Communique Magazine Archives - Page 21 of 21 - National Episcopal Church Women

Bridging the Generational Gap

By Kristen Pratt Machado

The author reflects on her decades-long friendships, and how they inspire her relationship with the ECW.

In the Gospel of Luke, we learn that the post-menopausal Elizabeth has become pregnant against all odds. She meets with Mary, a young and engaged—but unmarried—woman who may need refuge against angry family members who did not understand that a miracle was underway. When the two women meet, Elizabeth’s baby, John the Baptist, moves in her womb, and Elizabeth is called to give Mary a blessing:

Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.

—Luke 1:42-45

I have always loved this story because I am a great believer in both God’s ability to work miracles and the strength that a bond between women offers. Mary seeks solace and finds it in Elizabeth, the older and wiser one. Both are comforted by the bond they share and through their deep and tireless faith.

RELATIONSHIPS

While my relationships with other women have not involved any miracles thus far, I treasure the female friendships I have cultivated over the years (I am still close friends with a woman I met when we were little girls in first grade!). I have always sought out the company of other women and enjoyed being part of groups solely dedicated to fostering camaraderie among women and/or girls—from playing on girls-only sports teams to becoming an active member of a sorority to hosting “girls nights” filled with wine and nonstop talking. I have the same two best friends with whom I went to college, and the new friends I have met in Winston-Salem, NC, are treasured additions to what I would call my fellow women warriors—ladies who are doing their best to take care of their families, make a difference in the world, and have some fun along the way.

Withstanding my women’s Bible study group, of which I am the oldest (most seasoned?), my friends are all mostly about my same age. This is my comfort zone. So when a very thoughtful and forward-thinking then-member of St. Timothy’s, Dale Link, contacted me about bridging a generational gap in the parish’s ECW, I was intrigued but nervous. When we did meet, and she asked if I would help her in getting young women at St. Timothy’s more interested in ECW, my first thought was to be extremely flattered because I’m not very young. After that warm glow wore off, I was terribly unsure. I had never attended an ECW meeting before (and to be honest, I didn’t really know what it was) but I did have a feeling that I should give this a chance. I wanted to be part of a church-based women’s group. I also figured older women in our congregation had a lot of wisdom that young women could benefit from. Plus, it became clear that ECW’s survival at St. Timothy’s could be in jeopardy, and the more I learned about the history of the ECW, the more I knew I couldn’t let this happen.

Well, fast forward to today, and I am co-president of St. Timothy’s ECW with a vibrant, warm, energetic, and, yes, wise woman named Terry Jones. Terry retired after a career spent helping children as an elementary school counselor and now works as an educator at Old Salem, a museum and gardens that focus on preserving the cultural heritage of Salem, a colonial town started in 1753. She often remarks that I have inspired her in many ways (I think my sometimes charming children may have added to this feeling), but it is she who has taught me some very valuable lessons. Just by brainstorming with her and trying to find ways to get the older and younger women of this parish to come together and to find value in what ECW has to offer, I have learned what it means to be part of a church community. She taught me that it’s the people who make a church and that our collective commitment to following Jesus’ teachings is critically important. Her resilience in the face of setbacks and her inherent kindness inspire me to continue on faith’s bumpy path.

INVIGORATING ECW

So, Terry and I are working to reinvigorate ECW at our parish. We are trying new things this year—different meeting times, more emphasis on social justice and fellowship, and additional events outside of our traditional structure. Will it work? I don’t know, but one thing I know for sure is that the cause is worth fighting for. And I am enjoying the journey. †

— Kristen Pratt Machado is the executive editor of a monthly clinical journal serving dental hygienists and director of publishing operations for the journal’s parent company, Belmont Publications, Inc. She and her husband, Ché, have two children—5-year-old Piper and 3-year-old Beck—and reside in Winston-Salem, NC. Kristen is a member of St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church where she leads the Meals for Moms (and Dads!) Ministry and volunteers on the Vacation Bible School committee. She is also a member of the Winston Salem Women’s Fund, a community of passionate women creating social change.

Episcopal Church Women2020-04-30T15:44:21+00:00October 30th, 2014|

Women in Ministry Celebrate 40 Years in the Pulpit

Reporter Jane Banning offers her first-hand account of the day’s proceedings.

By Jane Banning

On Saturday, July 26, the 40th anniversary celebration of the ordination of women to the priesthood was observed in Philadelphia, PA, where the first ordinations took place. A morning symposium was held on the Temple University campus, featuring Dr. Frederica Thomsett as the keynote speaker. A panel of diverse clergy included the Very Rev. Katherine Hancock Ragsdale, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Carol Gallagher, the Rev. Miguella Howell, the Ven. Dr. Pamela Nesbit, the Rev. Sandye Wilson, and Ms. Nokomis Wood. Each panelist shared her story and mentioned her challenges before and since her ordination. The meditation was led by the Rev. Dr. Nancy H. Wittig.

Six of the original ordinants from the July 29, 1974, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC (1975), ordinations were in attendance. Merrill Bittner, Alison Cheek, Marie Moorefield Fleischer Carter Heyward, Betty Powell (1975), and Nancy Wittig were present at the morning symposium and the festival Holy Eucharist.

THE FIRST ORDINATION

The Eucharist, “A Liturgy Celebrating the Ministry of Women,” was held at the George W. South Memorial Church of the Advocate, site of the first ordinations. Called irregular at the time, the first ordinations are among the most historical moments in the Church (and, certainly, for its women). The women processed behind the groupings of laity, deacons, priests and bishops, who were led by Dr. Charles Willy and his family. (Willy preached at the 1974 ordination and was president of the House of Deputies at the time.) The women were followed by Bishop Tony Ramos, who was the assisting bishop at the 1974 ordination, and Bishop Barbara Harris—the first woman bishop in the Anglican Communion. The women sprinkled the congregation as they processed.

The Most Rev. Dr. Katharine Jeffers Schori preached to an over-capacity congregation. Her sermon was representative of the joyful spirit that filled the church. The Gospel Choir of the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas shared their enthusiastic, infectious music that had the entire congregation singing and clapping.

The Church will be forever grateful to the Philadelphia Eleven Merrill Bittnar, Alla Bozarth, Allison Cheek, Emily C. Hewitt, Carter Heyward, Suzanne R. Hiatt, Marie Moorefield Flescher, Jeannette Piccard, Betty Bona Schiess, Katrina Wells Swanson, and Nancy Hatch Wittig. The Liturgy ended appropriately with the singing of Lift Every Voice and Sing. Thanks be to God.†

—Jane Banning, former president of the National ECW President, recently attended the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the ordination of women as priest, in Washington D.C. She has

Episcopal Church Women2020-04-30T15:35:13+00:00October 30th, 2014|

The Philadelphia Eleven

A Day of Celebration and Remembrance
Commemorating an event that mapped a path for change

By Kathy Mank

Five of the Philadelphia Eleven, one of the Washington Four, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, Bishop Barbara Harris, and a host of other women who were the first to be female and ordained at various times and places were celebrated and honored in Philadelphia on Sat., July 26, 2014. The 40 Years of Women’s Ordained Ministry and 2000 Years in Ministry Symposium at Temple University provided speakers and panelists the opportunity to share their own history and God’s calling to us now. Inspired by Dr. Fredrica Harris Thompsett, who stated that “we study history in order to intervene in it and that we look backward in order to move forward,” the 200+ men and women attending were challenged to make more history in the days ahead in ministry that cares for the least, lost, and left out.

The Rt. Rev. Clifton Daniel, Bishop of Pennsylvania, reminded the gathering that Philadelphia was where Bishop White “thought up” the Episcopal Church. The first General Convention of the Episcopal Church was held in Philadelphia at Christ Church. At the end of the Civil War in 1865, General Convention met at St. Luke and The Epiphany church in Philadelphia to lead the church in reconciliation. Forty years ago, Philadelphia hosted the ordination service for the installation of the first 11 women priests in the Episcopal Church at Church of the Advocate. The Bishop had been a priest for only 1 year and decided to lay hands on the ordains and go forward—despite the potential cost to his career. In this city, “a greenhouse of Anglicanism and Catholicism,” Bishop Daniel illustrated by saying, “what buds in Philadelphia, starts new shoots that take root and grow throughout Christendom, and celebrates the diversity of God’s people.” The events in 1974 changed the course of history in the Episcopal Church.

Dr. Harris Thompsett, a historian, professor, and more, stated that “despite 40 years of ordained women in ministry there is still gender insensitivity in the Church.” This occurs despite the Church being led by a woman, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori. She suggested the development of a gender sensitivity program in similar fashion to the existing anti-racism training program delivered by many Dioceses in the Church. The Executive Council Committee on the Status of Women could be a vehicle to impact search committees to increase their focus on women candidates for ministry from all cultures. The committee currently addresses social justice issues such as human trafficking, gender inequality, and poverty. Harris Thompsett wanted to “speed up gender justice.”

BUMPER STICKER

There is a bumper sticker, “If you’re not going to ordain women, stop baptizing them!” Dr. Harris-Thompsett gave three challenges to the symposium attendees.

First, recognize the centrality of baptism as chief among all Holy Orders. The radical doctrine of Baptism places all in one order of ministry. There is not a clerical class set apart, but all share ordained, is quoted as saying, “You don’t have to buy vestments to use your prophetic voice.”
Second, embrace the theological significance of women’s bodies, as women are the primary care givers of sexuality. Girls may learn in adolescence that their bodies are “good, accepted, and beloved of God.” She challenged us all to “claim our bodies as sacred vessels of spiritual authority” and to acknowledge the incarnate dwelling of Christ within us and us in Him.
Third, by the 50th Anniversary of the Ordination of Women, the challenge is to have 30% of the episcopate female. In the larger society and in the church, there is documented resistance to the authority of women. Tokenism will not solve the gender problem. Women are no more likely than men to be elected as bishops than over 2 decades ago.

The panelists at the symposium discussed stories of their own lives and thoughts from their hearts. The Rt. Rev. Carol Gallagher, Bishop Missioner for Bishop’s Native Collaborative, is currently charged with “raising up” and training Native American ordinands. Her family has been Native American and Christian for a generations – it was never a question in their family. Her great-grandmother walked the Comanche “Trail of Tears.”

CULTURAL DIVERSITY

Bishop Gallagher said that the Episcopal Church is still “very White” and needs to embrace cultural diversity acknowledging “where we came from, and where we are going.” She championed the slogan of St. Paul’s College in southern Virginia, “Excellence, No Excuses.” She was once asked during coffee hour just who David Pendleton Oakerhater was, and why was he important? As she had won an award for writing an essay on Deacon Oakerhater, she was reluctant to answer. She was advised to “answer the damn question and move forward.” Her parting words were “take whomever we need to and go knowing God is walking with us.”

The Rev. Miguelina Howell from the Dominican Republic was born in 1976 and ordained in 2002. She reminded us to “be present for the little ones” and be inclusive of all races, cultures, and languages. Our in the work of healer, teacher, and prophet where the focus is on being the whole people of God. Pauli Murray, the first African American woman

church is not just a national church, but includes 17 countries. She honored a fellow-Dominican woman priest, the Rev. Rosa Margarita Santana, first Latina priest in the Diocese of Maryland.

The Rev. Sandye Wilson, the fourth African American woman priest to be ordained (following Barbara Harris, Pauli Murray, and Gayle Harris) was only asked to serve on the panel the week before the Symposium. Graciously, she said to be mindful of omissions, remembering that the first 13 African-American women to be ordained, 12 were left-handed.

In her remarks, the Rev. Wilson reminded those gathered to name injustices, so they are not subject to repeat them. She said that she is a sixth generation Episcopalian, but still believes that it is a very White church. She expressed that Black women are not counted highly, when Black women and Black men are considered as a group. At one point in her ministry, she helped lead “Mother Thunder in the Village,” where “Hyers” instead of “Hymns” were sung to differentiate women. The Rev. Wilson went on to explain that some groups juggle for position of “the most oppressed.” For example, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the most oppressed of all?” she said. Where there are intersecting oppressions, the Rev. Wilson suggested finding allies to work hand in hand. “There is room to be radically welcoming to everyone as all are created in the image of God. When and where I enter the whole race is with me.”

Nikki Wood, a laywoman, with a career in service to the Diocese of Pennsylvania, spoke about our calling. Ordained or not, we all are empowered by the Spirit in baptism, and carry that commitment to do God’s work. In recalling her work on a search commission, she quipped that the questions asked of candidates were so difficult that even Jesus Christ himself probably could not have answered. “I understand what our Lord wants us to do, I am prepared and I do not need a costume.”

At the time the Episcopal Church was just beginning to open a window to talk about equity and racial justice, women’s ordination also was advancing. Suzanne Hiatt, an organizer and one of the Philadelphia Eleven, was Ms. Wood’s neighbor. She supported her neighbor, but did not have celebratory feelings—having the perspective of an African American woman. The church was doing what the broader society was doing. However, “The Civil Rights movement was being eclipsed by a bunch of feminists.” In her estimation, even in 2014, she is not encouraging men and women of color to pursue a vocation in our church unless they want to be poor for the rest of their lives. “The Holy Spirit is still trying to inform followers of Christ that it is a good thing to have a rector of color.”

The Rev. Dr. Nancy Wittig, one of the Philadelphia Eleven and currently the priest at St. Peter’s, Lakewood, OH, delivered the closing meditation. Through emphasis on righting injustice, she believed it important to ask God to open us for ministry to all people. “Tell the story and free ourselves for the future. Be prophets on issues of justice, but take authority as people of faith.” In making reference to the 40 years of ordination, she referenced Suzanne Hiatt, who would speak like “Eeyore,” of Winnie the Pooh fame, saying, “Be careful, someone will try to undo this.” Hiatt encouraged misbehavior – “if you see a wrong, change it” – speak out on behalf of the least and the lost. Live lives of faith and courage, and compliment the “Justice is Orthodox Theology” slogan. Hiatt also invited others to walk together in revolution knowing that our God travels with us all. Open hearts and minds – to what ministry could look like. “Do not be afraid,” she said. “Be of Good Courage.” †

—Based in Ohio, author Kathy Mank is treasurer of ECW National Board. She recently attended the 40th Anniversary Observation of the Ordination of Women in the Clergy.

Episcopal Church Women2020-04-30T15:26:40+00:00October 30th, 2014|

Record Shows Jesus Honored Women: Wife or No Wife

By The Rev. Lindsay Hardin Freeman

Ah, the famous papyrus fragment has popped up again [“Jesus’ ‘Wife’ Papyrus is Likely Ancient,” published April 11, 2013 in the StarTribune]. Did Jesus have a wife or didn’t he? Could she be a disciple? After all, on the tiny, ink-splotched scrap of paper, dauntlessly unveiled in 2012 by Harvard Divinity School Prof. Karen King, the words are [more or less] clear: “My wife” and “She will be able to be a disciple.” Now, other Ivy League universities such as Brown, Columbia, and MIT, are weighing in—No. Yes. Maybe. Yet, instead of debating which [Biblical]women might have been real, let’s consider those whom Christians across the world know to be real.

Real Women of the Bible

Take Mary and Martha of Bethany, described in the [Gospel of John]. They were among Jesus’ closest friends, the ones he returned to often. There, in their little Bethany home some two miles from Jerusalem, Mary poured expensive oil of spikenard (then worth about a year’s salary) over his feet, drying them with her hair — infuriating the disciples, but offering Jesus extraordinary spiritual companionship.

It was there, too, that busy Martha was chastised by Jesus for being “distracted with many things.” Yet one wonders if Jesus would have felt so welcome if the windows weren’t clean, the food not plentiful, the bedding not fresh and the hearth not warm. After all, with no cellphones or mail, notice would not have preceded a visit from Jesus and 12 of his male friends. Surely, Martha needed a little help in the kitchen, and Peter, James, and John were probably not going to don aprons.

Connected to Jesus

Then there was Mary Magdalene, she of the tortured press over the years, described as a prostitute for centuries in popular history — yet not in scripture. Instead, she was “cured of seven demons” by Jesus, and she was the first person — male or female — to see Jesus after His resurrection, when the disciples were in hiding.

The first word from the angel at the tomb: “Woman.” The first word Jesus said after the resurrection: “Woman.”

The Big Question

Was Jesus married? [I really] Don’t think so. Scripture doesn’t mention it. What if he was? Scandalous? [There were many more scandalous] things Jesus did in his time. The issue of marriage is not a deal breaker, at least for many of us. He was human and divine, after all, not just divine.

Here’s what was really scandalous: calling us [women] friends, conversing with us (ie, the longest recorded conversation Jesus had with anyone was with a woman*, healing us, and our loved ones, driving out our demons, saving us from being stoned on charges of adultery, and—oh yes—overcoming evil and making eternal life possible. {That’s] Scandalous enough—at least for me, and about two billion Christians around the world. †

The Rev. Lindsay Hardin Freeman is a Minnesota-based Episcopal priest who writes extensively on women of the Bible. She is the author of four books, including “The Scarlet Cord: Conversations With God’s Chosen Women.” She is currently working on a new book on women of the Bible, which will be released in September 2014.

This article has been adapted from one that originally appeared in the Commentaries section of the StarTribune, on April 17, 2014. It can be accessed at http://www.startribune.com/)

Episcopal Church Women2020-04-30T16:17:54+00:00April 30th, 2014|

Upending Traditional Time Management

“The time is always ripe to do right.”—Nelson Mandela, 1918-2014, South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, politician, philanthropist, and President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999.

by Kristen Pratt Machado

I have always loved to volunteer. I remember counting down the days of my third grade school year so that, as a rising fourth grader, I could start volunteering at my local library. Oh how I loved putting the books back in their rightful spots on the dusty shelves and helping kids fill out forms to receive their first library cards. And don’t get me started on the joys of using the Dewey Decimal System through row after row of tiny cards housed in neat little drawers (yes, I was a nerd) to help patrons find just the books for which they were looking. I think most of us, especially people of faith, want to perform good deeds. We want to make a difference, but often, this idea that we don’t have enough time gets in the way.

As an adult, I volunteered in the intensive care unit at my community hospital, helping out the nursing staff. I ran races to raise money for breast cancer and diabetes research and cooked turkeys for families in need on Thanksgiving (as a vegetarian, this was always an adventure!). I enjoyed these little bits of service, and they were easy, as none of them put me out of my comfort zone. And then I was offered a position with a start-up company that required a 90-minute one-way commute – and my entire life changed. Besides immediately gaining 10 pounds, I suddenly had very little free time. I succumbed to the “I don’t have enough time” mantra and remain very self-involved.

I toiled along this path for a few years, helping build a new company, and I had my first child. Then, I really didn’t have any time. I had also lost the habit of churchgoing. I was so tired from the work week that I was no longer willing to drive 30 minutes to my church every Sunday. But God opened another door for our new little family and we joined a tiny church in a nearby town, St. Michael the Archangel Episcopal Church. At this church with fewer than 50 members, I found my way back to faith and serving others in small ways. Being part of a church community again helped me to reach the surface and gulp in air, but I was still far from taking the deep yoga breaths that truly looking outward provides.

A Move to North Carolina

When we moved to North Carolina, I thought, this is it! I will have more time, no more commuting! I hadn’t realized, though, how challenging it would be for me to get my footing in a new community where I knew not a soul. So I settled on donating blood—quick and easy with a big impact, right? The only problem was that I was terrible at donating blood. I have very small veins that are difficult to find. It would take even the most experienced phlebotomist several tries to get the needle in. After enduring the poking, I would have to pump my hand frantically during the entire donation in order to get any blood to spurt into the vial. After one particularly harrowing needle stick, I ended my blood-donating career. But what was next?

I had a second child and adjusted to working full-time with two children under the age of 3. Fun times! I found a church that I loved and slowly became a more active member, but I was still stuck in the rut of “I don’t have time.” I was afraid to commit to much of anything for fear of feeling overwhelmed. As I was stuck in my “don’t ask me, I don’t have time” phase for the next few years, my church was changing as well. The vestry and church administration found some funds to expand the positions of our children’s and youth ministers to include formation, development, and outreach. The Rev. Katie Bryant, now the minister with Children and Outreach, got right to work. She came back to our parish with the news that the homeless population of Winston-Salem was not being fully served and we were going to help fill this need by joining a consortium of churches that was providing overflow shelters for those who were unable or unwelcome to access the traditional homeless shelters that operate year round (see sidebar on page 14).

Connecting with the Homeless

Whoa…homeless people? I am passionate about women’s and children’s issues, but I did not think I could connect with the needs of our city’s homeless population. I had, of course, seen homeless people around town. My most frequent response was to hold my children’s hands a bit tighter and felt completely uncomfortable when we crossed paths.

But God seems to take great pleasure in making me feel uncomfortable and he kept bringing this outreach opportunity back to my mind during the most annoying moments. I could feel this emphasis that yes, me—one who is uncomfortable around homeless people—should really just get over it. I really couldn’t shake this feeling so while I was vacationing over Thanksgiving I asked my Bible study group if they would join me in feeding 50 homeless people one evening in December. Then in my typical fashion (read my last column), I told Katie a different date than my group had agreed upon and I promptly forgot about the commitment until the day before we were scheduled to serve the meal. Awesome. So with help of several friends, my children, and my long-suffering husband, we did it.

We made 50 bagged meals and suddenly I was downtown, in the dark and freezing cold with two other moms and four kids. We warily-eyed the entrance to the shelter check-in area that was surrounded by a crowd of rough-looking people encircled in a cloud of cigarette smoke. I was quickly volunteered to walk up to the front door to determine where to take the food. I did not want to do this with my whole body. I wanted to be back home in my nice warm house, with a hot toddy in hand. Ok God, I thought, I am here. I guess I can’t back out now. I considered trying to look tough, a ridiculous idea that made me laugh out loud, which helped me find my new approach—super nice lady. I got out of the car, walked through the crowd, calling out “Good evening,” “Excuse me,” and “How are y’all?”

Who is this crazy person? I thought. The one uncomfortable with homeless people, the one who wanted to be anywhere but here a few seconds ago. I have also never said “y’all” in my entire life. And then I noticed smiles breaking out among the guests waiting to get a meal and a night’s shelter, and shouts of “Let the lady through!” A path was cleared. After meeting with the evening’s organizers, I went back to get the kids and the other moms to start bringing in the food. When I opened the door to my truck, I realized I was smiling ear to ear. I took a deep yoga breath and told them, “They are ready for us.”

That evening as I proudly watched my six-year-old daughter and her friends offer bagged sandwiches, oranges and bananas, and bottles of water to a long line of weary, cold people—young and old, black and white, women and men—I was overcome with emotion. These folks who had been outside all day and endured innumerable hardships seemed delighted to see children and cracked smile after smile. They were grateful for a very simple meal and to rest on the floor of a basketball gym. The tears flow whenever I reflect on this moment. We CAN make a difference. It does NOT take much. And yes, I do have time.

Rising to the Occasion

St. Timothy’s involvement steamrolled from providing and serving meals downtown to asking for volunteers to spend the night at these makeshift shelters held in the basements of churches really living what Jesus taught his followers to do—provide a shelter from the storm for those in need. When volunteers were requested to spend the night, I thought, “I’ll do the meals and help check people in, but I am never doing that.” Ha! And then the need was so great. This winter was the coldest that Winston-Salem has seen in 15 years. There was not enough room in the operating shelters to serve all of those who needed a safe, warm place to spend the night. And so my church opened its own overflow shelter for the last 6 weeks of winter, providing between 15 and 25 guests with a hot meal and shelter each night. And I felt God again, steering me in the right direction, and suddenly I was signed up to spend two nights listening to our guests snore away, hopefully catching a night of much needed rest before venturing out into the cold again. The staff and parishioners of St. Timothy’s rose to and beyond the occasion. With help from neighboring religious organizations—truly an ecumenical effort—St. Timothy’s helped society’s most vulnerable citizens weather a terribly bleak and cold winter.

Of course, in the whole scheme of things, this is just a blip. But I think in the hearts and minds of those who served and those who received, it meant much more. I know that I will never be the same. The amount of need faced by many across the globe is overwhelming, which can leave the rest of us ordinary folks unsure of where to start. But the fact is if each of us commits to doing good works, no matter how small, change is possible. When we stop falling back on how little time we have and start focusing on how little time it takes to make a difference, great things can happen. †

The author, Kristen Pratt Machado, is the executive editor of a monthly clinical journal serving dental hygienists and director of publishing operations for the journal’s parent company, Belmont Publications, Inc. She and her husband, Che, have two children—6-year-old Piper and 4-year-old Beck—and reside in Winston-Salem, NC. Pratt Machado is a member of St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church where she leads the Meals for Moms (and Dads!) Ministry and serves as newsletter editor and hospitality chair for the church’s ECW chapter. She is also a member of the Winston-Salem Women’s Fund, a community of passionate women creating social change.

Episcopal Church Women2020-04-30T16:09:42+00:00April 30th, 2014|

Walk for Ratification

The daughter-in-law of priest and activist Katrina Swanson carries on her efforts to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment.

By Helene Swanson

She and 10 other women, rocked the male-dominated hierarchy of the Episcopal Church on July 29, 1974. On that day, in Philadelphia, Pa., Swanson and her colleagues become the first women ordained priests in the church. The women became known as the “Philadelphia Eleven.”

Each step I take brings me closer to fulfilling my promise to help pass the Equal Rights Amendment. It’s a promise I made a decade ago to my late mother-in-law, the Rev. Katrina Swanson. (Katrina was one of the “Philadelphia Eleven,” the first group of women to be ordained as priests in these modern times in the U.S., after the Anglican Church of China.) A promise made by my husband and me to her in her last year of life. A promise, indeed a vow—now a dream moving to reality—we will resurrect and see enacted the Equal Rights Amendment.

As I look east at the snow-capped Sierras that I am soon to cross, I am reminded of my favorite lines from the poem “Snowflakes,” by Linda A. Copp:

Snowflakes spill from heaven’s hand

Lovely and chaste like smooth white sand.

Each day I awaken and anxiously check to see if this is a good day to hike the trail over the mountain pass to Lake Tahoe, and then onward to Carson City, capital of Nevada, the first state I’ll pass through of the 15 that have yet to ratify the ERA. I have put my pilgrimage for justice that will take me across the United States in God’s hands. God is in charge—not me. And the doors that God has been opening over the last several years are simply amazing.

International Women’s Day

When women’s rights activist and Code Pink* member Toby Blome learned that I was to be stuck in the rain, sleet, and snow of a much-needed winter storm in Northern California, she reached out to her network. Since then, I have been staying with a newfound friend, Marida Martin, in her lovely home in Placerville, waiting for the storm to blow over. Toby readily shared her radio spot on KPFA with me on International Women’s Day (March 8), when I launched my walk across the USA for the ERA.

On that glorious day, I was joined by many women from a number of different organizations each representing their cause united under the Katrina’s Dream umbrella. We walked across the Golden Gate Bridge together, demonstrating that women are uniting, moving humankind forward to as we have done since creation. After Nevada, I will press on, on foot, into neighboring Utah, the second of the 15 states. And then, it’s on through Arizona, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. The end of the pilgrimage comes on March 8, 2015, after a year of walking, when I will stand on the steps of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, advocating the ERA cause to the elected representatives and senators who are our servants. Standing beside me—many I hope in person, many, many more in spirit—will be the thousands who have supported me during this long, long walk.

In Retrospect

In a sense, my journey began to unfold the night in 2005, when a hurricane bearing Katrina’s name hit the city of New Orleans. We Swansons found the signs to be prophetic, for as Katrina Swanson died, a hurricane was showing the world just how difficult life is for women, people of color, and those who are economically disadvantaged. Days after our Katrina’s death, we founded Katrina’s Dream in her memory.

My husband, William Swanson, was in the process of formalizing his call to ordination when he was called home to God’s kingdom on May 3, 2013. His passing to God’s realm is a moment in time I go to in my mind daily on this pilgrimage, a moment I go to for comfort and reassurance. On the day of William’s death, our brother Jesus’s message that God’s mansion has many rooms hit home for me. I realized that our acts here are adorning the unfolding framework of the City of God.

We are called to rebuild this planet we have been given, and a first step is to ensure that women here and abroad are restored to their rightful place alongside men. For us in the United States, that means adopting the Equal Rights Amendment. A study described in a 2013 Shriver Report found that one in three Americans live below the poverty line, the majority in households headed by a woman. Why must there be a constitutional amendment? Take a look again at the 2011 US Supreme Court WalMart vs Dukes decision in which Supreme Court Justice Scalia ruled that the rights of women are not protected by the Constitution.

A “Kickin’ and Screamin’” Episcopalian

I did not come to the Christian faith easily, although now I am proud to call myself a “kickin’ and screamin’” Episcopalian. When I met my husband I was no longer attending church, but found solace as a student in studying philosophy, the occult, and other religious materials. William, however, was a cradle Episcopalian and his profound faith in God opened the doors of my heart to see the truth and the light and love in Christ. This pilgrimage I’m on is a working out of my response to God’s call. I walk with a double purpose:

to assure those with whom I speak that the Episcopal Church is a place where people are welcome to come and explore their relationship with and in God, and
to be part of ushering in an age of legal gender equality.

For More Information

There’s much, much more about the pilgrimage and the work of Katrina’s Dream on our website www.katrinasdream.org. Please visit us there, and see the link to the General Convention 2009 endorsement of the ERA! And please join me, at least in spirit, as I continue walking east in the months ahead. †

Helene Swanson is co-founder Katrina’s Dream* (www.katrinasdream.org), which was founded in the memory of her mother-in-law, the late Rev. Katrina Swanson, who was one of the Philadelphia Eleven. the first women ordained in the American Episcopal Church.

*Katrina’s Dream is building a grassroots movement to make all Americans equal under the law. Connect with us and with

Episcopal Church Women2020-04-30T16:01:42+00:00April 30th, 2014|

Faith in the Balance

How one young professional Episcopal mother finds time for a family, her career, and faith.

by Kristen Pratt Machado

I dropped my daughter off at a birthday party an hour early. We live in the South so the host was very gracious and although I felt a bit uneasy, I couldn’t immediately determine the source. The table was set, my 5-year-old daughter, Piper, had already run off with the birthday girl, yet the host was wearing sweat pants (not a big deal in my book, but quite unusual at Southern special events), so I retreated to my car where I looked up the Evite on my phone. The vague uneasiness I had felt a minute ago turned into a feeling of shame that I haven’t felt since I was a teenager. My face was beet red and my pulse raced. What to do? With possibilities for total escape limited (I was bound to see this mother again somewhere), there was nothing to do but face the consequences.

I walked slowly back to the front door and knocked gingerly (somehow hoping she wouldn’t hear me). The kind, sweatpants-wearing host assured me that all was fine and I should never think of it again. After profusely apologizing and offering to bring Piper back an hour later, a gesture that was thankfully refused—I skulked back to my car and drove away as fast as possible.

When I returned home, I told my husband that he would not only be collecting Piper from the princess birthday party, but he was to arrive a minimum of 15 minutes early.

ONE OF “THOSE” MOMS

You might think, “What’s the big deal?” Or, feel confident that you would never make such an error. And I wondered why this relatively benign gaffe caused me so much embarrassment. I realized it’s because I am one of “those” moms. The ones who work full time while trying to keep all of the balls in the air, never missing a beat. Those who stay up until midnight baking smooshed-looking cupcakes for their child’s birthday celebration, and who put way too much time into thinking about what teachers might really appreciate during “teacher appreciation week.” And those who sometimes miss important events or who are noted as “strangers” at school because they neither drop off nor pick up their child. What all of “those” moms realize is that something always has to give.

VERY BLESSED

I am very blessed. I love my work, which I do at home, and I have a fairly flexible schedule. My husband is a true partner and contributes just as much as I do in the childcare and household departments. We can also afford a wonderful nanny who is like family. When I start feeling overwhelmed by the number of items on my to do list, I realize that the precious moments of free time that often get spent perusing gossipy magazines, or trying to get a few extra minutes of sleep, should really be spent on my health—more specifically my spiritual health.

We attend the local Episcopal Church most Sundays and I help in the Godly Play classroom regularly, but it’s the time spent focused on reading the Bible and in prayer and meditation that keeps me centered. I am in a small group Bible study with other mothers from a variety of Christian faiths, from Episcopal to Baptist to Orthodox. All of them are stay-at-home moms, but we all experience the same problem—making the time to spend on devotion and in communion with God. It is the most popular prayer request among us.

I think this is common for all women, regardless of what stage of life we are in because we are the doers. We take care of our families, elderly parents, neighbors, friends in need, and pets. We are the ones to respond to the call for help. I am proud to be part of this longstanding tradition of care taking, but we have to remember that we need time to rejuvenate, as well.

We need time to be with God.

Am I saying that reading People Magazine is not a worthy pastime, or that sneaking in a 15-minute catnap is something to be ashamed of? No, sirree! But just as we schedule our children’s activities, medical appointments, work deadlines, etc, we also need to schedule time for our spiritual endeavors.

I know that I will be embarrassed and overwhelmed many more times in the future, and I will make many more mistakes. In the midst of this crazy journey, I only hope I remember that faith is one area that I shouldn’t short shrift. Time must be made, priorities shifted. This can be a tall order (let me tell you how successful I’ve been in scheduling exercise time, ha!), but I’m praying that I am up for the challenge. †

Kristen Pratt Machado is the executive editor of a monthly clinical journal serving dental hygienists and director of publishing operations for the journal’s parent company, Belmont Publications, Inc. She and her husband, Ché, have two children—5-year-old Piper and 3-year-old Beck—and reside in Winston-Salem, NC. Kristen is a member of St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church where she leads the Meals for Moms (and Dads!) Ministry and volunteers on the Vacation Bible School committee. She is also a member of the Winston Salem Women’s Fund, a community of passionate women creating social change.

Episcopal Church Women2020-05-06T16:29:04+00:00December 6th, 2013|

Walking in the Footsteps of God

Of all the places in the world, why travel to Israel?

By Michelle Johnston

This seemed to be the question a friend was asking me when, before my trip, he asked, “what are your expectations for this trip?” Did I have expectations? I thought for a minute and said, “I don’t have any expectations. I want to be open to whatever happens.” When I thought about it more, deep down I was hoping to have some type of transformative spiritual experience. According to scripture, this is where my God walked the earth – how could I physically inhabit the same places that God physically inhabited and NOT be transformed?

AN OPEN HEART AND AN OPEN MIND

When I left California on my pilgrimage, I felt I was going with an open heart, an open mind, and a fairly good understanding of the political and religious tensions in that area. After all, I come from a progressive Episcopal parish, All Saints Pasadena; we have a Middle East Ministry and I have been involved with our Peace & Justice work. I soon learned that I did not know as much as I thought. And now, reflecting on my experience, even my trip preparation was an indication of what I consider to be my unconscious beliefs about Israel and the Middle East. It never occurred to me to spiritually prepare for my trip by looking at a Palestinian or Muslim point of view. Jews and Christians are not the only ones who consider the Holy Land holy – it’s holy for Muslims as well.

Our guide, Iyad Qumri, was amazing! As an Arab, a Palestinian, and a Christian who was born in Jerusalem and lived there all his life, he brought a very unique perspective to the holy places, the people, and the political/religious situation in the region. He knows the region and the Bible inside and out, allowing him to connect each of the holy sites we visited to the actual scriptural passages that speak about those sites and the events that took place there. This allowed us to connect to each place on a much deeper spiritual level.

Guiding pilgrims in the Holy Land and helping them to see through the eyes of the Jews, the Christians AND the Muslims is Iyad’s ministry. And because this is his ministry, he has forged relationships that enable him to provide experiences that are unique to most pilgrims. One of these once-in-a-lifetime experiences was at Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. The church is built over the site that is traditionally considered to be the cave that marks the birthplace of Jesus.

Iyad arranged for our small group of 12 to participate in an Italian Eucharist – in the cave – with the priest and nuns! So many people funnel through this small cave that they are usually only allowed time to briefly touch the star that marks the birth spot and are then ushered along to make way for the next person in line.

How special that we not only got an extended time in the cave, but we also got to celebrate Eucharist. In fact, I was SO moved, that tears streamed down my face through most of service. At one point, even the priest shed tears – that’s how moving the experience was. To experience a Holy Sacrament in such a holy place was truly a spiritual and transformational experience.

A TRANSFORMING EXPERIENCE

Reciting The Beatitudes from the very cave where it is said that Jesus did the same when he gave The Sermon on the Mount was another transforming experience as were renewing baptismal vows at the Jordan River and taking a boat ride on The Sea of Galilee – the same sea where the disciples fished and Jesus walked on water. Wow! Place after place, I kept thinking, “I can’t believe I’m standing here, touching this, seeing this…” Books, documentaries, and other people’s stories are no substitution for experiencing these places firsthand. And now to what broke my heart. I will be the first to admit that I am not an expert on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, but I thought I knew the basics on both sides. However, being there in person allowed me to see firsthand how this conflict is impacting everyday people.

STANDING NEXT TO THE WALL

I stood right next to a 30-foot high concrete wall and heard how it goes through a Palestinian neighborhood and separates Palestinian families. In the paraphrased words of the Jewish speaker who shared with us the Jewish perspective of the political situation, “while Israel has a right to protect its borders, the problem is in the implementation.” Standing next to the wall brought up feelings of sadness and injustice. I learned that you could tell a Palestinian house from a Jewish house by the large black container on top of the house. This container is for collecting rainwater and Palestinian houses each need one because the Israeli government denies them running water five days per week. I put myself in their shoes and it brought tears to my eyes; the inhumanity of it made me sad and angry.

In the US, our media gives us a biased view of the Middle East. For example, when the events of 9/11 took place, our media showed us news stories of Palestinians cheering; they did not show us that there were also Palestinians holding candlelight vigils in solidarity with us. Like many, I unconsciously took in this information as unbiased news and formed beliefs I didn’t even know I had. Jews and Palestinians should not be defined by their extremists. Muslims and Christians should not be defined by their extremists.

Muslim, Jews, and Christians have followers who want to do violence in the name of their God, but these people are the minority and should not be taken to represent the entire group.

As Christians, Jesus is the incarnation of our God, but we don’t always follow his example. If we did, we would love the Palestinian as much as we love the Jew.

We would advocate for the rights of Palestinians as much as we advocate for the rights of Jews. I am not advocating hatred of Jew in favor of Palestinian; I am advocating love and compassion towards both. I also want to be clear that it is the Israeli government oppressing the Palestinian people, not the Jewish people as a whole.

“There are no easy answers to the complicated situation in the Middle East, but I think there are answers and there is hope.”

STOP TAKING SIDES

I am advocating that we start following Jesus and stop taking sides. I am advocating that we treat all humans with dignity and stop supporting the building of settlements and walls and stop the denial of water. And, although I am not a Bible literalist, I am advocating that you take Matthew 22:39 literally and love your neighbor as yourself.

There are no easy answers to the complicated situation in the Middle East, but I think there are answers and there is hope. There are good people on all sides who are working for peace in the region in many different and important ways. And in my opinion and their opinions, a solution begins with human dignity.

You should travel to The Holy Land and experience it for yourself – it’s perfectly safe and it’s an experience you will never forget. You may not come back changed in the way I was, but you will come back changed.†

Photos courtesy of Nancy R. Crawford and Michelle Johnston. (see pdf version)

Michelle Johnston is a member of All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, CA.

Episcopal Church Women2020-05-06T16:20:45+00:00December 6th, 2013|

Stir Up the Spirit”, Stir Up the Dust

By The Reverend Deacon Nancy R. Crawford

In the last years of my mother’s life, whenever I visited her we also visited her attic. There, we found items that had been precious in her life, but which no longer fit into the living parts of her home. She hoped that these precious items would find new purpose, and new life, in my home or in my children’s homes. Quite often, because the items had been left in the attic for years and years, they had accumulated dust. Some things I dusted off and took home with me, and other things were left for another time.

REVISITING OLD, BELOVED ITEMS

Over the past several months, members of the Episcopal Church have been revisiting old, beloved items of women’s ministry, dusting them off, and giving them new life. How many of us have heard once again and been inspired by the story of the Emery sisters of Boston? These five sisters of a 19th Century Episcopal family were devoted to mission and ministry in the church. Julia Emery gave 40 years of her life as secretary of the Women’s Auxiliary, the precursor to Episcopal Church Women. Margaret Emery was instrumental in the creation of the Box Work, later to be known as United Thank Offering. Because of the recent attention that has been given to the UTO Board, its makeup and its granting process, my blue box is more predominant on my desk as it becomes heavier and heavier with coins.

Not only has the dust been stirred up with the United Thank Offering, so has the dust on my little blue box. Have you, too, become more intentional about the coins that are put in UTO blue boxes? I, for one, was not the most devout when it came to putting coins, along with thanks and prayer, in my UTO box. I generally remembered when my coin purse became too heavy, or as the time of the parish ingathering drew near. Now, if I don’t have a coin each day to put in the box, I simply touch it and give thanks. I give thanks for the women, past and present, who have volunteered their time and talents to see that in gatherings take place in churches, and that boxes are visible at church-wide events.

I give thanks for the women, past and present, who have volunteered their time and talents to serve as diocesan UTO coordinators, and who meet with their bishops to discuss grant applications. I give thanks for the women, past and present, who have served as province representatives and members-at-large to the UTO Board. Those serving now have swept away the dust and are back at work, making sure that funds are collected and then granted to mission and ministry projects around the Anglican Community.

STIRRED UP THE DUST

The Episcopal Church Women, too, have stirred up the dust on some old, beloved items of our organization. At the last Triennial Meeting, the delegates passed Resolution 101/104 which resolved “that an ad hoc committee be established by the 2012-15 Episcopal Church Women (ECW) Board to study, research, and review the present function and structure of the ECW Board, and the mission and purpose of the ECW.” The ad hoc committee has been established with a woman from each of our nine provinces, women who are intergenerational representatives from various Episcopal Women’s Ministries, as specified in the resolution. A consultant from Crystal Brook Consulting, Donna Lynn Johnson, an Episcopalian from the Atlanta, GA area, has been hired to work with the ad hoc committee and to provide professional services and oversight in the execution of the resolution.

What will they find in the attic of ECW? What will find new purpose, new life in the ministry and mission of ECW? And what will be left in the attic to be brought out at another time? We pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance with those who take counsel for the renewal and mission of ECW.

We “Stir up the Spirit”—and the Spirit decides to stir up the dust on our venerable women’s ministries.

Let us keep our hearts and minds open to hear what the Spirit is saying to us. Amen.†

The Reverend Deacon Nancy R. Crawford, Eugene, OR, was president of the 2012-2015 National ECW Board.

Episcopal Church Women2020-05-06T16:08:28+00:00December 6th, 2013|

Previous 2021