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Episcopal Church Women in the News 06-12-21

Summary

News 12 The Bronx – Connecticut Glebe House considered birthplace of the American Episcopal Church – Glebe House Museum and Gertrude Jekyll Garden is often referred to as the birthplace of the American Episcopal Church…

People.com – Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond Opens Up About Her Faith in Emotional Instagram Post – “As I walked into the sanctuary this morning, I could feel the inevitable lump start to form in my throat,” the Pioneer Woman wrote on Instagram…

Zip06.com – Kate Wesch: The New Rector at St. John’s – Fresh from 15 years serving parishes in Seattle, Kate Wesch is settling with her family in Essex as the new rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church. “I prayed about it,” she says. “It had the values we wanted.”

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Connecticut Glebe House considered birthplace of the American Episcopal Church

News 12 – Bronx, NY

The Glebe House Museum and Gertrude Jekyll Garden located in historic Woodbury, Connecticut is often referred to as the birthplace of the American Episcopal Church.

The house was built between 1745 and 1750

A glebe is a farm that is given to a minister so that he can support his family.

In the year 1783, the Rev. Samuel Seabury was elected to become the first American bishop for the Episcopal Church in the United States and is why the Glebe House is known as the birthplace of the American Episcopal Church. […]

Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond Opens Up About Her Faith in Emotional Instagram Post

People.com – National

On Sunday, while traveling in Colorado, the Food Network star shared a picture of the Vail Interfaith Chapel with a heartfelt caption about her connection to the church. Drummond explained she hadn’t visited that particular church since December 2019, and had decided to go to their early morning Episcopal service.

“I chose it because I’d been wide awake since five am, and because I grew up in the Episcopal church and the liturgy is forever written on my heart,” Drummond, 52, wrote. “There’s just something about reciting the exact same prayers I memorized as a child; I still know every word.” […]

Kate Wesch: The New Rector at St. John’s

Zip06.com – Essex, CT

The voice answering the telephone said everything that needed to be said, and in a just three words: “This. Is Kate.” And Kate is Kate Wesch, the new rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Essex. She assumed her new position in February of this year.

Kate and her family crossed the continent to get here—she came from Settle, Washington where she had served two different churches over a 15-year period.

Kate follows Rev. Jonathan Folts, now the Episcopal Bishop of South Dakota, who served at St. John’s for some 15 years. Rev. Linda Spiers served as priest-in-charge during the interim period between the two ministers. […]

Episcopal Church Women2021-06-11T14:05:58+00:00June 12th, 2021|

Episcopal Church Women in the News 06-05-21

Summary

The Living Church – Bishop Slates Continue Trend Toward Women – Three dioceses recently announced the candidates in their upcoming bishop elections: Iowa, Nevada, and Pittsburgh…

Bristol Herald Courier – St. Thomas Episcopal organist Schéry Collins looks forward to the return of her church family – Her seat, the best in the house, is at the organ, the silver pipes of the instrument standing behind her like guarding sentinels…

WFLX TV – Hundreds gather on 100th anniversary of Tulsa race massacre – Hundreds gathered Monday for an interfaith service dedicating a prayer wall outside historic Vernon African Methodist Episcopal Church in Tulsa’s Greenwood neighborhood on the centennial of the first day of one of the deadliest racist massacres in the nation.

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Bishop Slates Continue Trend Toward Women

The Living Church – National, USA

Three dioceses recently announced the candidates in their upcoming bishop elections: Iowa, Nevada, and Pittsburgh. One detail jumps out from a glance at the slates: Nine of the 12 candidates are women.

(It was nine out of 10 before two male candidates were nominated by petition in Pittsburgh. There were no petition candidates in the other dioceses.)

The nominations continue a trend toward female bishops that has been accelerating in recent years. […]

St. Thomas Episcopal organist Schéry Collins looks forward to the return of her church family

Bristol Herald Courier – Abingdon, VA

Schéry Collins has attended St. Thomas Episcopal Church for nearly five decades. Her seat, the best in the house, is at the organ, the silver pipes of the instrument standing behind her like guarding sentinels. From her vantage point at the three-tiered keyboard of the church’s 41-year-old pipe organ, she’s provided the soundtrack for weddings, funerals and thousands of sermons.

Then came the COVID-19 pandemic and everything changed. […]

Hundreds gather on 100th anniversary of Tulsa race massacre

WFLX TV – Tulsa, OK

Hundreds gathered Monday for an interfaith service dedicating a prayer wall outside historic Vernon African Methodist Episcopal Church in Tulsa’s Greenwood neighborhood on the centennial of the first day of one of the deadliest racist massacres in the nation.

National civil rights leaders, including the Revs. Jesse Jackson and William Barber, joined multiple local faith leaders offering prayers and remarks outside the church that was under construction and largely destroyed when a white mob descended on the prosperous Black neighborhood in 1921, burning, killing, looting and leveling a 35-square-block area. Estimates of the death toll range from dozens to 300.

Barber, a civil and economic rights activist, said he was “humbled even to stand on this holy ground.”

“You can kill the people but you cannot kill the voice of the blood.” […]

Episcopal Church Women2022-09-28T18:11:38+00:00June 5th, 2021|

Episcopal Church Women in the News 05-29-21

Summary

Richmond Times Dispatch – Two years ago, Richmond’s Underground Kitchen hosted $150-a-head dinners; now it has a community garden and is feeding people in need – The plantings officially launched the UGK Community First Garden…

Beloit Daily News – Church offers community sharing garden via straw bales – local church is launching a garden on a patch of asphalt to nourish their souls and bodies…

Maine Public – $20M In Federal Paycheck Loans Helped Maine’s Houses Of Worship Survive The Pandemic – While the federal money helped churches pay staff, utilities and embrace online streaming, some, including First United Methodist Church in Bangor, found ways to flourish by trying things they’d never considered before.

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Two years ago, Richmond’s Underground Kitchen hosted $150-a-head dinners; now it has a community garden and is feeding people in need

Richmond Times Dispatch – Richmond, VA

wo years ago, if you had asked Underground Kitchen founder Micheal Sparks and his business partner, Kate Houck, where UGK would be now, they likely wouldn’t have envisioned standing on an acre of freshly plowed earth belonging to a 168-year-old Episcopal church in the easternmost corner of Hanover County, daydreaming about fruit trees and herb gardens and, just maybe, a hothouse for veggies.

They likely would’ve answered back then with some exotic locale — an island in the Caribbean, perhaps — someplace where they could wow guests with their signature ticketed dining experiences that were poised to go international. […]

Church offers community sharing garden via straw bales

Beloit Daily News – Beloit, WI

Those with St. Paul’s Episcopal Church at 212 W. Grand Ave. planted the Take and Eat Community Sharing Garden on May 15 in the church’s parking lot. Without much green space, they launched the garden in straw bales.

“When you are in a community authentically, it’s much more about being reciprocal. It’s not us doing for somebody else. It’s us nurturing our own spirits and sharing what we love,” said Aspirant Meg Trimm.

“They fit perfectly. It was so awesome—15 bales standing up on end and a few in the truck,” Trimm said. […]

$20M In Federal Paycheck Loans Helped Maine’s Houses Of Worship Survive The Pandemic

Maine Public – Bangor, ME

For decades, churches in Maine and the Northeast have seen their memberships shrink. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit last year, they worried that without being able to pass collection plates at services, or to hold fundraisers such as suppers and craft fairs, they would be forced to close their doors forever.

Thanks largely to an influx of approximately $20 million in federal loans that hundreds of Maine religious organizations received, and because of reduced operating costs from shutting down buildings and offices, most of Maine’s houses of worship have survived.

Along with churches and other houses of worship, those organizations include religious schools, food pantries, individual clergy and organizations such as Volunteers of America, whose roots are in the religious social justice movement of the early 20th century, according to a database of Paycheck Protection Program recipients posted online by FederalPay.org. The federal Paycheck Protection Program loans that the groups received enabled them to continue paying nearly 4,000 employees during the pandemic. […]

Episcopal Church Women2021-05-28T14:16:49+00:00May 29th, 2021|

Province 1 Report

Province 1 ECW board meets monthly via Zoom. During the last quarter President Susan Howland worked with Parliamentarian Dennis Clark to prepare a bylaw change allowing Annual meetings and other Province Meetings to be held via electronic media in addition to in person. Dennis was most helpful and in April the Province met via Zoom and was able to change the bylaws allowing for meetings via electronic media.

Diocese of Connecticut – Their board meets every two months. Their much-anticipated Annual Meeting is once again postponed and hopefully will be the 1st Thursday in May 2022.

Diocese of Rhode Island – The board meets monthly on the fourth Monday. They decided to still ask the parishes to contribute to the Fair Share fund as in prior years. The response has been terrific. One parish asked for $38 sent $150 from their mission money. They continue to send money to local charitie es that distribute food and other services to the underserved and COVID affected organizations and mission parishes. They are discussing how to raise/ingather UTO funds from the parishes.

Diocese of Western Massachusetts – Their board continues to meet bi-monthly and continue their outreach programs.

Maine, Massachusetts and Vermont do not have representation as there is no diocesan structure. There are groups of women doing ministry in these states in individual parishes.

Province One will be holding their Annual Meeting on Saturday, June 12th from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Karen Patterson has said she would be able to attend and bring greetings from the National ECW. The only item on their agenda is to elect the representative to the UTO Board. UTO board did not continue the terms of their members to 2022 and thus need a new representative for 2021-2024. There will be speakers, times to gather and end with worship. Last years Province Annual meeting was well attended and everyone so enjoyed the variety of the content.

Margaret E. Noel
Province 1 Representative
May 13, 2021

ECW Province 2

Barbara Taylor

On May 1,2021 the Episcopal Church Women of Province 2 met via zoom to hold their annual meeting. The meeting was hosted by the Diocese of Long Island this year. The Bishop of Long Island, The Rt. Rev. Lawrence Provenzano, welcomed the attendees and opened the meeting with prayer. He also addressed the ladies and expressed his continued support for the organization. Representatives from the dioceses of Province 2 were in attendance along with the Province representatives to the National ECW Board, the National UTO Board and the National CPC Board. Reports were given by the representative from each diocese, elections were held and the treasurer’s report was adopted. Everyone agreed that it has been a difficult year because of the pandemic, but that the work was being carried on by individuals, parishes and dioceses.

Since this was the year of celebrating the 150^th year of the ECW, the theme for the meeting was “ECW 150 Years and Beyond.” The program reflected a summary of the history of the ECW and predictions about the future of ECW. Two female priests and one postulant glimpsed a bright future for the organization. They expect that the women of the church will continue in their fight for social justice in all its forms and they see technology playing a greater role in keeping the organization moving forward. Attached is a copy of the 150- year history of the ECW as presented at the meeting.

Province 3

Lexington ECW Diocesan Board 2020 Report

Despite the limitations of the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, our Lexington ECW board has made every effort to continue serving the churches of our diverse diocese. Here in Kentucky our churches range from urban ones near Cincinnati, down through the suburban ones of the central Kentucky bluegrass, and farther still, down to those nestled in Appalachian mountain communities.

Last year we supplied several church pantries with desperately needed funding so they, in turn, could serve hungry, struggling individuals in their local communities. Altogether, we offered $13,000 to five churches with promises to these and others to provide additional $25,000 in funding during the 2021 year.. Those served in 2020 were St. Phillips in Harrodsburg, St. Paul’s in Newport, St. James in Prestonsburg, St. Timothy’s in Irvine, and Christ Church in Harlan.

In addition, we supplied our Bishop Moody fund with $500, our own Cathedral Domain with $600, and Reading Camp $600.

Besides supplying funds to those churches in need, our ECW board voted to provide our new bishop, the Rt.. Revd. Mark Van Koevering, with new robes befitting his position.

Unfortunately, due to Covid-19 restrictions, our diocese was unable to hold our annual Women’s Weekend at the Cathedral Domain during 2020. We do plan to resume this August, offering reduced rates so more women may be able to participate. Most of us regulars would agree our weekend on the mountain both fulfills our spirits and more deeply bonds us not only to our Heavenly Father but to each other.

Finally, although our board members are glad we were able to serve our parishes as well as we did during the 2020 pandemic, we certainly pray that better days are ahead for us all!

Carole Mize, President

Province 4

Since the beginning of the Pandemic last March, all in-person meetings have ceased. All of the Episcopal Church Women meetings and events have taken place by electronic means. We continue with two of our signature events, the ECW Saturday Event, and the Annual Meeting. However, we had to cancel the ECW Children’s Sunday Event.

ECW Saturday Celebration- February 6, 2021- Morning Prayer Service- with a guest speaker, The Rev. Leslie Hague, Rector, All Saints Episcopal Church, in Ft. Lauderdale, with an outstanding message on How the ECW can and will continue its ministry in the climate of the church today. At this service, we also recognized the Distinguished Women from each deanery. We had 175 participants on the ZOOM Service.
Last year, May 1, 2020, we held the Annual Meeting via ZOOM. Because we were praying that we will be able to meet in person before September 2020, we had only the business meeting. We were able to announce the selections of the three Catherine Brown Scholarship recipients.
We are planning the 2021 Annual Meeting scheduled for Saturday, June 12, 2021. This will be via ZOOM with Morning Services and Business Meeting. We have proposed to amend the bylaws at this meeting, including handling business electronic means and incorporating the Distinguished Women.

Warm regards and Blessings,

Edith Newbold, President

Diocese of Southeast Florida

Diocese of Florida – Provincial ECW Report

The COVID-19 pandemic prevented an in-person gathering for the annual meeting in October 2020, however, new officers, President Dorothy Holder, President-Elect Heather Prox, and UTO Chairperson Rosie Connolly staring their terms of service in January 2021 were installed by Bishop John Howard in a small socially distanced ceremony at the St. John’s Cathedral in Jacksonville.

About 30 ladies gathered on Holy Ground at Camp Weed on Saturday, February 20, 2021 for our first in-person socially distance meeting in almost year. At this meeting we introduced our Diocesan Outreach initiative to the ladies which was received with tremendous enthusiasm. We will be supporting an initiative through the Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center “See the Girl”, that serves at risk young girls.

Saturday, May 1, 2021 some 90 ladies representing all five regions gathered at Camp Weed for a one day Diocesan ECW/DOK Spring Retreat, following all COVID-19 processes. Our dynamic Retreat Leader Kris Munroe delivered an amazing and inspiring message incorporating our theme Order My Steps.

At this retreat and in support of our Outreach initiate, we raised $1125.00 to donate to the Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center “See the Girl”.

Our summer meeting is planned for August 16, 2021 and the annual meeting October 23, 2021.

Respectfully submitted by,

Dorothy Holder

ECW President, Diocese of Florida

Report from ECW Diocese of South Carolina.

Today The first day of May is most important step in our journey; Rev Ruth Woodliff-Stanley has been elected Bishop of the Diocese of South Carolina. Having been in a schism for the past ten years, the women of the diocese have not been meeting collectively but all of our remaining 35 churches have ECW’s and groups working heartily to keep their churches in mission and ministry. All of the churches in SC have been involved in food ministry, and assisting in all aspects of the work of the churches during the pandemic.

I will write a report to our newly elected Bishop when her office is established in Charleston. I believe that Our diocese is filled with women who have leadership qualities to take over the next journey. It will be exciting for a new beginning. Meanwhile, I am in full belief that the women in SC are living through our roots of Mission and Ministry.

Jacqueline Robe

Province 5

Diocese of Chicago

www.ecwchicago.org

The Episcopal Church Women (ECW) has continued to serve the women of the diocese through programs of faith and fellowship.

Diocesan Convention 2020 Since this was an online-only meeting, the ECW sent a recorded greeting to the assembled delegates, but did not otherwise participate. Jane Schenck and Susan O’Brien recorded messages focused on the continuation and added importance of our annual giving in this time of pandemic.

136^th Annual Meeting and Convention – November 14, 2020 This event was postponed from its usual timing in the spring and was totally virtual. We kept our original theme of Creation Care and invited our 2020 ministry partner, Magdalene House-Chicago represented by its director, Mary Lawrence, to speak about the start-up of its ministry to trafficked women. Our other speaker was Catherine Duffy, the Province V Convener of the Creation Care Network, who spoke about getting green projects started in parishes. The event concluded with a video presentation of Fr. John Crist’s “Stations of Creation” which included hymns and canticles sung by Lisa Rogers Lee who was accompanied by her husband, the Right Rev. Jeffrey D. Lee on piano.

The Fall Retreat planned for October 17-18 at DeKoven Retreat Center in Racine, Wisconsin was reimagined as a 1-day online event led by Jeannie McCabe of the Diocese of Arkansas. Music was provided by Catherine Balassie (pre-recorded) and Janet Irving (live) and was an uplifting event for an international group of over 50 participants (yes, we had a woman from the U.K. and another from Canada, as well as many other dioceses and provinces besides Chicago). It opened our eyes to Zoom as an effective delivery system which we will be using past pandemic times.

The ECW diocesan board rolled up its collective sleeves and re-wrote its bylaws to simplify the organization structure. We faced the possibility of a much smaller organization primarily devoted to distributing our income, and, as we were finishing the task, five new women joined our board. We plan; God laughs and says, “I know what I have planned for you.” We are planning a full calendar of events for 2021:

137^th Annual Meeting and Convention – May 8^th online only

Altar Guild Conference – September 18^th online only

Fall Retreat – October 15-17 a hybrid event to be held at DeKoven Retreat Center in Racine, Wisconsin for as many as the center can accommodate, but also broadcast on Zoom. The theme and working title are: “Come to the Well: Refreshing our Bodies, Minds and Souls.”

As always, our website is a source of updated information and event registrations and details: www.ecwchicago.org.

Jane P. Schenck, Treasurer and Convener

Diocese of Indianapolis

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, The Order of the Daughters of the King and United Thank Offering. We no longer have someone to represent Church Periodical Club. 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): @EWMINDYTEC

In compliance with the Diocese of Indianapolis’ mandate to recognize and learn about racial justice and equality, EWM Council members attended seminars and workshops:

Sacred Ground Race Dialogue Series (February/March) – There was a quite extensive reading list and homework involved with this.
“Understanding Implicit Bias and Microaggression” Seminar, sponsored by DOK and presented by Shafer Leadership Academy (March 13, 2021)

Unfortunately, EWM budget was cut significantly by our diocese and so we are making some hard decisions about how our funds will be used.

From the group of the 2020 Honored Women group, we chose our Distinguished Woman, Barbara Wills, from Grace Episcopal Church in Muncie, IN.

Our spring event will be on Saturday, April 17 on the Zoom platform and is entitled “Tea and Conversation with Bishop Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows”. We put together a packet which has been mailed to registrants. It contained a lovely printed booklet containing a recipe for scones, a short essay about tea and mindfulness, how to make a pot of tea (who knew it was so involved?), and information about our ECW/EWM communications; packet of tea, 2 flower-shaped papers embedded with wildflower seeds, and a fancy napkin. We also asked attendees to use a favorite tea cup or mug and to wear a pretty hat (gloves optional) to get into the spirit of the event. As of April 8, we had 33 registrants.

We are hoping our Fall Retreat can be held in person at Waycross Camp and Conference Center in southern Indiana this year, but will comply, of course, with directives from the Diocesan Office about the final decision.

Beverly Ruebeck and Lisa Matucheski

Co-Chairs, Episcopal Women’s Ministries

Diocese of Milwaukee

The ECW has had little activity in the past few months. However, we are excited to share that Women’s Miniweek will be occurring in person from Saturday August 7th though lunch on Tuesday August 10. It will be held at our usual site – Camp Lakotah, Wautoma, WI. This site is where we have been for over 40 years. COVID protocols will be in place and much of the activities will be outside (there is a lovely open-air pavilion with picnic tables and fireplace and plenty of room for open air activities plus an overhang porch on the side of the dining hall). For more information go to the Miniweek for Women 2021 website. We continue to have the Mary and Martha newsletter every month though there is little to share beyond COVID updates. Some parishes are safely opening up with restrictions.

The diocese of Milwaukee is in a time of transition which will be for several years. Our former Bishop Steven Miller retired on Dec. 31, 2020.

Bishop Jeff Lee who retired from the Diocese of Chicago at the end of 2020 became our provisional Bishop on April 1. He will be with us for at least 2 years in a part-time position. The added piece of information is that there will probably be discussions between the 3 WIsconsin dioceses regarding structure. At this point the Bishop of Fond du Lac is serving 2/3 time in Fond du lac and 1/3 time in the Diocese of Eau Claire as their provisional Bishop. Needless to say – the pandemic has made many changes in our views of our mission and work in our diocese. We have learned much, adapted as best we can and we see the future as a challenge with a variety of possibilities and opportunities. Constance Ott – ECW President Diocese of Milwaukee

Diocese of Ohio

The Diocese of Ohio ECW board virtually met on October 17, 2020, January 16, and March 13, 2021. We also met on March 22 and 29 to fine tune the details, as well as to practice, for our virtual Annual Meeting and Retreat scheduled for May 15. Many parishes in the diocese did not have in-person worship or gatherings over the past year due to COVID-19. Thus, the focus of our board meetings was to provide fellowship and maintain a pulse on our limited activities.

In 2020, we awarded $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.

The annual meeting and retreat, which had originally been planned for May 2020, was rescheduled, and consequently cancelled, for September 18 & 19, 2020. It was postponed again and rescheduled a second time for May 14 & 15, 2021 at Bellwether Farm. We have now made the decision to meet virtually for the annual meeting and retreat. The program will be condensed from two days to one day. The existing program will be adapted to a virtual format that includes a business meeting, keynote speaker’s presentation, three workshops, and will conclude with a worship service. We are eager to return to Bellwether in 2022.

On May 15, 2021, we will have a business meeting and retreat via Zoom. Besides the business meeting, we will have the following speakers and hosts:

Keynote Address – Connecting to Community through Nature Introduction by Natalie Ronayne, Chief Development Officer, Cleveland Metroparks and Kelly Coffman, Cleveland Harbor Eastern Embayment Resiliency Study (CHEERS), Cleveland Metroparks
Chair Yoga by Angee Mantell
Healing Power of Nature by Joe Blanda, MD, introduction by Patty Kellner, President, Kirtland Bird Club
Labyrinth by Sue Mueller

We will conclude with worship officiated by The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr., Bishop of Ohio.

We invite all to attend this event. Look for an invitation soon.

Susan Quill, President, Diocese of Ohio Episcopal Church Women (ECW)

DIOCESE OF WESTERN MICHIGAN

In 2020, due to COVID-19, we had to cancel our April board meeting and the May Annual meeting both originally scheduled to be held at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Lansing. On December 18, 2020 our beloved ECW president, Pam Chapman passed away in Grand Rapids after a lengthy illness. The board voted to send a memorial to St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in Grand Rapids in memory of Pam.

The board finally reconvened virtually on March 21, 2021. The board currently consists of Marilee Roth (Vice President & Acting President), Kay Hanson (Secretary), Tammy Mazure (Treasurer), Ruth Smith (Missions & Outreach), Sarah Swart (UTO), Lois Weed (DOK), and Gail Donovan (Member-at-Large). The decision was made to hold our annual meeting in the fall of 2021. If we can meet in person, we will meet at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Lansing and if we cannot, we will plan a virtual assembly on the same date. Gail Donovan will oversee securing a date in the early fall for our annual meeting.

During this meeting, we also discussed our need to update our page on the diocesan website, revise our bylaws, set a budget, to obtain more board members, hold officer elections this fall, and to find ways to have more presence within the diocese. Our new Diocesan UTO Coordinator, Sarah Swart, has been doing a terrific job of connecting with parishes in our diocese for their ECW and UTO contacts. We plan to have a presence at our joint Eastern and Western Dioceses convention which will be held from October 29-30, 2021, at the Radisson Hotel, Lansing. We also need to plan for the Honored Woman choice for our diocese for 2022.

Our next board meeting is scheduled for May 15 at 11 AM via Zoom.

Marilee Roth, Vice President & Acting President

The Order of the Daughters of the King®

In this challenging time of Covid-19 the Province V board has been meeting monthly. There is business to tend to, but we also have a care and share time to pray for and support one another. The board of the Province is a chapter on its own, the Blue Monarch Chapter. We connect with an intentional prayer calendar and a monthly shared list for intercessory prayers.

Because of Covid-19, there has been no travel around the Province, but I attended these Zoom diocesan DOK assembly events and represented DOK at ECW events in 2020:

October 3- Diocesan Assembly of Northern Indiana
October 17- Diocesan Assembly of Indianapolis
October 24- ECW Diocese of Chicago Retreat
November 7- Diocesan Assembly of Michigan
November 14- ECW Province V Meeting

Also, on March 13 of this year I attended another Indianapolis Assembly gathering on a training, “Understanding Implicit Bias and Micro-aggression: Supportive Strategies for Everyday Solutions”, led by Melinda Missineo, PhD, Professor of Sociology at Ball State University.

Our Province V Assembly for 2020 was held on September 18. We were able to provide some of the aspects of an in-person assembly in a four hour Zoom platform. 55 women were in attendance. On January 23, we held a Fellowship/Sharing morning for an unstructured time to gather and have conversations, with 61 women attending.

On April 17,2021 we are holding our Virtual Spring Assembly, with election of officers for the next triennium. Our theme is Hope and Strength, based on Isaiah 40:31- “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength”.

It is our tradition to meet just prior to the Episcopal General Convention and planning continues for our National Convention (Triennial) in June 2022. We will meet in Baltimore at the Hyatt Regency on the Inner Harbor. “Come to the Table” is the theme and we always look forward to the worship and fellowship with Daughters from around the world.

Kathy Schultz
Province V President

Church Periodical Club (CPC)

Ministry of the printed word….

Province V ECW support during this year of Covid-19 has been a sign of hope. Although contributions have been down, CPC has received from several diocesan contributions. Also, the quilt fund raising at the last annual Province VECW meeting as well as the support of our Rally fund-raising. Our Province received donation from Chicago, Western Michigan, Milwaukee, Fond du lac and Missouri for that event which was held online during February 2021.Our website is undergoing updating. So, if you need information, please contact me. (see below).

Remember this ministry supports the seminaries (we have two in our Province Bexley-Seabury and Nashotah House), grants for children and youth as well as adult needs. Our province has been blessed to have grants provided in both categories. Think about a way you and your congregation can be involved. This is one ministry that circles the globe and all ages. Here are some ideas to jump start your thoughts: Once church begins in person have a place where everyone can place their pennies for the MOP children’s fund.1.If you have a book group each person would contribute 25 or 50 cents for each book, they read for the NBF adult/seminary funds.

2.Have a book exchange at church everyone brings their books and donates for ones they take. (remainders to look book sale)

3.Ask those having garage sales to tithe 5% to congregation and 5% to CPC.

The list goes on…..I am here to answer questions, provide materials and be your cheerleader……

Another great need is to have contacts in each of our diocese. I can assist you in deciding what you can do and support you-mainly it is to communicate within your diocese re: CPC.

Maryfran Crist

Province V Rep. to NECW

I participated in the three Zoom sessions for our annual meeting. We started with the Province V ECW Presidents meeting on April 24^th. Then Province V ECW hosted a “Community Conversations” with The Rev. Dr. Maria Evans, talking about “Calling-In” instead of “Calling-Out” people on April 24th. Then on May 1^st was the Province V ECW Annual Meeting. Our speakers were Sister Veronica Mary, Mr. Sean McConnell, The Rev. Rosalind Hughes, and The Rev. Darlene Kuhn.

Sister Veronica Mary from the Diocese of Michigan talked about “Care and Connection in Community as a Pandemic Exits”. Mr. Sean McConnell, Episcopal Relief & Development, Senior Director for Engagement, discussed “Care of Surrounding Community”. The Rev. Rosalinda Hughes from the Diocese of Ohio, discussed her book Whom Shall I Fear? Urgent Questions for Christians in an Age of Violence. The Rev. Darlene Kuhn from the Diocese of Western Michigan was our Chaplain.

The Diocese of Ohio ECW Annual Meeting will be on May 15^th and I will be attending the Zoom meeting.

I have been working with John Wilkerson on the survey for contact information from local congregations. I sent the survey out to the Diocesan presidents in Province V, some filled them out on their own churches, and some were sent to churches in their diocese. I believe around 15 have been received. I look forward to John’s report at our meeting.

Jan Goossens

Worship Committee

Sister Veronica Mary talked about a missionary in the 600’s and another in the 1300’s that were sent to the Middle East and Mongolia respectively. In the talk she said each missionary discovered Christians in those areas already. Then she said that people traveled on the Silk Road, the Pilgrim Road, and the Roman Road. And I had an “AHA” moment.

For the Opening Ceremony, lets use the roads of the past 150 years. They are trails, wagon train roads, stagecoach roads, dirt roads, paved roads, interstate roads, and air routes.

For the Closing Ceremony we can use the digital roads, (i.e. email, Facebook, Insta Gram, Zoom, Google Meet, and etc.).

The Worship Committee has endorsed this idea. We are looking for ideas on how to proceed.

Jan Goossens – chair

Jennifer Kenna

Ema Rosero-Nordalm

Connie Sanchez

Margaret Noel

Episcopal Church Women2021-05-28T13:40:49+00:00May 28th, 2021|

The Episcopal Churchwomen – The First 150 Years

To better understand how the Episcopal Church Women came into being, let’s look at a little bit of the Episcopal Church history.

In the 1830’s the General Convention of the Episcopal Church organized or reorganized the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society to support missionary bishops sent to the western frontier to establish small dioceses. They were to be paid by the Board of Missions, but the stipends were small. At the time women in the church had no real standing, but they supported the missionaries with what was called “box” work, i.e. care packages with some of the supplies they would need- food, altar vessels, linens, etc. The missionary work expanded to overseas locations and the work continued.

In the 1850’s because of the industrial revolution, the men went to work in the factories and the women no longer had to help with the family- owned farms or other family businesses. Therefore, they had more time and were anxious to become involved in ministries of the church having to do with the social order. At that time the female diaconate was encouraged and the women began a nursing ministry, founded an orphanage and a training school for women.

The women’s auxiliary to the Board of Missions was authorized by the General Convention in 1871. Of the trust funds available to the Board of Missions at least 50% came from women.

The first Triennial meeting was held in New York in 1874 at the same time and place as the 31^st General Convention.

In the early 1900’s other organizations and programs for women flowed from the auxiliary: In 1885 the Daughters of the King was established to be devoted to prayer and evangelism; In 1877 The Girls Friendly was formed to pay attention to female factory workers; in1888 the Church Periodical Club began purchasing Christian literature for parishes in the American west; and in 1889 the United Thank Offering gave funding to female missionaries.

In 1920 the national Council recognized the Executive Board of the Women’s Auxiliary.

By 1922 a national Board had been formed to oversee the direction of the work of women not only in supporting missionaries, but in social service, religious education, and prayer and worship.

The Auxiliary also advocated for growing roles for women in the church. In 1939 the first woman to receive a Bachelor of Divinity degree was from an Episcopal seminary and in 1947, 3 women completed a 2 year program in Christian education which was co-sponsored by the Women’s Auxiliary to the Board of Missions.

Prior to the 1958 Triennial Meeting, the Women’s Auxiliary became the General Division of Women’s Work.

At the 1958 The Triennial Meeting bylaws were adopted which designated diocesan groups to be known as the Episcopal Church Women. The organization supported the ordination of women to the priesthood and that women should be seated as delegates.

By 1968 the Executive Council and the General Division of Women’s Work voted to integrate planning and work of women into the total program of the church.

In 1985 the Triennial Meeting adopted bylaws forming Episcopal Church Women, Episcopal Church, USA.

Regular publication of the Communique commenced in 1988 and in 2001 the national website was launched.

Today the women continue to uphold the social justice programs of the church; feeding the hungry, supporting the immigrants, advocating for housing equity, supporting education, giving comfort to the sick, shut-ins, the marginalized, and the status of women around the world.

Barbara Taylor

St. John’s, Springfield Gdns.

Diocese of Long Island

Episcopal Church Women2021-05-24T12:39:23+00:00May 24th, 2021|

Episcopal Church Women in the News 05-22-21

Summary

Chattanoogan – John Shearer: Getting To Tour National Register-Listed Christ Church Episcopal – When parishioner Nancy Poston first visited Christ Church Episcopal on McCallie Avenue; It needed its own rejuvenation of sorts!

Patch.com – Historic Washington Heights Church Earns Landmark Status – NYC Landmarks Commission voted to designate as landmark

AFRO News – Bishop-elect Clark muses over the spirituality of food – There is a spirituality of food, it’s been captured in popular culture, such as in the movie and television series “Soul Food.” I take my point of preference from my experience as a Black woman.

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John Shearer: Getting To Tour National Register-Listed Christ Church Episcopal

Chattanoogan – Chattanooga, TN

When parishioner Nancy Poston first visited Christ Church Episcopal on McCallie Avenue a few years ago, it was after walking from her nearby Fort Wood home.

While trying to experience some spiritual rejuvenation from the service after enjoying the physical rejuvenation that comes from exercise, she noticed some peeling plaster and that the church probably needed a historically sensitive renovation and restoration.

It needed its own rejuvenation of sorts!

But to almost anyone who has an appreciation for significant architecture where the historic look is maintained, it was obviously another gem among the several handsome and older church buildings still dotting the downtown area. […]

Historic Washington Heights Church Earns Landmark Status

Washington Heights-Inwood, NY

Washington Heights has a new landmark. On Tuesday, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission unanimously voted to designate the Holyrood Episcopal Church-Iglesia Santa Cruz at 715 West 179th Street.

The Holyrood Church, which means “Holy Crucifix” or “Holy Cross,” was founded originally as a Protestant Episcopal congregation in 1893 by Rev. William Oliver Embury. The church was rebuilt between 1911 and 1916 at its Washington Heights location and has continued to serve the surrounding community for over a hundred years. […]

Bishop-elect Clark muses over the spirituality of food

Chicago, IL

There is a spirituality of food, it’s been captured in popular culture, such as in the movie and television series “Soul Food.” That notion of soul food is intimately tied to the consumer of the food. Soul food is cooked, not just according to recipes, but in compliance with the wishes and preferences of the partaker.

I take my point of preference from my experience as a Black woman. While I have enjoyed soul food, from the White community, most experiences land with soul food prepared in the Black community. For special dinners or outings associated with popular culture in White settings, the spirituality of soul food from the Black community shines through from Sunday dinners to religious holidays. […]

Episcopal Church Women2021-05-22T13:40:18+00:00May 22nd, 2021|

Episcopal Church Women in the News 05-15-21

Summary

ThriveGlobal.com – Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas of ‘Union Theological Seminary’: “If we want enough food to eat, then we should not withhold that from another” – I remember riding with my parents through the inner city of my hometown of Dayton…

Episcopal News Service – First ELCA transgender bishop, Megan Rohrer, hopes to ‘translate good news’ for the curious – This isn’t the first time the Rev. Megan Rohrer has been made bishop…

KTIV/4 TV – St. Thomas Episcopal Church holds a weekly food pantry – Food insecurity is still an issue for many in Siouxland. Monday officials with St. Thomas Episcopal Church held their weekly food pantry drive up. It’s something they’ve been doing rain or shine and no matter the temperatures.

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Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas of ‘Union Theological Seminary’: “If we want enough food to eat, then we should not withhold that from another”

ThriveGlobal.com

I do think that the fundamental and defining step begins with making a commitment to not withhold from another that which we would not want withheld from ourselves. So, for instance — if we want decent housing, then we should not withhold that from another. If we want enough food to eat, then we should not withhold that from another. If we want adequate healthcare, educational opportunities, employment opportunities, then we should not withhold that from another. And so, we should then commit ourselves to building a society that does not withhold from another that which we would not want withheld from ourselves. This is the first step toward healing our country — for again that which really divides our country is the reality of inequity of opportunity and life-enhancing options. […]

First ELCA transgender bishop, Megan Rohrer, hopes to ‘translate good news’ for the curious

Episcopal News Service – Sacramento, CA

This isn’t the first time the Rev. Megan Rohrer has been made bishop.

Rohrer, who uses the pronouns they/them, was erroneously labeled a bishop several years ago in a Norwegian news report while speaking at a celebration of St. Olaf in the country.

That mistake led the Lutheran pastor on a pilgrimage to Switzerland to visit the home of their ancestor, Nicholas von Flüe, the patron saint of Switzerland.

It also led Rohrer to believe it might be possible for a transgender person to become bishop.

“So much of my life is spent talking about people wondering if I’m a sinner, and so I wanted to take intentional pilgrimage time and dwell with this idea: If I’m related to a saint, let’s think of how would my life be different if I imagined myself in this saintly bloodline, like, as my call,” Rohrer told Religion News Service.

On May 8, the Sierra Pacific Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America made it official, electing Rohrer as the fifth bishop of its nearly 200 congregations in California and Nevada. […]

St. Thomas Episcopal Church holds a weekly food pantry

KTIV/4 TV – Sioux City – IA

SIOUX CITY (KTIV) — Food insecurity is still an issue for many in Siouxland.

Monday officials with St. Thomas Episcopal Church held their weekly food pantry drive up. It’s something they’ve been doing rain or shine and no matter the temperatures.

Officials said they’ve seen the need dramatically rise during the pandemic.

“I have seen with my own eyes the dramatic rise in people,” said Rev. Patricia Johnson, St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church. “A lot of people saying they’ve never had to ask for food assistance before. Because of COVID we’ve had to do it as a drive up outside no matter if it’s 40 below, or pouring down rain and people still come to wait in a long line to get this food for their families.”

She said it’s important to provide such a basic need to the community. […]

Episcopal Church Women2022-09-28T18:02:37+00:00May 15th, 2021|

Episcopal Church Women in the News 05-08-21

Summary

WCBD/2 News – First female elected Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina – The first female has been elected to serve as the fifteenth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina…

ABC/7 News – NASA scientist working on Mars mission is also a full-time priest in Maryland – Pamela Conrad has worked for NASA since 1999, gazing to the heavens with a scientific eye, but her other job involves a collar and a church.

Episcopal News Service – Q&A: The Rev. Nurya Love Parish on food, faith, church-owned land and the future – Start talking with Episcopalians about food and faith or reading about new ways to worship, and the Rev. Nurya Love Parish’s name is likely to come up. She’s written the book “Resurrection Matters” and been interviewed by Civil Eats, and she imagined her own Good News Gardens program last year almost simultaneously with The Episcopal Church’s.

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First female elected Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina

WCBD/2 News – Charleston, SC

The first female has been elected to serve as the fifteenth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina.

Reverend Canon Ruth M. Woodliff-Stanley was elected on Saturday during a Special Meeting of Convention, according to the Diocese of South Carolina.

Once consecrated in October, leaders say Bishop-elect Woodliff-Stanley will be the first female to serve as bishop in the more than 200-year history of the historic diocese.

Woodliff-Stanley was elected on the second ballot in an election that was fully conducted on Zoom due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. There were five candidates on the ballot.

“You have given a vision of what is possible,” said Woodliff-Stanley while addressing the delegates after the results were announced. “It’s a vision I hope I can honor.” […]

NASA scientist working on Mars mission is also a full-time priest in Maryland

ABC/7 News – Glen Burnie, MD

We’ve all been watching the action on Mars as the rover takes incredible images and gathers rocks to bring back to Earth.

Today only on 7News, we introduce you to a scientist on the perseverance team, who is also a full-time priest.

With each new astounding picture, the Perseverance rover is showing us the landscape of Mars in new and exciting ways.

On the team of scientific investigators is astrobiologist Pamela Conrad. […]

Q&A: The Rev. Nurya Love Parish on food, faith, church-owned land and the future

Episcopal News Service – Belmont, MI

tart talking with Episcopalians about food and faith or reading about new ways to worship, and the Rev. Nurya Love Parish’s name is likely to come up. She’s written the book “Resurrection Matters” and been interviewed by Civil Eats, and she imagined her own Good News Gardens program last year almost simultaneously with The Episcopal Church’s.

Love Parish, who grew up questioning the ecological wisdom of her Las Vegas, Nevada, home, began her ministry career in the Unitarian Universalist church. In 1997, that work took her to Michigan, where she’s lived since. An Episcopal priest since 2011, she’s rector at Holy Spirit Episcopal Church in Belmont and executive director of Plainsong Farm & Ministry in Rockford, which she co-founded in 2015 with Bethany and Mike Edwardson — Bethany serves as artist-in-residence, Mike is farm manager.

Located in the Diocese of Western Michigan, Plainsong Farm & Ministry serves as a nexus of sustainable agriculture and Christianity. Its offerings include a community supported agriculture program, a young adult cohort and monthly worship (currently suspended due to the pandemic). It’s also home to ChurchLands, an initiative dedicated to mapping The Episcopal Church’s properties and encouraging people to think about them with sustainability in mind. […]

Episcopal Church Women2022-09-28T18:10:39+00:00May 8th, 2021|

Episcopal Church Women in the News 05-01-21

Summary

Arizona Daily Star – Migrant, homeless issues are the focus of this Tucson woman’s retirement – “They say women can have it all,” she quips, “and I tried…”

News & Record – Reclaiming the life they had: 2 women who sought sanctuary from deportation at Greensboro churches are now home – Garcia, who is originally from Mexico, had taken sanctuary in a church to avoid being deported…

Voices – Parishioners Open Pantry in Seymour – Parishioners at Trinity Episcopal Church recently opened the Blessing Pantry, located in the church’s parking lot at 91 Church St. The inspiration of Kathy Faircloth and fellow parishioners of Trinity Episcopal Church, the idea arose out of concern for neighbors who might be experiencing unemployment or underemployment because of Covid-19.

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Migrant, homeless issues are the focus of this Tucson woman’s retirement

Arizona Daily Star – Tucson, AZ

“You know,” said social justice activist Marjorie King, “it’s not just me. There are hundreds of people — incredible, wonderful people — religious, secular, left, right — making a beautiful effort” to help out in Tucson. “I’m just one of many.”

This 71-year-old Tucson-raised international teacher, working for migrants and the homeless, sat on her patio and tried to deflect attention from herself.

She was one of the early leaders of the Casa Mariposa Detention Visitation Program. She took part in the Casa Mariposa project, aiding migrants, out of which grew the Casa Alitas Welcome Center. She now volunteers at Casa Alitas, staffs the welcome desk for the homeless at Grace St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, coordinates the church’s Migrant Ministry, sits on the church’s governing body, and is pursuing an outreach youth program. A member of the Episcopal Diocese of Arizona Borderlands Council, King supports the Casa de Misericordia migrant shelter in Nogales, Sonora. […]

Reclaiming the life they had: 2 women who sought sanctuary from deportation at Greensboro churches are now home

News & Record – Greensboro, NC

REENSBORO — The morning after, Minerva Cisneros Garcia went to Kohls.

“I looked around and walked around smiling like crazy,” Garcia said of browsing the aisles of her favorite store that day in 2019. “I remember a few people looking at me like, ‘Are you OK?’ ”

The Winston-Salem mother of three had 24 hours earlier stood before a federal immigration judge in Charlotte in what is considered one of the toughest courtrooms in the country for appealing deportation orders. […]

Parishioners Open Pantry in Seymour

Voices – Seymour, CT

Parishioners at Trinity Episcopal Church recently opened the Blessing Pantry, located in the church’s parking lot at 91 Church St.

The inspiration of Kathy Faircloth and fellow parishioners of Trinity Episcopal Church, the idea arose out of concern for neighbors who might be experiencing unemployment or underemployment because of Covid-19.

The town of Seymour’s food bank is only open four hours a week, by appointment only. So, parishioners wondered what else they could do for their community and the idea of the Blessing Pantry was born.

The pantry contains covered bins filled with non-perishable food items, personal hygiene and cleaning products. It is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to anyone in need. The pantry volunteer’s motto is “take what you need, leave what you can, and go with God’s blessing.”

Ms. Faircloth said she thinks the pantry is needed, “Because there is too much hunger in the Valley and people don’t know about it. It’s everywhere, but nobody talks about it. We need to start breaking the silence about this problem.” […]

Meet Rev. Pamela Conrad, who brings worlds of science, religion together at Glen Burnie Church

KMIZ/17 – Glen Burnie, MC

At St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Glen Burnie, two worlds collide.

“A lot of people ask which thing I was first,” said Rev. Pamela Conrad.

Rev. Pamela Conrad is church rector by day, astrobiologist by night.

“I’ve been as interested in faith and God as I have been in science and they sort of weave together as braided strands like a DNA molecule,” Rev. Conrad said.

They’re interests that have led to a life of exploration. As a scientist, she’s worked for NASA since 1999 and is currently a scientific investigator for the 2020 Mars Perseverance Rover Mission. Helping develop commands and experiments to send to Mars.

“When we see a beautiful image come down from Mars it’s almost as if you’re standing there just looking out the window,” she said. “You look at it and you go, ‘Wow that’s coming from Mars and it never gets old.”

Her work with NASA is now part-time, as her job as rector occupies the majority of her days. […]

Episcopal Church Women2021-04-30T14:34:29+00:00May 1st, 2021|

Episcopal Church Women in the News 04-24-21

Summary

Religion News Service – Last North Carolina immigrant to take sanctuary at a church goes home – Juana Luz Tobar Ortega was the first person to seek church sanctuary in North Carolina…

The Dispatch – Return to tradition: St. Paul’s May Luncheon coming back after year hiatus – St. Paul’s Episcopal Church May Luncheon, which resumes May 7 after a one-year hiatus caused by the COVID-19 virus…

Episcopal News Service – Executive Council approves grants up to $40,000 for every diocese, emphasizing revival amid pandemic – The Episcopal Church’s Executive Council, meeting online April 16, approved a resolution allocating up to $40,000 in pandemic relief for each diocese that requests it – no formal application necessary, no strings attached.

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Last North Carolina immigrant to take sanctuary at a church goes home

Religion News Service – Greensboro, NC

Juana Luz Tobar Ortega, who spent nearly four years in church sanctuary at an Episcopal church in Greensboro, North Carolina, will be allowed to go home beginning Monday (April 19).

Ortega, 48, is the latest undocumented immigrant to emerge from the network of U.S. churches that harbored people threatened with deportation by the Trump administration. Her Greensboro lawyer secured her a “stay of removal” from Immigration and Customs Enforcement. She expects to get a work permit in the next few days.

A mother of four and a grandmother of three, Ortega took refuge at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church on May 31, 2017, after being ordered to leave the country. She is a native of Guatemala but has lived in the United States for 28 years, most of them in the North Carolina town of Asheboro, about 30 miles from Greensboro. Her husband, Carlos, is an American citizen. […]

Return to tradition: St. Paul’s May Luncheon coming back after year hiatus

The Dispatch – Columbus, MS

Here’s something no one has heard in the past 150 years or so: The St. Paul’s Episcopal Church May Luncheon is back.

“Due to the pandemic, we had to cancel the luncheon last year,” said Gina Thompson, president of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Women (ECW), which has conducted the luncheon since its beginning. “That is probably the first year since its inception that we haven’t had the luncheon.”

For the church, and especially the ECW, the cancellation was a bitter, if necessary, pill to swallow.

“Everyone understood why the decision was made, but, yes we were all disappointed,” said Bridget Pieschel, the publicity chairman. “The luncheon raises thousands of dollars, not only for our ministries here at the church and for charities throughout the community. So it meant we had to cut our donation budget. Knowing what that would do to those organizations was a huge disappointment.”

For that reason, and many others, this year’s luncheon, set for May 7, is one of the church’s most anticipated luncheons ever. The excitement even weeks before the event is palpable. […]

Executive Council approves grants up to $40,000 for every diocese, emphasizing revival amid pandemic

Episcopal News Service – National

The Episcopal Church’s Executive Council, meeting online April 16, approved a resolution allocating up to $40,000 in pandemic relief for each diocese that requests it – no formal application necessary, no strings attached.

The emergency relief will total more than $4 million if all 109 dioceses and mission areas request the money. The vote at Executive Council’s one-day meeting signaled the culmination of a yearlong deliberation among church leaders about how best to help dioceses and congregations weather the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, at a time when The Episcopal Church remains on solid financial ground.

Though no formal application is necessary, the council invited dioceses to engage in discernment about how the money they receive can best serve the mission of the church. […]

Episcopal Church Women2021-04-23T14:48:09+00:00April 24th, 2021|

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