Spirit A PICTURE-PERFECT ELECTION • YOUTH DELEGATES • FAITH IN FILM
Episcopal Diocese of West Missouri
Fall 2010 Volume 2, No. 1
THE BISHOP-ELECT
Spirit PUBLISHER: The Rt. Rev. Barry R. Howe EDITOR: Hugh Welsh Spirit is published quarterly by the Episcopal Diocese of West Missouri 420 W. 14th St. P.O. Box 413227 Kansas City, MO 64141
4 Bishop Talk A visitation is more than just a visit to a congregation. It’s an opportunity for the bishop to appreciate the diocese’s many nuances and acquaint himself with the people in the pews. The bishop passes along a few tips for his successor. By the Rt. Rev. Barry R. Howe
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS: The Ven. John McCann, Archdeacon Hugh Welsh, Spirit The Rev. John Spicer, St. Andrew’s, Kansas City Angela Crawford, Administrative Assistant to the Archdeacon, Diocese of West Missouri SUBMISSIONS/LETTERS: Spirit welcomes submissions of news articles, photographs and letters to the editor on topics of interest to the diocese. Submissions should include the writer’s name, e-mail, mailing address and phone number and are subject to editing. PHONE: (816) 471-6161, Ext. 15 or (800) 471-6160 FAX: (816) 471-0379 E-MAIL: westmo_spirit@swbell.net WEB SITE: www.episcopalwestmo.org
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5 F.A.Q. With the election complete, where do we go from here? The chairperson of the Transition Committee explains how reaching a consensus among clergy and laity voters is only the beginning of ushering in a new bishop. By the Very Rev. Dr. Doug Johnson 6 Get Connected This year’s Diocesan Youth Event, which was the same weekend as the convention, featured the firstever youth convention, in which attendees were separated into guilds to discuss key issues in the Church. Two participants provide a full DYE report. By Kerry Maas and Ryan Loftis
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10 7 Resolutions Seven resolutions were approved at this year’s Diocesan Convention. Two of them concern the addition of youth delegates as voting members of the laity, and one commissions West Missouri to explore mergers with neighboring dioceses. By Hugh Welsh
12 Fr. Marty, Bishop-elect Fr. Marty Field’s candidacy as bishop may not have been entirely his decision. Three of his forebears were Anglican bishops. Was his election then a matter of fate? “Well, if it wasn’t, it’s too late,” Field says. “I’m the guy.” Indeed, he is. By Hugh Welsh
8 The Last Convention In the Rt. Rev. Barry Howe’s last convention as bishop, he recognized eight Bishop Shield recipients, including his wife Mary, whose acceptance was met with a standing ovation. Howe’s final address was centered more on the recipe for the diocese’s perseverance than his feats as bishop. By Hugh Welsh
16 One Church Engaging the World In September, Dave and Alice Williams expanded their diocesan role with Episcopal Relief & Development, a domestic and international relief and development agency of the Episcopal Church, to include all of Province VII. Why? It’s their life mission. By Hugh Welsh
10 Election Saturday Every frame of the diocese’s biggest day in this century was captured on camera by a parishioner at Church of the Resurrection in Blue Springs. A recap. By Gary Zumwalt
18 Arts A film series can unite a congregation in fellowship. Just ask anyone at these two diocesan parishes. Also, a review of Ordet, a seminal film about faith. By Hugh Welsh SPIRIT, FALL, 2010
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Bishop Talk ADVICE FOR VISITATIONS By the Rt. Rev. Barry R. Howe
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hese are some thoughts about Episcopal visitations to the congregations of West Missouri that I want Bishop-elect Field to have. I share them in the Spirit to express my gratefulness and thanksgiving for the great privilege of celebrating our common life in Christ in each and every one of our communities of faith on a regular basis. Bishop-elect Field: As you travel throughout the diocese – • Enjoy and drink in the beauty that is everywhere. Each season of the year offers very special vistas of flora and fauna. The diocese is a beautiful part of our world! • Listen to favorite music tapes or good books. • Maintain a close watch on the speed limits. Patrolling troopers are in abundance.
teaching role as the Bishop, and/or to respond to questions they may have about the Church, theology, and other ecclesiastical matters. • Stay following the service and enjoy the pot-luck meals. They are as good as you can get anywhere! Flavors from old family recipes are very special. But be careful about the amount of food you eat! Bishops tend to gain considerable weight quickly! • Enjoy conversation with parishioners during the meal. It is what you learn in such interactions that gives you the best snapshot of the congregation and of the joys and challenges the members have
• Sign all canonical Maintain a close watch on the speed limits. documents relating to Patrolling troopers are in abundance. baptisms and confirmations, As you reach the the service record, and all certificates congregation you are visiting – and prayer books you are asked to sign. • Be early. Every liturgy is planned with • As much as possible, spend some time unique elements. Study the bulletin following all the activities with the clergy and ask questions of the clergy about and their families. local customs and about what liturgical options are being used. Above all – • Insist on starting the service at the stated • Prepare for and anticipate each time. visitation with enthusiasm. • Be flexible and thus ready for any • Celebrate and preach with strong variations that may arise during the conviction. service. • Learn where the “cleaner stops” are located.
• Give the congregation an opportunity in a forum time to experience your 4
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• Love the people as sisters and brothers in Christ.
F.A.Q.
The Very Rev. Marty Field was elected the Eighth Bishop of West Missouri. What’s next?
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By the Very Rev. Dr. Doug Johnson
ow that we have elected Martin Field, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to be the Eighth Bishop of West Missouri, our work is not yet complete. A number of things still await us. Canonically, our bishop-elect cannot be ordained and consecrated until we have received consents from a majority of bishops with jurisdiction as well as standing committees. This is a sign that when someone is elected a bishop, he or she is elected not just for that one diocese but for the whole church. Thus, the whole church plays a role in affirming this call from God. Our own Standing Committee will shortly be requesting these consents from the various Episcopal dioceses across the nation. Once we request these consents, bishops and standing committees have 120 days to respond. It is our hope that these consents will be received quickly. We are putting into place the necessary structures to welcome and support the bishop-elect and his family as they prepare to move to West Missouri and begin their life among us. Moving to a new place always has its share of stresses. We want to make this time go as smoothly as possible for our bishop-elect and his family. At this point, we’re not exactly sure when this might happen but are hopeful that our bishop-elect will be here by February 1. We will strive to keep the diocesan family informed. Many thanks to Michelle Fasel, who is chairing this sub-committee for us. Our service of ordination and consecration of our new bishop will take place on March 5, 2011 at the Mariott Hotel in Kansas City. This venue was chosen to allow available space for anyone in the diocese to attend who would like to. There are an incredible
number of details to coordinate around this event besides the actual worship service itself. Begin listening and watching for announcements of the details of this great celebration in our life. Many thanks to Fr. Sam Mason, rector of Trinity Church in Independence, who is chairing this sub-committee for us. We also want to say good-bye to Bishop Howe and Mary and to celebrate the ministry they have had among us these past years. The celebration will occur February 13 at Grace & Holy Trinity Cathedral, beginning with a reception 3 to 5 p.m. in Founders Hall to honor Bishop Barry and Mary Howe. Afterward, a solemn Evensong will be held. I can’t stress enough how important an event this is to our entire transition time. The Howes have been an incredibly important part of the life of our diocese and we want to and need to celebrate that. As a witness to their ministry among us, we wanted to provide an appropriate retirement gift. Per their specific request, they would like their retirement gift to be the establishment of a diocesan fund to support the Day Care Center for Orphaned and Abandoned Children in Palapye, Botswana. If you have not yet sent a contribution to the diocesan office through your congregation, you may simply send a check to the diocesan office (P.O. Box 413227, Kansas City, MO 64141-3227), marking it as the bishop’s gift. As you can see, we still have much to do as we continue our journey of transition to a new place in the life of this diocese we all love and adore. As we move forward, let us each continue to pray for God’s touch upon our lives individually and as a diocese as we seek to move ahead in the power of the Spirit. Johnson is the Transition Committee chairperson. SPIRIT, FALL, 2010
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Get Connec ed West Missouri Youth
Diocesan Youth Event
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By Ryan Loftis • Church of the Redeemer in Kansas City By Kerry Maas • St. Paul’s in Kansas City
iocesan Youth Event is an annual gathering for Then, instead of separating ourselves by parish, we youth held at the same time as the diocesan welcomed a variety of opinions by breaking into guilds in convention. DYE is planned by the Youth Action which we encouraged small-group discussion. Council and staffed with the help of some gracious adult On Saturday, we attended the convention Eucharist at the volunteers. It is an intricate event in which we interact cathedral. After the service, we split up either to stay and be in faith and fellowship with youth from throughout the part of the election process for the new bishop or to go back diocese. This year, DYE was held at St. Paul’s in Kansas City. to St. Paul’s and learn more about our partner diocese in We started the event Friday night with a youth Botswana. For lunch, we walked through the Plaza with our convention. Megan Albin, from Church of the Good guilds and picnicked in spots we had searched out earlier. Shepherd, Kansas City, presided as convention chair; John After lunch, we competed in a scavenger hunt on the Rush, from St. Andrew’s in Kansas City, Plaza, building relationships and teamserved as parliamentarian; and Debbie working skills. That afternoon, we held Hertzberg, from Grace Church in Carthage, “Missionfest,” in which we worked on was our convention secretary. various mission projects such as: bags The Rev. Steve Wilson, rector of Grace of soup for the food pantry at St. Paul’s, Church in Carthage, brought Bishop Howe’s Christmas cards for soldiers, and patches greetings and spoke on behalf of diocesan to be made into a quilt for the Holy Land clergy about the importance of being part Institute for the Deaf.We also prayed for of a faith community, taking ownership of countries in need around the world. It was our own faith development and what an a way for us to learn that giving yourself Episcopal Church perspective offers the through Christ can be applied through world. prayer, compassion, hard work and Donya Ross, a member of the youth teaching. ministry at Christ Church in Springfield, After celebrating Evensong, we reported on the current state of parish youth reconvened for a dinner-dance “Rave for ministry, encouraged us to participate by Photo by Gary Zumwalt. Jesus” party, complete with glow lights and recalling the difference youth ministry made in her life, awesome music. Its spirit was second only to and empowered us all to make youth ministry happen in Bishop’s Ball itself. On Sunday morning, we were welcomed whatever way works within our parishes. by St. Paul’s first Sunday breakfast crew and, after breakfast, Lastly, Allyse Edwards, from Church of the Redeemer we were led in a morning meditation in order to reflect on in Kansas City, spoke on behalf of the Youth Action the weekend and our faith within the community. We took Council. She presented a summary of 2010 events and part in the All Saints’ service later in the morning, and we accomplishments and what being part of this council has were sent home with the spirit to spread youth action in our meant to her over the last several years. own parishes! 6
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Be It Resolved...
Seven resolutions were passed at this year’s Diocesan Convention. Some were ratified without a hitch (resolutions regarding youth delegates) and others were a matter for contention (the exploration of a merger with another diocese). A layman’s guide to each of them. By Hugh Welsh
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Amendment to Article VIII of diocesan constitution The amendment includes the addition of voting youth delegates at the Diocesan Convention and their inclusion as part of the lay order. The amendment calls for up to four youth delegates at convention. They must be between the ages of 16 and 19 and cannot be enrolled at a college or university. The delegates must be communicants in good standing who have spent at least six months at a diocesan congregation.
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Explore merger of dioceses The Diocesan Council will appoint a committee to explore the possibility of a merger with neighboring dioceses. The committee, equally clergy and lay people representing all four deaneries, will consider the positives and negatives of a possible merger. The committee, in addition to periodic reports to the bishop and Diocesan Council, will present its findings at next year’s Diocesan Convention. According to Resolutions Committee member the Rev. Stan Runnels, rector of St. Paul’s (Kansas City), there are at least twice as many dioceses as needed to minister to the Church’s two million members. “If we are to be more effective in our use of resources, a reduction of the number of dioceses is in order,” Runnels says.
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Adopt New Canon XXI The diocese’s Ecclesiastical Discipline canon was replaced to meet Title IV of the Constitution of the Episcopal Church as amended by the 2009 General Convention.
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Youth delegates The diocese’s canons were amended to include how youth delegates are chosen.
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Assessment revision Beginning in the 2011 budget year, the assessment of all diocesan congregations will be based on whichever is less: the average of the two most recent years’ normal operating income or the normal operating income of the last year. The assessment system is 14% on the first $50,000; 15% on $50,000 to $100,000; 16% on $100,000 to $150,000 and 18% over $150,000. The Diocesan Council will review the assessment system every three years. The change will result in a lower assessment for most congregations.
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Annual parochial assessment The formula used to determine the annual parochial assessment will be reworked beginning in the 2012 budget year. Previously, the assessment was figured using line A of the Annual Parochial Report: the sum of pledged income, plate income, regular support income and income for operational expenses. The new formula will exclude money parishes have spent through direct outreach ministries.
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Health insurance A committee will be formed, consisting of six clergy and lay representatives, to investigate health insurance options for clergy and lay employees in the diocese. Previously, diocesan staff determined the insurance coverage to be offered each year, says the Rev. Stan Runnels, a member of the resolutions committee. “This makes it a diocesen matter in which one or several of the 12 to 15 insurance policies available from the national church can be offered.” SPIRIT, FALL, 2010
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(Top left) Bishop’s Shield recipients. From left: Rachel Swaney, Jim Swaney, Dr. Linda Robertson, Bishop Barry Howe, Mary Howe, Harold Kost, The Rev. Connie Tyndall and Charles (Bud) McDowell. Not pictured: Kim Snodgrass. (Top right) Mary Howe’s acceptance is met with a standing ovation. Afterward, in Mary Howe’s honor, the Ven. John McCann led attendees in a rendition of “Mary is a Grand Old Name.” Photos by Hugh Welsh.
Bishop’s Shield Eight individuals were awarded Bishop’s Shields at the Diocesan Convention. Who they were, and why they were deserving.
Mary Howe Wife of Bishop Barry Howe A retired hospice nurse, Mary Howe helped initiate the St. Luke’s parish-nurse program. She serves on the Companion Diocese Committee, which recently launched a project to build a day care center for orphaned children in Palapye, Botswana. She also brought to the diocese Rag Dolls 2 Love, a program that gifts rag dolls to disadvantaged and traumatized children worldwide. And, perhaps most importantly, she leads the Community of Spouses of the Diocese of West Missouri.
Harold Kost St. Philip’s (Trenton) Kost, who is the Bishop’s Warden and Bishop’s Committee chairperson at St. Philip’s, has been a driving force behind the Northwest Episcopal Regional Ministry, which represents five diocesan parishes north and east of Kansas City. Kost has also established Hispanic ministry initatives in Trenton and Milan and organizes the annual World Changer’s summer mission in Trenton.
Charles (Bud) McDowell Grace & Holy Trinity Cathedral (Kansas City) A master woodcarver, McDowell, the junior warden at Grace & Holy Trinity, guided youth group teenagers at the cathedral in the construction of 500 wooden crosses, which were placed in patient rooms at St. Luke’s hospitals. He also crafted the lectern used in Founders Hall from a 100-year-old church pew.
Dr. Linda Robertson St. John’s (Springfield) 8
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As chairperson of the Search/Nomination Committee, Robertson was key in securing three highly qualified candidates for bishop. In her 13 years as a member at St. John’s, Robertson has served three terms on the vestry, continues to teach an adult Bible-study class and is the longtime chair of the Stewardship Committee. In 2009, she was a deputy at the General Convention.
Kim Snodgrass Diocesan Youth Coordinator Since her appointment as diocesan youth coordinator, the diocese has witnessed an upswing in youth activity, primarily between grades 6 and 12. Snodgrass helms seven youth events, mission trips and retreats throughout the year. She was vital to the resolutions calling for youth delegates to be included among the voting laity.
Jim and Rachel Swaney St. Michael’s (Independence) The Swaneys have been instrumental to bringing the Cursillo Movement, which empowers laypersons to be leaders in their congregations and communities, to the diocese. Rachel Swaney has coordinated the annual benefit concert for Habitat for Humanity the past 10 years.
The Rev. Connie Tyndall St. James’ (Springfield) Tyndall is a deacon at St. James’, where she assists at the altar and trains lay ministers. She chairs the diocesan Episcopal Church Women’s committee for continuing education grants and has been a deputy at the General Convention on four occasions. Earlier this year, she was honored by the bishop for her outstanding service to the Springfield community.
The Final Address
Since announcing his retirement one year ago, Bishop Barry Howe had been resistant to proposing his vision for the diocese beyond his tenure. In his last convention address, Howe offered a few suggestions for his successor. By Hugh Welsh
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n his final convention address, Bishop Barry Howe convention and detailed the qualifications for electing those reflected more on the future than the past or present. In representatives. Both resolutions were later passed without a many ways, it was a message to the bishop-elect, the Very single nay vote. Rev. Marty Field. “The Church can be a difficult mistress. It With the Rev. Mike Kyle’s resignation as diocesan campus can be an overbearing master,” Howe said. “The Apostle Paul ministry coordinator at the end of the year, Howe was careful reminded the new communities in Christ that he visited to to mention the continuing importance of campus ministry, never lose heart, and journey on with courage and boldness, now established at six colleges. “It’s a difficult ministry in the knowing that the Lord Jesus is with you.” sense that students are only around for a while,” Howe said, Howe said the next bishop must mull over a number of “but it’s important to remember these interns and campus matters, including an aging membership and an emergent ministers encourage students to worship and pray together minority. Two of the fastest-growing congregations in the and to plan mission projects in their local settings.” diocese are St. Nicholas in Noel and Grace Church in Howe will not appoint another diocesan campus ministry Carthage, both with large Hispanic congregations. The Rev. coordinator but will leave Bishop-elect Field with a nominee Jose Palma, diocesan Hispanic missioner, is for the position. the head of Hispanic ministry at St. Nicholas Howe also stressed the diocese’s ongoing and newly a U.S. citizen. “The Hispanic/ relationship with the community of Palapye, Latino population is significantly growing Botswana, a project close to the hearts of in our culture and, under the leadership of Howe and his wife, Mary. The diocese Padre Palma, the ministry among Hispanic/ was instrumental in bringing running Latino peoples is obviously growing in an water and adequate shelter to an orphan exponential way in this diocese,” Howe said. camp in Palapye; according to the United “The population is growing (in this diocese) Nations, one in every three adults in because there are education and formation Botswana is infected with HIV or developed programs offered for the families, retreats AIDS, resulting in thousands of orphans. offered to them, pastoral care that reaches The diocese is currently committed to into their homes; and there is encouragement constructing and supplying startup costs for Photo by Hugh Welsh. to take advantage of life-skill programs.” a day care center there. “Melissa Bolden just In his address, Howe also praised diocesan youth ministry, concluded her second visit with the people in the Diocese of an enterprise that was jumpstarted six years ago with the Botswana,” Howe said. “She has worked there for almost two appointment of Kim Snodgrass as youth ministry coordinator. months during this trip – joining with leaders in the Diocese With Snodgrass, Howe said, the youth themselves plan their of Botswana to assure that land might be purchased for a child own programs and ministries. They also take pilgrimages to center.” broaden their cultural understandings and attend general Lastly, Howe thanked his wife – “my life companion” – and conventions, national youth events and provincial meetings. extended his appreciation to the diocese he piloted through “While we are meeting in convention now, the youth are the first decade of the 21st century. “I have loved and will continue to love being bishop of West Missouri,” Howe said. holding their own convention,” Howe said. “In doing this, “I hope that you will love and care for the new bishop and they are expecting us to allow some of them to become his family as much as you have shared your love for Mary and working delegates at future diocesan conventions.” Howe praised resolutions Nos. 1 and 4, which incorporated me.” four youth delegates into the lay order at diocesan SPIRIT, FALL, 2010
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Electing a Bi
Photos by Gary Zumwa
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ishop
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Destination: Bishop Bishop-elect Marty Field was called to the ministry in his late teens. His decision meant he wouldn’t be inheriting his family’s construction business. Instead, as fate would have it, he inherited a vocation embedded even deeper in his bloodlines: that of bishop. By Hugh Welsh
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Prior to the bishop election Saturday, Nov. 6 at Grace & Holy Trinity Cathedral, voters and attendees participated in worship. Photo by Gary Zumwalt.
Bishop-elect Marty Field answers a question at the walkabout Sunday, Oct. 17 in Kansas City. Photo by Hugh Welsh.
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he Very Rev. Martin S. (“Marty”) Field’s journey to bishop-elect is long. It predates his entrance into seminary and the epiphany he felt at a church camp the summer following his junior year of high school, when he knelt before a wooden cross in a field with a close-ended question. Its beginnings are set before his overhearing a pastor speak to his parents about his unmistakable talent for ministering to his fellow man when in the fourth grade. It starts with two men: their names were Richard and Theophilus Field, Anglican bishop forebears unknown to the family until their recent unearthing. Little is yet known about Richard, but Theophilus’ story is laid bare. Theophilus was a favorite of the king who, along with seven churchmen, was charged with malfeasance, an illegal act. Five of the churchmen were convicted, but not Theophilus. He was acquitted. “Is it because he was a personal friend and chaplain to the king, or is it because he was innocent?” Marty Field says. “I really don’t have an answer. It’s just something my wife dug up as she was studying our genealogy, but it’s fascinating that he could be a bishop and one of the family’s ‘black sheep’ at the same time.” Field, 54, grew up in the town of Salem, Ohio, whose
population today is smaller than it was when he was a boy. It is part of the Rust Belt, a string of manufacturing towns that have withered since the day the automakers and steel industries left. It may be why Field was a welcome presence as rector at St. Paul’s in Flint, Mich., the birthplace of General Motors and the United Auto Workers. While the national unemployment rate hovers at 10 percent, Flint’s official unemployment rate stands at 13.7 percent; a year ago, it was nearing 30 percent. “In all actuality, I can tell you it may be as high as 40 percent today,” says Field, accounting for those who have either settled for part-time employment or stopped reporting altogether. “Compound this with a 50 percent school dropout rate and the picture’s not pretty.” As dean of the Flint River Valley Convocation, a cluster of churches invested in social action, Field isn’t one to rely on the government to service the needs of the people. The desperate economic climate in Flint lends itself to lame duck regimes and an impatient electorate: since 2002, three Flint mayors have been recalled. “When my wife and I arrived in Flint, it became clear the churches needed to come together to advocate for the poor, the voiceless and the kids in a failing school system,” Field says. “We needed to remind the mayor SPIRIT, FALL, 2010
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(Top left) Bishop-elect Marty Field greets a parishioner at St. Paul’s in Flint, Mich., where he is rector. (Top right) Field was a dunk-tank subject at St. Paul’s Rally Sunday event earlier this year. Submitted photos.
that, while we know you have problems, you cannot forget your job and remind city councilpersons not to see their job as taking care of a little ward, but to look after the city as a whole.” For Field, the priesthood is the glove that fits, though it wasn’t the one originally handed to him. Field and his father both cherished the notion that the son would go to college and return home as beneficiary to the family construction business. But in high school Field came to know that his job-like dutifulness to his church’s youth group meant something beyond a once-a-week commitment. He needed the church and, as his youth minister told him again and again, the church needed him. He felt a burgeoning sense of call to holy orders, a contradiction to his family’s plans for a father-and-son business partnership. He struggled with this sense of call for some time — even though only a teenager. The summer following his junior year of high school, Field questioned his destiny in a prayer and experienced an epiphany that awashed him in “light and warmth,” a baptism of the Holy Spirit. Field had made his decision. He informed his father and family. “When I felt the call, there was never any doubt that I was going to pursue it,” Field says. “While the decision disappointed both of us, my dad realized it was a legitimate calling from God.” After high school, Field was licensed as a minister-in14
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training in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) denomination and enrolled as a pre-ministerial student at Bethany College, Bethany, W.Va. He was placed at First Christian Church in Wheeling, W.Va., where he was a youth pastor one afternoon a week and on weekends, volunteering full-time during the summer. Field’s exemplary service earned him a recommendation from his pastor to an officer at the college, who appointed him student pastor at a small congregation in Proctor, W.Va., a position he held for two and a half years. In 1979, after graduating with a B.A. in religious studies in 1978, Field married his college sweetheart, Donna Cassarino. Seminary followed from 1980 to 1983, their first child, Chandra, a girl, joining the family during his last semester at Lexington Theological Seminary. Some years later, after stints as associate pastor and pastor at Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) churches in Mansfield, Ohio and Fort Washington, Md., respectively, Field felt a disconnect with the denomination. “I needed to find a place where my theology was welcome and could be lived out,” Field says. “Disciples of Christ is not a sacramental church, but I needed a church whose theology was based in the sacraments.” In October 1985, Field discovered the Episcopal Church, accepting a youth minister position at St.
Bishop-elect Marty Field poses with fellow clergy members at St. Paul’s in Flint, Mich., as part of Clergy Appreciation Day. Submitted photo.
John’s, Norwood Parish in Chevy Chase, Md. His initiation as a deacon and priest in the Episcopal Church didn’t come until 1991, when he finished translating his holy orders while stationed in Hawaii as a chaplain in the Navy, a post he counts among the most meaningful in his life. When war had been declared a year earlier in the Middle East, Field was on the front lines. American casualties in the Gulf War were few; two of them occurred in Field’s battalion of Marines. Field performed the last rites for the soldiers, whose wounds were too great for resuscitation. During prayer, not a head was unbowed. “Watching 18, 19, and 20 year olds wrestle with mortality is an emboldening thing,” Field says. “To be there when young people open themselves to questions about the wisdom of the ages is a great privilege.” In his time in the desert, Field led 350 worship services. Many of them were “pocket services”: worship wielded on a moment’s notice when a small group requests it, which could be on the side of a sand dune or the tailgate of a Hummer. Improvisation in the name of the faith was part of Field’s chaplaincy. He ushered 62 baptisms, and more than a few soldiers requested full immersion, the method dictated in the Bible. Of course, in the desert, bodies of water are few. So, Field asked the nuclear, biological and chemical warfare specialists of his regiment if he could
borrow a piece of their decontamination equipment, a self-inflating water bladder four-and-a-half feet deep and capable of holding 1,500 gallons of water. The water had been lying outside for days in winter weather. After baptizing four soldiers in the 50-degree water, Field was bordering on hypothermia. “The guys wanted it, and they needed it,” Field says. “My job was to deliver it.” Field says his philosophy as bishop, should he receive the necessary consents, will be no different. “I want to synthesize the strengths of the bishops I’ve had the delight of working under,” Field says. “The strength of Bishop Ousley (Diocese of Eastern Michigan) is his collaborative style, ruling by consensus, and the strength of my former bishop in West Tennessee (Bishop James Coleman) was his incredible bearing, a man you respect.” What about his bishop forefathers? “They’re in me, so they might have a chance to come out,” Field says. “So long as there’s no malfeasance.”
MRS. BISHOP-ELECT
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onna Field knows the weight of the torch being passed to her. “Mary Howe is such a blessing,” she says. “I hope to continue her legacy.” Field, a former schoolteacher, can specify a few of the ministries that interest her: she wants to support her husband, assist with the youth program, which she says is the most vital part of a church, and oversee the diocese’s community of spouses. She has already contacted Mary Howe. “I am really looking forward to a lot of new friendships,” Field says. “In the past, I was the spouse of a clergyperson. A bishop’s spouse means so much more.” Field says she has much to learn about what the diocese has to offer. “When I get to West Missouri and taste a little of everything we do, I’ll find a place that’s best for me,” she says. Bishop-elect Marty Field is enthusiastic about his wife’s role. “My wife has always been an active church woman in her own right,” Marty Field says. “She’s anxious to discover her own ministry and pursue it diligently.” SPIRIT, FALL, 2010
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ONE CHURCH
ENGAGING
Ninety-two cents of every dollar donated to Episcopal Relief & Development goes directly to programming. It’s partly why Dave and Alice Williams, who now coordinate ERD on the diocesan and provincial level, have devoted their lives to its cause. By Hugh Welsh
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n September, Dave and Alice Williams, parishioners at St. Mark’s in Kimberling City, expanded their responsibility with Episcopal Relief & Development. In addition to their position as diocesan coordinators, the Williamses now oversee ERD communication for all 12 dioceses in Province VII of the Episcopal Church, which includes West Missouri. Each of the eight provinces has coordinators. “We get information to diocesan coordinators from the Office of Church Relations in New York and advise on any problems they may have,” Dave says. The Williamses report to the provincial ERD president and supervise the Province VII ERD Web site and newsletter. “We keep a cohesion between the province and the Episcopal Church as a whole.” ERD is the international relief and development agency of the Episcopal Church. Ninety-two cents of every dollar donated to ERD goes directly to its programs. The Episcopal Church pays for a bulk of the overhead costs. “If you want the most bang for your buck, give to ERD,” Dave says. “My wife and I have decided to make this our mission.” The yearly diocesan budget for ERD is $1,500, enough for representatives to attend the weeklong annual network conference, which was held in Belize this year (see opposite story). All other expenses are incurred by the Williamses. These include transportation costs during visits to diocesan congregations, overnight stays (due to the size of West Missouri, they often have to spend the night when traveling to the Northern Deanery) and supplying educational materials. If invited to a parish, the Williamses distribute handouts and show a 40-minute presentation about ERD or they can give the homily on a Sunday morning. “We just have to be asked by the priest in charge,” Dave says. Transplants from Connecticut to the Lake of the Ozarks, 16
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THE WORLD
the Williamses lived the “fast life” when Dave was a corporate executive and Alice a registered nurse. “Life on the East Coast was good,” Dave says. “But it’s nice not to be so self-centered for a change.” Since the Williamses accepted their positions as ERD diocesan coordinators more than three years ago, the percentage of parishes with an ERD representative has doubled, from 30 percent to 60 percent. “If a parish has a representative, then it’s a personal contact we can send material to,” Dave says. ERD is renowned for its speed in both funneling donations and delivering manpower to crisis situations. When an earthquake struck Port-au-Prince, Haiti, resources were available there the next day. Within two to three days, ERD representatives from New York were on the ground, check marking needs. “We didn’t have to build big convoys of food and take a week to get it there and a week to get it distributed,” Dave says. In the event of a disaster, ERD cooperates with the local Episcopal or Anglican churches or, if none are to be found, a church of any denomination. Unlike some charitable organizations, it does not deal with governments. Recently, ERD pulled contributions to India because the government refused to account for how money was being spent. “ERD does not put up with corruption and waste,” Dave says. While ERD has a strong presence abroad, its domestic duty deserves no less attention. In the past year, ERD has played significant roles in the Gulf Coast oil spill, the upper Mississippi River flooding and restoring water and power to Native American reservations hit by an ice storm in the Dakotas. Five years later, it is still a factor in the lives of those victimized by Hurricane Katrina. When a damaging tornado struck south of Joplin two years ago, the Williamses worked closely with St. John’s, Neosho, and a nearby Lutheran church to secure a $25,000 grant from ERD. The money was used to buy computers and office supplies for record keeping. “They came to us, we went to the bishop and he submitted a written request,” Dave says. “All they had to do was tell us of their need.”
In May, Dave and Alice Williams traveled to Belize for the annual ERD network conference. There they learned firsthand about micro-loans, a program intended for needy farmers and tradespeople. The loans have not gone to waste. By Hugh Welsh
Photo from ERD Web site.
W
hat good is giving a loan if there is no assurance ancient Mayan city. It is the setting of the landmark templeit will be paid back? In Belize, Episcopal Relief pyramid, the Temple of the Masonry Altars. Two micro-loans & Development has established a micro-loan were awarded to Lorie and her husband, a woodcarver whose program for needy farmers and tradespeople. ERD’s partner, sculptures are a popular keepsake for tourists. The second Belize Enterprise for Sustainable Technology, reports that loan was given after the first was repaid. Money from the loans 97.7 percent of loans, varying between $1,000 and $5,000, are helped the couple stock their gift shop. repaid. Next, the Williamses traveled to the village of Lucky Strike, Dave and Alice Williams, diocesan ERD coordinators, were located on the eastern coast just north of Belize City. There able to witness the workings of micro-loans firsthand at the they met Alan, a woodcarver and father to five children; annual ERD network conference in May. The Rt. Rev. Philip his wife is deceased. In 2008, Alan received a $4,000 microWright, bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Belize, hosted loan to buy tools and materials for his home workshop. His the event, which was attended by 70 diocesan coordinators. wooden creations are sold at the Tourist Village in Belize City, It marked the first time the gathering was held outside the a showcase of Belize’s top artists frequented by cruise liners. United States. A majority of Belize’s population lives in extreme Business is booming for Alan, who has hired two employees poverty, and HIV/ to keep pace with AIDS is an epidemic. demand. On the “By and large, these business owners pay the The micro-loans are day the Williamses loans back,” Dave Williams says, “even though available to those visited, Alan made many are without running water or electricity.” the final payment on with entrepreneurial drive but who lack the his loan. means to realize it, many surviving on less than $1.25 a day. For Finally, the Williamses visited Miss Cherry’s Grocery Shop them, securing a loan from a bank is not a possibility. and Fast Food, a thriving roadside market and eatery. When The Williamses visited several businesses benefiting from the Williamses arrived, Miss Cherry’s was a hive of activity: micro-loans: a farmer, a gift shop owner, a woodcarver and a swarms of people were shopping, eating and conversing at grocery store owner. picnic tables beneath a tarp. Cherry had saved most her The first visit was to a farm down a muddy, potholed path lifetime to purchase the plot off a major highway and build a beyond reach of electricity or running water. The Williamses store there replete with panades, a bread dish. She received a were met by Julia, her husband and children, who were $2,000 micro-loan to expand the store to include fruits and hoisting plaques their mother had won for her eco-friendly vegetables. farming practices. Julia has been awarded two micro-loans: one “By and large, these business owners pay the loans back,” for $4,000 that was used to buy tools (which was repaid), and Dave says, “even though many are without running water or another for $5,000 that was used to set up a tilapia fish farm, electricity or basic amenities.” buy cattle and assemble a mesh greenhouse capable of growing To donate, please visit www.er-d.org or call 1-800-334pest-resistant peppers. 7626, ext. 5129. Gifts can be mailed to: Episcopal Relief & The next stop was a gift shop at Altun Ha, the ruins of an Development, P.O. Box 7058, Merrifield, VA 22116-7058. SPIRIT, FALL, 2010
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Parishioners from St. Andrew’s gather to view and discuss a film. Submitted photo.
film & theology
Film is the ultimate art form. Its combination of visual and auditory stimuli transports us to different places and times: film alters our perceptions and, at its zenith, can change how we portray ourselves as Christians. Here’s a look at film series at two diocesan parishes. By Hugh Welsh
SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS (BRANSON) The Rev. Greg Hoover began his tenure as deacon-in-charge at Shepherd of the Hills in Branson this June. Before Hoover unpacked the boxes in his office, he organized a monthly film series at the church. “Film has always been an interest of mine,” Hoover says. “Sometimes in quality film, layers of meaning are glimpsed that lead the viewer into deeper levels of spiritual meaning.” Following a screening, the parishioners eat a potluck dinner and discuss the film. Hoover says so far he has chosen the films, which are picked for their theological or ethical value. “I’m trying to encourage others to become involved in the process,” Hoover says. The first film was The End of the Spear, a docudrama based on the true story of Nate Saint and four other missionaries, who attempted to evangelize the Waodani people of Ecuador in the 1950s. The missionaries were fatally speared by the Waodani but the missionaries’ wives and children, instead of fleeing, settled with the tribe, forming relationships that last until the present day. “It’s a film about the power of forgiveness,” Hoover says. In September, the film was Unlocking the Mystery of Life, a documentary that explores the interior of a living cell: rotary motors that spin at 100,000 r.p.m., a processing system that far exceeds any computer processor and a thread-like molecule that stores the building blocks of every living organism on earth. “The film sparked an excellent discussion about the nature of life and the universe, and an upcoming adult forum series on science and health,” Hoover says. 18
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ST. ANDREW’S (KANSAS CITY) The Second Friday Film Series at St. Andrew’s in Kansas City is more than a monthly occasion for parishioners to engage in fellowship. It’s a community event where attendees watch a film, discuss it and enjoy wine and cheese, coffee, dessert and Topsy’s popcorn – ll free of charge. The films begin at 7 p.m. at the church. “We really encourage parishioners to bring friends and family,” says Ann Hyde, whofounded the series in 2008 along with the Rev. John Spicer, associate rector for mission at St. Andrew’s, and Sean Kim, a professor of history at the University of Central Missouri. Currently, the films are drawing 40 to 50 people. Films are chosen to reflect the theme of individualsials overcoming adversity and transforming their parts of the world. The discussions are led by St. Andrew’s parishioners or clergy, or by an expert from the community.. In November the Rev. Fred Mann, St. Andrew’s rector and Civil War aficionado, led a discussion of Glory, a film about the 54th Massachusetts, the first all-black regiment to fight in the Civil War. Earlier this year, Jimmy Schell – coach of the 2001 and 2002 women’s Division II national championship rugby teams at the University of Northern Iowa and former teacher and GM product safety spokesperson – steered discussion of The Power of One, an Anglo-African boy’s coming-of-age story set in South Africa during the 1930s and 1940s. The boy, nicknamed Peekay, uses boxing to confront the pervasive issue of racism. In December, the series will feature Entertaining Angels, a 1996 independent movie about Dorothy Day, the journalist turned social activist renowned for the Catholic Worker movement. Past films include Lars and the Real Girl, Apollo 13, The Gospel According to St. Matthew, Pete Seeger: The Power of Song and Martin Luther King, Jr.: The Man and the Dream.
DEBRIEFED WHAT IS IT? Ordet
WHO DIRECTED IT? Carl-Theodor Dreyer
IN A NUTSHELL
Ordet, translated as The Word in English, is a study of the conflict between personal faith and organized religion. In the film, an outcast widower, and father to three sons, wrestles with doubt. IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT THE ENGLISH translation of Ordet, a 1955 film by Danish director CarlTheodor Dreyer, is The Word. It plays much like a parable: the message may not be immediately apparent, but allow the heart to dwell on it, and the soul will stir an answer – an answer that can’t always be readily explained but is entrenched in tears. The source material was written by Kaj Munk, a Danish pastor executed by the Nazis for proclaiming his fidelity to Christ over Adolf Hitler. I watched Ordet at the suggestion of a friend. He told me he viewed it because of its standing as a movie about faith. He said he seldom found time to watch movies, but rather than get ahead on paperwork as usual, he would watch it. “The stresses of my job were souring my attitude toward others. The last straw was when I called my sister lazy for being out of work the past year. I needed something to renew my Christian will,” he said. I, too, have recommended the film to friends of mine, many of whom have cast common nets of resistance: after all, it’s old, black and white, and subtitled. I don’t deny that the film is more challenging than the fare consumed by a typical weekend moviegoer. There are no gotchas, explosions or rapid-fire MTV cuts; Ordet appeals to attention spans that could watch a windswept field for hours and feel rewarded with the arrival of a bull elk and its magisterial song. Ordet is set in 1925 in sleepy West Jutland, Denmark, a town whose controller is religion. Go counter to the popular view, and expect to be treated as an outcast, a heretic. Morten Borgen (Henrik Malberg), the father of three boys, has broken from the local church, clinging to a notion that doubts the Lord answers every prayer. His sons are Mikkel (Emil Hass Christensen), an agnostic awaiting a sign to compel him to
believe in God; Johannes (Preben Leerdorff-Rye), a man meant for the priesthood who believes he is Jesus Christ personified; and Anders (Cay Kristiansen), whose desire to marry a tailor’s daughter is dashed by a conflict over religion between his father and the father of the one he loves. The movie begins with Johannes astray in the countryside, reiterating the Sermon on the Mount to no one, save an oncoming storm. Johannes is a wayward devotee of Soren Kierkegaard, a 19th century Danish theologian who preached “truth as subjectivity,” a forerunner of existentialism that contended it is not enough to believe Christian doctrine; one must actually live it. Kierkegaard warned, however, that such a pursuit ultimately leads to anguish: a person cannot easily juggle temporal existence and eternal truth. The story’s centerpiece is Inger (Birgitte Federspiel), Mikkel’s wife. Inger is a doer of goodwill: she is the one who begs Morten to set aside his religious hostility for love of Anders; she is the one who never judges her husband’s lack of faith; she, and her daughter, are the only ones who listen to Johannes, whose words are more prophetic than anyone realizes. Inger is the positive force everyone takes for granted. Morten does not hide his disappointment that Inger’s firstborn was a girl; he needs a grandson to inherit the farm. She is again pregnant, this time with a boy. But she is ailing. While the doctor insists that his medicine has saved her, Johannes unpopularly argues otherwise. She will die, and only faith can resurrect her. Ordet is not unlike Michelangelo’s sculptures or Byzantine architecture. It is the holiest of art. — BY HUGH WELSH SPIRIT, FALL, 2010
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Episcopal Diocese of West Missouri p.o. box 413227 kansas city, mo 64141
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