm machine at the Amish center awaiting parts.

Maryfran Crist

The Order of The Daughters of the King®

Goals reached this year are:

   ~ The use of digital media for meetings. We have used conference calling and the Zoom video platform. Though we do miss face to face meetings, much can be accomplished in other ways.
    ~ The Order has developed a Companion to the Strategic Plan. A useful tool for chapters to use in
implementing the Plan. We have a Strategic Plan Committee.
    ~ Committees formed for Bylaws, Nominating, and Policy & Procedure updates
    ~ DALI workshop was held at the board level. (Diocesan Assembly Leadership Instruction, an
enrichment program to encourage and empower Daughters to take on leadership roles).
     ~ Appointed a vice president upon the resignation of the VP. The new VP serves also as the
Membership Chair.

In Province V we still have 5 unassembled dioceses, which means there is no diocesan leadership or may not have 3 active chapters. Our membership chair and I are working with chapters in those dioceses to promote growth and leadership. We also have 2 Junior Daughter chapters in the Province, which includes girls from ages 7 to 21.

Our Province Board continues to meet monthly, not only for the business, but also to share devotions and prayer, share ideas and concerns, and updates on coping during this challenging time. We also
plan for our assembly or retreat. We had a virtual assembly, on September 19, in order to present bylaws, budget, and minutes for approval. We had speakers, worship, music and managed to have virtual workshops. The theme was “Strength for the Journey”. Our spring assembly 2021 was to be held
at Bellwether Farm in Wakeman, OH in April. We realize that we will most likely be planning another
virtual assembly.

Our vision is to know Christ, and to make Him known to others and to reflect God’s love throughout the world. We continue to grow, in the wake of this pandemic, with creative ways for new member study, and the admittance process.

Respectfully submitted,

Kathy Schultz
President, Province V
The Order of The Daughters of the King®

Province V UNITED THANK OFFERING

Activities Report

Oct 2019 – Oct 2020

Gail A. Donovan

One of the few good things that’s become popular and useful as a result of this pandemic is all the interesting conferences and seminars that are available without leaving your home. And they’re frequently free! I like the ECW News Blasts with info about what’s happening outside our little sphere. I got one in my email on September 12, that told about a webinar due to start a half hour after I opened the email. It’s “One Human Race”, a ministry of the Myra McDaniel Chapter of the Union of Black Episcopalians in Austin, Texas. I registered and got in just as the meeting started. The last meeting is 10/17 and we’ll be discussing the New York Times Bestseller “How to be an AntiRacist” by Ibram X. Kendi. There are about 40 or so people, we meet as a group for the intro and usually some type of video, then break into groups of 4-6 people for discussion, before coming back together. It’s been really an interesting and enlightening program. I’m grateful for ECW because I never would have known about this otherwise.

Please take some time to look at our UTO website. We’ve offered several particularly good short programs, projects for adults and children, and conferences. The “Theology of Gratitude Conference with Diana Butler Bass” is an exceptional one you can explore at your leisure.

All United Thank Offering gifts received this year have been designated for COVID relief grants. Creation Care was to be the focus for 2021 grants; however, members of the Board recognized the pandemic was already having a devastating impact on large sectors of the population. The decision was made to meet with members of the Presiding Bishop’s staff and Executive Council to request postponing Creation Care to 2022 and redirect Thank Offerings received in 2020 for COVID relief grants. These grants are designed to be for short-term, high impact, rapid relief projects. Unlike our traditional grants, there are two levels of funding – up to $10,000 or $25,000. We are also having two grant cycles for applications. We have just completed scoring the first round and the awards announcement is expected to be made soon. The second round will be in the first quarter of 2021 so be sure and check the United Thank Offering website for application information.

This is my third time reading grants. It’s always time consuming, but this round was emotionally exhausting as well. Some days I could only read a couple. As is always the case, there were many more well-qualified requests than funds available. So please, take a few moments every day, maybe at the end of the day to think about one or two things you are thankful for. Maybe write it down on a notepad or start a thanksgiving journal and make an entry just before bedtime. I guarantee if you make the effort to find just one person, place, or thing you are thankful for every day, even in these difficult days we’re all experiencing, you’ll sleep a little better. And as you are able, please make a thank offering. Our change really does change lives. And right now, anything you can spare really will make a difference. All thank offerings received between now and mid-December will be granted Spring 2021.

The Year in Review

October 2019: Jan Goossens, Prov V ECW Board Representative, graciously invited me to attend the Saturday luncheon and Eucharist during the National ECW Board meeting at Bellwether Farms in Wakeman, Ohio. I appreciated the warm welcome and opportunity for casual conversation with members of the National ECW Board and to reconnect with friends from our Province ECW.

November 2019: The Camino de Santiago de Compostela Challenge was nearing conclusion. Offerings received from Province V were at least $16,599.51. This number is likely understated since some donations were made by individuals and others by churches not identified by diocesan relationship. The combined offering from all sources was $55,818.60. Since we were so close to the $60,000 goal set by the UTO Board, the Board voted to fund the full $60,000 match amount. These funds will support the building and development of the Anglican Pilgrim Centre in Santiago to welcome walkers at the end of their journey.

December 2019: While in Chicago for other business, met with the conference center planner, took pictures of the conference rooms, and obtained accommodation information for the UTO/Bexley Seabury “Theology of Gratitude Conference with Diana Butler Bass”. (Due to the pandemic, this was changed to a virtual conference. See link in the April notes below to listen to the presentations.)

January 2020

14^:Attended noon and 8PM grant webinars

21– 24, 2020: Atlanta, GA – Rooted in Jesus conference. The primary reason for my attendance was to take the three-session ABCD (Asset Based Community Development) training given by representatives from Episcopal Relief & Development. I participated in three UTO workshops, and attended the presentation “It Ain’t Easy Being Native; Indigenous People, the Doctrine of Discovery and the Episcopal Church”. Also assisted at the UTO display table. (Note: This was a terrific conference – like the BPG on steroids!)

February 2020

10-18 Review YAS grants for criteria and voting on qualification. (Note: I serve on the Grant Committee. Committee members are responsible for reviewing all grant applications for completeness and adherence to grant criteria requirements – especially budget line items to be funded by UTO – prior to submissions to the full board for review and scoring.)

Week of 2/24 reviewed YAS grants and voted on funding

During the month:

In contact with coordinators by phone, email, text, and some Facebook posts
Submitted quarterly UTO activity report to Prov V ECW rep, including info about the “Theology of Gratitude” conference (link to recording) https://unitedthankoffering.com/conference/

March 2020

2: Board Meet to approve YAS grants

7: Assisted with and attended Diocese of Eastern & Western Michigan Leadership Day conference at St. David’s, Lansing. UTO boxes and flyers for the Scholars Conference on tables.

9-14: Review Global Partners and Aided Dioceses grants for criteria/approval.

Then life as we have known it changed more than we could have imagined.

16-22 Review domestic grants for criteria and approval

19: Phone meeting with Michelle Walker: Database use and updates

24: Zoom conference to get background info about Global Partner grant applications

Begin scoring Domestic and Global Partner grant applications
Calls and emails with Rev. Heather Barta, Coordinator, Prov V re: postings and updates on UTO news and related for Prov Newsletter

April 2020

2 – 6 Grant reviews and scoring

7: Board meeting to approve 2020 grants and other business. All Thank Offerings received prior to year-end 2019 – $1,547,191.13 – were granted to fund 2020 grant applications in the categories of Historical Grants (Emery Trust, JCE Internship, and Presiding Bishop’s Awards), Episcopal Church Grants and Anglican Communion Awards.

15, 20, 26: Board business meetings

24: Theology of Gratitude Conference (link to recordings of the presentations, including Diana Butler Bass, ( https://unitedthankoffering.com/conference/ )

23, 28, 30: Attended Webinar series hosted by the United Thank Offering: “Praying the Way of Love – Ignatian Spiritual Practices for a More Grateful Life” presented by Rev. Ben Wyatt, Diocese of Indianapolis

May 2020

1-2: Attended the Province V Annual Meeting

12 & 19: Attended webinar: Grace & Gratitude in our Liturgical Life with The Rev. Ian Lasch

Continued work on updating Prov database.

June 2020

16: Zoom get acquainted meeting with Northern Michigan UTO coordinators

22: Continued worked on updating Prov contacts & coordinators list spreadsheet

25: Webinar: Dimensions of Culture: Exploring Social Spectrums and the Communication Gap with Rev. Shaneequa Brokenleg

30: Meet with Heather Melton re: Asset Mapping

July 2020

6: Email reminder to diocesan coordinators regarding July 7 grants webinar

7: Attended Noon & 7PM UTO Grant Procedures -COVID series

17: email regarding grant extension request & 7PM Grant Process Webinar

August 2020

14: Grant applications due

17-21: Grant applications criteria review

24: 7:00 PM UTO Board Meeting Grant Criteria

26: 7:30 PM UTO Board Meeting

Domestic Grant Criteria Review

31: 7:00PM Grant Committee Meeting

September 2020

1: Meet with Global Partners 1-3PM

2 – 27 Reading and scoring grants

27: Input individual grant scores

30: Board meeting to approve grants for funding

We need to know that we’re not alone.

We need to hear that other women share our experiences.

We need reassurance that there’s someone who understands—someone who’s been there, done that.

As women, we take turns encouraging, supporting, and cheering one another on.

–BJ Gallagher

Province V Rep.

Jan Goossens

August 26, 2020: Diocese of Missouri had their second “Virtual Connections” with their new bishop, the Rt. Rev. Deon Johnson. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Bishop Deon, he definitely has energy!

September 24, 2020: “Beijing+25: The first 6 areas of concern” online reflection conversation. 1. Women and Poverty; 2. Education and Training of Women; 3. Women and Health; 4. Violence Against Women; 5. Women and Armed Conflict; and 6. Women and the Economy. In the break-out group we discussed how Covid-19 is impacting women. In my group there were 3 from the United States and one from Barbados. In Barbados they are finding creative ways to make sure people have food. One lady in the US mentioned that domestic violence is increasing. Links will be posted to The Episcopal Church’s UNCSW webpage with the program, speaker biographies, PowerPoint and webinar recording. The next webinar will be November 19, 2020.

It was also mentioned that Presiding Bishop Curry’s new book is out, Love is the Way…, it can be purchased on Amazon at: amazon.com/Love-Way-Holding-Troubling-Times/dp/0525543031.

September 25-26, 2020: I attended the Diocese of Indianapolis ECW Zoom Retreat. The theme is “Living our Call as Disciples – a Virtual Retreat”, to be led by the Reverend Canon Kristin White. It was very nice to see many ladies I knew. I enjoyed talking to the ladies in my break-out groups.

October 9, 2020: The Presidents meeting for Province V ECW’s was very informative. Our Province V ECW President, Kathy Mank, could not be with us because she was traveling to her mother’s memorial service. We are going to have another meeting in January 2021 to discuss Triennial and celebrating 150 years of ECW.

October 17, 2020: Diocese of Missouri’s ECW Annual Meeting and Retreat’s theme is “Strong Women, Ancient and Modern” by The Rev. Beth Scriven. It was interesting to hear about biblical friendships and about modern friendships. They were all unlikely, but true friendships.

October 24, 2020: Diocese of Chicago’s ECW Fall Retreat theme is “Journeying Inward to God”. This will be a virtual retreat.

November 14, 2020: Diocese of Chicago’s ECW Annual Meeting will be a Zoom Meeting on Creation Care by The Rev. John Crist.

November 19, 2020: “Beijing+25, third webinar.

Province VII

The Province VII ECW held a Zoom board meeting on October 15 electing and installing the following officers for the 2021-2023 term.

President: Fran Wheeler- Diocese of Kansas

Vice President: Cindy Davis- Diocese of Rio Grande

Secretary: Debbie Butcher- Diocese of Oklahoma

Treasurer: Carol Stukenbroeker- Diocese of Texas

Province VII Representative: Lisa Bortner- Diocese of Texas

UTO Representative: Daria Condon- Diocese of Kansas

CPC Representative: Shetwan Roberison- Diocese of West Louisiana

Thanks to Debbie Butcher for chairing the nominating committee. Bylaw revisions and a budget were also voted on and approved during the meeting. The Province VII elected officers will meet by Zoom on November 12 for a planning session and the next full board meeting is scheduled for January 16, 2021.

A Province VII Zoom conference was held on September 12, 2020. The keynote speaker was Cindy Davis, who is currently serving as President of the Women of the Diocese of the Rio Grande. Cindy Davis helped us find inspiration by looking at women throughout the ages who shared the light of the God’s Love in the world of their time. The conference was very well received.

Log of Activities since August 2020 Board Meeting

8/25/2020 Emailed all Province VII ECW Presidents and Board with an update of today’s National ECW Board Meeting.
8/26/2020 Attended a planned session for the Province VII Zoom Conference to be held on 9/12.
8/27/2020 Authored an article for the Communique entitled “You, Too, Can Make Disciples!”
8/27/2020 Emailed all Province VII Diocesan Offices with publicity for the Province VII Zoom Conference.
9/10, 10/1 & 10/8/2020 Attended Building Bridges Facilitator Training for the Diocese of Texas.
9/12/2020 Attended the Province VII ECW Zoom Conference.
9/12/2020 Attended One Human Race Austin’s training on “Is Race Real?”
9/13/2020 Participated as a speaker in Union of Black Episcopalians Myra McDaniel Chapter Cofree Hour.
10/3/2020 Attended the Province VII DOK Assembly.
10/10/2020 Attended the Diocese of Arkansas ECW Annual Retreat held by Zoom. Gave a welcome from the National Board.
10/11/2020 Presented a workshop on “Sharing in God’s Humanity” to St. Mark’s, Austin, DOK.
10/15/2020 Attended the Province VII ECW Board Meeting

The reports from each Diocese are below.

Lisa Bortner

Diocese of Texas

Our Diocese ECW had a well-attended October 2019 Annual Retreat at beautiful Camp Allen, in Navasota, Texas. Normal business, as in updating our web pages, getting new 2020 calendars out to our churches and coordinating new board members on their duties for the upcoming year has been the main focus over the last three months. The good news for ECW’s in the Diocese of Texas is that there seems to be an upsurge of interest in starting or re-starting ECW groups. One luncheon for doing that was held at St. Andrew’s, Pearland in December, and two more gatherings are planned for this new year one in February, and one possibly in March.

Diocese of Western Louisiana

The Diocese of Western Louisiana have had many of their board members and churches affected by Hurricane Laura and Delta. Prayers for their recovery are offered up to our Lord and Savior.

Diocese of Northwest Texas

The Diocese of Northwest Texas has been busy preparing for their Diocese’s Annual Convention which was held by Zoom on October 16, 2020.

Diocese of Oklahoma

THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH WOMEN

Diocese of Oklahoma 2020 Report to Convention

OUR MISSION:

We are Sisters in Christ. We are every Episcopal Woman, lay or ordained. We are committed to prayer, listening, leadership, study, service, giving, and fellowship.

The Episcopal Church Women’s organization is made up of all women in the church. While individual churches may not have a formal organized group called ECW, this does not preclude the women in that church from being a part of this statewide organization. The Episcopal Church Women of the Diocese of Oklahoma offer programs throughout the year for the women of this diocese and their guests. We encourage all women to fully participate in Diocesan events which will support them in their mission and ministry.

Retreats held in the early Spring and Fall at St. Crispin’s are well attended by Episcopal Women from around the diocese. The retreats have also served as an excellent opportunity for outreach as attendees often recruit women from outside the Episcopal Church to join them for spiritual renewal and study offered at these events. The 2020 fall retreat was held October 4-6 at St. Crispin’s with masks, social distancing, and outside when possible. We honored the memory of our beloved Reverend Debora Jennings (who had helped us plan a safe way to gather this year before we lost her without warning), celebrated the ministry of special guest and homilist Debra Koneiczny, and were thrilled to be able to welcome Megan Reed into our community and begin to know her. The 2021 dates for the Women’s retreats are February 26-28, 2020 and October 1-3.

In addition to our retreats, programs are often presented in each of the regions of the diocese. Each spring we normally hold our Annual Conference & Bishop’s Day bringing women together from around Oklahoma for prayer, education and fellowship. The Annual Conference & Bishop’s Day was planned and hosted by the ECW Diocesan Board to be held at St. Paul’s Cathedral on May 1-2, 2020. Bebe Dotter, as chair, had organized a very special conference; women of St. Paul’s, Resurrection, and All Souls had volunteered to assist with hospitality. However, plans had to be cancelled because of the pandemic. The next Annual Conference & Bishop’s Day, April 30 – May 1, 2021, will be held at St. Crispin’s. We are hoping that this unique and central location will draw women from around the diocese to come together with Bishop Poulson.

Province VII had organized an ECW conference to be held at St. Paul’s Cathedral, September 11-12, 2020, welcoming women to Oklahoma City from twelve dioceses across the seven states of Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Instead, several of us from this diocese attended a very inspirational Zoom conference on September 12, 2020. Our diocese may also be represented by the ECW President and three delegates to ECW Province VII. Debbie Butcher has been slated to be the new Secretary of ECW Province VII for 2021-2023.

Normally, in the year prior to the General Convention of the Episcopal Church, delegates are elected to represent our state at the Triennial of the Episcopal Church Women which meets concurrently with General Convention. In 2018, four Episcopal church women represented our diocese at the Triennial Meeting held July 5-11 in Austin, Texas. The meeting was filled with information on women’s ministries, great key note speakers and worship, hands on outreach, fellowship and networking. As the 80th General Convention will be postponed to 2022, so will Triennial. All national officers will remain in office until the close of the next Triennial Meeting at which they are elected. We are continuing to make plans to celebrate the 150 anniversary of the ECW at the next Triennial whenever that takes place.

Episcopal Church Women of Oklahoma support many ministries within the state and across the nation. Each year we publish the “Blue Book”, our directory which is distributed to all clergy, churches and diocesan leaders, organized ECWs, key women, and churches. In addition, women of the church support the greater community including New Hope, Whirlwind Mission, United Thank Offering, Church Periodical Club, Cursillo, The Bishop’s Cup, Summer Camp and others. Women from many of our congregations help with the annual Oakerhater Celebration and Honor Dance as volunteers who serve an outstanding traditional meal.

Our mission in the upcoming years is to explore ways in which we can be more creative and responsive to the needs of the women in our diocese and to bring the opportunities for fellowship and growth that our events and resources provide to all women and all parishes in the diocese. We encourage individual churches with organized groups of women, churches just beginning to organize, or individual women without a parish organization, to contact us so that we can explore how we can provide support to the ministries of all women in the diocese.

Respectfully submitted,

Sheryl S. Sullivan, ECW President

Please Mark Your Calendars for our upcoming events:

February 26 – 28, 2021 ECW Winter Retreat, St. Crispin’s

April 30 – May 1, 2021Annual Conference and Bishop’s Day, St. Crispin’s

October 1-3, 2021 ECW Fall Retreat, St. Crispin’s

Diocese of Arkansas

The Diocese of Arkansas ECW held their annual meeting on October 10 via Zoom with Jerusalem Greer as the keynote speaker. Jerusalem is the Staff Officer for Evangelism for the National Episcopal Church. Her focus on Jeremiah 29:4-14 was both inspiring and informational. During the business portion of the meeting new officers were voted on and installed and bylaw revisions were passed.

Diocese of Kansas

The Diocese of Kansas ECW held a board meeting 8/13/2020 via Zoom. In preparation of the celebration of the ECW’s 150 anniversary next year the board has started to gather pictures of Past Presidents and Honored Women that will be incorporated into an informational video that will be shared at next year’s Diocesan Convention. The board has also been working on a Facebook page for the Diocesan ECW.

Diocese of West Texas

The Commission for Women’s Ministries/ECW has scheduled a gathering for April 2021 and has plans to hold a Fall Gathering in 2021. The President of the Commission for Women is currently seeking to fill the role of chaplain and well as other vacant board positions.

Diocese of Rio Grande

The Women in the Diocese of the Rio Grande will host a Zoom retreat entitled Wilderness Spirituality: Finding Our Way Through a Changed World, on November 20-21, 2020. There is the wilderness that lies just outside the borders of our civilized communities, and there is the wilderness that lies within our personal lives, as change on many levels hauls us into a new relationship with our own lives. This past year has been a huge wilderness time in our world. We need to learn new ways of orienting ourselves when all the old maps are shredded. This retreat is an invitation to enter wilderness with others who also have been impacted by the wild places around us

· How do we find grounding when so many foundations are shaking?
· How do we reclaim our common humanity when so many things that have described what it is to be human are no longer available to us?

The wonder about wilderness, however, is that it is the perfect place to remind us of what really matters, and that we can still reclaim joy. There are practices learnable in wilderness times which actually strengthen and deepen us to move ahead with our lives as they are now, and show us how we are still at home in our new selves, rooted in the Holy. Using guided conversation, poetry, images, silence, music, and movement, this will be a real retreat, not a conference of talking heads. We will BE community, speak deeply, listen intently, share intimately, sing, even eat together on line. It will be as close to a gathered community as we can create.

Participants will be able to do some preliminary work before we gather together over Zoom to deepen our inner work upon which we will build together.
Leading the retreat is the Rev. Carolyn Metzler. Formerly the Spiritual Director for the Living School for Action and Contemplation, Carolyn is a retired priest. She lives in wilderness next to the Cibola National Forest in Datil, NM, where she writes, weaves, prays, explores, and offers hospitality through AirBNB in her yurt. Registration is $10 to enable Women’s Ministry to offer scholarships and an honorarium, as well as minor incidentals.

The ANEW², a monthly Zoom gathering has been attended by over 2 dozen each month. The October 24 session will focus on planning and praying. Those in attendance will brainstorm ideas for speakers and topics for Women’s Ministry in 2021 and join in a time of prayer for Diocesan Convention and the National Election.

Elaine Wilson, a Women’s Ministry Council member, is also leading an e-study centered on the Book of Revelation. This is the 12^th study she has done for women (and men) in the diocese and beyond, sponsored by the Women’s Ministry Council.

On December 12 the Women’s Ministry will hold a virtual Christmas Party and Outreach event with games, prizes, holiday recipes to share and a special guest speaker.

A monthly e-newsletter is sent to women of the diocese. Information about events is also posted on our website (VarietiesOfGifts.blogspot.com) and advertised in the diocesan e-news.

Diocese of Western Kansas

The Diocese of Western Kansas is currently looking for someone who is called to be their new Diocesan ECW President.

Diocese of Dallas

No contact.

Diocese of Fort Worth

No contact.

Diocese of West Missouri

The Diocese of West Missouri is preparing for their Diocese’s Annual Convention which will be held virtually on November 7, 2020.

Province VIII

The main goal during this pandemic is keeping in touch with all the contacts and
encouraging them through prayer during this unusual challenging time with grace
and God’s Love. Some have taken on the ZOOM challenges !

The Diocese of Oregon ECW did successfully have a ZOOM Annual Meeting
September 26th. The theme was “A ECW ZOOM Experience” and there were over
50 participants, and I was the keynote speaker.

Many of the dioceses are focusing their Annual Conventions done virtually in the
Autumn months. Darly Storey, Diocese of Olympia ECW Contact put together an
amazing video which I have attached.

The ECW of El Camino Real presented this past Saturday a Retreat “Winning the
Right to Vote”. Attended by 50+ participants including several from other
dioceses including myself, this retreat was so moving and well done I strongly feel
it is a great program for the Triennial.

I have included the flyer. It was recorded.

The Diocese of San Diego Chief Financial Officer & Diocesan Treasurer, The Rev.
Kirby M. Smith has connected with me about the Diocesan ECW bank account
with a balance of $40,000 that surfaced last year. Last email conversation with
Rev. Kirby was working with SD ECW member Jamie Wood. There is discussion of
reconstituting an ECW Diocesan Board, which I am strongly accepting. At this time

Martha Estes

Province IX

Highlights:

Covid 19 in IX Province: This pandemic continues to be one of the greatest challenges for all countries worldwide and particularly for the dioceses of the IX Province. We have been in confinement for more than six months, however in the months of August and September the economy of the country has been opening more and more, a similar situation has been with the other dioceses of this province.- The different pastorals of the women we have not been able to carry out face-to-face activities, since meetings of more than 10 people are prohibited but in most dioceses the women’s ministry has tried to accompany with reflections, devotionals via whatsapp or by zoom those who can have access to that platform.
Virtual workshops: at the province level we have had 2 virtual workshops sponsored by the Diocese of Puerto Rico called: Grief during the pandemic on September 25 and Strategies to offer psychological assistance that have been helpful to encourage our people in this atypical situation where they have lost relatives, jobs, motivation to move on.
Celebration of the International Day of Prayer for the GFS in Honduras with our Bishop and also our girls participated in the World Day of Prayer organized with the GFS of the United States where the Presiding Bishop gave us a magnificent message.
Virtual Women’s Convention: The diocese of the Dominican Republic is preparing to celebrate its Women’s Convention in digital form on November 7 with the theme: The Holy Spirit moves us to testify of Christ.
Conversation on Beijing +25 The Delegates of the Episcopal Church to UNCSW 64 are promoting a Conversation in which the different delegates of the IX Province who have participated in previous Conferences on the condition of the status of women, we are the ones who will be exposing On various topics related to the 4 world conferences and the main issues addressed in each of them, this discussion will be held on October 29 with the purpose of raising awareness among our women of the IX Province and other Latin American Provinces about the importance of the 12 areas approved in the Beijing freezing that have to do with the rights of women and girls, knowing that women’s rights are human rights, and talk about the role of their churches and of them in relation to this theme.
I was invited by the clergy women of the Province of IARCA (Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala to share with them in a Prayer workshop, which was taught by me. It was a wonderful time, in which we reflected together on this subject and practice that brings a lot of inner peace to our lives.
The Daughters of the King of the IX Province who have attended the Conventions of the Daughters in the USA We are also preparing a workshop of Prayer, fasting and service that we will be giving in the coming months at an international level with the Daughters of the King of our dioceses.
UTO: On Thursday 28, the IX Province will be participating in a workshop sponsored by the UTO of USA where they will be explaining How to submit Applications to access grants from the United Offering of Thanks.
Next steps: The Pastoral of each Diocese at its own pace and according to its possibilities continues to accompany our sisters in each diocese in a virtual way, both with workshops and spiritual messages that provide hope and peace.

We pray to our Lord Jesus Christ so that He continues to provide not only physical food but also the spiritual food that we need to be every day more like Him and we can share with each other in the ways that each of us can and make present his Kingdom among us.

With gratitude,

Submit by Rev Canon Consuelo Sanchez Navarro+

Coordinadora ECW IX Provincia.

Social Justice

After almost 230 days not able to live our daily lives with the freedoms and privileges we never thought would be taken away, change, and possibly put in danger our own lives, the lives of our loved ones, and the lives of our neighborhoods, in our communities we are still holding to hope and begging God’s mercy on us, while doing our best to be instruments of His peace, serving others in Christ’s name and protecting ourselves and those around us with loving care, concern, and gratefulness.

If during this past spring our mother earth showed us the wonder and owe of its renovated beauty so that we could rejoiced in it, that same gift of splendor and color embraces us this fall. My hope is that our hearts, in need of healing from all the hurts, the fears and the uncertainty caused by this Covid-19 pandemic, find solace in God’s divine presence in the natural world, God’s beloved creation.

Here is my report for September and October 2020:

Continue doing the work of the Beloved Community Implementation encouraging communities of color to apply for seed money to start the sacred work of Racial Justice and Reconciliation.

Interviewed 3 Latina Episcopal leaders attending San Gabriel’s Episcopal Church in Leesburg, Virginia for an article to appear in the 2020 Fall Edition of Communique.

Responded to four Zoom webinar invitations to share and initiate work I have done in the following areas:

My work as a deacon during this pandemic. Sandra Montes from Episcopal Church Foundation as the moderator of this Zoom webinar
How to organize Women’s Ministries: for Colombian Episcopalians, Rvdo. Daniel Mafla and Rvda. Ale Trillos moderators for this Zoom webinar.
Safe Church Practices trainings for Episcopal Latino communities: for Brazilian Anglicans interested in how to offer Safe Church Training to Brazilian communities to be prepared for Zoom webinars, March 2021.
Academia Ecuménica de Liderazgo for Latino Episcopalians: how to organize this Christian Formation program virtually, for January 2021.

Work that is in progress:

Reading and posting in the Social Justice Facebook page, interesting articles regarding immigration, Racism and Racial Justice and Reconciliation, and Human Trafficking.
Team work to develop Education for Ministry for Latinos y Latina leaders: EMFL
Anti Racism work for Latino communities living in Province IX and in the United States under the Becoming Beloved Community suggested as individual and communal journey.

The Social Justice Committee did not meet these past months.

Respectfully submitted,

The Rvda. Ema Rosero-Nordalm, October 24, 2020

Episcopal Church Women2020-11-02T15:48:54+00:00November 2nd, 2020|

Planning Committee for General Convention – Update

At the meeting today of the Planning Committee for General Convention and Triennial, no decision was reached as to the dates for meeting. It is in the interest of the Church and the City of Baltimore that we not yet make an announcement. Settlement of arrangements has not yet been completed. As soon as the arrangements are completed for the meetings, you will be notified.

Karen Patterson – ECW President 2018-02021

Episcopal Church Women2020-10-27T18:13:15+00:00October 27th, 2020|

Province I Board Meeting October 2020

The Province One Board has met twice since the last NECW Board meeting – September 21 and October 19th. The boards of the dioceses of Province have not been meeting.

The Rev. Liz Habecker of Diocese of Rhode Island has become the Chaplain to the Province Board.

As reported in August, Province 1 held a very successful Zoom Annual Meeting. Still receiving positive comments in October.

Susan Howland, President, is preparing a special report for the Province Web and Facebook for Advent which will feature the history and story of Deacons. If not ready for Advent will be posted for Epiphany.

The next Province Annual Meeting for 2021 was discussed. Possibly in April.

Susan met with Emily Kenniston, Province 1 coordinator. Emily is very interested in women’s ministries and would welcome an ECW presence on the Province 1 board.

The Province 1 ECW Board will meet again November 16th.

Margaret E. Noel

Province 1 Representative

October 24, 2020

Episcopal Church Women2020-10-26T18:42:19+00:00October 26th, 2020|

ECW Olympia, WA – Convention Exhibit Oct 24th 2020

Hello Sisters in Christ,

The following video is the ECW Exhibit for Convention this Saturday .

Thank you, Daryl Storey, for a wonderful representation.

Many of you are preparing for your Annual Diocesan Conventions

I pray all for success in the virtual process and please share any interesting experiences for ECW Women in Action or Communique.

ENJOY!!

Canon Martha K. Estes

Episcopal Church Women2020-10-22T15:47:50+00:00October 22nd, 2020|

Women of the IX Province Beijing CONVERSATORY

Santiago de León de Caracas

September 30, 2020

Attention: Ms. Karen O. Patterson

Episcopal Church Women

Best regards,

The Delegate of the Presiding Bishop for the IX Province before UNCSW64, the Provincial Council of the IX Province and the Office of World Fellowship (TEC), we have the honor to invite you to participate in the event: Women of the IX Province: CONVERSATORIO BEIJING +25 . This Virtual Conversation will take place on Thursday, October 29, 2020; from 4:00 to 6:00 PM (Puerto Rico time) through the ZOOM Platform. You will receive the link to register the event in due course.

We thank you very much for the promotion that you can give to the event in the Women’s Groups with which your organization is related. This platform allows for broad participation, feel free to invite all interested women.

Appreciating your attention,

Very truly yours,

Mujeres de la IX Provincia: CONVERSATORIO Beijing +25

Caracas, 30 de septiembre de 2020

Atención: Ms. Karen O. Patterson – Episcopal Church Women

Saludos cordiales,
La Delegada del Obispo Primado por la IX Provincia ante UNCSW64, el Consejo Provincial de la IX Provincia y la Oficina de Compañerismo Mundial (TEC), tenemos el honor de invitarle a participar en el evento: Mujeres de la IX Provincia: CONVERSATORIO BEIJING +25. Este Conversatorio Virtual tendrá lugar el día jueves 29 de octubre de 2020; de 4:00 a 6:00 PM (hora de Puerto Rico) por la Plataforma ZOOM. Oportunamente recibirán el enlace para el registro del evento.

Mucho les agradecemos la promoción que puedan dar al evento en los Grupos de Mujeres con los cuales se relaciona su organización. Esta plataforma permite una amplia participación, siéntase libre de invitar a todas las mujeres interesadas.

Agradeciendo su atención,
Muy atentamente,

Coromoto Jimenez Rvda. Glenda McQueen
Delegada del Obispo Primado UNCSW64 Oficial para América Latina y el Caribe

Rvda. Glenda McQueen
Oficial para América Latina y el Caribe
IX Provincia Oficina de Compañerismo Mundial

Episcopal Church Women2020-09-30T14:53:21+00:00September 30th, 2020|

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