Diocesan Digest
Episcopal News Service. July 21, 2005 [072105-2-A]
* CONNECTICUT: Bishop, staff meet with Bristol parishioners
* NEW YORK: Bishop supports investment, not divestment
* SOUTHERN OHIO: Chillicothe Episcopalians go whole Hogwarts for Harry
* VIRGINIA: Episcopalian Scouts, Scouters to attend 2005 National Scout Jamboree
CONNECTICUT: Bishop, staff meet with Bristol parishioners
[Source: Diocese of Connecticut] The Rev. Susan P. McCone, newly appointed priest-in-charge, preached and celebrated at St. John's Episcopal Church in Bristol during the 9 a.m. worship service July 17. Close to 60 people attended, with about 10 from outside the parish who came in support of St. John's.
The rector of St. John's, the Rev. Mark H. Hansen, has been charged with abandoning the communion of the church and was inhibited July 13 by the Rt. Rev. Andrew D. Smith, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut, on the advice of the diocesan Standing Committee. Hansen has disputed the charges brought by Bishop Smith, according to reports. (For more information see http://www.ctdiocese.org/news/news.shtml)
More than 100 people came to a meeting at St. John's on Sunday evening, July 17. Most were members of St. John's, Bristol, who had been invited by a letter from Bishop Smith. Members of the media were not invited. Also attending were McCone and Ed Seibert, who is providing administrative assistance to the parish. Several members of the bishop's staff accompanied him, including Robin Hammeal-Urban, diocesan pastoral response coordinator. She will recruit at least two people to spend time at St. John's, making themselves available to listen confidentially to the concerns of its parishioners individually or in groups.
The meeting began with Daily Devotions: In the Early Evening, from the Book of Common Prayer. A member of St. John's vestry read a prepared statement. Questions, answers, and comments followed, as members of St. John's talked with Smith and each other. There was no vote or resolution scheduled, and the meeting ended with prayer at 9pm. Speaking to the media afterwards, members of the congregation shared several perspectives on the recent actions at St. John's.
The vestry's regular monthly meeting was scheduled for the next evening, Monday July 18. Although only one vestry member appeared, so that no official business could be transacted, several other parishioners came to attend the vestry meeting. McCone and Seibert had a discussion with the parishioners and vestry member that lasted for slightly more than an hour.
NEW YORK: Bishop supports investment, not divestment
[ENS] Insisting that now is the time to "invest, not divest" both in Israel and Palestine, Bishop Mark Sisk of New York held a news conference July 21 stating his opposition to a resolution passed in June by the 13th meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC).
Sisk was joined by 10 members of New York's Jewish community -- including Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, executive vice president of the New York Board of Rabbis -- and other Episcopal Church representatives.
The ACC resolution, which encouraged ethical investment strategies but stopped short of calling for divestment, commended the Episcopal Church in taking "appropriate action where it finds that its corporate investments support the occupation of Palestinian lands or violence against innocent Israelis."
This may be regarded as "a steep and slippery slope toward divestment," Sisk said at the news conference held on the steps of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City.
"It is most reassuring to have leaders such as Bishop Sisk who express their steadfast support, as the people of Israel continues its pursuit of a true peace agreement," said Rabbi Potasnik. "Bishop Sisk understands that investment, not divestment, is a necessary measure in creating conditions for security and opportunity on behalf of Israelis and Palestinians."
But the Rev. Brian Grieves, director of the Episcopal Church's Peace and Justice Ministries, described Sisk's comments as "an unfortunate characterization based on absolutely no evidence and certainly no inquiry."
And Bishop Christopher Epting, deputy for ecumenical and interfaith relations, said that he would remind Sisk of the ongoing conversations with the Jewish community through the Episcopal Church's Office of Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations as well as Peace and Justice Ministries.
"Such conversations, I believe, have contributed to the ACC's encouragement 'to take appropriate action where it finds that its corporate investments support the occupation of Palestinian lands or violence against innocent Israelis,'" Epting said. "We all support the peace process and attempt to do so by an even-handed policy that condemns violence wherever it originates."
SOUTHERN OHIO: Chillicothe Episcopalians go whole Hogwarts for Harry
[Source: Diocese of Southern Ohio] Just days before the July 16 release of 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,' children throughout the Southern Ohio community of Chillicothe, boarded special transportation from the 9 platform and arrived at Hogwarts, better known as St. Paul's Episcopal Church, for four full nights of Harry Potter fun. The curriculum, written by the Rev. Canon Vicki Zust, who also served as a guest lecturer for several classes, is designed to show how God's creation is intentional and God's presence transforms us. The program was intentionally developed to be multi-generational so that families could learn and have fun together. After years of not offering any Vacation Bible School, the Harry Potter program was a huge success, with more than 30 children attending and a final count of more than 50 people. For more information about the Harry Potter VBS curriculum, contact the Rev. Canon Vicki Zust, canon to the ordinary in the Diocese of Southern Ohio, at 513.421.0311 or email: vicki_zust@episcopal-dso.org.
VIRGINIA: Episcopalian Scouts, Scouters to attend 2005 National Scout Jamboree
[Source: NESA] For 10 days in July and August, more than 1,000 Episcopalian Scouts and adult Scout volunteers ("Scouters") will be among a crowd of 43,000 who will gather for fun, fellowship and Scoutcraft at historic Fort A. P. Hill in Caroline County, Virginia. The 16th National Boy Scout Jamboree, which runs from July 25 to August 3, will welcome Scouts and visitors of many faiths and from around the world. Episcopalians will be there with troops, as leaders, chaplains, and exhibitors.
"This will be a great opportunity to meet and support many of our Episcopal Church members who are involved in Scouting, with information and activities from our Episcopal tradition on 'doing our duty to God' and being reverent," said the Rev. Lee Ferry, who is in charge of the Episcopal Church's booth at the Jamboree. "I hope, as we talk to Episcopalians and members of other denominations and faiths, to gather ideas of how we might better carry out the intention of the General Convention 2000 Resolution. Unfortunately, many people have misunderstood that resolution as establishing a wall between the Boy Scouts and the Episcopal Church. It actually called on us to engage with the Boy Scouts as well as to be involved in educating our members about the issues on which we disagree."
The newly formed National Episcopal Scouters Association (NESA), represented by vice president Fred Goodwin, will share the booth. "The purpose of the Association is to foster Scouting in the Episcopal Church and to encourage Episcopal Scouts to earn the God and Country religious awards," explained Goodwin, a layman at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in San Antonio, Texas, and assistant Scoutmaster for the parish's Troop 515. Although most of those who have shown interest in the Association to date are Boy Scout volunteers, Campfire, Girl Scout and 4-H professionals, older members, and volunteers are also welcome.
The Association is open as well to members of non-ECUSA Anglican tradition churches. "Fred is the list owner for the online Episcopal Scouters group, a bunch of people with very diverse views, and he works to keep us communicating," said Ferry. "I sometimes think that if we can all work together, it will be a model for the whole Church of what God calls us to as Christians."
Don Berg and Ferry's son, Thomas Wohlers, will be assisting in the booth, and Clarence St. John will provide information on the Brotherhood of St. Andrew. Berg, from Scottsdale, Arizona, and St. John, of Queens, New York, are both active Episcopal laymen who have retired from their careers but remain active in Scouting. Wohlers, acting president of Venture Crew 353, sponsored by All Saints' Episcopal Church in Whitman, Massachusetts, is a student at Massasoit Community College, where he is a Student Senator, president of the disabilities support and advocacy club, and a member of the Northeast Division winning Math Team. His mother, who works in the Bristol Cluster Ministry in the Diocese of Massachusetts, is also Crew 353's Advisor, and chaplain at both Camp Squanto and Cachalot Scout Reservation.
Other Episcopalians active throughout the Jamboree include the Rev. Bill Hibbert of Rapid City, South Dakota, who helps to coordinate chaplains and serves with the corps who do hospital calling. Hibbert also plans and coordinates two Episcopal worship services: one for staff on July 25, and one for all Episcopalians on July 31. Technically retired, he still serves at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Rapid City, which has been very generous in helping with supplies.
Visitors are welcome at the Jamboree from Wednesday, July 27, through Tuesday, August 2. Look for the Episcopal Church booth and the National Episcopal Scouters Association in the "Relationships Exhibits" area of the Jamboree site.
For visitor information, go to http://www.scouting.org/jamboree/bulletin/2005-07-b.html.
For more information about Scouting in the Episcopal Church, contact Lee Ferry at: ECUSA-Scouts@satucket.com
For information about membership in the Association, contact Fred Goodwin at fgoodwin@sbcglobal.net or visit the website at: http://www.episcopal-scouting.org.