Spirit February 2014

SPIRIT ECS CELEBRATES 25TH ANNIVERSARY | REGIONAL YOUTH NETWORKS

Episcopal Diocese of West Missouri

February 2014 | Volume 6, No. 1

WEST MISSOURI’S 125TH ANNIVERSARY

PUBLISHER The Rt. Rev’d. Martin S. Field EDITOR The Rev’d. Lauren Lyon

Spirit is published by the Episcopal Diocese of West Missouri 420 West 14th St. Kansas City, MO 64105 EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Mrs. Angela Crawford, Communications Assistant The Rev’d. Lauren Lyon, Communications Director

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Editor’s Letter

Keeping the Feast

Spirit takes its first look back over West Missouri’s life span as the diocese begins its 125th anniversary year.

The liturgies of Holy Week prepare us for the celebration of Easter.

By The Rev’d. Lauren Lyon

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4 Bishop Marty’s Missive The transition of liturgical seasons from Christmas through Lent must be lived fully in order to be truly understood.

By The Right Rev’d. Martin S. Field

4 The Ponder Box

Canon to the Ordinary

Love has the power to heal beyond our ability to ask or imagine.

SUBMISSIONS/LETTERS

By The Rev’d. Dr. Steve Rottgers

The Rev’d. Dr. Steven Rottgers,

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 and postal addresses and phone number and are subject to editing.

PHONE (816) 471-6161 ext. 15 FAX (816) 471-0379 E-MAIL west.mo.communications@gmail.com WEB SITE www.episcopalwestmo.org

SPIRIT ECS CELEBRATES 25TH ANNIVERSARY | REGIONAL YOUTH NETWORKS

Episcopal Diocese of West Missouri

February 2014 | Volume 6, No. 1

ON THE COVER An advertisement for Christ Church Lexington with a photo dated 1891 depicting clergy and parishioners in front of the church building.

Photo courtesy of Christ Church Lexington archives

WEST MISSOURI’S 125TH ANNIVERSARY

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5 Hearing God’s Call as the Episcopal Church Episcopalians must renew their commitment to our distinctive way of being Christian.

By The Rev’d. David Kendrick

5 Theological EducationViewpoint What does it mean to discern a call to ministry? Postulants and Candidates for Holy Orders met with peers and mentors between school terms to discuss the whys and hows.

By Anne Kyle, Jim Swaney and Kevin White.

By Chas Marks

Before West Missouri Was The first in a series of articles highlighting our diocese’s history explores the early years of two of its oldest congregatrions.

By The Rev’d. Lauren Lyon

11 ECS at 25 In 2014 Episcopal Community Services celebrates its 25th year of service.

By John Hornbeck

12 Regional Youth Ministry The Youth Ministry Network concept that began in Southern Deanery finds a new expression in metro Kansas City.

By Kim Snodgrass Photo by Donna Field

14 The Agenda Late winter and spring events offer education, networking and fellowship.

14 WEMO on the Web Digital Faith offers congregations a cost effective option for Web presence.

Photos by Gary Allman

EDITOR’S LETTER | The Rev’d. Lauren Lyon

New Ways of Being the Church Our history reminds us that re-imagining is the work of every generation.

THE TASK FORCE FOR RE-IMAGINING THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH [TREC] RELEASED A REPORT ON THE INITIAL “LISTENING” PHASE OF ITS WORK ON DECEMBER 10.

The members of TREC report “We have asked people what their hopes and dreams are for our Church; what aspects of the Church they hope we cherish and strengthen; and what they wish we could be brave enough to let go of in order to make our Church more vibrant and mission-focused.” It reports also that “the Church wants us to face and grapple with the tough issues and the “elephants in the room” that suck up our resources, time and energy and that block our growth.”

When TREC’s work is completed it will include ideas and suggestions for new ways of being the Church. I hear that phrase frequently and I’m happy to know that Episcopalians are interested in innovation. I wonder sometimes, though, if we in the second decade of the 21st century imagine that we’re the only ones to think in those terms.

This year our diocese celebrates the 125th anniversary of its admission to the General Convention of the Episcopal Church. West Missouri was a new way of being the Church in 1889. Jackson Kemper, the Episcopal Church’s first missionary bishop, envisioned new ways to bring the Episcopal Church to the young and sparsely populated western states and territories of the United States. He had learned the hard way that clergymen accustomed to life in well-established eastern cities did not have the characteristics needed to build a frontier Church.

The absence of leaders with the skills for that particular place and time blocked the Church’s growth. Bishop Kemper devised methods for training clergy specifically to build the Church in the west.

This issue’s cover story, entitled Before West Missouri Was is about two of our diocese’s congregations that experienced new ways of being the Church. They were initially founded under bishop Kemper’s leadership in the 1840s. Their members who had migrated west learned along with their bishop how to grow the church in towns where aspects of common life such as law, commerce and culture were only beginning to take a foothold. They were called to re-imagine the life of the church only a few years later after the Civil War threw the region into dangerous disorder.

This is the first in a planned series of feature articles in the 2014 volume of Spirit that will focus on the history of our diocese. Six issues will not even scratch the surface of West Missouri’s 125 years, but I hope these articles will offer a glimpse of the people and events that have made and continue

Detail of cover photo depicting clergy and parishioners on the lawn of Christ Church Lexington, 1891.

to make our diocese a unique expression of Christianity that is distinctively Episcopalian.

The research required to prepare such an article cannot be accomplished without the support of congregations, particularly access to their archives. I was very fortunate to work with Marty Byer, Vicar of Christ Church Boonville and Mickey Simnitt, Abigail Tempel and Fred Tempel, parishioners of Christ Church Lexington whose willingness to help me navigate their congregations’ archives enriched the content of the article significantly. Several short histories of the two churches written by Doug Johnson, Burris Little, Lisa Smalley and Jane Greg were invaluable sources of information.

The February issue of Spirit will be my final offering as Editor. As this issue goes to press, I will be leaving Kansas City to take a new position as Rector of Trinity Church in Iowa City, Iowa. I look forward with joy and anticipation to this new ministry, but saying goodbye to friends and concluding working relationships with respected colleagues after nearly 25 years in the diocese is not easy.

A look back at our history reminds us that the life of the Church has been about such comings and goings in every time and place. To be able to explore the documents and images of a congregation’s past is a way to be in touch with the thoughts and experiences of those who have gone before us in the faith. I hope that you will enjoy the magazine’s commemoration of this milestone in the life of our diocese. + SPIRIT | February 2014

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KEEPING WATCH | The Right Rev’d. Martin S. Field

THE PONDER BOX | The Rev’d. Dr. Steve Rottgers

A Light to the Nations

Love’s Healing Power

THIS ISSUE OF SPIRIT COMES OUT AT AN ODD TIME IN THE CHURCH’S CALENDAR. Before you receive it, most

LOVE IS NOT ALWAYS PERFECT, BUT IT IS USUALLY WELL-INTENDED. I said this to a former parishioner yester-

of the days of the season after the Epiphany will have gone by, but we will not have arrived at Ash Wednesday, the opening of the season of Lent Epiphany may be the least appreciated season, coming as it does between the thematic powerhouses of Christmas and Lent. As a season, its theme is revelation: God’s self-revelation in the person of Jesus, how Jesus was revealed to human eyes as the Messiah, and the revelation that God’s Kingdom is for all, not a select group.

That’s important and powerful stuff, and we need to take the time fully to appreciate the wonder of what God has done in sending Jesus as the baby of Christmas who would become known as the Son of Man and Son of God. But Lent will follow Epiphany as it always does. And Lent will open on Ash Wednesday as it always does. This year Ash Wednesday is March 5th.

But why on earth do we allow ourselves to be smudged with ashes each year?

Of course, the most commonly heard answer among Episcopalians is: We’ve always done it that way. There is, however, a better, more tradition-connected answer. Ashes were used in ancient times to express mourning. Dusting oneself with ashes was a penitent’s way of expressing sorrow for sins and faults. Old Testament figures such as Job, Jeremiah, Daniel, and Jonah used ashes to express seeking, sorrow, sadness, and sinfulness. Other examples are found in the books of Numbers, Ezekiel, Matthew, Luke, Hebrews, and more.

Ash Wednesday begins Lent’s 40-day observance of prayer, fasting, self-denial, and discipline. 40 days are, of course, an allusion to Jesus’ 40 days of fasting and prayer in the Wilderness where he was tempted but did not sin.

The duration of Lent is also analogous to the 40 days Moses spent repenting and fasting after the making of the golden calf. And, to this day, many Jews observe a 40-day period of repentance in preparation for and during the High Holy Days from Rosh Chodesh Elul to Yom Kippur.

This is how our traditions of Epiphany, Ash Wednesday, and Lent came to be. This is what Epiphany and Ash Wednesday have meant to the people of faith in years past.

The question for us is this: what will they mean to us? Do these customs still ring true, still provide us ways to move to a closer understanding of and relationship with God? Refresh your observances of Ash Wednesday and Lent this year. Slow down and claim some breathing space in your busy life. Then allow time with God to fill that space with his peace. +

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day. I actually surprised myself!

Priests have the opportunity to observe all forms of love in the course of their work. It is an amazing and powerful force in our lives and in the world. I have seen how God’s love changes people and situations in ways that are beyond human understanding, comprehensible only by faith.

It allows people to do things they could not possibly accomplish without it. It binds us in relationships with spouses, children, parents, colleagues, peers, friends, significant others and extended family. I don’t think you can enter into a love relationship without good intentions. However, because of our humanity, cracks and fissures appear, disappointments occur, trust is strained or broken, expectations dashed, and sometimes it all falls down.

I am in awe how the true and only power that can fix broken love is love itself!

Humility, contrite hearts, open minds, extended courtesies, and actions of repentance re-infuse love into broken or strained relationships. Love heals broken love better than anything else. It doesn’t happen easily or quickly and it doesn’t come without personal sacrifice, openness and truthfulness. But it can and does happen.

Our culture allows, even encourages people with divergent points of view to avoid relating to each other. We have all observed instances in which adversaries are thoughtlessly quick to characterize each other in less than human terms.

The art of love is being lost. We need to relearn it and spread it in abundance. That requires an act of the will: unconditional, gracious, compassionate, tender, fragile, strong and always trusting.

John Lennon sang, “All You Need is Love.” I grew up in the 60s and 70s. Even then it may have sounded campy, but it holds up over time and under pressure. Whether it is applied in our personal lives and relationships, our places of worship, our businesses, our communities or with those who intend to do us harm, love isn’t perfect.

When we offer it in the hope of forming a new relationship or as a means of repairing a broken one, we need to do it with the best and purest of intentions. If we did this, maybe we could change our world from one riddled with fear and injustice, to one that is more generous and trusting.“There is NO FEAR in Love.” Perhaps it’s time for us to make an imperfect but well-intentioned effort, trying again and again until we get it right, just as God would want us to do. It worked for Jesus. +

GUEST COLUMNIST | The Rev’d. David Kendrick

THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION VIEWPOINT

New Year, New Light

Discerning the Call

“What came to be in it [the Word] was Life, and the Life was the light of all people, and the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not absorb it” (John 1:4-5) 1

ON SATURDAY JANUARY 4TH A MEETING ROOM IN THE HOUSE OF GRACE ON THE CAMPUS OF ST. MARY MAGDALENE CHURCH FILLED WITH PERSONS JOURNEYING TOGETHER THROUGH WHAT MANY CALLED “THE PROCESS.” This process of discerning a call to minis-

THIS IS THE LATE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY, WILLIAM TEMPLE’S TRANSLATION. I always turn to

Temple first when considering a passage from the Gospel of John, which I have done again in this Christmas just passed. Once again, we have spent an Advent preparing for the coming of the Word made skin and blood and bones.

Once again, we have looked for a fresh perception of the Christ who said, “I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age.”

(Matthew 28:20, Common Eng. Bible) And now a star of wonder has called us to leave the manger and begin a journey that will lead us to the cross and empty tomb.

It is tempting to try and stay with the baby, especially when the future seems uncertain for the Church in this country, and I don’t just mean the Episcopal Church.

Going back to Temple’s translation; none of us wants the darkness to absorb us, like the sci-fi Borg saying,” You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile.” But as we worry about budgets and look at articles about declining church membership, we might be tempted to think we’re going to be absorbed, sooner or later.

But I do not believe that. There is no expression of Christ’s Church that has fed me, challenged me, and loved me like the Episcopal Church. Through the loss of my mother as a teenager, and my sometimes quixotic search for “truth” as a young adult, it is in The Episcopal Church that I became a mature and “living member” of the Body of Christ. Even as I try to take stock of this church in which I am a priest, I celebrate it with all my heart.

We do need to become more intentional about our faith as Christians of the Episcopal “persuasion.” We need to renew our understanding of who we are as Episcopal Christians.

We need to pray for guidance and listen to each other, trusting that the Spirit is speaking through each of us as we consider what God wants us to do for the spread of God’s kingdom.

At St. John’s in Springfield, where I serve as Rector, we are preparing to discern God’s direction for us through the program, “Ripe for the Harvest,” which Canon Steve Rottgers has prepared for all churches to use. We may be confirmed in some of our ministries. We may be challenged to respond to new needs with new ministries. But if we trust the Light enough to ask what He wants of us, we need not fear the darkness, through which the Light shines forever and ever. Amen. + 1 William Temple, “Readings in St. John’s Gospel” (Morehouse Barlow reprint, 1985, orig. pub. 1939) p. 6

The Rev’d. David Kendrick is Rector of St. John’s Church in Springfield.

try as a deacon or a priest in the Episcopal Church is a journey we make together in this diocese. We who gathered on January 4th included postulants and candidates for ordination to one of those orders, but there were others, too. Members of the Commission on Ministry, the Board of Examining Chaplains, and the Bishop’s staff are also on this journey, providing support, guidance and oversight, and some of them were there participating that day. The conversation turned, as it should, to you. Many of you are on this journey with us. In a variety of ways, we shepherd each other in our life of ministry.

Here are some thoughts that three of us took away that day.

Anne Kyle The ministers of the Church are, according to the catechism in the Book of Common Prayer; lay persons, bishops, priests, and deacons. Our work together that day emphasized this for me, again. Those who are and those who will be ordained to diaconal and priestly ministries are called upon to discern God’s call to ministry with all of God’s people.

Kevin White I am reminded of a story I heard about an aged sister in a religious order who more than anything wanted to be sent out to serve the Native Americans on the frontier. Her bishop refused her request many times, always citing her many infirmities and advanced age. It came to her bishop that this servant of God could be of use to all Native Americans and missionaries in the field by praying for them daily. That was her ministry, one that she attended to faithfully. I believe there are no small ministries.

Jim Swaney Bishop Marty emphasized that non-stipendiary clergy, especially those having secular employment, must not treat their ministries as a hobby. Their ministries are their primary vocation, even when their ministries are scheduled to take up less time than their day jobs. He added that the same is true for us who are ordained to the laity (in our baptism).

Our secular work may become part of our ministry, but God expects us to exercise good stewardship of the gifts entrusted to us for our ministries, treating our ministries as our primary vocation. + Jim Swaney is a lay member of the Commission on Ministry. Kevin White is postulant for the diaconate. Anne Kyle is a postulant for the priesthood.

Anne and Kevin are 2nd year students at Bishop Kemper School for Ministry.

SPIRIT | February 2014

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Keeping the Feast

Our celebration of Easter Sunday is informed and enriched by the liturgies of Holy Week.

Chas Marks

As the eleventh hour draws near … all the children who are [gathered at the top of the Mount of Olives, including those who are not yet able to walk because they are too young and therefore are carried on their parents’ shoulders, all of them bear branches, some carrying palms, others, olive branches.

And the bishop is led in the same manner as the Lord once was led. From the top of the mountain as far as the city and from there through the entire city … everyone accompanies the bishop the whole way on foot, and this includes distinguished ladies and men of consequence.

The Pilgrimage of Egeria, 4th Century CE

EGERIA WAS A 4TH CENTURY SPANISH NOBLEWOMAN WHO TRAVELED THROUGHOUT THE HOLY LAND AND WROTE DESCRIPTIVE LETTERS TO HER SISTERS WHOM SHE HAD LEFT BEHIND IN SPAIN. In these letters,

we find the first written record of the Church’s celebration of Holy Week. By this time, the ceremonies had become quite elaborate in the city of Jerusalem which leads scholars to believe that they had been going on for some centuries before. Gradually, pilgrims began to spread these traditions to their home churches in Spain, Gaul, Britain and later Rome. As you may notice from the passage above, the ceremonies of the 4th Century Church of Jerusalem have much in common with the celebration of Holy Week in our time. The death and resurrection of our Lord, the Paschal mystery, is at the very core of Christian belief. It follows therefore, that the celebration of these events is the pinnacle of the Church calendar.

Palm Sunday We begin Holy Week with the Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday. The Liturgy of the Palms which precedes the Eucharist commemorates our Lord’s entry into Jerusalem. It is a festive occasion that oftentimes includes an outdoor procession. While it is common to buy palm fronds from religious supply houses, it is even more traditional to use whatever flowering early spring branches might be available. While the Liturgy of the Palms is celebratory, the Eucharist of the day has a much more solemn character. It begins with the collect that sets the tone for the remainder of the service.

A particular highlight is the chanting or reading of the Passion of the Lord as the Gospel of the day. While many congregations read the Passion narrative in parts,

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there are other effective ways to proclaim it. One suggestion is to break the Passion into three or four sections each read by a different person. Between each section, the Trisaigion or a verse of a hymn can be sung. This allows for participation of the whole congregation while also allowing them to concentrate on hearing the text. The traditional liturgical color for Palm Sunday and all of Holy Week in the medieval English Church was not the bright red that we see often used today, but a more brownish or purplish shade of red known as oxblood.

Tenebrae Some churches will offer the monastic service of Tenebrae at some point during Holy Week. Tenebrae is a reflective service of psalms and lessons. It was traditionally done on the last three days of Holy Week at during the night. On Wednesday it was celebrated with normal lighting, Thursday with decreasing lighting, and Friday with only one candle for the reader. The decreasing light gives us the name of this service, tenebrae which means shadow. A special candelabra is sometimes used for this service and one candle is extinguished after each section until no lights are left.

The service of Tenebrae is found in The Book of Occasional Services.

Maundy Thursday On Maundy Thursday the Church gathers to recall the events of the Last Supper. A highlight of this service is the Mandatum or Foot Washing. This rite reminds us of the example of Jesus who washed the feet of his disciples and commanded that his followers also be willing to serve others in love. At the end of the Maundy Thursday liturgy occurs one of the most solemn rites of the Church year, the Stripping of the Altar, which is a symbol of Christ.

In this ancient rite we commemorate the abandonment of Jesus by his followers and the stripping of Jesus by the soldiers prior to his crucifixion. In some places on Maundy Thursday enough bread and wine is consecrated for use on Good Friday. The bread and wine are reserved at an “Altar of Repose” and members are invited to keep vigil there in prayer.

Good Friday Good Friday is a solemn fast day and traditionally the Church has not celebrated the Eucharist on this day. The liturgy of Good Friday is divided into four parts. It begins in silence followed by the Liturgy of the Word which includes the Passion narrative from John’s Gospel. The second rite is a more solemn type of prayers of the people.

These bidding prayers and collects date as far back as the 3rd Century CE. It is a long tradition to kneel in silent prayer following the bidding and to stand during the collect. The third element, the Veneration of the Cross is described in detail by Egeria. In 4th Century

Jerusalem a fragment of the true cross was carried in procession to Calvary.

While the deacons stood guard the bishop would lift it up for all to venerate. All would then come forward to kiss the cross. The deacons were appointed to guard the relic because some particularly fervent pilgrims would try to bite off pieces of the cross to take home. The rite, minus the guards, remains much the same in our liturgy today. Finally, the bread and wine consecrated on Maundy Thursday are distributed and all depart in silence. The Stations of the Cross, a medieval service of reflection on various points of the Lord’s way to his death is an appropriate devotional service for Good Friday and other Fridays during Lent.

Easter Vigil Holy Saturday continues the fast of Good Friday. Again, the Eucharist is not celebrated until the Great Vigil of Easter that night. A vigil is a time of extended prayer, watching, and waiting. Vigils have a long history in the Church; frequently they would last all night and culminate with the celebration of Eucharist at dawn. Most Great Vigils now are not an all-night vigil, but typically last at least two hours. It is time well spent as this is the highlight of the liturgical year and the most beautiful of the Church’s liturgies. It begins with the blessing of a fire kindled outside in the darkness. From this fire our Paschal candle is lit. This large candle will burn during all of services during the fifty days of Easter and also at any baptisms and funerals. This candle reminds us that Christ, the Light of the World can overcome even the darkness of sin and death. We process behind this candle to the dark church where we gather in the circle of its light to listen to the story of our salvation. At this point a deacon will chant the ancient hymn known as the Exultet. This hymn begins to tell the tale that will be broken open in the Scriptures following it; namely the history of God’s tremendous love for creation and humankind. Following the readings from Scripture, water is blessed and if there are candidates for baptism they receive the sacrament at this time. We renew our baptismal vows and in some places all are sprinkled with the blessed water.

At this point in the liturgy, we proclaim the joyous Easter acclamation and the festive celebration of the first Eucharist of Easter begins.

These beautiful celebrations are the apex of our liturgical life. In these liturgies commemorating the Paschal mystery, we are connected with Christians from all over the world in our time, from the past, and those yet to come. Through our liturgical remembering (anamnesis) of these salvific acts, we make them present in our time. + Chas Marks is a candidate for Holy Orders. He is a member of St. Mary’s Church in Kansas City.

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Before West Missouri Was A profile of the early years of two of the diocese’s oldest congregations

By The Rev’d. Lauren Lyon with special thanks to The Rev’d. Marty Byer, Mrs. Mickey Simnitt, Mrs. Abigail Tempel and Mr. Fred Tempel

WHEN THE DIOCESE OF WEST MISSOURI WAS ADMITTED TO THE GENERAL CONVENTION IN 1889, IT WASN’T CREATED OUT OF WHOLE CLOTH. Twenty-three parishes and

thirty-three mission congregations were located within the group of sixty counties that formed the geographic definition of the new diocese. Two of the oldest of them are similarly named, Christ Church Boonville and Christ Church Lexington.

Their 19th century history reflects life in the early years of the state of Missouri.

West Missouri came into existence through a division of the Diocese of Missouri, founded 49 years before.

The earliest years of the congregation that became Christ Church Boonville predate its organization.

In 1835, Jackson Kemper, newly consecrated as missionary bishop to the western states and territories, arrived in Boonville to find a local schoolmaster, the Rev’d. F.F. Peake, conducting services occasionally. Fr. Peake was given official status as a Missionary by the Episcopal Church’s newly formed General Board of Missions. His informal congregation was organized as Christ Episcopal Church, the first to be established west of St. Louis. When the Diocese of Missouri was organized in 1840, Christ Church remained the westernmost of its six parishes.

Bishop Kemper visited Boonville again in 1841. Parish records indicate that one month after the bishop’s visit, Christ Church purchased a lot on Fourth Street. It would remain empty until the arrival of the Rev’d. Almon D. Corbyn who was called to serve as rector in 1844. When he arrived parishioners worshiped in rented space as they had for the previous nine years. Fr. Corbyn wasted no time in raising the profile of Christ Church. On Christmas Day, 1844, the majestic sounds of a pipe organ rose 8 SPIRIT | February 2014

from the hall where parishioners were gathered for worship. Fr. Corbyn had borrowed it from a friend in Jefferson City and had it transported to Boonville.

Passers-by heard the instrument and before the service ended a crowd had gathered outside the building. It was the first time a pipe organ had been played within the town limits.

Soon Fr. Corbyn organized a campaign to raise funds for the construction of a church building. Parishioners soon raised enough money to begin the work.

The original building was designed in the Gothic Revival style, described as “probably . . . a copy of some rural church in England.” By September 24, 1846 construction was completed and Bishop Cicero Hawkes of Missouri presided at the liturgy of its consecration.

Fr. Corbyn served the congregation for eight years. A series of rectors followed, none of whom stayed for more than a year or two. Christ Church continued to hold a prominent and respected position in the town of Boonville. In 1855 it hosted the diocesan convention.

Like many other towns in West Missouri, Christ Church Boonville felt the impact of the Civil War. The parish called The Rev’d. Thomas Smith as Rector early in 1861, but he did not remain in that position for long. Once the war began, services at the church were intermittent, conducted by itinerant or missionary clergymen. The Rev’d.

F. R. Holeman became rector in 1862, coming to Boonville from St. John’s Church in Weston, Missouri. His tenure ended abruptly in 1863 with the arrival in Boonville of the so named Great Raid of General Joe Shelby’s Iron Brigade.

This unit of Missouri volunteers in the Confederate Army made a 1,500 mile trek through the state inflicting 1,000 casualties on Union forces and capturing

or destroying $2 million in Union army property. When General Shelby arrived in Boonville, Fr. Holeman greeted him conspicuously. As a result of this demonstration of southern sympathies, Fr. Holeman was deported to Canada where he lived during the remainder of the war.

In 1867, Christ Church called him to return to his position and he did so.

Under his leadership, with wartime restrictions lifted, the congregation experienced a resurgence of activity.

The parish day school had 50 students.

Average attendance at Sunday school was 125 weekly. Organizations within the church including women’s groups and music groups that sponsored frequent, well-attended events and activities, to raise money. Parish records indicate that membership tripled between 1867 and 1870 when Fr. Holeman resigned.

Christ Church continued to thrive

Christ Church Boonville in the 1940s

under a series of rectors over the next 15 years until the Rev’d. Henry Truro Bray was called. He was an Englishman who came to Boonville from Wisconsin. He held several university degrees. Under his leadership the parish expanded its adult education offerings. A history of the parish notes, “Dr. Bray received a great deal of publicity on his theological views which was not very favorably accepted by the congregation . . . His views were not accepted by the people in Boonville, and in May [1888] he sent in his resignation which was to take effect in September.”It appears that Dr. Bray’s unspecified theological divergence from the community had a negative impact on the reputation of Christ Church which required some time to rebuild.

Dr. Bray’s successors were eventually able to return Christ Church to the prominent position it had held in Boonville. Within a few years, attendance was restored and members of the community were once again enjoying regular fundraising entertainments, this time for another new pipe organ. The Rev’d. A.E. Sherrod was called as priest in charge when he was still a candidate for Holy Orders. The church’s music was his

The choir of Christ Church Boonvile in 1901.

The choirmaster is believed to be A.E. Sherrod.

particular area of interest. The campaign to raise funds for the new organ was successful and it was installed in time for his ordination in February, 1902.

A choir room was added to the building,

An artist’s rendering of the original building of Christ Church Lexington in the mid 19th century.

the interior was painted and the floors carpeted.

On May 7, 1844, nine years after his first visit to Boonville, Bishop Kemper traveled to Lexington, Missouri. The Lexington Express carried an announcement stating that Bishop Kemper would conduct services at the Baptist church and inviting anyone who wished to be confirmed by him to attend on that day.

Accompanying him on the journey by riverboat from St. Louis was a priest with an usual name, St. Michael Fackler.

When Bishop Kemper left Lexington, Fr. Fackler remained behind to continue the work he had begun. At that time Lexington’s population was 1,591, of which one quarter were enslaved persons. Steamboats crowded the port of Lexington, malaria was a constant threat and gunpowder was sold by the keg.

Less than a year after Fr. Fackler’s arrival, Christ Church was organized on Easter Sunday, March 23, 1845. Not long afterward, the Right Rev’d. Cicero Hawks was elected and consecrated as the new Bishop of Missouri. He visited Lexington and encouraged members of the congregation to raise funds for the purchase of land and construction of a church building.

In June of that year, the congregation paid $350 for lot at what is now the corner of 13th and Franklin Streets.

In August, 1847, the Vestry authorized funds for the design and construction of the church building. The final price tag was $2,045.51. It was completed for worship on the First Sunday in Advent, 1848. A new rector, the Rev’d. John Harrison of Tennessee presided at that service. On the same Sunday two years later, the building, fully furnished and with all expenses paid, was dedicated

by Bishop Hawks.

The parish grew under Fr. Harrison’s leadership and continued to grow under his successors. Christ Church Lexington hosted the annual convention of the Diocese of Missouri in May, 1856. Later that year, the Rev’d. George Kelly Dunlop of Dublin was called as rector. He had been an honors graduate of Trinity College in his native city. In addition to his ministry at Christ Church he taught Latin and Greek at the town’s Masonic College. Under his leadership at Christ Church, 77 persons were baptized, 16 couples were married and 19 persons were presented for confirmation. With traffic on the river active, Lexington grew and prospered.

Then the war began. Vestry records are non-existent between May, 1861 and October, 1865. Lexington was the site of several battles and its citizens’ loyalties were divided between Union and Confederacy. Armies from both sides were present in the area and it was a gathering point for William Quantrill’s SPIRIT | February 2014

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irregular troops over the course of the war. In September 1861, General Sterling Price led his troops north following his victory at the Battle of Wilson’s Creek near Springfield. A Union garrison of 3,500 men was established at Lexington.

Price’s army arrived in the town and climbed the river bluffs under artillery fire from the Union troops. Confederate artillery fired back. After three days, the Union troops, short on food and ammunition, their water supply cut off by the fighting, surrendered. General Price returned to Lexington in October, 1864, once again overcoming Union forces in the town and pushing them west toward Independence.

A report by The Rev’d. Thompson L. Smith, who became rector in 1865 reads, “This church was closed by the United States troops at the commencement of the war, when the Rev’d. Geo. K. Dunlop, then in charge of the parish, resigned.

It was without a Rector until the 8th of November, 1865, when I accepted the Rectorship I did not take full charge of the duties of the Parish till the 20th of January, 1866. I found the church edifice still unfinished, and injured by the cannon balls which passed through it during the battles which occurred at Lexington, the Church people scattered, and the few remaining greatly reduced in circumstances and depressed in spirits. I am glad, however, to report now that they are at present much encouraged, and are working for the Church with a commendable industry.”

In 1877 a distinctive addition was made to the church building with the construction of the bell tower. It was a gift from Judge Joseph Smith in memory of his parents Robert Nelson and Mary Fry Smith. Robert Nelson Smith died in April, 1877, having served continuously on the Vestry for 32 years. In addition to his service to Christ Church, he taught mathematics and served in the Missouri General Assembly. The tower was constructed of bricks made in Lexington. A bell was given also in memory of the Smiths. Vestry records show the total cost for construction of the tower and purchase of the bell as 10 SPIRIT | February 2014

Interior of Christ Church Lexington, early 20th century.

$610. The tower was restored in 1984 at a cost just under $2,200. The photo on p. 9 of the building in its original design shows what it looked like without the now-familiar bell tower.

The town of Lexington did not return to its prewar level of activity. Kansas City gained prominence over the last three decades of the 19th century and the transcontinental railroad shifted commerce away from the river. The congregation of Christ Church remained active and its archives include records of a variety of charitable and social activities as well

as a steady series of improvements to the church building.

The Futuring Task Group of the diocese that met for 18 months in 2011-12 described the identity of the Diocese of West Missouri as a patchwork of congregations with distinctive personalities and missions. These two Christ Churches, both among the diocese’s oldest congregations, have a rich history that reflects not only the work of the Episcopal Church in the state of Missouri, but its political and commercial history as well. +

ECS at 25

Episcopal Community Services celebrates an important milestone.

by John Hornbeck

EARLY IN JANUARY, I WAS IN A CONVERSATION WITH SOMEONE WHO WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO OBTAIN ANY MEANINGFUL COLLABORATION ACROSS STATE LINES. The multiple jurisdictions

of state, county, and city continue to be a challenge for everything from transportation to the arts, and certainly for human services.

This makes the accomplishment of a group of visionaries in the Episcopal Church even more remarkable, and illustrates the foresight that they possessed.

On March 24, 1989, Missouri’s Secretary of State issued the initial “Article of Incorporation of a General Non-Profit Corporation” for Episcopal Social Services. The founders and first board of directors are named on that document: The Very Rev’d J. Earl Cavanaugh of Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral Kansas City the Rev’d David With of St. Michael and All Angels Prairie Village, and Mrs. Molly Porter.

In parentheses, behind the name of the corporation, is a phrase that embodies the core purpose for which this initiative was undertaken: Serving the Greater Kansas City Region”You see, the specific activities of this new corporation had not been predefined. That would happen in later discussions and would evolve and change over the 25 years. But the initial core principles remain the same.

The first of those principles, not in order of importance, is stated above.

There was concern that the state line, which represented not only a governmental boundary to our founders, but also a boundary between two dioceses, was an artificial barrier to collaboration between the those dioceses and their constituent congregations. Then as now, the challenges of homelessness, hunger and illness did not respect that barrier.

If you travel you’ll find that many cities in the United States have an Episcopal

Community Services organization. ECS in Kansas City is the only one of them that operates daily in two neighboring dioceses. This collaborative effort was reflected in the original 1989 board. It included the three individuals mentioned earlier, along with the Rev’d. John Coil, Mr. John Coleton, Mr. Don Hoffman, Mrs. Helen Mountford, Mrs. Peg Stewart, Mrs. Diane Whallon, Mr. Frank Vaughters, Mr. Bob Mann and Mr. Tom Lassiter, lay members and clergy from both dioceses and from all four quadrants of the greater Kansas City area.

As stated in the minutes for the July 10, [1989] board meeting, the goal was to create “cooperative social services ministry in the greater metropolitan area of Kansas City” within the Episcopal Church. The intentional selection of board members representative of the entire Kansas City metro area was an important one. The composition of our board continues to reflect that commitment with members from across greater Kansas City and ongoing partnerships and collaboration that cross the state line. Most importantly, the people whom we serve reap the benefits of the ministries that emerge from our cooperative efforts.

A second primary objective is reflected in the first word of the phrase quoted above: Serving. ECS set out to increase the community’s awareness of needs and challenges and offer opportunities to become involved.

In theological terms, our effort to increase the level of active volunteerism among Episcopalians in the greater Kansas City area offers opportunities to live out the Baptismal covenant.

While reducing the barrier imposed by the state line, ECS hoped also to enable all churches, regardless of size or resources, to have an opportunity to be involved. Minutes of an early board meeting read: the goal of “volunteer formation . . . is to gather volunteers to expose people to all opportunities to serve.” The word “is” was intentionally kept in that quote, because today, 25 years later, volunteer engagement continues to be a key focus of our organization. We could not accomplish what we do without the amazing volunteers that support the social ministries of the Episcopal Church. Moreover, we have come to view volunteerism as a program of education and advocacy, knowing that one of the best ways for people truly to understand the challenges in our society is to witness them first hand. As always, we view volunteerism as a ministry of the Baptismal covenant.

The name of the organization has changed to Episcopal Community Services, and the services we have provided have evolved during the past 25 years, but those initial core principles remain the same.

Throughout 2014, you will be hearing more and more about Episcopal Community Services. We will certainly look back and tell old stories and celebrate what has been done in the past. But we also hope to carry those original core principles forward and tell new stories and generate energy behind our current programs and ministries and the challenges and opportunities of the future.

We encourage all of you to join us in this journey of celebration and commitment. + John Hornbeck is the Executive Director of Episcopal Community Services.

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Regional Youth Ministry Metro Kansas City joins Southern Deanery in an innovative model for ministry to youth.

By Kim Snodgrass

IN JANUARY OF 2013 THE DIOCESAN YOUTH MINISTRY PROGRAM ASKED A QUESTION. How we can take our youth

ministry program up a notch – involving even more youth, churches and adults?

Conversations around the diocese began to center around connecting congregational youth groups and reaching out to youth beyond our church doors. The product of those conversations, beginning in the south and moving northward, has been the development of two youth ministry networks. To better understand the purpose and goal of these networks, we have to start at the beginning.

Parents, youth leaders and clergy all play an integral part in formation, and specifically, in our Christian understanding of human relations and the meaning of life. It is critical to the spiritual lives of youth that they be provided a safe place in which to ask the hard questions of faith. The ongoing work of questioning and seeking knowledge allows them to be formed by God into more and more of the person they are created to be.

Youth ministry can help youth interpret God’s presence and movement in daily life. The purpose of Youth Ministry in West Missouri is to inspire, education and empower young people in their relationship with Christ and to one another as well as prepare them for a lifetime of spiritual growth and commitment to the local, diocesan and national Episcopal faith community. The goal of Youth Ministry in West Missouri is to use programming that encourages both individual and corporate discipleship, mission and Christian formation.

Youth Networks will help us accomplish both our purpose and goal. Two networks have developed, and though they look very different from one another, the objectives are the same.

Functional, effective, sustainable WEMO Youth Ministry Networks have several 12 SPIRIT | February 2014

objectives: Develop, strengthen and stabilize youth ministry programs in local congregations by increasing regular interaction and offering local activities on a consistent basis; reach out to congregations currently without a youth leader to share resources and fellowship; build community, provide Christian formation, learning, service and fellowship opportunities; incorporate youth into the full, intergenerational life of the Church and involve youth in the development of ministry networks and their decision making.

In the southern part of the diocese, multiple churches came together to hire a Network Coordinator, Josh Trader.

He coordinates weekly youth ministry opportunities at Christ Church and St. James Church, to which youth from every participating church are welcome.

He develops age appropriate activities that engage the interest of young people and encourage their participation. He

Greater Kansas City Youth Network Nomadic Dinner January 2014

also reaches out to families with young people who have been inactive in their congregations to build and strengthen relationships. Josh is responsible for recruiting and training volunteers and submitting updates for the newsletters of participating congregations. A regional youth network board made up of youth, adults and clergy meet regularly. They coordinate event planning and commuications, develop future vision for the network and take part in preparing for diocesan-wide youth events. Regional networks participate actively in the Youth Ministry Commission.

In the north, distances as well as the number of churches took conversations in another direction. Four churches currently offering regular youth ministry programs offered to be network “hubs”.

Hub churches identify themselves as the Greater KC Network Youth Group and welcome any youth from any KC metro

area church to a weekly youth group activity. They also plan and implement one of several network-wide youth events each year. Hubs are encouraged to collaborate with nearby churches in on the planning process, using many hands to make light work. For the most part, nothing changes in a Hub’s normal weekly youth offerings. They might notice an increase in attendance from youth who regularly attend worship at another church that does not offer a youth group.

Changes in a ministry Hub’s current youth programming would come in the form of additional network events which would be added to its yearly calendar.

The Youth Ministry Network envisions that a council will eventually be formed in the northern part of the diocese. It would meet once a year to plan events and take part in guiding the network’s future direction.

The KC metro youth ministry network wanted to plan a big event as its official launch. The Annual Nomadic Dinner, once a tradition in the Kansas City area churches seemed like the perfect way to start. The dinner took place on January 10th and was a great success.

The metro area network is considering a wealth of ideas for possible future activi-

ties that could be offered throughout the year by a sponsoring Hub church.

Examples include Confirmation Retreat - “Rally ‘round the Creed, an Acolyte Festival and various service projects.

Multiple talents, egos and elements are necessary to bring forth any new creation. Both of the “networks in formation” within the diocese began by agreeing that a WEMO youth network is “children of God from multiple congregations with a common desire for a strong, flourishing, vibrant youth ministry program within this deanery.” Network participants understand that what each person and each participating congregation brings to the table will different. All are committed to the idea that they will neither overvalue nor undervalue any contribution to the networks. What congregations are able to offer will ebb and flow over time. Right now we are making an investment working and planning today for a desired outcome in the future.

Building successful youth ministry networks requires a set of basic characteristics and conditions. They include trust, mutual respect, patience, openness, understanding, commitment, equality, love, smart goals, recognition of our interdependence, generosity of spirit and especially participation. We already stand

on common ground; we are all God’s children, Episcopalians, we are interested in reaching out to those who are not yet a part of this important ministry. We are committed to welcoming all who want to participate and believe youth ministry is important element to any congregation. We are all unique; our differences can become strengths.

We are just beginning this process and willing to start small. Building relationships with each other and keeping lines of communication open are our immediate priorities. We understand that ministries go through seasons and we look forward to sharing joys as well as challenges. From an 80+-year-old volunteer willing to help write letters of love and support to youth, to a young adult willing to come and be a muchneeded listener, networks will be a place where EVERYONE can get involved!

For more information on Youth Networks and how your church can be involved, please contact Kim Snodgrass at diowemoyouth@gmail.com or at 417-793-0780. + Kim Snodgrass is West Missouri’s Youth Ministry Coordinator.

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THE AGENDA | Upcoming events around the diocese

Absalom Jones Celebration 11:00 a.m. Saturday, February 8 Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral hosts West Missouri’s annual celebration. The Rev’d.

Marcus Halley of St. Andrew’s will preach.

Reception following.

Congregational Development Boot Camp 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. St. John’s Springfield Session 2: Friday OR Saturday, February 21 OR 22 (identical program on both dates).

Session 3: Friday OR Saturday, March 28 OR 29 (identical program on both dates).

Canon Steve Rottgers presents monthly training sessions for congregational leaders. February and March sessions focus on self-awareness, emotional systems, leadership styles, core values and mission.

Cost is $10 per session. To enroll or for more info contact Canon Rottgers by email CanonOrd@ediowestmo.org

Bishop’s Day with Wardens and Vestry Members 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Saturday, March 1, Church of the Redeemer Saturday March 8, St. James Springfield A morning keynote speech followed by breakout sessions on special topics offer wardens and vestry members valuable information on administrative procedures.

Lunch is included. Registration information will be sent by email soon.

In One Garden 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Saturday, March 22, St. Mary Magdalene

“Knowing Your Story, Telling it Well” A morning keynote speech with afternoon breakout sessions. Enrollment information will be sent by email soon.

Campus Ministry Retreat Saturday, April 4 - Sunday, April 6, Lake Doniphan Registration information will be sent by email soon.

Corrections

On page 4 of the December 2013 issue, the name of Donna Stanford was omitted from the list of students currently enrolled at Bishop Kemper School for Ministry. Donna is a member of St. Peter’s Kansas City. Bishop Field apologizes for this omission.

In the same issue on page 8, Sally Livengood of Grace and Holy Trinity was incorrectly identified as Sally Hawley. The editor apologies for this error.

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Diocesan Clericus Tuesday, April 8 - Wednesday, April 9, Savior Pastoral Center, Kansas City, This annual gathering of diocesan clergy features educational presentations, discussion sessions and social time. Registration information will be sent by email soon.

Ordination of Priests 10:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Saturday, April 26, Grace Carthage

Ordination of Deacons 10:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Saturday, May 3, Christ Church Springfield

Calling All Parish Historians, Archivists and Historiographers Does your congregation have an interesting story to tell? Is there an unusual event or notable individual in your church’s history?

Do you have photos or artifacts related to that story? If so, send a short description to west.mo.communications@gmail.com.

Your story may be selected by the editor for a future article.

Are you moving? Please send your name, old address and new address to bishopsassistant@ediowestmo.org to continue receiving Spirit at your new address without interruption.

Please send information about upcoming events, at least three months in advance, to west.mo.communications@gmail.com

WEMO on the Web Congregations join the diocesan web site on the Digital Faith platform.

SIX WEB SITES ASSOCIATED WITH DIOCESAN CONGREGATIONS AND MINISTRIES WENT LIVE ON DIGITAL FAITH IN 2013. Sites for St. Mary’s

Kansas City, Grace Carthage, St. George’s Camdenton, St. James Springfield, St. Philip’s Joplin and WeMo Youth joined the diocesan web site on a platform that allows congregations to build and host sites at no charge to their budgets.

West Missouri contracted with Digital Faith in January, 2013 after a review of several options for hosting a newly designed diocesan site. Work on episcopalwestmo.org was completed in mid-May and the site has been live since then. Digital Faith was selected in a consultation between Bishop Field, the communications committee and other diocesan leaders at the end of 2012 in an effort to provide direct support to congregations to improve their presence on the web and their ability to reach out to prospective members.

Digital Faith allows diocesan congregations and ministries to build and host sites on its platform with all hosting costs covered by the diocesan budget.

Assistance with design and programming is available to congregations as needed. Many of West Missouri’s smaller congregations have been limited to less than optimal web presence in the past. Their financial resources would not stretch to cover the cost of hosting, let alone professional design and programming assistance. Digital Faith gives them the option of an attractive and functional online presence at no cost to the congregation.

In addition to providing assistance with design and programming, the communications committee has arranged for training of parish volunteers on Digital Faith’s easy-to-use editing interface.

Congregations building sites choose from a selection of basic templates.

These can be modified extensively to give a unique look and feel to each web site. A very important feature of all the templates is that they are responsive to mobile devices like tablets and phones, adjusting the display automatically to any size screen.

To get the most out of West Missouri’s investment in Digital Faith, more congregations and diocesan ministries are needed to join the network. The vestry of any congregation that plans to update its web site or build a new one this year is encouraged to consider the advantages of Digital Faith. For questions about the

process of building a new site or more information about Digital Faith, email west.mo.communications@gmail.com. +

Visit the sites of congregations and ministries that have joined Digital Faith: stmaryskc.org stjamesspringfield.diowestmo.org gracechurch.diowestmo.org stphilipschurchjoplin.diowestmo.org saintge.diowestmo.org

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