The Harvest, May-June 2012

Page 1

Inside The Harvest From the bishop

Bishop Wolfe offers the bad news, and some good news, too, in the recent “Report on the State of the Church.” Page 2

UTO grant

Episcopal Social Services/ Venture House in Wichita has been awarded a United Thank Offering Grant of more than $21,000 to help enhance its representative payee program through new computers and software. Page 3

MegaCamp

More than 200 campers, plus nearly 50 adult volunteers, helped make this year’s week of MegaCamp another big success. Add in lots of fun outdoor activities, and you know why it’s so popular. Page 5

Six new deacons

Bishop Wolfe ordained six people as deacons in a service at Grace Cathedral June 2. Page 6

First refugee family arrival

The Episcopal Wichita Area Refugee Ministry has received word its first refugee family, this one from Burma, will be arriving soon. Executive Director Shannon Mahan says the obstacles they’ll face are enormous. Page 6

‘thelo’

Young adults who are part of the Diocese of Kansas campus ministry program spent a week in Wichita in May doing hands-on ministry and learning more about urban poverty. Page 7

Staff restructuring eliminates two positions income, along with parish apportionments. According to diocesan comptroller n what he called “one of the more Jay Currie, the move will save the diodifficult decisions” he’d made in cese about $175,000 in 2013, includhis eight years in office, Bishop ing salaries, benefits and associated Dean Wolfe on May 10 announced a program costs. The bishop said he and restructuring of the diocesan others involved with the staff that resulted in the diocese’s finances explored elimination of two positions. other options before reachChar DeWitt, the director ing this decision. of development and stewAs with most churches, ardship, and the Rev. Susan more than half of the diocTerry, one of the diocese’s esan yearly budget of $1.8 two campus missioners, million is devoted to staff concluded their service to salaries and benefits, and he the diocese on May 15. Char DeWitt said cuts to program areas In a message sent by alone wouldn’t have yielded email to diocesan clergy, the savings needed. lay leaders and others and There was discussion of posted on the diocesan webraising parish apportionsite, Bishop Wolfe said the ments, he said, but ultimove was made to return the mately “it became clear we use of endowment income needed to restructure our to a more sustainable level. ministry.” He said, “In recent years B i s h o p Wo l f e s a i d we have relied more heavily The Rev. the two staff positions that on endowment income to help Susan Terry were eliminated were in make up shortfalls coming from declining parish revenue and the no way “superfluous to our work.” loss of a significant individual gift to He praised DeWitt’s work in raising $3.3 million in the Crossroads the diocese.” This restructuring, he said, will c a m p a i g n a n d s a i d Te r r y w a s result in the budget being funded from (Please see Restructuring, page 3) a less aggressive draw on endowment By Melodie Woerman Editor, The Harvest

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By Melodie Woerman Editor, The Harvest

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he Kansas School for Ministry has announced its schedule of classes for the 2012-2013 academic year, along with a switch in format prompted by a group of new students from neighboring dioceses. Classes will begin on Aug. 11, with students meeting from Saturday morning until Sunday afternoon. In recent years the schedule followed a Friday-evening-to-Saturday-evening format. The Rev. Andrew Grosso, KSM’s coordinator, said the arrival this fall of seven students from the dioceses of Western Kansas and West Missouri prompted the change, to allow them more time to drive to Topeka, where all classes take place, without taking time off work. He expects 11 or 12 students from the Diocese of Kansas, also. Grosso said the idea of students from neighboring dioceses attending KSM was born in the summer of 2011, when Bishop Michael Milliken of Western Kansas and Bishop Martin Field of West Missouri attended a regional conference on pre-ordination formation the school sponsored. After the two men learned what KSM had to offer, they and Bishop Dean Wolfe, along with representatives of the three dioceses, began discussing how they all could better cooperate to educate people for ordination and specific lay ministries. Grosso said four new faculty members from (Please see KSM, page 4

Conference center renovations are in full swing By Melodie Woerman Editor, The Harvest

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Around the diocese

Learn about the 35th anniversary party for St. Jude’s, Wellington, and how St. Andrew’s, Derby, helped tornado victims feel just a bit more loved — and lots more news from parishes across the diocese. Page 8

Twitter and zombies

Author and professor Elizabeth Drescher looks at what zombies and the people who like them can teach the church about popular culture. She speaks at St. Michael’s, Mission, in July. Page 9

Bishops call for aid

Bishop Wolfe was one of 102 bishops who asked President Barack Obama to work to restore United Nations funding for an Episcopal hospital in Gaza that serves all faiths. Page 10

General Convention Learn who’s going to the 77th General Convention in Indianapolis from the Diocese of Kansas and what issues await them. Page 11

New students prompt KSM format change

Photo by Melodie Woerman

A worker nails plywood sheeting to the roof of the Bethany Place Conference Center in Topeka May 22 before new shingles are put in place. The new roof is one of the many renovations underway in the building.

onstruction is well underway at the Bethany Place Conference Center in Topeka, to remodel the 137-year-old building into modern facilities to house students at the Kansas School for Ministry and others using the space for meetings and retreats. The work is expected to cost about $400,000 and is the first project to begin using proceeds from the $3.3 million donated to the Crossroads capital campaign. A ceremonial “plaster breaking” took place in midApril, and a new roof was put on in late May. Since then the interior of the second floor has been gutted, and the outline of new walls is taking shape as studs are installed. While the building has served as overnight housing for nearly 30 years, the remodeled facility will provide many upgrades, including a first floor bedroom and bathroom with disability access, three new bathrooms on the second floor, new mechanical and electrical systems, greater energy efficiency, and an upgraded kitchen. It also will increase the number of sleeping beds from 12 to 20, to better serve KSM students who are preparing for ordination as priests or deacons or engaged in lay ministry training, as well as parish groups that want to use it for meetings or retreats. It also will have five full bathrooms and one half bath. Rob Junk, the project’s architect, said he and MarLan, the Lawrence-based construction company doing the renovations, are working with state historic preservation officials on approval of new energy-efficient windows that will be installed throughout the conference center. (Please see Center, page 3)


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