CommuniquĂŠ
Summer 2011 Edition Vol. 19, No. 5
Page 2
Communiqué
Communiqué Vol. 19, No. 5 Summer 2011
Website: www.ecwnational.org
National ECW Vice President for Information and Communication: Marilyn Rishkofski Maggie Williams, editor Printed by Copy Cats Printing Hattiesburg, MS
Submissions to Communiqué are from unique and diverse people throughout the world. Opinions expressed in these submissions are those of the author and not necessarily held by members of the ECW board.
To receive the Communiqué, to report a change of address or to submit an article or photograph for inclusion in the next edition, contact: Marilyn Rishkofski 186 Little River Road Hampton, NH 03842 603-926-0443 vpinformationcommunication @ecwnational.org
Subscription to Communiqué is on a voluntary basis. Suggested rate is $12. Additional contributions are always welcome. Send check payable to the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society to: Sandra Powers ECW Treasurer 3 Adoracion Circle Hot Springs Village, AR 71909 treasurer@ecwnational.org
Deadline for the next edition of Communiqué is July 30, 2011.
Summer 2011
From the President’s Desk
Journeys can be shared and inspiring to others
This issue of the Communiqué is bringing you information on the various ministries in the Episcopal Church that are considered “women’s” ministries. It is also giving you an update on Marcia Himes the Triennial MeetECW National ing, which is just a President little over a year away – boy, time flies. Our theme, “Many Paths, One Journey,” has become an inspiration to me and is showing me new ways of thinking about things. As we travel together on this journey, we are called to many different ministries in the church. As I look as these different paths on the same journey, I see that I am on many of these roads. I am a member of ECW and Daughters of the King. I participate in United Thank Offering, Church Periodical Club and the Altar Guild. Sometimes it is necessary for me to jump to a different path so to speak. I am sure this is also the case for many of you. In many small churches these groups are very intertwined. It may look a little like a busy interchange on a freeway – one of those where several roads come together for a time. In Denver, Col., this area is called the Mouse Trap and I just recently learned that in Indianapolis, Ind., it is called the Spaghetti Bowl. These areas can be con-
fusing, full of accidents and maybe hard to navigate. It’s the same journey, just arriving on different roads. You may come into the trap or the bowl on one highway, but leave on another. You could arrive at church to serve on the altar guild, become the UTO coordinator at announcement time and leave as the chair of the ECW spring luncheon. The United Thank Offering Board and the National ECW Board spent some time this spring traveling our journey together. We met at the same retreat center in Indianapolis. We traveled together to visit the hotel and convention center to get a handle on how the Triennial Meeting will look. We shared worship, meals and some free time. But we were also on our “individual” paths. It was the UTO granting session, and the ECW board spent lots of time on the Triennial Meeting planning. We were in and out of the trap or bowl, coming together for a time and on our separate roads for a time. I know the same happens in parishes and dioceses across the communion. So I urge you to read about the others who share the journey with you. As you read you may see some of your own travels, or you may find a new path you would like to try. As we move forward, sisters on this journey, I urge you to help, encourage and pray for those traveling along side you and those on other paths.
God’s peace to you, Marcia Himes
Thank you to Michael Rishkofski for designing the cover of this edition of Communiqué www.ecwnational.org
Summer 2011
Communication: The Good News One Journey, Many Paths? Now I have your attention. As the deadlines neared for this issue of the Communiqué, I began to visualize our wonderful Triennial theme in reverse. Of course, this thought came to me at 3 a.m. on May 14 (deadline was May 15) as I counted, not sheep, but how many articles had been sent to date (very few). Our focus for the issue was how we all travel a path fraught with delays, detours and difficulties. What better way to illustrate this than by reminding this communicator the articles submitted will be a testimony to this process. We all have many different ways of walking our communication path. Some of us need weeks to ponder what we are trying to convey; some need that dreaded deadline hovering overhead to be inspired and motivated to write. As my fellow National Board communicator, Christine Budzowski, tells me, some think of themselves as procrastinators and will do anything not to sit down and write while some are as patient as Job waiting for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Whatever category you place yourself in, be assured that I am grateful to you for sharing your amazing experiences as you have traveled your own path. Sequel to my story: On May 15, I opened my computer to find many, many emails from women all over the provinces sharing their pathway stories. So thank you Holy Spirit for the gentle slap and the kindly reminder to have faith.
– Marilyn Rishkofski
Communiqué
Page 3
Triennial Meeting Theme:
‘Many Paths, One Journey’ invites thoughts, prayers
Submitted by Barbara Owens Province IV representative
I have enjoyed contemplating my path in life and invite you to think through yours. As Christian women we are all on the same journey. How do you define your journey? Is it to grow closer to God? But how? Perhaps through prayer, service, study. When did your journey begin? Think of your life as the path you travel on your journey. For some Barbara Owens the path has been pretty straight from birth until now. Most lives, however, have a few bends/curves. Sometimes, we go on an ego trip rather than being open to God’s direction. A few of us have experienced a very wavy path. When the path gets to weaving, one can always repent and follow the God of second chances again. You killed some time on your spiritual journey, but hopefully learned from it. We all travel at our own pace. More bends just means it takes longer to get to where you’d like to be. When you took a detour on your path what got you back on track? Was it a circumstance, an event or a person? Looking back, can you now see God’s guiding hand? Have you said thank you? However you choose to define your path and the journey you are on, life is still a pilgrimage. There are shrines by the side of every path where we may worship God and gain strength for the next stage of the journey. Not only does the path of each of our lives have at least a few curves from side to side, but even the majority of our path that is straight is not always level. Paths go up and down. There are hills and valleys. Conflicts, accidents, disasters and the like are all stressors that are like walking on an uphill path, even if the path remains straight. The straightness versus the weaves in the road are reflected in how we respond to the stresses we all experience from time to time.
www.ecwnational.org
Are you trying to keep the path straight by staying open minded or are you just reacting? Are you praying to God and asking for guidance? Newton’s law of gravity states that what goes up must come down. Even if the stressor has become a permanent situation, you adjust to the new normal and your path becomes level again. Consider the construction of your path. What is the foundation? Is it sandy or muddy where you could sink in, or is it solid and firm built on a foundation of God? Is the surface clear of debris or are there lots of obstacles to have to step over to avoid tripping on them? No matter what the surface of your path looks like, it can sometimes become slippery. Not every option in life is beneficial. Some options can get us under their control, especially when we yield to temptation and turn our backs on God. Psalms 139:3 reads: “You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.” Life works best, is the most profitable and the path is straightest when we do good works. This may be no more than an active prayer life as we age. An Advent ’09 devotion reads “Some people seem to have a natural sense of direction, knowing exactly which way to go and when. But most of us find it a challenge to know exactly what our purposes are. Thank God as believers we are not left on our own in this struggle. God’s Spirit is working within us to give us guidance for our walks of faith along our path. Listen for the whisper of that guidance within.” In Prov. 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and He will make straight your path.” The ECW theme from the 2009 Triennial “Grow in Grace” prepared us to look at our path and journey. Grace is the key word that leads us on our mutual journey and Grace is with us step by step on our individual path. You might say that how straight and smooth one’s path is correlates with one’s knowledge Please continue on page 4
Page 4
Communiqué
Summer 2011
Triennial Meeting taking shape
By Cordelia Burt National VP-Program
SAVE THE DATE
• Workshops will be Sunday through Tuesday afternoons, July 8-10. • Closing ceremonies and commissioning of the newly elected board will be Wednesday, Your ECW National Board arrived home The 47th July 11, after morning Eucharist. from a very busy board meeting/site visit in InEpiscopal Church Women We spent time with our musician, Adam dianapolis where we met at the Benedictine Inn Graham, during our meeting and are sure you and Retreat Center. Marcia Himes, ECW presiTriennial Meeting will enjoy this talented young man’s musical dent, Sandra Powers, ECW treasurer and I met ability. We look forward to the time we will a day early with members of the United Thank Many Paths, spend with our chaplain at our next National Offering board to discuss their needs for the One Journey Board meeting in Colorado in July. 2012 Triennial Meeting. During this joint meetWe have some new things to add this year. ing time, both boards shared meals, evening deJuly 5-12, 2012 We listened when you said that it was too votions and the site visit. We watched the royal expensive to take in all the dinners and for this wedding together, getting up at 4 a.m. to enjoy Westin Hotel, reason UTO and ECW have joined to have one the event as well as scones, lemon curd and tea Indianapolis, Indiana dinner instead of two. More will be coming as or coffee. The UTO board brought crowns and plans firm up. We are adding a 5K run/3K walk pictures of the royal couple for everyone and Sunday morning July 10 before the Eucharist and UTO Ingatherthe sisters baked the scones for us. ing for those who enjoy this activity. We hope attendees from We have listened to your ideas and hope this schedule fits General Convention will join ECW for this inaugural event. the bill. We were able to set the tentative schedule for the TrienThese are some of the happenings in the works for Triennial nial Meeting which should be on the web by the time you read Meeting 2012. We will be looking for speakers, workshop prethis. Here’s what we have tentatively planned: senters and special guests as we move forward in our plans. We’ll • We have asked Bishop Katharine Jefforts Schori to be with us keep you informed as more is decided to make your time at the for the opening celebration on Thursday, July 5 afternoon. Triennial Meeting one of enjoyment along with the hard work. • Nominations for the 2012-2015 board will be the morning of We will be sending out the first mailing to the presidents of dioFriday, July 6, with speeches Friday afternoon and a meet the ceses and provinces shortly with the delegate information that nominees event that evening. you will need to make your plans. • The Distinguished Woman celebration (formerly known as Remember to reserve rooms for your delegates with your Honored Woman) will be Saturday morning, July 7, and elecdiocese. Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available. tion of officers will be held Saturday afternoon. Continued from page 3 of and response to that grace. So what is grace? Grace is God’s love as the unmerited favor of God toward us. It’s what defines God’s relationship with us as a daily participant. Grace is constant and reliable. Every step we take in love represents the purposes of God, and it is a step along our path as our truest self. The word Grace means gift, from the Greek word Charis. So Grace is God’s gift to us. Romans 12:6 says “we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us.” In Romans 12 and I Corinthians 12:27-31 gifts are listed as to teaching, ministering, leading, giving, faith, compassion, wisdom, knowledge, healing, prophecy, interpretation, hospitality. We call these spiritual gifts, and we all have some. Do you know your spiritual gifts? They are not a talent or skill – although talents and skills can be used as earthly gifts for others. We have different
spiritual gifts to be used as they are needed, and it’s when we use our gift for others that our path is the straightest and our journey is the most fulfilling. God’s gifts are given to us in seed form. It is grace that empowers us to mature our seedling gifts and watch them grow as we share them with and for others. Thus we not only grow in Grace, but we are also treading the path as God intended. There are a variety of gifts and we have different gifts so that we are dependent on each other. This is where our individual path crisscrosses and intersects with so many other paths. It’s how we handle each encounter not only our path but of the other person’s path as well. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Sometimes our lives are so hectic or complicated we feel like we individually are traveling several paths at once. However,
www.ecwnational.org
each of us can only travel our one path, even if we multi-task. Sometimes when we come across another’s path, it might be better off if we avoid that intersection or delete the encounter. Our life is really traveled on our own single individual path, no matter what our path looks like. But when we look closely at our past and present, we find God’s presence with us every step along the way. Therefore, we can look to the future with faith and confidence as we continue along our path to reach our earthly journey’s end. We find peace and joy along our path when we love God with all our heart, soul, and mind and love our neighbors as ourselves. When we persevere to keep our own path straight and we walk together with our neighbors, who are likewise trying to keep their path straight, we can together become a highway for God.
Summer 2011
CommuniquĂŠ
www.ecwnational.org
Page 5
Page 6
Communiqué
Summer 2011
Why Nets For Life?
Submitted by The Rev. Irene Miller Radcliff Member at Large, Social Justice
Some have questioned why Nets for Life is the 2012 Triennial Unified Gift. Some have suggested duplicating what other organizations are doing is not cost effective or energy effective. In 2005, a group of Episcopalians traveling in Africa saw people suffering and dying from malaria. With the help and support of the Episcopal church and ERD, Nets for Life was formed. Nets for Life is a malaria prevention program that supplies long lasting insecticide treated nets to countries in Africa. The program also educates the people on the proper use, maintenance and benefits of the nets. To date, Nets for Life has educated thousands and delivered millions of nets to 17 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The ECW board elected to join other Non-Government Organizations and faith-based organizations and partner with Nets for Life to combat malaria, a disease transmitted through the bites of
infected mosquitoes. According to the latest statistics, more than 200 million people are infected each year, and, of those infected, one million die, mostly children. Partnering has been proven to be enhancing and cost effective, and that is why Nets for Life was selected as the 2009-2012 Unified Gift. The board invites all who have generously contributed to the previous Unified Gifts to join us in partnering with the Nets for Life malaria prevention program as the 2009-2012 Triennial Unified Gift. For additional information, please visit the website: www.ecwnational.org or contact The Rev. Irene Miller Radcliff at <socialjustice@ecwnational.org>. You can send contributions for the 2009-2012 Unified Gift to: Sandra Powers, 3 Adoracion Circle, Hot Springs Village, Ark. 71909. Please make checks payable to DFMS and specify “Unified Gift.”
Continuing connections helps communities grow Submitted by The Rev. Irene Miller Radcliff Member at Large, Social Justice
The 2009-2012 Triennial Community Connection Program is the John P. Craine House, located in Indianapolis. The John P. Craine House offers an alternative sentencing program for non-violent female offenders and their pre-school age children. The program offers structure and guidance with individualized goals for the women. The John P Craine House, often
referred to as the Craine House, is one of six facilities in the United States. The Craine House vision is to provide services and programs to women that will empower them to engage in meaningful work, raise healthy families, thrive in freedom, and to further educate and enlighten the community. The Craine House’s current wish list includes: • Paper towels • Dish towels • Laundry detergent • Dish soap
• Cleaning supplies • Hygiene items • Foldable cribs • Bus passes • Postage stamps The wish list will be updated regularly until the 2012 Triennial Meeting. Previously, the women throughout the world and those attending Triennial Meetings have generously contributed to the Community Connection. The women will be asked to contribute items needed to support and sustain the programs of the John P. Craine House.
Check out the changes to the ECW website
Have you checked out the national ECW web site lately at www.ecwnational.org? If you have visited since early May, you have seen our redesigned site. So far we’ve enjoyed some very positive feedback from visitors who say the site is easier to read, with larger text, and easier to find what you’re looking for, too. We are busy adding new interactive forms to enable you to update subscriptions and order supplies directly through the web site. We also plan to post most forms and materials related to Triennial Meeting, grouped in the Triennial Meeting section of the web site, so you can quickly access additional copies of paperwork sent in the various mailings leading up to the start of our Triennial Meeting in Indianapolis. And in case you forget how much time you have left to prepare
for Triennial, ECW President Marcia Himes asked us to add a handy reminder at the top of every page. Right now you can see how long until the meeting begins. We’ll add important deadlines, such as delegate registration, as we announce them through the mailings. Please take a moment to visit the new web site and give us your feedback. Tell us what we can do to make this web site better for you. We value your opinion and want to provide the best online experience possible. We look forward to hearing from you at ecwwebmaster@ ecwnational.org. Blessings, Christine Budzowski and the National ECW Communications Team
www.ecwnational.org
Summer 2011
Communiqué
Page 7
Distinguished Woman Awards set for Triennial Meeting Submitted by Margaret A. Cash Province II representative
The Distinguished Woman Award, formerly known as the Honored Woman Award, will be presented to a deserving woman from each diocese at the 47th ECW Triennial Meeting in Indianapolis. The name of the award was changed following a review of the minutes of the 40th Triennial Meeting held in July, 1991, in Phoenix. A motion was made during that meeting which stated “each diocesan delegation is asked to bring the name and biography of a woman in their diocese whose life in the secular community reflected her Christian values.” The motion was amended to further state “a distinguished woman in every dio-
cese be honored at each Triennial Meeting.” Both motions were passed unanimously. The diocesan board of each diocese is asked to give careful thought and consideration in identifying a woman who deserves the name “Distinguished Woman.” We also ask that you share with us why you believe she is worthy of this honor. We hope you will encourage others in the diocese to assist with the selection. Please make your decision in 2011 and get your information to us by Dec. 31 so we can compile the booklet in early 2012. Members of the current National Episcopal Church Women Board are not eligible to receive the award. The nomination form, along with a 4x5 photograph, in color if possible, must be sent by the Dec. 31. The biography and
It’s all about CHOICES Your National ECW Board Communication Team offers the choice of downloading our new brochures from our website or ordering hard copies to use for meetings or mailings. We have updated the many brochures you have used as resources, including Episcopal Church Women; Women to Women; Women of Vision; and the ECW Start-up Packet. Prayer Cards and our newly created Communications Bookmarks have been very popular as give-aways at meetings. Let us know what you need by emailing: vpinformationcommunication @ecwnational.org.
picture will be included in the printed Distinguished Women Booklet of 2012. Please let us know if the photograph should be returned. Please send the completed form and photograph to: Margaret A. Cash, 3923 Amundson Ave., Bronx, New York, 10466 You may send the photo as a jpeg file to nancyRcrawford@comcast.net. If you have questions or have not received the mailing regarding this event, please contact Margaret A. Cash, chair, Distinguished Woman Program, at 718994-1946, or macash401@aol.com. We look forward to meeting and honoring all of our Distinguished Women at the ceremony as we recognize the many paths they have traveled during their one journey.
Cleaning ‘business’ offers internal, external rewards Submitted by Lynda Schultz Diocese of Missouri
I am a cleaning lady by trade. What seems in the world to be a lowly occupation has turned into an opportunity for my Lord to shine. I have been in this business for ten years. Around three and a half years ago, I went through an internal cleaning process by the Lord Jesus. He had seen the hypocrisy in my life – “I’d given Him all,” but in reality had not actually opened up to allow Him into my broken heart in order for Him to heal it. After I let Him in, our relationship was restarted. He, not I, became guide and director of my life. I was asked at this same time to share with women at churches how to clean their homes, and to give them information on cost saving products I use. At first, I declined, but after prayer, I agreed. I was offered money to do the workshops, but I don’t believe that is what God’s intentions are for me. If you attend a workshop of mine, you will receive free cleaning supplies, tips on how and what to use to clean and my testimony on how He cleaned me out. Some tips for you: • Microfiber mops and cloths, damp or dry, can clean almost anything without chemicals. • Rubbing alcohol is a good glass cleaner and disinfectant. • Hydrogen peroxide is used to disinfect and remove hard water/stains. • Listen to an audio tape of the Bible while cleaning.
www.ecwnational.org
Page 8
Communiqué
Summer 2011
Balm for the soul
Establishing relationships with others gives the journey more meaning
Submitted by Lindsay Hardin Freeman
The other day, a funeral for which I was to officiate was scheduled for early afternoon. Offsite meetings had filled the morning. My day felt like a ham sandwich that had been dropped and crushed. Questions about flowers, music and the presence of a grouchy funeral director echoed through the office. That was downstairs. Upstairs, in the church itself, things were different. The Paschal candle glowed softly. An embroidered white pall covered the cremated remains. The columbarium niche stood open, ready. And four Altar Guild members talked quietly, arranging flowers, getting everything just right. They didn’t know the woman who died; she was the middleaged daughter of two older parishioners. But they cared deeply that the service go well, that we do all we could to provide respite, caring, a holy send-off. What they didn’t know was this: in addition to preparing for the grieving family, they gave balm to my soul. I was grounded and centered because of their work. And that is the way it is with women of faith. We come together to comfort, heal and take joy in each other’s presence. Whether strangers or old friends, there is a knowing of what needs to be done, a comfort in being together. We take care of each other. A holy oil is poured; prayers sent heavenward; souls are fed. Yet that way of life – that way of being – seems under attack, both at church and in society. More women work outside the home. Sunday morning church attendance is no longer a sure thing. Bible stories go left unread. Frenzied daytime hours turn into shortened time with children. The peace which passes all understanding generated by women of faith simply being together, is on the endangered species list. Next summer: Many Paths, One Journey. And that makes next summer all the more important. From throughout the United States and Province 9, women are expected to gather in Indianapolis from July 5 through 11 for the 47th Triennial Meeting, aptly entitled Many Paths, One Journey. There, Episcopal Church Women will know the joy of being together, of service, of learning about new opportunities, and of participating in God’s essential work around the world. And here is the key thing: note the title of the event, which was carefully chosen. For thousands of years, women have entered the sacred circle of faith from many different paths. Take Rahab, from the book of Joshua. She was a prostitute. Yet her actions in Jericho made possible the long-waited entry of God’s people into the Promised Land. Take Ruth, the ultimate outsider. If she had not accompanied Naomi to Bethlehem from Moab, King David would not have been born, for she was his great-grandmother. Take Sarah and Hagar and Leah and Miriam
and Mary Magdalene and Salome. They all came to God from different places, geographically and emotionally. None were perfect, yet sought relationships with other women and sought God. In doing so, they came into the sacred circle of faith. Esther. Sarah. Lydia. The names ring to us down through the pages of scripture, each bringing their own story, their own path, to the deeper broader skein of God’s unfolding fabric. Throughout the ages, their actions and personalities have inspired those of us who search to follow the Lord. Their witness is with us still, made new and alive in the ongoing witness of God’s stories in the lives of our sisters today. And that spirit, that life, that connection with others, past and present, is part of what draws women to Triennial Meetings. “We will come to triennial from many places with many stories,” Patricia S. Haldeman of Shinnston, W. Va. said. “But it will be one journey forward, in faith, that we will be celebrating and sharing.” Perhaps Barbara Owen, ECW’s Province IV representative, sums it up best. “Remember, God is with us all every step along our path, bestowing us with spiritual gifts so that we can grow in grace. For me this is a Christian journey toward eternity.” Come and add the stories from your path. And if you are unable to come because of work or home responsibilities or illness, know that we lift you up in prayer. Know that your spiritual journey is respected and we are grateful for your presence – in God’s sacred circle. – The Rev. Lindsay Hardin Freeman is an Episcopal priest of 26 years, the award-winning author of The Scarlet Cord: Conversations with God’s Chosen Women, and the editor of Wisdom Found: Stories of Women Transfigured by Faith. For more information, see www.scarletcordbook.com.
www.ecwnational.org
Summer 2011
Communiqué
A word about The Word
Following God’s lead directs us on our paths By the Rev. Nancy Crawford Province VIII representative
During the next 14 months and beyond, you will hear about our theme for the 2012 Triennial Meeting: “Many Paths, One Journey.” As with all things for us Episcopal women, we look to scripture, tradition and reason to understand how we are to live into Christ. The psalmist wrote: “Show me your ways, O Lord, and teach me your paths.” (Psalm 25:4) There are many ways available to know our God and feel God’s presence in our lives. Fortunately, we are not alone; God is there to teach us. Think of the way you came to be a follower of Christ. Think of the path you have taken to be an Episcopal woman and, I hope, the path you are taking to Triennial Meeting in Indianapolis. I remember growing up and attending Sunday school at an Episcopal church. I was taught “our” ways by observation and participation. Occasionally I would attend other Christian churches, learning their ways. Sometimes there was a crucified Christ on the cross above the altar; sometimes there was no cross at all. Then in class I was taught the ways of world religions, and different gods. More and more in my adult life I have been learning from those around me the ways of the non-believer. I pray that someday they will come to know Christ. All these ways can lead us to God, if we are open to God’s teachings. There are other paths, too. Look at yourself. What have you encountered along the way? Did your parents take you to church, whether you liked it or not, as my parents did? Or were you one of those amazing children who left their parents at the kitchen table, reading the Sunday paper, while you got yourself to
church? Did faith come later in life to you? Did a certain lifestyle set up barriers to church which thankfully have fallen away so you can follow God’s path? Many paths. As you develop friendships with other Episcopal women, you learn that we come from different cultures, different circumstances, different lifestyles, and even different understandings of God. But we are all on the same journey: to respond to God’s call to us as best we can, to love God and to love our neighbor. Most of us are familiar with the story of Ruth and Naomi. Naomi and her sons lived in Moab, some 40 miles from their home town of Bethlehem. The sons married Moabites, Orpah and Ruth, who learned to love their husbands and their mother-in-law. When the two men died, Naomi told the women to go home to their own mothers, and she left on the path home to Bethlehem. But Ruth would not leave her. She followed Naomi, taking a new path, forsaking her god and declaring that Naomi’s God would be her God. The way was not easy for the two solitary women. The return to Bethlehem included poverty and uncertainty. In Lindsay Hardin Freeman’s book, The Scarlet Cord: Conversations with God’s Chosen Women (publisher: O Books, Winchester, UK), Ruth describes her decision to go with Naomi on an unknown path. “We all do our part. For me, it was putting one foot in front of the other and following the lead of a stubborn old woman. Thanks be to God she never gave up. Neither did I.” Ruth and Naomi are just two women of Scripture who followed their paths to God. How about us? Our paths are many, our journey with God is one.
www.ecwnational.org
Page 9
Page 10
CommuniquĂŠ
www.ecwnational.org
Summer 2011
Summer 2011
CommuniquĂŠ
www.ecwnational.org
Page 11
Page 12
Communiqué
Calendar of Events
ECW National Board Contribution Form 2009-2012 Copy this form for contributions from individuals, parishes or dioceses. This form is not used for United Thank Offering or Church Periodical Club donations. Name of Donor or Organization Address:
Contribution for: ___ Annual Pledge ___ Aid to Delegates ___ Unified Gift
Amount _____________ _____________ _____________
Nets for Life
___ Triennial Meeting
_____________
Endowment ___ Women to Women Reconcle Peace _____________ Institute Center Sudan El Centro Buen Pastor _____________ School and Clinic Lillian Vallely School _____________ ___ Communiqué _____________
This gift is an ___ Honorarium ___ Memorial for_____________________________________ An acknowledgement may be sent to:
(Name and address) Make checks payable to Domestic & Foreign Missionary Society (DFMS) and mail to:
Sandra Powers ECW National Treasurer 3 Adoracion Circle Hot Springs Village, AR 71909
Summer 2011
Information for this calendar comes from ECWs throughout the church. If your group or diocese has plans for meetings, special events, special missions or other happenings, please send all pertinent information for inclusion in the next edition of Communiqué to: vpinformationcommunication@ecwnational.org.
Aug. 18-21: Diocese of Milwaukee Women’s Mini Week, Camp Lakotah in Wautoma, Wis. Sept. 15-17: Diocese of Northern Michigan Directed Retreat with the Rev. Rise ThrewForrester. Sept. 23-25: Diocese of Indianapolis Fall Retreat with the Rev. Dr. Jane Tomaine at Waycross Camp and Conference Center. Sept. 24: Diocese of Michigan Annual Meeting, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Howell, Mich. 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Speaker: the Rev. Susan Carter on her experiences in Howell and “Nets for Live.” September: Diocese of Fond du Lac Retreat, “Women by the Water,” Camp Tamarack, Waupaca, Wis. Keynote speaker: Cindy Davis from New Mexico, and Pastor Mary Trainer. Oct. 14-15: Diocese of Northern Michigan Convention.
Oct. 21-22: Diocese of Missouri ECW Annual Meeting at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, Ellisville, Mo. Theme: “Rejoice Together.” Jan. 19-21, 2012: Diocese of Michigan Spiritual Journey. Jan. 27-29: Diocese of Northern Michigan Respite Retreat at Mary Grove Conference Center. Feb. 17-19: Diocese of Fond du Lac Women’s Winter Retreat at Norbertine Center for Spirituality, DePere, Wis. TBD: DIocese of Indianapolis Spring Luncheon. March 16-18: Diocese of Springfield Retreat centered around the theme of “Celtic Spirituality.” April 27-29: Diocese of Northern Indiana Province V Annual Meeting, Ramada Plaza, South Bend, Ind. July 5-11: ECW TRIENNIAL MEETING, Westin Hotel, Indianapolis, Ind.
The ECW’s toll-free telephone number has been discontinued. Please contact your province representatives and national board members at the phone numbers listed on the back page of Communiqué.
www.ecwnational.org
Dear Elsie: I am an ECW because... Summer 2011
Communiqué
“I discovered ECW very soon after coming into the Episcopal Church. I loved working with the other women in the church on projects – some as simple as making coffee for Sunday morning; others for fundraising. I could ask questions about why we did certain things certain ways and I was never criticized for not knowing. In fact, my questions were welcomed. “I had been a Christian all my life but had grown up in another tradition, and I was struggling with a life-long call to ministry. ECW gave me a place to begin ministry, a place to see God at work in the church and in the community. I would never have had the courage to do EFM without the support of my ECW friends. The sudden death of a good friend was made more bearable by my ECW friendships. The work of the church was more fun when we did it together. “ECW expanded my vision to the diocese as a whole and made me much more aware of the national church. When I began the discernment process and went into seminary, ECW encouraged and supported me with money and prayers. Even now as an ordained priest, I wear my ECW cross or pin with great pride and gratitude. “Without ECW my life would be infinitely duller, my faith would be less mature and my connection to the Episcopal church much weaker. I am grateful to ECW for all it has done for me. As a priest I hope to give back in some small measure.” The Rev. June Johnson, interim rector, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Diocese of Georgia *** “I am a member of ECW because I want to be a part of the support that the women give to the church body and functioning. I discovered ECW through announcements made in church concerning the ECW meetings. I discovered I should be active in ECW when I was nominated to office.” Juliet Richards, Diocese of Georgia *** “I have a long association with ECW. I appreciate the friendships that I have developed over the years and also the nurturing aspects of our ECW. The local ECW and diocesan ECW supported my Christian education endeavors and fostered my leadership training. Eventually I became the diocesan news editor for Louisiana, but I still kept my strong ties to the ECW. “The ECW was a very active part of my congregation. There was a woman’s guild for young mothers which became the stepping stone for my deepening involvement in the church. The women in our ECW guild were friendly so it was hard not to feel you belonged from the start. Many of those women are still good friends even though I attend a different congregation at this time. “I am currently the co-convener of my local ECW branch and a member of the diocesan ECW board as ecumenical liaison and chair of the diocesan ECW’s Distinguished Woman program. I attended three ECW Triennial meetings as a delegate in the 1980s. I was a deputy to General Convention in 2009.” Ann Ball, Diocese of Louisiana *** “My name is Judy Weber and I am a member of Trinity Episco-
Page 13
pal Church in Morgan City, La. I smiled when I read your questions. “When I was the young mother of three – barely 1, 3 and 5 an elderly member of ECW asked if I would accept the position of Christian education for the group. I said I wasn't a member of ECW, but she said I was because I belonged to the Episcopal church. Since I taught school, I thought I could handle the position so I told her I would. Then I found out what she meant was program chair for the meetings. “That was many years ago. The children are all grown and I now have 11 grandchildren, but that one call asking me to take a position of responsibility was encouragement enough for me to become an ECW member. I found a sisterhood of women with interests that matched mine and those ladies have been with me through the valleys and mountain top experiences of my life. “I’m a widow now with time enough to devote to my ECW sisters. I felt I belonged as soon as I became active in my church ECW. Now, I serve on the executive board of the diocese as deanery chairman. “When I read your question about how I discovered ECW, I thought, “ECW discovered me.” Now, I think, it's time for me to try to involve another young mother in ECW.” Judy Weber, Diocese of Louisiana *** “I am an Episcopalian who happens to be a women. I was married in the church as a teenager, saw women gathering and they invited me to join. I felt I belonged to ECW from the time I joined and began to participate in all the ECW and church events. I have been in the Church for 61 yrs. Dorothy Moore, Province IV *** “I am an ECW because the ECW is a body of like-minded Christian women. We include all women who are members of the Episcopal faith. The ECW women strengthen the faith community with the goal to continue the mission of Christ. ECW are called to worship, to study and to minister to each other and to our church community. The ECW encourages women of all ages and socioeconomic groups to worship, encourage and fellowship together. The actions of the ECW are a benefit to all in the church and to their church community. “God willingly enters our lives. God willingly relates to us as we wash dishes, work, travel, raise children, work for charity or shop. The ECW teaches us that we serve a God who is the creator and all things, time, space and people are the creatures of his hands and we are called to serve and to continue the mission of Christ. “I discovered ECW at my church in Spartanburg, SC. I was very glad when Pat Clanton wanted our new parish to begin an ECW group. We started with five members and had 11 at our last meeting. “I felt like an active part of the ECW as soon as we completed our first project.” Jean M. Sanderson, Diocese of Alabama *** “I am an Episcopal Churchwoman by virtue of being a woman
www.ecwnational.org
Please continue on page 14
Page 14
Communiqué
Summer 2011
UTO: Into the box, out of the box Submitted by Anne Gordon Curran UTO Province III representative and board member
In the Fall 2010 Communiqué, Marcia Himes, president of ECW board, wrote an article on “Blessings of God’s ‘stuff’ carry us through every time.” She talked about stowing the stuff from our lives in neatly marked boxes and sometime later culling through the stuff for redistribution. She also talked about the colors of the containers raising questions about relevance. Her important question was, “What kind of containers would we buy to hold the ‘stuff’ that God gives?” Here are my thoughts. There is a simple answer to the last question: a United Thank Offering Blue Box. I will even stick my neck out further (is this all right Ursula?) to mention the CPC box. These are both boxes that God might appreciate because they do not just store stuff. They receive and distribute prayers and gifts in significant ways to help people throughout the world. They are pass-through stations to ministry and mission. The purpose of these boxes is to act as a tangible presence to encourage each of us to stop (be at peace), be present in the moment (prayerful), do something meaningful (give a coin), open the box and give the blessings away (creating communities of givers and receivers). How do we really know what God wants of us? We recognize His presence in our lives regularly at the Holy Eucharist (means “thanksgiving”) which is an opportunity to be one with God through Jesus Christ while in community in God’s world. The UTO Blue Box receives thanksgivings and gives the contents to programs to assist in developing community within communities. Marcia, I need at least one box in my life and I am sure Ursula Baxley will agree, as both UTO and CPC could not have lasted so long as ministries without the physical reminders that boxes offer. The goodness of boxes is they can be reopened, Continued from page 13
member of the Episcopal Church. I became active in the organized group about 35 years ago when my children were young (and still coming). I was in the generation between being able to afford household help, which I couldn't, and Mother's Day Out only existed one day a week. MDO in itself was a new concept. We were a group of new young mothers, not working outside the home, and the church provided child care for the meetings and activities. That was a big attraction. Now, days all the new young mothers are still working outside the home, and don't have time for many daytime meetings, just for lunch and a speaker. “Even when my children grew up, I went back to work and myself couldn't attend daytime meetings. I did stay active dealing with the scholarship my diocese awards to high school seniors/rising college freshmen, criteria mainly being church activities. I could do this on my time schedule, after hours so to speak, and on weekends. “I have always felt a part of the ECW, met some of my now closest friends working on activities together all these years. Agnes Gordon, president, ECW, Diocese of West Tennessee
The United Thank Offering Granting Session recently ended. One hundred fourteen grant applications were submitted requesting more than $4 million. The United Thank Offering board was able to fund 59 grants from total ingathering funds of $1,634,526.19. The breakdown is as follows: • 39 domestic grants • 8 companion diocese grants • 12 international grants The United Thank Offering now has a facebook page. Join in the ministry by typing in United Thank Offering in the search box at the top of the page. Click “like” to have UTO show up when someone posts on the page. Please add your prayers ideas and questions to the conversation. Giving thanks daily, Barbi Tinder UTO board communications convener reused and a presence. The United Thank Offering’s new mission statement is: Put gifts into the Blue Box with thanksgiving, prayer and generosity. Take blessings out of the box for grants to extend the church’s faithfulness to God’s mission. We as finite beings may need something concrete to remind us of God’s grace and infinite love. The Blue Box is one way to live that love into the world – “Go in peace to love and serve the Lord” (BCP – p. 366), His message to us at the end of the Eucharist, after giving thanks.
Deadline for the next edition of Communiqué will be July 31, 2011. Send your news and views to Marilyn Riskofski at vpinformationcommunication @ecwnational.org
www.ecwnational.org
Summer 2011
Communiqué
Page 15
Anglican Women’s Empowerment: AWE Submitted by Kim Robey
Anglican Women’s Empowerment is a nonprofit charitable organization that works for gender justice and the empowerment of women and girls in the church and the world. We accomplish our mission with tools such as our annual gathering around the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women and by publishing educational resources for distribution about that gathering, by gathering women in Beijing Circles and by participating in advocacy campaigns and events throughout the year and in many locations. The UNCSW will have as its theme in 2012 “the empowerment of rural women and their role in poverty eradication, development and current challenges.” We are already recruiting and receiving applications from people who are connected to the issues of rural women. If you or someone you know is involved with projects involving rural women, especially in Latin and South America, please let us know.
AWE’s four mission strategies are: • Ignite the passion of grassroots women for gender justice. • Advocate for women’s rights as stated in the Beijing Platform for Action. • Build a coalition for change in the church and the world. • Connect women in our churches to the Global Women’s Movement. Other issues that we work on include maternal health and violence against women. We published a new resource on human trafficking in February which is available for download on our website <anglicanwomensempowerment.org/resources/ human-trafficking/>. A project we are working on for the fall involves the new series of films by Abigail Disney and her organization called “Women, War and Peace” which will be aired on
CPC: Still changing lives
By Ursula Baxley President, Church Periodical Club
The Church Periodical Club was organized in 1888 by Mary Ann Fargo at the Church of the Holy Communion in New York City. In only four short years, the Church Periodical Club had already spread to 48 active dioceses and a national clearing center was opened. In the 1940’s, the National Books Fund was established to meet the rapid growth of the overseas mission programs. In the 2000’s, the Church Periodical Club has experienced another huge impact: the internet. We receive most of our NBF grant applications and a few our of Mile of Pennies applications from Africa. This is due to both of these applications being on our web site, www.episcopalchurch
/cpc.org. Like our sister UTO, we get a great many more applications than we can grant. So far we have been able to give something to everyone. Our money comes from your donations, from the CPC Sunday offering and from gifts. We grant NBF monies every year at our fall board meeting and then every third year at our Triennial Meeting. Last fall we granted more than $27,000. Unlike UTO parishes, dioceses and provinces can collect and grant CPC funds for NBF projects. All Mile of Pennies funds need to be sent to our office in New York. These funds can only be used for children’s books. Anyone who reads this article and sent a check in 2010 for the National Books Fund can see that their gift has changed many lives.
www.ecwnational.org
PBS on five consecutive Tuesday nights beginning Oct. 11 at 10 p.m. (Eastern time). You may have seen or heard of “Pray the Devil Back to Hell,” Disney’s first film about women peacemakers in Liberia. We are an open network of women and girls throughout the world. If you would like to receive our newsletter, please send me your email at krobey1@gmail.com.
EWHP conference set Submitted by Sally Sedgwick
In 1980, the Episcopal Women’s History Project was created to recognize women’s contributions through study, writing and publication. As part of these efforts EWHP is sponsoring a conference in Seneca Falls, New York, October 24-27, 2011, with the theme “Making Do, Getting It Done,” a theme that resonates with the ongoing work of ECW. The conference will feature papers by historians on the theme, visits to historic sites, and optional opportunities to visit a winery and otherwise explore the area. Come be part of this exploration of other women in the church who have said, “Yes, we can.” Visit www.ewhp.org for more information.
Page 16
Communiqué
Summer 2011
When women were not named Submitted by Alice Medcof Diocese of Toronto, Canada
I am passionate about justice issues, especially for women. It began in 1949 while standing in a high school gym with 250 grade eight graduates as we were being sorted into classes alphabetically by surname. After about 15 British origin names there was a long pause, then “Anybody here with a name bye-el-es-kee?”* The gym erupted with laughter, and I said “yes.” That was when I knew I was an “other.” And it hurt. In 1974, I went back to university to study part time. While standing in line to check out a library book, a male friend behind me said, “Alice, you need to read this book. You are studying theology and you are a woman.” I responded, “Inclusive language? Whatever for? I know I am included when the Creed says men.” Then the penny dropped. There was no going back. I was an other. Again. I made a lifelong vow to break the silence about exclusion whenever the opportunity presented itself. In the extreme, one can say that when women are not named, they are excluded and invisible and so they cannot assume leadership roles and violence against them
is not happening. Today, women are in leadership roles, and men in power continue to stress the need for women’s inclusion. Ban Ki-moon, Kofi Annan and the World Bank leaders agree that empowering women is the key to a better world for all. The Anglican Consultative Council “acknowledges the Millennium Development Goal for equal representation of women in decision making at all levels, and so requests all member churches to work towards the realization of this goal in their own structures of governance, and in other bodies to which they nominate or appoint.” You can find the full text of ACC Resolution 13/31, 2005 at this website: http://anglicancommunion.org/ communion/acc/meetings/acc13/ resolutions.cfm#s31. Today, violence against women, on the other hand, is still pervasive throughout many cultures in the world. The assumption that men have power over women and can abuse them without impunity is being challenged in Church and in society. The Anglican Consultative Council “unequivocally supports the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls, including trafficking.” Full text of ACC Resolution 14/33, 2009: http:// anglicancommunion.org/communion/acc/
meetings/acc14/resolutions.cfm#s33. The International Anglican Women’s Network asks the IAWN link in each province to devise an awareness-raising program, suitable to her culture, that violence against women is wrong. Where possible, the White Ribbon Campaign <www.whiteribboncampaign.ca> should be highlighted. The White Ribbon Campaign was started in Toronto by men. It is now active in at least 60 countries. Wearing the White Ribbon pin means that the wearer will never commit, condone, or remain silent about violence against women and girls. It is part of the 16 Days to Eliminate Violence against Women which begins on Nov. 25, White Ribbon Day and UN International Day to Eliminate Violence against Women, and ends on Dec. 10, UN Human Rights Day. Editor’s note: The Rev. Canon Alice Medcof, BA, MDiv, ThM, was coordinator, 2003-06, of the International Anglican Women’s Network. Currently, she is a member of the IAWN Steering Group. www.iawn.org or http://iawn.anglicancommunion.org/index.cfm. *Alice’s maiden name is Bielesch: her father was Czechoslovakian. The Slavic word “biele” means “white,” and ‘sch’ is common in Austrian/Germanic names.
Joyful coincidences and praying women Grace Sears, President The Order of the Daughters of the King
Every Daughter of the King vows to keep the rule of prayer and the rule of service. We place the vow of prayer first because we believe that service flows from prayer, not the other way around. It is all too easy to see a need, decide how to respond to the need, and then pray about it. But the Daughters’ motto asks God to set the agenda: Lord, what would you have me do? When we pray about a person or situation that concerns us, we begin to care in a deeper way; because we care, we may have a deeper insight or more creative response than we would otherwise have had. Or we may find ourselves part of a set of unlikely “coincidences” that signal to us that God is at work in this situation, and we are invited to take part. It was Archbishop Temple who said, “When we pray, coincidences happen; when we don’t, they don’t.” This past year, God surprised many of us with wonderful coincidences. One woman in Italy first learned about Daughters of the
King while taking a course in Ecuador a few months earlier. Who knew she would meet two visiting Daughters of the King when she returned to Rome? Judith, the president of the new national DOK assembly in Haiti, went to visit a family member in Troy, N.Y., just when three Episcopal churches in the area were commemorating the earthquake in Haiti. Joyce Pipkin put her in touch with the Daughters there, and Judith became an unplanned part of the commemoration. I took part in a Compass Rose tour to Rio de Janeiro, where I knew we had one chapter of Daughters of the King. When I inquired where I could meet them, I was told the second chapter in the city was ready to be installed, and I could be present for the installation. How wonderful to be on site to take part in God’s work. Many of the surprises in DOK this past year have come through women in other countries who feel that God is calling them to pray and serve together. We marvelled at the formation of the first chapter in India, which received its charter this past
www.ecwnational.org
Please continue on page 20
Summer 2011
Communiqué
Page 17
ECW quilt: A patchwork history By Ann Fulk
It was a very small ad. Appearing in “The Living Church” “Episcopal Life” and a few diocesan newsletters the request said: “The ECW of each diocese is invited to send a quilt square 12x12 (inches) of preferably flameretardant material, any design, any words with diocesan identity.” I will admit I wasn't sure how many squares would arrive at my address in the next two years. Bess LeFevre quickly sent one for Arkansas. Then, likely helped by pro bono editorial comments, squares began to arrive: in packages, in brown paper, in tubes, fluffy in plain envelopes. Each one was unique, interesting. All were done with thought and care. An invitation to UTO, CPC and Daughters of the King also brought in squares. Nita Shelby was Girl Scout leader for my daughter's troop of older girls who went on camping and canoeing trips on the many Arkansas scenic rivers. The group also participated in many service projects. Nita was also a prize-winning quilter. Nita and Ralph had two bright daughters (alas, they lost a third daughter at a young age from leukemia) and a remarkable son who has gone on to become a doctor, coroner, state legislator. When I asked Nita for help finding a quilting group to create the quilt for the national ECW Triennial meeting, she put me off for a short time and then said she would do this herself. I was overwhelmed and grateful. Nita did the total design, framing the squares in black, doing extra quilting, designing and stitching the center square
identifying the quilt. Alas, a few squares arrived way too late for inclusion in the original quilt (one week to one day before the September meeting, 1988). So she quickly made a small quilt of these to hang from the podium. The quilt traveled with me to Los Angeles and took everyone’s breath away, hanging behind the Triennial dias. We furnished white gloves to keep it pristine. It was of those times and that year a slightly crabby group with lots of confrontation (fine) and discontent (what’s new) and blame (I’m sure our diocese sent in a square, why is it not there? or We did not send a square but we want in). So the quilt has been reopened and enlarged by someone in South Dakota. (Does anyone know who this person is?) The other issue was individual requests to have the quilt come visit their diocese: this was possible. Nita had added a sleeve for hanging; PVC pipe could carry the weight. I took requests for a visit by the quilt. The contract: I started the quilt out in a garment bag via UPS with suggestions for displaying it: hanging, stretched over a form, on a large table. There was a map of the dioceses on the quilt, white gloves for touching and labels for the next recipient. The receiving diocese paid to send it UPS to the next location looking for it. It worked amazingly well. Episcopal Church Women are reliable and conscientious. After two terms the new Triennial Committee took over the “Transit Authority.” Neither Nita or I have seen it since. Nita, who is 90, has received much deserved recognition for the quilt. She has currently refused further chemotherapy and is in Hospice care. Our rector thought
it important for the quilt to come back so the congregation, new clergy and bishop could see and celebrate what this multitalented woman has made. The quilt has been cared for and still looks radiant, diverse, enchanting. You can't stop studying the individual squares. It has been present at every Triennial Meeting since it was made. Should it eventually have a home at National Cathedral? It now travels rolled up in a strong cardboard concrete form and is heavy. The revitalized Triennial Committee of 1985 (check the history, officially ECW and its Triennial Meeting was almost abolished and its trust funds absorbed) had a charge of writing a constitution and bylaws, embracing inclusion and proving that ECW was still relevant once women were admitted with voice and vote to vestries, conventions – diocesan and national – then, legally ordained to all the clerical orders. The quilt has been a visible sign of interest and shown our creativity and inclusion. I hope you get to see it. – Nita Shelby, who designed and completed the ECW Quilt, died recently but she did get to see the quilt again. Her funeral was held May 25 at Christ Church in Little Rock, Ark. – Ann Fulk, who wrote this article, serves Christ Church in a number of ways, many related to her interest in all things historical. She helped start Second Genesis, a home and program for women released from prison. She has been a mentor for EFM and continues to keep up with a working husband, four adult children, grandchildren aged 21, 6 and 3, AND she works out for an hour each day.
The quilt can visit your diocese for an occasion Submitted by Cordelia Burt ECW Vice President-Program
The 39th Triennial Meeting was held in Detroit, Mich. under the leadership of Marcy Walsh. As the women entered the meeting room the beautiful quilt was hanging for all to see completed and displayed for the first time. The love and labor of this gift
from the 89 dioceses, United Thank Offering, Church Periodical Club and Daughters of the King was finally finished, or so they thought. The following year 16 more squares would be added to this labor of love. After the Triennial Meeting there was much excitement about the quilt and many women wanted to know if the quilt
www.ecwnational.org
Please continue on page 21
Page 18
Communiqué
Summer 2011
The ’70s: ECW survives turbulence
Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of articles on the history of the Episcopal Church Women. Submitted by Elizabeth Campbell
We are celebrating our 140th year this year organized as women of the Episcopal Church in mission and ministry. In the last issue, the first 100 years of the Women’s Auxiliary was presented, based on Anne Fulk’s Short History of the Triennial Meetings of the Women of the Episcopal Church 1872-1984. The following segment is based on the last part of the Short History and subsequent triennium reports of the presidents of the national board. A reading play, Yet We Persist, written by Katerina Whitley in 2009, is also available for presenting our history. It is a humorous and can be easily staged by your ECW group. A little review: In his opening address to the General Convention at Seattle in 1967 Presiding Bishop John Hines had asked the women to contribute $1M of the United Offering annually to the Urban Coalition to help quell the unrest and riots in cities across the country. At the same time he called for women, who were related to the urban poor by their powerless and second-class status in the church, to be seated as deputies in the General Convention. It seemed that the women were about to be welcomed into church deliberations. At the 1967 Triennial Meeting, the women did decide to devote the United Thank Offering to the Urban Crisis Fund; the General Convention did change the word layman to lay persons to make it possible to seat women as deputies. Resolutions passed included a request for equal remuneration for men and women workers for work of equal value and elimination of all forms of racial discrimination. But at the close of the Triennial Meeting, an enabling resolution was brought to the delegates as a way of providing for flexibility in the 1967-1970 triennium since the Executive Council had indicated there would be significant reorganization. So the women voted to “enter into such new structures with other departments and units (of Executive Council) as seem appropriate to discharge the responsibilities and functions not vested in the General Division of Women’s Work.” Upon returning home, when trying to explain what had happened, it frequently began, “It’s
impossible to tell you, you had to be there…” In May, 1968, the Executive Council established a Committee for Women and authorized two staff positions: Frances Young as executive officer, and Aileen Rucker as the UTO associate. The new committee decided dates for the next Triennial Meeting and voted to ask the diocesan ECW boards to suspend the Triennial Meeting bylaws. In June, 1968, a letter was sent to ECW presidents/coordinators for their vote on the issue and by December a majority had approved. Frances Young wrote to them, “We are not suggesting that you change your way of life in your diocese, nor adopt new structures nor make any move on the basis of our move.” She also included two resolutions from Executive Council, one forming the Standing Committee on Lay Ministries (which would absorb the Committee for Women) and the other a procedure for selecting a UTO Committee with a member from each province of the Church. In 1969, a Special General Convention II was held, with each diocese encouraged to send three additional persons to represent groups not usually included in deputations: women, youth, and ethnic minorities. Many did. Black and other minority issues were addressed. The convention agreed to participate in the proposed Anglican Consultative Council, and its members voted a thorough review of missionary strategy, especially in South America. And so we come to the decade of great change for the women of the Church. The first action of the General Convention in 1970 was the reading of the constitutional change of the word laymen to lay persons and the affirmative vote which allowed women to be elected as deputies to be seated. Before the General Convention ended, 43 women had served among the 364 seats as deputies. The United Thank Offering was gathered in a Guatemalan bread basket instead of the golden alms basin and it totaled only $1,383,243.24. The decrease was attributed to the confusion about the possible loss of a Triennial Meeting, dissolution of organized women’s work in some dioceses, disapproval of the General Convention’s Special Program, and the designation of the UTO for urban problems and community organizations. Nevertheless, the women of the
www.ecwnational.org
Please continue on page 19
Summer 2011 Continued from page 18
Communiqué
church contributed more than $4.5 million for the General Convention Special Program, and it was the consensus of those closely involved that a great deal of good was done and positive changes were made. Two significant votes for women occurred in 1970: • Women who had been set apart as deaconesses were recognized as part of the diaconate. • A vote on ordination of women to the priesthood did not pass but did better than even its supporters expected. But the recommendation of the Committee for Women that it be replaced by a United Thank Offering Committee and the Standing Committee on Lay Ministries on an experimental basis for 1970 through 1973 was also passed. For the first time since 1919, officially, no national board for church women was elected. Unofficially, there had been a national policy board since 1889. Since they could now participate in the councils of the church, it was thought that a separate track was no longer the only way women could make their voices heard or votes counted. The irony was that because of the women’s separate missionary work, headed by men to give it legitimacy, educational and social service, the missions of the Church, had indeed been effective. The proposed Standing Committee on Lay Ministries became a Program Group on Lay Ministry. But their interest was in lay theological education and clergy-lay relations. It began to become obvious the program group was unwilling to spend any time on affairs of women. If there was no national representational board to speak for women and maintain communication with other ECW, would all women’s work cease? Sixty women met at the invitation of students and faculty of Virginia Theological Seminary on Oct. 30, 1971. The question that energized the meeting was: “When will women be priests in this Church?” This was the beginning of the Episcopal Women’s Caucus, Inc. The same day, the House of Bishops met in Florida and, ignoring the proposals of the 1966 study committee, suggested another study committee to put off “solving the women problem.” Frances Young retired as executive of the Program Group on Lay Ministry in 1972, and Olive Mae Mulica was appointed coordinator of Women’s Concerns. She gathered a group to plan a 1973 Triennial Meeting. Peg Gilbert, a liaison member of the UTO Committee, was
Page 19
chosen by the planning committee to be the presiding officer of the Triennial Meeting. The theme was “Freedom” and each jurisdiction was authorized to send six delegates. There had been considerable correspondence among ECW boards prior to the meeting; many came with authorization from their diocesan churchwomen to work toward continuing the Triennial Meeting. Much of the 1973 Triennial Meeting was overshadowed by the General Convention vote on the canonical change to allow the ordination of women to the priesthood. Its defeat was devastating to those deeply involved in the issue. Triennial Meeting delegates were presented with more than 35 resolutions on their own future. After careful deliberation, the delegates voted overwhelmingly to continue “a Christ-centered regular meeting at the time and place of General Convention, national and international in scope, the delegates representative of the women of the Church, to deal prayerfully and forcefully with all sides of issues facing the Church, and to make their convictions known to General Convention and to allocate the current year’s United Thank Offering.” Authority to do this was given to an elected Triennial Program and Planning Committee with a representative from each of the nine provinces, five members elected at-large at the Triennial Meeting, one liaison from the United Thank Offering Committee, one person from the Lay Ministries Committee, and one staff person. Pamela Chinnis was elected chair of the Structure Committee and, later, presiding officer of the next Triennial Meeting. After the 1973 General Convention, further changes occurred. Co-opted members were dropped from the Lay Ministries Committee, leaving that committee with four persons, all men. The women of the church had entrusted their future and money to this group in good faith to discover they were left out of it. The new committee was told they had used up the trust funds set aside for women’s work and ministry, so the Triennial Program and Planning Committee sent out an appeal to the dioceses for help with expenses for the next Triennial Meeting. A total of $50,000 was committed to back up their request for the meeting. In 1974, Elvira Lorraine Van Buren left almost $55,000 to the ECW to be used for general use and purpose. On July 29, 1974, at the Church of the Advocate in
www.ecwnational.org
Please continue on page 20
Page 20 Continued from page 19
Communiqué
Philadelphia, 11 of the approximately 30 women eligible for ordination were ordained to the priesthood. It was irregular only insofar as the consecrating bishops were not those of the dioceses from which the women came. The presiding bishop denied they were valid priests. These women were in limbo, and they were certainly troublesome for the church. Finally, the 35th Triennial Meeting convened in Minneapolis in 1976 with Pamela Chinnis presiding. A structure document was adopted and the delegates were exposed to issues being discussed in the General Convention: a new Book of Common Prayer and ordination of women. One of the historic moments of the church was the joint session with the General Convention in which the vote was taken on changing the canon to allow women to be ordained priests. Everyone who wished to speak to the issue had been invited to open sessions where those for and those against were alternated and every possible variation, color or meaning that could be found in the issue was said. The vote was preceded by silent prayer. Although the hall was filled with 2,000 people, reports said “you could hear a pin drop.” There was no outburst of victory, only a quick, brief, intake and outgo of breath. Joy was there, but so was moderation. Apparently those who won were seriously concerned about those who lost. But what about the mission and ministries of all of the non-clergy lay women? The times were full of changes throughout society everywhere. If women were doctors. astronauts, pilots of jumbo jets, lawyers and judges, and half of adult women were employed,
how could the church say women could not perform the work of a priest? Surprisingly, the decade ended very quietly for the churchwomen when they met in Denver in 1979. Worship was one of the highlights of the Triennial Meeting. There were small group discussions every day so that the women from different dioceses could get to know each other. Although women had been ordained priests for almost three years, no women priests celebrated the Eucharist for the Triennial Meeting. In order to hear what the Episcopal Women’s Caucus and the task force were doing and planning, it was necessary to go to a luncheon meeting held by the organizations. The Structure Document was revised and a new Triennial Committee was elected. Money continued to be a problem. The Executive Council authorized $20,000 a year to defray expenses for the Triennial Committee and to help with the next Triennial Meeting. The United Thank Offering was authorized to call on the Wright Legacy for their expenses. Except for 1 percent retained for promotional materials, all of the United Thank Offering went to grant recipients. In 1980, the Episcopal Women’s History Project was begun to help increase awareness that much of the valuable history of women in the Church was slipping away. Each diocese was encouraged to form a history group to do oral histories of churchwomen, to preserve historical documents, and to begin writing their respective histories. • In the next issue: “Always the Cross,” the last 30 years of Episcopal Church Women.
DOK, continued from page 16
Check out the changes to our website: ecwnational.org
Summer 2011
January. That chapter developed through a companion relationship between the Diocese of Durgapur and the Diocese of North Carolina. The Daughters in Haiti are astonishing. They organized as a national assembly in November with six chapters and several groups still in training. Six months later, they have 15 chapters and 299 members, with more studies underway. Growth continues in the Dominican
www.ecwnational.org
Republic, Honduras, and Malawi. More than ten percent of our membership is now overseas, and one of our major challenges is sharing with each other over long distances. Fortunately e-mail and the internet are helping us improve communication with all of our members. You do not have to be a Daughter of the King to receive our monthly news bulletin, Cross+Links. Sign up for it on our website, www.doknational.org.
Summer 2011 Quilt, continued from page 17
could come for a visit and be displayed at their diocesan event. The quilt was packed up with PVC pipe for hanging, white gloves for handling and binders with pictures and a brief history of each block. When the quilt arrived at its destination it was lovingly unpacked and hung so all could enjoy. As functions were completed the quilt was packed and mailed to its next place to be featured. Bishop Edmond L. Browning was probably the one person that saw the quilt the most over the years because most people wanted to display it for the Bishop’s visit. The quilt visited many dioceses and
Communiqué provinces over the years and the only cost to a diocese was the cost of shipping to its next show. Each Triennial Meeting, the quilt is hung in the plenary room so that all can view this piece of history. The quilt has taken its first trip in this triennium, a trip that is a little sad but again very glorious. The quilt was hung at the memorial service for Nita Shelby, the wonderful quilter who lovingly put the quilt together. What a wonderful honor. If you would like to display this piece of history, e-mail me at cordelia@bak.rr.com and arrangements can be made to once
Episcopal Church Women
Page 21 again put our quilt “on the road.” The group that requests the quilt pays the shipping to send it on to the next group or back to its home in Taft. I ask that I be notified where the quilt is being shipped each time so that it doesn’t get lost along the way. The quilt will be on display at the “Many Paths, One Journey” Triennial Meeting in Indianapolis July of 2012. After this meeting the quilt will go to the National Cathedral for storage and to be displayed on special occasions. Each future National Board will decide if they would like to display the quilt at future Triennial Meetings.
www.ecwnational.org
THE TRIENNIAL BOOTH IS OPEN A perfect gift for special events and special people Choose from 2 sizes Large 1 1/2" x 7/8" Gold ECW logo on silver background Small 3/4" x 1/2" Gold ECW logo on gold background Send your orders to: Sandra Powers 3 Adoracion Circle Hot Springs Village, AR 71909 501-922-3090 treasurer@ecwnational.org
Ship to: Name: _________________________________ Address: _______________________________ City/State/Zip:___________________________ Tel: ___________________________________ Email: _________________________________
Large Pin at $5.00 each
Quantity:________________ Total:__________________
Small Pin at $3.50 each
Quantity:________________ Total:__________________
Please do not send payment until contacted with invoice total which will include shipping. www.ecwnational.org
Page 22
Communiqué
Summer 2011
Connecticut ECW talk of ‘work to do’ Submitted by Shirley Grieman Diocese of Connecticut
About 346 women and men attended the 130th Annual Meeting and Luncheon of the Diocese of Connecticut ECW, held at the Aqua Turf in Southington, Conn., May 5. There were eight women from the Rhode Island ECW Diocesan Board and four from Western Massachusetts present. President Sylvia Corrigan welcomed everyone after they had an opportunity to have coffee and visit the table displays. The Rt. Rev. Ian T. Douglas was celebrant for the Holy Eucharist, and the Rt. Rev. James E. Curry gave the homily. Bishop Curry began by exclaiming that “We have work to do” because walls of mistrust have been built. But, he said, God is at work in the world: Jesus has broken down the walls and the new building is where Jesus will meet us: “Come meet me in the world.” There are phases of life where critical issues cause us to have to go to great lengths for reconciliation and restoration as people of peace. How might the ECW work together to honor those who were killed and create a new peace? To work on Reconciliation for the 9/11 anniversary observances, you can visit: www.ctmissionconnect.org. Abolishing the death penalty in Connecticut is under consideration now by lawmakers as we seek justice and dignity for every person’s life. At General Convention, a stand against the death penalty was taken. It is very important to communicate with each other to make our voices heard. Go to this URL and follow the prompts: episcopal. grassroots.com/ctppn/Registrationthen. “Fear not. I have risen from the grave. Sisters, go forth into the world and get my brothers there too. I’m there ahead of you. We have work to do.” Keynote speaker for the meeting was the Rev. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas, priest associate of Grace Church, in Amherst, Mass., author and retreat leader. She has been active in Religious Witness for the Earth. Her topic was: “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You: Reclaiming the Sacredness of Creation.” Beginning her talk, she referred to how “our attentions have been focused on unprecedented flooding, drought, and monster tor-
Left, Louise Caterson of Trinity, Trumbull, with the Rev. Ellen Kennedy, priest-in-charge at Trinity, and chaplain for the diocesan ECW. nadoes in the Midwest and the South. Were those record-breaking storms related to global warming? Meteorologists seem to be split on the question, with most saying ‘no,’ and some saying that the unusually warm waters of the Gulf contributed to the tornadoes.” To quote generously from her text: “Of course, no particular tornado, flood, drought, hurricane, or any other extreme weather event can be directly attributed to humancaused climate change. But it is clear that the earth’s temperature is not only rising, but also rising increasingly fast. Nine of the ten warmest years occurred in the last decade. (The year) 2010 tied 2005 as the hottest year in 131 years of recordkeeping. “Do you know how many countries endured unprecedented heat last year? Nineteen temperatures in Burma reached 117 degrees Fahrenheit, setting a record for Southeast Asia, while the ancient city of Mohenjodaro in Pakistan hit 128.3 degrees Fahrenheit, a record not only for the country but also for all of Asia. “For several years I have been asking myself some questions: How do we live into this decisive moment with creativity and hope? What theological convictions and spiritual practices can sustain us in the years ahead? Can we turn to God and bring to God our fear, anger, sorrow, confusion, and sense of helplessness? Can we open ourselves to the power of the Holy Spirit? Can we seek the energy and insight that call out the best in our selves and in each other? The human community needs that hope as never before…” She set forth three spiritual resources for
www.ecwnational.org
These three pictures show scenes from the Diocese of Connecticut’s 130th Annual Meeting and Luncheon. us to draw upon: 1) Creation: “This is the stage when we fall in love with the beauty of God’s creation. We experience gratefulness, wonder, amazement, and awe. In this stage of the spiritual journey, we discover how loved we are as creatures that are part of creation. Claiming our basic God-given belovedness is a powerful antidote to the message that human beings are ‘a cancer on the planet,’ a ‘virus’ – which is the voice of self-hatred, anger, and violence.” 2) Crucifixion (letting go, grief, loss): “No one wants to come to this second stage of the journey, the crucifixion, but here it is. We find ourselves at the foot of the cross when we become aware of the relentless assault on the natural world. The earth itself is being nailed to the cross. “How serious is the threat to God’s creation? Here is what one mainstream environmental lawyer, Gus Speth, has to say: ‘…all we have to do to destroy the planet’s climate and [organisms] and leave a ruined world to our children and grandchildren is to keep doing exactly what we are doing today, with no growth in the human population or the world economy. Just continue to release greenhouse gases at current rates, just continue to impoveish ecosystems and release toxic chemicals at current rates, and the world in the latter part of this century won’t be fit to live in. “Of course, human activities are not holding at current levels. They are accelerating, dramatically. What do we do with this? Can we let ourselves feel the grief? Can we
Please continue on page 23
Summer 2011
Communiqué
Page 23
Province II women gather for work, inspiration Submitted by The Rev. Jennifer Kenna Province II
Twenty women from six dioceses gathered at Christ the King Retreat and Conference Center in Syracuse, N.Y. for the Province II ECW Annual Meeting. The center is at the top of a hill in a culde-sac and is surrounded by beautiful grounds. The election of the president-elect, who will assume office after the 2012 Annual Province Meeting, was held during this session. I am pleased to announce that Deborah Anderson from the Diocese of New Jersey was chosen. She has been very active in her diocesan ECW and also served on the National ECW Board. Illness has prevented her from being among us for a while but we are so thrilled she has accepted this position. The business portion of the meeting was very fruitful and we made some difficult but timely decisions. Beginning in 2012, our annual meeting will include only one overnight, running from late Friday afternoon into Saturday afternoon. Also beginning next year, it will remain at a central location so travel for all will be minimized. The dioceses will continue to take turns hosting and arranging the meeting at that location. The changes made were prompted as a result of the fiscal downsizing for all dioceses as most diocesan ECW are experiencing difficulty funding their own outreach projects. Making these major changes enabled us to keep the budget for 2012 the same as it was for 2011. Connecticut, continued from page 22
let ourselves feel the pain of a broken heart? The cross is the place where we face and bear our anger, grief, and guilt – and the place where Christ holds and bears for us what we cannot bear ourselves. It is at the cross of Christ that evil and suffering are continually met by the love of God, and in a time of ecological crisis, Christians need to take hold of the power of the cross as never before.” 3) Resurrection (healing/resisting, compassion and justice, changing the world): “Through the grace of God, we are drawn through ‘crucifixion’ into ‘resurrected life.’ We are filled with the Holy Spirit and sent out to take the action God calls us to do; participate in God’s mission to restore all people and all creation to unity with God and each other in Christ. We bear witness to the Christ who bursts from the tomb, proclaims life, not death, has the last word... “When we are led to ‘resurrection,’ we move out into the world to participate in works of compassion and justice. What we feel ourselves sent out to do can take many forms. Commitment to care for the earth will affect what we buy and what we refuse to buy, what we drive and what we refuse to
The presenter Saturday was Bambi Carkey, who entitled her program, “Doing Unto Ourselves as We Do Unto Others.” She is a psychiatric nurse practitioner and a clinical professor at Upstate University Hospital School of Nursing. Bambi is a member of St. Luke’s Church in Camillus, N.Y. She spoke about stressors particular to women and how to deal with them. Bambi led us through a guided meditation to the Garden of Gethsemane with Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jesus and Martha of Bethany. We were invited to visualize the garden, imagine the sights and sounds, feel the presence of the women and finally to meet Jesus at the tomb. Each woman visualized receiving a gold box containing a special gift from Jesus and imagined opening it. We were also encouraged to offer Jesus a gift. After the meditation, meeting attendees were invited to share their gifts, both received and given. It was a delightful and spiritual oasis. In lieu of an honorarium, we presented Bambi with a prayer shawl and sent a check in her name to the El Salvador Medical Mission of Miracles of the Diocese of Central New York in which she is a dedicated participant. The Rev. Toppie Bates, chaplain for the Diocese of Central New York, preached and presided at the Saturday Eucharist. There were opportunities for prayer and social time which is an important part of the gathering. We departed Sunday morning with a sense of accomplishment and the joy of new and renewed friendships.
drive, how we heat our homes, how much we reuse and recycle. Lifestyle changes are important – they help us align our life with our values, and to increase our sense of personal integrity. “But we can’t recycle ourselves out of the environmental crisis. Working to stabilize the climate is inevitably a political struggle as well, for only our national government has the ability to make changes on a scale that can make a difference fast and that can make those changes economically feasible.” She cited a few specific ways to get involved, including: • The Transition Town movement is building resilient communities in the face of the triple threat of climate change, peak oil, and economic disruption – <www.transitionus.org/>. • The Interreligious Eco-Justice Network (IREJN) has recently been focusing on food and faith issues, particularly food security and ecojustice issues around the availability of nutritious food in low-income areas <http://www.irejn.org/>. • The U.S. Senate is debating whether or not the EPA has the power to enforce the Clean Air Act and to regulate carbon emis-
www.ecwnational.org
sions. Now is the time to contact your senator and to protect the power of the EPA. • Bill McKibben’s 350.org is building the largest global grassroots climate movement that the world has yet known. The next event will be held Sept. 24: Moving Planet, a worldwide rally to demand solutions to the climate crisis. For info, go to: <http://www.350.org/> and sign up to participate. She continued, “I want to add that resurrection actions spring from freedom, not compulsion…Will we be successful? Will we manage to avert catastrophe? I don’t know. But I do know that if I cast my lot with hope and if I get out of bed each morning with the intention to do what I can to heal the earth, I feel the joy of participating in God’s great work of healing.” She closed with a line from Helen Keller. “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something I can do.” Finally, during the short annual meeting, Jack Spaeth, the diocese’s retiring Canon of Stewardship, was honored for his devoted 30 years service.
Page 24
CommuniquĂŠ
Episcopal Church Women 186 Little River Road Hampton, NH 03842
Summer 2011
NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID HATTIESBURG, MS PERMIT NO. 50
2009-2012 ECW National Board President: Marcia Himes 45 Farview Circle Riverton, WY 82501 307-856-5934 president@ecwnational.org Vice President/Program: Cordelia Burt P.O. Box 6971 Ocean View, HI 95737 808-939-7555 vpprogram@ecwnational.org VP/Information & Communication: Marilyn Rishkofski 186 Little River Road Hampton, NH 03842 603-926-2344 vpinformationcommunication @ecwnational.org Secretary: Kathy Mank 9559 Kelly Drive Loveland, OH 45140 513-560-2126 secretary@ecwnational.org Treasurer: Sandra Powers 3 Adoracion Circle Hot Springs Village, AR 71909 501-922-3090 treasurer@ecwnational.org
Social Justice: The Rev. Irene Miller Radcliff 1094 Oakland Park Ave. Columbus, OH 43224 614-267-2145 socialjustice@ecwnational.org Multi-Media: Christine Budzowski 7410 W. 85th St. Los Angeles, CA 90045 310-821-0111 ecwwebmaster@ecwnational.org Province representatives Province I: Shirley Greiman 25 Wolcott Woods Simsbury CT 06070 860-803-7525 province1@ecwnational.org Province II: Margaret Ann Cash 3923 Amundsen Ave. Bronx NY 10466 718-994-1946 province2@ecwnational.org Province III: L. Meigan Chan 1940 T Place SE Washington DC 20020 202-889-3802 province3@ecwnational.org Province IV: Barbara Owens 5 Mary Ridge Court River Ridge, LA 70123 504-737-1845 province4@ecwnational.org
www.ecwnational.org
Province V: Valerie Hoffman-Hatcher 437 Vine St. Morris IL 60450 815-942-5432 province5@ecwnational.org Province VI: Mary K. Whisler 645 South 43rd St. Boulder, CO 80305 303-499-5551 province6@ecwnational.org Province VII: Patsy Duncan 2209 W. Spruce Ave. Duncan OK 73533 580-255-4310 province7@ecwnational.org Province VIII: The Rev. Nancy Crawford 1595 E. 31st Ave. Eugene OR 97405 541-543-1122 province8@ecwnational.org Province IX: The Rev. D. Digna Suyapa Rodriquez Colonia Trejo 23 Av.C Calle 21 Al Sur Oeste 1106 San Pedro, Sula/Honduras 011-504-773-6089 province9@ecwnational.org Parliamentarian: Connie Skidmore, RP P.O. Box 4588 Incline Village, NV 89450 775-831-6289 cwskid@att.net