WINTER 2010
THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF NORTH CAROLINA
Making
ROOM in the
Find your
Gospel based
discipleship booklet inside
inn
contents
table of
WINTER 2010-11
features
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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 The Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina Bishop The Rt. Rev. Michael B. Curry michael.curry@episdionc.org East Region/Raleigh Diocesan Office: 919.834.7474
Making Room in the Inn Introduction to the Pastoral Background Paper on Comprehensive Immigration Reform
Assistant Bishop The Rt. Rev. William O. Gregg william.gregg@episdionc.org South Region/Charlotte Office: 704.332.7746
Pastoral Background Paper on Comprehensive Immigration Reform Seasons in Bloom
Assisting Bishop The Rt. Rev. Alfred C. “Chip” Marble Jr. alfred.marble@episdionc.org Northwest Region/Greensboro Office: 336.273.5770
Reflections of a Prison Ministry Chaplain & The Bishops’ Committee on Prison Ministry
14 Diocesan-Wide Campaign to Kick Off at Convention 16 Gospel Based Discipleship - Find Your Booklet Inside 18 Youth on a Mission 20 A Pilgrim’s Promise 23 Clergy Contemplate ‘Killing George Herbert’ 25 GreenFaith
PUBLISHER
Bishop of North Carolina EDITOR / ART DIRECTOR
Sarah Herr: sarah.herr@episdionc.org COPY EDITOR
Beth Grace CONTRIBUTORS IN THIS ISSUE
Starting an Environmental Committee
Joseph Payne The Rev. Kenneth Saunders The Rev. Ted Malone The Rev. Sarah Ball-Damberg Margaret (Meg) McCann The Rev. Dr. John Gibson David Setzer Katie Scarvey The Rev. W. Gaye Brown Lee Harris Youth Leaders and Diocesan Youth Staff Susan Gladin
The Rev. M. Jonah Kendall Martha Alexander Gerry Chapman The Rev. Anne HodgesCopple The Rev. Evelyn Morales The Rev. Murdock Smith Sarah Herr Bishop Curry The Rev. Angela BoatrightSpencer The Rev. Marjorie Holm The Rev. Sara Palmer
26 Living Historic Churches 28 The Johnson Intern Program 29 Rural Haiti After the Earthquake 30 Youth Choir Champ
Quilts Shows: Beauty From Past & Present on Display
31 On an Ancient Friday Tradition departments & more
SUBSCRIPTIONS / CHANGE OF ADDRESS
Scott Welborn: scott.welborn@episdionc.org
6 Q&A: How is Your Church a Church for Others? 22 Events, Briefs & Clergy Changes 24 Snapshots 32 Bishops’ Visitations
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.” ON THE COVER
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Charlotte, is among the many churches within the diocese that is heavily active in homeless ministry See “Making Room in the Inn” on page 4. Photo by Rob Smith, St. Peter’s, Charlotte
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The North Carolina Disciple | Winter 2010
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20 14 Making Disciples, Making a Difference
FROM THE BISHOP
….because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:7 KJV These words are shocking, disturbing, troubling. “…because there was no room in the inn.” Think about it. Here you have the one verse in Luke’s Gospel narrating the moment when Jesus was born, the moment of the birth of the Messiah, incarnation of God, the moment when the eternal Word of God became translated into the language of time, “and the word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). Listen to the entire verse as translated in the King James Version of the Bible:
And she brought forth her first born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room in the inn. One of insights of the Gospel of Luke is that Jesus is passionately concerned about and committed to those for whom there seemed to be no room in the inns of secular society, religious community. For that reason, Luke seems to zero in on people who are cast out and downtrodden. That’s why it is Luke who gives a great deal of attention to the story of Mary, Jesus’ mother, who as a young peasant girl in a courageous act of faith became the bearer of the Messiah and sang of God, “He put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree” (Luke 1:51-52). That’s why Luke takes note that shepherds, considered somewhat unsavory and rather common, heard the good news that the angels sang, and then welcomed the Messiah at his birth. That’s why it is in Luke’s Gospel that Jesus defines his ministry as “preaching good news to the poor” (4:18). It is in Luke that Jesus tells parables about a Good Samaritan (10:29-37), and responds to those who prefer to think of religious faith as a way of exclusion and judgment by telling parables about lost sheep, a lost coin, a prodigal son called (ch. 15). For Luke, Jesus is passionately concerned about and committed to those on the outside, because there was no room for him in the inn. This issue of The North Carolina Disciple is about “Making Room in the Inn.” The articles and stories all in one way or another speak of our vocations as disciples of the Lord Jesus, to make room for God and room for each other, and in so doing to become partners with God in the healing of God’s world and the realization of God’s dream.
May we never rest until there is room for all in the inn. Keep the faith, +Michael
Attention Churches ABOUT
Please continue to update your membership additions and deletions with Scott Welborn so that we can keep the mailing list up to date. Contact Scott Welborn at scott.welborn@episdionc.org or call 919.834.7474 if you have not updated your information since notifications went out this summer.
At a Glance Facts: This Magazine... The North Carolina Disciple was most recently published 10 times a year in a newspaper format, including an insert of the nationally published Episcopal Life. With this issue, the North Carolina Disciple is published quarterly and as a magazine. The intent is to increase the quality and longevity of this publication, while utilizing other diocesan communication vehicles for more time-sensitive, day-to-day news. Other diocesan communications include: Around the Diocese, a monthly bulletin insert; Please Note, a weekly e-newsletter; and the Diocesan website, www.episdionc.org.
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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 Henderson, North Carolina. The printer has been utilizing an internal paper recycling system for paper production since 1995.
Contact Sarah Herr at sarah.herr@episdionc.org with any questions or feedback regarding these communications, or to submit ideas, articles, and photos. Delivery occurs in the early part of the following months: September / Fall Issue December / Winter Issue March / Spring Issue June / Summer Issue
Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus
The North Carolina Disciple | Winter 2010
3
making room
in
the inn By Sarah Herr
As the Number of Homeless Continues to Climb, Churches’ Work With Homeless Ministry Becomes Even More Vital
Photo by Rob Smith
Churches throughout the Diocese participate in ministries that feed the hungry, protect the helpless and shelter the homeless. Their work is an incredible model of the witness of Gospel welcome - lending dignity to those who truly are “the least of these.” The people served through this ministry often come hungry for more than food - they are hungry for human compassion. Here, a look at a few of the wonderful ministries serving in this capacity. INTERFAITH HOSPITALITY NETWORK: FAMILIES IN NEED NOW MORE THAN EVER
In the 11 years Catherine Pleil, director of the Durham Interfaith Hospitality Network, has worked with the homeless, this past year stands out to her as significant because of the marked increase in the number of homeless families in need of assistance. “There are reasons why families now make up 40 percent The open doors of St. Peter’s of the homeless population,and why one out of every four homeless people is a Episcopal Church, Charlotte, one of child,” says Pleil. That reason, she said, is a prolonged, tough economic climate. the many churches within the diocese The Interfaith Hospitality Network is an affiliate program of the national nonactive in homeless ministry. profit called Family Promise, and it is one of several interfaith non-profit organizations in the Diocese and across the nation that connect homeless families to people of faith for shelter, food, compassion and support - with the ultimate goal of helping them achieve a sustainable independence. Churches large and small can participate in two ways, with host congregations providing a safe place for families to stay for one week at a time, and support congregations assisting the host congregations through supplies and meal donations, food preparation, and transportation volunteers. Sunday School classrooms or other under-used spaces within churches are transformed into temporary living quarters for families in need, with cots provided by the IHN. Families stay at a host congregation for a week, and they are provided with supper, breakfast, and a safe place to sleep.
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The North Carolina Disciple | Winter 2010
To find an Interfaith Hospitality Network or to start one in your community, go to familypromise.org
Making Disciples, Making a Difference
Episcopal Housing Ministry: North Carolina’s Point-in-Time Count
After breakfast, they are transported to a day center People Experiencing and put in touch with other Homelessness on Jan. 27, 2010 social services. • 9,513 households “This is really a perfect op• 8,292 single adults portunity for a congregation • 1,304 families that wants to walk in Jesus’ • 2,249 children in families footsteps because it provides an opportunity for people of Source: The North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness, www.ncceh.org faith to break bread with the families at the church,” said Pleil. “This ministry allows us as people of faith to work cooperatively and to exhibit compassion for the people in most need.” There are Interfaith Hospitality Networks in Cabarrus County, Charlotte, Durham, Forsyth County, Fayetteville, Greensboro, High Point, Moore County, Raleigh/Wake County, Gastonia, and Wilmington. Several more are in the development process. Some of the churches within the Diocese participating in this ministry include St. Philip’s; St. Luke’s and St. Stephen’s, Durham; St. Michael’s and Christ Church, Raleigh; St. Paul’s, Cary; Christ Church and St. John’s, Charlotte; All Saints, Concord; Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Southern Pines; Holy Trinity and All Saints, Greensboro; and St. Christopher’s, High Point.
Perhaps through these neighbors we move from being unaware of who is before us to sensing the presence of the holy. The Holy Spirit challenges us in so many ways. - The Rev. Dr. Murdock Smith, Rector, St. Martin’s, Charlotte ROOM IN THE INN
As Charlotte/Mecklenburg County wrestled with a 22 percent increase in homeless rates from 2008 to 2009, area churches felt a continued call to serve their community through various homeless ministries. “Who are the homeless in this city of so Room in the Inn is a program of the Urban Ministry Center, much? They are fellow citizens, sisters and Charlotte, an interfaith organibrothers in Christ, adults and, most tragically, zation that traces its roots youth and children,” said the Rev. Dr. Murback to the St. Peter’s Soup Kitchen in Charlotte. dock Smith, rector at St. Martin’s, Charlotte. For more information visit Smith says this is a question of justice that urbanministrycenter.org or members at St. Martin’s - and people across www.roomintheinn.com. all faith - struggle with. “Does it matter the “why” of their homelessness?” asks Smith. “No, it does not. What does matter is our response, because they could be like the visitors to Abraham and Sarah, or they could be one of the least who is hungry, lonely, cold or in profound need.” St. Martin’s joins several other Charlotte Episcopal Churches in participating in homeless ministry through the Urban Ministry Center, a large interfaith network featuring programs such as “Room in the Inn,” which utilizes churches as places of shelter during the winter months. The Urban Ministry Center’s beginnings can be traced back to the Soup Kitchen at St. Peter’s, Charlotte, and has since grown into an organization that now receives support from more than 130 area churches. St. Peter’s remains active in programs at the center, including Room in the Inn, as does St. Patrick’s, Mooresville. The Rev. Dr. Smith believes the first task in homeless ministry is teaching one another how to first see someone who is a fellow traveler on the journey of life, to ask their name and to give ours, to ask if we can be of assistance, to be present with them, and to appropriately offer the help that we can. “We link with those community organizations who also feed the hungry, cloth the naked, and give shelter. We are transformed by the ministries.” Continued on page 6 Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus
building
inns
There are countless complexities surrounding the “why” of homelessness, but the solution to a large part of the problem is fairly straight-forward: affordable housing. Since the early-90s, Episcopal Housing Ministry has sought to provide a affordable housing solutions in the Raleigh and Rocky Mount Convocations through the development and operation of six apartment communities with 274 two- and three-bedroom units. “Most of the people who find a home through Episcopal Housing Ministry are hardworking, single parent families or families with low-to-moderate-paying jobs that just aren’t enough to pay standard rent prices. We also provide some transitional housing for people who are referred through local agencies,” said Robert Henley, current board member and past president of EHM. HOW THE MINISTRY BEGAN
In the early 90s, Henley says he “felt the desire to do something more for his fellow man.” With a professional background that included real estate and banking experience, Henley approached the Diocese and his vestry at St. Michael’s, Raleigh, with the EHM concept. He received blessing and funding from both to launch the program, which eventually grew from a ministry of St. Michael’s to a ministry of the Raleigh and Rocky Mount Convocations. Since that time, hundreds of families have found safe, affordable housing in EHM communities. “I appreciate everything you have done for me and my family,” one renter writes to an EHM apartment manager. “From day one, I came to you trying to get out of an abusive marriage of 18 years. My kids were distraught, and so was I. I had nowhere else to go and there was no one else I could count on to help me get through this ordeal. You did not know me at all and did everything you could to help me get an apartment out here to start my life over. I am very, very grateful to you for that.” HOW DEVELOPMENT FUNDING IS GENERATED
EHM is a general partner for each complex while it is in development, with investors providing funds for the project and holding a majority of the ownership interests and benefits. After 15 years - when investors have realized all of the federal tax credits - they exit the partnership, leaving EHM as sole owner. HOW CAN CHURCHES GET INVOLVED?
The executive board for the Episcopal Housing Ministry is seeking to reinvigorate parish involvement and representation. “One of our goals is to try to provide more services for our renters. Currently, the ministry partially funds after school programs for families. We would like to continue to build on this program and provide others,” said Henley. Some of the ways to get involved include: - After-school program support - Mentoring to children and/or adults - English as a second language classes - Parish representation Contact Robert Henley at rhenley10@nc.rr.com for more information about Episcopal Housing Ministry. The North Carolina Disciple | Winter 2010
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Continued from page 5 ROOM IN THE INN, EDEN
When St. Mary’s by the Highway, an Episcopal Church in Eden, closed its doors, the Room in the Inn homeless ministry the building housed continued. The building was sold to United in Christ Ministries, and it was agreed that the Help for the Homeless program of Rockingham County would continue to organize interfaith efforts across Eden to shelter people in the area during the three coldest months each year. “We are a fairly small church, so helping out with this ministry really makes a difference and it isn’t a drain on resources. We give of our time, we use our hands to make meals, and we share the good news - and that’s what is it all about. These are good people going through tough times,” said Rob Martin, member of Epiphany, Eden, who has continued to volunteer for the Room in the Inn program each winter. Perhaps the greatest reward, according to Martin, has been the success stories he has witnessed when the people he sees are able to make changes in their lives and get off the streets. It has been all the satisfaction Martin has needed to continue this work.
SAMARITAN HOUSE
While working as a counselor at the Urban Ministry Center, Ruth Woodend, a member of St. Peter’s, Charlotte, realized there was a gap in homeless ministries when it came to providing recovering care when a person has just been released from the hospital or is recuperating from a medical procedure. Woodend and fellow counselor began a non-profit organization called Samaritan House, which provides a clean bed and safe environment for the homeless to heal. In five years, they have assisted 570 men and women. “We do not take any type of government funding nor any insurance but are supported by the faith community, individuals and grants,” said Woodend. This is a unique ministry which can be replicated in other areas, says Woodend, who is happy to speak with anyone interested in learning more about this program. Research shows that people who are homeless have higher rates of hospitalization than other low income individuals with housing. Contact Samaritan House: www.thesamaritanhouse.org, 704.527.1130.
LOOKING TO GET INVOLVED?
If you want to get involved with homeless ministry, but are not sure what programs are in your area or where to start, try the National Coalition for the homeless at www.nationalhomeless.org or contact your local and county government offices. Sarah Herr is the Communications Coordinator at the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina. Contact her at sarah.herr@episdionc.org.
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The North Carolina Disciple | Winter 2010
how is your church a church for others?
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St. Christopher’s seeks to live with the understanding we are ultimately here to serve God’s other children. That includes radically welcoming; beginning by talking to the person we do not know before talking to our friends. But we also understand that radical welcome is useless until a visitor appears. So radical welcome must be proceeded by radical inviting. Once the person is invited and welcomed, he or she will be encouraged to serve God through the church. Social justice work begins by having people involved and that begins by inviting and welcoming. St. Christopher’s canurch fo not truly be a church for others unless we tell others about our church!
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THE REV. KEN KROOHS Rector, St. Christopher’s, High Point
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St. A St Alban’s works hard to be church for others—and in the process, to help our membership grow into the fullness of God’s dream for them. Our goal is for every member to find a way to fulfill God’s call to them through a ministry inside the Church community, and one reaching out to the broader community. Both long-time members and newcomers have taken on this challenge. We’ve begun a Community Garden that includes folks from the whole of Davidson, and provides fresh vegetables to our local food pantry. We’ve reached across hundreds of miles to support a very active Costa Rica outreach, working with the Diocese and Congregacion Cristo Resucitado to build relationships and a new Hogar Escuela in Heredia. And we feed and support students at Davidson College through Canterbury and to the larger community through Music at St. Alban’s. We are so excited that these ministries, and others like them (from Habitat to Room in the Inn, to support for the Ada Jenkins Center to an MDG grant for a sewing circle in South Africa) are done by people responding to a call to serve others as Christ serves, with open hands and open hearts, discerning where their ds an passion meets the world’s need.
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THE REV. REBECCA YARBOROUGH Deacon, St. Alban’s, Davidson
After one year in High Point, it is clear to me that St. Mary’s is a community that recognizes Afte that it cannot fully function as the Body of Christ without all the sorts and kinds of parts of that Body present. As this church learns to live more fully into the blessings and challenges of an intentionally more diverse congregation, new and exciting ways of engaging God’s mission are presenting themselves to us -- ways not previously thought possible. From our Latino Boy Scout troop and Venture crew to our new community life center, designed to be an environmentally responsible outreach and mission center, St. Mary’s is claiming its role in the life of the region as a witness to the reconciling love of God in Christ. Whether folks in this parish consider themselves conservative or liberal, high church or low church, old timers or new comers, we recognize that those things that separate us outside the church doors need not have any bearing on how we work together as the Church to feed the hungry and clothe the naked. Being the Church for others, for us, means not letting ourselves and our own w agendas get in the way of what God is calling us to do for and with others. ers.
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THE REV. DAVID UMPHLETT Rector, St. Mary’s, High Point
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Good Shepherd’s mission is to be a place to Belong, Believe and Become. A place to Goo Belong, so we know we are not alone in this world; a place to Believe, so we can explore a relationship with God; and a place to Become, so we can turn our faith into action by reaching out to others. We are intentional in our proclamation that Christ is the center of our life together and we are intentional about removing all possible barriers to participation so that no matter where a person is in their journey of faith they are welcome. Radical hospitality is the starting place for communities of Jesus and we open the doors to the wider community for many of our ministries. Our music series, yoga classes and faith formation opportunities are listed in the Rocky Mount Community Calendar and a recent Stop Hunger Now packing event drew many participants from around the city. Being a community of Jesus starts with hat Ch the belief that Christ gave His life not only for us who believe, but for the d. whole world.
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THE REV. R. SCOTT WHITE Rector, Church of the Good Shepherd, Rocky Mount Making Disciples, Making a Difference
An Introduction to the Pastoral Background Paper on the Need for Comprehensive Immigration Reform My Brothers and Sisters: What happens when innocent people confront civil war, political tyranny or economic disaster? They often find themselves recast as the homeless in their homeland, or as refugees fleeing for their lives, or as immigrants in strange and hostile lands. Such was the case with one family whose members were forced to flee to a nation in Africa as political refugees. We now call them the Holy Family. Their names were Mary, Joseph and Jesus. They were just three of many immigrants and refugees who fled to Africa’s Egypt for freedom. This is how Matthew’s Gospel tells it:
“Now after [the wise men] had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.’ Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod.” (Matthew 2:13-15) Recently Canon Michael Hunn told me about a book by Ben Daniel titled Neighbor: Christian Encounters With ”Illegal” Immigration. In this book the author reminds us that much of the biblical story is set amidst great and often painful migrations and movements of people. I haven’t yet read the book, but as Canon Hunn told me about it, I realized that migration, immigration and the flight of refugees are the contexts in which the revelations of God in Holy Scripture frequently occur. Think about it. Abraham and Sarah emigrate from their home in the Tigris Euphrates Valley to Palestine (Genesis 12). One of their descendants named Joseph becomes a victim of human trafficking (Genesis 37). Joseph’s brothers later migrate from Palestine into Egypt, fleeing from famine and economic collapse (Genesis 42-50). The Hebrew slaves escape Egypt and are refugees and migrants looking for and longing for a promised land of freedom (Exodus). One of the creedal statements of ancient Israel recalled this experience: “A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien….” (Deuteronomy 26:5). Later many of the leading citizens of Jerusalem are exiled to Babylon (2 Kings 24, 25). The Bible itself ends with the visions of St. John, who was a political exile on the island of Patmos because the Empire condemned his witness to Jesus. And in Matthew’s Gospel, the very coming of God into the world in the person of Jesus of Nazareth is set in the context of an immigrant and refugee family. Who received the Holy Family while they were in Egypt? Who helped them out? Who made room for them? We will likely never know, although legends abound. For example, the Coptic Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus in Cairo was constructed in the 4th century on the site believed to be the place where the infant Jesus and his family rested at the end of their journey into Egypt. The Bible makes a point of holding up immigration and the flight of refugees as contexts in which God is often revealed. Because of that witness, we as God’s people share a special responsibility to pay attention to matters of immigration and to seek to discern those actions to which God is calling us as we minister to our neighbors who are refugees and immigrants. The biblical heritage suggests that for us as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, our perspectives are not to be determined by our political affiliations or predilections, though we each have them and have a right to them. Instead, our perspectives as disciples of the Lord Jesus are to be informed by reasoned determination of the facts and respectful listening to different voices, guided by the values and teachings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and understood in a spirit of humility before God and each other as children of God. To assist us in our work of moral and ethical reflection and discernment, I recently asked the Rev. Jonah Kendall, our liaison to the North Carolina Council of Churches, to convene a group charged with producing a pastoral background paper on the need for a comprehensive immigration reform. We have included that paper in this issue of the Disciple (pages 8 and 9). I am enormously grateful to the members of the working group who have provided us with this resource (see the box below). Regardless of our positions and perspectives, I sense among us a The Rev. M. Jonah Kendall, St. Philip’s, Durham, convener general agreement that the current immigration system in the United Martha Alexander, Christ Church, Charlotte States is not working. As a nation we must find a better way, reaching Gerry Chapman, Holy Trinity, Greensboro across the aisle and across divisions and coming together as one nation The Rev. Anne Hodges-Copple, St. Luke’s, Durham and one people. Maybe people of faith can help our society discover that The Rev. Evelyn Morales, St. Mary’s, High Point “still more excellent way,” as St. Paul called the gift of love (1 Corinthians The Rev. Murdock Smith, St. Martin’s, Charlotte 12:31). My prayer is that this pastoral background paper will assist us as we seek to find that way. Your brother in Christ, +Michael B. Curry XI Bishop of North Carolina Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus
The North Carolina Disciple | Winter 2010
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A pastoral background paper on the need for
comprehensive
immigration
reform
“A wandering Aramean was my father; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number....” (Deuteronomy 26:5)
Our spiritual ancestors were immigrants, nomads and sojourners. From Jacob’s journey into Egypt, to the flight of the Holy Family, to the religious refugees in many parts of the world today, Christians share a long and sacred story of exiles and resident aliens. When the Israelites entered the promised land, Moses commanded them to show hospitality and justice to sojourners who came to reside among them. “When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you. You shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord you God.” (Leviticus 19:33). Thus the people were never to forget that their current prosperity in Israel began with their escape from poverty and exploitation in Egypt. Today, as members of the Body of Christ, as well as residents of North Carolina, we are faced with a complex dilemma concerning those who live, work and worship among us but lack proper documentation for legal residency. Ancient Israel defined and defended its borders and expected resident aliens to follow the laws of the land. Jesus at times made important distinctions among nationalities such as Romans, Samaritans and the people of Israel. But Holy Scripture provides an overwhelming witness that the priority of our behavior must be toward respecting the dignity and common humanity of the stranger who is also our neighbor. “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jericho....” (Luke 10:29)
The questions of who is and who is not a legal resident is important. Questions of appropriate pathways to citizenship are critical. For Christians, however, there is one question we must ask first. It is the question Jesus was asked by a lawyer who thought he had all the (legalistic) answers as to how to inherit eternal life. After Jesus and the lawyer agreed on the summary of the law to love God with all one's being and to love the neighbor as one's self, the lawyer asked, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus proceeded to tell the story of the Good Samaritan, the story of how the citizen of one land comes to the aid and rescue of the citizen of another land, crossing religious and cultural boundaries in the process. Therefore as people of God, let us approach the complex questions posed by the immigration debate by first asking “Who is my neighbor?”
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The North Carolina Disciple | Winter 2010
Neighbors in need
My neighbor is an undocumented dairy farm worker in NC who speaks English and pays taxes. He has no criminal record. He is essential to the farm’s operations. My neighbor and his US citizen wife have two teenage US citizen children. If his wife sponsors him for the green card, he must leave the US to finish the case. If he does, he cannot return for 10 years. My neighbor is a high school valedictorian who came to the US as a baby with her parents. Because she lacks legal status, she will not be able to attend college; if admitted, she must pay out-ofstate rates, which her family cannot afford. Without legal status, she will take any job, at any salary and any conditions the employer sets. Losses: her college dream, and an exceptional talent. My neighbor is a woman from El Salvador, now in Mexico. Her US citizen sister would file papers for her, but the woman must wait in her country for nine years. She fled due to poverty and violence against women. To get to the US, she must travel through the Arizona desert after paying hundreds of dollars to a coyote. She hopes she will not die in the desert. My neighbor is the son of an elderly US legal permanent resident. He came here a year ago. After he arrived, his mother fell ill, so he stayed to care for her. He could not stay as a visitor, so they went to a “notario.” The notario just took her money, and never filed the son’s papers. As a result, ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement) is deporting the son. When he leaves, he will be barred from the US for 10 years.
Making Disciples, Making a Difference
Congressional Inactivity since 1964
Actions: The Episcopal Church and the Diocese of NC
The last temporary work visa for manual workers in year round jobs (the “Bracero” program) expired in 1964. The Greatest Generation had established a program that reflected the law of supply and demand, and secured the border. Under the Bracero program, some 40,000 people were arrested annually crossing the southern border. Today, more than 500,000 are arrested each year. Since 1996, congress has only increased enforcement!
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1. Undocumented aliens shou should ouuld hhave ould avee reasonable oopportunity av p ortu pp tuni nity ty to denncy cy. pursue permanent residency. aallowed llo lowedd ttoo enter the lowe he U Uni ite tedd St Stat ates es to 2. Legal workers should be al United States or fo forc rcee need rc nneeds. eeds. respond to recognized labo labor force ulld be be aall llllow o ed too rreunite ow eun unititee wi ith thou outt 3. Close family members shoul should allowed without viduaals lawfully law a fu fulllll y present pres pr esen entt in the the U Uni nite tedd undue delay with individuals United States. rincipless of lleg egal eg al ddue ue ppro roce cess ss sshould houl ho uldd be 4. Fundamental U.S. principles legal process granted all persons. nal borders an andd immigration imm im migrrat mi a io ionn policies polilicicies po es 5. Enforcement of national should be proportionall and humane
The DREAM Act
Even without comprehensive immigration reform, Congress can help undocumented high school graduates who have been in the US for at least five years, and who entered the US before age 16. They would receive full legal status after two years in college or the military (or be honorably discharged from service). Costs of Inaction: Staggering
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Separation of US children from parents More unreported crime against immigrants (victims fear the police) Huge (and rising) expense for deportations Loss of good students to low paying jobs Disillusioned students drawn to gang activity, etc. Loss of excellent recruits for struggling US armed forces Harmed businesses; depressed economic activity Continued hateful and destructive public discourse Loss of fees for drivers’ licenses, insurance, etc.
We have spent more money and hired more border agents than ever on the Southern border of the US. The southern border cannot be sealed perfectly. Urging complete border security, is just asking for the status quo to continue.
In 2006, the General Convention adopted a resolution (2006A017) that recognized the right of the US as a sovereign nation to protect its borders, and proclaimed that these policies were fundamental to the Episcopal Church:
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In 2005, the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church issued a statement (EXC062006.40) supporting comprehensive Immigration Reform. In 2008, the Diocese of North Carolina adopted Resolution 20083 in support of Comprehensive Immigration Reform:
Be it resolved, that the 192nd Annual Convention of the Diocese of North Carolina encourages the U.S. government to enact comprehensive immigration reform that includes reasonable pathways to permanent residency; increased legal avenues for workers to enter the United States in a safe and orderly fashion; reunification without undue delay of families separated by migration; effective, proportional and humane enforcement of national borders and immigration policies; the right of due process for immigrants; and policies which address the root causes of migration. • •
In 2010, the Diocese of North Carolina adopted Resolution 20102 in support of “the Dream Act.” Bishops Curry, Gregg and Marble were signatories on a letter sent to Congress and the Senate requesting passage of the “Dream Act.”
Lord, How Do We Care for our Neighbor?
It is crucial that the people and parishes of the Diocese of North Carolina respond to the immigration crisis by: Offering advocacy and welcome to all in the face of rising anti-immigrant sentiment. Pursuing opportunities to educate ourselves on the immigration issue and the current debate and need for reform. Suggested resources: a) “All God’s Children – Immigration and Refugee Forum” an educational curriculum created by the Church of the Holy Trinity, Greensboro. b) Diocese of North Carolina’s School of Ministry website: www.episdioncschool.org c) The North Carolina State Council of Churches website: www.nccouncilofchurches.org d) NC Council of Churches’ eight-week study guide on immigration for people of faith, “For You Were Once a Stranger.” e) “The Nation and the Common Good: Reflections on Immigration Reform.” f) Diocesan Chartered Committee on Hispanic Ministry website: www.HospitalidadNC.org g) http://unitingnc.org - assists in setting up dialogue groups on immigration 2. Engaging in dialogue groups with people from your community. 3. Calling for comprehensive immigration reform by contacting your U.S. Representative and Senators. 1.
In Summary
The Gospel commands each one of us to care for the stranger. Christ said to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s. No one should ask a sovereign country to ignore its borders, but no one should be asked to ignore the plight of their neighbors who are in great need. We have a political process that Congress must follow, but it is long past time for all Representatives to work responsibly to create an immigration system that reflects modern economic reality, sets out reasonable requirements for non-citizens to meet, if they wish to be here legally, and ensures the talents of law abiding workers and bright students who simply want to live here and contribute to our society. This statement was compiled by he Rev. M. Jonah Kendall, St. Philip’s, Durham; The Rev. Anne Hodges-Copple, St. Luke’s, Durham; Gerry Chapman, Holy Trinity, Greensboro; The Rev. Evelyn Morales, St. Mary’s, High Point; Martha Alexander, Christ Church, Charlotte; and The Rev. Murdock Smith, St. Martin’s, Charlotte. Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus
seasons
in
bloom
By The Rev. Angela Boatright-Spencer
“Come,” my heart says, “seek [God’s] face!” Your face, Lord, do I seek. – Psalm 27:8
Whenever our eyes fall on something beautiful, we want to hold that glance a long while. Our pupils open wide to receive the vision. Beauty, the human heart, and God are bound together. C.S. Lewis said somewhere that we want “to be united with the beauty we see, to pass into it, to receive it into ourselves, to bathe in it, to become part of it.” The exact citation has been lost – I was too taken with the comment to maintain good scholarly discipline – but it is nonetheless true. The beauty that we see reflects the beauty of God, and we want to take it into ourselves. We want to live in the house of the Lord forever, to behold the beauty of God forever. (Psalm 27:4) We see a flower, we want to pick it, bring it home where we can gaze on it at will. We see a beautiful painting and we want to buy it. God’s beauty is in nature, in art, the vastness of all creation, even in the human face. But we don’t always want to bring the face of the other into our home. Difference among people often is interpreted as a threat rather than a wideness in God’s vision. Maybe it all goes back to Jesus’ Summary of the Law: we seek to love and cherish God (and God’s beauty) with all of our being; we seek to love and cherish ourselves and our own beauty, which, in turn, enables us to see and cherish God’s beauty in others. The chain often breaks in that crucial second step: seeing and cherishing God’s beauty in ourselves. If we don’t love and accept ourselves fully, just as we are (while acknowledging that we still can grow and improve), then it’s hard for us to love and accept anyone else. Other people will always be invaders coming to crowd us out of an already small margin of grace. The seasons of the church year can help us, if we let them. Here’s a simple exercise: pretend that our hearts are a rose, gentling unfolding from Advent through Epiphany. We are lovely, and becoming lovelier, still opening up all in God’s good time.
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The North Carolina Disciple | Winter 2010
ADVENT: Begins Sunday, Nov. 28, 2010 We start as a bud, tiny yet still quite beautiful. We intend to be loving, we even send out that intention in our scent which travels far beyond our reach. We, like the rosebud, “spread our fragrance everywhere we go.”* But our petals are tightly wound together, all bunched up, protecting ourselves from any possible visitors, invited or otherwise. The challenge of Advent can be to accept our hearts, tiny, hard, bunched-together little clumps for what they are: the first step in a long process of unfolding beauty. Love the clump, see the beauty of it, let it invite others in with its fragrance, even if it needs to protect itself from those who respond and approach. When the time is right, and they come in range, the little bud will be ready to blossom and receive them. “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage.” The Lord is coming; wait for the Lord. (paraphrase of Psalm 27:14)
Making Disciples, Making a Difference
CHRISTMAS: Saturday, Dec. 25, 2010
“O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel.” – Phillips Brooks, O Little Town of Bethlehem The first one to come to us is God, and we don’t always welcome that approach. We want to, probably; we certainly know that we ought to, but God makes us consider stuff we don’t want to think about, and see stuff we don’t want to see. Beloved, we really have to just get on with it because God will keep pointing us in the direction of growth until we finally give in and grow up. So we unclench our petals a bit – just enough to show the shape and texture of the beauty we hold – and there we are, bud no more but a beautiful, new rose amid the cold of winter, when half-spent was the night. We show our true form to the world. We have done our work of displaying God’s beauty. Now that Christ is with us in the flesh as well as in Spirit, we begin to face whatever prevents us from opening our
petals to the fullest, to experiencing life with others. In our liturgy, Jesus is only a child, but we know he is always more than that; he is always the powerful redeemer. We can imagine ourselves peeking around from behind him as our life lessons loom in front of us. And we can imagine ourselves facing them, learning from them with Jesus at our side. He probably will help us laugh at ourselves in the process, which always makes growing easier, if not exactly fun. We’re not as bad as we thought we were. Our hearts, we learn, are made to hold both joy and pain, and neither can ever break them, although it might feel that way. That horrible thing we could never face – it wasn’t all that horrible, now that we actually look at it. We begin to feel a bit more courageous. Holding on to Jesus, we loosen our grip…and our petals spread wide, opening almost all the way. Our fragrance grows stronger and radiates farther than our eye can see, farther than our mind can imagine.
Now that Christ is with us in the flesh as well as in Spirit, we begin to face whatever prevents us from opening our petals to the fullest, to experiencing life with others.
Photo by Bruce R. Jenkins
EPIPHANY: Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2010 Others catch the scent and are drawn to us. Wise people, different people from all corners of the globe come to us, the rose of the Fragrance of God. Feeling safe because Jesus is with us, as he has promised to be, always, we unfold our petals all the way, open our hearts all the way. Then comes the shock of the onslaught: some people love us, others damage us, most basically wish us well but are neutral toward us. We want to close up our petals and become a bud again. For this we were born, Jesus reminds us. We are showing God’s beauty to the world. This is our work. And is it really so hard – as hard as, say, being nailed to a cross and ridiculed not only by your enemies but also by your neighbors and former followers? Let your beauty, your light shine. Not everyone will appreciate it; some may even hate it. But you will have provided an opportunity for those who want to see the beauty of God; you will have been an icon for Jesus – first drawing them in, then pointing beyond yourself to the greater Spirit of love, beauty and grace. The Lord is with you; lift up your hearts. Lift them to the Lord -- and to the other who is seeking God’s face through you.
The Rev. Angela Boatright-Spencer serves as long-term supply at the Chapel of Christ the King. Contact her at angelaspirittalk@aol.com or read more of her articles at: Examiner.com/x-10271-Charlotte-EpiscopalExaminer
Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus
* THE PRAYER, CALLED “RADIATING CHRIST” WAS WRITTEN BY CARDINAL NEWMAN. THE FULL TEXT IS: Dear Jesus, help me to spread Your fragrance everywhere I go. Flood my soul with Your spirit and life. Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly, that my life may only be a radiance of Yours. Shine through me, and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with may feel Your presence in my soul. Let them look up and see no longer me, but only Jesus! Stay with me and then I shall begin to shine as You shine, so to shine as to be a light to others; the light, O Jesus will be all from You; none of it will be mine; it will be you, shining on others through me. Let me thus praise You the way You love best, by shining on those around me. Let me preach You without preaching, not by words but by my example, by the catching force of the sympathetic influence of what I do, the evident fullness of the love my heart bears to You. AMEN. The North Carolina Disciple | Winter 2010
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Reflections
of aa
prison MINISTRY Chaplain By Pete Crow
FREEDOM RIDE 2010
Photo by Pete Crow
Serving for nearly 18 years as a prison chaplain at several maximum security prison facilities in Virginia, the Rev. Marjorie H. Holm viewed her role as very simple in nature: to defend the sacred worth of every human being, to affirm a living Creator, and to give evidence through presence to the power, hope and eternal life that we receive from God. This theology is also shared with all the great world religions. Below, some of her reflections on her experience as a prisonof chaplain as she A Pilgrimage Reconciliation now joins the Bishop’s Committee on Prison Ministry. Photo by Scott Witry
When did we see you in prison and visit you? - Matthew 25:36
By The Rev. Marjorie H. Holm 12
The North Carolina Disciple | Winter 2010
When I reflect upon my life, I realize that even as a young child, I always gravitated toward people who were struggling and searching. I always had a special compassion and empathy for the least, the lost and the lonely. My call to prison chaplaincy follows that course. I started my career in chaplaincy as a volunteer. As soon as the barbed wire fences closed behind me, I knew I was where I belonged. It didn’t just happen once, it happened every time I entered the prison. It didn’t take the staff chaplains long to realize that my volunteer work was different. Before long I was hired as a lay chaplain. Being a chaplain is not just about being there for inmates, it’s also about being there for the staff; for the guards, psychologists, security, the wardens, and, of course, the educators. We all know that education is the key to deter recidivism. Chaplains are not just pastors for the prisoners; they are pastors to the staff as well. My call to ordained ministry has been a constantly unfolding experience. My call was molded within the framework of prison ministry. Performing sacramental ministry was my greatest joy. Making Disciples, Making a Difference
By the Rev. Sara Palmer
“
When inmates come to Christ, their lives W turn around. Most often they come to Christ through the sacraments. When this happens, they experience a newness of life. This newness of life not only changes their lives, it impacts the lives of other inmates and staff in a positive way.
”
THE REV. MARJORIE HOLM
Rector, All Saints’, Roanoke Rapids
Aside from Holy Eucharist, the sacraments I performed most often were that of baptism, healing and marriage. People don’t understand how someone in prison can fall in love and get married. It happens. There is life behind bars. When inmates come to Christ, their lives turn around. Most The Rev. Marjorie Holm performs a often they come to Christ wedding while serving as a prison through the sacraments. When chaplain. this happens, they experience a newness of life. This newness not only changes their lives, it impacts the lives of other inmates and staff in a positive way. An inmate came to me one day and was blown away by the peace and serenity that one of his friends had. He came to me and said, “Chaplain, I want that peace. How can I get it?” I thought to myself, “This is what chaplaincy is all about.” It is about being there. It is a ministry of presence. Another time, an inmate came to my office with several significant issues. I listened. After he finished talking, I was struggling to help him re-cap all his emotions. Before I could say a word, he stood up and thanked me. He told me that I had been a big help to him. One of the most moving moments in ministry occurred in the death house, where an inmate was scheduled for execution. He had experienced the “metonoia,” or spiritual transformation, that led him to Christ. Hours before the execution, he looked at me and said, “Am I forgiven? Does God want me in heaven? Will you forgive me?” I replied: “I don’t do the forgiving, God does that. I’m only the vehicle.” We had communion and after I anointed him he said, “Thanks chaplain. I know that God wants me.” The Rev. Marjorie H. Holm is the rector at All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Roanoke Rapids. Contact her at marjorie.holm@gmail.com.
Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus
The Bishop’s Committee on Prison Ministry The Bishop’s Committee on Prison Ministry was created at the 2010 Diocesan Convention, and has met twice, with a focus on how to raise awareness of the need to bring Christ’s light into our jails and prisons in North Carolina. Several churches in the Diocese are already involved in prison ministry; part of our work on the diocesan level will be to compile a list of all such churches and the outreach they are doing, so we can learn from one another. Committee members come from the northern The committee urges all and southern ends of the Episcopalians in this diocese Diocese of North Caroto ask for a guided tour of lina, from Roanoke Raplocal jails and prisons, and to ids to Charlotte. We are spend a day in court, sharing in lay people, deacons and church what they noticed. clergy, some of whom have worked in the prison system and others who have not. Yet all of us are united by God’s call to step out of our comfort zones and reach out with the Good News of God’s love to those who sit alone in darkness. Jesus says in Matthew 25: 36, “When did we see you in prison and visit you?” It is in ministering to those who are often considered the least of these that we are ministering to the Lord Himself. A friend of many in this Diocese, Karen Favreau, who passed away this year, participated in the Kairos prison ministry, which is like Cursillo in a prison setting. Several years ago, Karen wrote an inspirin ing article in The North Ca Carolina Disciple, remarking Getting Started in th that “you have never sung Prison Ministry A Amazing Grace until you • Request a guided tour of an ha have sung it on death row.” local jails/prisons K Karen played her guitar • Contact the chaplain to an and sang of God’s grace to discern needs th the women on death row • Provide paperback New in the Raleigh prison. If Testaments in English and yo you are interested in learnSpanish for inmates in ing more about Kairos, • Donate quality reading mavi visit www.kairosprisonminterial for libraries ist istry.org • Tutor in English and reading Prison ministry is to • Share your prison ministry br bring the light of Christ experience with your church to those sitting in the and the commission da darkness of jail and prison, • Ask your parish to put your br bringing the Eucharist, local jail ministry as a line stu studying the Bible, offering item in its budget g su support for the children and spouses of inmates, and standing with tho those released back into society, who need help in living again in freedom. The committee encourages all Episcopal priests and deacons in the Diocese of North Carolina to visit local jails and prisons, and to find out from the prison chaplain what the needs are that their congregations can easily meet. The Bishop’s Committee on Prison Ministry will present a resolution on prison ministry for consideration at the 195th Convention in January. Interested in getting involved with Prison Ministry? Contact the Rev. Marjorie Holmes at marjorie.holm@gmail.com with questions or for more information. The Rev. Sara Palmer is Assistant to the Rector at St. Mary’s, High Point. Contact her at sarap@stmarysepisc.org.
The North Carolina Disciple | Winter 2010
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diocesan-wide campaign to kick off at convention At the 195th Convention in January, the Diocese of North Carolina will undertake a bold and courageous plan to deliver 40,000 nets to save 120,000 lives (on average 3 sleep under each net, particularly children). Bishop Curry will challenge each parish/mission to help fight malaria and support the Millennium Development Goals by sending enough diseasepreventing mosquito nets to Africa to represent every member in the diocese.
Every day, 3,000 children die in sub-Saharan Africa from this disease, yet by sleeping under malaria nets, children and adults can be protected from the mosquitoes, which cause this disease. Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD), through its NetsforLife速 program, sells these nets for $12, which includes education on how to use the net and follow-up later to ensure the nets are being used properly. Nets last for three years. 14
The North Carolina Disciple | Winter 2010
The decision to launch such a campaign was precipitated by an invitation from Episcopal Relief & Development and subsequent meetings with Joy Shigaki, NetsforLife速 Inspiration Fund director, Bishop Curry and several interested clergy and laypersons. After gathering more details, the Millennium Development Goals Committee and the Global Missions Committee endorsed the idea, and Diocesan Council approved the campaign during its September meeting. Campaign planning is still under way under the guidance of the Bishop and a Diocesan Steering Committee, but below are some preliminary details. Further information and resources will be made available at convention. LENGTH OF CAMPAIGN
Convention 2011 through Convention 2012. Parishes will be able to plan campaigns at convenient times during 2011. CAMPAIGN GOAL
To fight malaria by purchasing 1 net ($12) per communicant in good standing (40,800 nets based on 2009 parochial reports, rounded to 40,000).
Making Disciples, Making a Difference
embracing the millennium development goals CAMPAIGN FOCUSES
To place renewed emphasis on the Millennium Development Goals in the diocese and to educate adults and children about malaria and its prevention and treatment.
GOAL #1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
PARTICIPANTS
GOAL #4: Reduce child mortality by 2015
Parishes, schools, and campus ministries – voluntary for all.
GOAL #5: Improve maternal health
COSTS
GOAL #7: Ensure environmental sustainability
Ancillary costs of materials for campaigns/events will be borne by participants. Costs to the Diocese are expected to be negligible.
GOAL #8: Develop a global partnership for development
SUPPORT STRUCTURE
Diocesan Steering Committee and Parish Nets Representatives. The Steering Committee will be responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of the campaign’s plan. Parish Nets Representatives will be chosen by the Rector/Vicar or other participant head to lead the local campaign. Nets Representatives will develop and implement local campaign plans/events, ensure payments are sent to Episcopal Relief & Development timely, share NetsforLife® parish stories and photos, and report nets sales to the Steering Committee.
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES AND TOOLKIT
Episcopal Relief & Development is currently developing a range of educational materials to be used in parishes for meaningful engagement during the campaign. Items will include campaign brochures, NetsforLife® videos, facts sheets, stories from the field, curricula (children, youth and adult), posters and photos, photo slideshows and parish bulletins. TRAINING
Is being developed by Episcopal Relief & Development and will be delivered to Nets Representatives. We may have related curricula appropriate to Sunday schools/preschools/K-8 schools, youth and universities. This role will also coordinate Convocation Representatives, one per convocation to help support participating units.
GOAL #2: Achieve universal primary education GOAL #3: Promote gender equality and empower women
GOAL #6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
The NetsforLife® program partnership is making a difference in addressing all of the MDGs, but particularly goals 4, 5 and 6. Focusing on malaria prevention enables progress on all of the MDGs since progress cannot be made on reducing extreme poverty, educating children, empowering women or many other priorities if people are sick.
In many instances, NetsforLife® works in places so remote and difficult to get to that no government services can reach theses people – people who are literally at the end of the road. By working to instill a “net culture,” NetsforLife® helps communities understand the value of nets, the right way to use them and maintain them.
REPORTING
Parishes will report to the Steering Committee monthly on their campaign progress- nets raised, net events held, and volunteers engaged. Episcopal Relief & Development will provide reports on funds received. CONTACT
Reid Joyner, ERD Coordinator and Steering Committee Chair, at erd-nc@hotmail.com, or Debra Smithdeal, MDG Committee Chair and Steering Committee Vice Chair, at nchivaids@aol.com.
Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus
ERD Call for Convention Crafts Artists and Crafters: consider using your skill to benefit Episcopal Relief and Development/NetsforLife. Last year at Diocesan Convention $3,500 was raised to help fight malaria through the sale of quality art and handmade crafts donated by the people of the diocese. Contact Reid Joyner erd-nc@hotmail.com or Kathy Gregg, kgregg002@ carolina.rr.com to participate this year.
The North Carolina Disciple | Winter 2010
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Gospel based
discipleship By The Rev. Kenneth H. Saunders III
Upon my arrival to the Diocese of North Carolina, I was formally introduced to “Gospel Based Discipleship.” I had heard it called by other names in my travels – African Bible Study, Reflective Bible Study, etc. – but this seemed a little different to me. Bishop Curry put this booklet together and sent it out to the diocese as a tool for making and empowering disciples. I was intrigued by the possibilities it could have, and decided to use it immediately. I started with the vestry, and use the process after the opening prayer at every meeting. This immediately gets our thoughts focused on what the Gospel or Jesus may be calling us to do as a group of leaders in the Church. As most “new things,” it was first met with some confusion, indifference, and questions such as, “Why would the vestry want to be studying scripture? We need to be about the business of church! And why are we doing “Gospel Based the this? It’s a waste of time!” Discipleship” I was persistent, and insisted has become a that we continue to engage the primary practice scripture in this way before gatherat Christ Church ings and meetings. It began to in Cleveland take root, and eventually became as we seek to expected as part of the normal make disciples way we do business. Since then, and make a we have used it in study groups difference.” and in Christian Education and discernment forums. “Gospel Based Discipleship” has become a primary practice at Christ Church in Cleveland as we seek to make disciples and make a difference. The booklet is easy to use and simply lists the Gospel reading for each day of the year from the daily office lectionary. This alleviates searching through the Book of Common Prayer to find the proper reading. Along with the listing of the Gospel reading, the book includes a cycle of prayer for the clergy of the diocese for each day. While it is wonderful to pray for my ordained colleagues in ministry, there was something missing. Where was our companion dioceses of Costa Rica and Botswana, and the different church communities and chaplaincies in our diocese? I have recommended a “Diocesan Cycle of Prayer” for Sunday use, similar to ones used in other dioceses, so we can include prayers for other congregations in the prayers of the people. This will enable and encourage all the congregations in the diocese to pray for each other. We are, after all ONE Church. The Rev. Kenneth H. Saunders III is the Rector of Christ Church, Cleveland. Contact him at fr.kensaunders@gmail.com
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The North Carolina Disciple | Winter 2010
Wh iis the What h G Gospell B Based d Di Discipleship? i l hi ? Gospel Based Discipleship is an encounter with the Gospel that is designed to engage people with the Gospel. Three questions are central to the GBD. They are designed to elicit personal reflection, sharing & discussion: What words or ideas did you hear? What is Jesus (the Gospel) saying to you? What is Jesus (the Gospel) calling you to do? GBD is often used: By regular study groups To begin a meeting As a form of worship As a personal devotion
• • • •
In GBD, there are no right or wrong answers. The engagement is with the Gospel in the center, not with a leader or the search for correct answers. Experienced leaders are not required, and leadership should rotate. Groups and/or individuals using GBD regularly should expect to begin to see their call to mission differently, and some congregations use GBD as a way to focus on what God is calling them to do in their community. Source: The Episcopal Church Center, Developed & Distributed by Native Ministries and Gospel Based Discipleship: www.episcopalchurch.org/documents/NAM_GBD_ Presentation_download_version.ppt
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In an effort to be good stewards of Diocesan funds, we have combined the Gospel Based Discipleship booklet with the mailing of this edition of the NC Disciple.
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One extra staple has been used to securee the b book into the magazine. Upon removoving th that staple, you will have a copy of the 2010-2011 Gospel Based Discipleship. 2010
Making Disciples, Making a Difference
COME ON IN...
the HUGS ARE FINE Diocesan-Sponsored Camp Welcomes Youth of All Abilities Over the past five years, Lisa Aycock has watched as her son, Austin, goes off to HUGS Camp at Haw River State Park. “I feel comfortable sending him to HUGS knowing that the helper campers are there because they care and they want to be there,” said Aycock, who has observed her son’s pride and growing sense of independence as he heads off to camp each passing year - just like his big sister. HUGS is a unique camp for unique young people with a diverse range of abilities. Think back to being a kid, and going off for a week of summer camp! Singing songs, making friends, playing games, sloppy joes and smiley faced french fries. Now imagine attending a camp “I have been attending where you could share God’s love HUGS Camp for four with a partner camper that couldn’t years now. Working with have experienced camp without you. the campers is always Welcome to HUGS Camp. Helpsuch a fun experience ing Understand God through for me. Not only do Sharing Camp. we have lots of laughs HUGS is about campers sharbut we learn a lot about ing - sharing God’s unconditional ourselves and our faith. love and sharing skills, abilities and I see God in every single fears. Campers with special needs camper’s face, and that is are paired with one or more “helper” campers, who assist the what keeps me coming special-needs campers with all the back year after activities of camp life. Needs may year.” range from full assistance with – Kate Akerman, bathing, eating and/or dressing, to Helper Camper partial assistance in simply getting around, or just having a friend to encourage participation. Helper campers take part in a day of training with counselors and nurses to learn how to care for the campers. Through out the week, the campers live, play, and sing together. The camp family stays in the cabins and activities are in gym/pool area, the lodge, youth facility, and games on the recreation field. From a talent show, to a carnival, to a scavenger hunt, the fun does not stop! HUGS campers range from 8 to 30 years in age and helper campers Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus
Above: 2010 Camp Hugs campers Pictures at the top of the page: Top left: Danny Wert and John Simpson; Middle: Kate Akerman and Austin Aycock; Right: Sarah Stalter and Julianna Parham
are grades 8-12. Two nurses are on staff to assist with medical needs. HUGS Camp, sponsored by the Diocese of North Carolina, is jumping into its 23rd year of camp come July 2011, with the direction of longtime HUGS Camp enthusiasts Joseph Payne and Joey Amoako. Joseph and Joey have a combined 20 years of camp experience as counselors and directors. They are always looking for young spirited and unique high school students to volunteer their time and become helper campers for the week. If interested, contact Joseph Payne at jpayne@emmanuel-parish.org for more information or visit www.hugscamp.com. Joseph Payne is co-director of Camp Hugs. Contact him at jpayne@emmanuel-parish.org.
The North Carolina Disciple | Winter 2010
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World Vision Mission n in in the Appalachian
youth on a
Youth and youth leaders from Christ Church, Charlotte, during a mission trip to the Appalachian with several other churches and Word Vision. They cleaned up and cleaned out a home occupied by an elderly woman living alone in Flemington. Contact Lauren Robbins robbinsl@christchurchcharlotte.org for more information.
mission
A look at the exciting mission work performed by youth within the diocese Many youth in the Diocese seek to make a difference in the world by participating in mission trips. Some of these missions are in the diocese’s own backyard and others stretch across oceans, continents, and cultures. Their work is a testament of the power of youth and it reinforces the mission of the diocese. Here, a brief description of several mission trips held during the past year. This information was provided by youth leaders to the Office of Youth Ministry. A more complete list of mission trips can be found on the diocesan youth website at www.episdioncyouth.org. May those described in this magazine and online inspire other youth and congregations, and raise up the ministry of youth, youth leaders, and congregations that made them possible.
Episcopal Farmworker Ministry Mi in Newton Grove, N.C.
Flood Disaster Relief Mi M Mission i in West Virginia The community of Welch, W. Va., was devastated by a major flood five days before 20 youth from St. Mark’s, Huntersville, were set to leave on a scheduled mission to Community Crossing/ McDowell Mission. Plans were changed and projects were altered so that they could help with this immediate need; pumping out basements, packing salvageable clothing, pictures, and keepsakes for many families and church. More importantly, they were able to give hope and start a process of recovery and healing for many of the people in Welch. “One lady told us we were her angels. I never realized I could be an angel to someone. This hit me in a way that I will never forget,” said Rustin McWhorter. Contact Matt Addington, mattaddington1@gmail.com, for more informations. m
Partnering with wit ith tthe United Methodist Relief Center
Above: Ab Abo ove: ve e Ga Garri Garrison rrison rri so sson on Go G Gordon, rdo on, n Bru Bruce ce e Jenkins, Jen nkin kii s St Ste Stewar Stewart ewar a tM Mebane e ne eba e and a Tom Mebane pack toiletries. Left: Youth from St. Philip’s, Durham at the EFwM.
The Th h Ep Epi Episcopal i p l Farmworker F rm rkk r Ministry Min ini tr t is i a joint j intt ministry m of the Diocese of North Carolina and the Western Diocese of North Carolina and assists migrant farmworkers. A mission to Newton Grove, N.C., is truly a mission in the diocese’s “own backyard” which allows youth to see how the extreme poverty and harsh working conditions these workers are subjected to. Christ Church, Raleigh; St. Philip’s, Durham; and All Saints’, Roanoke Rapids, all reported on mission trips to the Episcopal Farmworker Ministry. Missioners also put together and distributed toiletries, clothing, and other supplies. All Saints’ performed some facility maintenance to help welcome future missioners. To learn more about mission trips to the EFwM, contact Silvia Cendejas at silviaefm@intrstar.net.
This summer, youth from St. Francis Episcopal Church in Greensboro participated in the Episcopal Youth Community G eevent in Summersville, N.C., where they partnered with the United Methodist Relief Center. The youth group actively U participated in such construction adventures including roofing, p ssiding, rebuilding indoor plumbing and electrical, laying vinyl floor, painting and demolishing homes. For more information about St. Francis youth group contact Robert Black at Robert@ stfrancisgreensboro.org
“We ate together, prayed together and reflected on how blessed we are; and, how hard it can be to serve when you feel as if you are trespassing, because of the uncomfortable disparity between your life and the people you want to help.” - The Rev. Arianne Weeks on the Episcopal Farmworker Ministry in Newton Grove
YOUTH EXEMPLIFYING THE DIOCESAN MISSION:
Empowered by the Holy Spirit, the Diocese of North Carolina seeks to live God's dream by making disciples and making a difference. on the Gospel, in the communion of the Episcopal Church. We go forth to offer God's reconciling love to all persons, with special 18
The North Carolina Disciple | Winter 2010
Making Disciples, Making a Difference
Costa Rica: A Companion Diocese
Group photo of youth participating on the Church of the Nativity J2A Pilgrims’ trip to Costa Rica.
Four F Fo Fou our ur congregations con nggrreggat atio i ns io ns rreported ep por orte t d th te that hat 4499 yo yyouth uth ut h em emba embarked b rkked ba do on n si sixx mission trips to Costa Rica, a companion diocese of North Carolina. The youth help strengthen relationships, understanding across cultures, and future bonds. Youth from Good Shepherd, Rocky Mount; Calvary, Tarboro; Church of the Nativity, Raleigh (two mission trips); and St. John’s, Charlotte, spent time in Costa Rica. Their accomplishments included Diocesan House repairs, refurbishing classrooms at St. Mark’s School, conducting a week-long Vacation Bible School in an impoverished area, build a foundation for a new school/community center/mission church, and more. Contact Marta Davis, Diocesan Companion Officer in Costa Rica, for information regarding for information regarding mission trips to Costa Rica at costaricamarta@gmail.com.
Millennium Development Goals on a Mission F Fifty-one if if middle iddl id dl school h l students d ffrom eight i h churches joined forces for the Episcopal Outreach Camp in Charlotte with the focus on the Millennium Development Goals and working towards their realization. They tackled the first goal, “Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger” by working in the community garden at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. On the second day, the group made baby blankets for premature infants at Presbyterian Hospital and learned about Goal #4, “Reduce Child Mortality” and Goal #5, “Improve Maternal Health.” On our last day together, after learning about Goal #8, “Develop a Global Partnership for Development,” the group Carly C l K Karnatz t and dE Emma H Hennen, St S St. t researched micro-finance loans and made a loan to Patrick’s, Mooresville and Hillary Bendert, St. Jorge Heriberto in Equator. This loan allowed him to Alban’s, Davidson, work in the Community Garden at St. Andrew’s Episcopal in Charlotte. expand his agricultural fields. Youth participating came from Christ Church, Charlotte; Trinity, Statesville; St. Patrick’s, Mooresville; St. Alban’s, Davidson; St. Mark’s, Huntersville; St. Martin’s, Charlotte; Holy Comforter, Charlotte; and St. Peter’s, Charlotte. Contact Pam Hatley at pam.hatley@episdionc.org for more information.
More Missions, More M Details To read specific details about the mission trips included in this article and others from around the diocese in 2010, visit www.episdioncyouth.org. Ideas and resources for mission trips also are available online. Or, if you are feeling really inspired by all this mission talk - check out the upcoming Diocesan Youth Outreach weekend (information in the bottom, right-hand corner)! This article was compiled by the diocesan youth staff, and youth and mission leaders within the diocese.
We do so by building joyful congregations and other communities of faith, centered concerns for the unchurched, young people, and those on the margins of society. Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus
Kids4Peace Chapter is Now Forming in Charlotte “A Vision of the Children of Abraham – and of All Faith Traditions – Living Together in Peace.” Kids4Peace brings Christian, Jewish, and Muslim children from the Holy Land to the United States for a summer camp experience with American children. This year camps were hosted in Atlanta, Western North Carolina and Vermont. Fifty-six new Kids4Peace laughed, swam, hiked, rafted, worked together on service projects, visited each other's houses of worship and shared what their Jewish, Christian or Muslim faith means to them. Amid political controversies and negotiations, Kids4Peace is already weaving the fabric of a new society - creating lasting friendships across barriers of culture and religion, conflict and fear. And it continues to grow…. A Kids4Peace Chapter is Now Forming in Charlotte. If you would like more information about Kids4Peace or to support this new chapter, please contact Lyn Holt at lholt@st-peters.org or Pam Hatley at pam.hatley@episdionc.org.
Faith In Action "For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead." - James 2:26
Diocesan Youth Outreach Weekend March 4-6, 2011 Saint Timothy's, Winston-Salem Duana Cisney, Youth Missioner for the Northwest Region, is coordinating this event with the youth leaders of this region. The focus for the weekend will be supporting the migrant farm workers in the Alamance County area. Participants are asked to bring gently used long sleeve shirts and long pants that will be given to the Episcopal Farmworkers Ministry. Contact Duana Cisney at duana.cisney@ episdionc.org. The North Carolina Disciple | Winter 2010
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By David Setzer, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Salisbury and Katie Scarvey, The Salisbury Post
A pilgrim’s promise On a Historic Journey with the Rev. Whayne Hougland
“I did not realize how tired I was, how dry I was, until I began the sabbatical,” said the Rev. Whayne Hougland. Hougland, the rector of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Salisbury, traveled to northern Spain in May to make a pilgrimage called the “Camino de Santiago,” or “The Way of St. James.” He began his pilgrimage in Pamplona and trekked more than 300 miles west to Santiago de Compostela. Since the Middle Ages, pilgrims have hiked hundreds of miles across northern Spain to pay homage to the remains of St. James.
Hougland chose this particular journey in part because he is of Basque ancestry — his mother’s parents were born and raised in northern Spain. The journey of renewal began with a few days of silence and reflection at the Mepkin Abbey near Moncks Corner, S.C. Once he’d arrived in Spain, it was time for
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The North Carolina Disciple | Winter 2010
the main event. Outfitted with the required heavy-duty shoes, socks, poncho, quick-drying shirts and pants and other accessories, he hit the trail. With his fellow pilgrims from around the world, he followed the yellow arrows placed along the way by journey organizers years ago. Occasionally, there were sea shells placed on sidewalks and posts that also
indicated to the pilgrims that they were on the right path. Hougland admits to getting lost once. “I got off the trail, following a group of other pilgrims. We were following the yellow markers, we thought; then we noticed that we had gone about three km ... without seeing the markers and had made several turns. So we had to backtrack and get ourselves back on the trail.” He walked through small towns the size of Salisbury and through larger cities more like Winston-Salem. Mostly, however, he made his way through small towns and villages, spending nights in hostels along the way. The public hostels were first-come, first-served and there might be 40 beds or 100. He had to adjust his schedule to be up and out early so he could be assured of getting a bed. The bedroom areas were not divided by gender, he noted. “You would be sleeping in a room with men and women, inches apart.” Hougland ate well on the journey, and despite his hearty dinners, he lost 20 pounds on the walk, burning off lots of calories. Like many pilgrims, he dealt with sore feet. He didn’t like to stop much along the way because when he did take a break, resuming the hiking was difficult, he says. Hougland met a man in a hostel who was a Basque. Hougland bonded with him over memories of his beloved grandfather Francisco, who had immigrated to the United States as a 14-year-old and eventually built a thriving import/export business on New York’s lower west side. The Basque told him not to put a patch on his blister but to take a needle and thread and literally stitch a pattern through the skin of the blister in order to relieve pressure and promote drainage. The Basque was right, Hougland discovered, and in a few days he felt much better. He and some other Basques also gave Hougland some medicated cream because, Hougland recalls, they considered him “one of theirs.” As he neared Santiago after walking about 15 days, Hougland says he’d built up his stamina and energy to the point where he could walk all day with the 30-pound pack on his back. One day, he says, the climb was so steep he had to stop three quarters of the way up. “Lots of folks
Making Disciples, Making a Difference
“Initially, my thoughts were on me, where I hurt....(I was) constantly monitoring my physical being...” On the fourth day, however, his attitude changed. “It was a beautiful day— blue sky, clear and cool, crisp and the air was light. I was talking and thinking, ‘I’m really doing this. I’m here.’ I was overcome by the fact that I was really here, in Spain, having this incredible opportunity, and I really felt the Spirit. I felt this thin spot between me and God, that this was an incredible gift.” During his sabbatical, The Rev. Whayne Hougland embarked on a pilgrimage called the “Camino de Santiago,” or “The Way of St. James.”
were bailing out, unable to go on,” he said. “I rested a few minutes and then went on, determined to reach this little town near the top before I stopped. I made it, rested ... then decided to go on to the top of this mountain, just keep plugging away. “After about three km, it was the same kind of rough terrain and same difficulty I had earlier, and I thought, ‘Are you stupid or what?’ “And then, all of a sudden, it was like magic. The trees fell away and I was above the tree line and I popped out into this mountain pasture. It was absolutely fabulous. I had come about 30 km that day and I was so proud of myself... Experienced hikers were saying I could not do it, it was too far and the walk was too difficult. But I did it.” Hougland says some of the other pilgrims called him The Turtle, because he was slower than many of the hikers. “Some of the younger folks would stop and smoke and I would just keep on walking,” Hougland says. “And they would catch me, pass me and then take another break for a smoke and I would pass them, just keep on walking. I never stopped. When we came to hills, I would just keep going.” Hougland says his thinking changed along the way. “Initially, my thoughts were on me, where I hurt....(I was) constantly
Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus
monitoring my physical being.” On the fourth day, however, his attitude changed. “It was a beautiful day— blue sky, clear and cool, crisp and the air was light. I was talking and thinking, ‘I’m really doing this. I’m here.’ I was overcome by the fact that I was really here, in Spain, having this incredible opportunity, and I really felt the Spirit. I felt this thin spot between me and God, that this was an incredible gift. I had walked by myself for a couple of hours at that point. It was so quiet and I heard nothing but the birds and the wind.” Later, Hougland says he began thinking about his family and St. Luke’s. “I missed everyone in the parish, actually. I thought a lot about my family, Dana (his wife), the girls, my unborn grandchildren and how I can’t wait to share with them the story of what their crazy grandfather did. Once I was comfortable in making the journey, my thoughts moved away from me and I became more and more aware of others.” He did have some bad days, however. Day 10, walking in the snow, he was feeling terrible. “I was just miserable, really in pain, but that made getting to Santiago, 15 or so days away, that much better. “The bad was actually good, and I needed the bad. It was a leavening agent. The good
was so much better because of the bad. It is impossible to describe the joy of walking into Santiago at the end of the journey. It was like I was walking on air.” The end of the trip was memorable. “Receiving the certificate of completion in the cathedral at the end of the journey was really impressive,” he said. “You go up some steps to a platform and you are given the certificate. Going down the steps, everyone is cheering — pilgrims from Hong Kong, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, Belgium — all waiting to receive their certificates. “I would like to walk a portion of the Camino again, with my kids, or Dana, or grandchildren, just to show what I did. “I suppose this desire is in respect of my grandfather, who traveled widely and loved to tell us stories of his experiences.” For more information about the Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage, go to www.caminodesantiago.me.uk. This article was printed in The Salisbury Post, Oct. 16, 2010.
The North Carolina Disciple | Winter 2010
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DIOCESAN
EVENTS
the
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Celebration of New Ministry, The Rev. BJ Owens, Rector, St. Andrew’s, Greensboro, 7pm Fresh Start, held regionally. Contact Canon Hunn South Region Advent Quiet Day, All Saints’, Concord Future of Black Churches, St. Titus, Durham Celebration of New Ministry, The Rev. Nancy Cox, Rector, All Saints’, Concord Celebration of New Ministry, The Rev. Leslie Burkardt, Rector, St. Andrew’s Church, Charlotte Bishops’ Ball North Carolina Bishops’ Meeting Diocesan Offices Closed for Holiday
January 6 7 7-8 21-22 29 31
Fresh Start, held regionally. Contact Canon Hunn Fresh Start, held regionally. Contact Canon Hunn. Commission on Ministry Overnight 195th Convention, Winston-Salem Safe Church Training, Christ Church, Charlotte Safe Church Training, Christ Church, Charlotte
February 3 Fresh Start, held regionally. Contact Canon Hunn 27-28 Diocesan Council Retreat, St. Francis Prayer Center Look for additional events and more detailed event information online at www.episdionc.org 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, & in the Around the Diocese monthly bulletin insert.
please note
From The Bishop
th
Convention
DECEMBER JANUARY FEBRUARY
December 1
195
September 1, 2010
Day 1 Interview Spotlights Diocese of NC Faith & Global Hunger Series Concludes Sept. 12 with President Jimmy Carter
Around the Diocese September Inserts Formats:
Full Page, Single Sided Half Page, Dble Sided Text File
Keep up with upcoming Diocesan events and those from around the church by subscribing to Please Note, the Bishop’s weekly e-newsletter. In addition to events, Please Note includes a video message from the Bishop, uncements. To spiritual resources and important announcements. subscribe, send an email to sarah.herr@episdionc.org.
Contact Sarah Herr with questions and comments about the bulletin inserts The Rev. Dr. Fred Horton's commentary on this Sunday's Bible Readings.
Daily Office - St. Claire
Watch the Bishop's Message (7 min, 46 sec)
Daily Office dailyoffice.org
This week's Please Note features a nationally broadcast radio interview where I discuss the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina as part of the Day 1 series titled "Faith and Global Hunger." This series was started by Charlie Browning, a Chapel of the Cross parishioner. The series has featured a variety of church leaders, and will conclude on Sept. 12 with an interview with President Jimmy Carter.
Forward Day By Day
Celebration of New Ministry The Rev. Marty Stebbins, Rector,
Resources:
View additional information about the "Faith & Global Hunger" Series online here.
Clergy Changes
St. Timothy's, Wilson, September 7,
Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus by Being The 195th Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina will convene on Friday, Jan. 21 and adjourn on Saturday, Jan. 22, 2011. at the Benton Convention Center in Winston-Salem, N.C. “Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus by Being a Church for Others” is the convention theme, and The Rev. the Rev. Stephanie Spellers, author of the book Radical Welcome: Embracing God, the Other and the Spirit of Transformation, is the keynote Stephanie Spellers speaker. All information needed for convention will be placed on the diocesan website, www.episdionc.org, under “2011 Annual Convention,” including a special preconvention information packet containing proposed resolutions, election information, and committee reports that will be distributed to clergy and delegates. Currently, the following information is available online: nomination and election forms, links to the Benton Convention Center, Notice of 2011 Convention, Certificate of Election, Certification of Change in Lay Delegation, Timeline for 195th Convention, and the Delegate Strength Table. Convention Background
The Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina gathers every year at its Annual Convention to do the business of governing the Church. At Convention, delegates will: worship and pray together for the mission and ministry of this Diocese; hear the Bishop’s Annual Pastoral Address; consider and vote on proposed amendments to the Church’s Constitution and Canons; consider and vote on Resolutions put before the Church by a delegate or one of the b standing commissions or committees of the Diocese; and nominate and elect members of D Diocesan Council, Standing Committee, and D tthe other committees and boards of the Diocese. Every three years Convention also nomin nates and elects the clergy and lay deputies w who will represent this Diocese at the Episcopal Church’s triennial General Convention. T The Diocese will elect deputies to the 2012 General Convention at the 195th Convention.
Pre-Convention Convocation Meeting Dates Jan. 5: Jan. 5: Jan. 6: Jan. 10: Jan. 10: Jan. 11: Jan. 11:
Raleigh – St. Michael’s, Raleigh, 7 pm Sandhills – Emmanuel, Southern Pines, 7 pm Charlotte – St. Martin’s Charlotte, 7 pm Rocky Mount – Good Shepherd, Rocky Mount, 7pm Durham – St. Luke’s Durham, 7pm Winston-Salem – St. Paul’s, Winston-Salem, 7pm Greensboro – St. Andrew’s Greensboro, 7 pm
The Rev. Todd Dill, from Rector, Time Certain, St. Margaret’s Church, to Permanent Rector, St. Margaret’s, Waxhaw.
The Rev. Nancy Cox, from Diocese of Connecticut, to Rector Time Certain, All Saints’, Concord.
The Rev. Maggie Silton, from Deacon, St. Joseph’s, Durham, to Deacon, Chapel of the Cross, Chapel Hill.
The Rev. Russell Settles, from Non Parochial to Deacon, St. John’s, Charlotte.
As of October 2, 2010
The Rev. Albert L. Moore, from Deacon, Christ Church, Raleigh, to East Regional Deacon Appointment. The Rev. Christie M. Dalton, Deacon, Trinity Church Statesville and Northwest Regional Deacon Appointment. The Rev. Constance R. Connelly, from Interim Assistant Rector, Christ Church, Raleigh, to Non Parochial. The Rev. Leslie Burkardt, from Assistant Rector, St. Andrew’s, Greensboro, to Rector, St. Andrew’s, Charlotte.
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The Rev. Robert “Bob” Thomas, Deacon, from Non Parochial, to Diaconal Residency, St. Mark’s, Raleigh (6 months). The Rev. W. Gaye Brown, from Diocese of Rio Grande, to Vicar, Galloway Memorial Church, Elkin.
The Rev. William Penn Price, Deceased, Aug. 4, 2010. The Rev. Dr. Franklin Young, Deceased, Sept. 25, 2010. The Rev. Robert D. Harmon, Deceased, Oct. 2, 2010.
The Rev. B.J. Owens, from Assistant Rector, St. Paul’s, Cary, to Rector, St. Andrew’s, Greensboro.
Making Disciples, Making a Difference
Clergy contemplate ‘Killing george herbert’
By The Rev. Sarah Ball-Damberg
A Reflection From Clergy Conference 2010 As it turns out, sometimes you can judge a book by its cover—or by its title, anyway. The first time I heard of If You Meet George Herbert on the Road, Kill Him: Radically Rethinking Priestly Ministry I laughed out loud. I proceeded to order a copy on the basis of the title alone. I was not disappointed. In fact, Kill George Herbert turned out to be one of the most compelling and useful books I have read in some time (and funniest—rarely do a book’s footnotes make me laugh, but this one’s did). Hearing directly from the Rev. Justin Lewis-Anthony, the author, when he led the Diocese of North Carolina’s Clergy Conference in mid-October was even better. For the record, Lewis-Anthony likes George Herbert just fine. The title is a riff on a Buddhist monk’s directive, “If you meet a buddha, kill the buddha.” If you think you are meeting the Buddha, you are instead likely to be meeting your projection of an idealized buddha. In the case of Herbert, Lewis-Anthony’s objection is not to the 17th century English poet and parson but to ‘Herbertism’, the idealized image of a perfect pastor. That image is unhealthy for clergy and for congregations, both. Herbertism, not Herbert, is what we are to slay. The author is Rector of St. Stephen’s Church in Canterbury, England and some of what he describes is particular to the Church of England. There is a good deal of overlap, however, between the Church of England and the Episcopal Church in expectations of clergy (chapter 4 is “The Cult of Nice,” for instance, which will give you some idea of how Lewis-Anthony sees the problem). Those expectations are not good for clergyfolk, but they are not good for layfolk either. Under the influence of Herbertism, church can become a giant ‘to-do’ list for all involved, which points to some confusion about what we mean when we say,
The Rev. Justin Lewis-Anthony’s commentary draws laughter from the crowd at the 2010 Clergy Conference in Winston-Salem. Over 160 clergy from the diocese attended the event.
Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus
By The Rev. Sarah Ball-Damberg
The Rev. Sarah Ball-Damberg and the Rev. Justin Lewis-Anthony discuss aspects of Lewis-Anthony’s book, “If You Meet George Herbert on the Road, Kill Him: Radically Rethinking Priestly Ministry” while at the 2010 Clergy Conference in Winston-Salem.
“Thanks be to God, we are not the saviors of the world! But more than a relief, Lewis-Anthony’s work is an invitation. We, the Church, are invited to be free of ministry driven by to-do lists and false expectations and free instead for prayer, worship, study, and loving God and neighbor. We are invited to inhabit the Church, the space cleared by God in which we may become what God made us to be. I am grateful to Justin Lewis-Anthony for his part in extending that invitation.” ‘church’. Lewis-Anthony offers Archbishop Rowan Williams’ description: . . . the Church is first of all a kind of space cleared by God through Jesus in which people may become what God made them to be (God’s sons and daughters), [and what] we have to do about the Church is not first to organize it as a society but to inhabit it as a climate or a landscape. (Rowan Williams, ‘The Christian Priest Today’, lecture, 28 May 2004) Or, in Lewis-Anthony’s succinct summary, “It’s not down to us, it’s down to God. Our job is to get out of God’s way.” Does that come as a relief ? It did to me. Thanks be to God, we are not the saviors of the world! But more than a relief, Lewis-Anthony’s work is an invitation. We, the Church, are invited to be free of ministry driven by to-do lists and false expectations and free instead for prayer, worship, study, and loving God and neighbor. We are invited to inhabit the Church, the space cleared by God in which we may become what God made us to be. I am grateful to Justin Lewis-Anthony for his part in extending that invitation. The Rev. Sarah Ball-Damberg is the Vicar of St. Elizabeth’s, Apex. Contact her at sballdamberg@gmail.com
The North Carolina Disciple | Winter 2010
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snapshots 1. Julia McCormick and Jane Bennett from St. John’s , Wake Forest participate in the East Region Youth Outreach event. Youth from Iglesia El Buen Pastor, St. Luke’s, Durham; Saint Matthew’s, Hillsborough; Good Shepherd, Raleigh; Church of the Nativity, Raleigh; and Saint John’s, Wake Forest helped Iglesia El Buen Pastor clear land behind the church for their future soccer field. 2. At the “Fathoming the Archbishop” event hosted by the Anglican Episcopal House of Studies at Duke Divinity. 3. Diocesan Council member Bob Shelton participates in the Hunger Crop Walk with area churches and community members. 4. New clergy receive a welcome at the 2010 Clergy Conference in Winston-Salem. 5. Deacons from around the Diocese take a photo at the 2010 Clergy Conference. 6. Bishop Curry, Bishop Gregg, Clarence Fox, and the Rev. Richard Williams at St. Paul’s, Salisbury. 7. Celebration of New Ministry event for The Rev. Richard Williams, rector, with wife Judith, at St. Paul’s, Salisbury. 8. Celebration of New Ministry for the Rev. Martin Jaurez, Vicar, at Iglesia El Buen Pastor, Durham. 9. Celebration of New Ministry event for the Rev. Kevin Scott Brown, rector, Holy Comforter, Charlotte. 10. Bishop Curry takes a photo with youth at the Diocese of Kansas Convention in October. 11. Bishop Curry and Bishop Estill welcome the new rector at Christ Church, Raleigh - The Rev. James P. Adams. 12. Bishop Curry and the Rev. Nils Chittenden, Diocesan Young Adult Missioner and Chaplain at Duke Episcopal Center, during the center rededication.
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GreenFaith, The Episcopal Church Announce Environmental Collaboration Diocese of NC Seminarian Joins NEW YORK — The Episcopal Church and GreenFaith announced a collaboration to enroll churches in the GreenFaith Certification Program, which helps houses of worship become environmental leaders, reduce their operating expenses and attract new members. The GreenFaith-Episcopal Church collaboration is the first of its kind for a Christian denomination. “I'm very excited about this,” said Mike Schut, Economic and Environmental Affairs Officer of the Episcopal Church. “The program is holistic and GreenFaith supports participating congregations very well. Parishes will “green” their buildings and grounds, develop relationships with environmental justice advocacy organizations and interfaith partners, and integrate creation care into education and worship. Congregations will learn from others’ experiences. The program is an avenue for deep congregational revitalization.” Upon completing the program, the churches will be certified as GreenFaith Sanctuaries and will contribute to strengthening the Episcopal Church’s environmental ministry. Churches will be welcomed into the Program in December and February as part of the Episcopal Church’s first certification cohort. New cohorts will be accepted in subsequent years. To mark the significance of this collaboration, the Economic and Environmental Affairs Office and GreenFaith are underwriting 50 percent of the tuition of 30 churches selected from a national pool of applicants, enabling selected churches to enroll for a total discounted cost of $250-$750, depending on church budget size. Beginning immediately, churches may apply by visiting greenfaith.org/ programs/certification/the-greenfaith-certification-program. Application deadlines for the tuition subsidies for the program are on Dec. 1, 2010, and Feb. 1, 2011. GreenFaith provides extensive programmatic support to participating churches. Six webinars equip church leaders to complete the program successfully. An online center with over 200 resources helps congregations meet the program’s requirements. GreenFaith’s staff is available via phone and email to provide support. A network of congregations nationwide shares best practices and success stories on-line. Founded in 1992, GreenFaith inspires, educates and mobilizes people of diverse religious backgrounds for environmental leadership. Visit www.episcopalchurch.org/environment and www.greenfaith.org for more information.
GreenFaith’s Fellowship Program GreenFaith announced that Jennifer R. Durant, Candidate for Holy Orders in the Diocese of North Carolina and Senior at Virginia Theological Seminary has been named a GreenFaith Fellow and will join the 2011 Jennifer R. Durant Class of the GreenFaith Fellowship Program. The Fellowship Program is the only US comprehensive education and training program to prepare lay and ordained leaders from diverse religious traditions for environmental leadership. Through retreats, monthly webinars, and extensive reading, Jennifer will receive education and training in eco-theology, “greening” the operation of institutions, environmental advocacy, and environmental justice. Each Fellow writes their own eco-theological statement and carries out a leadership project in their community, mobilizing religious leaders in relation to an environmental issue. Upon graduating, they will join the Fellowship’s alumni/ae network and mentor other emerging leaders in this field. “I imagine my fellowship with Greenfaith will enable me to speak with greater confidence about environmental issues I’m concerned about, and will help me to engage others in taking better care of our earth.” Jennifer is also the President of the Environmental Stewardship Committee at Virginia Theological Seminary. For more information, see www.greenfaith.org. Contact Jennifer Durant at durant.jennifer@gmail.com
STARTING AN ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE In 1991 the Diocese adopted a resolution encouraging all parishes to start “Earth Stewardship committees.” Subsequent resolutions have continued to encourage environmental stewardship. Progress has been made throughout the diocese. If you belong to a parish that still needs to step aboard, this list of guidelines will help you get started, developed by the Chartered Committee on Environmental Ministry.
Goal #2: Develop Educational Programs: Schedule a series of Sunday adult forums with guest speakers from your community. Goal #3: Build Channels of Communication to Discuss Environ mental Stewardship: Start a Yahoo or Google group. Your goals and ideas will be as varied as the people who come to your meetings. So keep an open mind and heart. • Submit your plans to the vestry for their knowledge and approval.
TO START, SOME DO’S:
• • • • • • •
Volunteer to schedule an exploratory meeting. Make a list of parishioners who might be interested. Appoint a convener to schedule future meetings, take notes, and lead discussions. Consult your rector about an appropriate “home” for the committee. [A natural fit might be the Outreach, Stewardship, or the Properties/Facilities Commission.] Establish a clergy liaison if possible. [Your deacon, for example.] Strive for diversity in the committee. Recruit men, women, youth, college students, professionals, and retirees. Meet monthly as you’re getting started. Collect a list of ideas. Then group the ideas under broad goals from which to plan activities. Here are some possible examples: Goal #1: Increase Energy Efficiency in your Church’s Facilities: Get an energy audit of your buildings through NC Interfaith Power and Light [www.ncipl.org ].
Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus
SOME DON’TS:
•
•
Don’t spin your wheels laboring over a well-crafted mission statement. Your parish probably already has a mission statement. Any work being done by your environmental stewardship committee will fit into that mission statement. Don’t get too ambitious, especially in the first year. Nothing burns out a committee faster than asking the same eight people to work on 20 projects.
So that’s it! We hope this list will be helpful in starting an environmental stewardship committee in your parish. For more information on Environmental Stewardship and other resources, visit the committees page at www.episdionc.org and find the Chartered Committee on Environmental Ministry.
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By The Rev. E.T. Malone, Jr.
living historic
churches
Christ Church, Walnut Cove, by Joel Brown
All Souls’, Ansonville, by the Rev. E.T. Malone, Jr.
Four New Parishes Awarded “Living Historic Church” Designation Four more active parishes have been awarded the “Living Historic Church” designation, bringing the total to 10 in the Diocese. This program, sponsored by the Historic Properties Commission in cooperation with Diocesan Council, honors active congregations that utilize and preserve historic structures for worship. St. Matthew’s, Hillsborough, Calvary Church, Wadesboro; All Souls’, Ansonville; and Christ Church, Walnut Cove, received the “Living Historic Church” designation, effective October 21, after final approval by Diocesan Council.
Calvary Church, Wadesboro
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Individual certificates, signed by the Bishop, will be awarded in presentations to be scheduled by each church. Often this is done in conjunction with a bishop’s visitation. News releases will also be sent to media designated by each church. Each of these churches meets the same criteria required of the Diocese’s permanent historic churches, as laid out in Canon 45, approved by Diocesan Convention in 1997 and later amended in 2005. In the case of the Living Historic Churches, they must be at least 75 years old, have an architecturally significant building, and have an active congregation willing and able to maintain and restore the building, if needed. Importantly, the “living” historic church building must be the primary building in which weekly Sunday worship is held. For many years an important trend in national historical preservation circles has been promotion of the “adaptive use” of historic buildings. The idea behind this is that structures that are unused tend to deteriorate. The 2005 amendment to Canon 45 charged the Commission to “promote
Making Disciples, Making a Difference
historic preservation.” This suggested to the Commission to create the “Living Historic Church” designation as a kind of “public pat on the back” for congregations that value their local architectural heritage. ST. MATTHEW’S, HILLSBOROUGH
Long considered one of the architectural gems of the Diocese, the current building at St. Matthew’s, Hillsborough, was constructed in 1825-1826 and is the oldest in the Diocese continually in use. “The church retains most of its 19th century fabric and furnishings,” said its rector, the Rev. Dr. N. Brooks Graebner, who currently serves as Historiographer of the Diocese. It is constructed of brick, in the Gothic Revival style, and contains significant stained glass windows, including some by the Louis C. Tiffany firm. The initial design is the work of notable state architect William Nichols.
St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Hillsborough by Ellen Weig
CALVARY CHURCH, WADESBORO
Calvary Church, constructed in 1892-1893, is the oldest standing church in the town of Wadesboro and is on the site of an earlier wooden building. It is in the gothic style with brick and brownstone exterior, with a short, square tower, dark wood interior trim and high, vaulted ceiling. The roof still has its original slate. Its stained glass windows, from the Lamb Company in New York, have been described in a book published by the parish. ALL SOULS’, ANSONVILLE
CHRIST CHURCH, WALNUT COVE
Construction of All Souls’, Ansonville, was finished in 1881. It is a small, stone gothic-style church with a short, square tower and several beautiful stained glass windows. For 50 years it has been used for a Feast of Lights service in cooperation with the local Methodist congregation. The rector at Calvary, Wadesboro, usually serves as priest-incharge and services are held twice monthly in this village of fewer than 700 people.
Christ Church, Walnut Cove, is a simple, frame Gothic Revival church built in 1886, with attached bell tower. The church has board and batten siding and a standing-seam metal roof. Its original interior is sheathed with walnut-stained pine boards and it still has its original handmade pews. It was moved in 1909 from its former location on Summit Street on logs pulled by mules, “with at least one service held in the middle of the road,” said local church historian Donia Norman.
living historic churches CRITERIA Your church qualify to be a Living Historic Church if it: • • •
•
Is at least 75 years old Has an architecturally significant building Has an active congregation willing and able to maintain and restore the building, if needed Is the primary building in which weekly Sunday worship is held
EARLIER DESIGNATIONS
The other “Living Historic Churches” in the Diocese and the years of their designation include St. Stephen’s, Erwin (2005); St. Alban’s, Littleton (2006); St. Martin’s, Charlotte (2006), St. Timothy’s, Wilson (2008); St. Philip’s, Durham (2008); and Emmanuel Church, Warrenton (2008). For further information one may contact the Rev. Canon E. T. Malone, Jr., chair, Historic Properties Commission, P. O. Box 235, Warrenton, NC 27589. Applications are downloadable from the diocesan web site www.episdionc.org. The Rev. E.T. Malone Jr. is Vicar of St. Jame’s, Kittrell, and Chapel of the Good Shepherd, Ridgeway. Contact him at etmalonejr@ aol.com.
The Rev. E.T. Malone, Jr. (center) participates in Rogation Sunday procession at All Souls’, Ansonville, one of the diocese’s current Living Historic Churches. Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus
The North Carolina Disciple | Winter 2010
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By Susan Gladin
The 2010 - 2011 Johnson Interns include Adwoa Asare, Jim Douglas, Amanda Drury, Daniel Kamakura, Christina Massee, Holly Mueller, Emily Pierce, and Kelsey White.
the johnson intern program Blending social ministry, intellectual inquiry and intentional community living into a program that enables young adults to explore their spiritual life within a context of servant-leadership, the Johnson Intern Program recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. Based in Chapel Hill/Carrboro, the Johnson Intern Program (JIP) recruits eight young-adult men and women (college graduates and young adults with comparable experience ages 21-30) for eleven-month hands-on service placements, leadership training in the servant leader model, and spiritual formation. The program is organized around the five values of Communion, Compassion, Co-creation, Collaboration, and Character. HISTORY OF JIP
In 1998 Margaret (Callie) Johnson bequeathed her estate to The Chapel of the Cross Episcopal Church in Chapel Hill, NC. To meet the need for more young adult ministries, the Johnson Intern Program was established and began operation in 2000. In 2005 The Johnson Intern Program became a non-profit corporation and established a Servant Leadership program for the interns and other community members.
in a local spiritual community of their choosing. They are assigned Currently, the eight interns experienced mentors who serve as participate in the following programs: a friend and guide for their intern year. Each group of interns designss The Women’s Center and completes a service project The Seymour Center (called Praxis) for the year. Club Nova Interns receive housing, utiliFreedom House Recovery Center ties, a community food allowance, Central Park School for Children health insurance, plus a modest The Redwoods Group stipend. A goal of the intern year Family Violence Prevention Center is to learn to live simply, in alliance Orange County Habitat for Humanity with the poor. The Johnson Intern Program was active in the formation of the Episcopal Service Corps, a network of local programs across the U.S. whose number has grown to 14 in the past two years. A new program is anticipated to open next year in Winston-Salem. GET INVOLVED WITH THE JIP
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
The program is organized around the four components of social justice, intentional community living, leadership training, and spiritual formation. Interns work a four-day week in Partner Organizations Fridays are reserved for a unique program of spiritual formation and leadership development in the Servant Leader model. The Johnson Intern Program began in 2000 at The Chapel of the Cross Episcopal Church, and to date has hosted 51 interns. JIP Interns come from a wide variety of geographic, ethnic, and spiritual backgrounds. They live in intentional community in the JIP house, create a covenant to guide their experience of living together, and share opportunities for common meals, discussion, and devotion. Interns are expected to participate 28
The North Carolina Disciple | Winter 2010
There are many ways to get involved with the JIP: If you’re between 21 and 30, you can apply to be a Johnson Intern. Other adults can choose to take classes along with the interns or become a mentor. Helping organizations near Chapel Hill can apply to host an intern. Other congregations can invite interns to speak, or join as partner congregations. The fiscal viability of the Johnson Intern Program relies on “sustainers” who give regularly to the program. LEARN MORE
Visit www.johnsoninternship.org for application forms and additional information or contact Susan Gladin, Exec. Director of JIP, at johnson. Susan Gladin is the Executive Director of the Johnson Intern Program.
Making Disciples, Making a Difference
Rural Haiti after the Earthquake
By Margaret (Meg) McCann
By Margaret (Meg) McCann
The following is an excerpt of an article written by Meg McCann, an epidemiologist, who, together with her husband, Richard McCann, a surgeon, spent 6 months in Haiti in 2008 as volunteers at Hôpital Albert Schweitzer. Since the quake, Richard has been to Haiti twice with teams from Duke Medical Center, and they both returned to HAS for two weeks in August 2010. Read the entire article online at www.episdionc.org under “The NC. Disciple.”
From the hillside above Hôpital Albert Schweitzer (http://hashaiti.org), looking across the broad expanse of the Artibonite River valley, it’s difficult to understand why Haiti cannot feed itself (as it did decades ago). Instead, Haiti imports more than half of its food. The reasons are complex. One reason is the infamous deforestation, which has denuded the hillsides not only of trees but also of topsoil. Another is the frequent flooding – small floods throughout the rainy season, and larger floods from hurricanes. The floods not only accelerate the disappearance of soil from the hillsides but also deposit the soil in the valleys, where it smothers crops, interferes with irrigation systems, damages roads and bridges, and overwhelms cities such as Gonaïves, at the mouth of the Artibonite River. The intricacies of land ownership in Haiti mean that the many subsistence farmers are working land that is not their own. Yet another reason is the competition from cheap imports, such as subsidized “Miami rice” from US food programs. Most farming is done with rudimentary hand tools, and the very limited infrastructure makes transporting and storing the harvest difficult. Trees are turned into charcoal and used for cooking. Most Haitians have no choice, because they have no jobs and thus no money for purchasing other fuels. There are no enforced government policies to prevent cutting of trees and no regulation of the charcoal business, which provides income for many rural families. To reduce the pressure on the remaining trees, it will be necessary to promote the use of more efficient charcoal stoves, provide alternative fuel imports (such as propane, with generous government subsidy), develop the production of briquettes Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus
made with agricultural waste, and expand Photos of rural Haiti by Margaret McCann. solar and wind power. Language adds to Haiti’s difficulties, because most people in rural areas speak only Creole, while French is the language of the elite. Although Creole has recently been designated as an official language, much of government and commerce is transacted in French – spoken by only 5-10 percent of the population. Overlaying these perennial problems (including the extreme poverty of rural Haiti), about 600,000 people left Port-au-Prince after the Jan. 12 magnitude 7 earthquake (“tranbleman tè” in Creole) and returned to their rural origins. Although tremors were felt in the Artibonite valley, buildings sustained very little damage. The Artibonite “department” received the largest number of internally displaced persons – more than 150,000. Reports (including one based on the movement of cell phones) indicate that many people who left have returned to the city, but the population of the Artibonite is still at least 50,000 greater than before the quake. These additional people strain families’ ability to feed everyone, and they compete for other scarce resources, such as jobs and schools. Furthermore, international assistance has been focused on Port-au-Prince. Read more about rural Haiti at www. episdionc.org under “The NC Disciple.”
Disasters: Give money, not ‘stuff ’ When disaster strikes, aid organizations send out a plea for donors to send money, not “stuff ” – yet A photo of disorganized some people are nonethe- supplies - including canes, less eager to gather food wheelchairs, and walkers, that were sent to Haiti. and supplies to send. Why is it better to send money? According to the US Agency for International Development, cash donations: • Allow aid professionals to procure the specific items needed • Reduce the burden on scarce resources that are required to deal with shipments of assorted supplies (e.g., transportation and storage, staff time for sorting the items) • Can be transferred very quickly, without incurring shipping costs • Support the economy of the affected region, if supplies can be purchased locally • Ensure culturally and environmentally appropriate assistance. We saw the effects of well-meaning donations of “stuff ” in Haiti following the January earthquake. My husband and his Duke University Medical Center colleagues faced boxes overflowing with assorted medicines in a Portau-Prince hospital in February – but had trouble finding the medicines that they needed. When we went to a hospital in rural Haiti eight months after the disaster, a building was filled with crutches and canes, plus some brandnew wheelchairs still in boxes. The crutches would have been useful immediately after the quake, but they did not arrive until three months later. Canes are needed now, for people receiving prosthetic legs, but it is difficult to sort through all the crutches to find the small number of canes. And the wheelchairs are of no benefit in a setting with rocky paths, rather than smooth sidewalks. Episcopal Relief & Development (www. er-d.org) is well-positioned to receive funds following a disaster and to immediately put that money to work in the disaster zone, because of relationships with local churches. Haiti is the largest diocese in the Episcopal Church, with churches, schools and development agents throughout the country and a long-established partnership program. After the earthquake, Episcopal Relief & Development promptly began distributing food and tents and has subsequently assisted with latrines, cash-for-work programs, and mobile medical clinics. Following the flooding in Pakistan, Episcopal Relief & Development partnered with the ACT Alliance – 100 churches and church-related organizations that work together to provide humanitarian assistance and development in 130 countries – to provide critically needed assistance immediately. Thus, cash donations to Episcopal Relief & Development after a disaster can be transformed into urgently needed services and supplies right away.
Meg McCann is a parishioner at St. Philip’s in Durham. She was a Deputy to General Convention in 2006 and 2009. Contact her at margaretmccann@att.net The North Carolina Disciple | Winter 2010
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By Lee Harris
Our Youth: The Musical Future of the Episcopal Church For the past 13 years, the Diocese of North Carolina has supported a fantastic opportunity for the training of future musicians and choristers. Youth Choir Camp began in 1997 as a dream to ensure our youth would have the opportunity to learn and grow musically, and also to encourage and equip smaller parishes in establishing choral programs for youth. Through the LPM program, I learned of the Church Music Conference and Youth Choir Camp and took several adults and youth to Trinity Center. That was the beginning of a tradition that choristers, adult and youth, never want to miss. When they age out of Choir Camp, they return as CITs – counselors in training - or become regular attendees in the adult portion of the concomitant conferences. Several people come to mind when I think of the direct effect this camp has had on our youth. One young man is now majoring in music while serving as organist in a church in our Diocese. He has played on several occasions for one of the Evensongs that is celebrated that weekend. Another youth (now an adult) attends the Church Music Conference every year and participates in her church choir. Two other youth have continued to attend Camp as CITs and
play important roles in leadership. And there are many others who have benefitted. In the United States there are only two similar conferences for adults: one week at Sewanee, The Episcopal University of the South; and a weekend event in Mississippi. However, there are NO conferences for youth sponsored or supported by the Episcopal Church except for this Youth Choir Camp, which takes place in August of each year at TrinDr. Bill Roberts in rehearsal with the youth during Youth Choir Camp at the Trinity ity Center, Salter Path, NC. Center in Salter Path, NC. The event is co-sponsored by the Diocese of NC and East These young people in rising Carolina. grades 4 through 9, have the age all parishes to support this endeavor of opportunity to sing under the maintaining the Episcopal tradition of quality direction of the finest clinicians for children music. It is a grand opportunity. Next year’s choirs in the United States. Nothing is spared dates are Aug. 19 – 21, 2011. in offering our best in training of the youth. This joint effort is very effective being Lee Harris is a member of St. David’s supported by both Dioceses of North CaroEpiscopal Church in Laurinburg and is lina and East Carolina. Its setting – the beach part-time position as Organist-Choir– is conducive to great learning experiences. master at Trinity Episcopal Church in Lumberton, NC. She serves as Youth Youth Choir Camp helps support the Choir Camp Coordinator. Contact her at music programs in our parishes. I encourpichpipe@bellsouth.net.
By The Rev. W. Gaye Brown
Quilt Shows: Beauty from Past & Present on Display Why a quilt show in a church? Certainly one reason is to show support of local artists and crafts persons. Another is that the show introduces many people who have never visited before to the church. Perhaps most importantly, the quilt show celebrates beauty, creativity and skill. What better place to celebrate these things than in the house of God who makes all things possible! For the fourth year in a row, the Foothills Quilters quilt show was held at Galloway Memorial Chapel, Episcopal, on Sept. 25, 2010. Approximately 150 people visited the show which was part of the Pumpkin Festival events in Elkin, NC. Sixty-six beautiful quilts were draped across pews, hung on walls, and suspended from hangers throughout the nave. For the most part, they were the work of local quilters, though one quilt on display had been purchased in Korea about 40 years ago. The quilts varied widely in color, design, fabric, size and of course, amount of hand stitching. Sharon Neel, the show coordinator, estimated that a full to queen size hand-stitched quilt takes at least 1,000 hours to complete.
The Quilt Show There it was! The color - the creativity - the time - the tears - the joy - the love It was our congregation through the years. The baptisms - the weddings - the funerals - the centennial - the ups - the downsThe quilts making manifest the love of God's Home - of this House I worship in! By Llewellyn Churchill, a local artist and member of Galloway Quilts on display at Galloway Memorial Chapel, Elkin, represent the history of the church.
The Rev. W. Gaye Brown is Vicar at Galloway Memorial Chapel in Elkin. Contact her at peacewgb@yadtel.net.
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The North Carolina Disciple | Winter 2010
Making Disciples, Making a Difference
On an
Ancient friday
By The Rev. Dr. John Gibson
tradition The Rev. Dr. John Gibson reflects on the tradition of abstaining from meat - a practice that provided him with spiritual and health satisfaction, as well as a sense of environmental well-being. Every year Episcopalians observe Lent by giving up or taking on something. While we know Lent is a time of special devotion, most do not know the same is true every Friday except during the Easter and Christmas seasons and Feasts of Our Lord. On Friday, we commemorate Christ’s crucifixion as we commemorate his resurrection on Sunday. Traditionally Friday has been observed in the Roman Catholic and Orthodox traditions by abstaining from meat although other practices such as prayer or acts of charity are now permitted by the Roman Catholic Church. Although long a part of the Episcopal tradition (see page 17 in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer), this practice has been little observed by most Episcopalians. I only learned about it in the early 1990s even though I am a lifelong Episcopalian. When I did, I decided to give up meat on Fridays. I had given it up for two Lenten seasons. My new Friday fast strengthened me spiritually. I seemed to feel God’s presence more in my life during the weekly grind. Christ’s death and resurrection became a more palpable part of my life. This spiritual practice transformed my life in other ways. Eventually I gave up meat entirely and became a vegetarian. My initial motivation was health. I read that vegetarians have lower blood pressure. Since I had a family history of heart disease and my blood pressure was creeping higher and higher, I thought it might be helpful. After approximately 15 years, I became a vegan. My diet is now entirely plant-based. The move has been a good one for me. I feel better and have more energy. I also believe my diet helps the world. The production of meat, fish and dairy products consumes enormous resources. One kilogram of beef requires 100 kilograms of hay and 4 kilograms of grain. Approximately 1,000 liters of water are required to produce one kilogram of a grain. The production of 1 kilogram of meat uses more than 100,000 liters of water. In addition to consuming more resources, animal husbandry produces more waste. Estimate ranges from 20 to 50 percent of greenhouses gases caused by meat production. The environmental cost is only one of the issues with animal agribusiness. Animals are often maltreated due to overcrowding, debeaking, and other practices designed to produce more pounds per animal. Humans ultimately consume the growth hormones, antibiotics and other drugs routinely given to otherwise healthy animals. A meat rich, i.e., high fat, diet also increases the chances of Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus
On Friday we commemorate Christ’s crucifixion as we commemorate his resurrection on Sunday. Traditionally Friday has been observed in the Roman Catholic and Orthodox traditions by abstaining from meat.
heart disease, cancer and other diseases for humans. Of course, it is not necessary to become a vegetarian or a vegan. Giving up meat one day a week reduces meat consumption 15 percent. This idea has become trendy. Paul McCartney started a Meatless Mondays campaign in 2009. The observation instead of a meatless Friday for us Episcopalians strengthens our faith, honors the sacrifice of Jesus and helps the environment and our health. This ancient practice is a win-win for our day and age. The Rev. Dr. John K. Gibson is Senior Associate Rector at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Raleigh. Contact him at gibson@holymichael.org.
LEARN MORE LEAR
The Rev. Gibson Recommends... •
Jim Motavalli, “The Case Against Meat: Evidence Shows that Our Meat-Based Diet is Bad for the Environment, Aggravates Global Hunger, Brutalizes Animals and Compromises Our Health,” Emagazine.com, http://www.emagazine.com/view/?142
•
Alex Renton, “All this Cheap Meat Will Cost Us the Earth,” February 25, 2010, The Times, http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/ life_and_style/food_and_drink/article7039829.ece
•
Bryan Walsh, “Meat: Making Global Warming Worse,” TIME, http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1839995,00.html
For Vegetarian/Vegan Recipes, try: •
Beverly Lynn Bennett, The Vegan Chef, www.veganchef.com
•
Fatfree Vegan Recipes, www.fatfreevegan.com
•
VegWeb.com
The North Carolina Disciple | Winter 2010
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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 PHONE: 919.834.7474 | TOLL FREE: 800.448.8775
BISHOPS’ VISITATIONS CURRY
GREGG
MARBLE
St. Margaret, Waxhaw Christ the King, Charlotte
St. Mark’s, Roxboro
Nativity, Raleigh
December 12
Redeemer
St. Alban’s, Littleton
December 19
St. Bartholomew’s, Pittsboro St. Cyprian’s, Oxford
January 2
No visitations
January 9
Ascension, Fork
January 16
St. Matthew’s, Salisbury St.. Luke’s, Yanceyville Good Shepherd, Cooleemee
January 23
No visits - after convention
January 30
St. John’s, Henderson
Grace, Clayton
February 6
St. Paul’s, Cary
St. Philip’s, Durham
February 13
Diocese of Botswana
All Souls, Ansonville Calvary, Wadesboro
February 20
Christ Church, Cleveland
St. Stephen’s, Durham
December 5
St. Mark’s/Iglesia, Wilson Warrenton Churches
St. Paul’s, Louisburg St. Matthias’, Louisburg
Christ Church, Albemarle
February 27
St. Joseph’s, Durham
St. Titus, Durham
March 6
Good Shepherd, Asheboro
Trinity, Statesville
March 13
St. Stephen’s, Winston-Salem St. Anne’s, Winston-Salem St. Stephen’s, Erwin
March 20
Convent of Transfiguration, Sandhills Cluster, Ohio Hamlet, Laurinburg House of Bishops, Kanuga
March 27
St. Luke’s, Eden
St. John’s, Wake Forest
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.