ECW Women in the News

Summary

Episcopal News Service – 80th General Convention to proceed in person, but shorter and smaller, presiding officers say – “There are essential matters for the governance and good order of the church which must be transacted. “

The Sand Paper – Tuckerton’s Church of the Holy Spirit Gets a Couple of Priests – Church of the Holy Spirit has not one but two new priests, the Reverends Chip and Lisa Graves

Black Enterprise  – Bishop Vashti McKenzie to Lead national Council of Churches – She is only the third woman and first African American woman to serve as general secretary. McKenzie retired from the AME Church last July after being named bishop in 2000.

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80th General Convention to proceed in person, but shorter and smaller, presiding officers say

The 80^th General Convention will proceed in person this July in Baltimore, Maryland, but it likely will be shorter and smaller, with enhanced safety protocols to further minimize the risk of COVID-19 infections, according to an outline of potential changes presented May 11 by The Episcopal Church’s presiding officers.

Episcopal News Service – National

Religious women weigh in on abortion: It’s complicated

Atlanta Journal Constitution – Atlanta, GA

The Rev. Patricia Templeton has never shied away from talking about complicated social issues in the pulpit. As rector of St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta, she’s taken on racism, sexual identity, gun reform, immigration and voting rights in her Sunday sermons. But Templeton had never preached about abortion.

Tuckerton’s Church of the Holy Spirit Gets a Couple of Priests

Tuckerton’s Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit has not one but two new priests, the Reverends Chip and Lisa Graves. Holy Spirit has had female priests in the past since the Episcopal Church officially began ordaining women on Jan. 1, 1977. But this is the first time Holy Spirit has had a married couple conducting services.

The Sand Paper – Waretown, NJ

Bishop Vashti McKenzie to Lead national Council of Churches

On Tuesday, the NCC announced McKenzie would succeed Jim Winkler, who resigned from the post on Jan. 31 after serving in the role since 2013, Religion News reports. McKenzie’s term kicked off on April 1 and will continue for two years.

“I look forward to the opportunity to enhance the great work that the NCC has already done and look for strategic ways to amplify its voice,” McKenzie said in a statement.

Black Enterprise – National

St. Timothy Episcopal Church to host LGBTQ+ inclusive youth group

The News Courier – Athens, AL

Beginning the second week of June, local Rector, Rosie Veal Eby, and the St. Timothy Episcopal Church in Athens will begin hosting an LGBTQ+ inclusive youth group on Wednesdays from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. The group will be open to high schoolers in ninth through twelfth grade up to 18 years old.

‘You’ve got gifts’ — MSU’s most senior grad earns third doctorate

WILX10 TV – East Lansing, MI

Years of studying, writing papers and late nights culminate in a day of caps, gowns and speeches, all for one degree. Then school becomes a memory, for most. Among the 9,200 students who will receive diplomas from Michigan State University this weekend is one who stands out in the crowd. For Sue Carter, decades spent on the Michigan State campus have now led to her third doctoral degree.

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Summary

South GA TV – St. Paul’s Episcopal to make Mirate official – “We are delighted to welcome the Rev. Galen A. Mirate to Albany to serve as the 20th Rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church,”

ESN – Deaf Episcopalian creates ministry uniting Deaf worshipers around the world with hearing in Texas – Deaf Missioner Amy Waltz-Reasonover has created a new community

Aljazeera – The woman setting the record straight on Native American history – Sarah Eagle Heart, storyteller and award-winning producer, wants to heal her people through telling Indigenous stories. She is determined to help set the record straight on Native American history

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St. Paul’s Episcopal to make Mirate official

South GA TV – Diocese of Georgia

When the Rev. Galen A. Mirate became Rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on New Year’s Day 2022, she became the first female Rector in the church’s history, which dates to 1851. In a special service at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 30, the Right Rev. Frank Logue, the Bishop of the Diocese of Georgia, will officially install the Rev. Mirate as Rector of St. Paul’s. The Celebration of New Ministry Service is open to everyone to attend.

Deaf Episcopalian creates ministry uniting Deaf worshipers around the world with hearing in Texas

Episcopal News Service – Diocese of Texas

Deaf Missioner Amy Waltz-Reasonover has created a new community by bringing together groups that had never been connected before, introducing Deaf and LGBTQ+ Christians with different forms of communication to Episcopal congregations in the Houston area. What started out as a small online prayer group earlier in the pandemic has grown into an international ministry dedicated to giving Deaf people an accepting place to worship.

The woman setting the record straight on Native American history

Aljazeera – Loss Angeles, CA

The Emmy Award-winning producer is also a mother, daughter, sister, activist and CEO. But none of these accolades has come easily to Eagle Heart who, like many Native Americans, is familiar with adversity. The 44-year-old Oglala Sioux woman from the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota is on a mission to revolutionise the way Indigenous narratives are portrayed in the mainstream.

Breaking the Fast – Peace Islands Institute Hosts Ramadan iftar at Grace Church in Nutley

Tap into Nutley – Nutley, NJ The Rev. Pamela Bakal, rector of Grace Episcopal Church, showed respect by wearing a head covering called a hijab. It is customary for most Muslim women to wear hijabs as instructed in the Qur’an to keep modest and private from unrelated males.

Madeleine Albright honored at Washington National Cathedral funeral, with eulogies by Biden, Clintons

Episcopal News Service – Washington, DC

President Joe Biden, as well as former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, were among those who paid tribute to Madeleine Albright, the former secretary of state, during her funeral held April 27 at Washington National Cathedral in the nation’s capital.

Food giveaways crowded as food costs continue to rise

WNEP TV – Jermyn, PA

Volunteers loaded up bags of food inside the St. James/St. George Episcopal Church in Jermyn. The monthly food pantry has operated for about a decade. Church members say the need was great during the pandemic, and they’re starting to see an increase again.

Washington National Cathedral Achieves the Status of Megachurch

World Religion News – Washington DC

The Washington National Cathedral has achieved the status of “megachurch” by streaming their religious services online through the pandemic lockdowns over the last two years. Their online services draw 30,000 attendees every week, 10 times the number that would fit in the cathedral and, albeit virtual, triple the number of visits the church had pre-pandemic.

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Summary

Eagle News Online – Liverpool woman to be ordained as Episcopal priest in Auburn – “I anticipate a lot of change in the years ahead! One of my favorite lines in scripture is Ephesians 3:20-21, which reminds us that the power of God within and among us can do ‘far more than all we can ask

The Daily News – Zonta Club, Episcopal churches to aid evacuees –  Zonta Club of Batavia-Genesee County is partnering with the Episcopal churches of Genesee County to assist evacuees relocating to Western New York.

Episcopal Church – New youth ministry officer to join Episcopal Church Faith Formation – “This is an exciting hire and a terrific gift to youth ministry in The Episcopal Church,”

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 Liverpool woman to be ordained as Episcopal priest in Auburn

Eagle News Online – Diocese Central New York

The Right Rev. Dr. DeDe Duncan-Probe, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Central New York, will ordain Meredith Kadet Sanderson to the priesthood at 10 a.m. Easter Saturday, April 23, at the Episcopal Church of Saints Peter & John, 169 Genesee St. in downtown Auburn. The community is invited to attend the service in-person or online.

Zonta Club, Episcopal churches to aid evacuees

The Daily News – Batavia, NY

The Zonta Club of Batavia-Genesee County is partnering with the Episcopal churches of Genesee County to assist evacuees relocating to Western New York. The churches are collecting donations to fill “welcome boxes” which outfit rooms in new housing. The Zonta Club has committed $3,000 in service funds to support this effort. Donations will be given to Journey’s End Resettlement project in Buffalo for distribution.

New youth ministry officer to join Episcopal Church Faith Formation 

Episcopal Church – New York

he Episcopal Church Department of Faith Formation is pleased to announce the hire of Canon Myra B. Garnes as its new officer for youth ministry. Garnes was selected after a full search and discernment process and subsequent interviews conducted with the help of a search committee. She begins her role May 2.

Garnes served most recently as the canon for youth and young adult ministries in the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island. Prior to her arrival in New York, she was the director of the Cathedral Scholars Program at the Washington (D.C.) National Cathedral and also served as an academic class dean and director of multicultural education at the National Cathedral School. Garnes was installed as an honorary canon to the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Garden City, New York, on Sept. 26, 2015.

By providing choices, food pantries reaffirm ‘a sense of dignity’ in clients

Times Record – Fort Smith, AR

Mary thanks God for her local food pantries, especially as inflation restricts her family’s already limited income.

“If it wasn’t for that, I get $100 to spend on food every month from disability (benefits),” said Mary, an Alma resident who preferred not to give her last name. “Between me and my husband, we only make $2,200 dollars a month and our bills are $1,800, so go figure.”

Creating Lasting Change a Few Minutes at a Time

Episcopal Relief and Development

What if I told you that you could help create lasting change in just a few minutes a month? Would you laugh at me? Perhaps you’d ask me what “the catch” is. No catch, I promise. Just community. In Episcopal Relief & Development’s volunteer community, nearly one thousand Ministry Partners across the country join together in sharing the good news of Episcopal Relief & Development and supporting the work of the organization in their congregations, dioceses, seminaries and more.

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Summary

Coastal Point – St. Martha’s donates $27K to Ukraine response fund – Members of St. Martha’s Episcopal Church are donating $27,070 to the Episcopal Relief & Development’s Ukraine Response Fund

The Telegraph – Pet pantry planned in Alton – The Riverbend will soon have what is believed to be the area’s first food pantry dedicated just to the family pets of the elderly and homeless.

The Charlotte Observer – Christians must accept that charity is not justice, GoFundMe is not healthcare reform – The Bible readings for Lent in this lectionary year lean heavily on Luke. In the fourth chapter, Jesus famously proclaims that he has been sent: to set the oppressed free, to proclaim good news to the poor and freedom for prisoners, and to bring recovery of sight to the blind.

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

Coastal Point – Coastal Point, 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. Within days of Russia’s attack on that nation, Don Clarke, a member of St. Martha’s, told the rector, the Rev. Victoria Pretti, that he wanted to help the people of Ukraine and hoped St. Martha’s Outreach Committee would match church donations.

Pet pantry planned in Alton

The Telegraph – Alton, IL

The Riverbend will soon have what is believed to be the area’s first food pantry dedicated just to the family pets of the elderly and homeless. The 4 Paws Pet Food Pantry, operated out of the Market Street entrance to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church at 10 E. 3rd St. in Alton, is scheduled to open Sunday, May 1, 12:30-1:30 p.m.

Christians must accept that charity is not justice, GoFundMe is not healthcare reform

The Charlotte Observer – Raleigh, NC

The Bible readings for Lent in this lectionary year lean heavily on Luke. In the fourth chapter, Jesus famously proclaims that he has been sent: to set the oppressed free, to proclaim good news to the poor and freedom for prisoners, and to bring recovery of sight to the blind. For anyone who has ever sincerely wondered what Jesus would do, this is one of those moments when he tells us precisely.

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry on the passing of Madeleine Albright, first female secretary of state

Office of Public Affairs – New York

We mourn the loss of Madeleine Albright, committed Episcopalian and trailblazing ambassador. I am particularly thankful for her guiding belief that religious leaders have an essential role to play in foreign policy, and for her Anglican sensibility in navigating difference and diversity, which she expressed so well in her book, “Madame Secretary”:

Church Pension Group announces the Rev. Canon Anne Mallonee to retire’

Episcopal News Service – New York, NY

The Church Pension Group (CPG), a financial services organization that serves The Episcopal Church, announced today that the Rev. Canon Anne Mallonee, Executive Vice President and Chief Ecclesiastical Officer, will retire effective April 1, 2022, after eight years of faithful service.

Triennial Certification Form for Delegates and Alternates is Open

Each diocese may certify up to 4 delegates and 2 alternates. Each organization may certify up to 2 delegates and 2 alternates. The head of delegation should complete the online certification form. A copy will be emailed to them at time of submission.

American Blues

AMERICAN BLUES, a novel by the Rev. Polly Hamilton Hilsabeck, Diocese of NC, will be out and available April 12 wherever books are sold. Learn more at www.pollyhamiltonhilsabeck.com.

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Summary

Homewood Star – Local church feeds food insecure students in the community – The Outreach Committee at Episcopal Church of the Ascension is addressing a serious need for some students in the community: hunger.

CBS 7 – Midland church planning to feed the city with free Easter brunch – Midland’s Longest Table” will take over the block to serve the community free brunch and host the city’s largest Easter egg hunt.

The Christian Post – Nearly 2 in 5 Americans think religion makes the country stronger: poll – In a study titled ‘Jesus in America’ released last week and written as a partnership between Ipsos and the Episcopal Church, 38% of respondents said they believe that religion in the U.S. “makes the country stronger

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Local church feeds food insecure students in the community

Homewood Star – Homewood, AL

The Outreach Committee at Episcopal Church of the Ascension is addressing a serious need for some students in the community: hunger.

The committee is currently supporting a total of 16 students at Vestavia Hills Elementary East and Cahaba Heights Elementary by having school counselors discreetly put bags of food in their backpacks once a week.

“While we are in a wealthy part of town, there are still people who live in poverty and are hungry,” said Jack Alvey, rector at Episcopal Church of the Ascension.

Midland church planning to feed the city with free Easter brunch

CBS 7 – Midland, TX

Thriving United and the Transform Church in Midland have big plans for Easter Sunday, they want to feed the entire city of Midland. Several families spend Easter hunting for eggs and breaking bread together. Some of us don’t have family in town to share the holiday with, but thriving united has a solution to that problem. On April 17th, the entire 100 block of Texas Avenue in downtown Midland will be blocked off. “Midland’s Longest Table” will take over the block to serve the community free brunch and host the city’s largest Easter egg hunt. Ty Johnson, Director of Community Outreach and Spiritual Development at Thriving United, says they have big plans for the event.

Nearly 2 in 5 Americans think religion makes the country stronger: poll –

The Christian Post – National

Nearly four out of 10 adults living in the United States believe that religion makes the country stronger, while fewer than one in 10 believe it makes it weaker, according to a new poll by Ipsos and The Episcopal Church. In a study titled “Jesus in America” released last week and written as a partnership between Ipsos and the Episcopal Church, 38% of respondents said they believe that religion in the U.S. “makes the country stronger,” which was the most popular response.

Neighbors File Complaints Against Ton’s Kitchen in Montclair, but no Citations so Far

Montclair Local – Montclair, NJ

When the pandemic hit in 2020, Toni’s Kitchen, with a mission of ending food insecurity in Montclair and housed at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church for 40 years, stepped up its operations, more than tripling its outreach, and moving most of its operations to the parking lot.

The heightened need is not going away, said the Rev. John A. Mennell, rector of St. Luke’s, speaking on the behalf of Toni’s Kitchen Director Anne Mernin. But some neighbors were not happy with the increase in operations, which went from 4,300 weekly meals served indoors to 20,000 weekly meals either picked up from the parking lot or loaded into trucks for delivery.

Some dioceses ease restrictions on wine from common cup amid declining COVID-19 rates

Episcopal News Service – National

The common cup is back – at least in some dioceses of The Episcopal Church.

It’s another sign of the growing eagerness across the church to return to pre-pandemic liturgical practices after two years of disruptions. After a fall and winter surge in COVID-19 cases driven by the delta and omicron variants, dioceses and congregations are planning for a post-pandemic future that includes resumption of Communion wine from a cup shared by all communicants.

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Summary

South Haven Tribune – Longtime Open Door Ministry cook hangs up her apron – For more than a decade, Nancy Vilims has spent a good deal of her time planning and preparing meals for… older adults

The Telegraph – After the ashes: St. Paul’s says ‘Welcome home’ –  Parishioners returned to the sanctuary of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church  for the first service there since a fire heavily damaged the church

The Oklahoman – ‘God is accessible … even on a street corner.’ OKC clergy offer unconventional ashes – Motorists may have been curious when they saw two Episcopal priests waving and greeting passers-by on a busy street corner on Wednesday just outside downtown Oklahoma City.
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Longtime Open Door Ministry cook hangs up her apron

South Haven Tribune – South Haven, MI

For more than a decade, Nancy Vilims has spent a good deal of her time planning and preparing meals for a ministry dedicated to providing a dinner, each Tuesday evening, to older adults who live alone and other people in need.

But this past Tuesday marked the last time Vilims put on her apron and rolled up her sleeves to cook enough food to feed the 100 or so people who line up each week at First United Methodist Church to receive a free, homecooked meal.

After the ashes: St. Paul’s says ‘Welcome home’

The Telegraph – Alton, IL

About 30 parishioners returned to the sanctuary of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Alton Wednesday night for the first service there since a fire heavily damaged the church nearly two years ago.

On Wednesday, a slight hint of smoke could still be detected inside the structure where a June 23, 2020, fire destroyed the connected offices and smoke damaged the entire church.

‘God is accessible … even on a street corner.’ OKC clergy offer unconventional ashes

The Oklahoman – Oklahoma City, OK

Motorists may have been curious when they saw two Episcopal priests waving and greeting passers-by on a busy street corner on Wednesday just outside downtown Oklahoma City.

The Rev. Katie Churchwell and the Rev. Paige Hanks took the Christian observance of Ash Wednesday outside the four walls of the church as part of “Ashes to Go.” For an hour, Churchwell, dean of St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral, administered the imposition of ashes at NW 7 and Broadway Avenue alongside Hanks, an associate priest at the church, 127 NW 7.

Meet the next Episcopal bishop of Nevada

Las Vegas Review Journal – NV

The Episcopal Church will consecrate a new bishop for Nevada this weekend, filling a role that has been vacant since 2018.

The Rev. Elizabeth Bonforte Gardner will be consecrated the 11th bishop of the …….We hope you appreciate our content. Subscribe today to continue reading this story, and all of our stories.

Bringing people together goal of new Nevada Episcopal bishop

The new head of the Episcopal Diocese of Nevada said Friday that although the coronavirus pandemic has isolated people, she wants to bring people together.

The Rev. Elizabeth Bonforte Gardner will be consecrated Saturday as the leader of the Las Vegas-based diocese. She met with reporters along with the Most Rev. Michael Curry, presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church.

The early women of General Convention

General Theological Seminary – Episcopal Church

Elizabeth Ann Campbell (1962-1965): The ‘Women of General’ before ‘Women at General’ 

I smile when I read about Women at GTS for 50 years!  We all know what is meant in context, especially those of us who helped promote ordination of women!  However, in our own ways, we were already there!

Adelene and Craig Burlington ’69: 1966-1969 “Women on the Outskirts 50+years ago”

Before Women at General, there were WOGS, Women OF General. In our time 1966-69, women were literally on the outskirts of the Close, only welcomed in the Refectory in our Middler year. Formerly, women weren’t allowed on the Close, but entered from the side streets traveling the basement passageways to get from one building to another. Seminarians could only marry before entering GTS or, in our years, finally allowed to marry in summers between semesters (as we did!)

Church Periodical Club Quilt Raffle

Two beautiful quilts: one of Hawaiian heritage materials (twin) and a second machine quilt queen in pink rose and tan.  It is available for you to get your tickets thru your computer. maryfrancrist64@gmail.com  Raffle runs till the end of March.

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