News Briefs
news from around the communion and around the world
Episcopal Divinity School Inagurates Chair in Honor of Sue Hiatt
The installation ceremony for the Sue Hiatt Chair in Feminist Pastoral Theology was held on September 28. A panel of EDS leaders in the field offered reflections on the impact of feminism on the life and pastoral practices of the church, even as they look to the future of feminist pastoral theology.
The Rev. Dr. Sheryl Kujawa-Holbrook, associate professor of Pastoral Theology at EDS and a leader in antiracism and congregational development efforts on the local and national scene, said the panel discussion--titled "Expanding Feminist Pastoral Theology: A Conversation about the Future"--will highlight the commitment of feminist leaders like Hiatt to creating radically new ways of being in the church.
"This is a prime opportunity to look at what
we've learned from our sisters and brothers who led the way toward women's ordination and leadership in the church," Kujawa-Holbrook said. "But this is also a new day. We need to ask important questions about
what women's ordination means today, how the presence and power of women changes the church and seminary education. We want to see how those insights apply given the complex realities of racial and gender bias today and tomorrow. That's being true to Sue's legacy."
Hiatt graduated from Episcopal Theological
School in 1964. Ten years later, she was ordained one of the first female priests in the Episcopal Church. She returned to EDS to teach Pastoral Theology and retired in 1998 from her position as the John Seely Stone Professor of Homiletics and Pastoral Theology. She died in May 2002.
"Sue had such an incredibly fiery, wise, and
courageous spirit, and she passed it to every single person she encountered," said The Rev. Ann Franklin, Director of Annual Giving for EDS and one of Hiatt's students. "It has meant so much to us all to create a chair bearing Sue's name as a way of holding out her example and witness for generations to come."
"Sixteen Days Against Gender Violence" Begin November 25 as part of Decade Long Effort
In 1998 in Harare, the World Council of Churches held a Festival to mark the end of a Decade of Churches in Solidarity with Women. At that Festival, women who have suffered different forms of violence within the church spoke out with courage and called the global Christian community to account.
Subsequently, the WCC 8th Assembly acknowledged that violence against women is a sin and offence against God, and encouraged churches networks and movements to engage in constructive efforts to overcome such violence in all its manifestations in both church and society.
A part of the Decade to Overcome Violence,
25 November to 10 December each year mark 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence. The 16 Days movement is an international campaign which began in 1991. Every year, all around the world, imaginative action by grassroots organisations and women's networks raises awareness, and inspires change, to overcome different forms of violence against women.
The Decade to Overcome Violence (2001
2010) offers a creative framework for cooperation, as
churches heed the call to move, in solidarity with all women, to accountability.
Under the auspices of the Decade to Overcome
Violence, this project has been established with a coordinating base in Edinburgh, Scotland. It aims to encourage, inform and resource churches in their education, commitment and action, by developing:
A comprehensive and accessible resource
collection
of materials for education and training, study
and reflection, worship and practical initiatives
A dossier
containing information about the
positive work--campaigns, policies, procedures and projects--undertaken by Christian organisations, churches and world communions
Effective networking
of concerned Christians
around the world, bringing together the experience, expertise and solidarity of church members and theologians working in diverse contexts
Principles and guidelines
for practical strategies for use on a local level..
Resources related to the "16 Days"can be found
at http://www.overcomingviolence.org/.
Asian Theologians Convene in Taiwan to Discuss Fundamentalism
Following the events of 11th September 2001, Islamic fundamentalism became a topic not to be ignored. But fundamentalism is not unique to Islam alone.
Many religions have their own manifestations of fundamentalism. In many places around the world over the past several decades religious fundamentalism has been used by forces struggling for political ends. The power of fundamentalismis is seen in the many cultures, religions and ethnicities that make up the people of Asia and is a challenge for those who seek to formulate andarticulate theologies suitable for the times.
The Programme for Theology and Cultures
in Asia, one of the projects of the Association for Theological Education in South East Asia, convened aregional theological consultation in August at Shoki
Coe House on the campus of Tainan Theological College and Seminary. The papers presented and discussed centered on religious fundamentalism and its challenges to doing theology in Asia. Participants came from India, SriLanka, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
About a third of those present were women.
Eleven papers were presented and discussed.
Every paper attempted to shed light on a
particular aspect of fundamentalism in a local cultural and religious context. These centered mainly on ethnic and religious identity issues. Discussion, a staff observer noted, flowed freely among the theologians.
"The attitude of mutual acceptance and
openness to dialogue," he said, "is the most precious gift of meetings such as these."
New Hampshire's Michael Barwell Named Communicator of the Year
Michael R. Barwell, media coordinator for the Diocese of New Hampshire, was presented with the "Communicator of the Year" award by the New York chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators in recognition of his role in planning and executing the communication strategy that supported the election, confirmation and consecration of Bishop Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, the first openly gay priest to be elected bishop in the Episcopal Church.
Barwell noted in his acceptance that the people
of the diocese of New Hampshire, who had known and supported Bishop Robinson throughout the entire process, were always his priority. "We were focused on the people in New Hampshire," he said. "They were the primary audience and for them Gene's sexuality
was incidental to his leadership qualities as a bishop."
An excerpt from a letter by Bishop Robinson
was read in which he stated, "Given the instantaneous worldwide attention to my election ... it is not overly dramatic to say that Mike Barwell saved me from 'being eaten alive.'"
During the awards ceremony it was noted that
"despite an intensely controversial topic, extremely limited resources, and a highly challenging set of circumstances--including a scenario that threatened his client's life--Mike retained his composure, counseled his client with skill and sensitivity, and led a media relations effort that resulted in millions of media impressions around the world, earning him the respect of the media, his colleagues and his client."
Companions of Saint Luke Consecrate First Abbot
The Companions of St. Luke (Benedictine) consecrated its first Abbot, Michael-John Austin on October 26, 2004 at Conception Abbey, Missouri, in the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. Austin founded the religious community in 1992 and has served as superior for the last 12 years.
The Companions of St. Luke is one of the few
Episcopal Benedictine communities in the U.S. Uniquely formed under the canons of the Episcopal Church as a "Christian Community" in order to increase its flexibility, the Companions see themselves as a new expression of Benedictine life in the 21st century. National recognition was formally granted in 2004 by the House of Bishops' Committee on Religious Life.
Participants in the consecration included
Bishop Alan Scarfe of Iowa, consecrator; the Rev. Wayne Kamm, community chaplain and homilist for the event; and the Rev. Dian Ong, deacon.
Iraqi Interfaith Group Forms Link with London
A religious coordinating body in Iraq, the Iraqi Center for Dialogue, Reconciliation and Peace, has formed an alliance with the London-based Three Faiths Forum, which brings together Muslims, Christians and Jews.
The forum, announcing the link on Monday,
said the Iraqi center planned to send representatives to London to study methods of religious reconciliation.
Canon Andrew White of Coventry Cathedral,
who helped to forge the alliance, said this was the center's first association with any outside body.
The Iraqi dialogue center, established in February by the interim Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, aims to support freedom of worship and an end to violence. It brings together representatives of Shia Islam, Sunni Islam, Christianity and other religious
groups despite increased religious tension in Iraq.
Sidney Shipton, coordinator of the Three Faiths
Forum, told Ecumenical News International it was hoped representatives of the Iraqi center would be in London this fall.
"We have a very simplistic approach: we let
people talk to each other," he said. "What starts off as a discussion of halal meat [slaughtered in accordance with Shariah law] may end up as a debate on Middle East peace. It's easier when you know the fellow on the other side of the table."
The Three Faiths Forum was founded in 1997
by Sheikh Zaki Badawi, Marcus Braybrooke and Sir Sigmund Sternberg, prominent individuals supporting inter-faith efforts.
Washington's Late Bishop Walker Honored at National Cathedral
A special service to celebrate the life and ministry of Bishop John Thomas Walker, sixth Episcopal bishop of Washington, who died 15 years ago, took place on September 26 at Washington National Cathedral.
The service also celebrated the publication of
his biography. David Beers, Esq., chancellor of the Episcopal Church in the United States preached the sermon.
John Thomas Walker was Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington from 1977-1989. He left his mark on presidents, world leaders, and countless others as "an extraordinary spokesman for the radical belief that our broken world can yet be restored."
Pastor, teacher, cathedral builder, civil rights
leader, ecumenist, social justice pioneer, urban missionary, relief worker, statesman--John Thomas Walker was all of these. He was also the first AfricanAmerican to be accepted to study at Virginia Theological Seminary and to serve as a Master at St. Paul's School.
Bishop John B. Chane of Washington, D.C.,
designated September 26 as Bishop John Thomas Walker Sunday in the Diocese of Washington, and asked that churches in the diocese include a commemorative collect and litany of thanksgiving for Walker's life in their services that day.
Vermont Priest Installed as Canon Missioner of El Salvador
The Rev. Lee Alison Crawford, rector of St. Mary's Church in Northfield, Vermont, was installed as Canon Missioner for the Diocese of El Salvador in August at the Pro-Cathedral of San Juan, San Salvador.
In his charge to Crawford, Bishop Martin de Jesus Barahona of El Salvador and Primate of Iglesia Anglicana de la Region Central de America, said that her work as "our missionary to North America" would help people to learn more about the work of the Anglican Church in Central America.
Visiting El Salvador for the second time,
Crawford, who is fluent in Spanish, was part of a delegation of Episcopal Communicators who were on a fact-finding and informational mission.
Anglican Archbishop Becomes a Parish Priest
David Hope, who as Archbishop of York is the Church of England's second most senior leader, is planning to become a parish priest again.
"I have always hoped that it might be possible
to conclude my ministry as I had begun it--as a parish priest. This I believe to be the call of God," said Hope, aged 64, on Sunday.
He is expected to become vicar early next year
of St Margaret's Anglican Church in Ilkley, Yorkshire -- one of the parishes over which he currently has oversight as archbishop. His stipend will drop by more than two-thirds and he will exchange Bishopthorpe Palace, outside York--parts of which are 750 years old--for a town vicarage.
Hope has been Archbishop of York since 1995,
and was previously Bishop of London.
Commentators do not consider his decision to
be linked to current disputes in the Church of England over homosexuality or the prospect of women bishops.
Hope told The Times daily newspaper that
"there is never a right time to go," but that he was confident the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, would be able to cope.
The bishop of Bradford, David James, in whose
diocese St Margaret's falls, said, "He [Hope] brings with him a deep spirituality, a breadth of experience and a wealth of Yorkshire humor and down to earth common sense. I shall value his wise counsel."
Capetown Primate Calls Anglican Communion to a Return to Mission
Archbishop Ndungane Asks that Energy be Devoted to the Vast Needs of the World
"The church exists for mission and that's our priority" said Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane as the guest speaker of the fifth annual Hobart Lecture held November 3--the anniversary of Richard Hooker's death--at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York.
Ndungane, Archbishop of Cape Town and Primate of the Church of the Province of Southern Africa (CPSA), addressed more than a hundred guests of the Diocese of New York on key areas such as poverty eradication, Christian diversity and the recently-published Windsor Report.
In his introduction, Bishop Mark Sisk of New
York described Ndungane's commitment to the impoverished as the characterization of his ministry. "The focus he's had for the sick and the poor is not only at the heart of his ministry," he said, "but also very close to the heart of the Gospel."
The Hobart Lecture, founded in 2000 and
named after Bishop John Henry Hobart, the third bishop of New York (1816-1830), is a series of annual addresses presented to encourage pastoral ministry in the Church.
Speaking on "The Pastoral Care of the People
of God," Ndungane said that "devout and faithful Christians often find themselves beset with serious differences of opinion." Quoting Hooker, a 16th century English priest, author and teacher of the faith, Ndungane insisted that "God creates us to be in loving community with one another; a community that reflects the revealed life of the Trinity.
"None of the three is superior, nor inferior.
They show us what it is to enjoy freedom within a relationship of interdependence, a living example of autonomy-in-communion."
The Inter-Anglican Theological and Doctrinal
Commission, set up in 2001 and given a mandate to study the nature of communion, Ndungane said, has described the Anglican Communion as 'not just an accidental coming together of the like-minded but a historic adventure of finding the reality of Christ in diversity and circumstances.'
"God's Spirit lives in every one of us," he said.
"What we share is greater than what divides us."
Highlighting that the Windsor Report offers far
more than questions and institutional suggestions, Ndungane vowed that "we shall breathe new life into our Communion if we engage with it thoroughly and seriously."
"It reminds us that the commitments Provinces
have to one another are not primarily legal contracts," he said. "Their basis is the covenant love which the Lord has for all his Church.... We must never forget, my friends, that the prime calling of the Church is to serve God's mission in God's world."
Speaking about the Millennium Development
Goals as the primary focus for mission in the Anglican Communion, Ndungane briefly acknowledged his support for the United Nations, the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty and his involvement in launching the Micah Challenge, a global Christian campaign that challenges leaders to reduce global poverty by half by 2015.
"What governments most need" he said, "is a
strong signal that we should all 'do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with our God'."
"Our God is the God of reconciliation.... We
must face the reality that our common life is diminished when we are apart," Ndungane said. "As the Primates said in 2000: 'To turn away from one another would be to turn away from the cross.'"
Revisiting the Windsor Report, Ndungane said
"fascinating though these issues are, when the sheep are separated from the goats, I doubt we will be called to account over our stance on the Windsor Report. It is how we serve the people of God that will matter."
"If only the energy we have spent arguing
within the Anglican Communion had instead been used to tackle poverty, conflict, and disease," he said, adding that "Anglican leaders must get serious, grow up, and focus on the real life and death issues of our world."
Lutheran Commission for Women Calls for 'Gender Justice'
The steering committee of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Commission for Women wants a proposed redesign of the churchwide organization to replace references to "work on behalf of women" with "gender justice," said Agnes S. McClain, committee chair.
The committee drafted a rationale for the new
language at its October meeting.
"Work on behalf of women' can easily be heard
or reduced to 'women's work,' which represents a dangerous misunderstanding,"said the rationale. "Work for justice around issues of gender is work done not for the sake of women alone, but for the sake of and for the health of the whole church."
The committee stressed the definition "gender
justice" over "work on behalf of women," especially in the ELCA's efforts toward the prevention of clergy sexual misconduct, "for the sake of children, men and women."
The steering committee met with the Rev.
Charles S. Miller, ELCA executive for administration and executive assistant to the presiding bishop. Miller is spearheading the church's planning process that may
restructure the churchwide organization. He also serves as an advisor to the steering committee. Agnes McClain, an ELCA associate in ministry and assistant to the bishop of the ELCA Southwest California Synod, said committee members told Miller that, after reading an August draft of the restructuring proposal, "we felt like we had not been listened to in all of the times we have consulted with the planning team."
The proposed churchwide structure does not
include the Commission for Women. A companion proposal to reorganize the ELCA's governance does not include steering committees.
The commission's staff and steering commit
tee were resigned to the loss of the commission, but noted that it appeared to them as though the current restructuring proposal would lose the work of the commission as well, McClain said.
"We decided that, if we did not let our voices
be heard this time, this would be our last shot at trying to make some changes," McClain said. She said the discussion with Miller was heated at times but ended on a positive note. "We felt that he heard us," she added.