Inside The Harvest From Bishop Wolfe
Bishop Wolfe describes his recent sabbatical and says he’s ready to get to work outlining the next goals for the diocese. Page 2
National ECW board
Lonnie Isaak from Independence is a new member of the national board of the Episcopal Church Women, representing Province 7. Page 3
ESS-sponsored cafe
Episcopal Social Services has helped start a new downtown eatery that offers meals and the chance for people to learn culinary skills. Page 5
Making churches welcome The head of Forward Movement urged churches to serve really great coffee as one of the steps to truly offer a ministry of hospitality to those who enter church doors. Page 5
Sunday school restarts
After nearly 20 years, St. Mark’s, Blue Rapids, now is offering a Sunday school for the growing number of children who call the parish home. Page 6
Help for Haiti
St. Paul’s, Leavenworth, sponsored a medical mission trip to Haiti, to serve some of the world’s poorest people. Page 7
Clay Center award
St. Paul’s, Clay Center, was recognized by Harvester’s, the area’s largest food bank, for its many efforts to feed the hungry. Page 7
Around the diocese
A groundbreaking in Derby, an April Women’s Summit and more mark news from around the diocese. Page 8
Building hope
Men from St. Michael and All Angels, Mission, use their home repair skills to make the lives of people easier through HopeBuilders. Page 9
Anglican congeniality
Episcopalians who attended a recent major Anglican Communion meeting said it was marked by congeniality and positive respect. Page 10
Help for storm victims
One church in New Jersey was able to feed its neighbors awaiting electricity and provide a safe place to warm up in the aftermath of superstorm Sandy. Page 11
Diocesan Convention celebrates ministries, does business By Melodie Woerman Editor, The Harvest Delegates to the 153rd annual convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas heard calls to embrace the challenges facing the church in the 21st century and, in the words of the convention theme, to “walk by faith.” In his address, Bishop Dean Wolfe noted that the Episcopal Church in the past has stood for causes that weren’t embraced by the culture, including rights for minorities and women and now for gays and lesbians. Those stances weren’t always popular then, and some aren’t now, he said, but “we will need to stop apologizing for what it is we believe we are called by God to do.” Within the diocese, the challenge today is how to provide clergy and lay leaders for churches, especially those facing financial challenges. Through the expansion of the Kansas School for Ministry, Bishop Wolfe said those leaders now are being trained. He noted that surrounding dioceses — Western Kansas, West Missouri and Nebraska — have begun sending their students to KSM for ordination preparation. Without the opportunity to educate people locally, the bishop said, “it is easy to see how many parishes could be closed
Photo by Melodie Woerman
Four bishops gather before the start of the Convention Eucharist at Grace Cathedral, Topeka, Oct. 19: (from left) Bishop Peter Price of the Diocese of Bath and Wells, Church of England; Bishop Joseph Muchai of the Diocese of Nakuru, Church of Kenya; Bishop Gerald Mansholt, Central States Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; and Kansas Bishop Dean Wolfe.
in the next 10 years in this diocese.” The next great challenge is to find ways to bring the gospel to the growing number of Americans who identify themselves as “spiritual but not religious,” he said.
A Jesus society
That topic was one addressed by the
Durham bishop named new archbishop of Canterbury By Matthew Davies Episcopal News Service Following months of anticipation and media speculation, Downing Street confirmed Nov. 9 that the Queen has approved the nomination of Diocese of Durham Bishop Justin Welby as the next archbishop of Canterbury. As the 105th archbishop in a succession spanning more than 1400 years, Welby will assume the multifaceted role as spiritual leader of the Anglican Communion, Primate of All England and bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. Church of England bishops are appointed rather than elected, with a 16-member Crown Nominations Commission putting forward two names — a preferred candidate and a second candidate — to Downing Street. The U.K. prime minister then seeks approval from the British monarch, who is the supreme governor of the Church of England. Before his ordination to the priesthood in 1992, Welby studied law and history at Cambridge University and then spent 11 years as an executive in the oil industry.
Bishop Justin Welby of Durham is the new archbishop of Canterbury.
(Please see Canterbury, page 11)
(Please see Comments, page 11)
keynote speaker, Bishop Peter Price of the Diocese of Bath and Wells in the Church of England. In his Saturday morning address, he said that people who identify themselves in that way don’t think the church is about anything. “We talk about, (Please see Convention, page 3)
Conference center gets first look after remodeling By Melodie Woerman Editor, The Harvest
Comments from Bishop Wolfe I had the privilege of meeting Justin Welby at last spring’s House of Bishops meeting. He sat at my table during our meetings, and he impressed me. He’s incredibly bright and as a former oil executive, he has a business sense about him. He’s gifted administratively and is used to thinking strategically. He brings a creative skill set to that office.
Tours of the newly remodeled Bethany Place Conference Center brought a chorus of “oohs” and “aahs” as it was open for the first time on the evening before the start of Diocesan Convention, Oct. 18. Delegates and others who attended a preconvention Evensong and chili supper made their way through the two-story, 2,600-squarefoot stone building that for more than 30 years has provided overnight housing for diocesan groups and has been the home of the Kansas School for Ministry since its inception. The facility now features eight bedrooms that will sleep 22 people, and five full and one half bathrooms, plus a kitchen, dining room and living room/conference room on the first floor and a study on the second floor. One of the bedrooms and bathrooms is designed to accommodate people with mobility disabilities. Modern décor in neutral tones is evident throughout. The structure has a number of upgrades that are less visible, including a new heating and air conditioning system, a tankless water (Please see Center, page 6)