Texas Episcopalian Oct. 2010 by Diocese Edot

Volume 113, No. 8

Houston, Texas

October 2010

Legacy Stewardship is Model for Tellelpsen Family

Roots to Wings and Back Again Tom Tellepsen married his childhood sweetheart, Ingeborg, in Norway in 1912, and brought her to their new home in Houston.

By Carol E. Barnwell

add Tellepsen opened the dedication of Houston’s new Tellepsen Family Downtown YMCA with prayer. In it he asked for God’s guidance to do “what is best for our fellow man at whatever cost … that we may be led by integrity and character.” Those fitting words informed the life of his great-grandfather, Tom Tellepsen, and each succeeding generation, to the benefit of their community and their church for the last century. Four generations of Tellepsens have served on YMCA boards, and at the same time they literally helped define Houston’s landscape in the arts, faith and health, building many Houston landmarks (see sidebar). Tellepsens have been active members of Church of the Redeemer, St. James’ and St. Martin’s during the same period. Tom Tellepsen left Norway at age 14 as a deck boy and worked as a carpenter on the Panama Canal in

the early 1900s. When he immigrated to Houston in 1909, the city had 65,000 residents. Tellepsen, who had a seventh grade education, signed up for an architectural drafting class at the Downtown YMCA Night School to improve his skills, which began a 100year relationship between the Tellepsen family, Houston and the YMCA. The new Downtown YMCA, named for the Tellepsen family, will open on October See Roots, page 10

INSIDE Bishops’ Calendars......................... 24 Bishop’s Column.............................. 2 Calendar of Events......................... 13

Diocesan News...........8-12, 14-17 National & International..... 18-22 Parish News............................ 4-7 1

Sam Todd’s Column..................23

Texas Episcopalian

•

October

2010

Meeting Clive and the Archbishop of Canterbury

oAnne and I found ourselves sitting outside at a café near the corner of Westbourne Grove and Portobello Road, in London several weeks ago. We were deep in conversation with a new friend discussing art, the Portobello market, the neighborhood, Jimmy Hendrix and Eric Clapton. Clive had pulled us in off the street, told us what to order and proceeded to engage us in lively conversation, which drifted to religion and more spiritual things. When Clive found out that I was a bishop and had recently met with the Archbishop, he immediately wanted to know: “What do you think of the Archbishop? What’s he like?” I had met Archbishop Rowan Williams once before, but my mind went to our meeting at Lambeth Palace the day before. The Archbishop put me at ease, inviting me to sit with him in his private study and was very patient as my wondering eyes took in the surroundings. In our conversation, we had wasted no time diving into mission, leadership and evangelism. It’s a funny thing to take all of this in, along with so many more bits and pieces of information, and then try to explain what the Archbishop is really “like.” In that moment I was an evangelist. It was a Pauline moment. Here before me was a citizen, a believer, an artisan, a rug dealer. I had been asked to describe to a British citizen what one of the three most public figures in his world is like, a man, an emblem of empire, but most of all, a symbol of Christ and Christ’s Church.

The Texas Episcopalian (since 1897) is an official publication of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. Mission: In the name of Jesus Christ, the Texas Episcopalian seeks to inform the people in the diocese of events and philosophies which affect the mission and life of the Church. Publisher: The Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle Editor: Carol E. Barnwell, cbarnwell@epicenter.org Layout: LaShane K. Eaglin, leaglin@epicenter.org The Texas Episcopalian (ISSN# 1074-441X) is published monthly except July and August for $15 a year by the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, 1225 Texas Ave., Houston, TX 77002-3504. Periodical postage paid at Houston, Texas. Deadline is the 10th of the month preceding publication. Articles, editorials and photos should be submitted to the editor at the above e-mail address. Photos will not be returned. Address changes can be made at www.epicenter.org/infochange. Postmaster: Address changes: THE TEXAS EPISCOPALIAN, 1225 Texas Ave., Houston, TX 77002-3504

Texas Episcopalian

•

October

2010

I said to Clive, “There are many things I can say, but the most important thing is that he is a faithful man and he loves and cares for people. It is not every person you meet who truly and humbly cares for those around him. The Archbishop cares.” Clive seemed happy to have this first person description. I have come to know the Archbishop as a brilliant man. He is wise. He is spiritually grounded and centered. He loves Jesus Christ. And from that love of Christ flows a profound pastoral love for all people, especially those in his care and the poor of this world. JoAnne and I were in London with the Compass Rose Society. We went to see how monies from the Episcopal Foundation of Texas were being spent on global mission and evangelism through the Archbishop’s office and the office of the Anglican Communion. With other members of the Compass Rose we spent two days at the Anglican Communion Office (ACO) and heard reports about ecumenical dialogues. (I am looking forward to reading about the new Orthodox work taking shape around the themes of anthropology and the stewardship of creation.) We learned about mission work in Southern Malawi and I was proud of our diocese’s partnership with Bishop James Tenga Tenga, Bishop of Southern Malawi and President of the Anglican Consultative Council. It was good to see how others were joining him in working with the poorest of the poor of Malawi’s population. We received a report on the communication efforts of the ACO. The Diocese of Texas is helping to support one project aimed at increasing discussion on scripture and learning how we teach and use Scripture throughout the Anglican Communion in varied missionary contexts. My friend, Bishop Jean Zaché Duracin of Haiti, joined us and shared stories of the rebuilding work that has followed the devastating earthquake. He witnessed to Christ’s hand at work in Haiti and invited us to join in the rebuilding efforts. We are in contact with those involved in the rebuilding and will share that information as we learn how exactly we can help. I have sent more money to Haiti as they continue to meet the needs of tens of thousands of Haitians who are being supported by the Episcopal Church there. Please continue to keep Bishop Duracin, the Episcopal Church in Haiti and the people of Haiti in your daily prayers. On Wednesday evening we joined a small group in the crypt of the Lambeth Palace where the Archbishop begins each day at prayer. It was there that we learned more about our common mission in Japan, Egypt, Burundi, Jerusalem and throughout Latin America. They are, as the Archbishop described them in a quintessential British phrase, “punching above their weight.” The Archbishop spoke about stewardship and the challenge of being responsible with the wealth that is given to us. He told us of the strong Christian witness in the Holy Land in churches and in hospital ministries, even though, at the same time, the Christian community is being pushed out of the Holy Land. He spoke of his recent visit to Africa, of the frontline issues around emerging leadership, mission, ministry and persecution; the crisis in Sudan and his work to deal with the moral and spiritual challenges there. The Archbishop talked about the new Anglican Healthcare Network that our own Lee

Hogan, a member of St. Martin’s, Houston, is helping to develop. And he talked about a Global Relief Alliance aimed at connecting Anglican relief efforts across the world. Only briefly did he talk about the issues of sexuality. The Archbishop reminded us that God does not say to his church, “When you figure out your problems then serve me.” He said that God calls us into mission now. God calls us to preach the Gospel now. “Church is what happens when God and people come into contact with one another … One of the key pieces of Christian life is to befriend one another regardless of the issues that divide us.” We are created to befriend God and one another, he reminded us. At the end of our time together, he was asked some very pastoral questions and it was here that he really showed his love and care for Christ’s people. It was a powerful and pastoral moment. He spoke eloquently about life after death and how we are never separated from those we love as we are connected ultimately through God to all the saints who have gone before us. His closing meditations were profound for all seasons of life and even for our daily living. He said, “God does not let go of us.” I was constantly aware, in my time with bishops and clergy oversees, of how wonderfully proud I am of our mission and ministry in the Diocese of Texas. I shared the very best of our work with others who are engaged in global mission and we each were energized for the journey of mission. I am grateful for the partnership of your diocesan staff and our common mission work. We are blessed in our efforts in Texas to reach out and serve all ages and all ethnicities. We are blessed in our understanding that we are united in the bonds of affection rooted in Jesus Christ. We are blessed with our diversity in thought and livelihood. We are blessed with our efforts in the mission field and our efforts to grow the reign of God in Texas. We are blessed that even in our divisions at home we are united in mission. I am humbled that you and God have invited me for a short while to be the Bishop of the Diocese of Texas. God has got hold of us; and God does not let go.

The Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle IX Bishop of Texas

162nd Diocesan

Council

Nominations

Please download (from www.epicenter.org) and complete the nomination form at right and mail to the following address by November 6, 2010: The Rev. Janice Jones, Grace Episcopal Church, 1314 E. University Ave., Georgetown, TX 78626. All nominations must be received by mail as they require original signatures. Additionally, please e-mail a recent photograph and a 5075 word biographical sketch for publication online, highlighting why you would like the position and believe you are qualified to: nominations@epicenter.org. Treasurer of the Diocese Secretary of the Diocese Standing Committee (1 lay, 1 clergy) Executive Board (3 lay, 2 clergy) Trustee of the Church Corporation (1 lay or clergy) Trustee of the University of the South (1 clergy) The year before each National Convention the following are elected (Convention occurs every three years. The next Convention will be held in 2012.) Provisional Synod Delegates - clergy (4 delegates, 4 alternates) Provisional Synod Delegates - lay (4 delegates, 4 alternates) National Convention Deputies - clergy (4 delegates, 4 alternates) National Convention Deputies - lay (4 delegates, 4 alternates)

Constitution & Canons

COUNCIL INFORMATION

Nominations Form 162nd Diocesan Council, The Woodlands Texas, February 11-12, 2011 The Episcopal Diocese of Texas (Please print or type)

Full Name:_____________________________________________________________ Position Sought:_________________________________________________________ Address (city and zip):_____________________________________________________

162

Phone (home):_________________________(work):_____________________________ Fax:___________________________E-mail:__________________________________ Congregation:__________________________________________________________ Education and Employment:_________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________ Church (local and diocesan) and Community Service:_______________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

Diocesan

Council

_____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

Any delegate to the 2011 Diocesan Council wishing to propose an amendment to the Constitution or Canons of the Diocese of Texas should submit a written copy of the proposed amendment by e-mail or facsimile, on or before November 15, 2010, to Maria Wyckoff Boyce, chair of Constitution and Canons Committee. E-mail address is maria.boyce@bakerbotts.com; fax number is 713.229.2722.

Other (anything you would like to add):_________________________________________

Resolutions

Signature of Nominee:_____________________________________________________

Resolutions for the 162nd Council of the Diocese of Texas must be received in the mail by the Rev. Bert Baetz no later than November 15, 2010. Please mail all resolutions to: The Rev. Bert Baetz, 2128 Barton Hills Drive, Austin, Texas 78704. The original resolution must be signed by an official delegate or alternate to either the 161st or 162nd Councils of the Diocese of Texas. Please include three copies of the resolution with the original. Note that the committee for Resolutions can make changes to the form (not content) of a resolution received so that all resolutions meet the standard form. The mover of the resolution will be notified if changes are made. For more information about the committee for Resolutions or the resolution process, please refer to Canon 2, Section 1 of the Constitution and Canons of the Diocese of Texas or contact Baetz at 512.444.1449.

_____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

Nominated by:__________________________________________________________ IMPORTANT: Please complete this form and mail to the following address by November 6, 2010: The Rev. Janice Jones, Grace Episcopal Church, 1314 E. University Ave., Georgetown, TX 78626.Â All nominations must be received by mail as they require original signatures. Additionally, e-mail a recent photograph and a 50-75 word biographical sketch, written in the first person, highlighting why you would like the position and believe you are qualified to fill it. E-mail to: nominations@epicenter.org. These will be used online and at pre-council meetings.

Texas Episcopalian

â&#x20AC;˘

October

2010

PARISH NEWS was ordained a priest the following year and served at St. Francis’, Houston, and St. Peter’s, Lago Vista. After almost two years at St. Peter’s, she accepted the chaplain’s position at Round Rock Medical Center and in her tenure there developed the Spiritual Care Department. Donohue-Adams completed 11 units of Clinical Pastoral training before seminary. Once in seminary she was further mentored by the late Revs. Chuck Meyer and Will Spong, who both taught pastoral ministry at the seminary. That circle was completed when the Texas Partnership for End-of-Life Care group awarded her its Chuck Meyer Award of Excellence in 2004. She received the Hal Brook Perry Distinguished Alumni Award from the Seminary of the Southwest in 2007. Donohue-Adams and her spouse, the Rev. William Seth Adams, have twice been priests-in-charge at St. James’, Austin. Donohue-Adams has been associate chaplain at St. James’ since 1996 and parishioners understand her hospital chaplaincy as part of their outreach to the community. Former colleague Janene Jeffrey, R.N., noted DonohueAdams epitomizes “Manos de Amore,” “the Hands of Love extended to those who work at and are treated by the Medical Center when the trials of death reach their greatest tempo.”

“Father Amy” Concludes 14-year Medical Chaplaincy in Round Rock

“

Father Amy” concludes 14-year medical chaplaincy in Round Rock Simply put, the Rev. Amy DonohueAdams cares a lot about people. Donohue-Adams comforted countless patients and their families with great dedication and care while enhancing the soul of the healthcare system at St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center for the past 14 years. She retired as Chaplain and Manager of the Spiritual Care department this summer. A proactive advocate for patients as well as hospital employees, she championed the process of Advance Care Planning. She encouraged patients and families to engage in early decision-making and loving conversations, and to fill out Advance Directives, so persons nearing death would continue to be in authority, having earlier made known their final wishes to family members. Through her initiative, the Medical Center changed the rather negative designation – Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) to one of more positive language – Allow Natural Death (AND). Donohue-Adams also worked with Ingrid Rodriguez, R.N., for the past ten years in helping to ease the parental pain of pregnancy loss. “Amy cared for the parents’ loss and ensured that the dead baby was treated with respect because everyone is owed respect,” said Rodriguez, manager of Labor, Delivery and Post Partum. Parents are offered choices ranging from cremation and interment in the Medical Center’s memorial garden, burial in one of two cemeteries with a speciallydesigned liturgy for infants, and discounts at funeral homes. “I have never experienced this range of choices in any other hospital where I have worked,” Rodriguez said.

Texas Episcopalian

•

October

2010

“Amy has been a big help to the nursing staff here. She pointed the way and walked with us in a very soothing way. Each year she held a blessing of the hands service for our nurses,” she said. “Our hospital was Amy’s parish,” said Vicki Cain who was her administrative assistant for 11 years. “Amy delighted in doing things for patients and her co-workers. I never felt I worked for her but rather with her,” Cain said. A major in the Army Reserves, Cain was sent to Afghanistan for a tour of duty a few years ago. “I was very appreciative of Amy’s support back then,” she said. Donohue-Adams put a cross in the hospital’s chapel with names of Cain and other staffers serving in the military, hung a “We Support Our Military” banner at work and posted monthly email updates from Cain for all to see. Affectionately known as “Father Amy” at the hospital, Donohue-Adams always encouraged her coworkers to support others. She created a Christmas tree with a list of staffer’s children and what they would like for Christmas. Last year’s list totaled 115 children and each received an average of four gifts. Father Amy also set up a food bank and donation site for Coats for Kids every fall. Witnessing the ministry of Roman Catholic sisters in a Chicago hospital influenced Donohue-Adams to enter the Sisters of Providence about 30 years ago. She left her order in 1979, joined the Episcopal Church and entered the Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest in Austin in 1990. After graduating from the seminary in 1993, she

The Rev. Amy Donohue-Adams

PARISH NEWS

Martin Neary to Conduct 51st Choral Festival

olks at Trinity, The Woodlands, wanted to make sure that summer vacation did not mean taking a vacation from church or remembering our faith community as parishioners traveled. So they took a chapter from author Jeff Brown’s book Flat Stanley and introduced Flat Clergy. The Flat Stanley Project is used in many school districts to teach reading, writing and geography. Members were encouraged to go to the Flat Clergy website, download the Flat Clergy and take them with their families as they went about their vacations. During the summer, Flat Gerry Sevick, Flat Genevieve Razim, Flat Deacon Bob Horner and Flat Deacon Eric Hungerford traveled to six different continents, met Elvis and were part of the filming of a new television show among other things. The project helped parishioners keep faith and church in their minds as they traveled and has turned into a yearlong community builder. Adventures of Flat Clergy are available on www.flatclergy.com.

Holy Trinity Student Council Wins State Honor

he Titan Council of Holy Trinity Episcopal Middle School, Houston, was recently recognized for its efforts to create a theme and a song for the state level of student councils. The Titan Council entered its theme of Stu-Co’s Got It Going On for the contest by sending in a DVD of their theme and a repeat-after-me song to Carolyn Solomon who presents workshops for student councils in the State of Texas on behalf of TEPSA. Students were notified that their DVD would be shown all over the State of Texas for the 2010 -2011 school year during Student Council workshops. On November 1, 2010 in Aldine, Texas, the council will perform their song at the area student council workshop where they will be presented with a trophy and will see the themed T-Shirts for the first time.

oted British organist, conductor and composer Martin Neary will conduct this year’s Diocesan (Adult) Choral Festival, scheduled for Sunday October 17, 2010 at Christ Church Cathedral, Houston. The festival service, “Ascribe Unto the Lord: A Concert of Music and Readings” will celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Samuel Sebastian Wesley, Neary’s most illustrious predecessor at Winchester Cathedral. Neary was Organist and Master of the Choristers at Winchester Cathedral (1972-1987) and Westminster Abbey (1988-98) and has served twice as president of the Royal College of Organists. His numerous awards include his

appointment as Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order by the Queen, in recognition of his services for choosing and directing the music at the funeral of Princess Diana. He is Director of the Millennium Consort Singers and will conduct their performance in Los Angeles’ Disney Hall in November. The festival will also be the American premiere of Neary’s composition, “Joy and Woe.” For those choir members who wish to participate, this year’s anthems are available as free downloads and the registration fees have been reduced. Scholarships are available. To register, contact Bruce Power tbpower@ christchurchcathedral.org or 713.590.3310.

Youth to Gather for Choral Festival

ocal Conductor Joseph Painter will conduct diocesan youth at the 7th Annual Youth Choral Festival on Saturday, November 13. Youth and their directors will gather at Christ Church Cathedral for a day of rehearsals, concluding with Evensong (free and open to the public) at 3 p.m. Most anthems selected for this year’s festival have been used at previous festivals, saving expenses for returning choirs. Scholarships for the registration fees are available on request. Painter is a native of Bedford, Virginia, and holds

degrees from James Madison University and Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He has been the director the Primary Choir Festival for the Houston Chapter of the Choristers Guild and the Housemaster for the RSCM Gulf Coast Course. He is the director of music ministries/ organist of St. James the Apostle, Conroe. He and his choristers have attended the Choral Festival each year. He is looking forward to working with the combined choirs, teaching new concepts and reviewing music previously covered in past festivals. To register, contact Bruce Power tbpower@christchurchcathedral.org or 713.590.3310.

Houston Church Raises Awareness on

Human Trafficking

t. John the Divine, Houston, is offering a program to learn more about saving children caught in humantrafficking situations. More than a quarter of a million children are trafficked within the United States annually. Most find their way to or pass through Houston, one of the nation’s largest hubs for human trafficking. Underage girls come from every ethnic background, large and small towns, and are from affluent, middle class and lower-income families. They are recruited from malls, schools, youth

centers, theme parks and online. Learn more about what is happening in the US and in Houston and how you can help from Houston area organizations: Free the Captives, Children at Risk and Houston Rescue and Restore. The program will be held Wednesday, October 13 from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at St. John the Divine, 2450 River Oaks Blvd. Dinner is available from 5-6 p.m. for $5.00. RSVP for dinner or for more information, please contact: Mary Boyd at marycboyd@comcast.net.

Texas Episcopalian

•

October

2010

PARISH NEWS

St. John’s, Marlin

St. Peter’s, Lago Vista

Church Target of Thieves t. John’s, Marlin, was broken into on September 12, leaving some damage to the premises. “They must have been looking for cash,” said Wendy Huber, pastoral leader of the congregation. Huber said it did not appear that computers and other electronic items were stolen. Local media sent a reporter and camera man to cover the incident. Nearby Presbyterian, Methodist and Baptist churches were broken into in the week before the incident at St. John’s and KWTX, Channel 10 Waco, reported that a Temple man arrested August 21 “may be responsible for burglaries at many of the more than 20 area churches at which recent break-ins have been reported.”

St. Francis, Prairie View VBS Goes Green for Jesus

or two years, St. Francis of Assisi, Prairie View, has hosted a community hand bell day camp. This year, the bell camp was held in conjunction with Vacation Bible School. The community responded to the free, all day camp that was held for two weeks. Senior Warden Helen Boyer welcomed more than three dozen children to Go Green for Jesus, a program of songs, skits and daily lessons that emphasized life applications. Members provided lunches, led etiquette and dress workshops, led games and sports, helped children make crafts and much more. Many children returned for the second week for the hand bell camp where campers also learned how to write thank-you notes, made jewelry and puppets. The program owes its great success to the many volunteers who gave freely of their time and expertise.

Responds to Neighbors in Need

The Great American Songbook

espite losing a number of members and vestry persons when their priest left the Episcopal church last year, St. Peter’s, Lago Vista, has not missed a beat. The congregation called on its remaining members to continue their tradition of community outreach and have provided a model service in the face of temporary adversity. The church’s Care and Concern Committee provides food and emotional support for neighbors who are sick, who are grieving or who have undergone trauma. The group collects tomatoes for the food pantry at Hill Country Community Ministries and also supports their clothes closet. During a teen splash day, swimmers donated two car loads of new socks and underwear for the clothes closet. Aluminum can collections support missionary work in Honduras, and Campbell’s food labels help to support Down Home Ranch, a working farm for people with mental disabilities.

It Don’t Mean a Thing, if It Ain’t Got that Swing!

“

We have participated in recent community events through our Holy Cow BBQ, donating profits to community outreach,” said Penny Byrnes, noting that the church celebrated its 25th anniversary this year. The church also makes space available for local civic and charitable organizations and home-school programs.

St. Cuthbert, Houston

Fifth Annual International Festival

Good Shepherd, Friendswood

Grab your Opa and Oma and head to Friendswood for Oktoberfest

ood Shepherd, Friendswood, will hold its First Annual Oktoberfest on Saturday, October 16, 2010 featuring both live and silent auctions, door prizes and a bake sale. No Oktoberfest would be complete without German food and beer, and this one is no exception. The TubaMeisters, a tubaeuphonium quartet from San Antonio who specialize in traditional German music will be on hand as well. Proceeds benefit the ministry of Good Shepherd. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and admission is $15/adults; $10/children ages 3-12. The event is free for children under 3 and childcare will be provided. A television, laptop, Kindle and Nintendo Wii are among the raffle items. The public is invited. 1207 Winding Way, Friendswood, TX 77546, www. gshepherd.net. Correction: An article about St. Christopher’s Thrift Store in the September issue of the Texas Episcopalian was erroneously located in Northwest Houston. The article was about St. Christopher’s, League City, south of Houston, where they have been ministering for 52 years. St. Christopher’s, in Northwest Houston, also has a thrift store which has served their area for many decades. We regret the error. Tito was dictator of Yugoslavia, not Czechoslovakia as noted in the movie listing for “Tito and Me” on page 4 of the September issue of the Texas Episcopalian. We appreciate the attention to detail of our readers.

Texas Episcopalian

•

October

2010

t. Cuthbert, Houston, will host their Fifth Annual International Festival on Sunday, November 6 from 4-6 p.m. The festival honors all of the different countries and backgrounds represented in St. Cuthbert’s unique and diverse congregation and includes food, games, entertainment, native dress and lots more. Children will receive passports and use flag stickers to mark the countries they visit including: Jamaica, Grenada, St. Lucia, Brazil, Cuba, Mexico, Trinidad, Tobago, Antigua, Barbados, Spain, Russia, Japan, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Liberia, Ghana, Kenya, Germany, Italy, Scotland, Switzerland, England, France and Latvia. St. Cuthbert is located at the corner of West Road and Queenston, 17020 West Road, Houston, Texas 77095, 281.463.7330. Visit www.stcuthbert.org for more information.

On Saturday, October 23, The Great American Songbook will have you swinging to the music of renowned crooner, David Stevens, and The Morris Nelms Quartet at St. Christopher’s, Houston. The church will host an evening of music from the richest era of songwriting including: Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hart, Duke Ellington, and more. An elegant, candlelit affair, the evening’s program will include: “Embraceable You,” “I’ve Got It Bad and That Ain’t Good,” “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm,” and “At Long Last Love.” Admission includes a light supper of hors d’oeuvres and desserts and beverage. Additional beverage tickets will be available at the event. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and the concert will begin at 7 p.m. Ticket prices are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Proceeds will benefit St. Christopher’s Music Ministry. The church is located at 1656 Blalock Road, north of I-10. For more information, or to purchase tickets, please call the church office at 713.465.6015.

Praying at 30,000 feet By Arthur Callaway verything on this flight was going wrong. First, I was stuck in a window seat. And I never sit in a window seat. My bad knee cramps if I can’t stretch it into the aisle. The battery in my iPod was shot. I’d finished my book, and now my computer screen had died, so I couldn’t even catch up on work. I travel a lot for business, and plane rides were certainly nothing new. But a flight with nothing to distract me? This is sure going to be a long two hours, I thought. I laid my head back. Maybe I could get some sleep. But as soon as I closed my eyes, problems filled my mind, like the drought we were having back home in Texas. It had been over a month since we’d seen rain. My yard, my plants—everything was dying. Farmers and ranchers were suffering. I opened my eyes and turned my head to look out the window. We were flying due south of Phoenix. The land far below was a patchwork of tan and brown. Then came a soft prompting: Why don’t you pray for those people down there? They need rain too. I certainly had the time up here. Lord, it’s been a hot dry summer. There’s a lot of folks who need rain… I began. The plane flew on, and the scenery changed to mountains, then cities and freeways. Sometimes all I could see were layers of clouds. But I never ran out of things to pray for: mothers, fathers, children, grandparents, the earth… When I finally felt the soft thud of the landing gear against the runway, I could hardly believe so much time had passed. In fact, I had never felt so good at the end of a flight. I was energized. Hopeful. Ready to face whatever might come my way. It wasn’t until I exited baggage claim and headed out to the parking lot with my gear that I realized something extraordinary—it was raining.

PARISH NEWS

Holy Spirit Says “Water!”

The only water source for Maro’s home is an improvised outdoor shower stall. There is no toilet or sanitary drainage associated with the house. Christine Tisone and Cat Barr, members of St. Francis, College Station, stayed in this home, and the stream uphill was diverted to another village during most of their stay.

fter the earthquake in Haiti, the Outreach Council at St. Francis, College Station, began exploring international possibilities to do mission. Parishioner Christine Tisone, an A&M faculty member in the Child and Adolescent Health Research Lab oversees a study abroad program in neighboring Dominican Republic (DR) and illuminated critical needs in this area to the Council. Tisone spent 12 years in the DR, partly as a Peace Corps trainer previous to her position at TAMU. St. Francis sent another member, Cat Barr, to join Tisone in the DR for 10 days in June. “We started a campaign called ‘Not Just a Band-Aid’, – partly to make people ask questions,” Barr grins, “but also to reinforce our intention to support sustainable changes. St. Francis-folk brought in boxes of Band-Aids and made small first-aid kits as appreciation gifts for Dominicans who talked with us. My assignment was to spend some time getting to know people in the countryside, and be open to the Spirit. The Spirit seemed pretty focused on water – there was none in Jarabacoa the first couple days, and when we went to the campo, their stream had been temporarily diverted to another village.” St. Francis is still discerning how the small parish can contribute in an ongoing way that not only serves immediate needs but also supports the efforts of the residents. We hope that many members, including our youth, can get to know the people of the Dominican Republic as we go forward and that we can develop relationships that make this truly mutual ministry.

Texas Episcopalian

•

October

2010

DIOCESAN NEWS

Bird Sculptor is Honored Artist No Little Inspiration: Creation

Paintings by Houston artist, Wendy Wight, now at EDOT Gallery

The Light Will Win Acrylic, Paper, Oil Stick on Canvas, 36 x 60

“

I believe that artists are bestowed with a unique gift from God to be shared with the world,” said Wendy Wight, whose Creation series is currently on view at the EDOT Gallery, 1225 Texas Ave., Houston, in the Episcopal Diocesan Center. A reception will be held October 8, 5 -7 p.m. Wight used the creation story in Genesis as the inspiration for six panels representing six days of work. They depict God’s creation of light, heaven and earth, water, land, animals and humans. “The story within my work can resonate with viewers and can visually depict what happens in our lives,” Wight added. Wight imagined how creation would look if she were watching as it happened. She depicted animals as spheres. Animals know instinctively what they need to do as opposed to humans, who sometimes lose direction. Some of Wight’s images of people are clear, others are not, showing a loss of

understanding between day five and six. Two additional series are included in the show, one a colorful and dynamic depiction of the symbol of the cross and another using bits of lobster traps that drifted onto the Maine shore and other flotsam, old maps and books. Wight has assembled a fanciful “House Series” where “there doesn’t seem to be a solid ground or anything that is plumb.” The tide that sometimes drops nine feet in a day inspired this series, she explains. “The tide never stops. Like our lives, it is in constant motion. Nothing stays the same.” EDOT Gallery is open Monday through Friday, 9-5. Call 713.520.6444 to make arrangements for groups. Wight holds a art degree from the University of Rhode Island and has attended the University of Houston and the Glassell School of Art in Houston. She is a finalist in the 2010 Hunting Art Prize and has shown in many galleries and exhibitions.

Church Still Helping Ike Victims H

urricane Ike struck September 13, 2008, and since then Texas Episcopal Disaster Relief and Development has been working in Galveston, repairing the homes damaged by the massive storm. To date, TEDRD has gutted and/or repaired more than more than 140 homes through the use of more than 3,000 individual volunteers that have committed 50,000 hours of work. These volunteers have saved Galvestonians more than $1 million in labor costs! “We are so grateful for the support of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas and all those who have volunteered or donated,” said Maggie Immler. “This anniversary marks a somber time for many Galvestonians who have lost so much, but we are happy to report the incredible progress we have made.”

Texas Episcopalian

•

October

2010

TEDRD

continues

repairing h

omes ever

Monday-S at

Volunteer s Fall and in

urday.

are neede

d through

out the

to the Win

Blount at 7 epicenter.

13.252.96

org to sch

ter. Conta

93 or volu

ct Luke

nteer@

edule a tr

ip.

Bird craver Myrv Cron

By Carol Muegge

t the end of a curvy wooded drive in Chappell Hill, TX, resides a treasure trove of life-like sculptures, capturing the splendor of many wild bird species. The sculptures are the work of Myrv Cron – a self-taught artist. Cron will be the Honored Artist at the Second Annual St. Peter’s Art Show and Sale in Brenham November 5-6. This year’s show includes 20 artists, most of whom are members of St. Peter’s. Show hours are 5-8 p.m., Friday and 10-2 on Saturday. Cron began carving when he was a Boy Scout and later made furniture for his family. He returned to his craft after retiring to nearby Chappell Hill with his wife, Katie. He began by whittling ducks but became absorbed in studying different types of birds and increased his repertoire to include raptors and songbirds. The majority of his work has been commissioned by friends and referrals. Each bird takes about one year to complete and begins with a block of Basswood. Cron draws the bird’s outline and then takes off everything that does not look “birdlike,” adding the head and feathers individually. Some of his birds have brought as much as $74,000 at auctions to benefit charities in Brenham. Specimens at the art show will be much more affordable. “I’m only having fun with this,” Cron says. “I’m not looking for a commercial market or another career. I just enjoy creating these for myself and for friends who appreciate the magnificence of wild birds.” Other art at the show and sale will include: jewelry, painting, photography, carved gourds, ceramics, stained glass, and eggshell mosaic Christian icons among others. St. Peter’s is located at 2310 Airline Dr., Brenham, TX. For additional information and directions to the church, call 979.836.7248 or go to www.stpetersbrenham.org.

DIOCESAN NEWS

Malawi Pilgrimage Brings Deeper Understanding

got very quiet when everyone had their food - more people showed up towards the end carrying small bowls … I did not realize they were some of the recipients since they were working so hard to take care of everyone else. In the end every single drop of porridge we could scoop out was gone and more people were still waiting.: People loved having their pictures taken and delighted in seeing the pictures on a digital camera, regardless of their age, Allensworth said. The group learned that the feeding program helps 70 people a day for $90 a week. “Their hope is to add a second meal a day of rice and beans,” she said. The group visited Trinity Anglican Secondary School, a boarding school run by the diocese where dramatic changes have taken place because of support from St. James’, NY, NY. Currently, the school has 66 students, is a four-year school, equivalent to high school. Their hopes are to double the enrollment. They rent computers but have no internet access and still need to improve facilities for the students. A large garden helps to feed the students and they hope to raise poultry in the near future. Children from three villages attend the Mlambe II Primary School where some of the 700 A woman makes paper for stationary and books using recycled cardboard and paper in Thyolo students walk three miles to attend. through a project sponsored by All Saints Anglican Church. “After we parked the van, we walked out into a sea of children, each one wanting to shake each of our that they had the knowledge but needed someone to help them hands. They were a delight - never felt so much like a rock star. get going. Now they are training people all over the Diocese of This school reaches some of the poorer villages outside Blantyre. Southern Malawi on permaculture techniques, which provide A group of Episcopalians from Colorado has been sponsoring this sustainable, natural agriculture, helping women provide income school and sent a huge container filled with books for their library,” and food for their families,” Allensworth explained. Allensworth said. “I met so many wonderful people in Malawi and learned Kitchen gardens sponsored by St. James’, NYC, have made so much about their lives, their church, their attitudes and their a great impact in the diocese, working with local women’s groups generosity. I came back inspired and still not sure where to go called the Mother’s Union. Love’s Harvest, as the program is called, next. I hope that this pilgrimage serves as a catalyst to find ways to helps villages build piggeries and get the initial pigs. They train 10 connect with the people of Malawi, that we will host pilgrims from people from the village to come and take care of the pigs and when Malawi coming to learn about us, and that others might venture to the second set of piglets are born, some are given to the women to take a trip to Malawi in the future, if not to do mission work, then start piggeries of their own.” maybe to play golf, teach a short class at one of their universities, or A massive agricultural area has been planted at the seminary go on a pilgrimage of your own. I promise no matter how you get in Zomba, and they are just starting a fish farm. “Love’s Harvest connected with the people of Malawi, you will forever be changed,” started because some women from Malawi told visitors from NYC Allensworth concluded. Photo by: Debbie Allensworth

ebbie Allensworth felt a strong pull to be more involved internationally when she signed up for a pilgrimage to Malawi last spring. Not quite knowing what to expect on a “pilgrimage” she went on faith. During a visit to Texas last spring, Bishop James Tengatenga explained what he hoped to accomplish from the pilgrimage experience for people engaged in the partnership relationship that the Diocese of Texas signed with the Diocese of Southern Malawi last February. “It was a chance for me to go and experience Malawi - its people, culture, beautiful scenery, successes and concerns. The plan was not to go and figure out what I could fix, rather it was to go and make relationships - hopefully some that would continue and be a benefit to people in Malawi and people of St. Andrew’s, Pearland,” Allensworth said. She joined a half dozen others from around the Diocese of Texas and headed to Malawi, a predominantly agricultural country where about 90 percent of the population lives in rural areas. The south central African country is landlocked and is among the world’s least developed countries. Their economy depends on substantial assistance from the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and individual donor nations. There is a great need to develop exports, improve education and health facilities, fight deforestation and erosion and deal with the ever growing threat of HIV/AIDS. Power outages are common and running water is irregular, even where piping exists. “We had no water for more than 2/3 of the days while we were in Blantyre. This meant we used buckets of water to flush the toilet, washed our clothes in buckets and attempted to bathe by mixing heated water with cold water in those same buckets,” Allensworth said. “It’s a little surreal to be in a modern bathroom scrubbing your clothes in the same way as the people we saw at the river.” She described the home of host family James and Lindizya Buliyani with their yard full of papaya and mango trees, poinsettias and “saw our first glimpse into both the hospitality of the people of this country as well as learned about some of the incredible hardships faced by the country.” James and Lindizya have put 22 children through boarding school and college, although they have only three biological children. The other children, orphans of the AIDS pandemic, “needed a family to belong to,” she was told. “Every single house we visited had extra children living there who were orphans.” The Buliyanis started a paper making project and a piggery where they raise pigs to sell for extra income to help support the children’s education. They found gasoline at $8 a gallon in a country where many families live on $45 a month. At a church in Ndirande, a town of 1.4 million residents “living in extremely close proximity to each other,” the priest told her his biggest need was to clothe the preschool children in the area. It had been two years since he had received donations from the UK. Allensworth visited a feeding program for orphans and widows in Thyolo (pronounced Cho-lo) where they were greeted by church women singing and dancing in welcome. They served porridge to the children and women. “Everything

Texas Episcopalian

•

October

2010

Roots to Wings and Back Again, Continued from page 1

Tellepsen Family Downtown YMCA Center, Houston

3, 2010. Tellepsen returned to Norway in 1912 to marry his wife, Ingeborg. After the breathtaking landscape of her native land, she was not thrilled with Houston’s flat panorama, but was soon taking English lessons and raising a family. Their leadership in the community grew as Tom, then his son Howard, and the next generation with Karen, Howard, Jr., and Tom II followed in their parents’ footsteps. “We have never had a family with such a legacy as the Tellepsen family … Their leadership, spirit of service and concern for others is simply unmatched,” said Clark D. Baker, president and CEO of Houston’s YMCA. If you count the great-great grandchildren involved in sports at the Y, it’s five generations “and counting” said Howard, Jr. “The Tellepsen Family Downtown YMCA allowed us to tell our family history,” said Tom Tellepsen, II, an active member of St. Martin’s, Houston. Throughout the building’s five stories, photos and narrative carry the parallel stories of the family’s involvement and the expansion of the Y from that first downtown location to more than three dozen neighborhood centers. “It’s the story of my grandfather coming from Norway as an immigrant, starting out with nothing and building his [construction] company. He built wharfs at the Port of Houston commercial buildings, churches and, at the same time, became involved in the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, down the street from where he lived. His ties to Redeemer and the Y paralleled each other,” Tom II added. Tellepsen’s son, Howard, Sr., worked with his father Texas Episcopalian

•

October

2010

rector of St. Martin’s. “Daddy always said he didn’t feel obligated to give back,” Tom II explained. “He felt privileged and honored to give back. I’m glad he had the gifts, the capacity and of course, the values that he had to pass along.” In the late 1950s, as President of the Chamber of Commerce, Howard, Sr., commemorated Houston’s population reaching one million. The event was held at Miller Outdoor Theatre, which the Tellepsen company had built when Hermann Park was still “in the boondocks” and where then 10-year-old Howard, Sr., had worked as a water boy. “My father was always amazed at what his own father had accomplished. Both of them had a tremendous work ethic, matched only by their faith in God,” said Tom II, adding, “They had faith in themselves, their fellow man, their family and in God. Back then the work my grandfather did was done with a handshake.” Howard, Sr., was Chairman of the Port Commission for 14 years, helping to move Houston’s port to container shipping. During that time he built the Seafarer’s Center, which houses a vital ministry of the Episcopal Church, a chaplaincy to mariners. Both Tom II and Howard, Jr., agree that their father was a humble man who preferred to remain anonymous in his giving. “Daddy treated CEOs just like he treated postal workers and he called everyone by name … It was never about ‘him,’” they said. “We saw the respect our grandfather had for his wife, and our dad had for our mother. I just know that came from our faith, our involvement in the Church … we saw and felt it was important … part YMCA President/CEO Clark Baker, YMCA Association Board Chair Will Williams, of our foundation,” Howard, Jr., said. Tellepsen Family Downtown YMCA Board Member Howard Tellepsen and Fritz Working with the YMCA Guthrie and Tellepsen Family Downtown YMCA Center Executive Mandy Stelzer cut to develop their shared story, the the ribbon at the new facility at 808 Pease on September 14. Tellepsen’s third generation in Houston, in the construction business and also was able to give much Karen, Howard, Jr., and Tom II identified four common time to the church and community. “His church, that values: faith, family, service and learning. Glass panels for was the most important thing,” Tom II said of his father’s each are featured in the new YMCA building along with commitment to the Episcopal Church. He and his wife the shared narrative of the Tellepsen family over the last June were members at St. James’ on Southmore and later 100 years. The fifth floor is dedicated to learning. “Many St. Martin’s, where he built the sanctuary in 1958. He was people don’t realize that the Y has been a real innovator very involved with the YMCA, Boy Scouts and United Way in education,” Howard, Jr., said. Besides the architectural as well. classes his grandfather took in 1910, and the English classes “We are fortunate that a family that has, and continues that his grandmother attended, the South Texas College of to have, such an impact on the city of Houston, is also Law also started at the Y. intimately connected to the family of the Diocese of Texas “Working on the YMCA project gave us a marvelous and St. Martin’s parish. The Tellepsens have served as leaders opportunity to show people the power of volunteerism, on every level of St. Martin’s and have been good friends how one family can go through generation after generation to all four of our rectors,” said the Rev. Russell Levenson,

Roots to Wings and Back Again, Continued from page 10 giving to a non-profit and growing, “My faith is very simple,” changing and maturing together,” said Tom II, “I’ve always seen Howard, Jr., said. God within me … I just have After sailing around the world twice never had trouble finding him at the turn of the twentieth century, … and I’m aghast at where I Tellepsen did not have the money he took Him in my early travels needed to become a sea captain. His [but] I’m sure grateful.” father had died in an accident helping Howard, Jr., concurs. to build the Williamsburg Bridge in “I pray every day … I don’t New York, far from his. Tellepsen’s know what I would do mother worked as a seamstress. “I don’t without the strong faith that think my grandfather ever knew his I have … being able to do for dad,” Tom II said. He decided to come others is part of my faith.” to America when he couldn’t be a sea In his concluding captain. remarks at the YMCA’s The sense of volunteerism is not a ribbon cutting and dedication particular value Tom Tellepsen brought ceremony on September 14, from his native Norway. “Neither was Howard, Jr., said: “It has his faith,” Tom II said. “Norwegians been said that parents and were not predominantly devout … he their parents before them was just so grateful.” bequeath to their children “And we are grateful,” Howard, two fundamental orders of Jr., added. “I’m hopeful that our story life: that of roots and wings. will engage those who go through the However, I believe a revision Y in terms of this community and the is in order … the progression Tom Tellepsen, age 15, taken at Marseilles involvement that is possible … There could very easily be viewed as are so many ways to give … We’ve seen it [in our family] roots, then wings, and ultimately back to roots again.” and so it’s by example that we want to continue to give.” There seems to have been good soil in the garden and The two give due credit to the women of the family for lots of loving gardeners to bear so much fruit. their strong faith and community commitment. “I don’t care who your father is, it would be a real mountain to climb if your mother weren’t along side-by-side. Our parents and grandparents were both remarkable teams,” Tom II said. “The one thing that stands out for me,” he added, “is my parents’ faith. I saw it in rough times in business, they would walk over to the Wayside Chapel at St. Martin’s several times a week, just the two of them … their first response to any difficulty was to go to the church.” Another thing he remembers clearly is that his parents never gossiped. They never dwelled in the negative, but “always tried to see the brighter side,” an attribute that is difficult in a culture fascinated by celebrity gossip in the National Enquirer and People Magazine. As immigrants, Tom and Ingeborg Tellepsen embraced their new home, worked hard and never felt a sense of entitlement. They lived grateful lives, and reveled in the opportunity to serve, to be involved and to give back to their church Pictured l-r: June Tellepsen (Mrs. Howard Tellepsen, Sr.), her daughter and community. These values they gave to their Karen Tellepsen and granddaughter Ellen Ault, who continue the legacy of service in the Tellepsen family. Kathy Tellepsen (Mrs. Tom Tellepsen II, children and their children’s children. not pictured) currently serves as chair of the St. James’ House board.

Howard and Howard Jr. survey the “Y” under the watchful spirit of Tom, continuing 100 years of Tellepsen volunteerism at the “Y”.

The Tellepsens added much to Houston’s landscape. A partial list includes: The Miller Outdoor Theatre The Museum of Fine Arts Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church Episcopal Church of the Redeemer (where Tom Tellepsen was an active church leader until his death in 1975) St. Martin’s Episcopal Church The Shamrock and Rice Hotels Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church Houston Country Club The Jewish Community Center St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital All Saints Chapel at Camp Allen The Diocesan Center of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas The Tellepsen Family Downtow YMCA

Texas Episcopalian

•

October

2010

DIOCESAN NEWS

Touring Historic Churches in England Cost: $1400 Does not include travel to Hereford Reservation deadline: December 1, 2010 A deposit of $250 per person is required by December 1, 2010 to hold a reservation. Payment should be made to the Walter Mace Memorial Chapter, VGEC and mailed to Richard Evans at:

Ed Note: Just prior to the 2008 Lambeth Conference –a global meeting of bishops help at Canterbury every 10 years–

Bishop Suffragan Rayford High spent time in the Diocese of Hereford in southwest England, learning about the church in this historic area. As a result of his visit, I struck up a friendship with Anni Holden, the director of communications for the Diocese of Hereford, sharing pictures and stories about Bishop High’s visit, so that I could pass those on to our readers in Texas. Some of the churches in Hereford have portions that were built by the Normans. Pastoral, rural landscapes speckled with black, wooly sheep surround numerous stone churches packed full of history and lore. In many small villages, the parish has reclaimed their original place as a center of the community, adding libraries, postal offices, after school programs and movie theatres in back of the naves to engage the local population and provide services for their neighbors. We have planned an exciting opportunity for a number of our members to visit Hereford next June. Whether you are an avid photographer, history buff or music lover, this intimate trip promises to bring with it new friends and a greater appreciation for our shared history. One of the many attractions at the Hereford Cathedral is the Hanging Library, which houses books that are literally more than 1000 years old. Limited reservations are available. Please send your deposit to Richard Evans (see box left). Read more about the Diocese of Hereford at www.hereford.anglican.org/ or contact me for a brochure at cbarnwell@epicenter.org or call 713.353.2140. Carol E. Barnwell

Wednesday, June 8

Saturday, June 11

6 p.m. Opening Reception and Dinner

Kilpeck andThe Golden Valley

Meet the Bishop of Hereford in The Great Hall of the Bishops’ Palace, the original part of the Medieval campus. It was much rebuilt and extended in the 15th and 16th Centuries with a Georgian makeover in the 18th. Drinks before dinner at All Saints’ Cafe and Church, (a unique combination of both!).

Guided tour of Kilpeck Church, the second attraction after the Cathedral in Herefordshire. It must have the most photographed Norman door in the country (local guide). From there to Dore Abbey to meet a local guide and author of a book on the Abbey, which was a Monastery until Henry VIII ransacked them all! Bacton Church is next, where again our guide is the expert on Blanche Parry. Quick stop in Peterchurch (cup of tea!). Over the top of the valley and a visit to Bredwardine Church, built on a Celtic mound, so a place of worship from time immemorial and the burial ground of the Victorian diarist, Francis Kilvert. His diaries paint a picture of the hard life in the marches in the 19th Century. Worship service during the day.

Thursday, June 9 Hereford Cathedral all day A tour of the 800-year-old building. Visit the shrines and have an explanation of the 21st Century Art Program. A guided tour of the Chained Library (yes the books really are chained to the shelves) with an explanation and interpretation of the world’s largest medieval map, the Mappa Mundi. Talk about the Perpetual Trust and a visit to the Cathedral Stonemasons yard. www.herefordcathedral.org A full but relaxed day after yesterday’s travel. The Mother Church of the diocese, its history heritage and today’s role

Friday, June 10 Bridgnorth via Severn Valley Railway A coach to Kidderminster to pick up the steam train to Bridgnorth. Our guide will be a local vicar who is also a train driver on this route! Train trip through beautiful English countryside, most of it in the Diocese of Hereford. Guided tour of Bridgnorth with town guide. Visit to St. Leonard’s and St. Mary’s churches, a contrast in buildings. Fish and chip pub lunch. Short service at St. Mary’s. Funicular railway to bus back to Hereford. www.visitbridgnorth.co.uk or www.svr.co.uk A day in the north of the diocese. Stunning countryside and a day through the ages.

Texas Episcopalian

•

October

2010

Richard V. Evans, President Walter Mace Memorial Chapter, VGEC 309 Fannin Drive Hewitt, TX 76643 For questions, contact Richard at: evans.62@gmail.com From here we go to Ludlow, a very popular tourist destination with a huge castle (ruins), black and white historic building, one of the few pure Norman churches in England and one corner of the famous food triangle (Ludlow, Abergavenny and Hereford) with Michelin starred restaurants and lots of very local produce. A guided tour of the Church and time to wander. Service at Ludlow Church. History, heritage and food in Shropshire

Tuesday, June 14 The Black & White Village Tour The essence of Herefordshire. Start at Leominster Priory which dates from 660 (yes 660), possibly the place of longest continual Christian worship in England. Pembridge via Eardisland. Visit the Church to see the work of the Herefordshire School of carving and work by the King’s Carpenter. On to Weobley for tea at Weobley Church.

A church crawl through some of the loveliest countryside via amazing historic buildings.

Sunday, June 12 Hereford Cathedral The main family service of Holy Communion is at 10 a.m. followed by Matins at 11:30 a.m. Coffee is served after the Eucharist, so a chance to meet fellow church goers. Free time for the rest of the day. Evensong is at 5:30 p.m. Worship time and spiritual time and space to recharge the batteries.

Dora Abbey, founded 1147

Monday, June 13 Stokesay & Ludlow Stokesay Castle is quite simply the finest and best preserved, fortified medieval manor house in England. Set in peaceful countryside near the Welsh border, the castle, timber-framed gatehouse and parish church form an unforgettably picturesque group. Black & White Village

Calendar

Calendar October 1-2

Exploring a New Path to Full Inclusion featuring Bonnie Anderson, president of the Episcopal Church’s House of Deputies, hosted by Christ Church Cathedral, 1117 Texas Ave., Houston. “Texas Episcopalians committed to the full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) people in the life and ministry of The Episcopal Church conceived and planned this conference to celebrate the diversity of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas and to promote heartfelt and thoughtful conversation,” said organizers. Begins with Eucharist on Friday at 7 p.m., continues Saturday, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. No registration fee. More information, www.movingforwardtexas.org.

2-3

Fair Trade gift bazaar, All Saints’, 209 West 27th Street, Austin, TX, on Saturday and Sunday, beginning at 9 a.m. both days. Contact Jeanine Cuellar jeaninemcdc@gmail. com for more information.

Three Choirs Festal Evensong: Choirs of St. John the Divine, St. Martin’s, and St. Thomas Episcopal Churches at St. John the Divine, 2450 River Oaks Boulevard, Houston, TX 77019. 3 p.m concert, 3:30 Festal Evensong. www.sjd.org

A new show featuring Wendy Wight’s “Honor the Light” at the Diocesan Center EDOT Gallery, 1225 Texas Ave., Houston, through Oct. 29 with an opening from 5-7 p.m. on October 8. The gallery is open during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, 9-5. EDOT Gallery is accepting submissions for 2011 and 2012 exhibitions. E-mail Marilyn Biles at marilyn@marilynbiles.com for information.

8-9

The Board Members of

St. James’ House cordially invite you and your friends to attend

The 50th Anniversary Silver Tea

at the home of Bette and Ralph Thomas 202 Arborway, Houston, Texas 77057

Bailey Lecture Series, All Saints’, Austin featuring Judy Fentress-Williams, associate professor, Old Testament, Virginia Theological Seminary on the “Book of Ruth: A Dialogue of Identity.” For details visit www.allsaints-austin.org or call 512.476.3589.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010, 3 - 6 p.m. Valet Parking available RSVP, if attending to Margaret Baze at mebaze@gmail.com or 713.467.1887

Bishops’ Conference on Outreach, featuring Ruby Payne, one of the country’s leading experts on poverty. Develop accurate mental models of poverty, middle class and wealth for a new lens through which to develop and improve outreach programs. Hear additional speakers and learn about some of the outreach ministries sponsored by the 153 congregations in the diocese. 5 CEUs awarded. For more information or to register, go to www.campallen.org. “The Church of the Future: Conversations with Phyllis Tickle” sponsored by the Diocese of West Texas, at St. Luke’s, 11 St. Luke’s Lane, San Antonio, Texas 78209. Registration of $50 includes Saturday lunch. For information see Special events at www.dwtx.org or contact Lou Taylor at 210.824.5387 or lou.taylor@dwtx.org.

St. James’ House, a retirement community in Baytown, is a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas that provides a high level of care in a loving Christian environment. It is open to all, regardless of financial resources. If you are unable to attend; but would like to support this ministry, please mail your donation to St. James’ House, 5800 West Baker Road, Baytown, Texas 77520.

www.stjameshouse.org.

15-16 Episcopal Church Women 109th Annual Retreat at St. Mark’s, Beaumont. Call 409.832.3405 or email gdavis8@gt.rr.com for more information. See story, page 12. 16

River Oaks Chamber Orchestra Season Opener at St. John the Divine, 2450 River Oaks Boulevard, Houston, TX 77019. 5 p.m. World premiere of Rhapsodie for String Bass and Chamber Orchestra by Scott McAllistair as well as works by Mendelssohn and Ligetti. Childcare available. Tickets are $25/general admission, $10/students and are available at www.rocohouston.org or 713.665.2700.

51st Annual Diocesan (Adult) Choral Festival, Christ Church Cathedral, Houston. “Ascribe Unto the Lord: A Concert of Music and Readings celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Samuel Sebastian Wesley.” Choirs from diocesan parishes, conducted by British organist and conductor Martin Neary, former Organist and Master of the Choristers of Winchester Cathedral and Westminster Abbey. Anthems by Handel, Wesley and Neary are available as free downloads this year. To register as a participant, contact Bruce Power tbpower@christchurchcathedral.org 713.590.3310. The public is invited to attend the Festival service of hymns, anthems and organ selections at 6 p.m.

Musical Reflections, St. Andrew’s, Bryan, recital series on the Windows, 2:30 p.m. Features music reflecting the stained glass window of Christ rescuing Peter in the water. The recital will begin with “Tu es Petrus” (You are Peter) by Franz Liszt, continue with “The Storm,” by Jacques-Nicolas Lemmens, and conclude with settings of the chorale “Out of the depths I cry unto thee,” including Organ Sonata No. 3 by Felix Mendelssohn. View www.standrewsbcs.org or contact 979.822.5176 for more information.

50th Anniversary St. James’ House Silver Tea at the home of Bette and Ralph Thomas 202 Arborway, Houston, Texas 77057 on Tuesday, October 19, 2010 from 3 to 6 p.m. Valet parking is available and encouraged. Please respond if accepting to Margaret Baze, mebaze@gmail.com or call 713.467.1887

November 7

All Saints’ Choral Evensong at St. John the Divine, 2450 River Oaks Boulevard, Houston, TX 77019. 3 p.m. concert/3:30 Solemn Evensong. www.sjd.org

7th Annual Diocesan Youth Choral Festival for those in grades 3-12 under the direction of guest conductor Joseph Painter of St. James’, Conroe. During the festival day, choristers will join together to rehearse and offer the music they have prepared with care, singing in the beauty of Christ Church Cathedral. The day concludes with the Festival Evensong at 3 PM. The public is invited to attend. To register as a participant, contact Bruce Power tbpower@christchurchcathedral.org, 713.590.3310.

Integrity Houston Eucharist (followed by dinner)

Third Friday of the month at 7:00 p.m.

Golding Chapel at Christ Church Cathedral 1117 Texas Avenue, Houston

F re e P a r k i n g in the Cathedral Garage at Texas and San Jacinto

Texas Episcopalian

•

October

2010

DIOCESAN NEWS

Changes in Budget Formula Count Local Ministry T he Executive Board of the Diocese of Texas, acting on a recommendation from the Finance Committee, has revised the assessments/asking formulation. “These changes will allow our congregations to count the ministry they are already doing in the formulation and it will give us a new and more realistic way to fund our common ministry,” said Bishop Andy Doyle. The 2011 Missionary Asking will be presented in two parts: the asking and local outreach spending. In past years, the Diocesan Missionary Asking has increased beyond that of the Missionary Budget’s spending, and might, in some ways, have caused congregations to reduce their response. In

amount specified for the Diocese of Texas is the total amount needed to fund the requests in the Missionary Commitment Catalog (now available at www.epicenter.org). The catalog lists ministries throughout the diocese that receive support from congregations through this funding program and includes mission congregations, college ministries, clinics, feeding and after-school programs, and much more. Vestries review the catalog and may direct their asking dollars. The second part of the Asking - the Local Outreach Spending - is new. The portion not needed to fund mutual ministries will be available to local congregations to do more local ministries. “It is my expectation that you will take these

For questions or to request a presentation, contact Kathy Culmer, Mission Funding coordinator at kculmer@epicenter.org or call 713.520.6444 ext. 1050. Please review online Mission Funding materials at www.epicenter.org/missionfunding. order to be more transparent, and to take into consideration the tremendous amount of local ministry taking place in the diocese, the Executive Board has fixed the Missionary Asking at the level that will fund the joint outreach and ministry that congregations and the diocese undertake together. With the National Church Asking included, this amount is slightly more than $5 million. “As in past years, the portion of the Missionary Asking for the Episcopal Church has been broken out, but the

funds and utilize them to revitalize or create opportunities for ministry in your own congregation, not spend them on operations,” Bishop Doyle said. He would like to see current ministries expand or new ones launched. Each congregation will report new or expanded initiatives to Bob Biehl, diocesan treasurer, when they file their 2011 parochial reports in 2012. Missionary funds are still needed for the common ministries supported through the diocesan missionary asking, Bishop Doyle explained, adding that a 100 percent response

Episcopal Diocese of Texas Diocesan Center 1225 Texas Ave. Houston, TX 77002-3504

2 0 11 M i s s i o n f u n d i n g Opportunities CD

to the asking was necessary to continue these ministries. He challenged leaders in the diocese to rethink outreach to the local community in order to take advantage of the changes in the asking formula. A link to the Mission Opportunities Catalog can be found on the diocesan homepage at: www.epicenter.org.

C.S. Lewis Retreat will be “heavenly” Offers Writers Track October 29-31, Camp Allen

Are you curious about heaven? What could be more heavenly than a weekend retreat in the secluded woods of Camp Allen, enjoying the company of Lewis scholars—some of the finest authorities on eternity—this side of immortality? “Lewis has probably accomplished as much as any modern writer, both in his fiction and in his sermons, to make Heaven believable.” Walter Hooper, literary advisor to the estate of C.S. Lewis, wrote this in his introduction to Lewis’s famous sermon, “The Weight of Glory.” Heavenly lectures by Malcolm Guite and Louis Markos will explore heaven in the ordinary, revealing the inconsolable secret and offering glimpses of life

beyond the Shadowlands. Heaven is the subject of the Friday evening panel with Randy Alcorn, author of Heaven, David Mckechnie, Lael Arrington and Andrew Lazo. Noel Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul & Mary fame & the Ad Deum Dance Company, along with concert pianist Linda Mckechnie will perform. Bag-End Café will be a special treat when Noel & Malcolm sing and strum together.

Want to publish or write for your church? Keynote speaker, popular Christian author Randy Alcorn, in a rare conference appearance, talks about the life, thought processes & habits of a writer,

& how Lewis worked his way into most of his books, fiction & non-fiction. Noel PAUL Stookey of Peter, Paul, & Mary & Malcolm Guite, founder of Mystery Train rock band, chat about songwriting. Agent Steve Laube will talk about trends and take individual appointments. Additional speakers: Dave Lindstadt – critique; Frank Ball - becoming a creative genius; Lael Arrington - connecting with today’s audience; Matt Boylston – poetry; Thomas Umstettd - blogging, websites and Google ranking; Yvon Prehn of Effective Church Communications interviewing & promotion. Learn about WinePress - Partner in Custom Publishing.

•

October

2010

DIOCESAN NEWS

ECW Announces Scholarship Awards Congratulations to the 2010 Vera Gang Scott Scholarship Recipients

By LisaDiane Etheredge Elizabeth Angelone, a member of St. Michael’s, Austin, attends St. Mary’s University; Catherine Lundy-Peterson, a member of Christ Church, Nacogdoches, attends Stephen F. Austin University; Cayra Madrid, a member of Good Shepherd, Kingwood, attends the University of Texas at San Antonio; Vania Perez, a member of St. Peter’s, Pasadena, attends San Jacinto College and Rachael Roth, a member of St. John’s, Silsbee, attends Lamar State College. The Vera Gang Scott Scholarship, established in 1972, is named for Scott, who donated her life savings to create a fund for scholarships for women in the Diocese of Texas. Scott’s generous gift was prompted by her own experience;

during the 1920s, the women of the diocese had provided money for her education. Today scholarships are awarded yearly from the interest earned on the fund. Donations to increase the fund are greatly appreciated, as they increase the Episcopal Church Women’s ability to assist more young women with their education. For information regarding qualifications for the scholarship and the 2011 Application Form, please refer to the ECW page under “organizations” on the diocesan website at: www.epicenter.org. Applications must be received by March 31, 2011.

Reminder to Register for the ECW Annual Retreat This year’s ECW Annual Retreat will be held on October 15-16 in Beaumont, and is hosted by the ladies of St. Mark’s.

If you have not signed up yet, you still have time! Get all the details about the retreat, including: workshop details, schedule and registration information at the Annual Retreat section of the ECW website, which can be found under “organizations” on www.epicenter.org. For more registration information, contact Gail Davis at gdavis@gt.rr.com or call 409.832.3405. The outreach project for the 109th Annual Retreat will be Ubi Caritas, a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas that provides quality healthcare for the uninsured in Beaumont. The medical clinic has been operational since 1998 and recently opened a dental clinic. Tours to see Ubi Caritas will be provided during the retreat. The clinic needs cotton balls, dental floss, toothbrushes, toothpaste, cash donations. Baskets will be available for you to bring your donations to St. Mark’s. Thank you, in advance, for supporting this wonderful ministry. For more information about this special healing ministry, see www.ubicaritas.org.

Bishops’ Conference on

Outreach October 8 - 9, 2010, Camp Allen

Ruby Payne to be featured presenter at Bishops’ Outreach Conference.

Texas Episcopalian

•

October

2010

DIOCESAN NEWS

People Pam Graham has been appointed pastoral leader at St. Thomas’, Rockdale. Wendy Trachte-Huber has been appointed pastoral leader at St. John’s, Marlin. Eric LeBrocq has been appointed pastoral leader at St. John’s, Sealy. The Rev. Ben Phillips, formerly an assistant at St. John the Divine, Houston, has accepted a call as rector of St. George’s, Dayton, Ohio Mary Robbins has been appointed pastoral leader and campus missioner at Sam Houston State University, Huntsville. The Rev. Shanna Suarez recently transferred from Diocese of Oklahoma to Diocese of Texas and will serve as the assistant rector at Trinity, Longview. Francene Young has been appointed pastoral leader at St. Luke the Evangelist, Houston. Brotherhood of St. Andrew Austin Assembly officers: • Jim Sparks (St. Matthew’s), president • Jerry Lyle (Epiphany), vice president • Ken Holloway (St. Richard’s), secretary • Joe Page (Resurrection), treasurer

Children’s Eucharist Guide Published

anie Stevens, diocesan missioner for Christian formation, and a group of veteran educators from across the diocese, have developed a Eucharist Instruction Curriculum for congregations. The curriculum is intended for children who already receive communion as well as for those who have not yet done so. It is not meant to be a “First Communion” instruction. “Children should always feel and believe they are a part of the family at table,” Stevens said, “just as they should always feel a part of the communion of the family of Christians at the Lord’s Table.” “We all benefit from being together and in our home, we lovingly bring children to our own table, share the stories of the family with them and absorb their joy and wonder in the event at hand,” said Bishop Andy Doyle. “Church

is no different. This course is designed to help children, their parents and their church family live into their baptismal promises as they continue in the teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayers the church is called to do.” The curriculum is available on the diocesan website at www.epicenter.org/ christianformation and explains the symbolism of the Eucharist so that children may be more deeply aware of the mysteries of the faith.

Why Cursillo? Why not? By the Rev. Reid Morgan

e clergy are “to equip God’s people for the work of his service, to the building up of the body of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-12 NEV) We also should recognize God’s “gift” of equipping in other people. I believe that there is no better way to support our ministry of teaching, equipping and energizing parishioners than to send them to a place apart - in the presence of God – with a group of lay and ordained Christians committed to the work of “building up the body of Christ.” Cursillo is a transformative experience and offers to those who have attended a Cursillo weekend a framework that supports their journey of faith. Reunion Groups meet weekly to provide support, encouragement and accountability in a loving and safe environment. Our former bishop, Claude Payne envisioned a diocese of “miraculous expectation,” and our current bishop, Andy Doyle, identifies the following core values for the diocese: missionary emphasis, education and leadership, meeting human needs, responsive stewardship and excellence. Cursillo meets and lives into all of these core values. A Cursillo weekend engages all who attend, team and pilgrims, in these areas. People leave engaged and energized to be involved deeply in the work that is presupposed by the values that have been articulated by the people of the Diocese of Texas. The work of forming and growing from our diocesan

vision is especially engaged in Cursillo. Through personal contact, sharing and giving, leaders are formed and grown. They return to their congregations to be engaged as leaders and ministers locally. They are equipped to be the first order of ministry as we are reminded in the Catechism on page 855 of The Book of Common Prayer. This is the ministry that we are called to in our baptism and that we promise to engage in through our Baptismal Covenant. Why Cursillo, you might still ask. Find someone in your parish and ask them about their Cursillo experience. While Cursillo may not be for everyone, it is for more than you might think. If you are clergy and think, “Not me,” ask another presbyter about their experience or give me a call 512.5565433. A Cursillo Weekend is an experience with the Living God surrounded by the Holy Spirit and filled with the love of Jesus, and no one can have enough of that.

SLEH Volunteers Donate Prayer Shawls Looking for more ways to help comfort end-of-life patients and their families, Palliative Care Services and the St. Luke’s Auxiliary prayer-shawl ministry knit prayer shawls. Volunteers provide prayer and solace for patients and their families during difficult times, literally covering a patient in prayers with the shawls. While knitting a prayer shawl, the knitters pray for the recipients, and most of the time never know who will receive their gift and prayers. It is a moving and life-affirming experience to make this gift for a patient. Since the program’s inception in 2004, the St. Martin’s, Houston, Circle of Prayer Shawl Knitters and St. Luke’s Auxiliary member Shirley McKee, a member of Palmer Memorial, each has donated more than 50 shawls to this ministry. Patients who receive the shawls and their families are touched by the loving gesture. Novice and experienced knitters can participate equally. If you or your church group would like to be involved in this opportunity, please contact Pam Lemp, director of Volunteer Services, at 832.355.3660.

Bishop Rayford High threw an inside strike to kickoff the Astros and the Dodgers, September 10, 2010.

Texas Episcopalian

•

October

2010

DIOCESAN NEWS

Bishop Hines Remembered downtrodden and defenseless. In the following four years, he so impressed the diocese that he was elected bishop coadjutor in 1945. His decade in this position under Bishop Clinton Quin allowed him to advocate for issues dear to his heart. He set four major goals for the diocese: developing new congregations, establishing a solid Episcopal presence on college campuses, creating a coeducational boarding and day school, and recruiting and training able clergy for ordained ministry. During his tenure as coadjutor, Bishop Hines oversaw the creation of forty-one new congregations, a rate of growth exceeded only by the Diocese of Florida. He extended campus ministries from three to eleven colleges, making the diocese the most expansive and successful in the Episcopal Church. The creation of St. Stephen’s School in Austin in 1950 gave the diocese a premier Christian secondary school. A year later, Hines achieved his final goal when the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the The Rt. Rev. John E. Hines, Bishop of Texas and Presiding Bishop Southwest opened in the state capital. Hines also focused his considerable prophetic energy on the primary issue By the Rev. Ken Kesselus of the day – racial segregation and discrimination against ohn Hines was born in Seneca, South Carolina, on October 3, 1910. By the time he arrived at Christ blacks. Though concrete achievements were few, he carried Church, Houston, as rector, thirty years later, he had this passion into his years as diocesan bishop, an office he already established a reputation as a staunch defender of the assumed upon the retirement of Bishop Quin in 1955.

Seminary Celebrates Hines’ 100th

ohn E. Hines (1910-1997), former dean of Christ Church Cathedral, Houston, diocesan bishop, builder of congregations and educational institutions in the diocese of Texas, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, husband, father, and prophetic preacher will be remembered and celebrated at Seminary of the Southwest on Thursday, October 7. In John E. Hines: Granite on Fire, Ken Kesselus wrote, “Sustained by the courage of his faith and unwaveringly committed to a belief that the church must risk dying for the sake of her mission, Hines never flinched in his uncompromising support for the poor and defenseless.” As diocesan bishop of Texas, Hines preached in 1963: “A bishop’s job is to keep his church family on the firing line of the world’s most desperate needs and to learn to accept the exquisite penalty of such an exposed position.” He kept his word throughout his leadership of the Episcopal Church, especially while he was Presiding Bishop during particularly violent years of the civil rights movement. Friends, members of the Hines family, seminarians and faculty will begin observance of John Hines Day with Holy Eucharist at 11:45. The Rev. Micah Jackson, who holds the Hines chair of preaching at Southwest, will preach at the service. Luncheon will follow in the Howell Dining Hall. Dean and President Doug Travis and Hines’ biographer, Ken Kesselus will offer remarks and remembrances. The public is invited, and the seminary requests RSVPs sent to tholley@ssw.edu.

Bishop Hines boldly declared that a cathedral was a place for a bishop “to stand up” like the Prophet Amos and say, “Woe to them that are at ease in Zion.” His decade in the office bore out this admonition, as he demanded repentance and change among his people and uncompromisingly challenged injustice. Despite sharp controversy and stiff opposition, Bishop Hines advanced a cause he had championed his entire life. He had insisted on an integrated seminary from the beginning, but now succeeded in desegregating diocesan children’s camps and St. Luke’s hospital. In 1963, St. Stephen’s became the first fully desegregated coeducational boarding school in the South. During his twenty-five years in Texas, Bishop Hines received national attention and grew in stature among Episcopalians. In 1964, he was chosen as the 22nd presiding bishop and began a controversial episcopate that revealed to the entire church an extraordinarily gifted leader. Another prominent leader of the day, Bishop Stephen Bayne, observed that Bishop Hines’s steadfastness of faith and his zeal for the Gospel could best be described as “Granite on Fire.” A few months after his death in 1997, diocesan council placed a commemoration of his life and ministry on its liturgical calendar on October 3. The Diocese of Newark soon followed. Though overlooked in the first publication of the church’s Holy Women, Holy Men, surely John Hines will soon be included on this list. His life was a testament to leadership based on courage of faith and an unwavering commitment to the belief that the church must risk dying for the sake of her mission. John Hines should be remembered, on the 100th anniversary of his birth, as a giant among us who never flinched in his uncompromising support for the poor and defenseless. Lessons designated for Bishop Hines’ day include: Amos 7:7-9a, II Corinthians 4:5-12 and Luke 9:23-26 as well as Psalm 18:21-36. Collect: John E. Hines, Prophet and Bishop Gracious God, thy Son hath taught us that in serving the poor and the oppressed, we both serve Him and give the world a glimpse of thy reign: Receive our thanks for the life and witness of John Hines, servant and bishop, who with courage prophesied against injustice, prejudice and oppression, thereby awakening us to the demands of the Gospel. For the sake of the poor and destitute among us strengthen us to risk giving ourselves as did he. This we ask through Jesus Christ who bids us to take up our cross and follow Him. Amen For several videos about Bishop John Hines see: http://www. youtube.com/watch?v=-oTxN4YS-m8&feature=related Taped and edited by the Rev. Charles Sumners.

Texas Episcopalian

•

October

2010

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

Episcopal Homeless Initiative Receives Federal Funds to Mitigate Homelessness

Tutu and Daughter Author Made for Goodness

his month, the Rev. Mpho A. Tutu will release her new book Made for Goodness: and Why this Makes all the Difference, which she co-authored with her father, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu. In Made for Goodness, Archbishop Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize winner and international icon of peace and reconciliation, shares his vision on why we can find hope and joy in the world’s darkest moments The Rev. Mpho A. Tutu by realizing that we were made for goodness, that we are wired so that goodness will win in the end. Archbishop Tutu is a spiritual leader and symbol of love and forgiveness on the level of Gandi, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Nelson Mandela, and Made for Goodness, written with his daughter Mpho, is one of the most personal and inspirational books he’s ever written. Mpho Tutu, an Episcopal priest, received a master of divinity degree from Episcopal Divinity School (EDS) in 2003. She is the founder and executive director of the Tutu Institute for Prayer & Pilgrimage. Made for Goodness may be purchased in advance through the EDS website’s Virtual Bookstore, www.eds.edu/ sec.asp?cat=192&page=182.

Texas Episcopalian

•

October

2010

Photo by Carol E. Barnwell

hree Episcopal homeless ministries in HoustonThelisa Palmer, brought together by St. Luke’s Episcopal Health executive director of Charities to develop shared outcomes for their Community of the Streets clients- received a $1.25 Million grant as part of the Federal in mid-town Houston was Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program. thrilled with the award The three agencies include: The Beacon, a ministry of the and looks forward to Cathedral in downtown Houston, Community of the Streets sharing case management Outreach (COTS), a ministry of Trinity in mid-town and personnel across the three the Palmer Way Station, a ministry of Palmer Memorial agencies. “We’re eager to adjacent to the Texas Medical Center break the homelessness The grant award allows the three agencies to grow their cycle in Houston, one emergency case management and mental health services to family at a time and provide much-needed stability for the growing homeless couldn’t have done it population in downtown Houston. without the Charities’ vision, support and encouragement “For our clients, regular meals, mental health throughout the years,” she said. services, and support to help them access services assisting In addition to case management, the funds granted with housing, job placement, and education, are often through the City of Houston Housing and Community among their most unmet needs. The challenges of securing Development will allow Partners in Stabilizing Lives to basic forms of subsistence such as food and shelter may provide mental health counseling services. “Reconciling cause the homeless to delay or completely forego seeking past issues, as well as current problems and challenges, will needed health and social services. Case management is certainly help our clients to move toward a path of selfa mechanism for addressing this problem,” said Tracy sufficiency,” said Terry Henry, executive director of the Burnett, executive director, The Beacon. Palmer Way Station.

United Thank Offering Awards $2 Million for Mission and Ministry

he United Thank Offering of The Episcopal Church awarded 69 grants for 2010 for a total of $2,163,740.93 for the mission and ministry of The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. The grants were awarded to projects in 43 Episcopal Church dioceses, 11 companion diocese relationships and 15 international provinces. Known worldwide as UTO, the United Thank Offering grants are awarded for projects that address human needs and help alleviate poverty, both domestically and internationally. Most of the grants focused on assistance to food ministries, health clinics, refugee needs, young adults and the construction of classrooms and program space. For example, the Diocese of Alabama was awarded $17,750 for a handicapped-accessible playground while $60,000 was granted to the Diocese of Central Gulf Coast to rebuild a parish hall that had been destroyed in 2004 by Hurricane Ivan. The smallest amount awarded, $1,300, went to the Diocese of Lexington to support Camp Haven, a summer camp for children of the incarcerated. Fourteen grants totaled $50,000 or more, with the largest at $90,000 to the Diocese of the Dominican Republic for school construction to include an addition of seven classrooms. Two companion diocese relationships – the Dioceses of Maine and Upper South Carolina – were awarded funds to assist their companion Diocese of Haiti following the devastating earthquake in January. The Diocese of South Dakota received a grant for its companion Diocese of Bor in South Sudan, Africa, of $13,000 for access to sustainable drinking water. Among the international grants were $46,000 to the Church of Pakistan towards the costs of a medical facility, and $32,000 to the Anglican Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East for the modernization of an eye clinic in Yemen. The complete list of grants is located here: http://www. episcopalchurch.org/110043_123861_ENG_HTM.htm. For more information on UTO: www.episcopalchurch. org/uto.

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

Church Leaders Encourage Anglican Covenant Study Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, House of Deputies President Bonnie Anderson and Executive Council member Rosalie Simmonds Ballentine have issued a letter to the church calling for study on the Anglican Covenant. Their letter follows a request from Bishop Andy Doyle for congregations to study the Covenant and help inform Diocese of Texas deputies and bishops who will attend the 2010 General Convention where the Anglican Covenant will be considered. A final draft of the proposed Anglican Covenant was released in mid-December, 2009, for consideration by constituent provinces of the Anglican Communion. The 76th

General Convention, held in July, 2009, further committed the Episcopal Church’s engagement with the covenant process (Resolution 2009-D020). Bishop Andy Doyle named a task force to write a curriculum to study the Anglican Covenant following the 2010 Diocesan Council last February. It will be finished after the first of the year and available by Lent 2011. As the highest legislative authority of The Episcopal Church, the General Convention is the body that will ultimately decide The Episcopal Church’s position with respect to participation in an Anglican Communion Covenant. “In order for General Convention to reflect the mind of the whole Church, the bishops and deputies who participate in General Convention need to know the thoughtful and faithful reactions of the many and varied faith communities represented in this Church,” said the presiding bishop’s letter.

The curriculum being developed in the Diocese of Texas will be available in time to be used as a Lenten study, leaving time for church members to make comments to the General Convention office by their deadline of April 24, 2011. (Comments on the Anglican Covenant may be submitted up to April 24, 2011 at gcoffice@episcopalchurch.org. General Convention deputies will be elected at the 2011 Diocesan Council, February 11-12 in The Woodlands. Following that election and the availability of the Covenant Curriculum, there will be a place on the diocesan website where comments may be left for the bishops and deputies so that they may know the mind of the diocese before attending the 2012 General Convention. The final Proposed Covenant and a study guide prepared by the General Convention office can be downloaded here: http://generalconvention.org/ec.

Application Process Open For Scholarships from The Episcopal Church

Bishops Address Immigration Reform at Retreat

t the most recent House of Bishops meeting in Phoenix, September 18-22, bishops of The Episcopal Church issued a pastoral letter on immigration reform rejecting the criminalization of undocumented persons. Bishops called on the government to create “fair and humane” policies and work towards a “reasonable path to citizenship for undocumented workers; a plan to reunite families” and a way to allow temporary guest-workers. In the same letter, they acknowledged the need for secure borders and denounced racial profiling, noting that undocumented workers have paid more than $500 billion into the social security, from which they will not benefit. They concluded their letter with a theological resource entitled: The Nation and the Common Good: Reflections on Immigration Reform. The bishops also passed a resolution in support of a $10 million appeal for the initial “rebuilding of the diocese of Haiti” calling on their dioceses to participate in the appeal in consultation with the Diocese of Haiti. Before adjourning, bishops also called for Charles Bennison, the bishop of Pennsylvania, to resign following a lengthy judicial process in which he was found guilty of conduct unbecoming a member of the clergy. An earlier court of review was forced to vacate the verdict because the statute of limitations had expired, but the House of Bishops said they found the “ultimate resolution of this matter unsatisfactory and morally repugnant,” and exhorted Bennison to resign unconditionally and immediately. www.episcopalchurch. org/79425_124668_ENG_HTM.htm

Deadline is October 15

Fall Visitors Weekend set for November 12-13 at Seminary of the Southwest Explore Seminary of the Southwest during Visitors Weekend, a two day “re-treat” offered each spring and fall. The time, from Friday afternoon through Sunday morning, is structured to give prospective students a feel for seminary life - worship, study, community and to provide time to ask questions of faculty, staff, and especially current students, those who have already walked the ground many are considering. Those attending Visitors Weekend are both local to Austin and from across the United States. For out of town attendees complimentary airport shuttle and guest suites are available. The next Visitors Weekend date is November 12 ~ 13. Attendee spots are limited therefore early registration is encouraged. For registration and event information, please contact Beth Robertson at 512.439.0357 or brobertson@ssw.edu or check the seminary website at www.ssw.edu.

Applications are now being accepted for more than 60 scholarships from The Episcopal Church. Specific scholarships are available for ethnic communities along with other particular wide-ranging eligibility for education and training. “Besides ethnic ministries, there are scholarships available to children of missionaries, foreign students studying for ministry in the Church, foreign students training in the fields of medical, sanitation, nursing or hospital work in their own country and for the children of bishops and clergy of The Episcopal Church,” explained Antoinette (Toni) Daniels, co-director of Mission and Chair of the Scholarship Committee at the Church Center in New York. The list of trust funds and scholarships is here: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/documents/ ScholarshipTrustFunds121609.pdf All materials including the application form and the instructions for filing are available online here: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/109539_110675_ ENG_HTM.htm.

Texas Episcopalian

•

October

2010

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

African Bishops Look to the Future, Commit to Leading the Church in the 21st Century A s the All Africa Bishops’ Conference in Entebbe, Uganda, drew to a close Aug. 29, participants said they’d been encouraged by the bishops’ determination “not to be distracted from the urgent business of leading the church in the 21st century,” the Rev. Canon Petero Sabune, Africa partnerships officer for the Episcopal Church, told Episcopal News Service. More than 400 Anglican bishops from Africa were joined by international partners, diplomats and representatives from relief and development organizations for the weeklong gathering, which focused on issues of conflict, poverty, corruption and disease. The gathering brought together bishops from the 12 Anglican provinces in Africa -- Burundi, Central Africa, Congo, Indian Ocean, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Southern Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and West Africa -- as well as the Diocese of Egypt. For Sabune, the highlights were the “casual conversations carried over several days [with people] whose connection to each other was that they belong to the body of Christ called the Anglican Communion.” Sabune said he spent hours in dialogue “with Sudanese about peace, Rwandans about genocide, Nigerians on Islam, Congolese on sexual violence and Burundians on poverty ... I felt a sense of hope and determination -- African leaders tackling African challenges on African soil.” “Absent was mention of the commitment by one bishop to plant a million trees on his land before he dies in an effort to reverse deforestation and tackle climate change. Stories of hugely successful DIY community dam projects and of biogas schemes that provide villages with desperately needed water and fuel went largely unreported,” said Jan Butter, communication director of the Anglican Communion Office. In a final report, the bishops wrote that they “must be actively involved in working with partners at all levels to ensure equal access to medical care, food security and the promoting of good health practices to prevent the major causes of death on the continent, with particular attention to primary health care for African families, especially mothers, children and the elderly.” The bishops also had a message for other Anglican provinces. “While we will always be prepared to listen to voices from other parts of the global communion, it is pertinent that the rest of the world listens to the unique voice of the church in Africa,” the bishops wrote. “The Anglican Church in Africa has continued to witness growth so that the center of gravity of Christianity today appears to be shifting to the continent. Nonetheless, the church’s relevance and impact on global mission and to social, economic

Texas Episcopalian

•

October

2010

and political transformation of the continent remains a challenge.” While the bishops’ communiqué largely focused on political and socio-economic challenges, another report from some of the African primates, released Aug. 29, said they were “very saddened” by the recent consecration of Mary Douglas Glasspool, the Episcopal Church’s second openly gay, partnered bishop. Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, after returning from a three-day visit to Uganda, said Aug. 26 that the bishops’ conference comes at a “significant moment ... with Anglican churches in Africa putting development issues at the top of their agenda.” Williams said that the bishops’ desire to make development issues a priority “has been welcomed by other churches and politicians in the region and internationally, as they recognize that the African church has the willingness and the skills to make them best placed to set their development agenda. Their challenge will be in finding the imaginative opportunities for unlocking this potential.” In his sermon at the opening service Aug. 24, Williams told the bishops: “It has been said that this is going to be the African century of the Christian church in terms of energy and growth and vision … And if the churches of Africa are indeed going to be for this time a city set on a hill, how very important it will be for the health and growth of all God’s churches throughout the world that this witness continues at its best and highest.” During his visit, Williams also met with Uganda President Yoweri Museveni and visited children at the Mildmay HIV Centre outside Kampala. Museveni addressed the conference on Aug. 25, bringing a message that tolerance is a biblical imperative and that Christians should not “have one minute of time wasted” by those promoting prejudice. Episcopal Relief & Development was represented by six staff members, who attended the gathering as observers and to connect with partners in Anglican dioceses and provinces throughout Africa. Trinity Church, Wall Street, which through its grants program supports projects throughout Africa, also was represented at the gathering. On Aug. 27, the Church of Uganda circulated a letter from Indian Ocean Archbishop Ian Ernest to Uganda Archbishop Henry Orombi that apologized for any embarrassment caused by the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA) accepting a $25,000 grant from Trinity Church towards the bishops’ conference. “We recognize the great contribution you have made to the conference and regret that this grant created a taint in our otherwise healthy working relationship,” Ernest, CAPA

chairman, wrote to Orombi. In April, Ernest suspended all communication “both verbal and sacramental” with the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada “until such time as they reverse their theological innovations.” Earlier in the conference, Ernest underscored that the time had passed when Christian mission went from east to west, but that the church was now in a time when mission could go from anywhere to anywhere. Similarly, Orombi said that now was the time for African Anglicanism to “rise up,” and for representatives of the continent to be able to go to other places in the communion with “fresh wine from new wine skins.” Also participating in the conference were members of the Anglican Church in North America, a coalition of breakaway groups, and its leader, deposed Diocese of Pittsburgh bishop Bob Duncan. Throughout the week, presentations focused on nurturing family life, building healthy populations, securing an economic future, disempowering the powerful and empowering the vulnerable, and making leadership work to secure the future and unlock potential on the continent. Sabune said he valued the everyday encounters with Dr. Nyambura Njoroge, who coordinates the ecumenical HIV/ AIDS Initiative in Africa on behalf of the World Council of Churches. She “is determined to teach the church to talk about domestic violence and HIV/AIDS [and] is convinced that the more we talk about it openly the better it will be for our churches to be sanctuaries of healing and hope,” Sabune said. A session on leadership, moderated by Anglican Observer at the United Nations Hellen Wangusa, “brought us to our spiritual knees,” Sabune said. “How can we lead society to fight corruption, when corruption is endemic within the churches? Why do we tolerate corrupt leaders in church and society and what is the connection between the two?” Many of the questions raised during the sessions on issues such as conflict, hunger, poverty, climate change, disease and corruption, Sabune said, are to be addressed at provincial gatherings during the coming months and years. The Entebbe conference is the second time that CAPA has hosted an All Africa Bishops Conference, the first being held in 2004 in Lagos, Nigeria. A communiqué issued at the conclusion of the All Africa Bishops’ Conference is available at www.episcopalchurch. org/documents/082910_CAPA_communique.pdf. Davies is editor and international correspondent of the Episcopal News Service.

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

NetsforLife® Inspiration Fund Supports Commitment to MDGs

resident Obama spoke late Wednesday afternoon during one of the final sessions of the three-day United Nations Summit on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In his speech, the president introduced the new US Global Development Policy, which reaffirms the administration’s commitment to the MDGs and outlines an updated approach to supporting development efforts worldwide. “The purpose of development, and what’s needed most right now,” the president said, “is creating the conditions where assistance is no longer needed. So we will seek partners who want to build their own capacity to provide for their people. We will seek development that is sustainable.” Episcopal Relief & Development applauds this shift in US aid policy – working through local partners on contextdriven solutions that support progress toward achieving the MDGs has been integral to the organization’s approach for many years. The MDGs were adopted in 2000, with the intention that the markers be achieved by 2015. Episcopal Relief & Development uses these goals as a framework to guide its efforts and help measure the impact of its programs. Each of its four focus areas (health, hunger, economic opportunities and disaster response) and all of its international programs work to achieve one or more of the MDGs. The Episcopal Church initially dedicated itself to supporting the MDGs at the 2003 General Convention, and put its commitment into action in 2006 by endorsing the MDG Inspiration Fund, which raised over $3.2 million in three years. In 2009, the Church renewed its support of the MDGs by pledging 0.7% of its annual budget to the new NetsforLife® Inspiration Fund, inspiring Episcopalians to donate and help fight the spread of malaria in subSaharan Africa. The NetsforLife® Inspiration Fund is now the official channel for the Church’s support of the MDGs in the 2010-12 triennium. “The NetsforLife® Inspiration Fund provides an opportunity for all Episcopalians to live out their faith and affirm their commitment to MDGs,” said Joy Shigaki, the fund’s Director. “It’s an honor to be leading this effort in partnership with the wider church.” The Inspiration Fund supports the NetsforLife® program partnership, which, since 2008, has delivered more than 2 million nets across 17 countries in subSaharan Africa. NetsforLife® combats malaria by training community “malaria agents” to deliver life-saving nets, educating community members about proper net use and maintenance, and providing ongoing monitoring and evaluation of net use. These activities are carried out in partnership with churches and faith-based groups in remote areas across the continent, and result in less sickness, fewer deaths and stronger communities. The NetsforLife® program partnership is making a difference in addressing all of the MDGs, but particularly goals 4 (reducing child mortality), 5 (improving maternal health) and 6 (preventing

and treating disease). “The beauty of focusing on malaria prevention is that it enables progress on all of the MDGs,” said Episcopal Relief & Development President Rob Radtke. “Progress cannot be made on reducing extreme poverty, educating children, empowering women or many other priorities if people are sick. The Episcopal Church has been a prophetic voice on the MDGs, and as we enter the final five years before 2015 it is important that we not lose momentum.” Episcopal Relief & Development’s Inspiration Fund enables Episcopalians to live their faith by making a positive difference in the lives of millions around the globe through local, grassroots engagement in communities across the country. Through the Inspiration Fund, parishioners, clergy, students and seminarians can continue to work to address the Millennium Development Goals through the work of Episcopal Relief & Development. For more information on how Episcopal Relief & Development is helping The Episcopal Church live its commitment to its neighbors worldwide, visit www.er-d.org. There, you can learn about the Millennium Development Goals and how they guide Church-supported development work, and contribute to life-saving programs through the NetsforLife® Inspiration Fund.

To support Episcopal Relief & Development’s work, please visit www.er-d.org or call 800.334.7626, ext. 5129. Gifts can be mailed to Episcopal Relief & Development, PO Box 7058, Merrifield, VA 22116-7058.

Episcopal Church Joins 10.10.10 Movement The Global Work Party to Cut Carbon Emissions Share your activities and ideas at www.350.org

Mark October 10, 2010 - 10.10.10 - on your calendar as a day to build community, have fun and cut carbon emissions.

ichael Schut, Episcopal Church Officer for Environmental/Economic Affairs, says that individuals, families, neighborhoods, congregations, schools, dioceses - communities of all kinds and sizes – can make a positive impact on the future by participating in the international Global Work Party movement on 10.10.10. “This will be a great party around the world,” he said. “We can all do our part. By working together, we can send a message to world leaders that they need to get to work as well.” So far the Global Work Party, sponsored by 350.org (www.350.org), lists 1214 actions planned in 117 countries. To join an already scheduled work party, or to register one, visit www.350.org. Schut explained the significance of “350” as “350 parts per million (ppm) is what scientists say is the safe upper limit of carbon in the atmosphere. The current level is 390 ppm. To return to 350 ppm, we need to cut our carbon emissions.” Schut offers some activities to consider for 10.10.10 • Install weather-stripping, efficient lighting and more

insulation in your parish and your home;

• Plant trees; • Harvest community gardens to demonstrate local food solutions;

• Organize a carpool/bike to church Sunday; • Host a bike-repair workshop or install bike racks

outside your church; • Paint your roof white to cool off without airconditioning; • Organize a discussion on the environment with your congregation, youth group, and others; • Ring bells 350 times. Resources and ideas for observing 10.10.10 are here: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/109350_123831_ENG_ HTM.htm and http://www.350.org/ For more information, contact Schut at mschut@ episcopalchurch.org or visit Episcopal Church Environmental Ministries: http://www.episcopalchurch. org/environment

Texas Episcopalian

•

October

2010

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori Speaks at International Leadership Events

Muslims, Christians hurt by frenzy over threat to burn Quran By Anto Akkara

lans by a Florida-based Christian pastor to burn copies of the Quran on Sept. 11 -- the anniversary of the World Trade Center terrorist attacks -- and a recent surge in violence against Muslims is being met with widespread condemnation by church groups and leaders who are calling for religious tolerance and an end to antiIslamic attitudes. A Florida pastor threatened to burn the Quran despite warnings from high-ranking church and governmental leaders that his actions could have grave consequences for national security and Christians throughout the world. A group of U.S. interfaith leaders -- including the Rev. Michael Kinnamon, general secretary of the National Council of Churches, and Episcopal Diocese of New York Bishop Mark Sisk -- held a summit and press conference Sept. 7 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., to condemn the plans and to decry incidents of violence committed against innocent Muslims. According to the Church of North India’s Rt. Rev. Pradeep Kumar Samantaroy, a school, managed by the Diocese of Amritsar, that provided “quality education to five hundred fifty children from one hundred fifty villages around Tangmarg,” was burned to the ground by an angry mob protesting the Quran burning. “Classrooms, computer labs and a library containing, among other books, copies of the Quran was completely destroyed on Monday after being

Texas Episcopalian

•

October

2010

set on fire by a large mob that marched on the school after hearing reports of a man desecrating the Quran in America,” said a press release from the Anglican Communion. Staff and students managed to escape the blaze. An NCC press release said the leaders acknowledged the “anti-Muslim frenzy” that has existed in the U.S. since plans were announced to build an Islamic community center near Ground Zero -- where the twin towers of the World Trade Center stood before they were attacked and destroyed by Muslim extremists on Sept. 11, 2001. The center, now known as Park 51, has drawn both criticism and support. Ingrid Mattson, president of the Islamic Society of North America, which organized the event, said during the press conference that Muslims in America report the highest degree of anxiety they have felt since the events of 9/11. “For nine years, we have been trying to get the message out that we reject the extremist views” of a few Muslims, “their justification for violence, their justification for militancy,” she said, according to the release. “It has been difficult to get this message out because the actions of the extremists are more dramatic. The majority of Muslims we know as law-abiding, ethical, good people.” Participants in the summit talked about next steps, such as “calling on our networks, our constituencies, to replicate this kind of meeting in local communities,” Kinnamon said. “We’ve also called upon state councils to say no to this kind of bigotry. It is important for us as a Christian community to say an unequivocal no.”

piscopal Church Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has accepted invitations to speak on topics of faith in three key conferences attracting international audiences in October: Fortune Magazine’s Most Powerful Women Annual Summit; an interreligious panel with the Dalai Lama at Emory University; and Maria Shriver’s Annual The Women’s Conference. On October 5, the Presiding Bishop will participate in a panel on Pursuing a Purpose, about faith and leadership in the face of disaster, at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Annual Summit in Washington, DC. The conference theme is Building a Legacy, and participants will share aspects of leadership, building businesses and organizations, succession, mentoring, and making a difference in the world. Other panelists are Ellen Gustafson, co-founder of FEED and Linda Rottenberg, co-founder and CEO of Endeavor. On October 17 and 18, Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori will join other world religious leaders in the Interfaith Summit on Happiness: Understanding and Promoting Happiness in Today’s Society, at the Center for the Study of Law and Religion (CSLR) at Emory University in Atlanta. The two-day forum opens with an address by the Dalai Lama, followed by a discussion on the topic with the Presiding Bishop, Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth; and George Washington University Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr, a world-renowned scholar on Islam. On October 18 at Emory, she will present and discuss “The Pursuit of Happiness in the Christian Tradition: Goal and Journey.” Other presenters will be Rabbi Sacks, Nasr and the Venerable Matthieu Ricard, a world-renowned Buddhist teacher and author. On October 26, Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori will be featured at California First Lady Maria Shriver’s The Women’s Conference. Following this year’s theme, It’s Time, the Presiding Bishop will address It’s Time to Talk To Women Who Know First Hand What It Takes to Lead. Moderated by CNN anchor Campbell Brown, Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori will join Carol Bartz, CEO of Yahoo! and Anne Sweeney, co-chair of Disney Media Networks and President of Disney/ABC Television Group.

GUEST COLUMNIST

Toleration

The Rev. Sam Todd

orty years ago, I interviewed for the position of Anglican chaplain on the Aramco compound in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. A peculiar feature of the job was that the chapel was not a separate building with a cross on it but a room added on to the chaplain’s house. It was illegal to have a church anywhere in Saudi Arabia. I did not get the job but I got interested in Arabia. When the Arabs broke out of their homeland and established their empire in the Middle East and North Africa in the mid-seventh century, they tolerated the Christians and Jews already there. “Only in one region were non-Muslims forbidden to live …The Caliph ‘Umar decreed that in the Holy land – which for Muslims meant Arabia, the homeland of the Prophet – only one religion, Islam, should be permitted, and Christians and Jews were therefore required to leave” (B. Lewis, The Middle East – A Brief History of the Last 2,000 Years, p. 218). The presence of British and American Anglicans in Dhahran in 1970 obviously indicated that the rules had been modified. What has not changed is that apostasy, e.g. converting from Islam to Christianity, is still a capital crime. The Arabs enslaved Turks on the eastern borders of their empire; then they trained them to be Mamluk soldiers in their army (c. 835); then they converted them to Islam (c. 960); then they were conquered and ruled by Turks for almost a thousand years. During the whole period of the Ottoman Empire “only one Arabian movement challenged

the legitimacy of the Ottoman state.... From about the middle of the eighteenth century, new warriors of the faith, led by the military skill of Ibn Sa’ud and inspired by the religious teachings of Ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab, conquered much of Arabia” (Ibid, p.333). In 1926 ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Saud was declared king of the Hijaz and Sultan of Najd, “retaining this title until September 1932 when the kingdom was renamed Saudi Arabia” (p. 344). In 1990, soon after occupying Kuwait, Saddam Hussein began verbally attacking the Saudi state arguing that the U.S. supported kingdom was an illegitimate and unworthy guardian of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. King Faud called for our military assistance; on August 7th, President Bush launched Operation Desert Shield to protect Saudi Arabia. It became Operation Desert Storm, aka the Gulf War, the following January. Many of our military guardians then and later were women. Some of them resented restrictions they were put under. “Military commanders in Saudi Arabia require women to wear an abaya and a headscarf when they leave their installations. Maj. Martha McSally, the senior female fighter pilot in the Air Force … called the dress code ‘ridiculous and unnecessary’” (USA TODAY 4/24/2001).

with the attack or with bin Laden. Most of the attackers were from Saudi Arabia. “Toleration” means “Forbearance. Allowance, by a government, of the exercise of religions other than the religion officially established or recognized” (The Random House Dictionary of the English Language, p. 1491). The United States has been tolerant since the adoption of the Bill of Rights on December 15, 1791, which prohibited any “law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ” (1st Amendment). There are many mosques, Hindu temples, churches and synagogues in the United States. There has recently been a flap in New York over plans to build a Muslim community center two blocks from the site of the former World Trade Center. But, hey, it’s a free country. Besides, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf has explained that Cordoba House “is intended to cultivate understanding among all religions and cultures….At Cordoba House we envision shared space for community activities…. There will be prayer spaces for Muslims, Christians, Jews and men and women of other faiths….President Obama and Mayor Michael Bloomberg both spoke out in support of our project. As I traveled overseas, I saw firsthand how their words and actions made a tremendous impact on the Muslim

But, hey, it’s a free country. Once publicized, the restrictions prompted a fierce debate in this country, the poles of which were: (1) When in Rome do as the Romans. We are guests in their country and should conform to their customs. (2) It is an outrage. “I am a Gulf War vet and had to wear an abaya while in Saudi. … I am not a Muslim and should not have been subject to their customs. When they come to America, we do not make them stop wearing their ethnic or religious outfits” (www. militarywoman.org/abaya.htm). Some Saudis were outraged by the continued presence of infidels (us) in their country. One of them was Osama bin Laden. After the destruction of the World Trade Center and part of the Pentagon on 9/11/2001, we wanted to punish the culprits. But they were already dead. It had been a suicide mission. We wound up invading Afghanistan because bin Laden was hiding there or thereabouts. He still is. None of the 9/11 attackers were Afghans; they were all Arabs. Then we invaded Iraq which had had nothing to do

street and on Muslim leaders. It was striking: a Christian president and a Jewish mayor of New York supporting the rights of Muslims” (New York Times, 9/8/10, p. A 25). I think that is great. Here is what would have a even greater impact on the Muslim street and on Muslim leaders: if His Majesty King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al Saud would build an identical center, with prayer places for Muslims, Christians, Jews and men and women of other faiths, two blocks from the Ka’aba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Much Saudi money has gone into funding schools (madrasas) disseminating Wahhabism, the most conservative school of Islamic thought, throughout Pakistan, Afghanistan and other poor Muslim countries. If instead of the billions of dollars we have invested in Iraq and Afghanistan, we had spent it on building schools promoting a more tolerant brand of Islam, I wonder what the return would have been. Email Todd at: stodd2423@att.net

Texas Episcopalian

•

October

2010

Harrison

High

Doyle

Bishops’ October Calendars 1-2 3 11 a.m. 6 p.m. 6 6:30 p.m. 8-9 10 10:30 a.m. 7 p.m. 13 6 p.m. 14 10 a.m. 6 p.m. 15 11 a.m. 2 p.m. 16 9:30 a.m. 17 10:15 a.m. 4 p.m. 18 7 p.m. 19 3 p.m. 21 11:30 a.m. 2:30 p.m. 7 p.m. 22 11 a.m. 24 8 a.m. 10:30 a.m. 3 p.m. 25-27 28 6:30 p.m. 31 10:30 a.m.

Center for Houston’s Future, Fall Forum, Sugar Land Resurrection, Austin, CF St. Mary Magdalene, Manor, CF Janet Gilmore Celebration of New Ministry, St. Mark’s, Rosenberg Bishops’ Conference on Outreach, Camp Allen St. Stephen’s, Houston, CF Redeemer, Houston, CF St. Francis’, Tyler, CF Bishop Quin Foundation Meeting, Diocesan Center ECW Board Dinner, Beaumont Southeast Convocational Clericus, Beaumont ECW Annual Retreat Opening Service, St. Mark’s, Beaumont ECW Annual Retreat, St. Mark’s, Beaumont All Saints’, Stafford, CF Camp Allen Board Meeting Justice and Peace Council, Christ Church Cathedral, Houston 50th Annual St. James’ House Silver Tea, Houston East Harris Convocation Clericus, St. Mark’s, Houston St. Luke’s Episcopal Health Charities Leadership Meeting, Houston Starry Nights & Campfire Lights, Houston Consecration of IX Bishop of Rio Grande, Albuquerque St. Aidan’s, Cypress St. Aidan’s, Cypress, CF Clergy Conference, Camp Allen Clergy Conference, Camp Allen SLEHC Bishop’s Leadership Award Dinner, Houston Christ Church, Cedar Park, CF

3 10 a.m. 4 p.m. 6 11:30 a.m. 8 10 a.m. 8-9 10-13 14 6 p.m. 15-16 17 10 a.m. 4 p.m. 19 2 p.m. 20 12 p.m. 21 2 p.m. 7 p.m. 22-23 24 11 a.m. 24-27 27 6 p.m. 31 11 a.m.

Trinity, Baytown, CF Trinity, Anahuac, CF San Jacinto Convocation Clericus Meeting, Trinity, The Woodlands Restorative Justice Ministry Council Mtg, St. Francis of Assisi, Prairie View Bishops’ Conference on Outreach, Camp Allen Regents’ Meeting, Sewanee ECW Annual Board Meeting and Banquet, Beaumont ECW Annual Meeting and Retreat, St. Mark’s, Beaumont Trinity, Jasper, CF St. Paul’s, Woodville, CF St. James’ House Silver Tea, Houston Celebration of St. Luke’s Day, St. Luke’s Hospital, Houston St. James’ House Board Meeting, Diocesan Center, Houston Camp Allen Starry Nights, Houston Ordination and Consecration of New Bishop, Diocese of Rio Grande, Albuquerque, New Mexico Christ Church, San Augustine Clergy Conference, Camp Allen Trinity, Jacksonville, CF San Mateo, Bellaire, CF

3 10 a.m. 6 p.m. 7 8-9 10 10:30 a.m. 4:30 p.m. 13 7 p.m. 14-15 17 12 p.m. 18-19 21-22 23 24 10:45 a.m. 24-27 27 12 p.m. 28 30 9:30 – 1:30 p.m. 31 11 a.m.

St. Albans’, Waco, CF San Francisco de Asis, Austin, CF SSW Board Meeting, Austin Bishops’ Conference Outreach, Camp Allen St. Paul’s Navasota, CF San Pablo/St. Paul’s, Houston, CF St. John’s, Sealy, CF ECW Annual Meeting, St. Mark’s, Beaumont Santa Maria Virgen, Houston, CF Episcopal Relief and Development Bd. Meeting, New Jersey Consecration of Bishop of the Rio Grande, Albuquerque El Buen Samaritano Board Retreat St. Mark’s, Bay City, CF Clergy Conference, Camp Allen World Mission Commission, Camp Allen St. Luke’s Health System Executive Committee, Houston Altar Guild Conference, St. Richard’s, Round Rock St. Mark’s, Austin, CF

Texas Episcopalian

•

October

2010

EDOT Gallery, Artist’s reception, October 8, 2010 In the Anglican Communion A global community of 77 million Anglicans in 500 dioceses in 164 countries Archbishop of Canterbury The Most Rev. Rowan Williams Lambeth Palace, London, England, SE1 7JU Anglican Communion Office 16 Tavistock Crescent Westbourne Park London W 11 1AP United Kingdom www.lambethpalace.org www.anglicancommunion.org In the United States A community of 2.5 million members in 120 dioceses in the Americas and abroad Presiding Bishop The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori Episcopal Church Center 815 Second Ave., NY, NY 10017 1.800.321.2231 www.episcopalchurch.org In the Diocese of Texas One Church of more than 85,000 members in 153 congregations in the eastern quadrant of Texas, established in 1849 Bishop The Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle dotbp@epicenter.org 1225 Texas Ave. Houston, TX 77002-3504 1.800.318.4452 1.713.520.6444 FAX 1.713.520.5723 Austin: 1.512.478.0580, 1.800.947.0580 Tyler: 1.903.579.6012 www.epicenter.org editor: cbarnwell@epicenter.org