The Harvest spring 2017

Spring 2017 | The Episcopal Diocese of Kansas

6 | Wichita refugee ministry sees challenges 8 | Council of Trustees now oversees the diocese 12 | Two Episcopalians serve as state legislators 14 | Laundromat is the site for outreach ministry

FROM THE COUNCIL OF TRUSTEES | THE VERY REVEREND FOSTER M. MAYS, PRESIDENT

Relying on our gifts, with Jesus at the center Our nature may incline us toward anxiety during periods of change, but we can choose a different path.

We can harness and redirect the energy behind our anxiety, using it and the change of circumstance as an opportunity for growth. This is a model of stewardship that builds upon our inherent giftedness.

It is this model of stewardship and giftedness that informed the Council of Trustees’ reflection upon this period of transition, which led us to articulate the following theological statement: We, the Council of Trustees, believe in and trust the God-given gifts that abide in the people of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas. During this season of transition, we will not be fearful. Directed by the Spirit, together we joyfully walk with Jesus the road ahead.

Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.

(1 Peter 4:10)

DURING THIS period of transition, the Council of Trustees is very mindful of the abundance of gifts and giftedness that are spread throughout the diocese, and we give thanks for your stewardship of this abundance.

The Council is intentionally cultivating this attitude of gratitude and abundance, and we invite you to join us with the same intentionality.

This statement is not a piece of PR fluff tossed out as a sound bite to make us feel better. Rather it states the guiding principles the Council is bringing to bear on its work. Our prayer is that it becomes infectious and spreads to all parts of the diocese.

The Council’s thinking in developing this statement was deeply affected by the concept of Asset Based Community Development, as adapted by the Episcopal Church and Episcopal Relief & Development, into a method of working named “Called to Transformation.”

The distinctive features of Called to Transformation are that Jesus is at the center of the work, and the work embraces the belief that individuals, groups and communities have the gifts necessary to address the circumstances around them.

1 Corinthians 12 reminds us that each of us is given different gifts to serve the community of which we are a part, the body of Christ working together.

As for how all this relates to us, this period of transition finds the diocese in a place rich with opportunity for imagination, inquiry and discernment. However, if we’re honest with one another, more than a few of us see it as a challenge that needs to be fixed quickly. We need to be fully aware of the pull of this inclination and simultaneously choose to resist it in favor of the prayerful stewardship of our gifts.

In this we need to work together intentionally and collegially to put Jesus at the center of this period of imagination, inquiry and discernment as we embark upon this search for the 10th Bishop of Kansas.

This work will not set the course of the diocese permanently, but it does invite us to align our work with the deepest realities of who we are: God’s people, followers of Jesus and bearers of the Holy Spirit — the faithful stewards of our giftedness.

In This Issue

2 5 6 8 11 12 14 16

Around the diocese

Churches share news of their recent activities, including a service honoring Our lady of Guadalupe, an elaborate Epiphany pageant and ‘Ashes to Go.’

SPRING 2017 | VOL. 104 | NO. 3

New priest is ordained

A publication of The Episcopal Diocese of Kansas 835 Polk St., Topeka, KS 66612-1688 (785) 235-9255 (800) 473-3563 www.episcopal-ks.org

Refugee ministry faces challenges

The Anglican Communion is a global community of 70 million Anglicans in 38 member churches/provinces in more than 160 countries.

The Most Rev. and Rt. Hon. Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury

The Rev. Charles Everson was ordained as the diocese’s newest priest at a service at St. Michael and All Angels in Mission on Jan. 7.

The changing political landscape means Episcopal Migration Ministries–Wichita has faced challenges in welcoming refugees from war-torn nations.

An episcopal interim

In the absence of a diocesan bishop, the Council of Trustees has become the Ecclesiastical Authority for the diocese.

Building now is underway

Within months new space will be a reality for the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas, Grace Cathedral and the Bishop Kemper School for Ministry.

Episcopalians in the House

Two Episcopalians who are members of the Kansas House of Representatives share thoughts about their work and their faith.

Laundry Love

Volunteers armed with rolls of quarters and laundry detergent give people a helping hand in a new ministry that was helped with an initial Alleluia Grant.

AmeriCorps aids Clay Center church

Young adults from around the country put in thousands of hours of work at St. Paul’s and the local museum, thanks to the AmeriCorps program.

ON THE COVER: A crane moves metal for constructing the concrete floor of the new Grace Cathedral parish hall, which is part of a joint building project to create new space for the church, the diocese and the Bishop Kemper School for Ministry. | Photo by Melodie Woerman

The Episcopal Church is a community of 2 million members in 109 dioceses in 16 countries in the Americas and abroad.

The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, Presiding Bishop The Episcopal Diocese of Kansas is a community of more than 10,000 members in 44 congregations, three diocesan institutions and one school in eastern Kansas.

The Council of Trustees of the Diocese, Ecclesiastical Authority The Harvest is published four times a year by the Office of Communications of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas.

Member, Episcopal Communicators and Episcopal News Service Publisher The Council of Trustees of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas Editor Melodie Woerman For submissions, please contact the editor: mwoerman@episcopal-ks.org Need to change your mailing address?

Harvest Address Changes 835 Polk St., Topeka, KS 66612-1688 receptionist@episcopal-ks.org Upcoming deadlines: Summer 2017 issue: May 15 Fall 2017 issue: Aug. 15 Postmaster: Send address changes to Episcopal Diocese of Kansas 835 Polk St., Topeka, KS 66612-1688

The Harvest | Spring 2017 | 1

AROUND THE DIOCESE

News and notes from congregations St. John’s, Abilene offers an evening of prayer and praise, along with a potluck, on the third Wednesday of every month.

Trinity, Arkansas City members during Lent are weaving a prayer banner on a wooden loom using donated strips of fabric and ribbon.

St. Mark’s, Blue Rapids members continue to offer a service at the Blue Valley Nursing Home at 2 p.m. on fifth Sundays throughout the year.

St. Paul’s, Clay Center has reorganized the Help Center it started last year, providing assistance every Wednesday afternoon to those needing help with employment.

St. Paul’s, Coffeyville members help others by donating adult and baby diapers to the Diaper Ministry, as well as money for the Miles of Pennies Fund of the Church Periodical Club.

St. Andrew’s, Derby Outreach Committee asked members to fill a special Lent box at home — a large box to gather one food item each day, to benefit the Derby Food Bank.

St. Martin’s, Edwardsville hosted a special movie night for young people at the church on March 17.

Trinity, El Dorado plans to invite members of the public to visit the church’s outdoor labyrinth on Earth Day, April 22.

St. Mary’s, Galena hosted a fundraiser spaghetti supper in January to purchase needed items for refugee families served by Episcopal Migration Ministries-Wichita.

2 | The Harvest | Spring 2017

PHOTO BY TOM POTT

Dancers honor Our Lady of Guadalupe Members of the Matachines de Santa Margarita dance troupe offer a special dance down the aisle of St. John’s/San Juan, Wichita, during the congregation’s afternoon service honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe on Dec. 11. After the Eucharist, a traditional pazole and taquitos supper was served in the church undercroft.

The feast day (which is Dec. 12) honors a vision of the Virgin Mary to a Mexican peasant and holds special cultural as well as religious significance for Latino Christians, especially those from Mexico and Latin America.

St. John’s offers a Spanish-language service every Sunday afternoon.

Epiphany, Independence undertook the “Bible Challenge” during Lent, in a study led by parishioner Myrna Mai. Covenant, Junction City provides a special time of centering Prayer every Friday at noon, led by the rector, the Rev. David Jenkins.

St. Margaret’s, Lawrence offers

monthly lunch groups for both men and women, gathering at noon on the first Monday of every month in a local restaurant for food and fellowship.

Trinity, Lawrence food ministry, the Trinity Interfaith Food Pantry, was the recipient of funds raised by a disc golf tournament Feb. 25 spon-

Feb. 26. The event’s success promised more such opportunities in the future.

St. Francis’, Overland Park at its annual meeting on Jan. 29 announced that the parish hall was being named in honor of Col. Tom Holden, a longtime leader in the congregation.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Parsons church takes ashes outside Carolyn Young (right) was one of three lay people from St. John’s, Parsons, who helped take the message of the church outside by offering “Ashes to Go” on Ash Wednesday, March 1. Young joined St. John’s vicar, the Rev. Sharon Billman, outside the church to offer ashes to people who walked or drove past.

Two other lay people were downtown to do the same.

A few other congregations across the diocese also offered ashes outside. Additionally, Canon to the Ordinary the Rev. Torey Lightcap, along with diocesan Canon Pastor the Rev. George Wiley, offered ashes to students, faculty and staff on the campus of the University of Kansas in Lawrence. sored by the city’s Parks and Recreation Department.

St. Paul’s, Leavenworth serves a free lunch to all in the community in the parish hall from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the second Saturday of every month St. Paul’s, Manhattan temporarily has moved worship services to the basement while the nave is filled with scaffolding to repair the ceiling and walls. Part of the work will stop bats from entering the church.

St. Paul’s, Marysville shared a special Christmas meal with people taking the English as Second Language classes, which meet weekly at the church.

St. Michael’s, Mission hosted a chili cook-off and game night on Jan. 29, with participants asked to bring a pot of chili to share. Prizes were awarded for the most popular and most creative recipes.

Ascension, Neodesha again will be a site for people to drop off their e-waste (old computers, TVs, printers and cell phones) on April 29 as part of the city’s recycling effort.

St. Matthew’s, Newton rector the Rev. Les Jackson offered a three-part prayer retreat in March focusing on icons, including the chance to write, or create, one’s own icon.

Grace, Ottawa enjoyed an intergenerational Sunday school on

St. Thomas’, Overland Park marked Scout Sunday on Feb. 5 by inviting all members and leaders of Scout organizations to attend church in their uniform and walk in the procession. They also received a gift in recognition of the contributions of Scout organizations to young people and the community.

St. John’s, Parsons added the Souper Bowl of Caring to the day of the NFL’s Super Bowl Feb. 5, with members asked to bring non-perishable food items and make a special donation. Contributions were given to the Labette Assistance Center.

Epiphany, Sedan said thank you to the members of the St. Agnes Guild, which engages in service to the community, with a special Eucharist and refreshments on Jan. 24, the feast day of the guild’s patron saint.

St. Luke’s, Shawnee explored the identity, work and manifestation of the Holy Spirit during adult Sunday classes in February and March, led

by Dr. Bill Stancil, a West Missouri Episcopalian who teaches at Rockhurst University.

Grace Cathedral, Topeka marked the 100th anniversary of the dedication of the completion of the cathedral with services on Feb. 26 using the Prayer Book of 1892, which was Continued on page 4

The Harvest | Spring 2017 | 3

Continued from page 3 in use when the cathedral was dedicated on March 4, 1917.

St. Luke’s, Wamego welcomes an average of 30 people twice a month to its Sharing Table breakfast. The meal is open to anyone in the community who would like to come and eat.

Good Shepherd, Wichita collected twin bed sheets and pillowcases for the girls who live at Our Little Roses Home for Girls in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.

St. Bartholomew’s, Wichita helped 320 people, in 65 families, during the church’s December clothing give-away. The 177 children also got to pick out a Christmas gift.

St. James’, Wichita on Jan. 22 started a new ministry for parents or parents-to-be of young children and youth. The Young Families Fellowship meets during Sunday school in the Undercroft, led by Chelsea Whipple.

St. John’s, Wichita hosted its 46th annual weekly Lenten Luncheon Series, which this year centered on people and places where love and compassion bring healing and justice in the city. Among the speakers was Mayor Jeff Longwell.

St. Stephen’s, Wichita added a twist to its Shrove Tuesday observance, when musical performances accompanied pancakes, which were served by the men’s group. A freewill offering benefited the church’s music department.

Grace, Winfield hosted a service marking the World Day of Prayer March 3, followed by a potluck supper.

4 | The Harvest | Spring 2017

PHOTO BY SARAH SHIPMAN

Kings make triumphant Epiphany appearance Grace Cathedral, Topeka, marked the start of the Epiphany season with an elaborate pageant for the arrival of the three kings (wise men or magi) and their entourage on Jan. 8, the first Sunday after the Epiphany.

Children who portrayed the kings were seated on thrones carried by parents in a procession through the cathedral nave as part of the congregation’s main service.

Clergy news The Rev. Vicki Smith accepted the call to become rector of St. David’s, Topeka, and began her ministry there on Feb. 27.

She previously served churches in Ohio and North Carolina and moved to the diocese last year.

The Rev. Kelly Demo has accepted the call to serve at St. Thomas’, Overland Park, beginning March 1.

The Rev. Amy Truhe, a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, will be serving St. Paul’s, Clay Center, as a long-term supply.

The Rev. Steven King concluded

his ministry at St. Thomas’, Overland Park, on Feb. 19, and now is serving at Trinity Cathedral, Omaha, Neb. The Very Rev. Laurie Lewis, rector of Trinity, Arkansas City and Grace, Winfield, has been named Dean of the Southwest Convocation.

Deacon Craig Klein, who served at St. David’s, Topeka, has moved to Ohio, where he is serving as a dean at Rio Grande Community College.

The Rev. Patrick Funston and his wife Michael are the proud parents of a baby boy, John York, born on Feb. 13. York joins a big sister, Eirnín.

Agreement allows BKSM students to earn credit at K.C. seminary

DIOCESAN LIFE

THE BISHOP

PHOTO BY DEACON BOB HIRST

Everson is ordained priest in January service ON JAN. 7, BISHOP DEAN

Wolfe ordained the Rev. Charles Everson to the priesthood in a service at St. Michael and All Angels, Mission.

Everson was ordained as a transitional deacon on June 11 following his graduation in May 2016 from the Bishop Kemper School for Ministry. He is in the middle of a one-year internship at St. Luke’s, Shawnee.

Everson works at Peoples Bank in Overland Park as senior vice president and compliance officer.

Kemper School of Ministry has signed an agreement with Nazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Mo., which will award credit hours at the seminary to those completing coursework at BKSM. The agreement becomes effective on July 1.

BKSM students are eligible to receive three hours of credit for every course they complete, to a maximum of 30 hours. Credit can be applied to any of NTS’s graduate programs, including the Master of Divinity, the standard degree for those graduating from seminary and pursuing ordination.

BKSM students preparing for ordination as priests take 30 courses over three years.

NTS requires 76 credit hours for the M.Div. degree.

Additionally, BKSM graduates as well as current students who are not seeking a degree still can earn up to 15 hours of course credit, and they can audit NTS courses at any time.

The Very Rev. Don Compier, Ph.D., the dean of BKSM, said this new agreement is possible because NTS recognizes “the academic excellence of BKSM.” He said that the Nazarene school also shares BKSM’s commitment to affordable and accessible theological education.

Dr. Josh Sweeden, who serves as NTS’s academic dean-designate and also teaches church and society at the school, said the agreement “highlights cooperation and our shared commitments to theological and ministerial education” at a time when church bodies often are divided by their differences.

Compier agreed, calling the agreement “a splendid example of true ecumenical spirit and genuine Christian hospitality.”

Nazarene Theological Seminary is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools. Its main campus and headquarters are in Kansas City, but it also has campuses in Oklahoma, Ohio, Tennessee, California and Massachusetts.

Bishop Kemper School for Ministry provides local, affordable, education for those preparing for ordination, as well as continuing education for lay leaders and clergy. It is owned jointly by the Dioceses of Kansas, West Missouri, Western Kansas and Nebraska.

It was created in 2013 and offers classes in Topeka. It is named for Bishop Jackson Kemper, the Episcopal Church’s first Missionary Bishop, who served from 1835 to 1859.

— Melodie Woerman

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DIOCESAN MINISTRIES Emile and Baruani and their four children, who are refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Africa, join the Wichita family that is helping them settle in to their new life in the U.S., through Episcopal Migration Ministries– Wichita.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Wichita refugee ministry faces challenges

By Melodie Woerman

THE EPISCOPAL refugee

resettlement agency in Wichita, like its counterparts around the country, has spent the past two months trying to carry out its ministry in the midst of presidential executive orders that would curb its work and judicial actions that have come in response.

Episcopal Migration Ministries –Wichita is one of 25 local affiliate offices of Episcopal Migration Ministries across the country. EMM, an official agency of the Episcopal Church, has been working since 1988 to resettle refugees who have fled their homelands because of violence and persecution. It follows a tradition of Episcopal aid to refugees since World War II. Marla Schmidt is EMM-Wichita’s field office director, and she said the agency has continued to engage in

6 | The Harvest | Spring 2017

its ministry in spite of the confusing events that sometimes have changed day-by-day. But those events have caused a lot of concern to the agency and those they serve.

Facing a major impact

From EMM–Wichita’s perspective, problems with the proposed new orders from the White House come down to two things — people and money, and they are linked.

The first presidential executive order, issued on Jan. 27, included many provisions, but two had an impact on refugees: a 120-day moratorium on all refugees coming into the United States, no matter their country of origin; and a cap of 50,000 refugees entering the U.S. each year, which is less than half the 110,000 who were admitted in 2016.

That order was halted in February by a federal judge, whose ruling was upheld by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

A revised executive order was issued to take effect on March 16, which, with some minor exceptions, placed the same restrictions on refugees as the earlier order.

A federal district judge placed parts of the order on hold, blocking the 120-day moratorium on refugees but leaving intact the new 50,000 limit. The U.S. Justice Department said it would appeal the ruling.

If the revised order, in whole or part, takes effect, it will be difficult for the agency for several reasons, Schmidt said.

First, she has staff in place to serve the 170 people she earlier was told to expect this year. So far they have welcomed a total of 64 people, and if

the 120-day ban returns, only a few people this year will arrive after that.

Second, most of the money the agency needs to operate comes from funds from the U.S. State Department and the Office of Refugee Resettlement to help establish refugees in a new life in America. (They also receive some donations and grant money.)

But if no refugees arrive for four months, the agency will have no income for four months — its annual budget will have been cut by a third.

And that means fewer services to those the agency aids, and fewer staff to carry out its ministry.

Even if the 120-day ban never takes effect, Episcopal refugee resettlement in general will suffer, with fewer than half of last year’s total allowed in this year. “The need for resettlement simply will be less,” she said.

And of the 50,000 refugees that will be admitted this fiscal year, more than 37,000 already have arrived, effectively shrinking any new arrivals to a bare trickle.

A high level of anxiety

Schmidt said she feels lucky, because the main EMM office in New York has said the Wichita branch will not have to close. But other locations may not be as lucky.

Beyond the general uncertainty about what will happen, and the worry about staff and financial solvency, Schmidt is deeply concerned by the high level of anxiety she is seeing among the Wichita refugee community. “They are anxious about family members back home, and whether they will ever get to join them here,” she said.

She said she and others at EMM– Wichita worry that individuals and families might be delayed or may

EMM–WICHITA

BY THE NUMBERS 429 Refugees resettled 299 From Africa (Democratic Republic of the Congo and Eritrea) 114 From Burma (Myanmar) 16 From Iraq and Afghanistan Episcopal Migration Ministries– Wichita was started by Wichita Episcopalians in October 2011 as Episcopal Wichita Area Refugee Ministry, or EWARM. It now operates directly under the auspices of Episcopal Migration Ministries.

never be able to come to the United States for safety, security, freedom and opportunities that have been denied to them for years, and in some cases, decades.

And if the United States changes its refugee program to a merit-based system instead of one focusing on humanitarian need, as has been the case since it started, Schmidt said some of the most vulnerable individuals and families, including the elderly, never will be given a chance for a safe home in this country.

A country of opportunity

Schmidt spoke of one family that came to Wichita late in 2016 as an example of what it means to refugees to find a new home in this country.

A family of six — dad, mom and four children — arrived from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, an African nation that has seen more than a decade of internal violence and the total collapse of any working government.

The father, Emile, said he feels safe in their new home in Wichita, and he no longer has feelings of panic about his family’s welfare. They aren’t hungry, and his children can go to school in peace. “Everything is exciting,” he said. “This is a good place to live.”

The mother, Baruani, said the United States is offering her family a place that is peaceful, with freedom and opportunity “It is a country with equality for everyone,” she said.

Offering support

EMM–Wichita, which was organized in October 2011 by Wichita Episcopalians under the name Episcopal Wichita Area Refugee Ministry, or EWARM, has welcomed 429 refugees since it began.

Initially, most refugees arriving in Wichita were from Burma (also known as Myanmar), which had experienced violent civil war for decades.

More recently, refugees have come from the African countries of Eritrea and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or DRC. A handful of refugees have arrived from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Schmidt said that she is available to talk to local parish groups about the work of EMM and how they can assist people from war-torn areas of the world start a new life in America.

Additionally, donations in support of EMM are welcome, either to the Wichita affiliate specifically or to the overall agency in general. support for EMM–Wichita: http://www.episcopalmigrationministries.org/where_we_ work/wichita.aspx support for EMM nationally: http://www.episcopalmigrationministries.org/

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DIOCESAN LIFE

Between bishops The Council of Trustees as Ecclesiastical Authority will oversee the diocese

By Melodie Woerman

SINCE THE RESIGNATION of Bishop

Dean Wolfe on Jan. 31, the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas finds itself in the unusual, but not unprecedented, position of being a diocese with no sitting bishop.

But thanks to Episcopal Church canons, the question of who is in charge is answered clearly — it is the diocese’s Council of Trustees, acting in their capacity as the Standing Committee, that has jurisdiction in the period between bishops.

As the Ecclesiastical Authority, the Council now has responsibility for the duties that normally fall to a sitting bishop, other than the liturgical actions that only a bishop can perform, such as ordinations and confirmations. To make certain those important events take place, the Council has signed a letter of agreement with Bishop Michael Milliken of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Kansas to function as Assisting Bishop for the Diocese of Kansas, in addition to his regular duties in his own diocese, which is headquartered in Hutchinson.

The agreement also has the approval of the Standing Committee in the Diocese of Western Kansas.

Bishop Milliken’s responsibilities mostly will be liturgical in nature, with a schedule worked out so as not to disrupt his work in Western Kansas. He also plans to spend one day a month in the diocesan office in 8 | The Harvest | Spring 2017

Topeka, to meet with clergy who may need advice and counsel.

He will preside at the annual Chrism Mass in Topeka on the Tuesday in Holy Week, during which the chrism oil used in baptism is blessed by a bishop, and clergy renew their ordination vows.

He also will officiate at regional confirmation services across the diocese; arrangements Bishop Michael Milliken of for those services still the Diocese of Western Kansas are being finalized. In- will serve as Assisting Bishop formation will be sent beginning April 1, officiating to all diocesan clergy at events such as confirmaso they can make ad- tions and ordinations. vance arrangements for parishioners who will be confirmed or received.

Because Bishop Milliken is not available to officiate at the service of ordination on June 17, a date that was set more than a year ago, Bishop Wayne Smith of the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri, headquartered in St. Louis,

has agreed to officiate at the 10:30 a.m. service at Grace Cathedral.

Bishop Smith’s presence also provides an opportunity for a service of confirmation that afternoon at 2 p.m. at the cathedral.

Clergy from any congregation in the diocese may arrange to bring confirmands to this service, and information on providing this information will be sent to clergy soon.

The work of a bishop

The Council has a clear picture of the work that lies ahead, since as a body the members will be responsible for everything that usually falls to a bishop, other than episcopal services. Members expect to create smaller working groups, so not all needed decisions have to be undertaken by the entire group of 14 people.

The diocesan staff will remain in place with the Council’s full support, led by Canon to the Ordinary the Rev. Torey Lightcap.

UPCOMING EVENTS Tuesday, April 11, 10:30 a.m., St. David’s, Topeka Chrism Mass, Bishop Michael Milliken, presiding Saturday, June 17, 10:30 a.m., Grace Cathedral, Topeka Ordinations, Bishop Wayne Smith, presiding Saturday, June 17, 2 p.m., Grace Cathedral, Topeka Confirmations, Bishop Wayne Smith, presiding

Everyone in the diocese is welcome to attend any of these services. Clergy will make arrangements in advance to bring parishioners to be confirmed or received.

The Council also has made it clear they want all aspects of the ordination process to proceed. Council president the Very Rev. Foster Mays will interview people who want to begin their discernment process, the first step for those who feel a call to ordained ministry, and the Council has authority to give final approval to those being ordained.

Soon the Council will begin setting up the process to search for the next bishop, in consultation with the Presiding Bishop’s Office for Pastoral Development. Members already have had conversations with that office for assistance in securing Bishop Milliken’s services.

Who serves on the Council?

PHOTOS BY MELODIE WOERMAN

Ten of the 14 members of the Council of Trustees at their meeting on March 15. The Very Rev. Foster Mays (front row left), rector of Epiphany, Sedan, is the Council’s president.

The Council is made up of 14 members who serve three-year terms. Six of them — three clergy and three lay people — are elected to at-large positions by Diocesan Convention, two each year. The other eight are elected by the four convocations, or regions, of the diocese.

Each convocation elects one clergy and one lay person, and those elections are ratified by Diocesan Convention.

Members are: Mr. Todd Allison, St. Peter’s, Pittsburg, Southeast Convocation The Rev. Sharon Billman, St. John’s, Parsons, atlarge The Rev. Gar Demo, St. Thomas’, Overland Park, Northeast Convocation Mrs. Elizabeth Doll, St. Paul’s, Marysville, Northwest Convocation Continued on page 10

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DIOCESAN MINISTRIES

Lawrence church program works to ‘Save Our Kids’

By Melodie Woerman

A PROGRAM THAT RAISES

awareness of the issues of gun safety and children’s mental health is preparing to make its resources available to a wider audience. Save Our Kids was started by members of Trinity, Lawrence, and provides a brochure filled with resources and tips, along with a website with information and a link to download the brochure.

David Marker, one of the people who helped start the project, said the initial printing of 3,000 brochures is nearly gone, and when more are printed organizers will leave blank the section that lists local resources. That will allow people using the document in cities other than Lawrence to print stickers with resources in their own community and affix it to the brochure.

Judy Heller, one of the organizers, said the idea for Save Our Kids came in response to a sermon by Trinity’s rector, the Very Rev. Rob Baldwin, in June 2015 about the murder of nine people at Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C. “He asked us what we were going to do about the epidemic of gun violence that had even invaded a Sunday school class,” she said.

Over lunch that day, several parishioners discussed action they could take and decided to focus on gun safety and children, with a special focus on preventing suicides and accidental shootings. They brought in another parishioner who was a graphic designer to develop the brochure and a website, www.saveourkids.info.

(From left) Susan Ralston, Proctor Crow, David Marker, Judy Heller and Betsi Anderson helped start the Save Our Kinds ministry at Trinity, Lawrence.

The brochure lists behaviors that could indicate mental health issues or might point toward a potential suicide. It details what to do if someone is in the midst of a mental health crisis and other ways people can engage on the issue.

The group advocates safe gun storage and makes trigger locks available at no charge, thanks to donations.

Heller said the group recently made a presentation to Trinity’s adult forum about its work, and they soon will be available to speak to church groups around the area.

Anyone wanting more information, or to talk about a presentation, may contact Marker at david@marker. com.

Between bishops Continued from page 9 Mr. Jack Dutra, St. Thomas’, Overland Park, Northeast Convocation Mr. Tim Flynn, St. James’, Wichita, Southwest Convocation The Rev. Patrick Funston, St. Paul’s, Manhattan, atlarge Mr. Scott Howard, St. Peter’s, Pittsburg, at-large Mrs. Margaret La Rue, Grace Cathedral, Topeka, at-large 10 | The Harvest | Spring 2017

The Very Rev. Laurie Lewis, Trinity, Arkansas City and Grace, Winfield, at-large Mr. Stephen Mann, St. Luke’s, Shawnee, at-large Deacon Rex Matney, Covenant, Junction City The Very Rev. Foster Mays, Epiphany, Sedan, Southeast Convocation The Rev. Andrew O’Connor, Good Shepherd, Wichita, Southwest Convocation The Council normally meets on the second Wednesday of each month in Topeka.

PHOTO BY GRACE CATHEDRAL

Workers help construct the floor of a portion of what will be the new parish hall for Grace Cathedral, Topeka.

Joint building project is in full swing WITH THE ADVENT OF GOOD

weather and with permits in hand, work has begun in earnest on the new building project involving the Diocese of Kansas, Grace Cathedral and the Bishop Kemper School for Ministry.

New space on the south side of the cathedral will provide the church with a large parish hall and choir room, along with new offices for members of the diocesan staff. That portion of the project should be finished in early 2018.

The existing lower level parish hall is being remodeled into a classrooms and an office for BKSM. Plans call for it to be ready before the start of classes this fall.

PHOTOS BY MELODIE WOERMAN

Metal studs frame what will be classrooms walls in the new space for the Bishop Kemper School for Ministry.

A pump brings concrete down to workers constructing the floor of the basement area under a portion of what will be the new parish hall.

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PEOPLE OF THE DIOCESE

Two Episcopalians serve in Kansas House

By Melodie Woerman

THE TWO EPISCOPALIANS

PHOTOS BY MELODIE WOERMAN

Two members of Episcopal churches in the Diocese of Kansas are serving as state representatives in the Kansas Legislature: Rev. Lonnie Clark of Junction City (left), and Rep. Brandon Whipple of Wichita.

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who serve as members of the Kansas House of Representatives may sit on opposite sides of the aisle, but they are united in their commitment to their constituents, their state and their church.

Rep. Lonnie Clark of Junction City and Rep. Brandon Whipple of Wichita are among the 125 members of the House who meet for 90 working days every spring in the State Capitol in Topeka.

Both are relative newcomers to the legislative body — Whipple was first elected in 2012 and Clark in 2014 — and they also recently joined the Episcopal Church.

Clark was invited by friends to the Church of the Covenant in Junction City in 2012 shortly after retiring and returning to his hometown. Whipple found St. James’, Wichita, in 2014 while he and his wife were searching for a church in which to have their first son baptized.

Clark still remembers his immersion baptism at age 5 or 6, but his family didn’t attend church much after his mother died a few years after that. He was part of a Presbyterian Church in high school, and his family attended a local Methodist church when he worked in Alabama.

Once back in Kansas, Clark said the invitation to Covenant brought him to the beautiful building with the red doors he remembers seeing as a child.

About a year after his confirmation he was elected to the Vestry, and then a year later was tabbed to be junior warden.

Whipple, who joined the Roman Catholic Church as a teenager, said he and his wife Chelsea, also raised a Roman Catholic, wanted to find a church for their young family that supported women in leadership.

Someone suggested they investigate St. James’, and they have been attending ever since. “It’s the first church where we go more than just Sunday,” he said. They like that the liturgy feels familiar, and his wife now serves on the church staff as director of Christian formation.

A political novice

Clark, a Republican, ran for office because he didn’t like the way his district was being represented. “I’m not a political person,” he said, and had never run for office before.

“I didn’t come to the Legislature with any political Rep. Lonnie Clark agenda except to help my district,” he said, an area that includes Junction City and a large part of Geary County.

Being a political novice, he asked to be assigned to the Agriculture and the Veterans and Military Committees. Since he had grown up on a farm and served in the Marine Corps during Vietnam, he figured he at least knew a little about those subjects. After being elected to a second term in November, he was named vice chair of the Veterans and Military Committee.

He has a special concern for an issue important to his constituents — the health of Milford Lake, which in recent years has experienced significant blue-green algae blooms. But he’s well aware of other thorny issues before the Legislature this year, including funding schools.

He said he grows frustrated when the legislative process itself seems to keep things from getting done. “Bills get hung up in committee,” he said.

“Then we debate and debate and debate. It seems like the process is a treadmill.”

Clark said his greatest satisfaction has been interacting with the people who live in his district, and in his second term, people are more

engaged than ever. “They are attending forums, asking questions, giving their opinions,” he said. “I enjoy that.”

A heart for policy analysis

Whipple, a Democrat, has a deep interest in politics, even earning a Ph.D. with an emphasis in organ i z at i on a l and political leadership. He has a heart for policy analysis, and he has served in party leadership p o s i t i o n s Rep. Brandon Whipple and worked on other people’s campaigns.

Now in his fifth year, he works to provide opportunities for people who, like him, were born with few chances to succeed. He grew up poor in New Hampshire, and after coming to Kansas with the AmeriCorps program, he graduated from Wichita State with two degrees.

“I made it out because of public education,” he said. He said he wants every child in his urban Wichita district to have the same opportunity as those in the richest part of the state, and strong schools and affordable college are part of that. “I want to make Kansas a continued place of opportunity, as it was for me,” he said.

His concern for increased jobs and new industries landed him a spot on the Commerce, Labor and Economic Development Committee, where he is the ranking member. He also serves on the Financial Institutions and Pension Committee, and the Joint Committee on Information Technology.

Whipple said his greatest frustration is that it isn’t enough to propose legislation that would do good things, or serve the greater good.

“You really have to work to get people in buy in, individually,” he said, finding a way to 63 yes votes to get a bill passed.

What makes it all worth it for him? “Sometimes we get it right,” he said. “Things that seem small to us can really help someone.”

Faith remains central

When asked what role faith plays in his work as a legislator, Clark said, “Your faith has an impact on everything you do. That’s the whole purpose of faith.” He uses his daily commute from Junction City to Topeka to think deeply about issues, so that when he makes his vote he can be comfortable with his decision and with himself.

“Faith, conscience and experience all come into play,” he said. “I’ve never had a revelation, but faith influences about everything we do.”

Whipple said his faith has grown and deepened since becoming a member of St. James’, especially when getting to talk to others who share the same values.

He said an experience on the floor of the House year had a profound effect on him. Against the advice of others and with long odds against him, he decided to try to stop a bill that would have prevented refugees from arriving in Kansas.

He stood at the House podium for three hours, answering questions and rebutting amendments, and in the end, he prevailed. “I had won floor fights before, but that debate changed me,” he said.

“Sometimes we have the opportunity to really do what’s right.”

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Sharing the love of Christ in a laundromat

By Melodie Woerman

A NEW MINISTRY IN WICHITA

uses a laundromat to turn quarters into respect.

Laundry Love, which was started last September by Good Shepherd, Wichita, has a simple goal — to help people who struggle financially by paying to wash their clothes at a local laundromat one evening a month. Deacon Arland Wallace suggested the program while he was serving a yearlong internship at the church, and congregation volunteers help him with it monthly.

The premise is a simple one. For two hours on the second Tuesday of every month, volunteers approach

people at the Spring Clean Laundromat on the west side of Wichita and offer to pay for their laundry.

Wallace said some gladly accept, while others politely decline. Still others say “no thanks” but give him money to help people who need it.

Wallace, who now serves at St. John’s, Wichita, said the idea for Laundry Love had its start in Ventura, Calif., more than a decade ago. It began when some people asked a man called T-Bone how they could help him. His answer was direct, and poignant: “If I had clean clothes I think people would treat me like a human being.” Since then the concept has spread to locations around the country.

The Wichita Laundry Love program seeks to do just that, Wallace said. “It is a simple act of love and respect that we give our patrons every month,” he said. “Doing a load of laundry is so simple for most of us, but for the marginalized it offers that person respect and self-esteem that they have clean clothes.”

Money for the program comes from a $1,000 start-up grant from the church, plus $1,000 from the first Alleluia Grants given by the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas last October. A few contributions also have helped.

Gifts of quarters and detergent

SUBMITTED PHOTOS

Volunteer Lyla Bybee, Good Shepherd, Wichita, puts quarters into a dryer for a patron at a local laundromat as part of the church’s Laundry Love ministry.

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On Feb. 14 Wallace was joined by four Good Shepherd volunteers — Jim Dresslaer, Linda Hirsch, Lyla Bybee and Jack Wilkins. Some people were waiting when the group arrived at 6 p.m. Volunteers carry rolls of quarters and laundry detergent and offer both to the people who are putting clothes into large washing machines.

Wallace said on that night they helped eight people, each one with a unique story that had two things in common — money is tight, and laundromats cost money.

Tammy works 15 hours a week, earning $9 an hour.

She can’t afford to fix her broken washing machine so relies on the laundromat.

Susan lives in a nearby apartment complex where washers and dryers are vandalized and clothes stolen.

Besides, she and her husband are helping to support their daughter and her family.

Noelle, in her own words, is just a kid with no money.

Stella said she normally can afford to do laundry only once a month. Now she can wash her clothes, and those of her 16-year-old son, twice a month.

HOW TO HELP Deacon Arland Wallace (left) created the Laundry Love program at Good Shepherd, Wichita.

He serves at St. John’s in Wichita.

Alicia was in a car accident and is trying to saving money to get her car fixed so she can have transportation again.

Jennifer is working two minimum wage jobs and struggles to afford the basics of life.

Tina is low on money and appreciates the help. But as a Laundry Love regular, she said she also looks forward to the companionship.

And then there is Tabby, who came in just before 8 p.m. with her two small children and “more laundry than I’ve ever seen before,” Wallace said. She told him it had been a month since she had washed clothes.

He could see she had more laundry than the program’s maximum of $15 per person for washing machines, plus extra for dryers.

Wallace had $33 in quarters left, and he made a split-second decision that they’d spend it all to help her.

The money barely covered four large machines that each hold six loads of clothes, plus extra for the dryers.

A couple doing their laundry noticed Tabby’s plight, left the laundromat and returned with a box of diapers for her children.

“This was a night when the gospel was taught to all of us in one way or another,” Wallace said. “Each person has their own story and their own

Laundry Love started with two grants of $1,000 each to cover the cost of providing laundry service to people in need once a month.

That money can support the program for about another six months. After that, the program will have to raise additional funds to keep it going.

Those wanting to support the program may send a check to: Laundry Love Good Shepherd Episcopal Church 8021 W. 21st Street North Wichita, KS 67205-1743

needs, but even in their difficulty they help each other.”

Love and the light of Christ

The volunteers that night said they always get more then they give Continued on page 16

Alleluia Grants aid new outreach efforts Laundry Love was one of four programs awarded firstever Alleluia Grants by the diocese’s Mission and Outreach Committee in October 2016. Funds for these new grants come from money raised during the Crossroads capital campaign and earmarked for outreach efforts.

Applications soon will be available to apply for funds for new outreach ministries in congregations throughout the

diocese. Information will be distributed to parishes and to all deacons, and it will be posted on the diocesan website.

To help keep these grants sustainable long into the future, the Council of Trustees has authorized a mailing during Eastertide to all households in the diocese, giving people the opportunity to contribute to the Alleluia Fund.

Watch for this in mailboxes in late April.

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DIOCESAN LIFE

Laundry Love Clay Center church and community Continued from page 15 from the laundromat patrons they serve. Dresslaer said he likes that the program helps people in need who don’t often receive help from the community. Plus, it’s a way to return some of the blessings of his life.

Bybee said she was drawn to the program from the beginning and loves walking up to strangers and offering to pay for their laundry. The smiles, hugs and thank-yous she gets warm her heart.

Hirsch said she has struggled to find a way to make her Christian faith known to people in the community. This program provides a concrete way for her to be Christ’s hands and feet in the world.

Wallace said the two hours of Laundry Love every month leave him amazed at the interaction between volunteers and the people they are serving.

“We show them love and respect for that brief moment where our paths cross.

We are not just putting quarters into machines. We are distributing the light of Christ to those individuals.

And I hope we bring a little joy into their lives.”

Reporting by Deacon Arland Wallace contributed to this story.

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receive help from AmeriCorps team

By Melodie Woerman

A GROUP OF YOUNG

adults called St. Paul’s, Clay Center, their home for three months this winter while serving as members of the AmeriCorps program.

They were assigned to the city to help with a variety of projects around town, including at the church, which provided them with a free place to sleep in Sunday school rooms and the basement.

The six women and five men, along with their team leader, provided extra hands for the church’s ministry programs and worked at the city museum.

They also made it a point to attend as many civic events as possible.

Donna Long, a member of St. Paul’s, was instrumental in bringing the group to the city. She said that teams of AmeriCorps workers normally are assigned to a location for three months, and the amount of work to be done at both the church and museum meant the volunteers would stay busy.

At St. Paul’s they undertook a variety of construction projects, including remodeling the first-floor parish hall and space in the basement. They also helped install a small elevator, or lift, which will help volunteers engaged in the church’s extensive food ministries.

They also assisted with food distribution through those ministries, including BackSnacks, Senior Commodities and Mobile Food Pantry.

Two of the volunteers developed a website for the church’s Help Center for those seeking employment, and

PHOTO BY DONNA LONG

Members of AmeriCorps, shown here in the parish hall at St. Paul’s, Clay Center, provided help to the church as well as other agencies in town, during their three-month service in Clay Center this winter. they helped refresh the church website and Facebook page, too.

Long said, “We at St. Paul’s were blessed to be able to work along side this group of hard-working, caring and service orientated young people.

They helped with projects to improve our outreach and food programs for the community, and we will miss them very much.”

AmeriCorps is a federal program that provides stipends in return for months of service in communities across the nation. More than 80,000 people serve each year at more than 21,000 work sites.

FROM THE CANON TO THE ORDINARY | THE REVEREND TOREY L. LIGHTCAP

Reconnecting with my roots this Lent FOR THIS LENT, I de-

cided to undertake something unlikely: reconnect with my Southern Baptist roots. After all, it was in two Southern Baptist congregations and in one Southern Baptist college (all in Oklahoma) that I came to accept and know Christ, and to be nurtured by the Holy Scriptures.

I was encouraged to cultivate an unmediated and authentic relationship with Jesus by the power of the Spirit. In the language of that time and place, I asked Jesus into my heart and learned the disciplines of allowing God to take the fullest measure of control over my life. I sang mighty and memorable songs of invitation, assurance, and refreshment. I even considered the call to become a pastor.

When my wife and I migrated over and became Episcopalians in 1993, it was not out of a lack of appreciation for all the Baptists had given us (e.g., Sunday School, tithing, Bible study, daily prayer, evangelism).

It was because the Episcopal Church had offered us a spiritual home where we could be more fully who we sensed God was calling us to be, and we accepted that gift. It’s funny what a three-legged stool can do for your faith.

Still, it was no mistake that on Ash Wednesday I felt compelled to text a friend and to ask if the Baptist congregation she works for happened to have an extra hymnal lying around that I could look at during Lent.

She obliged, and I spent a good number of hours pouring over that book, remembering its hymn tunes, sifting and weighing out its theologies.

In the end, it is the music of my youth, spent in church, that has fed me in the wilderness this Lent: ... Heavenly sunlight, heavenly sunlight, filling my soul with glory divine ... ... He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today ... ... The Savior is waiting to enter your heart; why won’t you let him come in? ... ... Have thine own way, Lord, have thine own way ... ... Just as I am, without one plea ...

Each hymn has its own deep memory and attachment. Most are connected to Sunday mornings and evenings or to Wednesday evenings, and some are especially connected to Falls Creek (the “Baptist youth encampment”). There are certain life-moments wound into some of them, many tethered to powerful preaching and/or testimony.

To touch the pages of this hymnal is to recede into a state of an almost electric recollection.

The overall effect of my walk with the Southern Baptists these 40 days has been a kind of pastiche of memory: Lenten comfort, Lenten challenge, the way of the cross and the sure knowledge that God is far from finished with me.

I come away refreshed, knowing that in my own small way, my life is

still trying to merge with Jesus’ life, teaching, work, death and resurrection.

The pattern has become ingrained all the way to the marrow-bone; I’m just trying to live it out.

I’m praying this Lent that your time in the desert has been a fruitful one. I’m grateful for each and every one of you. May Christ bless this journey into Easter and hallow it with the gift of his eternal presence.

The Episcopal Diocese of Kansas 835 S.W. Polk Street Topeka, KS 66612-1688 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED