CommuniquĂŠ Winter 2012
Vol. 19, No. 10
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Communiqué Vol. 19, No. 10 Winter 2012 Website: www.ecwnational.org National ECW Vice President for Information and Communication: Christine Budzowski 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: Christine Budzowski 578 Washington Blvd. #861 Marina del Rey, CA 90202 310-821-0111 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: Kathy Mank ECW Treasurer 9559 Kelly Drive Loveland, OH 45140 513-560-2126 treasurer@ecwnational.org
Deadline for the next edition of Communiqué is Jan. 15, 2013.
Winter 2012
From the president’s desk
New Triennium brings time of renewal, review As I sit here writing to you, the rainy season in central Oregon has begun. The rains came late this year, but we all knew they would come and we expect them to stay, off and on, until the Fourth of July. Our winters are not so much a time of dormancy but a reminder of renewal. Because we have so many fir trees, moss and ferns, winter here is various shades of green that let us know growth continues, albeit more slowly and without the bright The Rev. Nancy R. colors of spring. Crawford As you read ECW National this, Advent is President here. It’s the beginning of our church’s liturgical year – a time to slow down and prepare for the coming of the Christ Child. Soon enough, it will be the New Year and 2013, and so goes the cycle of seasons we live in. We are always encountering beginnings we have seen and experienced before. In C.S. Lewis’ book, The Screwtape Letters, we find instructional correspondence between a senior demon, Screwtape, and his nephew and apprentice, Wormwood. Screwtape often shows his exasperation with “the Enemy,” who he sees as God, and God’s ability to make what Screwtape sees as mundane new and exciting. Concerning the seasons, Screwtape writes: The Enemy “has balanced the love of change in them by a love of permanence. … He gives them the seasons, each season different yet every year the same, so that spring is always felt as a novelty yet always as the recurrence of an immemorial theme. He gives them in His Church a spiritual ear; they change from a fast to a feast, but it is the same feast as before.” In a few months, I will hunger for a change from our rainy season, and it will be with the knowledge warm weather will return and the sun following rain brings beautiful rainbows. It is the same with ECW. We go through the seasons of fall
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programs and Christmas bazaars. In the summer, we go on mission trips to dig wells or erect school houses. We can knit Haitian comfort dolls as the rains fall and think about the community garden we will plant in the spring. We love the ministries we do, and we look forward to the possibilities that lie ahead. There is exciting and new change as we begin a new triennium for ECW. Much of what we have seen before we see again. As is our practice, the national board is comprised of women from each of our nine provinces. These are women who serve or have served ECW in their local churches and dioceses, and who bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table. I am honored to be a part of this group: four women from the last triennium’s board and 11 women who are new to the experience. We will work for renewal in ECW. We renew our commitment to raise awareness about women throughout this country and the world who struggle to obtain satisfaction in life that many of us are able to take for granted. We renew through various means of communication our commitment to share the good news of Episcopal women doing ministry, studying the Scripture and providing a welcoming place to all church women. We renew our commitment to take action on resolutions passed at a Triennial Meeting, this time to revise the ECW bylaws concerning our nominating process and to bind ourselves more closely with the Episcopal Church, and to establish an ad hoc committee “to study, research and review the present function and structure of the Episcopal Church Women National Board and the mission and purpose of the Episcopal Church Women.” Together with your help, and with the blessings of Almighty God, we will balance our love of permanence with our love of change and see what each of the seasons brings to ECW over the next three years. Your sister in Christ, Nancy R. Crawford
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Meet the 2012-2015 ECW leadership
Diverse group poised to meet new challenges The Rev. Nancy R. Crawford National ECW Board President I am a lifelong Episcopalian and a deacon of the church. I was ordained at Trinity Cathedral, Portland, Ore., in 2006. During my years, I have served in many ministries of the church, loving to work with our children and with our women. Outside of church, I have fun every summer exploring Oregon with my granddaughter, Sydney, and now as she gets older, adventurCrawford ing into California. Caves, waterfalls, lava fields and giant redwoods can look new again when experienced through the eyes of a 12 year old. Now, as the newly elected national ECW president, I find my ministry as deacon intertwined with the women of our faith. Along with other members of the ECW board, I will be encouraging us all more than ever to minister in our churches, our communities and the world, as well as finding time for personal renewal in our walk with God. These next three years will be an exciting time. I am encouraged by the trust that has been given to me as president in this endeavor. Please keep ECW and us all in your prayers as the journey to do God’s work in the world continues. *** Shirley Greiman Vice President Program I come from the Diocese of Connecticut and belong to Old St Andrew’s Church in Bloomfield, Conn. I was born and raised on a farm in a small town in Iowa
and was brought up in the German Reform faith. I was a member in both girls and boys 4H since my father raised purebred Aberdeen angus cattle, and, therefore, I showed cattle at Greiman the Iowa State Fair, county fairs and other cattle shows. I was a real tomboy, since there were no girls who lived near me to play. And if I wanted to be involved, I had to keep up with the boys – all of them my cousins. My family was hardworking, devoted, loving and religious people. Their life revolved around the church, as both of their grandparents on the matriarchal side formed small churches where they settled in different areas of Iowa. During my college days, there was not a German Reform church so I attended different churches and was exposed to other beliefs and their way of worship. In addition to my family, this was an advantage in my growing into who I have become today. My work experience consists of working in the media and direct mail department for three top advertising agencies in Chicago. I also opened, decorated and ran nine restaurants with my former husband in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Florida. I worked for Lord & Taylor in West Hartford, Conn., and traveled doing antique shows throughout the United States in the midwest, southwest and along the west coast. I also owned and ran my own antique/decorator store and did estate sales. In my church, I have been president of the ECW for 14 years, served two-andhalf terms on the vestry, been hospitality
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chairman, a member of the enhancement committee, worked on the World Day of Prayer, served as a lay delegate to the diocesan convention and been fundraising chair for the Democratic Republic of The Congo. I also started a grass roots program for Vinh Long, Vietnam through a Vietnamese temple, raising money for rice and food for orphans. And I raised money to build 20 homes for individuals handicapped by Agent Orange contamination. On the diocesan ECW level, I was publicity chair and am now second vice president and editor of the diocesan ECW Communiqué. I have been involved in Anglican Women’s Empowerment, which has furthered my interest in women’s issues globally, as well as in the United States. My vision for Episcopal Church Women is to further women’s work in the church by making things more accessible and attainable for younger women and youth groups so they may become involved in missions for their church, state, community and global community. It is a calling from God I feel I have to follow to continue the task he has set forth for me to do on the ECW National Board. *** Christine Budzowski Vice President Information and Communication Born in Sydney, Australia, I was baptized in the Church of England and confirmed in the Episcopal Church after moving to Los Angeles in 1962. In my early 20s, I served as ECW president at St. Mary’s Church in Provo, Utah, where I lived for eight years and where my two daughters, Marina and Katherine, were born. I returned in the late ’70s and have made my home in the Diocese of Los Angeles ever since. Now grandmother to Wills and Sofia, who live in Northern California, I am actively involved in my
Page 4 parish community garden project at the Church of the Holy Nativity in Westchester, and have recently moved onto a lovely boat in Marina del Rey with the love-of-my-life and our three Budzowski cats. I have served in various communication roles in the Diocese of Los Angeles, and in leadership roles with ECW and the Order of the Daughters of the King. My business, Trinity Web Consulting, serves non-profit organizations and small businesses with web site development, database implementation, training and marketing. I love the Episcopal Church and believe our greatest strength lies in the ECW organizations within parishes and dioceses, working together in mission and ministry and inspiring the next generations of Episcopal women who will follow the examples set by our mothers before us. Communicating our history as well as our current story through all the forms of media available to us keeps us connected and working together in that common mission. I look forward to communicating and serving for the next three years on the path to Triennial Meeting 2015 in Salt Lake City, Utah. *** Kathy Mank Treasurer Greetings. For the last 22 years, Cincinnati, Ohio, has been my residence and St. Barnabas Episcopal Church my spiritual home. When our family joined St. Barnabas, the parish was 10 years old in a growing area of the city with many young families attending services and leading activities. Our priest was not only an ex-officio member of ECW, but of the Mothers of Young Children group that eventually ran the fundraising projects of ECW, including the annual lasagna dinner, rummage sale and flower sale. The MYC also led Lenten Bible and book studies. The diocesan ECW president called me one day out of the blue and asked me to serve on the board. An older woman in our parish had
Communiqué suggested me as a possibility for the Book of Remembrance chair. I was 31 and the mother of a 4-year-old. During the next 14 years, I served the diocesan ECW, our local parish ECW and attended province meetings. I found the mission and ministry of ECW to be life changing for me and those we served. ECW spearheaded needed projects in congregations and throughout the world. Episcopal Church Women were organized, shared common goals and saw endless possibilities with Jesus Christ as the inspiration and leader. When the ECW National Board visited our province and southern Ohio, I attended their meet-andgreet session to see the focus and plans for Triennial MeetMank ing. Again totally by surprise, I was approached by a board member to serve on the ECW National Board as secretary. My ECW journey took another path that has led me to treasurer, which fits my natural gifts and accounting abilities. In my experience younger women make intentional decisions to associate with the church and ECW. It truly helps when they are personally asked to serve. What are my dreams for the national ECW in the next Triennium? Here is a list: • Develop a prayer/liturgy network, sharing of prayers directed toward women. • Develop a speakers bureau, sharing speakers and topics of interest to ECW. • Update and revise sections of the Women of Vision program to incorporate current learning. • Gain appreciation for the benefactors of ECW, research the history and work with the Episcopal Women’s History Project. • 16 Days of Activism, partner with other Episcopal women’s organizations. • National online Bible study. • National online book club – one book per year. • Work on structural changes to help ECW evolve.
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Winter 2012 • A Triennial Meeting that touches the heart and quickens the soul. If there is enough interest, these dreams can be fulfilled, but three years may not be enough time. Pray with me and the rest of the board for a spirit-filled and progressive Triennium. Do not hesitate to contact me with any question or thought. *** Lisa Towle Secretary Lisa Towle hails from the Diocese of North Carolina. She and her husband, Karl, live in Cary, N.C., and are members of the Church of the Good Shepherd in nearby Raleigh, the state capital as well as the location of the diocese’s primary office. In addition to serving as president of the diocesan ECW, Lisa is a member of the diocese’s Botswana Companion Diocese Committee, Towle the Millennium Development Goals Committee and the Chartered Committee for Global Mission. A journalist and editor, Lisa has also worked in public relations. She and her husband co-own Liskar Communications, which provides writing and editing services as well as website content, database and email consulting. Lisa is a native North Carolinian who lived globally thanks to her father’s career with the U.S. Army. She and Karl have been blessed with three terrific daughters and a son-in-law. When she’s not doing church-related work or tending to Liskar business, Lisa enjoys family time, genealogy, gardens, reading, the beach, Masterpiece Mystery, the arts, coffee and chocolate. And while she holds her own at Words with Friends, she’s less than artful when it comes to the Draw Something social media game. During the course of 2012-2015 triennium she hopes to help make the National ECW more known to dioceses around the country and begin a serious conversation
Winter 2012 about the National ECW’s future – its form and function. *** Deb Gardiner Member-At-Large, Social Justice The Women’s Training Center in the small village of Goli, Uganda, was established by the Diocese of West Texas in partnership with the Diocese of Nebbi, Uganda to educate women who have not been able to obtain their education. For a long time, women were not considered vital and yet they are the greatest Gardiner change agents because the family revolves around them. While in Uganda, as a missionary of the Diocese of West Texas, my home diocese in Province VII, I served as the transitional principle of The Women’s Training Center. I saw the women struggling and watched how empowered they became when given an education. In Uganda they say, “educate a women and you educate a village.” As a counselor I have worked with marginalized people. Many turn to chemicals and other addictions as a means of coping with their pain and suffering. I have lived and traveled around the world and have seen women with similar stories of suffering, pain and sorrow living and dying with issues of poverty, hunger, and illnesses such as HIV/AIDS, polio, cancer, malaria, alcoholism and substance abuse with scarce resources available to meet these daily challenges. Since my return from Uganda, I have processed the impact the experience had on me and I have been exploring ways I can make an impact in the world. I believe in equality and human rights for all peoples. My passion is social justice. Some of my goals are as follows: promote gender equality and empower women; eliminate and prevent all forms of violence against women and girls to include human trafficking; reduce child mortality; improve maternal health; combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; and advance
Communiqué women worldwide. I want to be an advocate and agent of change in their lives. I am striving to be the change I want to see in the world. *** Linda Guest Province I representative Province I is comprised of seven dioceses including Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont and Western Massachusetts. Four of the seven dioceses have active boards with presidents, including Valzie Peterkin, Connecticut; Elizabeth Murray, Massachusetts; Margaret Noel, Guest Rhode Island; and Susan Howland, Western Massachusetts. The president of Province I is Marjorie Reeves-Briden of Rhode Island, and the Province I annual meeting is held every fall in a different location around the province. I am very excited and honored to be the national representative to ECW for Province I. My hope for the next three years is to learn and share the talents God has given us all and to bring the wider church to the women in all of our dioceses. Please pray for me and the rest of the board as we enter this new journey in our lives. *** Ginger Lief Province II representative Province II consists of a diverse and widespread group of dioceses located on two continents. In North America, the province includes six dioceses in the state of New York: Albany, Central New York, Long Island, New York, Rochester and Western New York; the two dioceses of the State of New Jersey: New Jersey and Newark; two dioceses in the Caribbean: Haiti and the Virgin Islands. Across the Atlantic Ocean, Province II also includes the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe with principal congregations in Bel-
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Page 5 gium, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland. Province II is closely linked to the beginnings of the national organization of church women’s work. In 1871, the first home of the Women’s Auxiliary, which Lief later became Episcopal Church Women, was at the former Bible House, in New York City, in a room across from the Domestic and Foreign Committees offices. In 1889, during the sixth Triennial Meeting, the first United Offering, later the United Thank Offering, was collected at the former Church of the Holy Communion in New York City. Today, the original wooden altar at which this first United Offering was presented may be found in the Diocese of Western New York at the Church of the Holy Communion, Lake View, N.Y, located about 20 miles south of Buffalo, N.Y. I am proud of the long engagement the women of Province II have had in supporting the spirit of mission and organizational work of the church. As the Province II representative to the ECW National Board, it is my hope through prayer, fellowship and hard work, the board will create a program that addresses compelling concerns of church women today. Moreover it is my hope that this program will enhance the abilities, skills and understanding of those who attend the 2015 Triennial Meeting to fulfill individual and collective calls for mission and ministry on the parish, community, diocesan and national levels. *** Dottie Arthur Province III Greetings from Province III. Province III covers five states plus Washington, D.C. with a total of 13 dioceses. This past spring, we met at the synod in Martinsburg, W.Va. with the bishops and delegates to General Convention and Triennial Meeting 2012. It was a wonderful opportunity to spend time together, plan for the
Page 6 conventions and celebrate Eucharist as a province. In July, as we headed for Indianapolis, many of us were greeted at our airport gate by other delegates heading to Triennial Meeting. We recognized one another as we wore our ECW gold crosses. I do have to say we were a noisy Arthur and an excited group of women on the plane. It was wonderful to see and meet our sisters before and during our time together. During the Triennial Meeting, we were reminded of our history as a group. We had conversation with one another as we shared our faith stories. We shared meals and fellowship together and thought about our future. Each morning, we met with all delegates from both General Convention and Triennial Meeting for a Eucharist Celebration. It still amazes me 3,000 to 4,000 people can be served the body and the blood in 15 to 20 minutes. A big highlight of Triennial Meeting was when 10 sisters from our province were honored as ECW Distinguished Women. Most of these women were presented by their bishops and sponsors. I know that I will never forget the experience I had and the new friendships I made at this convention. As a Province III representative to the ECW National Board, I look forward to working with the board members as we continue to plan for the 21st century. My hope is for us to grow as a group and make all ECW meetings inviting, exciting, challenging and productive. I look forward to spending time with you as I visit the many dioceses in the next three years. *** Kathy Gosselin Province IV Province IV is known as the Sewanee Province, not only for the river and the song, but the seminary as well: The School of Theology of the University of the South
Communiqué located in the midst of our province. We consist of all and parts of nine states located in the beautiful southeast section of our God-blessed country. We are the largest province with 20 dioceses. Please come visit us and try out our southern hospitality. The women in Province IV are bonded in love and service through Jesus Christ our Lord. The hours our women spend in outreach and Gosselin helping others amazes me. I am quite honored to represent these women on the ECW National Board. We are all on a journey and many of our paths have intertwined along the way. I truly hope each of us can make that journey easier for those who are following along our Episcopal Church Women’s path. I look forward to helping smooth that path with better communication, personal visits where we can exchange thoughts and ideas and hopes and dreams and always being ready to grow spiritually. Blessings and prayers for all. *** Connie Ott Province V Province V consists of 15 dioceses and is often referred to as the Diocese of the Midwest. It is comprised of the states of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and a small piece on the eastern side of Missouri including St. Louis. The dioceses are diverse. Many are small and scattered over a large area geographically without any major metropolitan area. Others have Ott major population centers and a heavy urban culture.
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Winter 2012 They are also diverse in the presence of organized women’s groups, though we did have representation from 13 of the 15 dioceses at Triennial Meeting 2012. Communication is my top priority for the next three years and I look forward to that challenge as I learn about all the dioceses and meet the women from them. *** Province VI Mari-Lou Triebenbach Province VI is known as the Province of Prairies, Lakes and Mountains. We are a large province with two of the four nationally aided dioceses. The eight dioceses include Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. The Province ECW meets once a year, with attendance usually being five to ten people. We are a large province and transportation to meetings is expensive, so communication is done by email and phone calls. We are a very diverse province with the Twin Cities of MinTriebenbach neapolis and St. Paul in the east and Denver in the west. I am very pleased to represent this province on the ECW National Board and hope to at the very least be able to keep Province VI informed on actions of the board and get new ideas of how local ECW organizations can feel connected to the greater church. I look forward to this new challenge. *** Lonnie Isaac Province VII Situated in the middle of the country, Province VII is distinguished by the legacy of the pioneers who came to Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Missouri and New Mexico. They knew the importance of building community and reaching out to help others. As Episcopal Church Women in Province VII, we are a community of women who seek to serve God and to reach out and respond to needs, just as the
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strong women who moved west did. Our challenge today is to participate in a rapidly changing world. My hope for the next three years is that we will use the 21st century tools Isaac available to us to share ideas, experience, successes and failures. By increasing our communication and awareness, we will be attuned to changing realities and inspire one another to find new ways to serve. *** Louise Aloy Province VIII Province VIII is known as the Province of the Pacific and incorporates 18 dioceses in Alaska, Hawaii, California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Idaho and Taiwan. I am especially proud of Province VIII because no matter how spread apart we are geographically, we share common values and goals. We embody the meaning of empowerment. We encourage all women to be disciples of Christ and to spread the Good News. No matter how far apart we are, outreach ministries are of utmost importance to us. Whether in our local congregations or our state diocese, we share a common ground that binds us together as sisters in Christ forever more. We are the shakers and the movers of Province VIII. Though we may not see each other again for another three years at Triennial Meeting 2015, we are but a phone call or email away. With today’s technology, we are covering more by the computer than we have ever done before
to stay connected. It is my hope for the next three years of service to listen and learn, to watch and learn and to contribute to the success of all the affiliates of Episcopal Aloy Church Women: United Thank Offering, Daughters of the King and Church Periodical Club, to name a few. I ask for your continued support as the new Province VIII representative to the National ECW Board. *** Mayra Brown Province IX Since taking office after Triennial Meeting 2012, I have made some contacts with the sisters of the various dioceses that form Province IX. Several of them, to date, have answered the preliminary questions I sent in a questionnaire. In general I found in the dioceses of Puerto Rico, Venezuela and Dominican Republic there are women who hold organized general conventions. In Venezuela, the ECW are currently working with its statutes (bylaws), while the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico already have them. For the immediate future the efforts of Province IX should be directed to: • That all Episcopal Church Women who make up this province are organized by late 2013 under the statutes as suggested by the ECW. • That in 2013-2014 we continue to grow and develop programs for the education and protection of women, especially the abused and battered, this being part of
Page 7 our social ministry. • Programs to strengthen spirituality, as currently done in Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic. These may be national retreats, days of Brown prayer, schools for lay women, etc. These programs must be executed immediately. • Creating jobs through a micro-enterprise program to enable economic development and self-sufficiency to our women. I look forward to representing Province IX during this triennium. *** Connie Skidmore Parliamentarian Connie Skidmore is a Registered Parliamentarian and member of the National Association of Parliamentarians. She has been parliamentarian for the National ECW Board since 1999. She has also served in this capacity for the past four Triennial MeetSkidmore ings, as well as the 2012 meeting in Indianapolis. She is a member of St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church, Incline Village, Nev., where she serves as lay eucharistic minister, lay reader, parliamentarian, Education For Ministry mentor and Outreach/Mission Chair.
Send your news and views about ECW by Jan. 15, 2013 to: Christine Budzowski 578 Washington Blvd. #861 Marina del Rey, CA 90202 310-821-0111 vpinformationcommunication@ecwnational.org
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Latest trip to Uganda strengthens mission Submitted by Martha “Mama Martha” Hoffman President, Call To Care Uganda St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Madison, CT You met me briefly in a previous Communiqué, and I am now back from Uganda – inspired, excited and overflowing with good news to share. I know there isn’t room in this brief article to even scratch the surface of all that happened during my recent threeweek visit, but I hope I will be able to report a synopsis and highlight a few encounters without making you dizzy. My dream team consisted of 13 people. Four had been to Uganda before and had familiarity. For the nine others – seven of them college students – landing in Uganda was a lot like landing on another planet. Everything looked different, felt different, tasted different, smelled different and was so culturally contrary to anything they had ever experienced. We landed in the morning and hit the ground running after 15 hours in the air. We first journeyed up to Soroti, Serere and Kaberamaido. We visited a remote village called Omua where we had recently been partners in sponsoring a borehole well. No matter how one tries to prepare for the numbing poverty encountered in remote Africa, that effort is always lacking. This was my forth trip since 2006, and I am always reminded and humbled by how difficult just being alive must be for the courageous souls we greet. They arrive dressed in their best, albeit in rags, and smiling from ear to ear. Some are on crutches or limping, and many 8- or 9-year-old children are carrying siblings they often are the sole caretakers for. The strength of our Ugandan friends leaves me in awe. We celebrate the gift of water together, our mission partnership and the connectedness we share as brothers and sisters in Christ. We next moved on to visit the grounds of a children’s center Call To Care Uganda is in the process of building called KACCO that Call to Care Uganda is in the process of building. We held a board meeting literally under the mango tree. What a gift it was to meet and plan together face to face. We were able to contact home that day and blogged quickly at a new internet cafe we had funded.This is used as a sustainability project for this future children’s center. We stopped for a brief visit at a sponsored primary school to dedicate another well and deliver school and medical supplies, laptop computers and love. We journeyed 11 hours back to mid-country to visit an
“Mama Martha” Hoffman, top photo, stands amid some of the youngsters she works with in Uganda, while in the second photo, Melissa Hoffman greets a blind student at the Chain Foundation Orphanage, Mukono, Uganda. orphanage we sponsor where an integrated school for sighted and blind children has opened. We played and laughed, danced and celebrated the love we all share for one another. We delivered more medical supplies, school supplies, Braille paper, shoes and clothes. Our bus was becoming increasingly lighter with each stop. We dined with the orphanage’s founder, former Ugandan Please continue on page 9
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Emily Power teaches about malaria prevention in Uganda as part of Call to Care Uganda’s latest trip to that country.
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Riley McDonald enjoys play time with students at Faith Primary School in Bushenyi, Uganda, during the most recent Call to Care Uganda trip to the country.
Continued from page 8 Archbishop Livingstone Nkoyoyo, and his lovely wife, Ruth, at their retirement home. Next we were invited to a church groundbreaking service where we were ushered up in front of thousands and heard current Archbishop of Uganda Henry Orombi deliver the sermon. We met the prime minister of Uganda on the way out of church after Eucharist – an unexpected honor. We learned later the prime minister went on to talk about Call To Care Uganda for 10 minutes and thanked groups like ours for helping reach those the government has been unsuccessful at reaching themselves. We also learned we were on Ugandan television and in the national newspaper. We traveled on to the western region of Uganda, passing over the Equator for a one-of-a-kind photo op along the way. Our work in the west was at two schools with whom Call To Care Uganda has formed school sponsorship relationships. At both, we celebrated the recent drilling of borehole wells, and delivered malaria prevention training materials and mosquito nets. A sick bay, library and classroom block were also dedicated in the names of team members. One of our team members, the Rev. Marilyn Anderson, rector at Christ Church in Redding, Conn., baptized 14 children and delivered a sermon translated into two tribal dialects. Rich Fisler and I were also asked to participate in a baptism as Godparents. The ceremony was joyous and the celebration afterwards included 3,000 people. These are days none of us will soon forget. For me, I think some of the most rewarding time spent was witnessing the college students interacting with the school children. They prepared a curriculum for one lucky school. They taught health, geography, music, literature, Bible stories, math and science. They also really had a chance to get to know these
children – many total orphans – and begin friendships. They joked, played sports and learned more about each other’s cultures. The kids from the United States thanked me several times a day for sharing this opportunity with them. They were shocked that they were actually in Africa and being the change they wanted to see in our world. My eldest daughter, Melissa, was a member of the team and the first of my children to go to Uganda with me since I began this work six years ago. Experiencing it all with her and seeing the compassion in her heart towards others was beautiful. I know I am changing and growing as a leader through this ongoing mission with Uganda’s most vulnerable children. I sometimes feel maybe I am becoming a bit hardened although I know my heart is ever tender. I think it is really more of a maturity and understanding of this country I love. But, on this trip it struck me significantly, probably because there were so many experiencing Uganda for the first time. I remember all too well how that felt and compare that to how it feels today. I have witnessed the cumulative effect of loving our neighbors, and in a very short time, witnessing the positive impact, the growth, the strength of relationships, the accountability and the overall success. This past summer, we were all witnessing progress first hand. The mission of God and of Call To Care Uganda is alive and well. I invite you all to find out more about becoming an agent of change and join the team. Right now, God is inviting us all to become part of a bigger story – a bigger picture – with a vision that will engage your hearts to move forward in making a radical change in our world.For more information on Call to Care Uganda, please see the website: www.calltocareuganda.org.
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Serve God by taking care of yourself Submitted by Jen Mariano First vice president Daughters of the King We’ve all heard the story a hundred times in Luke 10:38-42. Martha is busy taking care of her guests while Mary is taking care of her spiritual needs by sitting at Jesus’ feet. It is a little known fact that while Mary and Martha were doing these things, Mabel was out getting a mammogram, and caught up with them later, relieved by her results, ready to listen and focus on the Word. OK, well maybe it’s more legend then fact. OK, well, maybe it’s more me making it up than legend. But my point is, how different our lives would be if we had a Biblical woman who set a precedent for self-care? As women we are always taking care of others – children, parents, husbands, friends – even our beloved pets. But when do we take care of ourselves? Too many times we may put off going to the gym, taking that walk, enjoying that yoga class, getting a mammogram, postponing that doctor appointment. We skip that dentist appointment even though we know good oral hygiene is very important to overall health including the heart, all in order to take care of something or someone else. But we can’t be good for others if we’re no good for ourselves. Making time for our health is not only common sense, it is also a spiritual journey we can take with God. He wants us to take care of the body He gave us. Our health is a vital part of our overall well being. “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” (I Corinthians 6:19-20) Take the time to take care of your body. Here are a few things you can do: 1. Exercise. It is the most important element of good health. If you are just starting an exercise program be sure to check with your doctor first. Go for a prayer walk or run. Take Christianbased yoga. Listen to Christian music as
you workout. 2. Eat a healthy diet, lots of fruits and vegetables, high fiber, low saturated fat, and watch those portions. 3. Rest. I know this is a four-letter word for some of us but we have to get a good night’s sleep in order to stay fresh and alert and give our minds and bodies some down time. 4. Get your mammies grammied. Do not put it off. We all know how much fun it is and just can’t wait for that next appointment, but early detection can save your life. Get your mammogram and remind your family and friends to do the same. 5. Get your colon scoped. Personally, I am not looking forward to this but it is a critical screening tool that saves lives. Make your appointment and remind your family and friends to do the same. 6. Check your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar regularly and manage accordingly. Be disciplined and stick to your program. 7. Get your heart checked out. Heart disease is the leading killer of women. Since practically everything we do affects our heart it is very important to get a heart health assessment and know your risk for heart disease. 8. Make the time. Make the change. 9. Don’t make excuses. When it comes to your health take the bull by the horns. Be your own best advocate. When you have to go to the doctor, ask as many questions as necessary until you are fully satisfied with the answers, clear about options and comfortable with decisions moving forward. Be an empowered patient. There are lots of great resources regarding this on the web. Some of my personal favorites include: livestrong.com; heart.org; myfitnesspal.com; webmd.com; and fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org. We have all lost loved ones and so
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many dear sisters in Christ to cancer and other illnesses. We can honor them by making whatever change may be necessary to improve our own health right now. Why not join a team? Making Strides, American Cancer Society; Team in Training, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society; or Memory Walk, Alzheimer’s Association. God can use us in places like these to offer encouragement and words of hope to people who may not even know God. The truth is there is only so much we can do when it comes to our bodies. Even with our best efforts it can fail us. But sisters, what we can do, we ought to do. Pray, “Lord, show me what I need to do to take better care of myself. Please give me the strength and discipline to make that happen.” Make prayer an integral part of your health. I say these words to myself as much as I say them to you. We all need to be reminded that while taking care of others and taking care of our spiritual need are important, we cannot neglect our health. I often think of Mabel and what a great role model she would’ve been and how so many women could’ve used another woman as an advocate, a point person, for their own health. But we can always support and encourage each other. I know that I am wonderfully and fearfully made, and God delights in His creation. So now I’m going to show Him how thankful I am for what He has created and go for a run. That’s time well spent with Him anyway.
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Calendar of Events 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
Nov. 25-Dec. 10 – 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence continues Jan. 17-19, 2013 – 2013 Diocese of Michigan Annual Spiritual Journey Retreat at Colombiere Center, Clarkson, Mich. April 4-7 – Province V Annual Meeting in Chesterfield, Mo., at the Doubletree Hotel and Conference Center. Theme for the meeting: Episcopal Church Women
“Gather Us In,” For information, contact ksbirr@charter.net. April 18-19 – Diocese of Kansas Women’s Summit. May 30-June 10 – Episcopal Women’s Holy Land Pilgrimage. Aug. 2-4 – Province VII ECW retreat at Camp Allen Conference and Retreat Center in Navasota, Texas. Save the Date! 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: Kathy Mank National ECW Treasurer 9559 Kelly Drive Loveland, Ohio, 45140 treasurer@ecwnational.org
Ship to: Name: _________________________________ Address: _______________________________ City/State/Zip:___________________________ Tel: ___________________________________ Email: _________________________________
Large Pin at $5.00 each
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Small Pin at $3.50 each
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Please do not send payment until contacted with invoice total which will include shipping.
Send your news about what women in your province, diocese or parish are doing to Christine Budzowski 578 Washington Blvd. #861 Marina del Rey, CA 90202 310-821-0111 vpinformationcommunication @ecwnational.org
ECW National Board Contribution Form 2012-2015 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:
Amount
___ Annual pledge
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___ Aid to Delegates
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___ Unified Gift “Nets for Life”
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___ Triennial Meeting Endowment
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___ Women to Women
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___ 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: Kathy Mank National ECW Treasurer 9559 Kelly Drive Loveland, Ohio, 45140
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Triennial Meeting 2012
Women from all corners of the Episcopal Church gathered from July 5 through 12, 2012, in Indianapolis, Ind., for the 47th annual Episcopal Church Women Triennial Meeting. The meeting, which worked around the theme “Many Paths, One Journey” was held in conjunction with the church’s General Convention. The stories and pictures on the following pages originally appeared in the meeting’s Triennial Today publication. They are repeated here and help recount the events associated with the 2012 Triennial Meeting.
Craine House benefits from ECW ‘Connection’ Editor’s note: The John P. Craine House in Indianapolis was the 2009-2012 National ECW Board’s choice for the 2012 Triennial Meeting’s Community Connection. Michael Cook, president of Craine House, spoke at the Episcopal Church Women’s Triennial Meeting event. He thanked the group for their support, and spoke to them about the operations of the facility. Cook explained that Craine House was created to enable incarcerated women to live out the remainder of their sentences in a relatively normal environment, which encourages a healthier transitioning back into society. Craine House also provides an opportunity for these transitioning women to live with their children while receiving beneficial services to put their lives back on course. Cook said the average female inmate in the United States is 66 percent more likely to go back to prison, while the probability is less than 20 percent for a woman who has gone through the Craine House program. Transitioning centers, like the Craine House, not only assist in restoring an individual back into society but also have a residual effect on the children of these women. Cook said while an estimated 70 percent of the children of women felons in the US are more likely to commit a felony in their life, the children of the Craine House most likely will not. Cook demonstrated the economical appeal of Craine House. “It costs $50,000 per year to house an incarcerated person and $200,000 per year to house a youth,” he said. “It ONLY costs $13,000 per year to house a woman to include her children at the Craine House.” Cook said the 8,000-square-foot facility houses approximately 39 families a year, but it will soon be moving to a 30,000-square-foot renovated nursing home, that will be able to house up to 100 women and their families per year.
We ran a new path: Inaugural 5K a success Submitted by Marilyn Rishkofski At Triennial Meeting 2012, General Convention bishops, deputies and their guests joined Episcopal Church Women for the first ECW National Board 5K at the Canal Walk at White River State Park in Indianapolis. First-time events seem to take on a life of their own as the start date approaches. Organizers can only plan so much but when the big day arrives there are always surprises. We had hoped for 100 runners and ended up with more than 200. Praise God that we had enough porta-potties, no one fell into the canal, Episcopal Health Ministries was a sponsor (in case of emergencies) and it was a cool July 5th morning. So we ran out of bananas? Sorry. The first ECW National Board 5K was a celebration. This was a time for Triennial Meeting and General Convention delegates and deputies to leave their workbooks on the desk and
run, walk or stroll in the fresh air with old and new friends. This was a time for us to partner with other Episcopal organizations and grow stronger in and by these relationships. This was a way of helping Craine House financially. This was also a way of honoring the wife of a bishop who will always be remembered for the caring, beautiful life she ran. So thank you, God, for giving ECW the opportunity to dispel our image of white-gloved women, baking cookies. We are running, walking and strolling along new paths built on the hard work of those women who preceded us. To the new National ECW Board: don’t forget the bananas.
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The Prayer Garden in the Exhibit Hall at General Convention/Triennial Meeting in July, left photo, proved to be a place where those in attendance at the many options available could relax, rest and pray. Right, The Episcopal Community provided bookmarks for many attending General Convention and Triennial Meeting 2012.
Gathering unites Episcopal Community Submitted by Bev Reubeck The Episcopal Community The Episcopal Community held its first national convention in Indianapolis July 212. The rule of the community calls us to grow, connect, support and serve. During our planning for this gathering, we reflected on our rule. We felt called to be of service and support to our church rather than to offer programs and workshops. Ways in which we fulfilled our mission and rule include: • A Prayer Garden in the Exhibit Hall during General Convention: a special place in the midst of the busy-ness of General Convention to stop, rest and pray. • We are appreciative of the invitation from the Episcopal Church to offer service by staffing the General Convention Prayer Chapel and hosting the hospitality room for the visiting primates and guests. • We supported and served our church by going to the House of Bishops, the House of Deputies and the Episcopal Church Women’s Triennial Meeting to pray over each chair and table and to leave a bookmark with a prayer for each person,
which showed them we were supporting their work with our prayers. Episcopal Community members wrote the prayers on the bookmarks specifically for each house. Prayers were in English, French and Spanish. • We connected and grew spiritually by worshipping at General Convention, having a delegate at the ECW Triennial Meeting and sponsoring the ECW First Triennial Meeting 5K Walk/Run and three members participating in the event which benefitted the Craine House. The Episcopal Community member
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gathering on Saturday, July 7, followed by dinner and reaffirmation of vows was another chance for us to grow. Members and spouses served as General Convention volunteers. Among our combined areas of service we gave approximately 900 hours of service. The following mission statement was approved during our gathering: “We are a vowed community of women in the Episcopal Church who, committed to our baptismal covenant, seek and serve Christ in all persons. We hold to a Rule of Life that calls us to grow in our relationship to God, connect through relationships with others, support those to whom we are bound through our community and serve others and the whole of God’s Creation, in order to be more effective disciples in our personal lives, the Episcopal Church, and the world.” The name chosen for our newsletter is Discerning Hearts: The Newsletter of the Episcopal Community. For more information please contact Bev Ruebeck @ 317-490-3212 or b.ruebeck@att.net.
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Winter 2012 Members of The Episcopal Community gathered in a prayer circle as part of a ceremony celebrating the reaffirmation of vows led by the Rt. Rev. Philip Menzie Duncan, II, bishop of the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast. The Episcopal Community, a group of Episcopal women, was meeting for the first time as part of the 2012 gathering for General Convention and ECW Triennial Meeting. The group is dedicated to the rule of grow, connect, support and serve and practiced their rule throughout the eight-day meeting.
Workshop encourages ECW oral history Submitted by Laura Orcutt Diocese of Utah “What was it like when people heard a woman’s voice for the first time at the altar?” The Rev. Barbara Bender-Breck posed this hypothetical question to a group of women gathered for her workshop, “Voices of Episcopal Women,” at the Episcopal Church Women’s Triennial Meeting in July. “Some of you may know it was silenced for a long time,” she said. “As voices are freed to speak, we grow from different perspectives. ‘We’ – the people of the story – come to hear the salvation story each Sunday at church. Our lives are transformed by it. Have you ever thought about recording someone’s oral history? Do you like to be an investigator? The joy of the oral story is to go behind the history.” The point of the workshop was to teach the theories, methods, and debates of history’s oldest tool: oral history. She emphasized the importance oral history in a congregation as well as the importance of individual and collective memories, and how they influence history. She also provided pointers to the group on information gathering, and had workshop attendees conduct their own interviews with each other as part of the session. “Find out about the person before you ever interview them,” Bender-Breck said, encouraging a bit of behind-the-scenes investigation. “Check church records. Also, talk to the person’s friends
and family, so you can have some well-prepared questions. The questions shouldn’t be dryly presented such as ‘did you go to Sunday School?’ Nor, should they be leading questions, like ‘I understand Rev. Smith was a wonderful preacher. What do you think?’ “Ask about how the church celebrated Christmas or have them tell you about church picnics. Use a few rules of thumb, such as keeping an open mind to hearing stories, not placing judgment, and get to know the person to build trust so they will trust,” she said. “Elicit facts, feelings, descriptions, and ask specific questions. Listen.” She suggested if pre-interview research contradicts information the subjects provide, ask them about it. Do not challenge the person. Bender-Breck also recommended bringing along memorabilia if available, to stimulate the subject’s memories. “Go in with tools, such as old photos, and a good digital recorder to record stories,” Bender-Breck said. “Bring along extra batteries and do your research by knowing as much as you can about the person before the interview. Give a face-to-face interview, and try to avoid the phone. If a person lives far away, draft a letter to the person, and ask specific questions.” In closing, she said, “Be sure to record your name, their name, the date, and the time. You are being given the privilege to preserve a part of history that is critical.”
UTO unveils grants during Triennial Meeting The United Thank Offering grants were unveiled at the Episcopal Church Women’s Triennial Meeting and General Convention July 10. There were 54 applications submitted during the year: 37 domestic; six companion; nine international; two regional. The money requested amounted to more than $4 million. Money awarded tallied more than $1.7 million. Formed as a ministry of conscience thanksgiving and offering, UTO was originally a committee of the ECW. As of the recent ECGC, UTO is an outreach entity
of the national Episcopal Church, spearheading both domestic and global outreach programs targeted at alleviating poverty. Through the encouragement and receipt of “thank” offerings, UTO distributes funds through grants to other ministries and missions sponsored by the church, and invited provinces of the Anglican Communion in the developing world. In a pre-conference interview, Sarita J. Redd, of the Diocese of Oklahoma and UTO board president, said, “The UTO has a bright future. There are nothing but positive things to look forward to for the or-
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ganization in the upcoming years.” Redd, who was also honored at the Triennial Meeting as the ECW Distinguished Woman from her diocese, believes UTO members need to be able to step forward and participate in the organization’s “theology of thankfulness.” “God’s got a plan for UTO,” Redd said. “We need to listen and follow the plan.” The loose offering collected at the UTO ingathering service July 8 amounted to $34,000, which is the largest offering ever collected for UTO at a Triennial Meeting/ General Convention.
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Scenes from Triennial Meeting 2012: Right, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori presents a cross to a meeting participant as Elsie Chelsea Wentworth, the ECW mascot, looks on. Below, a happy runner/walker for the inaugural Triennial Meeting 5K run/walk. Bottom photos, left and right, the ECW booth in the Exhibit Hall was a popular place to learn more about Episcopal Church Women or just as a place for a quick visit.
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Episcopal Church Women 578 Washington Blvd. #861 Marina del Rey, CA 90202
Winter 2012
NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID HATTIESBURG, MS PERMIT NO. 50
2012-2015 ECW National Board President Nancy Crawford 1595 E. 31st Ave. Eugene, OR 97405 541-543-1122 president@ecwnational.org VP/Program Shirley Greiman 25 Wolcott Woods Simsbury, CT 06070 860-803-7525 vpprogram@ecwnational.org VP/Information/Communication Christine Budzowski 578 Washington Blvd. #861 Marina del Rey, CA 90202 310-821-0111 vpinformationcommunication @ecwnational.org Secretary Lisa Towle 110 Dutchess Dr. Cary, NC 27513-4209 919-386-9531 secretary@ecwnational.org Treasurer Kathy Mank 9559 Kelly Drive Loveland, OH 45140 513-560-2126 treasurer@ecwnational.org Member-at-Large, Social Justice Deborah Gardiner 2119 Tallow Drive Portland, TX 78374 361-816-0277 socialjustice@ecwnational.org
Representatives to the National Board from the provinces of the Episcopal Church Province I representative Linda Guest 29 Hazelwood St. Cranston, RI 02910 401-741-5642 province1@ecwnational.org Province II representative Ginger Lief 310 Riverside Dr. #822 New York, NY 10025-4123 212-662-3257 province2@ecwnational.org Province III representative Dottie Arthur 2001 Parsonage Road Parkton, MD 21120 410-357-8857 province3@ecwnational.org Province IV representative Kathy Gosselin 8040 Summerbreeze Ter. Spring Hill, FL 34606 352-410-9812 province4@ecwnational.org Province V representative Connie Ott 7995 Shagbark Circle Cross Plains, WI 53528 608-798-3688 province5@ecwnational.org
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Province VI representative Mari-Lou Triebenbach 16520 30th Ave. N. Plymouth, MN 55447 763-559-4961 province6@ecwnational.org Province VII representative Lonnie Isaak 806 Ridgeview Drive Independence, KS 67301 620-332-9376 province7@ecwnational.org Province VIII representative Louise Aloy 1005 Laelae St. Wailuku, HI 96793 808-264-9830 province8@ecwnational.org Province IX representative Mayra Brown Calle Santiago No. 114 Gazcue Apartado 764 Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 809-482-2555 province 9@ecwnationa.org Parliamentarian Connie Skidmore P.O. Box 4588 Incline Village, NV 89450 775-232-9250 cwskid@att.net