News Brief
Episcopal News Service. April 30, 1987 [87099]
The Episcopal Society of St. Francis elected Brother Rodney Godden as new Minister Provincial of their American Province. Godden, 45, came to America from his native Australia six years ago. A spiritual director and alcoholism counselor, Br. Rodney is also a consultant to parishes and religious communities on addiction. As a staff member of the Center for Christian Spirituality at General Seminary, he is developing new approaches to spiritual direction for adult children of alcoholics and other abused persons. He plans to combine his role as minister provincial with his therapeutic and spiritual direction ministry in Manhattan. The friars are searching for an apartment or loft in New York City to establish a new St. Francis Friary to be a center for spiritual direction and ministry to those suffering from addiction and AIDS. The new Minister Provincial will he installed during the annual Chapter meeting at Little Portion Friary, Long Island, May 22.
Margaret Kathleen "Kay" Gilliam, wife of the Rt. Rev. Jackson E. Gilliam, retired Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Montana, died April 14 at the couple's home here. Born on Oct. 18, 1919 in Spokane, Wash., she graduated from Whitman college, magna cum laude, in 1942. While at Whitman, she was elected to Mortar Board and Phi Beta Kappa. She was married to Gilliam, a college classmate, at Fort Monmouth, N.J. on Aug. 11, 1943. During World War II, she worked as an executive for the Campfire Girls organization in Walla Walla and Spokane. After the war, she accompanied her husband to Alexandria, Va., where he attended seminary. During this time she worked at the seminary. Following her husband's graduation and ordination to the priesthood, the couple lived in Hermiston, Ore., Minneapolis and then Great Falls. Gilliam was elected Bishop of Montana in 1968, and they moved to Helena, where they lived until his retirement in 1986. Memorial services were held on April 16, at St. Andrew's Church in Polson, with the Rt. Rev. Leigh Wallace, Bishop of Spokane officiating, and on April 21 at St. Peter's Cathedral in Helena, with the Rt. Rev. C.I. Jones, Bishop of Montana officiating. Memorial gifts may be sent to the Diocese of Montana, Camp Marshall Fund; 515 North Park Avenue, Helena, Mont. 59601.
The Rev. Kendig Brubaker Cully, an Episcopal theological educator, died March 29 in Claremont, Calif. He was 73. Cully and his wife, Iris, founded the Review of Books and Religion (now called Books and Religion) and co-edited it for several years. Cully was ordained in the Congregational Church and became an Episcopal priest in 1955. He taught Christian education at Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in Evanston, Ill., from 1953 to 1964 and at New York Theological Seminary from 1964 to 1971. He was later dean and rector of the Episcopal Theological Seminary in Lexington, Ky., until his retirement in 1985.
Bishop John T. Walker of the Diocese of Washington has urged Christians not to support such "Hebrew Christian" groups as Jews for Jesus. Speaking at a meeting on Christian-Jewish relations at Georgetown University, Walker said that "aiding these groups is demeaning to both Christians and Jews. If we truly believe that Jews are the people of God, we should not lend support to groups that seek to convert Jews to Christianity. Tracing the history of Christian-Jews relations, the bishop said the two faiths "began their agenda in the acknowledgment of Abraham as our common father, but over the years of Christianity our paths diverged and became inimical toward each other." Walker acknowledged that centuries of "mutual distrust" had been "largely formented by Christian anti-Semitism." But, he added, Walker also hailed "those American Jews who have historically been at the forefront of the civil rights struggle in this country" and Jews in South Africa "who are protesting apartheid in the streets of Johannesburg and Capetown."
Amos Stanely Waiaru is the new archbishop of the Anglican Church of the Province of Melanesia. He continues as bishop of Temotu diocese. He succeeds Norman Palmer, who retires in November.
In separate statements, Canada's Roman Catholic and Anglican bishops oppose reintroduction of capital punishment, an issue being discussed in the Canadian parliament.
A 65-piece collection of Native artifacts owned by the Anglican cathedral here is to be returned to Native representatives or organizations. Earlier, a decision was taken to sell the collection to help pay a debt of $1 million (Canadian) incurred when part of the cathedral building was completed. However, following protest, Ronald Shepherd, the diocesan bishop announced the artifacts would be returned to Native people. The monetary value of the collection is said to be at least $300,000 (Canadian).
Several Anglican cathedrals are to be the focus of Anglican-Methodist (and wider) ecumenical events next year marking the 250th anniversary of John Wesley's "conversion." Wesley, who remained an Anglican priest till his death, is considered the founder of Methodism. In Liverpool, a Wesley Pentecost celebration has support from the local United Reformed moderator, Anglican bishop and Roman Catholic archbishop.
The Most Rev. Phillip Russell, recently retired Archbishop of Capetown, South Africa, will be the first occupant of the John B. Coburn Chair of Theology. The Chair was created in thanksgiving for the ministry of Coburn, who retired in September 1986 as Bishop of Massachusetts and much of whose ministry has been focused on mission and education. Each year's appointment to the Chair will be a theologian of international reputation. The occupant, through lectures and symposia, will seek to broaden the vision of the mission of the Church in the modern world. Russell has been credited with helping to pave the way for the election of a black, Desmond Tutu, as Archbishop of Capetown. He has been a firm and consistent opponent of apartheid and steered the Anglican Church through a difficult period in South Africa. He will be in Massachusetts from Nov. 11 through Dec. 22 and will be based at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul's here. The selection of the holder of the Chair was made by the Bishop of Massachusetts, the Rt. Rev. David E. Johnson, in consultation with a committee of scholars, theologians and seminary deans from the United States and abroad. The response has exceeded the initial endowment goal for the Chair of $500,000. Thus far, individuals, parishes and foundations have donated $517,000.