The Texas Episcopalian
Changing Lives
www.epicenter.org
Founded in 1838 by the Episcopal Church as a mission to the people of Texas, the Diocese of Texas has been led continuously by the Holy Spirit to plant ministries and congregations to partner with and serve the wider community. Today the diocese spans more than 46,000 square miles and encompasses 57 counties. We are headquartered in historic downtown Houston with offices in Austin and Tyler. Led by the Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle, the ninth Bishop of Texas, the diocese is more than 300 clergy, 159 congregations, 93 missional communities, 22 campus missions, chaplaincies, foundations, institutions, and 76,000 parishioners serving our neighbors. We embrace all people with mutual love and respect. We are one Church reconciled by Jesus Christ, joining God’s mission to reconcile others and build up the kingdom of God.
THE TEXAS EPISCOPALIAN (SINCE 1874) IS AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF TEXAS. Our mission is to share the stories of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas; to inform, to inspire. PUBLISHER:
The Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle
EDITOR: Tammy Lanier, tlanier@epicenter.org DESIGNER: STAFF WRITER:
LaShane K. Eaglin, leaglin@epicenter.org
Paulette E. Martin, pmartin@epicenter.org
STAFF WRITER:
Ellen Singer, esinger@epicenter.org
The Texas Episcopalian (PE# USPS 10965, ISSN# 2160-4525) is published annually in January by the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, 1225 Texas St., Houston, TX 77002-3504. Periodical postage paid at Houston, TX. Address changes may be emailed to: txepis@epicenter.org POSTMASTER: Address changes: The Texas Episcopalian,
1225 Texas St., Houston, TX 77002-3504 © 2020 The Episcopal Diocese of Texas
Changing Lives
CONTENTS 07 Leading with a purpose 12 Making an Impact Across the Nation 15 Rounding the Globe 18 Uplifting Missional Communities and Campus Ministry Updates 24 Planting Churches 28 Cultivating Resilience in times of Disaster 42 Embracing Differences 46 Engaging our Seniors 48 Helping the Vulnerable and Oppressed: Immigration Work and Border Trips 51 Feeding the Hungry/ Service 54 Ensuring access to healthcare 59 Reaching the Community 62 Advancing Education 65 Guiding our Youth 69 Ministry in Parishes 71 Celebrating Milestones within Parishes and Parishioners 76 Transforming lives 78 Building for the Future 81 Working for you
5 |
epicenter.org
Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:1
Leading with a Purpose
C. Andrew Doyle Bishop Diocesan The Rt. Rev. Doyle became the ninth Bishop of Texas in 2009. The ministry of a bishop is to represent Christ and his Church, particularly as apostle, chief priest and pastor of a Diocese; to guard the faith, unity and discipline of the whole church; to proclaim the word of God. Jeff W. Fisher Bishop Suffragan The Rt. Rev. Fisher was elected Bishop Suffragan in 2012 by the clergy and church representatives of the Diocese of Texas. As Bishop Suffragan, in addition to other significant duties and responsibilities, he helps Bishop Doyle perform confirmations and assists churches in the Eastern and North Eastern Regions of the Diocese.
Kathryn M. Ryan Bishop Suffragan The Rt. Rev. Ryan was elected Bishop Suffragan in 2019 by the clergy and church representatives of the Diocese of Texas. As Bishop Suffragan, in addition to other significant duties and responsibilities, she helps Bishop Doyle perform confirmations and assists churches in the Western Region of the Diocese. Philip M. Duncan Assisting Bishop The Rt. Rev. Duncan served as bishop of the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast (2001-2015). Following his retirement, he and his wife Kathy moved to Austin to be closer to family and he periodically assists with visitations and confirmations for the Diocese of Texas.
Héctor F. Monterroso Bishop Assistant The Rt. Rev. Monterroso was Bishop of Costa Rica for 14 years before he came to the Diocese of Texas in 2017 to help Bishop Doyle. Monterroso visits 45 congregations during the year; primarily in the Southern Region of the Diocese of Texas. He also works to grow a multicultural presence in our congregations.
Christine M. Faulstich Canon to the Ordinary The Rev. Canon Faulstich was appointed Canon to the Ordinary in 2019. She mentors rectors, clergy new to the Diocese, bi-vocational priests, transitional deacons, pastoral leaders, pastoral leader interns, and interim clergy.
Russ Oechsel, Jr. Archdeacon The Rev. Oechsel was appointed Archdeacon in 2009. An Archdeacon is a clergy person appointed by the bishop to provide administrative assistance and other leadership to congregations and church organizations in the diocese.
A larger geographical entity within the diocese is called a convocation. It is geographic and usually includes one metropolitan area with surrounding counties. Texas has ten convocations, the head of which, nominated by the bishop and elected by council, is called the “dean.” The dean arranges meetings of the convocational clergy to provide fellowship, continuing education, communication, planning and moral support for clergy and their families and to gather lay members to share ideas and projects. Deans are ex-officio members of the Executive Board of the Diocese. Galveston, The Rev. Jim Liberatore, St. Andrew’s, Pearland
San Jacinto, The Rev. Gerry Sevick, Trinity, The Woodlands
Southeast, The Rev. Keith Giblin, St. Paul’s, Orange
Northeast, The Rev. Mitch Tollett, St. Francis, Tyler
Northwest, The Rev. Aaron Zimmerman, St. Alban's, Waco
West Harris, The Rev. Josh Condon, Holy Spirit, Houston
East Harris, The Rev. Victor Thomas, St. James’, Houston
Central, The Rev. Daryl Hay, St. Andrew’s, Bryan
Austin, The Rev. Bertie Pearson, Grace, Georgetown
Southwest, The Rev. Travis Smith, Holy Comforter, Angleton
A Letter from Bishop C. Andrew Doyle
2020 is upon us! We enter a new decade with a Gospel message buoying us up and reminding us that God makes all things new. The prayer for the church at ordinations reminds us that God is a God of unchangeable power and eternal light, that God is working through this church and God’s providence. We pray in that prayer that we will have tranquility as we move toward our own salvation. The world is, not only at the end of the year, but every year and day-to-day being made new. We pray that the world around us, our communities and neighborhoods, will see that things that have been cast down are being raised up, and things that are grown old are being made new, and that all things are being brought by God to God’s perfection. Finally, we pray in that prayer that it will be the mercy and grace of Christ Jesus that manifests itself in our lives and ministry. (BCP, 528) We also look over the past year in awe of the great strides Texas Episcopalian
| 8 | 2020
we, together, have made as a diocese. We say to each other, “well done.” That is what this publication is for—to celebrate your work. This issue of The Texas Episcopalian serves as a snapshot of our year in review, giving us an opportunity to celebrate you, the work that has taken place through service, and our collective commitment to God. From electing, ordaining, and consecrating the Rt. Rev. Kathryn M. Ryan as our Bishop Suffragan in June–upon the retirement of Bishop Dena Harrison after many years of active ordained ministry—to the establishment of even more missional communities, church plants and campus ministries, it was a great year for the Diocese of Texas. We have remained focused on our vision of mission. We have, in many ways and in many forms, shared the good news through evangelism and served our community. It is a good and rewarding thing to bear witness to God’s mission coming to fruition. Even more exciting is that we have realized
exceptional accomplishments in every region of the diocese. No part of the Diocese of Texas has been untouched by God’s hand through the Episcopal Church.
hosted the largest Hispanic Lay Leadership Conference in its history. This successful undertaking, held in June, made an indelible mark on this great ministry in our diocese.
To that end, we have over 90 missional communities across the diocese with over 1,400 people connected to them, who would otherwise likely not be involved with the Church. More impressive is that 87% of our missional communities have not received any funding from diocesan foundations. As it relates to church plants, Church of the Cross, Lake Travis, dedicated their land this past year; St. Joan of Arc, Pflugerville, and Holy Family, Humble, began public worship, and Northside Episcopal, Houston, not only began public worship but also moved into a building they can call their own. We also celebrate Good Shepherd, Stafford, starting a second site, and St. Isidore, Spring, moving into their own building. We could not be any more pleased with the successes of these congregations.
From our disaster recovery efforts post-Harvey to Tropical Storm Imelda flooding in 2019, we have met the needs of so many communities that would have otherwise fallen by the wayside. We have served as a beacon of light for the helpless and vulnerable through our Border Ministry, alongside other dioceses nationally, on the ground in Brownsville– acknowledging the humanity and improving the conditions of thousands of children and families seeking a better way of life. We have fed the homeless, in the streets of Houston and across the state of Texas.
Speaking of new beginnings, a new planter was commissioned to Waco, and our campus mission ministry has been revitalized and is becoming even more robust. By rebooting the mission at UT Tyler and in the Northwest Convocation, our campus mission in Waco has now expanded to reach four campuses in the region. What an extraordinary year in the area of bringing people to Christ and growing the Church. I’m equally pleased with the thoughtful and benevolent work of our diocesan foundations. The Episcopal Foundations have supported seminaries, new creative ministries, church plants, health ministries, counseling services across the region, and racial reconciliation work, and have funded our expanding evangelism program. Likewise, we had churches that were the beneficiaries of significant grants. For example, two parishes within our diocese were among the first to receive grant awards from the Presiding Officer’s Advisory Council of the Becoming Beloved Community. Brazos Valley Common Good Program at St. Andrew’s, Bryan, and The One Human Race Initiative at St. James’, Austin, received awards in the amounts of $10,000 and $6,000 respectively, to further catalyze the Church’s work on racial healing, reconciliation, and justice. These two churches were selected as part of just a small pool from over 74 applications that were submitted from churches across the nation. St. James’, Austin, also received an All Our Children grant for Freedom Schools, another exciting project designed to equalize education.
In-house, we have upgraded our technology in an effort to better serve you and to improve efficacy. In addition to new and inproved internal business programs and systems ensuring that we are functioning most efficiently, we also introduced a smartphone app that can be downloaded in both the Apple and Google Play stores for iPhone and Android devices. We are continually evolving with today’s society to remain a trailblazer and to increase our reach and connectivity to you. We are also refining our messaging and branding to be consistent with our vision through communication. Much of this work is in response to your 2015 desire for better communications. Today we have revamped our strategies based on a diocesan-wide conversation and are imagining the future of sharing the good news of Texas ministries with each other. We are embracing diversity, owning our past and acknowledging our truths. In doing so, we are playing our part in trying to right wrongs of our ancestors, as best we can, by helping to restore once-denied dignity and honor to our historically African-American churches, in an effort to level playing fields over time through innovative grant initiatives. We will be talking more about this at our upcoming Diocesan Council as we roll out an unprecedented initiative. All of these accomplishments are significant. So, while we look ahead to even greater milestones in 2020, we can’t help but look back at what we accomplished in 2019. There is one thing that will never change, and that is our clear understanding that you are the people and churches of the diocese, and we are your staff. We are proud to serve with you in this ministry and give thanks for you and the difference you are making in the communities in which you have been called to serve.
This past summer, the Commission on Hispanic Ministry 9 |
epicenter.org
Getting to Know
BISHOP RYAN On May 31, 2019, Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry joined current and former Texas bishops to consecrate Kathryn M. Ryan as the new Bishop Suffragan. She will serve in the western region of the diocese and office in Austin. Paulette E. Martin, writer of The Texas Episcopalian, had a few questions for the new bishop: PEM: How would you describe the first few months as Bishop
KMR: Returning to the preaching-teaching in Sacramental
Suffragan of the Western Region? KMR: Very busy and exciting! A lot of focus on building relationships and getting to know people in our institutions. And that has been illuminating and just inspiring.
ministry that is the center of my work, particularly with the congregations. I enjoy connecting with what we're doing in local context with the mission of the whole diocese and with God's call to the church.
PEM: What are your assigned duties as Bishop Suffragan? KMR: I am the chair of the board for St. Stephen's Episcopal
PEM: How was your transition to Austin? Is your family
School and El Buen Samaritano. I'm also serving as the governance chair of the board of the Seminary of the Southwest. I oversee the Iona School for Ministry and oversee the post-ordination clergy formation and a new program called Beginning Well. And then I am responsible for the Western Region. So that's the four convocations: Northwest, Southwest, Central and Austin.
KMR: It's good. It was a little later and longer in the making
PEM: What do you enjoy most about being Bishop Suffragan? Texas Episcopalian
| 10 | 2020
enjoying the new city? than we had anticipated. We didn't move to Austin until the near the end of October, and so we're very grateful to be there. We're enjoying Austin a lot. Of course, Ned is now living in Florida and he hasn't really had to make the transition. And Eleanor started college this fall at St. Edward’s in Austin and is living on campus. So she didn't have to really deal with the move that much. Mostly Tim and me and the dog, but we're all enjoying it.
“I think we can change the world. I really do believe that the church is called to change the world and that we can do this with God's help.”
PEM: And tell me how involved is your family in your ministry? Can you give us an example? KMR: Well, Tim's spent a lot of time getting ready for the Austin Clergy Christmas party and has gone on a couple of visitations with me, but we're really still in the transition phase. He's always had his own ministry, and so he'll be figuring out what that is as we complete the transition. He'll be going to Lambeth with me. In February, we’ll go to a program called Living Our Vows, a program for new bishops, also called “College for Bishops,” where our spouses go with us to sort of learn more about the spouse's role and my role and all that. So we're still learning. But in the past, Tim has taught Sunday school and was on the Peace and Justice Commission at the Cathedral.
PEM: You said Tim was very supportive of your decision to stand for election. How did you two meet and where was your first date? KMR: {Giggles} We met as students at Sewanee at the University of the South and we were good friends before we started dating. So that's a little hard to remember where the first date was. But I think it was on the parents' weekend at Sewanee when I was a senior there and undergraduate.
PEM: What do you consider to be your spiritual gifts? KMR: Strategic thinking and mediating people, helping people cope with their differences. Cooking good food. You know, spiritual gifts. And so it's like any gifts can be a spiritual gift if applied appropriately, right? Enthusiasm and encouragement.
PEM: And how are these particularly matched with your new position and its demands? KMR: Well, particularly the ministry of our clergy and congregations, they're working really hard and are trying to serve God and to be responsive to the people in the church and outside. That's hard work. Having a thinking partner who can sort of help you think both in terms of theology and mission, but also in terms of strategy can really help move that forward in a positive way. Just encouraging people that their efforts are worthwhile. And so I use that a lot. I just got off a phone call with a rector who's been going through some
challenging things with that and has really, you know, been grateful that I had those gifts to help him.
PEM: Tell me, what do you look forward to in 2020? KMR: I'm looking forward to Lambeth, and I'm looking forward to partnering with the clergy and congregations to strengthen their ministry and serve God together.
PEM: At the end of the day, how will you know if you have been successful?
KMR: I think by paying attention to the signs of health in our congregations and institutions. Actually, this resonates with the Gospel when John the Baptist is in prison and he sends the message to Jesus and says, “Are you the one who is to come, or should I expect someone else?” And Jesus replies, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see … And that the Good News is preached to them.” I think that the signs of the Bishop's success are in the ministry of the people in congregations and institutions with our neighbors in the world. So when people are inspired to go to the border, you know, when people aren’t just serving the congregation, but their community, when people are standing with one another in love in times of tragedy or need, that's when you know that the Bishop has been successful, because that's what the church is focused on.
PEM: What do you do during your time away from work? What are some of your hobbies? KMR: There's time away from work? I'm just joking. I like to run, walk and hike. Right now, I'm enjoying having a yard again and sort of seeing what we'll do with that. We'll probably plant some kind of garden and I'm excited about that. And yes, spend time with Tim and Eleanor when we can. But you know, family, nature, cooking. PEM: And lastly, what’s something you want our readers to know about you that they currently don’t know?
KMR: I really look forward to getting to know them, knowing their interests and their passions. I think we can change the world. I really do believe that the church is called to change the world and that we can do this with God's help.
11 |
epicenter.org
Happy is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage. Psalm 33:12
Making an s s o r c A t c a p m I the Nation
Commemorating 400 Years of African-American History and Culture Episcopal churches across the nation and in our diocese joined in solidarity by ringing bells with others simultaneously for four minutes—one minute for each century—to honor the first Africans who landed in 1619 in Point Comfort and 400 years of African-American history. “I’m inviting us as The Episcopal Church to join in this commemoration as part of our continued work of racial healing and reconciliation … to remember those who came as enslaved, who came to a country that one day would proclaim liberty. And so, we remember them and pray for a new future for us all,” said the Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. Pictured here is a member of Saint Mary Magdalene, Manor, a congregation led by the Rev. Alex Montes-Vela who took turns ringing the church’s bell for the four minutes. 13 |
epicenter.org
MAKING AN IMPACT
#THEWAYOFLOVE Practices for a Jesus-Centered Life The way of love is a way of life. More than a program or curriculum, it is an intentional commitment to a set of practices. It is a commitment to follow Jesus: Turn, Learn, Pray, Adore, Bless, Go, Rest. Turn, Learn, Pray, Adore, Bless, Go, Rest, are part of a series of practices that the disciples of Jesus must take into account in our daily lives. On our spiritual journey, it is indispensable to take the time to prepare our hearts and minds to listen to the voice of God. Despite our lives and busy schedules, work and activities, it is essential that we set aside time to reflect and meditate on the changes that occur in our lives. When starting a new project or when a change comes close to our lives, it is important to stop to organize ourselves, value what we are, and establish the routines that help us achieve our dreams and goals. The time of Easter opens this opportunity for each one of us. It is the time in our pilgrimage to value our spiritual experience and our relationship with God and also with the people who are part of our life. In terms of the Church, this is also a good time to reflect on the challenges we face and to identify our weaknesses and strengths. In so doing, we can discover the possibilities we have to share the message of forgiveness, peace and reconciliation that leads us towards the construction of the Kingdom of God. Without a doubt, the most important value that the Church can offer to this world is the gift of love. The powerful love of God is capable of doing all things new and of eradicating injustice, oppression and violence. The call to “live and practice the path of love as the path we must follow in our life” has become one of the fundamental pillars of the ministry of our Presiding Bishop, Michael Curry. Consistently, the Presiding Bishop reminds us of the vital importance of observing a discipline that includes the constant practice of reconciliation, forgiveness and renewal. Let us make visible the powerful love of God through our commitment by adopting in our lives the practices to live a life centered on Jesus. The Rt. Rev. Hector F Monterroso, bishop assistant I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. – Ephesians 3:17-19 Bishop Monterroso's Easter message on The Way of Love as printed May 2019.
Texas Episcopalian
| 14 | 2020
Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. Mark 16:15
Rounding the Globe
Photo: Bellah Zulu. Zulu is the former Africa correspondent for the Anglican Communion News Service. He lives in Lusaka, Zambia.
THE WORLD MISSION BOARD ADVANCES ITS EFFORTS WITH COMPANION DIOCESES The Episcopal Diocese of Texas’ World Mission Board welcomed the new Global Relations Officer from the Episcopal Church, Jenny Grant, during their annual retreat at Camp Allen in 2019. The laity and clergy who make up the World Mission Board also focused on reorganizing and expanding— as they’re now comprised of 15 members appointed from across the diocese. The Rt. Rev. Jeff Fisher serves as the Executive and the Rev. Meredith Crigler serves as the Chair.
Texas Episcopalian
| 16 | 2020
The main focus of the Board is to encourage and support mutually transformative partnerships in God’s mission between our diocese and its churches, communities and institutions and those in the wider Anglican Communion. The World Mission Board also oversees grants to ministries around the globe and support other global missional partnerships. The Diocese of Texas has a formal companion relationship with the Anglican Diocese of Southern Malawi in Africa, the Diocese of Costa Rica in the Anglican Church of Central America and the Episcopal Diocese of North Dakota. The Diocese of Southern Malawi After significant flooding and famine in 2019, the World Mission Board partnered with Southern Malawi in an experimental and innovative irrigation approach to break the cycle. So far, the $50,000 investment is saving lives, bringing greater sustainability to communities within the diocese, and is on track to be a model that may be expanded in other regions beyond the diocese. The World Mission Board will welcome the Rt. Rev. Alinafe Kalemba in 2020. He will visit regions of Austin, Tyler and Waco. The Diocese of Costa Rica The World Mission Board continues to support the vision of the new Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Orlando GomezSegura in his episcopate through providing funds for him to attend the College of Bishops and partnering with him in his vision for a better diocesan presence in the Limon region. The Board also worked with the Commission on Hispanic Ministry as they hosted Bishop Orlando and members of the Costa Rica delegation to the Hispanic Lay Leadership Conference at Camp Allen in June 2019. In 2020, Bishop Fisher and his wife, Susan, will be making a pastoral visit to Costa Rica and the Board is working to host a Latino Lay Leadership Conference there. The Diocese of North Dakota The World Mission Board is currently providing support to the standing committee of the Diocese of North Dakota after the retirement of their Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Michael Smith. The Board also matched the Diocese of North Dakota’s support of $5,000 to our ministries at our border with Mexico. In 2020, the World Mission Board looks forward to continuing to support one another in creating missional responses to our changing church.
To learn more about World Mission Board, visit epicenter.org/get-involved/world-mission.
Connection in Sri Lanka Retired Rev. Desmond Goonesekera says, “I don’t twiddle my thumbs and stay at home … I’m 73 and I want to have that freedom!” Since 2013, he has been visiting Sri Lanka, building connection through ministry between our diocese and the Dioceses of Culombo and Kurunegala. This past summer, he led retreats and joined a number of communities in worship. According to Goonesekera, “When God opens the lid, there’s no telling what happens.” 17 |
epicenter.org
For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them. Matthew 18:20
Uplifting Missional Communities
MISSIONAL COMMUNITIES
NEARLY EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW Question: How many missional communities are
Question: Do they focus on spiritual formation?
there across the diocese?
Answer: Yes, most attend to spiritual formation
Answer: There are currently 90-95 missional
through Bible study (using methods akin to Lectio Divina and Indaba Bible Study) and teaching the offices- typically Evening Office or Compline.
communities (and growing) across the diocese.
Question: How many people are currently connected to EDOT through missional communities who would not be if there were no missional communities?
Question: Do they celebrate the Eucharist? Answer: Less than half of our missional
EDOT as the result of our missional communities.
communities regularly celebrate the Eucharist, but those that do are using the “Communion for Missional Communities� instruction.
Question: Do people get baptized in missional
Question: What is the greatest tool for forming
Answer: There are over 1,400 people connected to
communities?
Answer: Absolutely, and there were 33 baptisms last year because of missional communities.
Question: How often do they meet?
meaningful relationships?
Answer: Sharing meals brings people together, so the majority of our missional communities are sharing meals weekly.
Answer: The majority of our missional
Question: What percentage of our missional
communities now meet weekly. Three years ago, most met monthly.
communities have received funding from diocesan foundations?
Question: What is the average size of a missional community?
Answer: The average size of a missional
Answer: Only 13% of our missional communities have received funding from diocesan foundations. An overwhelming 87% of them have not received any kind of funding from our diocesan foundations.
community is 12 regular participants.
Question: Where do they meet? Answer: The majority of them meet in homes.
19 |
epicenter.org
Fast Facts about Missional Communites • 33 baptisms last year. • 87% of our missional communities have not received any kind of funding from diocesan foundations. • There are currently between 90-95 missional communities across the Diocese. • There are over 1,400 people connected to EDOT through missional communities. • There were 33 last year in missional communities. • The majority of our missional communities are now meeting weekly. Three years ago, most met monthly. • Average size of a missional community is 12 regular participants. • The majority of our missional communities meet in homes. • Most attend to spiritual formation through Bible study (using methods akin to Lectio Divina and African Bible study) and teaching the offices—typically Evening Office or Compline. • Less than half of our missional communities regularly celebrate the Eucharist. • The greatest tool for forming meaningful relationships is shared meals—the majority of our missional communities are sharing meals weekly. • When asked what makes them “missional,” the majority responded that what makes them missional is that they meet off-campus in the community and that those with whom they are building community would otherwise not be a part of the Episcopal Church. In other words, evangelism in the neighborhood. • 75%-96% of missional community participants are people outside the church that do not attend a sponsoring congregation. Texas Episcopalian
| 20 | 2020
PRIEST’S PREPARATION TIME TRANSLATES INTO SPIRIT OF MISSIONAL COMMUNITY For years, the Rev. Victor Thomas of St. James’, Houston, has spent hours in his local Starbucks, sometimes preparing for his Sunday sermons or just enjoying reflective moments. He often brings these experiences with him to church on Sunday, as he weaves them into his messages. While this location has become a frequent “go to” for him where he finds a quiet place to clear his mind and sometimes simply people-watch, he never imagined that it could become the impetus for a possible missional community.
an already-vibrant program designed to feed the homeless on Sunday afternoons.
Over time, the inner-city Houston priest has established relationships with the employees and management of his local Starbucks location. He knows them. They know him. He could be considered a “fixture” of sorts, in the early mornings and evenings leading up to his Sunday sermons.
Next, they are providing a team to help prepare meals for the program one Sunday every other month. While the church has organized teams to prepare meals on a rotating basis, the addition of the Starbucks Pearland team is very helpful, relieving the burden on currently-dedicated cooking teams. Moreover, it also connects Starbucks employees with members of a community in great need who may never step into a Starbucks coffeehouse, much less be catered to by its employees.
But one day, a conversation with management turned into an opportunity! He learned that Starbucks embraces working with local churches and organizations to have a broader impact on the community. As a result, and in the spirit of a missional community, the Rev. Thomas asked Starbucks Pearland to team up with the church to help with the church’s Jubilee Ministry–
The church is now leveraging its relationship with the largest coffeehouse company in the world! The location has agreed to assist the church with resources in two ways. First, they make weekly contributions of Starbucks food items to the Jubilee ministry. This donation increased the food selections currently offered by the church, but it also infused the ministry with even more widespread interest.
Sounds like an official missional community in progress!
21 |
epicenter.org
Missional Communities
The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Luke 10:8
Planting Churches and Forming s e i r t is in M s u p m a C
Planting Churches The Diocese of Texas has planted 14 churches during this episcopacy, including four since the last Diocesan Council. Five are at mission status: St. Julian of Norwich, Round Rock; St. Mary Magdalene, Manor; Church of the Cross, Lake Travis; SoCo Episcopal, Austin; and St. Isidore, Spring. St. Julian is searching for property to build a new space as they have outgrown their current space. Church of the Cross dedicated the land for their future home last summer. St. Isidore moved into new permanent space this fall. Over the last four years we have seated three new fellowships: San Romero, Houston; St. Philip the Evangelist, Houston; and Good Shepherd, Stafford. They are joined by four new fellowships at this Diocesan Council, bringing us to a total of seven. Four congregations will get to ring the Great Commission Bell: Holy Family, Humble; Incarnation, Austin; St. Joan of Arc, Pflugerville; and Holy Family, East Downtown Houston. Four more planters are working in the fields, learning their neighborhoods and gathering worship communities. The Rev. Carissa Baldwin-McGinnis and Northside Episcopal are thriving in their own space in Northeast Houston. Joseph Yoo is building a community called Mosaic, in West Pearland, growing in the soil tilled by St. Andrew’s, Pearland. The Rev. Oscar Huerta-Garcia has been charged with planting a Hispanic church in Waco, hosted by St. Alban’s, Waco. Lay planter Maria Bautista began exploring additional areas of northeast Houston outside Beltway 8 last month. Two more planters will be deployed in 2020. The Diocese has over 90 missional communities connected to 44 congregations, reaching 1400 individuals that would not otherwise be connected to the Episcopal Church on a regular basis.
Forming Campus Ministries Four of our five full-time campus missioners were new in the fall semester of 2019. We have one additional part-time campus missioner in the northeast convocation, based in Tyler. Combined with all the volunteer missioners and clergy, we are reaching out to 26 different campuses. There are 80 higher education campuses across the Diocese, and we intend to partner with congregations to reach students at all of them.
Church Planter Goes Viral
The Rev. David W. Peters isn’t just planting a church in Pflugerville; he is reaching out to millions of fans on the internet’s fastest-growing app, TikTok. Especially popular among young people, TikTok is a platform that makes it easy for users to create and share short videos. Peters’ videos adapt viral meme formats to his own experience as a priest. The witty, joyful clips invite viewers to think about church as a relevant and accessible space. Video media is the fastest-growing content young people engage with on social media, and Peters encourages other evangelists to get involved however they can. “I’m going where the people are,” said Peters, in an interview with The Guardian. 25 |
epicenter.org
PLANTS Incarnation, Austin: led by the Rev. Brin Bon Mosaic, West Pearland: led by Joseph Yoo Northside Episcopal, Houston: led by the Rev. Carissa Baldwin-McGinnis Waco Latino plant is unnamed: led by the Rev. Oscar Huerta-Garcia Northshore Houston plant is unnamed: led by Maria Bautista FELLOWSHIPS Good Shepherd, Stafford: led by the Rev. Roy Varghese Holy Family, Humble (formerly Generation Park): led by the Rev. John Soard Holy Family, East Downtown Houston: led by Jacob Breeze St. Joan of Arc, Pflugerville: led by the Rev. David Peters St. Philip the Evangelist, Houston: led by the Rev. Agook Kuol MISSIONS Church of the Cross, Lake Travis: led by the Rev. Paul Johnson San Romero, Houston: led by the Rev. Uriel Lopez SoCo Episcopal, Austin: led by the Rev. Paul Skeith St. Isidore, Spring: led by the Rev. Sean Steele St. Julian of Norwich, Round Rock: led by the Rev. Miles Brandon St. Mary Magdalene, Manor: led by the Rev. Alex Montes-Vela CAMPUS MISSIONS Austin Canterbury (UT ATX): led by the Rev. Travis Helms Central Canterbury (TAMU): led by the Rev. Rich Nelson The Episcopal Church at Rice: led by the Rev. Sarah Condon The Episcopal Church at SFA: led by the Rev. Ashley Cook Houston Canterbury (UH, TSU): led by the Rev. Charles Graves Northeast Canterbury (UT Tyler): led by Grace Vierling Northwest Canterbury (Baylor): led by the Rev. Keith Pozzuto
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. Psalm 91:11
Cultivating Resilience in r e t s a s i D f o s e m Ti
“Relationships formed through missional communities are a natural bridge between the storm recovery needs of highly vulnerable neighbors and diocesan disaster ministry resources. The Abundant Harvest of St. Isidore, for example, earned the trust of a heavily impacted, under-resourced community by showing up immediately after Harvey with constancy, and by offering what residents said they needed: healthy food for their families. Bearing gifts of food to this neighborhood every week since the storm, this ministry of the table has transformed residents who live on the same street into neighbors caring for neighbors.” –Stacy Stringer
2019 IN NUMBERS
151
HOMES REPAIRED
363 FAMILIES RECEIVING FURNITURE
AND LARGE APPLIANCES
24,088 VOLUNTEER HOURS
AND COMMUNITY 97 CHURCH PARTNERS RECEIVING 729 FAMILIES STORM RECOVERY NEEDS
10
ASSESSMENTS
COUNTIES SERVED
7,160 HOT MEALS COOKED, DELIVERED AND SERVED 46,050 POUNDS OF FRESH FOOD DISTRIBUTED
917 790
Professional Counseling Sessions Individuals Served by Professional Counseling
The Diocese of Texas, through its partnership with Episcopal Relief & Development and the diocesan Quin Foundation, is reaching out to assist families for whom conventional disaster recovery mechanisms fall short. Contact the Hurricane Recovery team members Stacy Stringer, Kecia Mallette, or Suzanne Hollifield at HarveyRecovery@epicenter.org.
CULTIVATING RESILIENCE
TWO YEARS AFTER HARVEY, WHARTON COUNTY WORKS AND WAITS The story of Harvey flooding in a rural area like Wharton County doesn’t come near to the numbers of households impacted and the billions of dollars of damage in Harris County. But just 60 miles away from Houston, the people of Wharton County still share the same suffering of waiting for help and the fear of being forgotten. St. Thomas’, Wharton, has been the hands and heart of Christ to some of the waiting ones. Pattie Odom, a member of St. Thomas’, is the Administrative Director of the Wharton County Recovery Team. Odom lived in Louisiana and had previous experience with hurricane relief work. Odom and her family moved to Wharton the week of Harvey, unloaded a moving van, only to discover that they would have to evacuate. At first, the people of Wharton County thought they were spared the worst of Harvey. The rain was heavy, but it did not seem to approach the 50 inches of rain that pummeled Houston. Some Wharton families took in relatives who needed to evacuate the Bayou City, but within hours the Colorado River drowned the surrounding land with fastrising water from upstream rainfall and runoff, racing through cropland, town streets, farmhouses and local businesses. Farmers lost crops of cotton and soybeans to mildew. Century-old homes buckled from water-weakened boards and damaged foundations. Water wells collapsed and cesspool systems were compromised, with many still nonfunctioning a whole two years later. The next wave of disaster for those who did have insurance was rejections of claims due to loopholes in policies. Rural counties experience a high rate of impact per capita of households but often are overshadowed by the numbers in urban areas. In a population of many elderly people living alone in houses that they cannot repair themselves, the sense of abandonment is palpable. What Odom learned quickly about her new hometown is that the people of Wharton have resiliency in their favor. The rural strength of knowing their neighbors and shouldering difficulties together would be strained—but it would remain intact during this disaster. The Wharton County Recovery Texas Episcopalian
| 30 | 2020
Team, which had remained functioning since the county’s prior flooding events, was well positioned to immediately jump into action to assist the flooded and the displaced. In addition to Odom, other members of St. Thomas’ are still engaging in long-term Harvey recovery through a variety of ministries. The church and the Diocese of Texas partner together to provide resources to highly vulnerable families who have exhausted all other avenues of assistance. Still, there are homes that need to be either elevated or abandoned by homeowners, depending upon financial means. For many others, families who resolve to do their own repair work live in their wrecked homes that are health risks for those in good health as well as poor. The elderly who are living alone in the homes in which they grew up have no place to go as they dwell in deep despair, waiting for help. Many wait for rebuilding grants, but the process is long and frustrating. Furthermore, receiving approval for funding doesn’t mean construction. It means another round of waiting: for funding to arrive, for workers to be hired, for volunteers to arrive, so that the work may begin. Wharton both works and waits. One example of the ways in which the EDOT Harvey Recovery program can offer assistance where other organizations cannot is with water wells. Floodwater contamination means that even today residents are still boiling water for drinking and eating. The diocesan program is known as “the most flexible funder at the table,” but our resources do not stop at funding. At this stage of Harvey recovery, we need volunteers more than ever—including unskilled volunteers and youth volunteers. What dollars can do more than doubles when volunteers are on the scene, and this means that more than double the number of families receive help. Wharton works, Wharton waits and Wharton invites. Our Wharton County neighbors are proud and independent folks who don’t want to be a bother to anyone. They speak like warriors in a battle, like comrades in arms. The hurricane is not over if they leave behind anyone who needs help. Until all receive assistance with dignity, they wait and work.
SECOND RESPONDERS BRING YOU HOME To all who have ears to hear, the Rev. Jim Liberatore proclaims, “Harvey recovery is not over!” Two years after Hurricane Harvey stormed into Texas, tens of thousands of families in our region have not yet found their way back home. “There are families still living in flooded homes that have not been mucked out,” reports Debbie Allensworth, associate at St. Andrew’s in Pearland. It is no exaggeration to say that without church involvement in Hurricane Harvey recovery, thousands of families would receive no assistance. Immediately after Harvey struck, St. Andrew’s mobilized to render assistance to hurricaneaffected families who were likely to fall through the cracks of typical disaster recovery systems. By listening, showing up, developing a plan of action, and then acting upon it, this church has built deep relationships with flood survivors. “We are here for the long-term,” Liberatore promises. St. Andrew’s arrived at the Harvey recovery mission field with a well-deserved reputation for service and trustworthiness after more than twenty years of cultivating community relationships beyond the church walls. Liberatore and Allensworth are “pastors to the community,” even to those with other church affiliations or no religious affiliation. It is no surprise that the Pearland Chamber of Commerce named St. Andrew’s “Business of the Month” in June 2019.
“WE ARE HERE FOR THE LONGTERM”
We are accustomed to praising and thanking first responders for their courageous acts when danger strikes. What is easy to overlook, however, is the group that follows close behind. Second responders like St. Andrew’s feel called to be in it “for the long haul.” Won’t you consider joining the Second Responder effort by contributing a few hours or a few days? 31 |
epicenter.org
Third Time May Not Always be the Charm When a Fourth One Arrives
Who said that Texas was too far for volunteers from Fridley, MN, to travel? Making three trips to Harvey-hit areas is still not sufficient for a group of disaster recovery volunteers from St. Philip’s Lutheran Church in Fridley. They returned in October, for their fourth week-long visit, to continue assisting with rebuilding homes post-Harvey. In April the team, whose average age is nearly 70, welcomed members from St. Christopher in League City, along with our own diocesan Hurricane Recovery team, to work alongside them. Up close, we saw firsthand how ordinary volunteers could generate extraordinary results. What we witnessed was nothing short of amazing. Greg Oliver, a St. Christopher parishioner, volunteered with St. Philip’s Disaster Relief (SPDR) team the entire week to learn for himself how one church can be so committed and impactful. A rocket scientist by trade, Oliver reflected, “I felt as much a contributor to the solution as the rest of them, even though I’ve never done these tasks. We don’t have to be experts.” The SPDR started in their congregation over 15 years ago. This trip was their 75th week-long trip to serve in a disaster area. Most of their excursions have been out-of state,
Texas Episcopalian
| 32 | 2020
hundreds of miles away from Fridley, MN. Though the majority of them have gone on these trips over a dozen times, many are newcomers or second-timers—yet all are welcome to pay it forward. Some bring skills, while most learn on the job. With a roster of volunteers that fills up fast, the SPDR team loves to serve, but most importantly they love people and they love God! They work hard and are honest about their mistakes and limitations. They leave hope and wholeness everywhere they go. What’s fun about the group is that they laugh a lot, making their team even more cohesive as they go about God’s work in serving others. If you enjoy laughing and learning while serving the Lord, join us in the diocesan Harvey Recovery field—no matter your age. Expertise is not a requirement! Greg Oliver offered the following benediction: “May God bless the incredible St. Philip’s team for traveling so far and so graciously offering their time, skill, and heart to help our community!” The third time may not always be the charm when a fourth one is on its way!
Listening to the Voiceless Before and After Harvey for those who came to his congregation took a toll of their daily lives. Getting them help became imperative. Gomez worked tirelessly to bring a licensed, bilingual, bicultural behavioral health counselor to his church. He noticed that individuals and families in the region were trying to make ends meet under pre-existing systemic pressures that were made heavier by the storm, and they needed help. For behavioral health services to succeed in this context, trust is vital, and cultural competence was nonnegotiable.
“We serve because everyone belongs” has always been the mission of St. Paul’s/San Pablo, Houston. In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, those who were already walking alongside the poor, homeless, abused, elderly and disabled are the champions of their disaster recovery. Post Harvey, it is clear that those with the least voice before the storm were the least heard after it. To come inside the gravitational pull of the Rev. Ed Gomez, Vicar of St. Paul's/San Pablo, is to learn to listen at the speed of a hurricane-force wind. Bespectacled, warm, paddling like a duck quickly underwater, cool, good-humored and confident, Gomez pulls you into the fast-moving current that is the nature of his mission. When asked how his congregation was impacted by Hurricane Harvey, Gomez almost laughed. “Everyone was affected! Everyone!” he said. He did not draw a line of distinction between the people in his pews and the people outside the church doors. Everyone belongs. Gomez speaks with compassion for the elderly poor, the homeless, the sex worker, the refugee, the immigrant, the sick, the abused, the angry and the frightened. Everyone was impacted. Everyone needs help. Everyone is needed. Basic human needs such as food, physical and mental health care, safety, and employment are daily challenges for everyone who lives in the church’s community. Twice a week, up to 80 homeless people are fed, offered a shower and provided assistance to complete forms for resources at St. Paul/San Pablo. For the homeless, Hurricane Harvey has meant services are spread thin and, in some cases, have completely evaporated. Gomez also soon discovered that the impact on mental health
Thanks to generous grants from Episcopal Relief & Development and the Bishop Quin Foundation, the Diocese of Texas Hurricane Recovery program stepped up to fund this unique disaster recovery program at St. Paul’s/San Pablo. Licensed professional counselor Marisol Salgado has earned the trust of the members of St. Paul’s/San Pablo. Word of mouth referrals are increasing, a sign that she and her professional services have gained acceptance. Salgado knew that the stigma of seeking help for mental issues would prevent people from reaching out unless she found ways to bring awareness of her programs. She offers easy-to-attend classes on everyday stresses from speaking with children to dealing with anger. Salgado is willing to share aspects of her own mental health journey so others may see mental health care as normal and healthy. She is smartphone-savvy and is planning to start a podcast called “Let’s Talk!” to expand her message of good mental health for a hurting community. Additionally, individual counseling sessions are now being offered at San Mateo, Bellaire and San Pedro/St. Peter's, Pasadena. But Gomez and Salgado know that all stories do not end well. The death toll of disasters doesn’t include those whose lives are lost from actions prompted by post-disaster trauma. This church has the reputation as a safe place, so they have borne witness to heartbreaking episodes of physical abuse and violent death which shatter families forever. Trust is a golden resource during and after disasters of all kinds, and trust is hard to build in a moment of crisis, but the team of Gomez and Salgado knows how to “love kindness and walk humbly.” Loving your neighbors and being a trusted neighbor before a disaster is the life-saving raft to recovery after a disaster. 33 | epicenter.org
BROKEN HOME, BROKEN HEART, UNBROKEN HOPE Despite all he has gone through in life, Mal, 66, has never lost hope. His willingness to ask for help and gathering the confidence to speak out have always been gifts for him. Like tens of thousands in the Houston area, Mal’s house was damaged after the waters of Hurricane Harvey seeped through his foundation—sinking it and severely damaging the walls, flooring and insulation. Electrical systems and plumbing were broken. Mold grew quickly in the heat. It took almost two years for Mal to finally receive the help he had been looking for. As volunteers from the Episcopal Diocese of Texas and West Street Recovery were cutting and installing dry wall in the Texas heat, Mal glanced back at the house and looked down at the ground with his favorite phrase, “It could have been worse.” Mal shared the house where he grew up with his now 95-year-old mother. After Harvey, Mal’s mother moved in with Mal’s sister. Mal stayed in the broken house and moved what he could save into a tiny room in the back. Mal is a black man who grew up in the 60’s. He has lived some of the turbulent history of race relations in America. He has known what it is like to be unwelcome, to have his life threatened. He has lost one sibling to a police shooting and another to diabetes. By his own admission, he has crossed the line with his own rage, his failed relationships and his broken heart. He has worked with his hands all his life in construction and as a car mechanic. He has seen more than one hurricane. Now his body is broken with severe health problems. He didn’t have the money or the materials or the tools to fix his own house. What Mal has left intact is his ability to speak and his own willingness to ask for help. Mal started talking. He spoke with FEMA. He filled out forms. He asked for help. He was turned down. “Pre-existing problems” he was told. He was told the house didn’t break during the storm even though Mal heard Texas Episcopalian
| 34 | 2020
the bones of his house splinter and crack around him. “I thought I and the house would die that night.” And then he shakes off the memory and says again, “I’m a blessed man. It could have been worse.” The rejection by FEMA broke his heart, but not his spirit. On behalf of his mother, his neighbors and himself, Mal kept talking. He talked from the mayor’s office in Houston to the Texas Legislature in Austin to government officials in Washington, D.C. Applications for assistance are often rejected because the forms are difficult to manage. Documents to prove identity and ownership may have been lost in the flooding and not easily replaced. There are also complex issues about land ownership, debt, and access to credit. Waiting for acceptance or rejection usually takes months. A group called West Street Recovery came into existence during the first days of Hurricane Harvey, beginning with rescue operations out of a kayak. West Street Recovery co-founders, Andrew Cobb, Cavanaugh Nwezi, Leah Ayer, Alycia Miles and Ben Hirsch recruited volunteers and supplies to help the most vulnerable survivors of Harvey. Ben heard about Mal and took on the challenge of Mal’s broken house. Forming partnerships for funding and volunteers from throughout the state, Ben also was joined by the Hurricane Recovery staff of Episcopal Diocese of Texas to rebuild Mal’s house into a home that would be safe, sanitary and functional again. Mal wants to bring his mother back home as one last gift to let her die in the home that she owns. Mal’s health reminds him that he, too, will die and that he would like to die in the home he grew up in, eating his mother’s yeast rolls and laughing with the neighbors. Two years after Harvey, with the help of strangers and friends like West Street Recovery and the Episcopal Diocese of Texas Hurricane Recovery, Mal’s broken home is being made whole.
A ROAD TO RECOVERY LOOKING UP
Serving others is the way Anna coped with the despair of losing her home after Hurricane Harvey flooded her house and her entire neighborhood in Montgomery County. Anna looked down the road to the needs of her parents whose home was also damaged, and then she saw the needs of her other neighbors. With her bilingual skills and a joyous personality, Anna reached out to, and for, her neighbors. Working with Molly Carr of Abundant Harvest, Anna helped identify the needs and the priorities of those around her. Molly partnered with Episcopal Diocese of Texas (EDOT) Hurricane Recovery staff, the Rev. Stacy Stringer and Project Manager Kécia Mallette. After gathering a strong team, she quickly identified a family who needed drywall, another who needed lumber, a third who needed appliances, and another family who needed help completing forms for assistance. Anna looked to her neighbors’ needs first and then began to dream about her own home. More than two years after the storm, Anna is finally looking up. She and her husband elevated their home and began building with the donated supplies from EDOT Hurricane Recovery. A new stairway lifts visitors to a porch, then to the living room still being built slowly as her husband finds time between paid employment opportunities. The space smells of new construction and not of mold anymore. Molly entered the space with whoops of joy, embracing Anna, listening to her excitement and lifting her up with words of praise and encouragement. Anna’s fatigue and despair lingered just below the surface, but with Molly’s help, her eyes sparkled with tears of relief and joy. The champion who served her community was finally excited about coming home herself. Daring to dream—to look up at her family’s future —was a gift revealed inside a house that was still a work in progress.
35 |
epicenter.org
Dancing Into Their New Home Maria was dancing as she stepped out of the car. She had a curly-haired boy in hand and a blinky-eyed baby on her hip. Other children burst forth from open car doors. At first, Maria looked like a thousand other mothers who walk with dignity bearing the daily weight of family responsibilities. A single mother with seven children under her wings, Maria was caring for her five children and providing a home for two teenage girls who had recently lost both parents to death and to deportation, respectively. But there in the middle of the street, Maria started to dance. Her face was radiant, and her body moved to music coming from the inside out. Her children joined in the dance. Today Texas Episcopalian
| 36 | 2020
was “move-in� day for Maria and her family.
Maria was in her trailer home in a Houston neighborhood when the floodwaters of Hurricane Harvey filled the streets and then poured into other homes and businesses. Each hour during the storm brought fear and decisions. Waist-deep water inside the house propelled them to escape to higher, drier ground. Herding her frightened children, she moved them in one direction, but saw snakes and alligators. Heading another direction, the family found rescue in the bucket of a front-end loader.
After the floodwaters receded, Maria returned with her family to their home, only to find that the floodwaters had lifted their trailer off its pilings. The home was twisted and dropped down on the ground, cracked like an egg from the floor to the joints in the roof. Most of their contents were beyond saving. Dangerous mold was growing inside, but they had nowhere else to go. Maria started looking for help to patch the roof leaks and make flooring repairs.
Lacking cooking facilities, the family traveled back to their now-empty lot to cook meals over a fire outside. Meanwhile, Bob and Don sought resources to remove the damaged trailer, prepare the house site, purchase and transport a new manufactured home, and furnish and prepare the home for occupancy. Bob and Don soon started to realize that their wish to help Maria’s family was becoming true because they found the support from other partners and organizations.
In another neighborhood in Houston, St. John the Divine Episcopal Church had formed what they called “Go Groups” —a component of their mission theme of “Worship. Connect. Grow. Go.” The Go small groups were given $1000 in the form of gift cards designated for hurricane relief. They were to GO find a person or family impacted by the storm and offer assistance.
After many months of being displaced, Maria and her children finally danced into their new home in February 2019. They danced to the music of thanksgiving for the blessing of people in the many organizations, including the Diocese of Texas, who partnered together to sow and grow hope.
One of the St. John the Divine Go Groups included Bob Schorr and Don Nichols. It was through working with other organizations in the city that Bob and Don learned about the mother of seven who had applied for roof and floor repair assistance. During their site visit, both men quickly noted the severity of the damage to the house, the dangerous health conditions inside it, and the deep need of this family. It was going to take more resources than their “Go Group” currently had. Don describes the moment when his friend Bob said: “We can’t repair this house. This family needs a new house. We are going to get them a new house.” Don said: “Neither of us knew how we could make a new house happen, but I could tell that the Spirit of God was speaking.” They believed that God said “Go!” not “No!” Although the intention and the desire to help Maria’s family return to a safe home after a natural disaster became a goal for the organization, they were conscious of the set-backs they would ultimately face along the process. As each new obstacle surfaced, Bob said that he knew he might have to stop and say “No”—that they couldn’t go any further. Their group had already done more than they thought they could. While seeking resources to replace the home, Maria’s family received food, clothing, and medication through the Go Group. Temporary housing was secured for the family in a single hotel room.
One of Maria’s sons held a welcome mat high with a “Bienvenidos” greeting as the family kicked off their muddy shoes before entering their new home. Maria’s eldest son danced in his stocking feet saying, “This feels like a mansion to me!” As youth volunteers from Youth Reach Houston worked for hours moving and assembling couches, tables, beds and chairs, Maria’s toddler sat on the floor using his toy tools to help. The house was blessed, not with floodwater but a sprinkle of clean holy water, Bible verses and prayer. The children each received their own Bibles. They unpacked dishes, pondered where to put the wall hooks for their towels, and flopped with glee on freshly made beds. The dance of gratitude and the spirit of joy lasted throughout the day. Bob and Don know that they have not lifted Maria and her family out of poverty. The family has deep challenges ahead of them. Maria knows that she has been given a great gift of a healthy, safe place to care for her family. The burden of that responsibility continues for her, but she has an opportunity to keep hoping and to keep dancing. Like Maria, there are tens of thousands of others that have been impacted by Harvey and who are still in need of help and hope. Not a single person or an organization can respond to all their needs. Although the obstacles can be overwhelming along the way, it takes courage and partners to say “Go! We can do this. We can help.” Maria’s new home and furnishings were sponsored in part by the Episcopal Diocese of Texas Hurricane Recovery program and Episcopal Relief & Development.
37 |
epicenter.org
HER HEART WAS IN THEIR HANDS… When a youth group from the Episcopal Church in Colorado came to Texas, for a week this summer, to help families rebuild after Harvey, they couldn’t possibly know what to expect. They quickly learned.
accompanying story. They always brought their mother a rock and a story that immediately gained sentimental value. These rocks symbolized and held the love of her children, and a bit of her family’s history.
The group immediately began eagerly preparing homes for reconstruction, painting, and even landscaping. Shocked by the sight of desperate need for repair and restoration of so many homes, nearly two years after the storm, the youth worked tirelessly—while treating those they were helping with the utmost kindness and dignity.
The unsuspecting teenagers never anticipated that their simple gesture of moving the rocks would evoke such tears of joy and gratitude from the homeowner. They had not imagined making such a positive impact on a family in need through constructing a rock garden. They left behind an amount of hope that can’t be measured.
One woman’s home was in great need of repair, on both the interior and exterior. Several members of the youth group took the initiative to clean the exterior of her home, and then organized rocks that were scattered about in the yardcreating a small rock garden.
Many members of the youth group referenced the rock garden when asked about the most powerful experience during their trip to Texas to help others. They had no idea that they were holding a woman’s delicate heart in their hands.
When the homeowner saw this creation, the result of a meticulous labor of love, she began to cry. These rocks were not just any ordinary rocks to her: They were gifts that her children had brought back from their travels, along with an
One never knows how just a simple gesture can significantly help a family recover from a disaster. Tens of thousands of families still need help recovering from Hurricane Harvey. Your diocesan Hurricane Recovery team still needs
Texas Episcopalian
| 38 | 2020
… AND THEN THERE WAS IMELDA
Storms on the Texas Gulf Coast form fast and hit hard. When Tropical Storm Imelda threatened to blow onshore this past September, the Diocese of Texas was prepared to respond equally as fast. The diocesan emergency communications system kicked into gear to connect with key congregational leaders to learn the most urgent needs of their communities. As Imelda deluged our region, areas near Beaumont and New Caney received over 40 inches of rain, even as some were still rebuilding from the 2017 Hurricane Harvey flood. Several churches launched into action with donations and frontline volunteers, and funding from Episcopal Relief & Development and our diocesan Quin Foundation arrived quickly. When the roads became passable, our diocesan disaster recovery team stopped at a Walmart in southeast Texas to purchase gift cards for storm survivors, a gesture that offers immediate help and a little hope. “We asked each Walmart employee we encountered how they were affected by the storm,” reported Suzanne Hollifield, Coordinator for Harvey Volunteers. “The person who patiently rang up our gift cards told us that her disabled mother had to relocate from her flooded, first-floor apartment to her own upstairs apartment. What worried her most was that her mother had to sleep on a mattress on the floor, but she didn’t have the strength or mobility to get up.” Her Walmart supervisor gave her permission to leave work throughout the day to help her mother up off the floor to attend to her personal needs. “There’s a saying we use often,” said Stacy Stringer, Director of Hurricane Recovery. “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can. We had a pickup truck and a credit card, so we did what we could.” Later that day conversations with Ubi Caritas Health Ministries and St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Beaumont revealed a similar need. Storm shelters were closing, and patients of Ubi Caritas had nowhere to go but back into their flood-soaked homes. “It was either go back home or be homeless,” one person explained. The diocesan disaster recovery team quickly sourced 90 brandnew bed sets, complete with bedding, and staff and volunteers from Ubi Caritas delivered them to grateful residents. Creating the sanctuary of a dry place to rest while survivors work to repair their own homes is one way to help families begin to heal. A combination of diverse community relationships, wisdom gleaned from the last storm, and abundant Episcopal generosity, all undergirded by the Holy Spirit, made it possible for the Diocese of Texas to bring tangible expressions of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to some neighbors in need. 39 | epicenter.org
EDOT Recovery Team January 9, 2020
"100 BOATS"
HARVEY DOCUMENTARY HIGHLIGHTS DIOCESAN RECOVERY WORK by Paulette E. Martin At the time when Hurricane Harvey was causing historic devastation in Southeast Texas, self-taught filmmaker Syed Hasan found himself with a camera in his hand and decided to document the rescue and relief efforts by volunteers in his community “I knew I had to tell their story,” Hasan said. As he followed along with volunteers from an emergency relief center in Tomball who got on boats to rescue those flooded out of their homes, he quickly noticed something special. “I saw people from all races and religions put their differences aside and work together for the greater good. There were no divisions at this time of tragedy, there were only humans helping humans,” Hasan recalled. Meanwhile in the Diocese of Texas, clergy at our congregations started to come forward, sharing the havoc Harvey had caused in their communities. The Rev. Stacy
Stringer from Holy Trinity, Dickinson, and the Rev. Jim Liberatore from St. Andrew’s, Pearland, were just a few of many. “When Harvey slammed our diocese, I was the rector in a severely impacted community, and Jim was the rector of a church that was assisting flood survivors,” Stringer said. “When I accepted the call to lead hurricane recovery work for our diocese, Jim was among the first people I contacted.” Soon after Harvey, Stringer joined the diocesan staff as the Director of Hurricane Recovery; one of her tasks was to deploy and oversee generous, multi-year grants from Episcopal Relief & Development and the diocesan Quin Foundation. These resources are earmarked for highly vulnerable communities and are put to work through our churches and missional communities. Support to St. Andrew’s involved and continues to include funding to cover expenses associated with all facets of their work in Harvey recovery.
“Jim’s church was already a force for flood recovery, and I wanted to equip St. Andrew’s program, Mosaic in Action, to scale up in order to help more families rebuild their lives and homes,” Stringer said. Liberatore and Debbie Allensworth, who have worked together in repairing homes for decades, decided to change gears and move into the full-time recovery business. “We formed Mosaic in Action. We were immediately embraced by the community in Brazoria County. We have helped over 250 homeowners return to safe, sanitary and secure homes,” said Liberatore. Once Hasan learned about the work Stringer and Liberatore were doing, he reached out to them to highlight their work, in what would become part of his debut documentary, “100 Boats”. “Syed wanted to learn about our diocesan long-term Harvey recovery program. We listened to each other’s Harvey storm experiences, which ran the spectrum from tragedy to heroism. I was moved by his deep care for flood survivors and his appreciation of first responders that inspired him to create this documentary,” Stringer said. Hasan describes the help he received from Stringer as vital, as she also connected him with Liberatore and Allensworth, which ultimately allowed him to develop the second half of his film. “I was able to highlight a community in Rosharon that had worked together to rebuild 180 homes that had been destroyed during Hurricane Harvey. The Episcopal Diocese of Texas and Mosaic in Action, through St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, were major contributors in the rebuilding of Rosharon, providing funds and supplies to hundreds of families that were affected by Harvey,” Hasan said. Hasan hopes his documentary is able to deliver one key message to those who watch it. “I hope viewers of this documentary are reminded about all the good and selfless people that are in this world. There are tens of thousands of people who work tirelessly every day to help others without expecting anything in return,” Hasan said. If you would like to watch "100 Boats", the documentary is available on iTunes and Amazon Prime. For upcoming screenings, please visit www.100boatsfilm.com.
If you would like to help victims who are still in the recovery phase from Hurricane Harvey and Tropical Storm Imelda: contact the diocesan hurricane recovery team at edotHurricaneRecovery@epicenter.org so that together we may make a match between your God-given gifts and the needs of our most vulnerable families. You may also shop our alternative giving market at www.edothurricanerecovery.com, which benefits storm survivors. “Let us not grow weary in doing what is good.” (Galatians 6:9).
Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose. 1 Corinthians 1:10
Embracing Differences
Hispanic Lay Leadership Conference Expands with International Presence Nearly 265 Episcopalians participated in the Hispanic Lay Leadership Conference June 14-15 at Camp Allen. This year, the commission extended the invitation to the Dioceses of Guatemala, Brazil and Costa Rica. Clergy from Jamaica and New York also participated—making it the largest Spanish-speaking conference in the Episcopal Church. Aside from having international and national presence, another highlight of the conference was that lay leaders had the opportunity to host their own workshops, allowing them to share their knowledge and leadership skills with attendees. “Two years ago, I came to the conference as a participant, and now I’m hosting my own workshop. You can all do this,” said Virginia Cordoba, lay leader of San Mateo, Bellaire. Cordoba gives credit to Bishop Hector Monterroso’s words she heard two years ago about everyone taking the role of becoming a missioner and an active leader of the Church.
The next conference will take place June 19-20, 2020 at Camp Allen.
Two Churches in Diocese Among First to Receive Grant Awards from Advisory Council on Becoming Beloved Community The Presiding Officer’s Advisory Council on Becoming Beloved Community has awarded the Brazos Valley Common Good Program at St. Andrew’s, Bryan and The One Human Race Initiative at St. James’, Austin, with a grant of $10,000 and $6,000, respectively, to further catalyze the Episcopal Church’s work on racial healing, reconciliation and justice. The Advisory Council received 74 applications from across the Church featuring a unique and inspiring vision for racial healing, reconciliation and justice. The requests far exceeded available resources. This is part of The One Human Race Initiative program. Grant recipient and St. Andrew's, Bryan, parishioner Jill Pollock’s proposal, from the Brazos Valley Common Good Program, includes holding three forums, each on a different topic: policing, housing, and education, at three churches within the Brazos Valley. In addition to forums, a new website will be created to highlight the events, including social media and emailed notices to more than 400 churches in the area to ensure the widest and most diverse audience is reached for participation and action. The grant will also fund data analytics from raw data gathered by government organizations, like the required annual report by police chiefs and county sheriffs, and the annual Regional Needs Assessment, a federally-funded Prevention Resource Center. Proposal author Teresa Chang, the executive committee member of One Human Race of St. James’, Austin, hopes the grant will allow them to hold two facilitator trainings and workshops in three Texas towns outside of Austin. The money awarded will also be used to train a dozen of facilitators within the next 2-3 years. Churches and other organizations such as the Episcopal Health Foundation, The Union of Black Episcopalians in Austin and Houston, and Court Appointed Special Advocates of Williamson County will be involved by promoting, preparing their communities, and hosting workshops and other events. Members of these communities will be invited to become volunteers and panel members. The One Human Race offers communities knowledge and tools to examine their own racial biases and form healthy multicultural communities by showing the PBS documentary “Race: The Power of an Illusion,” sharing their own personal stories and providing a safe space for participants to share this. To learn more about the Episcopal Church’s Beloved Community Campaign, visit episcopalchurch.org/belovedcommunity.
Pauli Murray Scholarship Gala Raises Thousands to Support Seminarians of Color As the Episcopal Diocese of Texas keeps growing, the need to raise up leaders who reflect the diversity within our communities becomes more vital. In an effort to ease the financial burden for those seeking priesthood, the Pauli Murray Scholarship Gala, which took place in September 2019, raised approximately $60,000 during its first fundraising campaign.
by Paulette E. Martin It was a grassroot event that connected people who once knew the legendary civil rights activist and rector, the Rev. Pauli Murray. The scholarship is named after Anna Pauline (Pauli) Murray, who in 1977 was the first African-American woman to become an Episcopal priest. The Pauli Murray Scholarship was created as a pathway to help African-American students and other students of color earn a Master of Divinity degree at the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin. “The Pauli Murray Scholarship comes up out of a real need that was experienced in one of our congregations when an aspirant who felt the call to ministry didn’t believe that they had the financial resources to achieve that goal,” said the Rt. Rev. Andy Doyle, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. Doyle adds he aims to “have leaders in the diocese who represent and look like our demographic content, in other words, that our diversity in leadership would match the people that we hope to serve.” The Rev. Jim Harrington, a newly-ordained priest at St. James’, Austin, and human rights attorney, serves as the co-chair for the Pauli Murray Scholarship Committee. “Our goal is to ultimately provide a scholarship every year for somebody for the length of three years,” said Harrington. The scholarship would provide $15,000-$20,000 in living expenses, according to need. This includes monthly college
Texas Episcopalian
| 44 | 2020
student loan payments. Harrington explains the Seminary will administer the Pauli Murray Scholarship and will do an initial screening to measure candidates’ potential. The Seminary will then consult with the committee to identify the recipient. As part of the stipend, the Seminary will also provide full tuition and facilitate housing on its campus and other funding and grants to the recipient. During the gala, Lee Crawford, one of the members of the Gala Planning Committee, had the honor of introducing Murray’s cousin and niece to attendees. Crawford, who has known Harrington for more than 25 years, also has a unique connection to Murray. A former student of Murray, he vividly recalls taking her “Political and Civil Liberties in the United States” course at Brandeis University in the early 1970s. “She was wonderfully inspiring to us as a teacher. She always brought a sense of joy and happiness with her to class,” shared Crawford. Crawford claims Murray became a very strong influence that steered him into studying law. The gala not only served as a way to reconnect people and raise money for seminarians, but it also highlighted the quick grassroot response and support from congregations in both the Episcopal and Lutheran denominations.
The Rev. Jim Harrington, co-chair of the Pauli Murray Scholarship Committee, opens the gala.
Lee Crawford, member of the Pauli Murray Scholarship Committee, welcomes Pauli Murray’s family.
The Very Rev. Cynthia Briggs Kittredge, dean, president and professor of the Seminary of the Southwest, speaks at the gala.
Keynote speaker, Anthony Pinn, Ph.D., has a conversation with gala attendees.
You shall rise before the aged, and defer to the old; and you shall fear your God: I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:32
Engaging our Seniors
EPISCOPAL SENIORS FOUNDATION FUNDS PROGRAMS ACROSS DIOCESE
The Episcopal Seniors Foundation (ESF) has supported a variety of ministries for our seniors across the diocese this year. The foundation initiated a program called The Joyful Hearts Club. At San Pedro’s/St. Peter, Pasadena, some classes have had as many as almost 50 seniors, with an average of 25 attendees per class. The group meets on the second and fourth Mondays of each month for approximately two hours. The Abundant Living Conference at Camp Allen reflected upon the theme “Laughter, the Best Medicine” and created space for participants to awaken new passions in life through music, art, nature walks, cooking, canoeing, fly fishing, and labyrinth walks. This year the ESF proudly supported the program Neighbor 2 Neighbor through Welcome Table, a ministry of St. James’, Austin. Local seniors in need receive food, emergency financial assistance, health screenings, and above all, fellowship in a caring community. Their clients have a median income of $9,939 per year, well below the federal poverty threshold. The Not Slippery When Wet Fall Prevention Program is a new partnership with Houston area floor coating professionals to install traction coating and safety lighting in seniors’ homes. Seniors gathered at San Pedro’s/ St.Peter, for food, fellowship, and learning about healthy habits and fall prevention. Young at Heart is a faith-based community that focuses on health and wellness for adults 50 years and older. It is a ministry of St. Francis, Tyler. They hold six-week workshops on topics such as Managing Chronic Disease and invite guest speakers to discuss issues from advance directives to contemplative meditation. The community's Young at Heart participants gather for fellowship through hymnal sing-alongs and bingo brunches. ESF has engaged in community outreach events to promote its programs and services.
Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, commits sin. James 4:17
Helping the d n a e l b a r e n l u V Oppressed
DEACONS MINISTER AT THE BORDER
A group of deacons and parishioners from the Diocese of Texas embarked on a learning and service pilgrimage in late July to San Antonio, McAllen, and Brownsville, Texas. They brought donations from a diocesan-wide drive, and they traveled the pilgrimage in witness to the experiences of vulnerable immigrants and asylum seekers. From an excerpt of their reflection, published on the Episcopal Diocese of Texas website: “Before leaving, we asked what more we could do? Each of the organizations need cash donations and specific material goods which are listed on their respective websites. They also need volunteers and people to advocate and come alongside them in providing basic humanitarian aid and welcome. But first, they asked that we simply carry back what we saw to our church communities, ‘Tell what you saw, tell the truth’. And that truth included smiles, kindness, hope and ‘our seeing Jesus with skin on’ in the asylum seekers who, like the infant Jesus, are seeking refuge. We experienced the same with the volunteers and staff we visited in each location. That truth is also the hard truth of the suffering and violence these families have fled to find a place where they can live safely.”
Archdeacon Russ Oechsel and Diocesan Liaison for Refugee Resettlement Alyssa Stebbing led the group of eight deacons, an Iona School diaconal student and six parishioners from around the diocese. Learn more about the trip, donation and service opportunities by contacting Alyssa Stebbing at refugeeliaison@gmail.com. Information about Episcopal Migration Ministries and its program, Partners In Welcome, can be found at epicenter.org/migration.
49 |
epicenter.org
HELPING THE VULNERABLE
PROYECTO SANTIAGO EMPOWERS AUSTIN IMMIGRANTS Proyecto Santiago, a missional community of St. James’, Austin, continues to empower Austin area immigrants by helping them prepare a power of attorney and caregiver affidavits.
deportations have taken place since the introduction of SB 4, and having a power of attorney letter, can prevent kids from being separated from their relatives.
Its founder, the Rev. Jim Harrington, a newlyordained priest serving at St. James’, Austin, and human rights attorney, is organizing immigration forums in various locations within the city of Austin to help with this service.
The workshops are conducted by volunteers and lawyers and take place in parishes and schools.
“It’s an easy enough thing for people to do,” said Harrington. “It’s an easy service for us to provide, but it can have a great consequence for a family.” Harrington explains that more and more
Texas Episcopalian
| 50 | 2020
Harrington received a grant from the Texas Bar Foundation as well as a grant from Bishop Andy Doyle to make this happen. “The Gospel has always motivated me throughout my life to do the work of the Gospel, and clearly helping poor people, helping immigrants is certainly a mandate from the Gospel,” said Harrington.
Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2
Feeding the Hungry
Christ Church Cathedral staff helps serve at Rally Against Hunger event.
Texas Episcopalian
| 52 | 2020
Rally Against Hunger Packs 100,000 Meals In August 2019, volunteers at Christ Church Cathedral, Houston, donned their hair nets and got to work packing 100,000 meals for hungry neighbors. Areas very close to the Cathedral are “food deserts”—areas where families have little or no access to groceries. The effects of these food deserts multiply when schools close and children cannot eat in their school cafeterias. Recognizing this need, the community of Christ Church Cathedral organized “Rally Against Hunger,” a oneday food packing intensive project. The event’s organizers initially called for 250 volunteers; 627 people arrived at Christ Church Cathedral to lend a hand. By the numbers, Rally Against Hunger totaled 938 volunteer hours, 100,000 meals packed, 703 in attendance at worship services, and a U-Haul truck to carry the finished meals. Just one day of impressive volunteerism helped the parents of 1,700 children know where their child’s next meal was coming from. In the words of organizers KariAnn Lessner and Karen Kraycirik, “Friendships were forged, hands got dirty, and God’s presence was felt by all.”
The Beacon By the Numbers 2018 5
DAYS PER WEEK, THURSDAY TO MONDAY, THAT THE BEACON’S DAY CENTER OPENS TO PEOPLE SEEKING FOOD, A HOT SHOWER, CLEAN LAUNDRY, AND OTHER BASIC SERVICES
264 51%
Percentage by which the rate of homelessness in the Houston area has been reduced since 2011, according to a 2018 study by collaborative homelessness-prevention effort The Way Home
300 26,966
Hot meals, on average, prepared and served daily at the Day Center in 2018
AVERAGE NUMBER OF CLIENTS WHO CHECK IN PER DAY AT THE DAY CENTER Volunteer hours clocked at the Day Center in 2018
Holy Trinity, Port Neches, Packs Over 10,000 Meals Holy Trinity, Port Neches, took part in a marathon food packing day of service for Rise Against Hunger. The event drew volunteers from not only the parish, but from the community-at-large. All ages came together around long tables to send packages of food to those in need. Rise Against Hunger serves people from around the world, so Holy Trinity is connecting with not only Port Neches but the international community.
53 |
epicenter.org
I am going to bring it recovery and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security. Jeremiah 33:6
s s e c c A g n i r u s n E to Healthcare
MANOR FREE CLINIC AIDS A COMMUNITY IN NEED
Manor Community Wellness Alliance is helping Northeast Austin residents become healthier. The alliance is composed of local area residents, church leaders, Manor ISD staff, doctors, nurses, medical students and other health professionals, social workers and community leaders—all volunteers who make this happen. Although the free clinic is in its early stages, MCWA has a strong support group that is giving it momentum. Currently, the clinics take place at the former pre-K child development center at Oak Meadows Elementary School, 5600 Decker Lane in Austin. MCWA was formed after the Rev. Alex Montes-Vela, vicar of Saint Mary Magdalene, Manor, got involved in congregational discernment workshops offered by the Diocese of Texas, Episcopal Health Foundation and others. In October 2018, Montes-Vela and a missional team of the church found out about the dire need for free access to healthcare in Manor after participating at the National Night Out—an event organized by the Manor Police Department. There, they handed out a survey entitled, "What Does Manor Need?" in English and in Spanish, "¿Qué Necesita Manor?" The survey responses were tallied, and the results showed that access to doctors was by far the greatest need, followed by healthier food and safe places for physical activities. Ever since, Mark Longley, founder of the Saint Mary Magdalene missional team and now project manager of the clinic, and with Manor physician Dr. Karen Smith, co-founder of the clinic, meet every month with people in the community to discuss how they can further assist the community's health needs. In 2020, MCWA, held a free clinic on January 18, and plans to hold additional ones on April 18, July 18, and October 17—the third Saturday of each of those months. In the future, MCWA hopes to hold the clinic monthly and then weekly. Other future plans include offering mental health first aid, community health worker certification, Spanish language classes focused on health care, and medical interpreter certification. The training will be free as a perk for volunteering. To learn more about the free clinic, visit Manor Community Wellness Alliance on Facebook. 55 |
epicenter.org
ENSURING HEALTHCARE
PRECINCT 2 CHURCH SEEKS FUNDING TO OPEN A MULTISERVICE CENTER TO ALLEVIATE HEALTH NEEDS by Paulette E. Martin When the Rev. Ed Gomez accepted the call as vicar of St. Paul’s/San Pablo, Houston, he had never imagined the lack of resources his Gulfgate community was in dire need of. Located just a few miles north of Hobby Airport in Houston’s Precinct 2, his church is in one of the most under-performing and under-resourced areas in Harris County in terms of available and accessible healthcare, education programs, job development, youth programs, and behavioral mental health programs. St. Paul’s mission is simple: “We serve because everyone belongs.” In accordance with that statement, a few months ago, Gomez partnered with Crossroads at Park Place, converting the church into a safe haven where the homeless community can come to have lunch, shower, wash clothes and get haircuts, with the goal of restoring their dignity. As Gomez and Crossroads at Park Place got to know the homeless community, they soon realized another hurdle they faced. “We learned about the need for access to healthcare,” said Gomez. “So, we provided these individuals a list of places they could go to seek medical attention and we ultimately got the same response: ‘No, we can’t really go there’ or ‘I’m not welcome there.’” With that in mind, Gomez initiated his most ambitious plan yet: to expand the church's ministry services into a comprehensive, multi-service center for Precinct 2. Right now, the clinic, which consists of a few rooms Texas Episcopalian
| 56 | 2020
in the parish hall, is open two days a week, allowing people to receive medical check-ups given by a staff family nurse-practitioner. “We realized that we really needed to have a culturally competent health care facility that was really affordable. We don’t require anyone to pay. If they can, it is a $20 visit, and if they do have insurance, we do take it,” said Gomez. The clinic came into realization through the partnership Gomez made with the Executive Director of UHPHealth, Bernice Koko. Koko has been a pioneer in providing health services for little to no cost throughout different parts of Harris County since 2016, including at St. John the Divine and St. Martin’s, both in Houston. Koko felt it was imperative to expand and offer health services at St. Paul’s after seeing with her own eyes the high rate of homelessness in the area. “After Father Ed invited me, and I came to visit and saw what I saw, I knew I had to help,” said Koko with tears welling up in her eyes. Aside from the homeless community, the clinic has also seen an influx of seniors and children. Gomez describes most parents whose kids have CHIP as being too scared to take their children to the doctor because of the current political atmosphere. According to Joy Ebomwonyi, the on-site nurse, most of her patients suffer from diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol, anxiety and depression. “We just want to make sure their hearts, their
kidneys, thyroid and hemoglobin are within limit,” said Ebomwonyi. Although Ebomwonyi relies on blood analysis as a health indicator, the wait for results is often prolonged because the blood samples must be sent to a laboratory. She hopes one day the clinic can have the resources to analyze the bloodwork onsite. St. Paul’s/San Pablo is currently seeking an initial investment of $2.1 million dollars to get the expansion project off the ground. In addition, they are seeking equal funding from each of three parties, Harris County, Harris Health, and the Great Commission Foundation of the Episcopal Church to help bring more volunteers, medical supplies and financial assistance to run the operation. “We’ve discovered that most patients have chronic diseases they need to manage and a place to access a doctor when needed. They don’t have transportation, so we need to come to them,” said Koko. 57 |
epicenter.org
ENSURING HEALTHCARE
New Leadership at El Buen Encompasses Further Strengthening Families El Buen Samaritano, a non-profit and outreach ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, welcomed Rosamaria Murillo, Ph.D., as its Executive Director on July 15, 2019. Murillo is a recognized public health advocate who has vast experience in public policy, higher education, and nonprofit and government management. Murillo oversees a 30-year-old organization that builds healthy, resilient and vibrant communities by offering high-quality and affordable education, food assistance and spiritual support to families and individuals who live in poverty.
Rosamaria Murillo, Ph.D. recently-appointed Executive Director, El Buen Samaritano, a nonprofit and outreach ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas.
In 2018-2019, El Buen Samaritano provided care to 5,662 patients— attending to over 17,500 medical visits and 643 behavioral health visits. 850 adults and youth benefitted from educational programs, and over 4,300 individuals received food and nutrition assistance. On June 6, 2019, El Buen Samaritano announced its collaboration with Lone Star Circle of Care to create new opportunities to improve access to affordable, high-quality healthcare in Austin. During their annual Hands for Hope campaign, El Buen Samaritano, along with the help of volunteers, Episcopal schools, church partners and the local community fed nearly 1,000 families during Thanksgiving.
El Buen Samaritano hopes to further extend a helping hand to more families and individuals in 2020. To learn more, visit elbuen.org.
St. Martin’s Transforms Access to Mental Healthcare Mental health is one of the most overlooked aspects of modern healthcare, yet it affects every one of us. And for those in need of higher levels of care, the costs can be prohibitive. St. Martin’s, Houston, created in 2012 a transformative new approach to ministry and mental health. Their initiative, called the Hope and Healing Center and Institute (HHCI), provides evaluation and treatment services to the community at no cost. The HHCI didn’t stop there. They have now also launched nation-wide training programs for churches to learn from their experiences. At the intersection of ministry and healthcare, clients are invited to talk, not only about their mental health, but also about their spiritual health. As of 2019, the HHCI has grown to serve a whopping 800 people a week, gratis.
Texas Episcopalian
| 58 | 2020
I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. John 13:34-35
Reaching the Community
REACHING FOR COMMUNITY
Big Dreams, Big Faith Members of St. Stephen’s, Liberty, and community partners have found common ground in their shared hope for a healthier city. The fruit of that work is their newly-formed nonprofit, the dWELLing. In addition to a bold vision to “restore hope and vitality to improve community wellness,” the team has put in the hard work to engage the full community and remained faithful to a grand calling to serve all people. St. Stephen’s has a long history of actively working to serve the people of Liberty. Some might say it’s in the DNA of the faith community. Former rector the Rev. Bob Greene formed the Texas Rural Leadership Program (TRLP) to provide leadership training for rural and underserved communities statewide. In 2016, with support from Episcopal Health Foundation, St. Stephen’s became the launching pad for Episcopal congregations’ involvement with TRLP. Following that effort, St. Stephen’s applied in 2018 to participate in Episcopal Health Foundation’s Holy Currencies Ministry Incubator to develop their big dream of a wellness center into a community-shared reality. The big dream began with a vision to create a wellness center to serve all people in Liberty—a one-stop shop for connection and a destination for restoration. The big dream 60 |
epicenter.org
also included plans for indoor and outdoor facilities for physical wellness, yoga, gardening, dining, and classes on everything from healthy cooking to parenting and budgeting, and open green space for gathering and celebrating as one community. Part of the Holy Currencies framework is to develop relationships and cultivating partnerships. A key partnership that has emerged is with the Liberty Independent School District. In the middle of town, in an economically and racially diverse neighborhood, sits the vacant 14-acre campus of the old San Jacinto Elementary school. On that fenced site remain classroom buildings, a gymnasium, a garden and lots of open space for gathering. It's an almost perfect spot that combines relationships, big dreams, and available space. The former school site will need some work to eventually become the dWELLing, but the structures in place are in good shape and more people are ready to get involved. For more information on TRLP and Holy Currencies and how your congregation can deepen community connections, visit episcopalhealth.org.
CRAWFISH BOIL TURNS LOW SUNDAY HIGH AT ST. JAMES’, HOUSTON For the second consecutive year, Low Sunday at St. James’ Houston is no longer. In 2018, the parish had a desire to increase the attendance on what is traditionally referred to as Low Sunday, the Sunday following Easter Sunday. To encourage parishioners to return en masse on Low Sunday, the church invited Rice University Associate Professor Alex Byrd to participate in a panel discussion after the worship service, just before the parish’s first Low Sunday Crawfish Boil. This event proved to be wildly successful! This year, the parish decided to host another all-you-can-eat crawfish boil, with no panelist. The result: 2019 Low Sunday realized attendance that was at least equivalent to the Easter Sunday attendance. Now an annual event, the Low Sunday Crawfish Boil has become the church’s Brotherhood of St. Andrew signature event–giving parishioners and visitors an opportunity to fellowship with each other, while also enjoying a fun meal. For just $10, attendees can enjoy all-you-can eat crawfish with sides of corn, sausage, and potatoes. What a small price to pay for such a priceless experience!
ST. MARK’S, BEAUMONT, CHILI SUPPER & BAZAAR DRAWS THOUSANDS FOR CHARITY It’s an annual celebration many eagerly anticipate and savor. For over 75 years, St. Mark’s Chili Supper & Bazaar is an event that draws the community of Beaumont and beyond to devour tasty chili, and at the same time give back to the community of Southeast Texas. The flavorful chili is made from an old family recipe, dating further back than the chili supper itself. To meet the high demand, St. Mark’s volunteers start cooking in August—11 weeks ahead of the event. Each week, the team makes an average of 280 pints and 190 quarts of chili. And get this—they ALWAYS sell out! For those who prefer a mellow evening, St. Mark’s also hosts a “Chili Pepper Pub,” where attendees can enjoy their chili with cold beer and live music. In 2019, St. Mark’s managed to raise $35,000 from the Chili Supper and Bazaar. The money raised comes from the chili sale, the silent auction and bazaar—where a variety of vendors sell jewelry, baby items, bath products, fragrances, sweets and more. The resale shop: The Treasure House, contributed an additional $20,000—for a grand total of $55,000. To learn more and to save the date for their 2020 event, visit stmarkschili.com
1960 HOPE CENTER EXPANDS ITS SERVICES, RELOCATES TO A BIGGER FACILITY The 1960 Hope Center, a ministry for the homeless founded by St. Dunstan’s, Houston, relocated to a new facility in May 2019, a two-story, 14,000-square-foot building at 821 Peakwood Dr. in northwest Houston. The move was made to further expand the Center's services to the growing number of guests who seek assistance, as well as to enable agencies to offer additional onsite services. According to Board President Debbie Johnson, since 2016 the 1960 Hope Center has served more than 2,000 individuals. The center has morphed into providing more than just the basic needs for an individual—now the non-profit offers food stamps, classes such as financial and anger management, a GED program, and resume writing; and a path to getting state identification so that those seeking help are prepared to go into the real world. Allen Aaron White, the on-site chaplain, is also available to answer and provide pastoral care. The center is inclusive to all faiths and aims to start a community of faith, starting with small groups. “We extend our unconditional love and offer it as a gift,” said White. To learn more, volunteer or donate to support the new facility, visit 1960hopecenter.com 61 |
epicenter.org
Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray. Proverbs 22:6
Advancing Education
EPISCOPAL HIGH SCHOOL STANDS OUT ANNOUNCES FIRST DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY AND INCLUSION In May of 2019, Houston’s Episcopal High School (EHS) appointed lifelong educator Wayne Jones as its first Director of Community and Inclusion. Head of School Ned Smith announced that Jones would join the school’s senior leadership in this capacity. In addition to his nearly nine-year tenure at Episcopal High School, Jones has also taught and coached at The Kinkaid School and Strake Jesuit College Preparatory School.
Wayne Jones
EHS realizes that there are hard conversations to be had, and the belief is that the faculty and staff are willing to make them happen. Efforts towards arriving at this point started with a group of faculty beginning a conversation on inclusion several years ago. Jones was part of that discussion and began to explore the National SEED Project, a peer-led professional program that focuses on creating conversational communities to drive change toward greater equity and diversity.
Jones has a wealth of experience, having served as history teacher, junior grade level dean, and boys' varsity basketball head coach. In addition to getting to know the faculty, students, parents, and alumni better, he also looks forward to starting a faculty book club on inclusiveness, continuing the Black History Month program, but also celebrating Hispanic Heritage and Women’s Month. He further envisions moving the annual Culture Fest to the spring semester, creating even more support around the event. His five-year goal is to be the person who helped change the narrative and conversations at EHS. He would like for everyone to feel comfortable speaking up and speaking out, while respecting others’ opinions throughout all constituencies. 63 |
epicenter.org
ADVANCING EDUCATION
WELCOME TABLE RECEIVES GRANT St. James’, Austin, was one of 23 Episcopal-affiliated programs to receive grant funding from the All Our Children National Network for their program “Welcome Table.” Grants were awarded to those programs which showed “exemplary commitment to high-quality public education, commitment to race equity and inclusion and strong demonstration of a blend of effective justice action with charitable service” (Episcopal News Service, 2019). Welcome Table is the only Freedom Schools program in Austin, a six-week reading and STEM enrichment program for elementary school students who are at risk of falling behind academically. This ministry is a vital resource for the community, not only for bridging elementary schoolers’ academic gap during summer months, but also for building bonds between volunteers and students.
BISHOP RYAN VISITS ST. STEPHEN’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL On Thursday, Oct. 17, the Rt. Rev. Kathryn Ryan, newly appointed bishop suffragan of the western region of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, visited The Hill. In addition to meeting with school leaders and having lunch with the campus community in the dining hall, Ryan spoke to students in both Upper School and Middle School Chapels. Alluding to letters written by St. Ignatius of Antioch just before he was martyred in Rome in 108 A.D., the bishop offered students words of advice that she has come to embrace in her new role. “Suffer all people in love,” she said. “Ask for wisdom you do not have and commit to passing along the gifts you receive in life.” Toward the end of Upper School Chapel, five Spartans presented Ryan with a commemorative wooden plaque that they designed and engraved using a DNC router, the newest piece of high-tech equipment in the school’s Project and Idea Realization Lab. In creating the intricate design, 9th graders Emmie Casey, Meredith Clay and Jackson Price, along with 11th graders Bo Parham and Isabella Villarreal, emulated the cross that Ryan designed and wore when she was ordained in June. In addition to overseeing some 80 Episcopal congregations in cities ranging from Waco to Matagorda, Ryan serves as chair of the board of trustees at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School, Seminary of the Southwest and El Buen Samaritano. As Ryan leads our trustees, who are charged with school governance and advocacy, she looks forward to building strong relationships throughout the campus community and getting to know our members even better.
Texas Episcopalian
| 64 | 2020
For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Jeremiah 29:11
Guiding our Youth
GUIDING OUR YOUTH
Children’s Choir Gears Up to Sing at National Cathedral In 2016, the Rev. Ed Gomez, vicar of St. Paul’s/San Pablo, Houston, began to recruit students from the nearby Park Place Elementary School and from his congregation to start a children’s choir. Three years later, the choir is gearing up to sing their hearts out with other choristers at the Sacred Choral Music Festival being held at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., February 1416, 2020.
incredible opportunity," said Zimmerman. The St. Paul’s/San Pablo Children’s Choir received a very generous donation from a private benefactor that will cover much of the cost of the trip, including airfare, lodging and meals.
“This will be a life-changing experience and exposure for our “WE ARE ALL children at St. Paul’s/San Pablo, Houston,” said Gomez. “I am SO GRATEFUL FOR grateful for Linda Patterson, THIS INCREDIBLE Ph.D., who, through offering choir OPPORTUNITY.” The choir is led by Kari camp, has introduced the best of Zimmerman, a soprano singer who our traditions to our Latino children, has been singing at St. Paul’s/San Pablo and to our children’s choir director, Ms. since October 2012. Kari Zimerman, whose passion and work with our children has inspired them to see outside "To say I am thrilled for this trip would be a massive their world.” understatement! These kids have been working very hard and I'm excited to bring their talent to the National Cathedral. We are all so grateful for this Texas Episcopalian
| 66 | 2020
We wish these talented students the best of luck at their first national festival!
Nearly One Hundred Diocesan Youth Help with Hurricane Harvey Recovery
Eleven churches from across the diocese came together from July 14-19, 2019, for Missionpalooza 2019. An annual Episcopal Diocese of Texas youth mission trip, Missionpalooza continued focusing on disaster relief in 2019, serving a second year on Hurricane Harvey recovery work. Last year, nearly 100 youth and adults volunteered to support this effort. Churches represented were Christ Church Cathedral, Houston; Good Shepherd, Tomball; Holy Comforter, Angleton; Palmer Memorial, Houston; St. Catherine of Sienna, Missouri City; St. Mark’s, Bay City; St. Michael’s, Austin; St. Matthew’s, Austin; St. Stephen’s, Liberty; Trinity, Baytown; and Trinity, Houston. Missionpalooza 2019 began on Sunday night with worship and a visit from the Rt. Rev. Kai Ryan, bishop suffragan of the Western Region, whose own home flooded during Harvey. She welcomed the group to Houston and told of her own story of rescue and recovery after Harvey. Beginning Monday morning and for the rest of the week, teams worked across the Houston area, partnering with two area organizations, SBP-Houston and our diocese’s own Mosaic in Action, part of St. Andrew’s, Pearland. Volunteers worked on eight homesites, doing everything from demolition to sheetrock and painting to getting homeowners back into their homes. Many of the homes were still uninhabitable almost two years after Harvey hit Houston. As Suzanne Hollifield, volunteer coordinator for Harvey Recovery in the Diocese of Texas observed, Missionpalooza helped homeowners return to their “houses that love built.” Many participants have come back year after year to be the church in mission. Missionpalooza 2018 served in the Diocese of West Texas by working in areas either forgotten after the storm, like Refugio and Bayside or in areas in the eye of the storm, like Port Aransas and Aransas Pass. In previous years, Missionpalooza has served after disasters across the region, from Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, after Hurricane Katrina to the fires in Bastrop, Texas, to tornados in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Planning for Missionpalooza 2020 has begun. Contact Stephanie Townes, youth event and young adult coordinator at stownes@epicenter.org, if your congregation is interested in joining this annual diocesan event.
GUIDING OUR YOUTH
MIDWINTER 2019 WAS AN OVERWHELMING SUCCESS After Camp Allen's annual high school Midwinter retreat over Christmas break in 2018, three college students came to leaders at the Episcopal Diocese of Texas with a proposal: allow the three of them to direct the next year’s Midwinter retreat. After connecting them to an experienced youth leader, the diocese agreed to give Mike Ruka, Andrew Thoss and Christian Williams the opportunity to run this retreat for high school students. Midwinter 2019 was an overwhelming success. Ruka, Thoss and Williams planned everything from the theme, “Love Never Fails,” based on 1 Corinthians 13:8, to raising up and training other college student leaders, to designing the T-shirt, schedule and menu. 52 high school students from 24 churches worshipped, played, and learned more about God’s never-failing love while enjoying the beauty of Camp Allen. Plans are already in the works for Midwinter 2020, which will be held Dec. 27-29, 2020, at Camp Allen and will be led by another group of college student leaders.
ST. MARY’S, WEST COLUMBIA RECEIVES ECUMENICAL GRANT FOR YOUTH OUTREACH The Perkins School of Theology at SMU chose St. Mary’s West, Columbia, to receive a competitive Reboot grant. The program, funded through the Lilly Endowment, provides resources to churches that are too small to hire a youth director. As a church with under 75 members and nicknamed the “Mustard Seed Church” for their can-do spirit, St. Mary’s is the perfect candidate community. In partnership with the Columbia United Methodist Church, St. Mary’s will receive hands-on training, funding, and mentoring. They will join a visioning process to discern the future of youth ministry in West Columbia.
Texas Episcopalian
| 68 | 2020
But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. James 1:22
Ministry in Parishes
MINISTRY IN PARISHES
ST. AIDAN’S WORKSPACE: A PLACE OF COLLABORATION AND COMMUNITY Do you work from home and wish to find a working spot where you can connect, collaborate and create? Saint Aidan’s, Cypress, has designed St. Aidan’s Workspace, a place where you can be productive and experience community, kindness and spirituality. St. Aidan’s Workspace is an innovative new coworking space that features comfy areas, complimentary WiFi, electrical outlets, worktables and chairs, access to a kitchen, and plenty of space to spread out and get your work done. Although St. Aidan’s Workspace opens with an optional prayer and/or Bible study every work session, participation is not required. Everyone is welcome. With the Cypress area currently experiencing an explosion in the number of solopreneurs, telecommuters and people who keep a virtual office, St. Aidan’s Workspace aims to increase collaboration and community. Currently, St. Aidan’s Workspace is open Wednesdays between 1-4 p.m. As demand increases, workspace hours will expand. Some of the extra features for guests include light printing capabilities, the ability to have a work mailing address, private conference room or work space, and small, quiet spaces where you can make and receive telephone calls. For more information about St. Aidan’s Workspace, contact info@aidanschurch.org.
ST. JAMES’, HOUSTON ATTRACTS NATIONALLYACCLAIMED AUTHOR FOR ECW LUNCHEON The St. James’ Episcopal Church Women (ECW) Dr. Janie Brown Chapter celebrated its 21st Annual Author’s Luncheon with nationally-acclaimed writer Margaret Wilkerson Sexton in a sell-out event. Sexton’s The Revisioners, and A Kind of Freedom, were the topics of the book talk event.
Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
Texas Episcopalian
The event, held Saturday, December 7, 2019, at St. James’, Houston, featured speaker, Sexton, a native of New Orleans who currently lives in the Bay Area, and is author of award-winning books featured in numerous magazines and other national platforms. The December luncheon is the ECW’s largest fundraiser and powers signature efforts of the group that take place year-round. Held on the first Saturday of each December, the planning committee also hosts the Holiday Market with vendors selling items ranging from art to clothing and jewelry, before and after the luncheon. This year’s luncheon marked the first under the chapter’s new name, The St. James’ ECW Dr. Janie Brown Chapter, in honor of one of its most active and generous members who passed away in 2019.
| 70 | 2020
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31
Celebrating n i h t i w s e n o t s e l i M Parishes
St. Philip’s, Palestine, Celebrates 160 years Founded in 1859, St. Philip’s celebrated its 160th anniversary in May of 2019. The church was originally organized by approximately a dozen Palestine families, under the leadership of the Rev. John Owens from Nacogdoches.
For many years, the group met in the homes of its early members, or in other churches. Property for its first structure was not purchased until 1874. In December of that year, Bishop Gregg placed the cornerstone for the construction of a new church, where the Rev. James Adams served as the first rector. The 160th anniversary was observed with worship and the Eucharist that celebrated the Feast of St. Philip. This was followed by a birthday party with grilled hamburgers, hotdogs, and a birthday cake, along with a history lesson. The current rector, the Rev. Justin Briggle, hopes to make the church’s anniversary celebration an annual event.
St. Stephen’s, Huntsville, Celebrates 150 Years of Ministry with A Quilt Auction It was a milestone for St. Stephen’s, Huntsville, as they celebrated 150 years of ministry. The church held a spaghetti dinner and a quilt auction—a longstanding tradition—the proceeds of which went to the construction of a jubilee garden, playground and disc golf course. The significance of their quilts is that each time a child was baptized at the church, they would receive a quilt made by women within the parish. According to Nancy Franklin, an organizer of the event and parishioner of the church, “the quilts bear the same pattern, fish swimming against a blue sea, a motif for Jesus’ call to make disciples ‘fishers of men’ in Mark 1:17.” Parishioners have worked to sew dozens of quilts for the auctions, ranging in size from small wall hangings to twin bed size. The quilts feature a variety of colors and styles, including modern batiks, western themes and traditional patterns with vintage fabrics.
St. Augustine of Hippo, Galveston, celebrates 135 Years
Established in 1884, the first predominantly African-American Episcopal Church in the state of Texas celebrated its 135th anniversary. The Rt. Rev. Andy Doyle led the milestone worship service and celebrated the Eucharist. He was assisted by lead deacon and spiritual leader Michael Brady, who assumed his role on the day of this momentous occasion. The church was established after 50 black seamen petitioned the Rev. Charles Parkman, rector of Grace, Galveston, for their own parish. They wished to worship on the sabbath. Before its establishment, the group could attend services held for them at Grace, but only on Wednesday and Friday evenings. A black physician and clergyman from Louisville, Kentucky, the Rev. William Floyd, Ph.D., served as the first vicar of St. Augustine of Hippo. He was appointed in the summer of 1885. The 135th anniversary celebration was followed by a brunch at Sutton Hall, named in honor of the Rev. Fred Sutton who served as vicar in the mid-1950s.
Texas Episcopalian
| 72 | 2020
John and Charlotte Henderson in 1946, left, and 2019, right. (Longhorn Village)
Long Time Trinity, Baytown, Couple Celebrates 80 Years of Marriage On Sunday, December 22, Trinity, Baytown, paid tribute to the world’s oldest living couple, who celebrated 80 years of marriage. John and Charlotte Henderson, long time parishioners of Trinity, have been recognized by Guinness World Records for the longevity of their love. The Rev. Meredith Crigler made sure that the couple, now residing at an Austin retirement community, had flowers at the altar to commemorate their anniversary. The Hendersons have been together for 85 years, and married for 80. According to the couple, their secret to longevity is living in moderation, eating right, not drinking too much and having an active lifestyle.
Silk Purse 60th Anniversary Grace Church in Galveston founded Silk Purse 60 years ago this year. Silk Purse is a clothing program that ensures that those in need in the community have the basic clothing items most of us take for granted. But the program isn’t just a clothing bank—it is a center of community connection. Long-time volunteers have built ties with those regulars who patronize Silk Purse, extending the Grace Church community further in the Galveston area. The “little shop” is an enduring reminder that our work as the Body of Christ has transformative impact.
CELEBRATING MILESTONES
Photo: Houston Chronicle
CATHEDRAL’S ROBERT SIMPSON SCORES ANOTHER GRAMMY NOMINATION Robert Simpson, canon for music at Christ Church Cathedral, Houston, received the honor of a Grammy nomination for his work in the Houston Chamber Choir, specifically for “Duruflé: Complete Choral Works,” a performance of music by 20th century French composer Maurice Duruflé. Simpson is the Choir's artistic director and conductor. In a previous interview, we asked Canon Simpson how his faith is woven into his profession, and he said, “I believe that music is a fundamental human expression that can tap into our deepest emotions. It is for this reason that it has been a part
Texas Episcopalian
| 74 | 2020
of worship throughout history. Below the level of harmony, counterpoint, structure and instrumentation, music touches us at our core. Our strongest emotions, be they happy or sad, bring us to a point where words fail and only music remains. We hum, we whistle, we sing ‘Happy Birthday,’ ‘Auld Lang Syne,’ and ‘O Come, All Ye Faithful.’ This is not a conditioned response or social convention. This comes out of our very soul. To recognize this is to recognize God within each of us. My lucky life is being spent connecting people to this source of life.”
Photo: Mark Brown
EPISCOPALIAN WHO SPARKED WIRELESS REVOLUTION RECEIVES NOBEL PRIZE IN CHEMISTRY The quote “You’re never too old to set a new goal or to dream a new dream,” by C.S. Lewis, applies to Dr. John B. Goodenough, who at age 97 was awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his pioneering role in developing the lithium-ion batteries that now power our cell phones, electric cars and other electronic gadgets. Goodenough, who became the oldest Nobel winner, is also a member of St. Matthew’s, Austin. "Live to 97 (years old) and you can do anything," Goodenough
said in a statement. "I'm honored and humbled to win the Nobel Prize. I thank all my friends for the support and assistance throughout my life." Dr. Goodenough spends much of his time in the lab conducting research at the University of Texas at Austin. He is currently listed as staff and professor in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin and holds the Virginia H. Cockrell Centennial Chair in Engineering. 75 |
epicenter.org
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2
Transforming Lives
Each Ordinand signed the Declaration in the sight of all present. Rhonda Rogers pictured here.
NOTABLE HIGHLIGHTS FROM IONA SCHOOL FOR MINISTRY 2019 was a monumental year for the IONA School for Ministry. Not only did they celebrate their 100th graduate, 10 new deacons were also ordained at Christ Church Cathedral, Houston, on June 22. The celebrant of the service was the Rt. Rev. Jennifer BrookeDavidson, bishop of West Texas. After her sermon, each candidate to the diaconate answered a series of questions posed by Bishop Andy Doyle during what is known as The Examination. They were asked to follow Christ and model their lives on Scripture, “to interpret to the Church, the needs, concerns and hopes of the world.� As each knelt in front of
the bishop, he placed his hands on their heads and recited the Prayer of Consecration. Michael Brady, William Bullard, James Enelow, James Harrington, Melva Love, Rhonda Rogers, Elizabeth Woodson, Hannah Pommersheim, Minerva Camarena Skeith and Cameron Spoor were ordained. Many of the newly-ordained deacons have served their churches and communities by assisting church plants, starting missional communities and serving as vestry members for many years while having another profession. 77 |
epicenter.org
My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places. Isaiah 32:18
Building for the Future
Holy Spirit, Waco, Committed to Inclusiveness This past June, Holy Spirit began construction on an inclusive playground—one of the city’s first. The play area is designed to meet the special needs of children ages 2-6, accommodating all disabilities. It meets Americans with Disabilities Act standards and contains safe turf and staticproof surfaces, providing protection for hearing aids and other devices. Church leadership had been in discussion about this facility for about three years, fueled by Associate Rector Preston Yancey’s own experiences of having a child who could certainly benefit from this innovative space. The Rev. Jason Ingalls, the church’s rector, was quoted in a local newspaper stating, “We think that we have a responsibility to God not only for the people who come here, but for the neighborhood around us.” Bishop Kai Ryan blessed the playground on August 25. Holy Spirit is clearly making a difference in the community it serves in Waco.
Holy Comforter Debuts New Worship Space
After years of planning, visioning, and fundraising, the new worship space at Holy Comforter, Spring, was dedicated by the Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle on Saturday, March 2, 2019. The new worship space is designed on traditional Episcopal architectural principles and is built in the shape of a cross.
Students Raise Funds for Local Coral Reef Conservation Teaching students to be virtuous global citizens is part of the mission of St. Thomas the Apostle Episcopal School, Nassau Bay. Through project-based learning, fourth graders at St. Thomas’ have been studying coral reefs, specifically investigating coral bleaching as a result of ocean acidification due to increased atmospheric CO2 levels. This ongoing project includes many types of learning experiences such as observing the effects of acidic water on shells, reading a graphic novel about coral, and a field trip to the Moody Gardens Aquarium and Coral Rescue Lab. After watching a video about how many of the world’s reef systems are at risk, the students’ passions were stirred into action. With the support of their science teacher Mrs. Vetter, students decided to create coral-themed crafts like magnets, embroidered towels, paintings and bracelets, which they sold at the St. Thomas’ Family Fun Festival in October of 2019. Students raised over $400 to support the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of Galveston.
CAMP ALLEN CAMPSITE 4 READY TO HOST HUNDREDS OF CAMPERS
The Centennial Fund for Camp Allen was launched to fund 21 mission-critical projects—new facility construction for campers, green investments, and many campus renovations, and park and pavilion improvements. Most of the projects are now complete, and Camp Allen is already benefiting from these investments. The final and largest project, Campsite 4, will have the biggest impact by increasing capacity to serve more campers and visiting groups. This was the first major campsite expansion in over 40 years.
Following site prep, the slab was poured in December. Earthwork continues around the foundation and driveway, and the steel columns of the building will soon be erected. Construction completion is anticipated by Fall 2020, with plans to welcome the first summer campers at Campsite 4 in 2021. In addition, the Kensinger Kitchen (named for Angie and Stuart Kensinger) will be built between the Bishop Doyle Center and the residence facilities in the summer of 2020. This outdoor kitchen will feature a large grill, prep area, and a covered pavilion area with seating for 40 people.
Construction on the four camper residences at Campsite 4 was completed in 2019. Nestled among the pines overlooking Lake Coffield, each of these residences contains two bunkrooms, a scenic porch, and spacious restroom facilities which houses 100 campers. Once in operation, Campsite 4 will enable 700 more children to attend a life-changing week at Camp Allen each summer!
CAMP ALLEN CAMPAIGN UPDATE
BISHOP DOYLE CENTER UNDERWAY After years of planning and dreaming alongside Studio Red Architects, Paradigm Construction is now hard at work on the Bishop Doyle Center, adjacent to Campsite 4. This impressive 22,000 square foot facility will contain an allcamp dining hall with seating for 500, commercial kitchen, director's quarters, large porches, and programming areas. Texas Episcopalian
| 80 | 2020
On the campaign front, a generous challenge grant from the J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation has provided an incentive to other donors, pushing efforts over the $13 million mark. The campaign is expected to be completed in the coming months to ensure construction remains on schedule. Camp Allen is thankful to the foundations, families, and individuals who have supported this Centennial journey. It has been a meaningful and joyful experience because it has deepened relationships with old friends and developed many new friends along the way. Completing the Centennial Fund will ensure that Camp Allen has the facilities, space, and resources to serve more people into the next decade and beyond. This makes for a very exciting future!
It is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts 20:35
Working for You
THE REV. CANON JOSEPH M.C. CHAMBERS CHIEF OF STAFF The Rev. Canon Joseph M.C. Chambers joined the Episcopal Diocese of Texas September 1, 2019. Canon Chambers supports Bishop Andy Doyle’s work, amplifying the vision of the Diocese of Texas. Chambers served as Canon to the Ordinary at the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri prior to joining the diocesan team. He succeeds the Rev. Canon Christine M. Faulstich, who is now Canon to the Ordinary for the diocese.
TAMMY LANIER DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
Tammy Lanier joined diocesan staff June 3, 2019. Lanier served as Director of Communications and Creative Services for Harris County Department of Education (HCDE) for 17 years prior to joining the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. Before her tenure at HCDE, Lanier served in the same capacity in higher education. She succeeds Carol E. Barnwell, who led the Department of Communications for over 25 years.
IN MEMORIAM The Houston Diocesan Center lost employee Ashley Nicole Mendez, 35, on November 24, 2019. Ashley served as Executive Assistant to Chief Financial Officer Linda Riley Mitchell. She carried with her a warm smile and contagious laughter, while serving as an exceptional asset to both the Business Department and the diocese as a whole. Ashley leaves to mourn her memory her parents and precious son Charlie, who was the light of her life. She is deeply missed by many, including those who worked with her in the Houston Diocesan Center and across the diocese.
The diocese now has an app in both the App Store and the Google store. Download today! Search for the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, and EDOT will appear. Simply click “GET.” Stay connected through your handheld device. Texas Episcopalian
| 82 | 2020
More Than Just A Gathering: Small Church Network Grasps Financial Knowledge Small Church leaders were equipped with financial knowledge during the Fall 2019 gathering at Camp Allen. With a record attendance of over 70 church treasurers and wardens, participants had the opportunity to learn from the Diocese of Texas’ Finance Department. Workshops during the gathering included Financial Best Practices and Operations, Being Good Financial Stewards of Church Resources, Do’s and Don’ts of Financial Management, to name a few. Join the conversation at the next Small Church Network Gathering, taking place Sunday, March 1-2 at Camp Allen. The topic will be Christian Education and Formation.
DISCOVERY RETREAT May 29-31, 2020 and September 18-20, 2020
WORSHIP
EDUCATION
OTHER MINISTRIES
God has graced us with many gifts. Do you know what they are? How are you using yours? Discernment occurs in community. Join us in Discovery Retreat to help discern your calls. You are encouraged to contact the Chair of the Commission on Ministry, The Rev. Francene Young, or Ana Gonzales May in the Commission on Ministry Office at 512.478.0580 or 800.947.0580 to ask any questions.
The Discovery series is a wonderful weekend opportunity to begin the work of discerning one's call to serve God in His church, community, and the world. Open to all in the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. Participation is mandatory for those discerning a call to ordained ministry (deacon or priest) in the Diocese of Texas. Participation in the retreat is highly recommended for those discerning a call to ministries as a Lay Leader. 83 |
epicenter.org
The Episcopal Diocese of Texas 1225 Texas Street Houston, TX 77002-3504
www.epicenter.org
