SPRING 2013
THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF NORTH CAROLINA
ash wednesday Beyond the doors of the church
197th convention elects bishop Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus
The North Carolina Disciple | Spring 2013
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contents
table of
SPRING 2013
Diocesan House 200 West Morgan Street, Suite 300 Raleigh, NC 27601-1338 PHONE: 919.834.7474 TOLL FREE: 800.448.8775 FAX: 919.834.8775 WEBSITE: www.episdionc.org The Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina
features
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Bishop The Rt. Rev. Michael B. Curry michael.curry@episdionc.org Diocesan House: 919.834.7474
It’s Time to Go Home News from Convention
Assistant Bishop The Rt. Rev. William O. Gregg william.gregg@episdionc.org Office of the Assistant Bishop: 704.332.7746
Conversations and Going to Plan B in Galilee The Bishop Suffragan: Frequently Asked Questions
Assisting Bishop The Rt. Rev. Alfred C. “Chip” Marble Jr. alfred.marble@episdionc.org Office of the Assisting Bishop: 336.273.5770
The Borrowed Bishop: History Day 2013 Meanwhile, in Galilee Dance with Me into Galilee Ash Wednesday Beyond the Doors of the Church
PUBLISHER
Bishop of North Carolina
Praise God From Whom All Knowledge Flows
EDITOR / ART DIRECTOR
TREC-ing into the Future of The Episcopal Church
Sarah Herr: sarah.herr@episdionc.org
Support a Botswana Seminarian
COPY EDITING / DESIGN
Summerlee Walter
A Cross-Cultural Exchange of Radical Welcome
COPY EDITING
Beth Grace
Challenge Accepted
CONTRIBUTORS IN THIS ISSUE
Gathering to Connect with God, Self & Others
The Rt. Rev. Michael B. Curry Dr. Ayliffe Mumford The Bishop Suffragan Search Committee The Rev. Dr. Brooks Graebner Dr. Sam Laurent Nathan Kirkpatrick Diana Turner-Forte The Rev. Canon Cathie Caimano The Rev. Nils Chittenden Joseph Wolyniak Jonathan York The Rev. Dr. Leon Spencer Dorothy Darr The Rev. Elizabeth Marie Melchionna Susan B. Rountree The Rev. Rebecca Yarbrough
Multiplying Ministries
departments & more 22 Events, Briefs & Clergy Changes 32 Bishops’ Visitations
SUBSCRIPTIONS / CHANGE OF ADDRESS
Scott Welborn: scott.welborn@episdionc.org SUBMISSIONS
All submissions welcome and considered for publication. Email submissions to sarah.herr@episdionc.org. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Are published on the diocesan website under “The NC Disciple.” COVER PHOTO
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The North Carolina Disciple | Spring 2013
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Bishop Suffragan-elect the Rev. Ann Hodges-Copple with the current bishops. Photo by Sarah Herr.
Making Disciples, Making a Difference
penick village mother’s day offering Penick Village is a non-profit continuing care retirement community located in Southern Pines. Since its founding by Bishop Penick in 1964, Penick Village has never asked a resident to leave the facility due to a lack of funds. This ministry of turning no one away has been a central tenet at Penick Village throughout its 49-year history. Episcopal churches in the Diocese of North Carolina have traditionally collected an offering for Penick Village on Mother’s Day. In addition to allowing Penick Village to continue its unique outreach to all who seek to retire there, your donation also allows for expansions like the Garden Cottages, which constitute a new, less institutionalized way to care for Penick’s frailest residents. You can donate to Penick Village via check or money order or online at www.penickvillagefoundation.org.
in need of a website? tired of your old one? the diocese can help This spring, the diocesan communications team will contact each congregation without an up-to-date website to set up a basic homepage containing the church’s address, service times and contact information. Members of diocesan staff will set up the website, so your congregation does not need a webmaster to benefit from this service. All websites will be free under the Diocese’s partnership with the Digital Faith content management system. Churches that are interested in setting up more complex--but still free-websites that their members maintain, or those that wish to migrate from their current platforms to Digital Faith, should contact Communications Director Sarah Herr (sarah.herr@episdionc.org) for more information on building and maintaining a web presence. Our goal is for each congregation in the Diocese to have a website by this summer. ATTENTION CHURCHES: Have you updated your member lists with the Diocesan Office? The Diocese is attempting to update the Disciple mailing list. Contact Scott Welborn at scott.welborn@episdionc.org for more details.
ABOUT
At a Glance Facts: This Magazine... The North Carolina Disciple is the quarterly magazine of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina. Other diocesan communication vehicles, including Around the Diocese, a monthly bulletin insert; Please Note, a weekly e-newsletter; and the Diocesan website, www.episdionc.org; are used for more time-sensitive, day-to-day news. Contact Sarah Herr at sarah.herr@episdionc.org with any questions or feedback regarding these communications, or to submit ideas, articles and photos.
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Is printed with soy inks, which are more environmentally friendly than traditional petroleum-based inks.
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Is printed on FSC certified paper - paper certified by the Forestry Stewardship Council, an independent, non-governmental, not for profit organization established to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests.
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Is printed and mailed in Morrisville, North Carolina. The printer has been using an internal paper recycling system for paper production since 1995.
Delivery occurs in the early part of the following months: Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus
September / Fall Issue December / Winter Issue March / Spring Issue June / Summer Issue The North Carolina Disciple | Spring 2013
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it’s time to go
home
An old spiritual includes these yearning words:
Deep river, my home is over Jordan, Lord. I want to cross over into camp ground. Going home means going deep. Deep into the soil of this faith and this tradition. Deep into the soil of what it means to be a baptized disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ in the community of disciples called the Church. Deep into the soil of what it means to be a Christian in the Anglican way of catholic Christianity. Deep into a vital and genuine relationship with Jesus and into a commitment to follow in the way of Jesus. Deep into nothing less
The Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina THE FOLLOWING IS
an excerpt from the Pastoral Address of the Right Reverend Michael B. Curry to the 197th Annual Convention
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than the very heart and Spirit of the living God.
To be the Church in our 21st century Galilee, to be a disciple of Jesus in this time, we have to go deep. It’s time to go home. It’s happening among us already. The Rector and leaders of St. John’s Church, Charlotte, began to realize that, while we certainly need excellent programs of Christian formation in the Church, we can no longer expect Sunday School or even Sunday worship to be the primary means of nurturing children and young people in the faith. Something has to happen at home. So they created a resource they call “Church Home” to help parents and families practice and live the Christian faith at home and in their communities. You can find this resource on their website.1 At St. Timothy’s, Winston-Salem; St. Joseph’s, Durham; and St. Paul’s, Monroe, people gather Monday through Friday
The North Carolina Disciple | Spring 2013
to pray the daily offices of Morning and Evening Prayer. Small groups meet at Holy Comforter, Burlington; Good Shepherd, Raleigh, and around the diocese to live into our Bible Challenge of reading the entire Scriptures over the course of a year. In the last few years, more people are participating in intensive study courses such as Education for Ministry. Many are engaging in Gospel Based Discipleship, meditating on the Gospel reading for the day and seeking to live its teachings that day. By the way -- follow the Diocese of North Carolina on Facebook or Twitter; we post or tweet the Gospel lesson of the day and the name of the clergyperson who is on the diocesan prayer list for that day. On Sunday evenings during the school year, a large congregation of college Making Disciples, Making a Difference
students gathers at the Chapel of the Cross in Chapel Hill. For a rock concert? No, for sung Compline. Two of our congregations sponsor houses where young adults live in Christian community and work in service to others. I’m even hearing of some congregations creating house churches and others holding worship services and establishing worshipping communities beyond their church doors. These are small steps, but small steps over time become a focused direction. Little things begin to add up. As Archbishop Desmond Tutu said: “Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”2 This is what it takes to go deep. This is what it takes to go home. This is the present and future shape of ministry in Galilee: to be deeply grounded in God and in a serious commitment to the way of Jesus of Nazareth. To be unencumbered by and no longer dependent on brick and mortar to make us a church. To be set free to be not what “the way we’ve always done it” expects us to be, but to be who God in Christ has called us to be.
“Deep river, my home is over Jordan, Lord. I want to cross over into camp ground.” I want to mention another dimension of going home. Home is our place of origin. Home is the place of our original DNA. It’s where we come from. It’s the root of who we are. In Galilee the key to effectively witnessing to and proclaiming the Gospel will not be to pretend to be something we are not. While we can and should learn from others, we are not the mega-church, we are not the cool church, we are not the hip church, we are the Episcopal Church. And being just that – the Episcopal Church – is where our strength will lie for faithful, authentic and effective witness to Jesus. In a small and symbolic way we will attempt to live that out here at this convention. This year for our convention Eucharist we will do what we Episcopalians do. We will put on our vestments. We will have a grand procession with crosses, candles, incense. But this time it’ll be a little different. We will have a solemn procession, to be sure, but we will process through downtown Winston-Salem during rush hour. And we will celebrate the Holy Eucharist in a public park. Now I have to tell you the truth. When the Rev.
Sarah Hollar told me about this idea, which came from the Swindell Speakers Committee, a group that has become one of our creative think tanks, it took me aback. One part of me frankly likes to keep Episcopalians warm, comfortable and happy. It makes my life a lot easier. Part of me wondered -- how in the world would I get down the street in cope and miter, with a staff in hand? Do I use the silver diocesan crozier or my wooden traveling one? Then I started to think about mobility. Everybody can’t walk that far. The song “All Are Welcome” may be our favorite diocesan song, but we aren’t being very welcoming if people can’t get to our service. As soon as I mentioned this to Sarah she said they had already discussed that, and in addition to our solemn walking procession, we’ll be providing a solemn procession of shuttle buses, led by Bishop Marble. By this time I was running out of excuses to be an old-style, inside-the-church Episcopalian. When I told my wife, she said, “Are you crazy? It’s January. Can’t we go to Galilee in the spring?” That sounds reasonable. Then I remembered my own words, now coming back to haunt me. I recalled a sermon I preached on what it really means to follow Jesus, a sermon titled “We Need Some Crazy Christians.” Processing and caravanning to a public park in the middle of winter to celebrate the Eucharist? Now that did sound crazy.
But you know what?
The truth is, we do need some crazy Christians! Jesus said, “Don’t follow the world’s way. Follow me and my way.” From the world’s perspective, that’s truly crazy! Jesus says follow me and practice love when the world says practice hate. Follow me and care when it’s more tempting to care less. Follow me and give of yourself rather than keeping things mainly for yourself. Follow me and forgive rather than hold on to resentment. Follow me and love the Lord your God. Follow me and love your neighbor as yourself – your young neighbor, your old neighbor, your Anglo neighbor, your Latino neighbor, your gay neighbor, your straight or transgendered neighbor, your Republican neighbor, your Democratic neighbor, your Muslim neighbor, your Jewish neighbor, your atheist neighbor. Love your neighbor. Follow me and do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. Follow me. Diocese of North Carolina, we need some crazy Christians, following in the footsteps of Jesus the Christ. Safe and sanitized Christianity won’t cut it in Galilee. 1 2
www.saintjohns-charlotte.org Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu, Made for Goodness: And Why This Makes All the Difference (New York: HarperCollins, 2010)
The Rt. Rev. Michael B. Curry was elected the 11th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina in 2000. Find his full pastoral address online at http://bit.ly/Xeejhc. Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus
The North Carolina Disciple | Spring 2013
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news from
convention Results, stories and a new Bishop Suffragan from the 197th Annual Convention
Remarks to the Convention from the rev. anne hodges-copple Bishop Suffragan-Elect
“
The love of God has brought us all here. The love of God overflows with us here. The love of God has raised up people foolish enough and maybe courageous enough to step forward and be part of a conversation about sharing the Good News in Christ in the 21st Century. I want to say that this conversation about “Galilee,” and particularly the conversation partners who have been part of of the search process, tells me that our Church is filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. It tells me that we are guided not only by the visionary leadership of our North Carolina bishops but that we have inspiring leadership across the church. When we look to our Lord Jesus Christ and then look to each others’ faces, we see hope. We see the excitement in new things being raised up. Thank you for allowing me to take a next step in a great and grand, exciting and terrifying journey. Thank you to the four nominees who have shared this part of the walk with our diocese. Each has made me a better disciple of Christ. May we all rejoice in the talent and creativity of those who step forward in faith to follow Jesus Christ. Thank you, Diocese of North Carolina.
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The North Carolina Disciple | Spring 2013
More than 600 clergy, delegates and guests gathered for the 197th Annual Convention of the Diocese in Winston-Salem on January 25-26, 2013. This year’s Convention featured several exciting events, most notably the election of a new bishop suffragan, the Rev. Anne Hodges-Copple, who is the Diocese’s first female bishop-elect. Read more about Hodges-Copple, the results of voting on resolutions, Bishop Curry’s Pastoral Address and other Convention highlights in the following pages, and find additional resources, including substitute resolutions, online at http://bit.ly/Vf2Yfr. THE BISHOP SUFFRAGAN-ELECT The Rev. Anne Hodges-Copple was elected as the Diocese’s new bishop suffragan on the fourth ballot out of a field of five nominees. She received 182 votes of 262 votes cast in the lay order and 123 of 183 votes cast in the clergy order. An election required 158 votes in the lay order and 123 votes in the clergy order. Pending required consents from the House of Bishops and diocesan standing committees, her consecration will take place in Duke Chapel, Durham, on June 15, 2013. A native of Texas, Hodges-Copple has lived all but six years of her adult life in North Carolina. She currently serves as the rector of St. Luke’s, Durham. Before that, she served as the Episcopal chaplain at Duke University and as the assistant to the rector at St. Luke’s after earning her Master of Divinity at the Pacific
Making Disciples, Making a Difference
From the 197th Annual Convention
School of Religion in Berkeley, CA. Before her ordination, Hodges-Copple served in the secular world as a community organizer and director of battered women’s shelters. She has also been involved in the Bishop’s Committee for La Iglesia El Buen Pastor, which she chaired; the Standing Committee; the School of Ministry Board; LEAP (Latino/a Education Achievement Partnership) and Durham’s Prevention of Homelessness Coordinating Committee She is married to John, and the couple has three children. Her nominee profile and video are available at http://bit.ly/XqOn0o. Find answers to Frequently asked questions about the bishop suffragan on page 12. BISHOP CURRY’S PASTORAL ADDRESS This year, Bishop Curry’s Pastoral Address “It’s Time to Go Home!” continued the theme of ministry in Galilee that he has emphasized over the past few years. In it, Bishop Curry reminded the Convention that Galilee is where Jesus’ disciples lived, so, when Jesus sent them out to Galilee, he was sending them not to a foreign land but home. They were not, however, returning to their home town to relax. “But this home in Galilee was not a resting place,” Bishop Curry reminded the Convention. “Not at all. It was the launching pad. It was from their home that Jesus sent the disciples out to proclaim the gospel to the whole world.... It’s the same for us and for our diocese, millenniums later.” An excerpt of Bishop Curry’s Pastoral Address can be found on pages 4-5 in this issue. A printed version and a video of his address are available online at http://bit.ly/Xeejhc. THE BUDGET & FAIR SHARE The diocesan budget expenses for 2013 were approved at $4,663,669, which remained relatively flat compared to the previous three years. The Fair Share was reduced to 11.25 percent, down from 11.5 percent last year.
The Faith and Morals committee hearing, which addressed resolutions pertaining to immigration reform and gun violence, drew the most people on Friday afternoon.
Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus
The Rev. Canon Michael Buerkel Hunn distributes Communion during the Friday evening Convention Eucharist. Originally planned as an outdoor service in a public park, the Eucharist moved into the convention hall due to inclement weather. The simple service reminded the Convention that the trappings of church are only secondary to the worship.
ACTS & RESOLUTIONS Special Rule of Order for the Election of a Bishop Suffragan of the Diocese of North Carolina Set procedures for the election of a bishop suffragan and stood in place of Rule of Order XXII for the Election of a Bishop Suffragan. Adopted as submitted. Res. 197.1 On Amending the Canons to Allow the Date of the Annual Convention to be Moved from January to an Earlier Time. Amended Canon 18 to change the deadline for parishes and missions to accept or appeal their Fair Share giving amount to July 15. Amended Canons 9 and 16 so members of Standing Committee and Diocesan Council begin their terms on January 1 after their election by Convention. Allows for Annual Convention to take place on the weekend before Thanksgiving instead of in January. Substitute resolution adopted. Res. 197.2 On Praying at Each Regular Sunday Eucharist for the Honoring and Protection of the Earth. Urges all parishes and missions to affirm the importance of caring for God’s Creation through prayer and education. Substitute resolution adopted. Res. 197.3 On Supporting Both the DREAM Act and Comprehensive Immigration Reform. Urges the people and parishes of the Diocese to contact national, state and local elected officials to encourage them to support both the DREAM Act and Comprehensive Immigration Reform. Also encourages engagement with immigration issues. Substituite resolution adopted. Res. 197.4 On Palestine and Israel. Calls on the Executive Council of The Episcopal Church to request congressional hearings to determine that no U.S. funding is being used to deny basic human rights of Palestinians living under occupation. Also calls on Executive Council to investigate the Church’s own investements in Israel. Adopted as submitted. Res. 197.5 On Amending Canon 15 to Rename the Diocesan Council Department of Outreach. Amends Canon 15, replacing “Department of Outreach” with“Department of Outreach and Justice Ministries.” Adopted as submitted. Res. 197.6 On Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Anglican Diocese of Botswana. The Diocese of North Carolina joins with the Diocese of Botswana in celebrating the The North Carolina Disciple | Spring 2013
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From the 197th Annual Convention
40th Anniversary of its founding. Adopted as submitted. Res. 197.7 On Solidarity with the Sandy Hook Promise. Resolves that the Diocese of North Carolina remembers those who lost their lives in the recent shooting in Newtown, CT, and stands in solidarity with the “Sandy Hook Promise.” Substitute resolution adopted. Res. 197.8 On Ending Gun Violence in America. Urges the people and congregations of the Diocese to engage in prayer, vigil, study, dialogue and advocacy to end gun violence in America. Encourages people and congregations of the Diocese to contact elected officials and to hold political leaders accountable for creating comprehensive public policies that address the causes and effects of gun violence. Substitute resolution adopted. Res. 197.9 On Renewing Companion Relationship with Diocese of Costa Rica. Renews the Diocese’s companion diocese relationship with La Diócesis de la Iglesia Episcopal Costaricense for a period of five years. Adopted as submitted. Res. 197.10 On the pastoral address of the bishop. Gives thanks for Bishop Curry’s vision shared in his pastoral address. Adopted as submitted.
Res. 197.11 On appreciation for those who made possible the election of bishop suffragan. Thanks the nominees, Standing Committee, Nominating Committee, Transition Committee and all who played a role in the nomination and election of the bishop suffragan. Adopted as submitted. Res. 197.12 On appreciation for the ministries of Bishop and Mrs. Gregg. Thanks the Rt. Rev. William O. Gregg and his wife, Kathy, for their service to the Diocese. Adopted as submitted. Res. 197.13 On appreciation for all who worked to made this convention possible. Gives thanks for those who made the 197th Annual Convention possible. Adopted as submitted. Res. 197.14 On appreciation for our retired bishops. Gives thanks and prayers for our retired bishops. Adopted as submitted. ELECTION RESULTS Standing Committee: The Rev. Jim Melnyk and the Rev. Donald Lowery were elected in the clergy order and Mahlon DeLoatch, Jr., in the lay order.
bishop’s medal award The Rt. Rev. William O. Gregg Recognized by the Convention
From the 197TH Annual The Convention closed with Bishop Curry presentConvention ing his annual Bishop’s Award to the Rt. Rev. William O. Gregg for his service as Assistant Bishop and especially for his work in tutoring Lutheran and Roman Catholic ministers who transition into the Episcopal priesthood. Bishop Gregg was also instrumental in launching the Diocese’s regional ministry plan, and he demonstrates contagious energy and support for Latino ministries. “I actually have a secret fantasy of studying William Temple with Bill Gregg,” Bishop Curry joked, in a nod to Bishop Gregg’s excellence as a teacher, as he presented the Bishop’s Medal. Assuming the podium, Bishop Gregg spoke about his time in the Diocese, reflecting on the outreach ministries he’d observed in small parishes and his relationships with the youth. Bishop Gregg came to North Carolina from the Diocese of Eastern Oregon, where he served as the Diocese’s sixth Bishop, in 2007 and has served as our Assistant Bishop since then. The Convention thanked Bishop Gregg for his service with a long standing ovation. 8
The North Carolina Disciple | Spring 2013
Bishop Curry presents the Bishop’s Award to Bishop Gregg as the Convention thanks him with a standing ovation.
“
It has indeed been a great privilege to travel from parish to parish, to meet you, and to worship with you, and to teach among you, and to confirm and receive and renew the many people in this diocese, to gather the wonderful stories, particularly from our small congregations, of great and faithful ministry in the name of Jesus....It has been a joy and delight to go to Bishop’s Ball and arrive in a parish and to have one of the youth say, ‘Oh, I met you at Bishop’s Ball. Are you going to be there next time?’ and to be able to say, ‘Yes.’
”
- the rt. rev. william o. gregg, Assistant Bishop of the Diocese of NC
Making Disciples, Making a Difference
From the 197th Annual Convention
scenes from convention Clockwise, from top left: Volunteers made sure everyone returned to their seats on time and collected ballots. Parish youth delegates, convocational youth representatives and pages formed a strong contingent at Convention. Kathy Gregg and Judith Williams work the Episcopal Relief & Development booth, which raised $534 this year. Gregg says that will purchase 45 mosquito nets to help prevent malaria for 135 people. Delegates worked hard throughout Convention to perform the work of the Diocese. All photos by Summerlee Walter and Sarah Herr.
Diocesan Council: The Rev. Lauren Kilbourn and the Rev. Roxane Gwyn were elected in the clergy order and Reid Joyner, Kim Dockery and Athena Hahn in the lay order. Trustee, University of the South: Edward Dudley Colhoun IV Penick Village: Louis Gentry, David Gwinn, Richard Higginbotham, May Sherrod, Priscilla Swindell and the Rev. Fred Thompson GOING GREEN & LIVE STREAM As part of the Diocese’s ongoing attempt to be a good steward of God’s Creation, the 197th Annual Convention reduced its paper consumption by 80 percent through its effort to go paperless. While Convention normally uses 34,560 sheets of paper, this year it used only 6,960 sheets. All resources were available through the diocesan website and on the flashdrive that each delegate received upon arrival in lieu of the customary folder. Many people throughout the Diocese and beyond also shared in the excitement surrounding Convention by tuning
Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus
into the live stream. Exactly 1,136 people tuned in for an average viewing time of 20 minutes. THE 198TH ANNUAL CONVENTION The 198th Annual Convention will take place November 23, 2013, at the Canterbury School in Greensboro. This oneday event will allow Convention to pass the 2014 budget and elect people to serve in diocesan positions without requiring clergy and delegates to attend two full-length conventions in one year. Future conventions will return to the longer two-day format in November 2014. The date change was facilitated by the approval of Res. 197.1.
RESOURCES Find links to everything Convention: http://bit.ly/Vf2Yfr.
The North Carolina Disciple | Spring 2013
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From the 197th Annual Convention
plan
b Galilee
and
conversations in
By Ayliffe Mumford
Last year, the Swindell Committee challenged each congregation to take on a “Galilee ministry” beyond its walls. The committee gave each worshipping community a $100 gift with only one very light string attached: use the funds to launch its own “Galilee ministry.” The word went out to consider, experiment, try something untested. The attempt and the learning would be the marks of success. Incredible, transforming activities resulted.
Icy streets and freezing temperatures made it necessary for the Convention to move to “Plan B” and worship inside the convention hall instead of in a public outdoor space.
This year, the Committee again challenged Convention delegates to go beyond the doors—of Convention. The Committee designed the Convention Eucharist to include a procession through downtown Winston-Salem and an outdoor service in Winston Square Park.
While inclement weather caused the cancellation of those deliberate plans, the decision to remain inside the convention center resulted in something the committee did not foresee. Below is a comment from one Convention delegate:
“The Eucharist service yesterday afternoon was a prime example of how Plan B is also filled with God’s grace. Instead of a fancy service at St. Paul’s, which is always incredible, or the planned service in the park, which would have been really cool, Plan B in the convention room had a beauty of its own. It reminded me of a great big wonderful house church service; the sense of simplicity, the sense that in our Communion, we were creating holy ground. So, what I want to say is that Plan B can turn out to be God’s Plan A.” 10
Another delegate said this Convention Eucharist was “an example that the required elements for good Episcopal worship are few, and simple worship can be both nimble and meaningful.” The Committee’s plan for Saturday morning also turned out to be a highlight for many delegates. People were arranged at tables not by congregation but by their names. People across the Diocese met in a guided conversation related to Galilee ministries. As a result, not only did lay leaders and clergy learn what other churches were doing, but they also recognized their time together as building up the body of Christ. Intentional fellowship during which we talk about things that matter seems to be time well spent. Many people suggested that similar opportunities be a part of every Convention. One delegate’s comment captures the overall feeling especially well:
The North Carolina Disciple | Spring 2013
Making Disciples, Making a Difference
From the 197th Annual Convention
literacy
different
input door Faith
resources Ask
Activities
homeless
helped
service prayer folks
conversation
contemporary
people
doors
change
arts groups
made
parade
visible
elc
projects taking neighbors
hope leave
judgemental
contact
service children
College
act draw
needy may
training
unchurched
Maybe
key
community Booklets
existing
evangelical convocation
Change
John
van
grounds Farm
might
church self-respect
congregation
tool
Interfaith
start
Spend
tell
discuss
make
religion
better
need
everybody
partner
talking
visitation
God take Put know needed time others way spiritual ministry approach meet Partner involvement Galilee faith word local Bible leaders name youth use congregations food bring Jesus older townnew learn events Work involve get relationship go story Open outside together Latino share help deliver Go education practice public
hospitality
from your conversation The text in the word cloud above is a compilation of answers to the following question from the table conversations: “A trip into Galilee is NOT just another mission trip or outreach project. It is a challenge to see the world in an ancient yet renewed way. a) If you were in charge of Galilee work at your church or congregation, how would you spread the word of God? What action(s) might you take? b) What resources would you need or hope to have on hand?” Larger words are those that appear more frequently in the collected answers.
“I left inspired and converted. I heard good faithful activity from small, small congregations and the hopes of young adults. We realized that even small ideas can become great Galilee movements for the community. The lack of communication across all size congregations prevents more storytelling and connections. These aren’t fully accomplished by newsletters or social media, but through time spent in conversations. When we come face-to-face, we have a both/and opportunity to share and listen, to encourage and learn.” In his pastoral address, Bishop Curry said, “[the disciples’] home in Galilee was not a resting place. It was the launching pad. It’s the same for us and for our diocese, millennia later.” The discussions that took place at Convention reinforced that vision. There are important insights from the Convention Eucharist and table conversations that can help congregations journey further beyond their doors into their Galilees. These insights, including stories from the $100 challenge and the outline used for the table conversations with comments recorded at each table, are posted online at beyondourdoors.dionc.org. This information offers congregations easy ways to gather, talk about and be encouraged by their own Galilee experiences. Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus
Tables of Convention delegates discuss their congregations’ journeys into Galilee on the Saturday morning of Convention. Photos by Summerlee Walter.
Ayliffe Mumford is the Director of the School of Ministry and a member of the Swindell Committee. Contact her at ayliffe.mumford@episdionc.org
The North Carolina Disciple | Spring 2013
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The Bishop Suffragan Search Adapted from materials assembled by the Bishop Suffragan Search Committee
the bishop suffragan
frequently asked questions WHAT IS A BISHOP SUFFRAGAN? A bishop suffragan is a permanent (i.e. not time-limited) assistant to the bishop diocesan. The word “suffragan” originates from the medieval English term “suffrage,” meaning “prayer.” (Recall that some prayers in The Book of Common Prayer are called suffrages, e.g. BCP p. 97.) “Suffrage” also means “support.” Thus, a bishop suffragan is one who prays for and with the bishop diocesan and who supports the bishop diocesan. Bishops suffragan across The Episcopal Church today provide oversight to their dioceses that is both shared with the bishop diocesan and delegated by the bishop diocesan. They also share the sacramental responsibilities of celebrating Holy Eucharist, Confirmation and Ordination. A bishop suffragan is a full bishop within The Episcopal Church’s House of Bishops, and he or she participates in the Lambeth Conference (a gathering every 10 years of all bishops in the Anglican Communion). HOW IS A BISHOP SUFFRAGAN DIFFERENT FROM AN ASSITANT OR ASSISTING BISHOP? An assistant or assisting bishop is already a bishop when he or she is tapped to serve in one of these roles. An assistant bishop is asked to help in a diocese for a specific period of time. An assisting bishop is a supporting bishop who is employed in a diocese on a part-time basis. Both are appointed by the bishop diocesan, with the advice and consent of the Standing Commttee in the case of an Assistant Bishop. In contrast, a bishop suffagan is elected by lay delegates and clergy at a diocesan convention.There is no time period specified for this position. At the time of their nomination, nominees may be either priests or bishops. WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO BISHOP GREGG AND BISHOP MARBLE WITH THE BISHOP SUFFRAGAN? Bishop Gregg will remain with us in a full-time capacity through the end of 2013, unless he is called to another position before then. He will be on sabbatical for part of 2013. Bishop Marble will continue assisting in the Diocese on a more limited basis in a role similar to that of a retired priest associate assisting in a parish. WHY IS THE REV. HODGES-COPPLE THE “BISHOP SUFFRAGAN-ELECT” INSTEAD OF THE “BISHOP SUFFRAGAN”? No bishop can be consecrated without the consent of the majority of bishops diocesan in The Episcopal Church and diocesan standing committees. Bishops and standing committees have 120 days from the time of election to give their consents to the consecration. Until she is actually consecrated, the Rev. Hodges-Copple remains the bishop suffragan-elect. 12
The North Carolina Disciple | Spring 2013
From left: Assistant Bishop the Rt. Rev. William O. Gregg, Bishop Suffragan-Elect the Rev. Anne Hodges-Copple, Bishop Diocesan the Rt. Rev. Michael B. Curry and Assisting Bishop the Rt. Rev. Alfred “Chip” Marble pose on the Convention stage. Curry and Hodges-Copple embrace after her election. For more about Convention, see pages 6-9. Photos by Sarah Herr.
WHERE WILL THE NEW BISHOP SUFFRAGAN BE LOCATED? Greensboro, NC HOW WILL THE BISHOP SUFFRAGAN FIT IN WITH THE GALILEE INITIATIVE? At the 2012 Convention, Bishop Curry proposed the Galilee Initiative. In his address, he said, “The Church must go where the congregation is, not wait for the congregation to come to the Church.” The Bishop Suffragan will help guide us into Galilee by discerning a new way of being the Church in the World today (while still supporting the traditional forms and ministries of our churches). WHEN AND WHERE WILL THE CONSECRATION TAKE PLACE? The consecration will take place on June 15, 2013, at 10:30am in Duke Chapel on the Campus of Duke University in Durham. CAN I COME? While the exact procedures have yet to be worked out, people will need a ticket to be seated at the consecration. All clergy will be expected to vest and process if able, and will receive email instructions on how to RSVP for seating. Each parish will receive a set number of tickets for lay people. More information about ticket availablity is forthcoming. Those who do not have a ticket will be able to watch the consecration via a live video stream online. Making Disciples, Making a Difference
the
BORROWED BISHOP North Carolina’s Early Years Under the Episcopal Oversight of the Rt. Rev. Richard Channing Moore of Virginia, 1817-1823
When a band of three clergy and six laymen assembled in April 1817 at Christ Church, Newbern, to organize the Episcopal Church in North Carolina, they invited the Bishop of Virginia “to visit and perform the Episcopal offices in this State.” What better title than “borrowed” for this visiting bishop who helped our diocese during its critical formative years? At the time Bishop Richard Channing Moore received this invitation to add North Carolina to his portfolio, he had already begun reviving the fortunes of the Episcopal Church in Virginia. His early successes continued during an episcopate which lasted from 1814 until his death in 1841. His role in reviving the church in North Carolina is easily overlooked, yet Bishop Moore was responsible for vastly increasing the communicant strength of the church, for ordaining new clergy and for expanding the reach of the church in North Carolina through his visitations and his pastoral leadership. Most importantly, Bishop Moore could embrace both the evangelical and the high church wings of the church (something his successor, Bishop John Stark Ravenscroft, would prove unwilling and unable to do). History Day 2013 will build on last year’s program in Oxford and Williamsboro, during which we examined 18th-century Anglicanism in North Carolina and visited one of the handful of remaining colonial church buildings in the state. Convening on April 20, this year we will tell the story of our church from the founding of the diocese until the convention of 1823, the critical six-year period during which Bishop Moore’s oversight helped launch our fledgling diocese before we elected a bishop of our own. Our host parish is St. John’s Church in Fayetteville, one of the four founding churches of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina. The prominent role St. John’s played in the early years of the diocese is not well known. Although the congregation was less than a month old when the diocese formed, it was active from the beginning and held a central role in governance of the church here in North Carolina. The Rev. Robert W. Prichard, Ph.D., the Arthur Lee Kinsolving Professor of Christianity in America at Virginia Theological Seminary, and Bruce J. Dawes, local historian and director of the Fayetteville Area Transportation & Local History Museum, will present during the day. In addition, History Day will feature exhibits from all three North Carolina dioceses as well as tours of significant sites in Fayetteville. For folk who can make a weekend of it, there will be optional activities Friday and Saturday evening. We hope everyone interested in the history of our church will make a day – or a weekend – of it. With future History Days already in the works, we also hope you keep coming back each spring as we move toward the year 2017, which marks 200 years of shared history among the three North Carolina dioceses. All three bishops have appointed representatives to a steering committee that will coordinate the statewide planning for our multi-year bicentennial observance. This year’s History Day marks the beginning of this collaborative effort to focus on a different era of history in a location of the state significant to that era. Other initiatives and projects will follow. The Rev. Dr. Brooks Graebner is the Diocesan Historiographer and rector of St. Matthew’s, Hillsborough. Contact him at stmattclergy@embarqmail.com.
Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus
the 2nd annual
history day
History Day will be held at historic St. John’s Episcopal Church in Fayetteville, NC 10:00am to 4:00pm – April 20, 2013 To Register Look for the event registration on the diocesan website, www.episdionc.org, or contact Lynn Hoke, Project Archivist, at lynn.hoke@episdionc.org or at Sponsored by the Parish of St. John’s, Fayetteville & The Bicentennial Committee of the Diocese of North Carolina, the Diocese of East Carolina & the Diocese of Western North Carolina.
SAVE THE DATES: Upcoming History Days • May 2, 2014 – The Church of the Holy Cross, Valle Crucis, Diocese of Western North Carolina • April 2015 – Saint Augustine’s University, Raleigh, Diocese of North Carolina • April 2016 – Saint Mark’s Church, Gastonia, Diocese of Western North Carolina • April 22, 2017 – Bicentennial, Christ Church, New Bern, Diocese of East Carolina Information on future History Days will be available through the Diocesan Historiographers. North Carolina: Brooks Graebner, stmattclergy@embarqmail.com; Western North Carolina: Scott Oxford, soxford@stjameswnc.org; East Carolina: Mamré Wilson, mamre@ec.rr.com
The North Carolina Disciple | Spring 2013
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By Nathan Kirkpatrick
Meanwhile, in
By Nathan Kirkpatrick
galilee
is easy to make too much out of Easter. On first glance, clearly the disciples thought so. Do you remember? Jesus is alive again. He has appeared to the disciples at least two times, and their world, one would imagine, has been totally transformed. After all, their suppositions and presumptions about how the world works expired the moment Jesus set foot out of the tomb. Yet, in the 21st chapter of John, we find the disciples back on the Sea of Galilee. More than two weeks after Resurrection Day, we might expect that they are busy doing things like preaching the Gospel of a Living Lord, and yet, no, they are back at work, dragging nets through deep waters in hopes of a good haul. Apparently,
Easter doesn’t change all that much when there are tilapia to catch and people to feed.
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The North Carolina Disciple | Spring 2013
But, as the disciples are out trawling, Jesus greets them from the shore. “Children, you have no fish?” he asks. “No,” they say. “Try the other side of the boat.” (The Gospel writer probably had to edit a few choice comments out of the story here so that the disciples might still make saint.) When they actually do what he says, their catch is beyond belief. When they make it back to shore, swollen nets in tow, Jesus asks them for a fish. Never mind the fact that Jesus already has fish cooking on the fire, he wants some of theirs, and, as they eat a seaside breakfast of bread and fish, they share company with the Risen Lord. We might say, paraphrasing Methodist Bishop Will Willimon, that it is in this story that Jesus inaugurates his eternal work of harassing disciples who want things to be as they were. The disciples were doing what they knew. They were fisherfolk. The waters were comfortable, the nets familiar. But their usual ways of working had yielded them nothing. Jesus needs them to do the old thing in a new way because, for whatever reason, Jesus has need of their catch, and, if it takes a bit of holy heckling to get them to try something different, the Lord is happy to do it. John 21 should give us a deeper appreciation that we can be in Galilee and still live as if the old ways are the only way and that the One who is The Way is still dead. Going to Galilee, living in Galilee, being out on the Sea of Galilee even, is no guarantee that our lives will bear signs of the Resurrection. Proximity is
Making Disciples, Making a Difference
ì
î
We might say, paraphrasing Methodist Bishop Will Willimon, that it is in this story that Jesus inaugurates his eternal work of harassing disciples who want things to be as they were. The disciples were doing what they knew. They were fisherfolk. The waters were comfortable, the nets familiar. But their usual ways of working had yielded them nothing. Jesus needs them to do the old thing in a new way because, for whatever reason, Jesus has need of their catch, and, if it takes a bit of holy heckling to get them to try something different, the Lord is happy to do it. nice but not sufficient. Even in Galilee, it is possible to go through the motions. This One who has been raised keeps appearing, though, shouting to us from the shore, heckling us when we have nothing to show for comfortable work done in comfortable old ways, pleading with us to try on the other side of familiar. Now, it is still ours to turn Him down. We can say that we enjoy fishing all night and catching nothing; Lord knows that there is no shortage of fisherman (and churches) that fit that description and relish in it. We can say that we have done it this way for so long that we can’t imagine doing it any another. We can tell how Auntie Ruth made the nets and Uncle Cyrus built the boat and that this is how they taught us to fish. We can employ our free will like that if we choose. But, we can also use our free will to risk doing something Gospel-shaped and Gospel-sized. We can say that we’ve done it this way for so long that we are scared to try doing it in another, but we’ll try, scared though we may be. We can raise Auntie Ruth’s nets from one side of Uncle Cyrus’ boat and drop them on the other, believing that they gave us those things not to constrain us but to enable us. We can dare to believe that the One who calls to us—and indeed awaits us—in Galilee might not be asking us to do a ludicrous thing but a lifegiving one. We can employ our free will like that, too. And if we do? We may find a catch beyond imagining and our Lord waiting at the feast.
Nathan Kirkpatrick is Managing Director of Leadership Education at Duke Divinity. Contact him at nekduke@me.com. This article was originally published on The Center for Theological Engagement website: theologicalengagement.org. See the related sidebar to learn more about the center.
Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus
about
the center for theological engagement
Theology and the church need each other. That’s the primary reality behind the founding of the Center for Theological Engagement last September at the Church of the Advocate, Chapel Hill. As we sort out how best to be church upon the shifting cultural sands of the 21st century, creative and rigorous connection with Christianity’s deep and ongoing theological tradition—and the orientation of theological work toward the life of the church—will be crucial in grounding us as we decide how to carry the Gospel into the world. The wisdom of the church and of the theological academy too often do not overlap, and the Center intends to be a bridge between those two fields, founded on the conviction that both are better served by theological conversation in faith communities. Our guiding ethos is one in which theology is an ongoing task of interpreting divine revelation in the context of the world, and so it is not our aim to give pat answers to every question but instead to offer possible answers, to provide folks with resources for thinking about God in energizing and lifegiving ways. How can the Center be a resource to your church? I am more than happy to lead educational programming on an array of topics, either as a single session or in a series. In the last few weeks, I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to teach at St. Luke’s, Durham, and St. Francis, Greensboro, in addition to my work with the Advocate’s ongoing “Indulgences” series of “theology by the pint” pub discussions. The Center’s website, Sam Laurent and Nathan Kirkpatrick during an “Indulgences” series “theology by the theologicalengagement.org, pint” pub discussion. Photos by Tom Fisher houses short essays and sermons from a growing chorus of voices, focused primarily on understanding Christianity in the context of the 21st century. (A recent series of posts on the theme of “Going to Galilee” includes Nathan Kirkpatrick’s essay reprinted on these pages). I hope you will check in on those posts and join in the conversation. There’s also much more in the works. We are exploring ways to make more theological resources and programming available online. As the Center’s work takes shape, please feel welcome to let me know how it might best serve the needs of your ministry and your congregation. Working for the Center for Theological Engagement is a dream job for me, but it has only just begun, and funding is scarce. I welcome your support for the work of the Center, and I look forward to our work together. Dr. Sam Laurent is the Director of the Center for Theological Engagement and a charter member of the Church of the Advocate, Chapel Hill. Contact him at Sam@theologicalengagement.org or at (919) 619-0931.
The North Carolina Disciple | Spring 2013
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Dance
with me
By Diana Turner-Forte
Less than a year ago, a series of events occurred in my life that catapulted me into a new ministry, one that I initially felt ill-prepared to handle. On the sea of pain and loss I encountered, it was difficult to be still, to acknowledge hope during the transition. But it was there, always, the hand of God reaching toward me. In retrospect, everything I needed for an awakening of another aspect of my artistic and creative work was already within me. The experience has been a time of self-discovery, challenge, inner reflection and journeying into Galilee. My Galilee is Monarch’s Creative Arts and Community Center in Southern Pines. At the Center, adults living with developmental disabilities, as well as mental illness and substance abuse challenges, participate in arts education classes during the day. I had been invited to assist in the development of an emerging vision by offering dance and creative movement classes at this unique facility. It was a daunting task to consider! Teaching adults with disabilities—or any group of people for that matter—with a spectrum of skills, personalities and physical abilities presented its challenges.
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Diana Turner-Forte performs a liturgical dance during the 197th Annual Convention. Photo by Summerlee Walter.
The North Carolina Disciple | Spring 2013
Making Disciples, Making a Difference
into Galilee In my initial conversations with the facility, when asked how I might serve this community, my immediate response was, “I don’t know.” However, as I contemplated the opportunity, I began to view the situation through a different lens, one that eventually led to a reply arising from a space of inner wisdom. Envisioning dance sessions that supported wholeness, brain-body integration and nurturing the participants’ movement potential became a driving force in my planning. As the weeks unfolded, I found myself drawn to the community. It was a safe haven where I spent lengthy periods outdoors, listening to the sounds of nature, resting in the veiled peacefulness, sometimes struggling in dialogue (as verbal communication wasn’t always clear) with members of the community, sometimes laughing and at other times just sitting together in silence. My prospective students were curious about me and what I would teach them. Would it be fun? What kind of music would I use? Generally I am uncomfortable and intimidated in new settings, but the students offset my fears with their unconditional love. After just a few classes, I realized that many seemed to be experiencing dance for the first time. As they uncovered hidden skills of selfexpression, each person’s uniqueness took form. Seeing through God’s eyes, I began to wonder if the word “disabled” simply meant “abled differently.”
What if, given the opportunity and guided through a creative process, my students could do more than anyone imagined? What if their differentness, so singular to each of them, made my students with disabilities the best representatives of an undefinable movement style, their own, holding special meaning just for them? What if labels such as mental illness and intellectual and physical disabilities became unnecessary barriers when measured against human relationships, multiple ways of learning and the remarkableness of these creative movers? What if over time the possibilities of an enthusiastic group of learners to develop a personal movement vocabulary of self-expression could lead to an uncapped amount of personal freedom? What if . . .? At the onset of this venture there was no way to know that I would be the recipient of so many gifts: smiling faces, eager and attentive students, recognizable steady progress, demonstrated confidence—curled bodies learning to open up and drooping heads attempting to meet my eyes. One moment I’d be observing a student in a wheelchair moving around the space to my instructions with arms extending further and further away from his body, and a few minutes later I’d witness a student making an important cross-lateral connection, or another just keeping rhythm while lost in the symphony of sounds. At other times the entire class would take on a cohesiveness in rhythmic patterning, clapping altogether, or a few students
would remember a short movement sequence—minor accomplishments for their instructor, but major kinesthetic feats for my students. I tread softly in Galilee, for it is sacred ground. Through prayer and with a bit of restraint in the fog of unknowing, I trust the Holy Spirit to guide me in the fulfillment of this enormous task of honoring the people entrusted to my care. With each encounter, I tap deep reservoirs of compassion and patience (which I didn’t know I had) in sharing my passion for movement with this community of people with disabilities. Any day in the studio, amidst apparent chaos and surrounded by an enlivening array of sounds and activity, a curious bystander might wonder what is happening, who is being served. Perhaps we all are: the observer, watching the diversity of movements and shapes; my students, absorbed in the practice of dance and creative movement, demonstrating extraordinary skills of self-expression in using their entire bodies to communicate; and me (who seemingly fell into this environment), serving my students but also receiving pure joy, unconditional love, appreciation and acceptance. This is the power of Galilee, no dividing lines, no “us” and no “them,” just people growing together and, in this case, moving together. I love being in Galilee!
Diana Turner-Forte is a teaching artist of dance and a member of Emmanuel, Southern Pines. Contact her at fbalanc@aol.com. Diana Turner-Forte leads her students in exploring dance and creative movement. Photos courtesy of Monarch’s Creative Arts and Community Center in Southern Pines. Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus
The North Carolina Disciple | Spring 2013
17
ash
By the Rev. Canon Cathie Caimano and the Rev. Nils Chittenden
wednesday
beyond the doors of the church
Two priests share their thoughts on the imposition of ashes in public spaces
The Rev. Debo rah Fox, chaplai n at Raleigh Ep a crossroads on iscopal Campus the NC State Un Ministry, impo iversity campus ses ashes on . Photo by the Eliza Marth at Rev. Lauren Ki lbourn
Ashes to Go has become a phenomenon in the Episcopal Church these last few years, a touchstone of how the Episcopal Church will adapt to new cultural contexts. Perhaps it even encapsulates the hopes and fears we experience as we leave the safety of our church walls and head into Galilee. The practice has generated strong opinions both for and against it. Although the jury’s still out for many, one thing is certain: how we address the Ashes to Go phenomenon will have a huge bearing on how we evolve our concept of mission. One of the main objections to this act of standing outside, offering ashes to passersby at train stations, bus stations, hospitals and the like is that it somehow cheapens the experience by taking the imposition of ashes out of the context of liturgy and church community. Proponents of the practice haven’t exactly helped their cause with the catchy little name they’ve given it. We don’t much like the phrase “Ashes to Go” and have tried to avoid using it for exactly the reasons that the detractors give - the name risks reducing the act to a gimmick. This was Nils’ first year offering this ministry, so the experience was somewhat new for him. For Cathie, the 18
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The North Carolina Disciple | Spring 2013
last two years of offering ashes in public places have been nothing like she imagined, and certainly nothing like the skeptics assume. Never once did we approach a stranger and put ashes on them without their knowledge or consent! Never once did we feel that the imposition of ashes was cheapened, as if this were church-lite for people who considered themselves too busy - or too secular - to go there. Cathie did feel, though, the gratitude of those outside Duke Hospital, where she stood last year with the Rev. Dr. Lauren Winner: the night shift workers, those coming for medical procedures, those unwilling to leave the bedside of Making Disciples, Making a Difference
From left:The Rev. Lauren Kilbourn imposes ashes on Ben Hatley during Ashes to Go at NC State. Bishop Curry and the Rev. Deborah Fox, chaplain at the Raleigh Episcopal Campus Ministry, pose with current and former NC State students Justin Rose, Kaitlyn Stanley, Josh Cavanaugh, Chris Franz, Ben Hatley and Eliza Marth during their Ashes to Go service. The Rev. Kevin Matthews, chaplain at St. Mary’s House in Greensboro, performs an Ashes to Go service at the Elliot University Center at UNC-Greensboro. Photos courtesy of Raleigh Episcopal Campus Ministry and St. Mary’s House, Greensboro.
what do you think? Do you like the idea of “Ashes to Go” or do you think we should stick with the traditional Ash Wednesday liturgy? Tell us why at communications@episdionc.org.
a sick loved one, people who otherwise might not have been able to make it to church to receive ashes, who were glad to find that the Church had in fact come to them, on that street corner. And at the Greensboro bus station with the Rev. Canon Trawin Malone, the Rev. Audra Abt and Regional Youth Ministry Coach Duana Cisney, we felt a holy disturbance at our presence: those both grateful for and enraged by our presence, those who sought us out for comfort and prayer and those who challenged our presumptuousness at being there. And there were at the Durham bus station all sorts of people who ministered and evangelized in their everyday lives, who asked to pray with us and for us and who wanted us to know something of them and of what they knew about Jesus. Some say that separating the Imposition of Ashes from the usual church liturgy isn’t good theology. But we shared a short litany of repentance, said a general confession and gave assurance of absolution before we imposed ashes. How is this not good theology? It is what we are called to do, as much as we are still called to do it within the church walls and in the context of the full liturgy. The liturgy we used is very short and the context was certainly very different, but the theolReflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus
St. Luke’s, Durham, offered drive-by ashes during the morning and afternoon rush hours. Photo by Summerlee Walter.
ogy is not. At its heart is a call to repentance and an assurance of God’s forgiveness. Galilee ministry is one that will meet people where they are, not where we might think they ought to be. Far from the flippant experience that some fear this new practice might be, we actually found it deeply humbling and real. It was messy, uncomfortable, damp, cold, awkward and real: real prayers, real conversations about God, real conflicts and grace. It was also funny, touching and enriching. We felt a real connection with the many kinds of folks we met, and we became more aware of our own sinfulness and need for forgiveness. Quite simply, we felt the presence of Jesus. And it has been such a powerful way for us to feel called into a holy Lent that it would now be hard to imagine Ash Wednesday any other way! The Rev. Canon Cathie Caimano is a Canon for Regional Ministry. Contact her at cathie.caimano@episdionc.org. The Rev Nils Chittenden is the Young Adult Missioner and the Episcopal chaplain at the Episcopal Center at Duke University. Contact him at nils.chittenden@episdionc.org. The North Carolina Disciple | Spring 2013
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praise god from whom all knowledge flows
By Joseph Wolyniak
Amid all of the headline-grabbing actions of The Episcopal Church’s 77th General Convention, Resolution A1356 received comparatively little fanfare. Yet, for many interested in the interplay between science and faith, its passage is hugely significant. The crux of the resolution is encapsulated in its title, “Affirming the Compatibility of Science and the Christian Faith.” The resolution opposes the all-too-common fable that science and religion are (and always have been) locked in inevitable and irreconcilable conflict. In Religion and Science: Historical and Contemporary Issues, Ian Barbour offered a “broad sketch” of the ways that science and religion have been understood to relate to one another.1 On his reading, conflict is but one way of construing the relationship. The others – independence (i.e., science and religion have different methods and/or use distinct languages), dialogue (i.e., science and religion question one another’s presuppositions and limits) and integration (i.e., science and religion can be combined into some kind of systematic synthesis) – all leave open the possibility of science and faith coexisting peacefully. The resolution rejects what historians of science have called the “conflict myth.”2 What it did not do is determine exactly how science and faith are compatible – whether, in other words, they are wholly independent of one another or capable of mutually enriching dialogue, even complete integration. The resolution left open the precise ways in which science and faith do relate while making clear how they don’t, at least in the estimation of The Episcopal Church. Various expert witnesses from across the country testified in support of the resolution, but arguably the most moving testimony came from members of The Episcopal Church’s Official Youth Presence at General Convention. One teen reflected on what the statement would mean as she shared her faith, saying, “I could tell [my peers] that to be a Christian, to be an Episcopalian, you don’t have to choose between science and faith.” Their testimony prevailed. The passage of the resolution established “the complementary and compatible natures of science 20
The North Carolina Disciple | Spring 2013
and Christian faith” as an Act of Convention and, therefore, as a matter of official doctrine in The Episcopal Church. In so doing, the unequivocal statement moves The Episcopal Church to the forefront of conversations about science and religion. BEYOND CONVENTION, INTO THE DAILY LIFE OF THE CHURCH
The Act of Convention isn’t just grist for the doctrinal mill. It also encourages the full participation of laity and clergy in the examination of the multifaceted relationship between science and faith, prompting “dioceses and parishes of The Episcopal Church to establish Christian education programs pertinent to the complementary relationship between science and faith.” What can the average parish or parishioner do? Here are a few suggestions. • Establish a parish science and faith library and study group. Some parishes in the Diocese of North Carolina, such as the Church of the Nativity, Raleigh, are ahead of the game. With an extensive library of addressing the intersection of science and faith, Nativity also has a core of dedicated parishioners who have committed themselves to reading and reflecting as a group on the historical and contemporary interplay of science and the Christian faith. To aid group study at a parish level, The Episcopal Church’s Executive Council Committee for Science, Technology and Faith has developed the “Catechism of Creation,” which may help those looking to start discussion groups in their parishes. • Join The Episcopal Church’s Network for Science, Technology and Faith (episcopalscience.org) which offers fellowship and resources to interested Episcopalians from all walks of life. • Utilize resources available locally and beyond. Countless resources are available online, but the especially eager learner will find the websites of The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion at Cambridge University and the Ian Making Disciples, Making a Difference
•
Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion at the University of Oxford to be especially useful – full of pertinent news, podcasts, links and more. For those in the Triad area, High Point University and Elon University were both recently granted libraries of nearly 250 texts selected by the International Society for Science and Religion as the core texts in the emergent academic field of science and religion. If a trip to the Triad seems out of reach, one can peruse the full catalogue and download a 500-page companion volume for free online. Most books in the ISSR library are also available via interlibrary loan at local public libraries.
FROM WHOM ALL KNOWLEDGE FLOWS
everyone one of us is called to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind” (Luke 10.27). And that means our scientific minds, too. After all, as we acknowledge in that great hymn:
From thee all skill and science flow… All calm and courage, faith and hope… Impart them Lord, to each and all, As each and all shall need, To rise like incense, each to thee, In noble thought and deed.3
However we respond to Act of Convention A1356, each and Ian G. Barbour, Religion and Science: Historical and Contemporary Issues. (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1997), p. 77. 2 Peter Harrison, Cambridge Companion to Science and Religion. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010), p. 5. 3 Hymn 566. Charles Kingsley (1819-1875), alt. The Hymnal 1982. (New York: Church Publishing, 1985). 1
Joseph Wolyniak is a doctoral candidate at the University of Oxford, Episcopal Church Foundation Fellow, and Vice Chair of The Episcopal Church’s Executive Council Committee on Science, Technology and Faith. Contact him at j.wolyniak@gmail.com.
By Jonathan York
trec-ing into the future of the episcopal church This summer, both houses of General Convention unanimously approved Resolution C095, which created and commissioned a task force charged with developing a plan for restructuring The Episcopal Church and presenting this plan for approval by the General Convention in 2015. This task force met for the first time in Baltimore on Feb. 14 to begin its work. The following is a reflection from Jonathan York, who, along with Bishop Curry, represents the Diocese of North Carolina on the body. This first meeting of the restructuring task force was wildly productive. We were joined by Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and President of the House of Deputies Gay Jennings, who were immensely helpful resources to the preliminary work of the group. Twentyfour members, plus two additional partners appointed by the Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies from provinces in the Anglican communion, comprise the task force. Being the youngest member of this historic task force brings with it unique challenges and pressures; however, it is also a uniquely rewarding position in which to be. I will have the opportunity to travel and work with amazingly intelligent people as we strive to envision how the Episcopal Church might best address Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus
the needs of the world in which we find ourselves. At the meeting in Baltimore this February, the task force developed a timeline to help pace our work, developed the task force’s organizational structure and named itself. Because this task force was not named by General Convention under the assumption that we would, we have named the task force TREC – Taskforce for Re-Imagining the Episcopal Church. This name is very intentional. The acronym TREC expresses how the task force sees its mission: beginning a trek towards a new structure for the Church and bringing the entire Church on this journey with us. TREC will develop several social media outlets to facilitate this journey, inspire parallel conversations among Episcopalians worldwide
and receive input from the wider Church. These outlets will open in the coming weeks. This process is a very transparent one, so anyone with questions or concerns should feel free to contact me until the official outlets for input have opened. This work is certainly daunting, but I am assured that as we begin this journey together, as a Church walking with our God, we will not be led astray. Jonathan York is a member of the Episcopal Center at Duke University and a representative on The Episcopal Church’s TREC task force. Contact him at york.jonathan92@gmail.com.
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thompson to merge with york place Thompson Child & Family Focus, based in Charlotte, and York Place, based in York, S.C., will merge within the next 60 days. Both agencies share Episcopal faith-based legacies, missions of treatment and care and quality service histories. The newly combined agency will be headquartered in Charlotte and will operate under the name Thompson Child & Family Focus. York Place will serve as the South Carolina regional office for programming, operating as York Place, a division of Thompson Child & Family Focus. Independent from the merge, the Thompson board conducted an extensive six-month national search for a successor to retiring Thompson President Ginny Amendum. Marco Tomat, current CEO of York Place, has been selected as Amendum’s successor. Tomat will transition into his new role by working part time at both agencies until the merger is completed. He expects to be at Thompson headquarters full-time by mid-April. Amendum will work closely with Tomat during this transition period and will continue to serve as needed as a consultant to the merged entity. “While this is a time of great change for Thompson, the opportunities are boundless,” Suzanne Bledsoe, chair of the Thompson board of trustees, said. “Together, we are better able to extend our collective vision and expand our capacity to meet the needs of many more fragile children and families.” Both agencies were established as orphanages by Episcopal dioceses, Thompson in 1886 by the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina and York Place in 1850 by the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina. Each has evolved to meet the increasingly complex needs of traumatized children and at-risk families. Learn more at http://www.thompsoncff.org.
clergy quiet day The pre-Holy Week Clergy Quiet Day, Renewal of Ordination Vows, and Blessing of Holy Oils will be held on the Thursday before Holy Week, March 21, at the Church of the Holy Comforter, Burlington, beginning at 10 a.m. and ending at 2:30 p.m. The Rt. Rev. Stacy Sauls will conduct the day. Please RSVP to Margo Acomb (margo.acomb@episdionc.org) or Catherine Massey (catherine.massey@episdionc.org).
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be a HUGS camp couselor For the past 25 years, the Diocese of North Carolina has held its week-long HUGS Camp for individual with special needs. HUGS is a unique camp for unique people, bringing together young people of diverse abilities to share in God’s creation. Helper campers are paired with campers with special needs to help provide a wonderful, God-centered week of camp to those who might not otherwise have a camp experience. Counselors oversee the helper campers and help facilitate the camp. Counselors must be 18 years or older, and helper campers must be 14 years old by Aug. 31, 2013 Watch a short video about HUGS and download an application at http://bit.ly/HUGS2013. For more information, contact Youth Missioner Beth Crow at beth.crow@episdionc.org.
DIOCESAN
EVENTS
MARCH APRIL MAY
March 7 Fresh Start, held regionally. Contact Canon Buerkel Hunn. 14 Anglican Episcopal House of Study (AEHS) Study Day, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Duke Divinity School 15-17 Genesis: Middle School Spiritual Growth Weekend, Haw River State Park, Browns Summit 21 Clergy Quiet Day, Renewal of Ordination Vows and Blessing of Holy Oils, 10:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Holy Comforter, Burlington April 4 Fresh Start, held regionally. Contact Canon Buerkel Hunn. 12-14 Spring Youth Event, Haw River State Park, Browns Summit 20 History Day 2013 “The Borrowed Bishop: North Carolina’s Early Years Under the Episcopal Oversight of the Rt. Rev. Richard Channing Moore of Virginia, 1817-1823,” St. John’s, Fayetteville May 2 Fresh Start, held regionally. Contact Canon Buerkel Hunn. 31 -June 1 Deacons’ Retreat, St. Francis Springs Prayer Center, Stoneville Look for additional events and more detailed event information online at www.dionc.org/digital_faith/events, or contact the Diocese at 919.834.7474, toll free 800.448.8775. Upcoming diocesan events and events from around the diocese are featured in Please Note, the Bishop’s weekly e-newsletter, and in the Around the Diocese monthly bulletin insert.
history day 2013
stay in touch
History Day 2013, “The Borrowed Bishop: North Carolina’s Early Years Under the Episcopal Oversight of the Rt. Rev. Richard Channing Moore of Virginia, 1817-1823,” will examine the episcopacy of Bishop Channing, the “first” bishop of North Carolina, on Sat., April 20, at St. John’s, Fayetteville. Find details on page 20.
Keep up with the Diocese through Social Media!
The North Carolina Disciple | Spring 2013
www.facebook.com/EpiscopalDioceseNC http://www.youtube.com/episdionc. twitter.com/bishopcurry http://bishopcurry.wordpress.com. Making Disciples, Making a Difference
A poem by Beth Grace, newspaper journalist, writer, & senior warden at St. Michaels, Raleigh.
scouts receive recognition
I live in a time when So much is said But so little is meant Blog to me, God Tweet to me, Jesus How can I hear your voice In this din? How can I believe when what I see Is so often false?
believe
Email her at bgrace9992@ aol.com
Seeing is believing But You tell me Believing IS seeing
Bless me, please With open ears, A loving heart, An unquestioning soul. May I hear you And love you And believe in you ... Whether I can see you Or Not. Blessed is she Blessed is he Blessed are we Who have not seen Yet Believe.
hope & Love
The Boy Scouts and Venture Crew of St. Mary’s, High Point, toured the State Supreme Court with Justice Paul Newby, himself a Distinguished Eagle Scout. Mike and Margarita Kerkado are the adult leaders for the Boy Scouts and Venture Crew at St. Mary’s, High Point.
During the North Carolina General Assembly meeting on Feb. 4, St. Mary’s Boy Scouts and Venture Crew were presented to and honored by the North Carolina Senate, House of Representatives and State Supreme Court as the only 100 percent Hispanic units in the state and for integrating elements of their own heritage with Scouting ideals as they learn to serve their community. North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Paul Newby, himself a Distinguished Eagle Scout, invited the Scouts and gave them a tour of the Supreme Court before attending the General Assembly where he presented and honored the Scouts as a success story for which all North Carolinians can be proud. with what Carl Jung called “incalculable paradoxes.” Dr. McGehee will explore the dynamics of both the healing and the wounding nature of love, the greatest of contradictions, in a talk on Saturday, April 20, at noon. He will share insights on the interpersonal and the intra-psychic dynamics of love, as well as its light and dark sides. The Rev. Dr. McGehee is an Episcopal priest, director of the Institute for the
Advancement of Psychology and Spirituality and a faculty member of the C.G. Jung Institute in Zurich, Switzerland. He is the author of several books, including The Paradox of Love. Tickets are required for both events. The Friday lecture is free, but the Saturday lecture includes lunch and requires a $10 ticket. For more information, please call 252-291-8220 or email parish@sttimothyswilson.org.
The Rev. Jose de Jesus Sierra Alfonso, from Diocese of Puerto Rico, to Vicar, Iglesia El Buen Pastor, Durham.
The Rev. Betty Glover, from Diocese of Kansas, to Interim Rector, Church of the Good Shepherd, Rocky Mount.
The Rev. Wendell Phillips, from Priest Assistant, St. Margaret’s, Waxhaw, to Retired.
The Rev. Sara Blaies, from NonParochial, to Priest-in-Charge, Christ Church, Cleveland.
The Rev. Eugene Humphreys, from Non-Parochial, to Deacon, Chapel of Christ the King, Charlotte.
The Rev. Joshua Varner, Letters of Dimissory, from Diocese of North Carolina, to Diocese of Georgia.
The Rev. Nathan Finnin, Letters of Dimissory, from Diocese of East Carolina, to Diocese of North Carolina.
The Rev. Elizabeth Marie Melchionna, Letters of Dimissory, from Diocese of Southwestern Virginia, to Diocese of North Carolina.
The Rev. Sarah Woodard, from Deacon, St. Titus, Durham, to Deacon, Episcopal Center at Duke University.
Hope is neither optimism nor wishful thinking; it is conviction, based on experience. It is also an essential Christian doctrine. As Christians, we are a people of hope. Dr. J. Pittman McGehee will explore this topic from theological and psychological perspectives in a lecture at St. Timothy’s, Wilson, on April 19 at 7:00pm. The human longing for love is fraught As of Dec. 11, 2012
The Rev. Colin Miller, from Transitional Deacon, to Priest, Nov. 28, 2012. Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus
clergy changes The North Carolina Disciple | Spring 2013
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At left, the student body of St. Augustine Theological School with faculty, seated, left-right, the Rev. Leon Spencer, the Rev. James Amanze and the Rev. John Hamathi. At right (top), Bishop Trevor Mwamba censing the altar at St. Paul’s, Molepolole. At right (bottom) Ordinands Octavius Bolelang (left) and Bashie Tsheole with the Rev. Andrew Mudereri.
support a botswana seminarian
By the Rev. Dr. Leon Spencer
The Rev. Dr. Leon Spencer gives an account of an exciting development in the Companion Diocese of Botswana.
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The Diocese of Botswana now has an institution to prepare persons for ordination and lay leadership. This is no small feat. The Diocese has spoken of it for decades, and, when I spent several months here in 2010, I was a part of their reflections upon how the Diocese might provide ministerial formation locally…and how it could support and sustain that formation. Now, they – we, thanks to encouragement from North Carolina – have begun. The St. Augustine Theological School in Gaborone began its first term in August 2012. ABOUT THE SEMINARIANS
My first impression is that our students have a deep commitment to this preparation for the ordained ministry. If nothing else, the investment in time, energy and travel after work, time with their families and lay leadership in their congregations is impressive. The seriousness with which they approach their studies is gratifying. Their academic levels vary considerably: several have advanced degrees in other fields of study, many have certificates or diplomas and one or two have done some theology courses. Virtually all are proficient in English. But, whatever their backgrounds, they are committed. You can feel the energy, inside the classroom and out. Four men have come down from the north, around Francistown, for a week of intensive
The North Carolina Disciple | Spring 2013
study at the new St. Augustine Theological School. During our first term, which began last August, it proved difficult for tutors to meet with these students frequently. Now, as the second term begins, they have come to Gaborone, and I meet them for the first time in the small duplex that houses the School. I arrived two days before. At the end of the week, the students from the north go home – “It is time to tend my farm,” one remarks – and the next week, the students from here in the south, around Gaborone, arrive. There are seven of them. They work during the day, then come every evening for classes. The next week, one student from Lobatse, about an hour’s drive away, arrives. He finds it hard to come each evening when he is in Making Disciples, Making a Difference
Companion Diocese of Botswana THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF NORTH CAROLINA’S
SUPPORT A SEMINARIAN The St. Augustine Theological School
Support a seminarian at The St. Augustine Theological School and keep in touch with their progress. It costs approximately $300 a month to attend. Contact the Rev. Jamie L’Enfant, motherjamie@mac.com, or Dr. Sharita Womack, sharita.womack@ gmail.com, co-chairs of the Botswana-NC companion link committee.
Lobatse, but he is working on a project in the Kalahari, perhaps 700 miles away. When he is home, he comes up to spend several full days with us. The final student – there are 13 in all – is doing some theological study through a South African institution. We are evaluating the courses he is taking and plan to augment them in areas where we see a particular need. Pastoral studies come to mind, the James Amanze, who heads the School and the companion link committee, indicates.
a
collect for the
protection of cattle
THE SCHOOL & HOW YOU CAN HELP
The following is a blog post dated February 16, 2013, from the Rev. Dr. Leon Spencer’s blog “Botswana Diary.” Read more of the “Botswana Diary” blog at botswanadiary.blogspot.com.
The Rev. Dr. Leon Spencer, who is spending six months in Botswana, maintains a blog, “Botswana Diary,” reflecting on his experiences. Find it at http://botswanadiary.blogspot.com/.
I have been teaching about what constitutes a collect in Sacramental theology. That, you will recall, is a particular form of prayer that we use in our liturgy. A collect has five parts: it “addresses” God, names a quality or action of God’s that seems relevant to the subject of the collect, makes a request of God, names the result that we believe will come if the prayer is “answered” and closes with an “ascription,” such as “through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Notice these features when you hear the Collect of the Day next Sunday.) Anyway, I want our ordinands to understand not just what a collect is but to know that they can write their own when special occasions or events in their ministry arise. So, I set them to the task. Batswana have a deep devotion to their cattle. If we don’t see someone on a Sunday, it is because “I have gone to my cattle post.” I think, why not? Write a Collect for the Protection of Cattle. One wrote: Almighty God our Heavenly Father, Through you all things were made; You created cattle according to its kind: By your power and strength protect our cattle from sickness, hunger and thirst, Bless our land with rain, good vegetation and abundant waters, and Give sanity and love to those who look after them, So that our cattle will remain healthy and multiply; We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ. I wonder about his use of the word “sanity,” but I haven’t yet asked. Another’s request is quite specific: Protect our cattle from foot and mouth disease that is threatening to wipe them out. Fair enough. I especially like the “result” for which one ordinand prayed: So that in your generosity we may continue to have the source of our livelihood in abundance. Amen.
The School consists of a small classroom, a small kitchen, an office for the head of the School (where the copier donated by the Diocese of North Carolina lives) and another office for the second tutor, James Hamathi, and me. Nothing fancy, but it works quite nicely. Florence Bogopa, president of the Anglican Women’s Fellowship, helpfully assists throughout the day. All of this costs money. Finances are precarious, and the source of funding for even simple things is uncertain. With high gasoline prices, for example, it will cost over $150 to drive from Francistown for another round of courses. Our students, remarkably, are doing their own fund-raising, and we have plans for other Botswana-based initiatives. To help the seminarians, our companion link committee in North Carolina is launching the Support a Seminarian at St. Augustine initiative. With information from here in Botswana, we calculated the cost per month for one of our students (about $300) and devised a system by which a North Carolina parish or group might commit to a month or multiple months of funding for one student, whom the sponsor will know by name. The School will provide contact information, and we encourage sponsors to communicate with the students by e-mail or Skype. Our hope is that this Support a Seminarian initiative will help the St. Augustine School find a sound footing so that we may not only provide ministerial formation for this first class but be ready for a second. There is already a number of applicants for the second class, including women. If this initiative interests you – and I hope it does – contact the Rev. Jamie L’Enfant, motherjamie@mac.com or Dr. Sharita Womack, sharita.womack@gmail.com, the new co-chairs of the Botswana-NC companion link committee. Blessings and peace, from a very hot Botswana.
Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus
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Celebrating the Feast of St. Mark at San Marcos, Limón, Costa Rica.
By Dorothy Darr
a cross-cultural exchange of
radical welcome
As part of a Trinity Wall Street Foundation Global Partnership grant, the Diocese of North Carolina is preparing to host lay ministers, priests and vestry members from our companion Diocese of Costa Rica to discuss best practices in ministry and radical welcome. A LOOK AT THE EXCHANGE SCHEDULE IN THE DIOCESE OF NORTH CAROLINA: Monday, March 4, and Tuesday, March 5: St. Mary’s Community Life Center, High Point Wednesday, March 6 - Friday, March 8: Activities in the Charlotte, Durham, Winston-Salem and Wilson areas Saturday, March 9, 9:00am-5:00pm: St. Mary’s in High Point. The morning would be particularly useful to new vestry members if they are interested in attending/observing an “instructional vestry meeting.” Sunday, March 10, 5:30pm: Closing Eucharist at St. Paul’s, Winston-Salem
For More Information
For more information or to participate in the exchange, please contact the Rev. Rebecca Yarbrough at rebecca@saintalbansdavidson.org or the Rev. Evelyn Morales at evermor11@aol.com.
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The North Carolina Disciple | Spring 2013 Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus
A delegation of lay ministers and priests from our Companion Diocese of Costa Rica is coming to North Carolina in early March. The Diocese will host 13 visitors, including the Bishop of Costa Rica, the Rt. Rev. Hector Monterroso. Their visit to the United States is the second phase of a two-part Costa Rica/North Carolina exchange of lay ministers, priests and vestry funded by a grant from the Trinity Wall Street Foundation Global Partnerships grant program. During the first phase of the exchange, twelve lay ministers and deacons from the Diocese of North Carolina visited Costa Rica in April 2012. “We are seeking to strengthen our relationships with Costa Ricans in our companion diocese by sharing stories of lay ministry and vestry development within the larger framework of Radical Welcome,” grant writer the Rev. Rebecca Yarbrough, deacon at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, Davidson, explained. “We have much to learn from one another, which we plan to share with the Diocese through a documentary after the program ends.”
Making Disciples, Making a Difference The North Carolina Disciple | Fall 2012
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The Global Partnerships grant program found the project “groundbreaking” in its conception and execution, according to Sara Grapentine, a foundation spokesperson who accompanied the North Carolina delegation to Costa Rica in 2012. “Most mission trips we fund involve some physical goal or task,” she said. “This grant centered on the idea of building strong relationships with lay ministries, priests and vestries. Their ‘work’ was discovering practical applications of Radical Welcome within the Episcopal Church both in Costa Rica and North Carolina. They shared personal stories about what works and what doesn’t work in developing a growing, strong and open Episcopal Church.” The Rev. Evelyn Morales, the Diocese of North Carolina’s Deacon for Hispanic Ministries, also recognizes the importance of building relationships. “In this visit we also want to partner with the emerging lay leaders of the Latino ministries of our diocese,” she said. “We are excited to participate in this innovative mission and to plan programming for this interchange of cultures. We have much
to share with one another on our spiritual journeys as we grow together.” Initial workshops for the second phase of the exchange will begin on March 3 at St. Mary’s, High Point. Bishop Curry will open the program by holding a dialogue with Bishop Monterosa to which the public is invited. Mid-week, the Costa Rican and North Carolina delegates will break into smaller groups for site visits to churches, vestries and ministries in Durham, Charlotte, the Piedmont and Wilson/Rocky Mount. Conference days will be open to any North Carolina lay leaders or clergy who would like to participate. Site visits are primarily for the benefit of Costa Rican and North Carolina Latino participants, but others may be able to participate depending on space available and at the discretion of the host parishes. Contact the Rev. Rebecca Yarbrough at rebecca@saintalbansdavidson.org or Evelyn Morales at evermor11@aol.com.
Dorothy Darr attended the first half of the exchange as a lay minister and serves on the steering committee for the North Carolina visit. Contact her at dorothy1@northstate.net. Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus
From top: Marlon Vasquez of El Buen Pastor, Durham, visits with students at the Hogar Escuela Barrio Cuba in San Jose. Marva Davis, one of the leaders in the Costa Rican Episcopal Diocese, at Colegio de Pacuare. The delegates from Costa Rica and North Carolina pose during their time together in Costa Rica in April 2012. A small group discussion among members from both dioceses about vestry possibilities.
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challenge accepted The Bible Challenge is underway in the Diocese of North Carolina about
the bible challenge
The Bible Challenge is an initiative by the Center for Biblical Studies designed to encourage more people to engage with Scripture and practice regular reading, prayer and meditation. Bishop Curry invited the Diocese to engage with him in the Bible Challenge for the liturgical year beginning the first Sunday of Advent 2012. He will be reading the entire Bible over the course of the year, but there are many ways to participate.
On the first Sunday in Advent 2012, Bishop Curry began his goal of reading the Bible in one year as part of an initiative called “The Bible Challenge” and invited clergy and congregations in the Diocese of North Carolina to join him. As part of the Bible Challenge, each week a different clergy person from across the Diocese shares a meditation. The following are two such clergy meditations. Find an archive of all the meditations at www.episdionc.org/bible-challenge.html.
Other participation options include: • • • • •
Read the New Testament Read the Book of Psalms during Lent Read the Gospel of Mark in a slow, meditative fashion Read The Message by Eugene Petersen, a modern language retelling of the Bible Read The Story by Zondervan, another modern language retelling
Reading schedules for each of these options are available on the Center for Biblical Studies website at www.thecenterforbiblicalstudies.org. Clergy across the Diocese are also contributing weekly meditations on the Bible Challenge, like the two found on these pages. Access them and other resources at www.episdionc.org/bible-challenge.html. During the 77th General Convention, the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies also voted to pass C083: “Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, That every Episcopal diocese, cathedral, church and mission shall invite their entire membership and people beyond their church to read the entire Bible in 2013.” Through this resolution, the Bible Challenge has the potential to unite The Episcopal Church in a shared study of Scripture. 28
Bible Challenge Meditation for the Week of February 3-9, 2013 By the Rev. Elizabeth Marie Melchionna
Participating in the Bible Challenge has been just that, a challenge. And I’ve appreciated having a few students at Davidson College and others in the Diocese of NC as companions on this path. It’s been one of those very good challenges, the kind that causes you realize that within the bounds of faithful discipline we are offered tremendous freedom. During the past week, I’ve been thinking about love – I’ve been talking about it with a couple in premarital counseling, we’ve read about it in Paul’s Epistle to the Corinthians in the lectionary and I think that we also hear about it in a challenging way in Chapter 4 of Luke’s Gospel (forgive me for reaching back to day 56, when we “enjoy hearing the scriptures read aloud in church”). Jesus returns to his home town and reads from the scroll of Isaiah in the congregation’s midst. He then predicts what the community will say and responds to them with two stories: Elijah being sent to the widow at Zarephath in Sidon and Elisha’s cleansing of
The North Carolina Disciple | Spring 2013
Making Disciples, Making a Difference
ì î
When we find ourselves consumed with navel-gazing concerns, when we strive to be the arbiters of who does or does not deserve God’s love, may we have the courage and humility to look up, remember the boundlessness of God’s love and slip away from the crowd to follow Jesus on the way. - the rev. elizabeth marie melchionna
Naaman the Syrian. In telling these stories, Jesus implies that God came not to the people of Israel but to outsiders at a time when all were in need. God’s care knows no bounds. The people of Nazareth have a decidedly negative response to Jesus. They’re ready to throw him off the edge of the highest hill in town. Their vision has become so circumscribed, so self-focused, that all they can see is their own sense of anger toward him. They are not able to hear the message Jesus had for them: God’s love is for all of God’s people, for the widow at Zarephath, for Naaman the Syrian, and for those who think themselves insiders and see others as outsiders. Jesus, quite mysteriously, evades the crowd. He walks through
Bible Challenge Meditation for the Week of February 10-16, 2013 By Rabbi Raachel Jurovics
The Hebrew Scripture texts for this week include verses essential to both Jewish and Christian understandings of our relationships to God and to one another. Indeed, when asked which is the greatest commandment in Torah (Matt. 22:37), Jesus cites Deuteronomy 4:7: “Love the Eternal your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might.” Please note a difference in my translation from, say, the NIV, substituting the word “might” for “mind.” In the Hebrew Jesus would have used in citing Scripture to his community, the text lists heart (understood in biblical Hebrew as heart/mind), soul and might (m’odecha), with “might” referring to every capacity within our control, including our skills and possessions. We are to love God with the entirety of our emotional, intellectual and material being – raising all of our components to the level of spiritual devotion. Jesus follows up his teaching of the greatest commandment by pointing to the second greatest, “Love your neighbor as yourself (Levit. 19:18). All of Torah and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matt. 22:39-40). In so doing, Jesus intertwines these commandments to express the Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus
the midst of them and continues on his way, continues with his ministry. When we find ourselves consumed with navelgazing concerns, when we strive to be the arbiters of who does or does not deserve God’s love, may we have the courage and humility to look up, remember the boundlessness of God’s love and slip away from the crowd to follow Jesus on the way.
The Rev. Elizabeth Marie Melchionna is the Chaplain for Canterbury Episcopal Campus Ministry at Davidson College and Associate Rector at St. Alban’s, Davidson. Contact her at elizabeth@saintalbansdavidson.org.
essence of religious faith and practice. We find the commandment to love our neighbor in the Holiness Code, verses in Leviticus that align the human potential for holiness with our imitation of God’s own example: “You shall be holy, as I the Eternal your God am holy” (19:2). And how are we to be holy? Through our attention to ritual requirements, to honest labor practices, to avoiding gossip, to sharing agricultural bounty with the poor, to loving our neighbor. And we are to follow these injunctions because God is God, and, in following God’s guidance, we partner with the Holy One in creating the just, peaceful and compassionate society that mirrors God’s own holiness. By linking Deuteronomy’s command to love God to the Leviticus command that we love one another, Jesus underscores our shared nature as creatures made in the image of the Holy One. We human beings are inextricably entwined with God, and thus, inextricably bound one to another. May we always find blessing in the assurance that however difficult the human struggle, our essential nature derives from the One who grounds all being, the One who participates in all our efforts to attain to a life filled with holiness, joy, grace and peace. Amen. Rabbi Raachel Jurovics is the spiritual leader of Yavneh: A Jewish Renewal Community, a synagogue that shares space with St. Mark’s, Raleigh.
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Photos and article by Susan Byrum Rountree
gathering to connect with god, self & others In silence, the women wrapped themselves in light shawls as first one, then another, set out on the walk down the path toward the first turn. Within minutes, a dozen bare and sockcovered feet joined the journey in hopes of forging a closer connection with God. The labyrinth walk was one small part of a weekend-long spiritual retreat held at St. Michael’s, Raleigh, on February 22 & 23. The Gathering–Bridges of Faith, brought women from as close as around the corner and as far away as California to St. Michael’s for the biennial retreat. The weekend included two keynote addresses and a choice of two breakout sessions, including the labyrinth walk conducted by Marjorie Donnelly, director of Christian Formation at Holy Trinity, Greensboro. “Walking the labyrinth connects us with God and community and is a metaphor for our life’s journey,” Marjorie says. “When we walk the labyrinth with others, we get a sense that we are not going through life alone. Although everyone’s journey to the divine is unique, we are all on the Path together.” Glennon Doyle Melton, author of Carry On Warrior and blogger at momastery.com, was the weekend’s keynote speaker. Melton told the story of her climb out of addiction and into motherhood, writing and grace. Through the Momastery online community – four years old and with more than 80,000 followers – Glennon helped create Monkee See/Monkee Do, an organization offering hope and financial resources to women and families in need. In one of her keynotes, Melton reflected on her early writing experience: A Gathering participant walks the Labyrinth.
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The North Carolina Disciple | Spring 2013
I kept remembering a quote from Mother Theresa that said ‘God didn’t call me to be successful. He called me to be faithful.’ I didn’t have any idea that the way I wrote was unique or powerful or would help in any big way. I just showed up, faithfully. Sometimes I was so tired that I literally said: ‘God, you’re going to have to move my fingers over the keys,’ and that’s what happened. “The more I pay attention, the less sure I am that it even matters what you do. [What matters is] how you do it. The important thing is the faith walk that is my writing. It’s important to have a faith that is your best self, where you see the magic of the law love, which is like gravity. Looking deeper into people changes the world. That law of love that you can step into, the one Jesus talks about on the Sermon on the Mount? Everyone has the power to step in and drink from that river, and once you do it, you join the line of people have been doing it for centuries, and a line who will do it after us.” The weekend concluded with a Healing Holy Eucharist. The Rev. Pat Grace, rector of St. Mark’s, Dalton, Ga., and the sister of St. Michael’s parishioner Beth Grace, was the guest preacher. Comparing participants to the living stones cited in 1Peter 2:4, the Rev. Grace suggested that we all should allow ourselves to be built into a spiritual house for God. “The Gathering provided another reassurance from God that when two or more are gathered, the spirit will be present,” event chair Melanie Jones, said. “We left refreshed and reaffirmed in ourselves and in God’s love for each of us. I am so thankful to the dozens of women – and men – of St. Michael’s whose many talents and hard work made this event such a success.” The next Gathering will be held in February 2015.
Susan B. Rountree is director of communications at St. Michael’s, Raleigh. She blogs at writemuch.blogspot.com. Contact her at rountree@holymichael.org Making Disciples, Making a Difference
multiplying
ministries By the Rev. Rebecca Yarbrough
On Wednesday, January 16, I was working late on the visit we’re getting from Costa Rican lay leaders and clergy in March. I was sitting in the office, typing, when I noticed that I couldn’t see the keyboard anymore. Getting up to turn on a light, I realized that, as happens when you get older, I needed to stretch, and mid-stretch I remembered that LearnWorks was meeetng downstairs. Since I was already up, I thought it would be a good time to check on how things were going. So I headed downstairs, said hi to the kids and talked with Cory, our amazing Outreach Team leader and site coordinator for LearnWorks. As we stood talking in the well-lit pre-school assembly area, we saw that, in the less well-lit hall, a man and a young girl had just entered. The man had gone to Ada Jenkins, a local community center that began and runs the elementary-level LearnWorks program, asking for help for his daughter, a middleschool student who had a math test the next day. They had driven around Davidson before finally finding the right place— LearnWorks at St. Alban’s. The tutoring day was almost over, and the dad was just going to sit on the bench while his daughter received emergency math help. I said, “Why don’t you come upstairs? It’s more comfortable and we can get you some tea.” Between his very little bit of English and my pittance of Spanish, we determined that his name is Rodolfo Bautista and that he is the pastor of a Latino congregation of about 50 people that meets in Cornelius. As I showed him around a bit, he commented on the beauty of our space and talked about his own congregation’s meeting space, which he described as an old cinema that was used for concerts and sometimes wasn’t cleaned up very well. Worshippers would encounter cigarette butts and beer bottles outside, and they had no place for los niños to have Sunday School. “And you use this space one day a week?” he asked, referring to the nave. As we sipped our tea, that question stuck in
St. Alban’s, Davidson
The following is a reflection from the Rev. Rebecca Yarbrough, deacon at St. Alban’s, Davidson, concerning the impact that the Bishop’s call to Galilee and the Swindell Committee’s $100 challenge are having on the parish. my mind, and, for some reason, before he left I felt that I needed to write down his telephone number and name. That question stuck with me for two days, and on the second day I wrote an e-mail to Clarence Fox, our senior warden, and the Rev. David Buck, our rector, saying I had no idea where this might lead but that I thought we should contact Rodolfo. We later learned that, not only did La Iglesia Pentacostal Luz y Vida meet in the Palace Theatre, but they were also losing their space, which was unheated, and they truly didn’t have any place that was safe - or warm - for the 30 or so children in their congregation. And we learned that this Pentecostal church was inclusive. How likely is that?! And they have women preachers and open communion… When you think of someone who normally wouldn’t be at St. Alban’s that late running into a stranger who’s driven around Davidson trying to find a tutoring program, and those two people - who don’t speak the same language - somehow have a conversation that speaks of possibility, you just have to wonder what the Holy Spirit is up to! Two things are particularly remarkable to us at St. Alban’s, and seem to be signs of the Holy Spirit’s action in all of this. We didn’t actively seek some of the new ministries in which we’ve become involved, such as LearnWorks; instead they just happened through an amazing confluence of community need, our resources (which almost never involved money first and foremost) and our ability to listen and be open to possibility. That’s enabled us, a small parish, to impact the lives of over 1,600 people just this past year! The second thing that’s pretty amazing is how these ministries seem to build. We don’t yet know how our relationship with La Iglesia Pentacostal Luz y Vida will work out, but our vestry is negotiating a space use agreement even now. Even if this particular partnership doesn’t come to fruition, our vestry has emerged with a priority to reach out and share space with another (ideally Latino) ministry. So what did we do with our $100? It is the inspiration and the continual reminder to us to go to Galilee, and it’s still tucked away for use if needed, but, as we pursued new ministries inspired by that gift, the money to fund them just came. So we’re hanging on to that $100 for inspiration and as a reminder that we should always be looking for places in Galilee where God may be calling us to use it, and, if we find we can’t get the money elsewhere to do what needs doing in those places, we will use it! The Rev. Rebecca Yarbrough is the deacon at St. Alban’s, Davidson. Contact her at Rebecca@saintalbansdavidson.org. The Outreach Team at St. Alban’s, Davidson. Photo courtesy of St. Alban’s. Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus
The North Carolina Disciple | Spring 2013
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NONPROFIT ORG. US POSTAGE PAID RALEIGH, NC PERMIT NO. 992
The Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina 200 West Morgan Street, Suite 300 Raleigh, NC 27601-1338 : 919.834.7474 | 800.448.8775
BISHOPS’ VISITATIONS BISHOP CURRY 10-Mar-13 House of Bishops
BISHOP GREGG
BISHOP MARBLE
House of Bishops
House of Bishops
17-Mar-13 St. Michael’s, Raleigh
Grace, Clayton
Christ Church, Walnut Cove
24-Mar-13 St. Mark’s, Raleigh 30-Mar-13 St. Mark’s, Raleigh (Vigil)
Holy Family, Chapel Hill (Vigil)
31-Mar-13 St. Mark’s, Raleigh
St. Barnabas, Greesnboro
No Visitation
St. Patrick’s, Mooresville
Messiah, Mayoden
14-Apr-13
St. Paul’s, Winston-Salem
All Saints’, Roanoke Rapids
Holy Comforter, Burlington
17-Apr-13
St. Matthew’s Hillsborough (Regional)
21-Apr-13
Chapel of the Cross, Chapel Hill
Holy Comforter, Charlotte
=St. Andrew’s, Haw River
28-Apr-13
Diocese of Wyoming
St. Titus, Durham
5-May-13
Christ Church, Raleigh
St. Timothy’s, Raleigh
7-Apr-13
12-May-13 Good Shepherd, Raleigh
St. Francis, Greensboro
19-May-13 All Saints, Pasadena, CA
St. Timothy’s, Winston-Salem
26-May-13 St. Stephen’s, Durham
Trinity, Scotland Neck
Grace Chapel, Lawrence St. Matthew’s, Kernersville
Bishops’ visitations are subject to change. To confirm a specific date, please contact the Bishop’s office at 919.834.7474 or email Margo Acomb at margo.acomb@episdionc.org.
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The North Carolina Disciple | Spring 2013
Making Disciples, Making a Difference