ECW Women Articles-Poems-Announcements Archives - Page 9 of 24

Episcopal Church Women in the News 07-02-22

People pray for those affected by overturning of Roe v Wade

The Reverend Canon Kristin Uffelman White is the officiant during A Litany for Healing and Lament. – Monument Circle, IN

5 community organizations that have Phyllis Hall’s heart

Phyllis Hall is a woman-about-town. – Mountain Brook, AL

Outreach Food Shelf in Alexandria celebrates 40 years

“The community responded by donating food and money to help, and the food shelf quickly outgrew its space…” – Alexandria, MN

Guest column: Responding to urgent need to do something more to keep people safe

Recently, things have gone from bad to worse. We were stunned, heartbroken and furious at the loss of life in Uvalde, Texas. – Ventura, CA

A Roof Over Their Head: Churches Use Tiny Homes for Homeless

Churches across the U.S. are tackling the big question of how to address homelessness in their communities

Hundreds to attend online sneak peek of scenes from Philadelphia Eleven documentary nearing completion

Eleven Episcopal women broke down barriers to ordination on July 29, 1974 – National

Church Creates Summer Food Pantry For Children In Need

Church is making sure kids don’t go hungry this summer, as they launch a children’s summer food pantry. – Brick, NJ

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Distinguished Women’s awards are being presented for this 2022 Triennial. Even though the ECW did not meet in Baltimore, the National Board felt it important to proceed with the awards. Booklets containing all the Distinguished Women, Certificates, and Pins will be sent to the designated member of the diocesan ECW for presentation to the Distinguished Woman honorees in July/August.

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Episcopal Church Women2022-07-01T14:52:11+00:00July 2nd, 2022|

Center dedicated in honor of Jane Clifton Ashford

Camp Director Teri Valente said the camp was once Nanticoke land where they hunted and fished. The name of the camp came from the numerous arrowheads that have been found on the property. – Delaware, Cape Area

A call to serve: Community lunch program needs volunteers

“We’re just here to feed people,” Madge Tamber, the coordinator, who founded the program with her husband Ron. – Sharon, PA

Students receive Episcopal women scholarship

…awards an annual $2,500 scholarship to female, Episcopalian graduating high school seniors or current college students – Brunswick, GA

Kids from St. John’s of Lattingtown help Uvalde from 1,941 miles away

“The children needed to find a way to respond to what is evil. And we had to shepherd them.” – Garden City, NY

St. Mary’s Episcopal Church women support Working Wardrobes

St. Mary’s Episcopal Church Women (ECW) recently spearheaded a parish-wide clothing drive. – Laguna Beach, CA

Trinity Episcopal’s organist to retire after almost 6 decades

When gifted organist Marilyn Keiser retires this summer from Trinity Episcopal Church, she will complete almost six decades – Bloomington, IN

Episcopal Church invites participation in Poor People’s Campaign Moral March on Washington

Poor People’s Campaign, the ecumenical initiative advocating economic justice for poor and marginalized Americans supported by The Episcopal Church. – National

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Episcopal Church Women2022-06-10T14:28:49+00:00June 11th, 2022|

St. Michael’s celebrates milestones

The Celebration was a callback to the 1940’s and ’50’s… classic cars and classic music, all to celebrate 75 years. – Grosse Point, MI

St. Michael’s Episcopal raises 10K for refugees

A “Huge Tag Sale” held May 7 at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church brought in approximately $9,800 which will be allocated to help local refugee and asylum-seeker resettlement efforts. – Brattleboro, VT

At Episcopal services, worshippers mourn school massacre victims amid calls to stop gun violence

Congregations and church leaders are honoring the victims of last week’s deadly school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. – National

5 candidates for president, vice president to participate in upcoming House of Deputies forums

Julia Ayala Harris and Rachel Taber-Hamilton are among those seeking positions. – National

St. John’s rector reflects on the church’s 200 years

Rector Megan Castellan: Two hundred years is a pretty good history for an American church, but it is a double-edged sword. – Ithaca, NY

Portland church builds labyrinth for community to use

According to the Labyrinth Society, there are more than 250 labyrinths in New England. – Portland, ME

Presiding bishop nominating committee cancels plan to be at General Convention; will offer range of engagement opportunities

The Joint Nominating Committee for the Election of the Presiding Bishop said during its May 24-26 meeting that it will forgo being present at The Episcopal Church’s now-shorter and smaller General Convention in July. – National

Registration open for United Thank Offering’s Great EpisGOpal Race

The Great EpisGOpal Race returns this fall, featuring a partnership between the United Thank Offering and Episcopal Migration Ministries in its third year. This popular fundraiser offers multiple ways to participate and raise funds to support special ministries and missions.

Registration is open online for the virtual race, scheduled for Sept. 3-11.

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Episcopal Church Women2022-06-03T16:53:01+00:00June 4th, 2022|

Episcopal Church Women in the News 05-07-22

Summary

Richmond Free Press – Rev. Marlene E. Forrest to be installed as rector of St. Philip’s Episcopal Church – Ministry is the second career for the former special education teacher who retired after 30 years of working with students with disabilities

Episcopal News Service – House of Deputies president, church reaffirm commitment to reproductive rights as Supreme Court looks poised to overturn Roe v. Wade – Office of Government Relations affirmed the church’s commitment

Salt Lake Tribune – Utah Episcopalians choose a new bishop, the second woman to lead them – The Rev. Phyllis Spiegel is eager to “meet and converse” with Latter-day Saint authorities

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Rev. Marlene E. Forrest to be installed as rector of St. Philip’s Episcopal Church

Richmond Free Press – North Side Richmond, VA

The Rev. Marlene E. Forrest will be installed as the 23rd rector of historic St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in North Side on Saturday, May 14. The ceremony is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the church, 2900 Hanes Ave. Rev. Forrest’s installation comes nearly two years after she was named priest-in-charge of the 300-member congregation, the largest Black Episcopal congregation in Virginia. She will succeed Bishop Phoebe A. Roaf, who led the church for eight years until she was installed as bishop of West Tennessee in May 2019.

House of Deputies president, church reaffirm commitment to reproductive rights as Supreme Court looks poised to overturn Roe v. Wade

Episcopal News Service – National

One of The Episcopal Church’s presiding officers and its Office of Government Relations affirmed the church’s commitment to equal access to reproductive health care on May 3, after a leaked draft of a pending U.S. Supreme Court ruling indicated the court was poised to overturn the landmark 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade that ensured for women nationwide the right to obtain an abortion.

Utah Episcopalians choose a new bishop, the second woman to lead them

Salt Lake Tribune – Utah

After more than a decade under the direction of Bishop Scott Hayashi, Utah Episcopalians have chosen a new top leader — the Rev. Phyllis Spiegel — as the 12th bishop and second woman to head the state’s oldest Protestant denomination. Spiegel, born in southwestern Virginia but most recently serving in Ohio, was elected Saturday on the first ballot by a vote of clergy and lay representatives at downtown Salt Lake City’s St. Mark’s Cathedral.

St. Francis Episcopal Church welcomes Rev. Grace Flint

LIHerald.com – North Bellmore, NY

Following an eight-month-long stretch without a leader, St. Francis Episcopal Church welcomed the Rev. Grace Flint to its ministry on April 1. The church’s previous leader, Brother Christopher McNabb, left last August to move to Washington state, where he works for the Diocese of Olympia doing resettlement work with immigrants.

General Convention to consider proposal to end Episcopal Church’s baptism requirement for Communion

Episcopal News Service – National

General Convention’s committees on Prayer Book, Liturgy and Music heard testimony May 3 on a diverse selection of resolutions, from proposals to add the late Bishop Barbara Harris to the church’s calendar of feasts to a measure “addressing antisemitic, anti-Jewish and/or supersessionist interpretations of our lectionaries.”

Soaring food prices are pushing food banks to the brink

CNN Politics – Virginia Beach, VA

The swift rise in food prices has led Kay O’Reilly to hang out outside her local Amazon warehouse in Virginia Beach, Virginia, to see if it has any extra eggs, milk, meat or produce to spare. The visits are part of O’Reilly’s efforts at “food wrangling” to make sure the Chapel Pantry at Eastern Shore Chapel Episcopal Church has enough groceries to provide to its clients.

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Episcopal Church Women2022-05-06T16:07:30+00:00May 7th, 2022|

Episcopal Church Women in the News 04-16-22

Summary

LI Herald Long Beach – City’s ‘unsung heroes’ honored – “It’s phenomenal,” Welker said. “We all appreciate it. It really shows respect, because a lot of the time we can get overlooked and underappreciated.”

Gaston Gazette – New rector at All Saints Episcopal likes emphasis on service to others – Orville, 62, became rector of All Saints Episcopal Church in Gastonia late in 2021.

The Alpena News – Local women plan Ukrainian refugee relief fundraiser – If you’ve been wondering how to help the people of Ukraine, a group of local women have come up with some ideas: rummage sale, bake sale, silent art auction, and bazaar

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City’s ‘unsung heroes’ honored

LI Herald – Long Beach, NY

On April 3, 1968, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. visited striking sanitation workers in Memphis, Tenn. He was assassinated the next day. On Monday, the 54th anniversary of King’s assassination, representatives of two Long Beach churches — St. James-Jerusalem Episcopal and New Life Church of Christ — visited the city’s Sanitation Department to offer the workers sandwiches, drinks, snacks, dessert and gifts, honoring King’s memory and the work he did on behalf of the Memphis workers.

New rector at All Saints Episcopal likes emphasis on service to others

Gaston Gazette – Gastonia, NC
The metaphor is not her own, but the Rev. Lynn Orville shares it as a vision of what churches are facing in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. When Lewis and Clark set out to find a route from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean they had assumed they would be on the water, in canoes, for the entire journey.

Local women plan Ukrainian refugee relief fundraiser

Alpena News – Alpena, MI

If you’ve been wondering how to help the people of Ukraine, a group of local women have come up with some ideas. A rummage sale, bake sale, silent art auction, and bazaar will be held in the ballroom at the APlex, 701 Woodward Ave. Donation drop-off will be from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on April 20 and 21, and the sale will be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, April 22 and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 23.

The 44 Percent: Black Miami churches, Dwayne Haskins & Miami-Dade disparity study

Miami Herald – Miami, FL

I’ve always wondered why many Black Americans feel a sense of kinship with the church. And while doing some reporting for our recent Miami churches story, I found my answer. It came about during my chat with Gaile Holland, a parishioner at the historic Saint Agnes Episcopal Church which is nearly as old as Miami itself (the church was established 1898, the city 1896). Many families, including Holland’s, have been attending the church for generations.

Episcopal bishops join lobby day at Michigan’s Capitol to advocate for gun safety legislation

Episcopal News Service – Michigan

Episcopalians in Michigan joined other advocates of gun safety legislation for a lobby day April 13 at the Capitol in Lansing, where they met with lawmakers and held a news conference to promote the recently launched End Gun Violence Michigan campaign.

Stone Soup fundraiser happening today to benefit residents in need

WITN News – Greenville, NC

A church is stewing up soup Wednesday to benefit those in need. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church is hosting its annual Stone Soup fundraiser with 12 local restaurants serving up their best recipes. This year’s event is drive-thru style, so people can place orders, drive up to the church and pick up their meals from 4:30 p.m.- 6 p.m.

Register now for virtual Episcopal Latino Ministry Competency Course

The Episcopal Church Office of Latino/Hispanic Ministries offers this intensive session for those interested in expanding their competency about Latino culture, spirituality, and ministry. The course includes 20 hours of online classroom presentation, worship services, and group dialogue. Register till May 6th.

16 Continuing Education Units (CEU’s) will be awarded for full completion of the ELMC course. If you have any questions about any aspect of the course, please contact Anthony Guillén. For questions about your registration, contact Angie Cabanban. or at 212-716-6186.

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Episcopal Church Women2022-04-15T14:32:06+00:00April 16th, 2022|

Episcopal Church Women in the News 04-09-22

Summary

Republican Journal – St. Margaret’s introduces new rector at April 3 service – The Rev. Barbara Briggs will preach for the first time as rector of St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church, Belfast ME

Daily Pilot – Touched by its support, Costa Mesa woman from Ukraine offers sweet thanks to local church – I want to come and say thanks to the people of the church for supporting Ukraine even though they don’t know Ukrainians

Greenfield Recorder – Faith Matters: The anointing woman – I love this story not only for its emotional power and for its portrayal of Jesus’ humanity in the days before his death, but also because it provides a fascinating

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St. Margaret’s introduces new rector at April 3 service

Republican Journal – Belfast, ME

The Rev. Barbara Briggs will preach for the first time as rector of St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church, Belfast, at the 9:30 a.m. service on Sunday, April 3. The incoming priest will celebrate Eucharist, at which the consecrated wine will be offered in individual cups rather than a common chalice. Those attending are asked to voluntarily wear masks because of close spacing in the church. The Women of St. Margaret’s will hold a meeting open to all following the service at 11 a.m. in the adjoining parish house.

Touched by its support, Costa Mesa woman from Ukraine offers sweet thanks to local church

Daily Pilot – New Port Beach, CA

It was the sight of the blue and yellow banner hanging on the outside wall of St. James Episcopal Church in Newport Beach that prompted to deliver a Ukrainian cake to church the following Sunday. “When I was passing by the church and saw the flag ‘Pray For Ukraine’ outside, I asked myself, ‘Are there any Ukrainians in that church?’” said Zamaraieva. “‘Or do they know of any Ukrainians?’”

Faith Matters: The anointing woman

Greenfield Recorder – Greenfield, MA

The gospel text for this Sunday in many Christian denominations is John’s account of the woman who anoints Jesus. As with other texts for these days approaching Holy Week, it is somber in tone, and this story is particularly poignant. In it, a woman anoints Jesus with perfumed oil (a rather shockingly intimate gesture). Another disciple objects to the action as representing a waste of funds that could have gone to the poor, and Jesus defends the expenditure on the oil as preparation for his burial.

St. Martha’s donates $27K to Ukraine response fund

Coastal Point – Bethany Beach, DE

A check for $27,070 donated by members of St. Martha’s Episcopal Church in Bethany Beach will be mailed to the Episcopal Relief & Development’s Ukraine Crisis Response Fund this week, to help those affected by the invasion of Ukraine.

Slave descendants eligible for scholarship from Episcopal Diocese of Long Island

Greater Long Island – Long Island, NY

The Reparations Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island is championing equity in education with their latest scholars program. According to their website, Black, African-American and Caribbean-American students who are descendants of enslaved people are encouraged to apply for the “Barbara C. Harris Scholars Program.”

‘Love in a Backpack’ returns for third year, raises collection goal

Greenfield Recorder – Greenfield, MA

Conway resident Mary McClintock says the group seeking donations for the “Love in a Backpack” project is getting even more ambitious as the drive enters its third year.

“I think we packed 50 backpacks last year,” recalled McClintock, community collaboration coordinator with Community Action Pioneer Valley. “We’re going for 85 this year.”

The Medical Loan Closet Ministry of St. John’s, Bandon

Diocese of Oregon – Bandon, OR

In 2017 we opened the St. John’s Medical Loan Closet in Bandon with four volunteers, a 13’ x 15’ space for operations, one wheelchair, and few expectations.

Since then our collection has grown to 194 pieces of durable medical equipment (DME) including wheelchairs, walkers, toileting and bathing aids, knee scooters, crutches, and canes. The word is out and each year we serve hundreds of clients who come from a region stretching from Reedsport to Brookings, and inland to Myrtle Point. Our clients are recovering from surgeries and accidents, are dealing with illness, or are facing the end of life.

Church Periodical Club – Ministry of the Written Word is pleased to announce our quilt winners.

Hawaiian Vintage Quilt: Winnifred Folett, Sedona, AZ. Winnie is the incoming Treasurer for Province VIII ECW.

Cracker Barrel quilt: Kathy Mank, Loveland OH. Kathy is President of Province V ECW & has served on the National ECW Board

Our auction raised over $3000.

Thank you to all. See you next year! – Maryfran Crist

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Episcopal Church Women2022-04-08T14:56:36+00:00April 9th, 2022|

Episcopal Church Women in the News 03-19-22

Summary

The Virginian Pilot – Virginia Beach Girl Scout creates cookbook for food bank – The idea for Ivy Edwards’ cookbook struck as she was bagging giant beets and neckbone cuts of beef and pork.

Episcopal News Service – Episcopal churches offer menstrual products, dignity to women, girls. Period – “Period poverty” is not a term routinely used in church to describe economic inequality

Alive – Founder of Absalom Jones Episcopal Center for Racial Healing receives presidential awards – Dr. Catherine Meeks was awarded The President Joseph R. Biden Lifetime Achievement Award and the Presidential Volunteer Service Award medal. Along with her personal recognition, the center

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Virginia Beach Girl Scout creates cookbook for food bank

The Virginian Pilot – Virginia Beach, VA

The idea for Ivy Edwards’ cookbook struck as she was bagging giant beets and neckbone cuts of beef and pork.

Volunteering at Chapel Pantry at Eastern Shore Chapel Episcopal Church, a large food bank that receives unsold fresh meats, dairy and produce from local grocers, Ivy began wondering if clients would know how to prepare some of the more unusual items.

“I wouldn’t have had a clue how to cook them,” she says. “I felt like a lot might go to waste, especially if people didn’t have time or the resources to look things up.”

Episcopal churches offer menstrual products, dignity to women, girls. Period

Episcopal News Service – Jackson Hole, WY

“Period poverty” is not a term routinely used in church to describe economic inequality, but now a growing number of Episcopal congregations are using it in their efforts to help low-income women and girls access menstrual hygiene products.

Twenty-three percent of students ages 13-19 struggled to afford menstrual products and 51% had worn such products longer than is recommended, according to “State of the Period 2021.” A separate survey of low-income women by the Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology found that nearly two-thirds were unable to buy the tampons or pads they needed at some point in the previous year.

Founder of Absalom Jones Episcopal Center for Racial Healing receives presidential awards

Alive – Atlanta, GA

A founding executive director for the Absalom Jones Episcopal Center for Racing Healing was awarded two presidential awards, along with the center being recognized.

Dr. Catherine Meeks was awarded The President Joseph R. Biden Lifetime Achievement Award and the Presidential Volunteer Service Award medal. Along with her personal recognition, the center was named a 2022 Presidential Award Lifetime Achievement Honoree.

Freedom Kits help girls in developing countries stay in school

Yakima Herald Republic – Yakima, WA

Refugees and many who stayed behind would need safe shelter, food, clothing and medical items. For women struggling with unpredictable supply chains or life in refugee camps, that could include tampons and pads.

The 57-year tradition of Calvary Church in Stonington holding Lenten Luncheons

The Day – Stonington Borough, CT

Carole Barnard of Stonington, who heads up ECW, has been involved with the Lenten Luncheons for almost two decades and says that raising money for worthy organizations “is such a wonderful thing, such a satisfying thing.”

Blessing boxes at Episcopal Church of the Redeemer helping people in a time of need

NBC 15 News – Mobile, AL

It was about four years ago when the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer put blessing boxes in front of its property at 7125 Hitt Road in Mobile. There’s a total of three there including an emergency pantry, a toiletries box, and another one for books.

Leading with Heart workshop

The Episcopal Church Women of Province VIII are offering a workshop at United Nations CSW Forum on March 20th, 2022 9am Pacific time. The focus of the forum is the environment, so that is the theme as we model circular leadership. All are welcome and invited. The main circle will be recorded and offered at our website ecwprovinceviii.org – there is no cost to sign up for this.

Green Tent Circle Workshop: Caring for one another and Mother Earth

Storytelling, photography, art, ceremony, ritual, circle conversations, creativity, and celebrations transform apathy into climate actions. Interactive workshop starting with a panel of women from Earth Child Institute and Green Tent Circle. LIVESTREAM: www.facebook.com/GreenTentCircleEvent

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Episcopal Church Women2022-03-18T17:38:09+00:00March 19th, 2022|

Episcopal Church Women in the News 03-05-22

Summary

Washington Post – For many immunosuppressed, churches stopped being a safe place – For centuries, Christians have met in sacred places that also provided safety for those seeking asylum

John Deere – The Soil and the Soul – Elizabeth DeRuff’s ministry is rooted in farming. Divine inspiration strikes in all sorts of ways and all sorts of places.

The Georgetowner – Mapping Georgetown: A Story of Love Stretching Back to The Mayflower – This sweet story is made doubly so because it threads together more than several centuries of connections back to those married at Plymouth Rock.”

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For many immunosuppressed, churches stopped being a safe place

Washington Post – Washington D.C.

For centuries, Christians have met in sacred places that also provided safety for those seeking asylum, including runaway slaves and undocumented immigrants. But those same sanctuaries where many sing and embrace each other have become anxiety-inducing, and possibly dangerous, for many Americans who are considered higher risk for covid-19.

More than 7 million Americans have weakened immune systems that make them more vulnerable to contracting the coronavirus and can make covid-19 more deadly.

The Soil and the Soul

Healdsburg, CA

Divine inspiration strikes in all sorts of ways and all sorts of places. For Rev. Elizabeth DeRuff, an ordained Episcopal priest who describes herself as an agricultural chaplain, a field of wheat is a perfect place to connect with God.

At a California family camp where she served as chaplain and dean, DeRuff met a woman in 2003 who declined communion because of her bread allergy. That prompted DeRuff to begin exploring the connections among land, health, regeneration, and wheat.

Mapping Georgetown: A Story of Love Stretching Back to The Mayflower

Georgetowner – Washington D.C.

I want to share this sweet story. It is truly an American love story that began with those who came a long time ago to our shores and finds its way through the ages to a boy and girl by a stream sharing a cup of water who lived happily ever after in Washington D.C.

The boy and girl were my grandparents. Harold Whiting Burnside met Enid Holden when he was a young man of 15 and she, a little tow head of 12. While Harold was picking strawberries in the field below Enid’s Grandpa’s house in Hyattsville Md and drinking from the pasture spring, she showed him where they hid the drinking cup. Grandpa said he was smitten right then and there. They married in 1917 and lived over fifty years in the District.

St. John’s Episcopal Church Women to host Two Sip ‘n’ Paint Workshops

Pine Island Eagle – St. James City, FL

Local artist Mary Linden Ragains will guide participants through a water color session on Monday, Feb. 28, and an acrylic painting class on Monday, March 14, both from 2-4 p.m. in St. John’s Comfort Hall, 7771 Stringfellow Road, St. James City. To register for either or both of these classes, please call Janet Pinnell at 239-558-8135 for tickets. The watercolor class is $25, the acrylics class is $30, with all materials provided, as well as coffee, wine and hors d’oeuvres.

Triennial News

Registration for the 80th General Convention will open on Friday, March 18 and will be a two-part process. In March, diocesan coordinators, other authorized persons, and individuals who register for attending the entire convention will be able to pre-register those attending as deputies, alternates, bishops, ECW delegates, and visitors.

Resolved, the Joint Standing Committee on Planning and Arrangements adopts the following vaccination policy for all attendees of the 80th General Convention: Read the full resolution.

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Episcopal Church Women2022-03-04T14:25:11+00:00March 5th, 2022|

Episcopal Church Women in the News 02-19-22

Summary

Tapinto.net – Meet the Leaders: Q&A with Reverend Susanna Cates, Pastor of All Saints Episcopal Church in Scotch Plains – “I never predicted ordained ministry as part of my journey”

NJ Herald – Breaking the stained-glass ceiling: How women are rising to leadership in the Black church – Rev. Ratona Stokes-Robinson’s … phone buzzed with excitement.

Salem News – Shining light on an untold story – For years, Sheila Cooke-Kayser, a former National Park Service employee, has been researching these stories as a volunteer with the Danvers Historical Society. If the walls of the Page House in Danvers Square could talk

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Meet the Leaders: Q&A with Reverend Susanna Cates, Pastor of All Saints Episcopal Church in Scotch Plains

Tapinto.net – Scotch Plains, NJ

“I grew up in Gainsville, FL, and lived there until my early 20s. Gainesville is home to the University of Florida, and so it’s a very diverse town. Lots of folks from all over the world attend school and teach there, and some of them decide to stay, bringing their traditions and worldviews with them. It makes for a community that’s very flexible, open-minded, and willing to learn from others. In that way, this part of New Jersey feels a lot like home. We are so close to NYC, and our surrounding areas have just about every kind of person from every kind of place. It’s one of the many things I love about living here.”

Breaking the stained-glass ceiling: How women are rising to leadership in the Black church

NJHerald – Thorofare, NJ

After the Rev. Ratona Stokes-Robinson was appointed to lead St. James AME Church in South Jersey last summer, her phone buzzed with excitement. But the joy was short-lived. She wound up delivering her first Sunday sermon not from the front of the small white church in Thorofare, but outside its locked doors. Officers of the Gloucester County church refused to hand her the keys, reportedly unwilling to let a female pastor take over.

Shining light on an untold story

Salem News – Danvers, MA

If the walls of the Page House in Danvers Square could talk, the stories that they would tell are ones of bravery, strength and mystery. For years, Sheila Cooke-Kayser, a former National Park Service employee, has been researching these stories as a volunteer with the Danvers Historical Society and is now primed to share her findings of one individual with a larger audience.

Iona Celtic Retreat with Bishop Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows

Episcopal News Service

From June 18-25, 2022, join Bishop Jennifer and members of the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis in a Celtic retreat on the sacred Isle of Iona, off the western coast of Scotland. The retreat will be led by the Rev. John Philip Newell, an internationally known expert on Celtic spirituality.

Nonprofits Benefit From Shop Of St. Philip’s

Transylvania Times – Brevard, NC

The Episcopal Church Women of St. Philip’s Episcopal Church announced they were able to award grants totaling $81,000 to nonprofit groups serving families and children in Transylvania County for 2022. The grants are intended to help with operating expenses. The Family Place, The Haven, Pisgah Legal, Meals on Wheels, Rise & Shine, and Free Rein are among the 20 grant recipients.

Musician for Triennial

Elaine Conger is a native of Nashville and life-long musician and music educator. After years of teaching and touring, she’s finally settled down in the mountains of East Tennessee for another chapter in her musical journey. Her current passion is writing and performing worshipful songs that stir the soul and encourage spiritual reflection.

Chaplin for Triennial

Gayle Fisher-Stewart was ordained in 2015 and currently serves as the interim rector of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Washington, DC. A native Washingtonian, prior to accepting the call to ordained ministry, she retired from the Metropolitan Police Department as a captain and then taught at the university level.

Episcopal Church Women2022-09-28T18:08:04+00:00February 22nd, 2022|

Episcopal Church Women in the News 01-29-22

Summary

Guideposts – 3 Questions: Rev. Pamela Conrad – The Episcopal priest and astrobiologist on how her faith and scientific work coexist and impact each other.

Religion News Service – Dilemma for houses of worship: Openness or safety? – Our hope as those who attend and lead religious institutions is to maintain our humaneness and treat others with compassion, while keeping ourselves and others safe.

Episcopal News Service – Transgender priests ask church to ‘live fully into’ LGBTQ+ inclusion during Executive Council plenary session – Transgender priests ask church to ‘live fully into’ LGBTQ+ inclusion during Executive Council plenary session

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3 Questions: Rev. Pamela Conrad

Guideposts – Glen Burnie, MD

Rev. Pamela Conrad is rector of St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Glen Burnie, Maryland. She is also a research scientist at Washington, D.C.’s Carnegie Institution of Science, a member of the tactical operations team for the Mars Perseverance rover mission and a co-investigator at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. She takes us behind her two heavenly pursuits.

What inspired you to pursue the scientific and the spiritual?
One night in 1957, Dad, a scientist, pointed out this tiny speck in the sky—Sputnik, the first satellite. I was almost five. I kept looking up at the stars, delighted. He made a model of the U.S. launch rocket and satellite Explorer, and I ran all around the house with it, captivated by the idea of exploring something as big as the sky. I loved science and music and got my undergraduate and graduate degrees in the latter. I went back to graduate school 20 years later to study geology, focusing on geobiology.

Dilemma for houses of worship: Openness or safety?

Religion News Service

On a cold day, a stranger comes to the door of the sanctuary and asks for shelter. What should happen next?

The Bible’s Book of Deuteronomy says, “God loves the stranger, giving them food and garments.” The next verse goes on to tell us to do likewise: “Love therefore the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” The Christian New Testament, in Paul’s Letter to the Hebrews, says, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.”

Transgender priests ask church to ‘live fully into’ LGBTQ+ inclusion during Executive Council plenary session

Episcopal News Service

In an afternoon plenary session during Executive Council’s virtual meeting on Jan. 25, transgender and nonbinary Episcopal priests shared stories of the difficulties they face in a church where they are accepted on paper but often not in practice, telling council that the church’s work toward LGBTQ+ inclusion is not finished.

While much of The Episcopal Church feels comfortable with the “LGB” part of the LGBTQ+ community, the speakers said the situation is very different for the “TQ+” – people who are transgender, queer or otherwise outside the traditional gender binary.

“We’ve done an amazing job of beginning the process of inclusion at the churchwide level but it just isn’t translating to the diocesan and parish levels,” said the Rev. Gwen Fry, a former president of the Episcopal LGBTQ+ group Integrity and one of six speakers, five of whom were transgender clergy.

Presiding bishop nominating committee plans history-making presence at General Convention

For the first time in Episcopal Church history, the Joint Nominating Committee for the Election of the Presiding Bishop plans to be at General Convention in July to hear Episcopalians’ hopes and dreams for the church’s next presiding bishop, who will be elected in 2024.

The postponement of the 80th General Convention from 2021 to 2022 created the opportunity for the committee to attend convention to speak with bishops, deputies, and other participants. General Convention is scheduled for July 7-14 in Baltimore, Maryland.

“The committee members are committed to hearing from as many Episcopalians as possible as we prepare to write a profile and call for discernment for the 28^th presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church,” said Canon Steven Nishibayashi, committee co-chair. “We feel blessed that we have this opportunity to visit with the part of the church that will be in Baltimore for convention this summer.”

Episcopal Church Women2022-01-28T15:51:04+00:00January 29th, 2022|

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