2004 September Southern Cross

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outhern ross

HIGHLIGHTS IN THIS ISSUE

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From the Bishop

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Letters to the editor

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First in the nation: Lamb of God becomes federated congregation

A Publication of the Diocese of SouthwestLent Florida 1999 Mailing address: 7313 Merchant Court Sarasota, FL 34240 Phone: (941) 556-0315 Fax: (941) 556-0321

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Web site: www.dioceseswfla.org The Episcopal Church is part of the ANGLICAN COMMUNION, a global community of 70 million Anglicans in 36 member churches/provinces in more than 160 countries.

Archbishop of Canterbury The Most Rev. & Rt. Hon. Rowan Williams Lambeth Palace London WE1 7JU UNITED KINGDOM In the United States, the Episcopal Church is a community of 2.5 million members in more than 100 dioceses in the Americas and abroad.

Grace under pressure: Diocese responds as hurricanes hit Florida

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Convention moves: Storms force meeting to move to Bradenton

Presiding Bishop The Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold III 815 Second Avenue New York, NY 10017 (212) 867-8400

15 ‘Missionpalooza’: Servant ministry leads local youth to Kansas

The Diocese of Southwest Florida is a community of 38,000 Christians in 11 counties serving 78 congregations, 13 schools and the DaySpring Conference Center. Established 1969.

Bishop The Rt. Rev. John B. Lipscomb 7313 Merchant Court Sarasota, FL 34240

The Southern Cross A member of Episcopal News Service and Episcopal Communicators,The Southern Cross is published six times a year: January, March, May, July, September and November; Copies are shipped free to all congregations for distribution.

Articles, letters, calendar information and photos are welcome. They will be used on a space-available basis and are subject to editing. Send all material (preferably in electronic form, on disk or by e-mail) to: Jim DeLa, editor The Southern Cross 7313 Merchant Court Sarasota, FL 34240 Phone: (941) 556-0315 Ext. 268 Fax: (941) 556-0321 E-mail: jdela@dioceseswfla.org

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23 Events Calendar On the Cover:

The sky can be seen through a gaping hole in the roof of St. Edmund’s Episcopal Church in Arcadia. The church was badly damaged by winds from Hurricane Charley when it ripped through the state Aug. 13. (Photo by Jim DeLa)

Deadlines for upcoming issues: Nov./Dec. 2004: Jan./Feb. 2005: March/April 2005: May/June 2005:

Oct. 1, 2004 Dec. 1, 2004 Feb. 1, 2005 April 1, 2005

The Southern Cross September/October 2004

Some insights into trio’s recent trip to Africa Editor’s Note: The following is a statement by Bishops Theodore Daniels, John Lipscomb and Dean Titus Presler on conversations held with Anglican Companions in Rwanda, Burundi and Kenya.

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onversations we had in three Anglican provinces in east Africa in late July concern ing the current turmoil in the Anglican Communion were candid and substantive. We returned with a vivid sense of the concern our African companions have about Episcopal Church decisions, even as they minister in inspirational ways amid great challenges in their contexts. We were received graciously and hospitably in the three provinces in which we planned visits — Rwanda, Burundi and Kenya — and our appeal for the continuing unity of the Communion was received as an important concern.

The journey was prompted by the suggestion of an African bishop that more face-to-face conversation would be helpful between leaders in the Episcopal Church and leaders in provinces troubled by Episcopal Church decisions, especially the consecration of Gene Robinson as bishop of New Hampshire. This is an important time as the Communion awaits the report of the Lambeth Commission in October, and as African bishops prepare for a continent-wide meeting of bishops in Nigeria, also in October.

Our venture in having conversation and building relationship was undertaken at our own initiative. We were not an official delegation of any group or structure in the Episcopal Church. Thus the discussions were not intended to yield decisions or negotiated conclusions. In the spirit of mutual responsibility in the Communion, the visit to each province was approved in advance by its archbishop and by our own Presiding Bishop.

Our keynotes in the conversations, which took place from July 22 through Aug. 1, were listening and vulnerability to the concerns of our companions. As three individuals who hold diverse views about homosexuality, we united in appealing for the continued unity of the Anglican Communion amid the current discord. Theologically, our central concern for relationship in the Communion rests on the incarnation of God in Jesus Christ, who energizes our commitment

to incarnational presence with others.

We were drawn by the Holy Spirit simply to be with our Anglican companions — and to talk with them.

The choice of which provinces to visit was guided by personal relationships and by geographical proximity in east Africa.

During two days in L’Eglise Episcopale au Rwanda, we met with Abp. Emmanuel Kolini and with the province’s other eight bishops. We were invited to greet a major evangelistic gathering in the Diocese of Shyira, where Bp. John Rucyhana welcomed us to the diocesan The guesthouse. Convened on the occasion of the dedication of a new cathedral in Ruhengeri, the revival was attended by at least 2,000 people, most of them under age 30. Abp. Kolini arranged a plenary meeting of the bishops with us, together with Abp. Yong Ping Chung of Southeast Asia and a pastor of the Anglican Mission in America.

During four days in L’Eglise Episcopale du Burundi, we met with Abp. Samuel Ndayisenga and the other four bishops of that province. In addition to individual meetings, the archbishop arranged a plenary meeting of the bishops and the provincial secretary with us in the capital city of Bujumbura. The bishop of Bujumbura invited us to greet the congregation of Holy Trinity Cathedral and to meet with the staffs of the diocese and its Peace Center.

During four days in the Anglican Church of Kenya, a much larger province with 28 dioceses, we met with Abp. Benjamin Nzimbi, who convened a meeting at the provincial offices in Nairobi that included five other bishops and several other leaders. The two bishops of our number who remained in Nairobi on a Sunday were invited to preach in congregations in Nairobi Diocese.

The journey seemed appropriate to our hosts, and they expressed gratitude. Deep concern about the Episcopal Church and about relationships within the Communion was pervasive, and our presence from the Episcopal Church was welcomed. Indeed, some felt the visit was overdue. We are grateful for the reception we received, especially in view of the natural caution some companions initially had about talking with us. In one case, it was only our unofficial

From Bishop

The Southern Cross September/October 2004

(Continued on page 21)

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Church growth statistics reveal theology gap Thank you for including the recent article in The Southern Cross “We’re No. 15, according to NCC yearbook.” It is particularly applicable to the 20/20 initiative. If we are truly to double our size by 2020 we must take a hard and humbling look at the religious climate in the country.

What should be particularly eyeopening for Episcopalians is four of the top 25 denominations are Pentecostal, seven of the largest are AfricanAmerican, and while mainline Protestant denominations remain fairly large, they are recording membership losses. The denominations that actually recorded growth are the Roman Catholic, Southern Baptist, Pentecostal denominations, and many marginal religious groups including Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses.

What does this mean for the Episcopal Church? In Province IV it can be difficult to gauge. We are the only province in the Episcopal Church that the Zachary Project (I believe it was the Zachary Project) found to be healthy in terms of numbers. The rest of the church is dying. If we are to stop hemorrhaging at the parish registries we must look at what other churches are providing that we are not. The growth of Pentecostal denominations evolved as a desire for more informal and spiritually innovative services.

This is something the Episcopal Church could easily have done, in fact our Prayer Book rubrics call for a legitimate diversity of practices.

The growth of both the Pentecostal and Baptist denominations is also if not especially indicative of the desire by the youth of the last several generations for solid answers. The Episcopal Church has for at least my lifetime (23 years) shied away from “musts” of faith and personal morality and leaned towards the “oughts” and “coulds.” Whether those “musts” are politically correct or not, there appears to be a public yearning for some solid base of morality and faith. It also appears that the public does not believe the Episcopal Church has that to offer.

Many claim that the shrinking size of Episcopal parish registries is due to a decline in the birthrate. That is completely overlooking the fact that the United States population has grown steadily since the baby-boom generation albeit at a slower rate. It also overlooks that fact that many other churches have experienced tremendous growth. So if the problem is, as many claim, a declining birthrate, the Episcopal Church would have continued to grow but at simply a slower rate than before. We have not done this. In fact roughly we have lost about one-third of our numbers since the late 1950s. What does all this mean for our beloved church?

Perhaps the direction we are going in is not the “right” one. Our open and inclusive church has not attracted African Americans like other denominations have. Why? The growth of Pentecostal expressions of faith has created whole new denominations. The Episcopal Church could have easily broadened it’s liturgy for those expressions. Why didn’t we? If the public, especially the youth of today, wish for more authentic and Scriptural “musts” why isn’t the Episcopal Church able to adjust it’s polity to provide this. We have a catechism, articles of religion and a rich theology.

Why? Something to end this letter that I find to be only signs that we are slipping even more out of sync with religious reality. Other churches with expansive growth have large college ministries both on and off campus. We have a campus ministry on the USF campus with minimal, let me repeat, pathetically minimal Episcopal support. Also the average age of an Episcopalian nationally is 55. How will the Episcopal Church bridge the gap?

—Greg Hyden St. John’s Tampa

Lambeth Commission witness wrong on gays I wish to take issue with a statement by Michael Howell in the July/August issue of The Southern Cross (“A peak inside the Lambeth Commission”) concerning gay and

Letters

Letters to the editor and Reflections essays to The Southern Cross are appreciated and encouraged.

We ask that letters be as concise as possible and stay on one topic. All submissions are subject to editing to improve clarity and to fit in the available space for each issue.

Please send correspondence to: Letters to the Editor The Southern Cross Diocese of Southwest Florida 7313 Merchant Court Sarasota, FL 34240 Or send letters by fax to (941) 556-0321; or by e-mail to jdela@dioceseswfla.org.

lesbian members of the Episcopal Church. Mr. Howell is of the opinion that the Episcopal Church is “affirming sin as righteousness” by allowing gays and lesbians, particularly those in faithful committed relationships, full participation in the life of the Church, including the episcopate. This is far too simplistic an approach to be taken seriously. Gays and lesbians have always been an integral part of the Church, and they will continue to be so. There is nothing inherently wrong with being born gay or lesbian.

It is difficult if not impossible to argue that gays and lesbians are inherently more sinful than anyone else, basing one’s argument on a reasoned reading of scripture alone.

Fundamentalists make an idolatry of Scripture by selectively choosing six or seven “flog” passages from the Hebrew Scriptures and St. Paul to attack gay and lesbian relationships.

These include passages in Leviticus, the story of the sin of Sodom and the admonitions of St. Paul and his (Continued on page 20)

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The Southern Cross September/October 2004

In Brief Diocesan Vocations Day set for Sept. 25

Photo by Jim DeLa

Standing, at left, Bishop Edward Benoway of the Florida-Bahamas Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and Bishop John Lipscomb of the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida watch as the Rev. Becky Robbins-Penniman and Pastor Walter Fohs of Lamb of God Church in Fort Myers sign documents creating the first federated Lutheran/Episcopal congregation.

Merged congregation answers the call to common mission Federated ELCA/ECUSA church is first of its kind in the nation

By Jim DeLa Editor, The Southern Cross As marriages go, this is one for the books.

With a few strokes of a pen, Lamb of God Church in Fort Myers became the first federated Lutheran/Episcopal church in the nation on Sept. 7, legally merging two congregations into one.

At a ceremony at Diocesan House in Sarasota, two bishops signed into reality what the two congregations have spent the last four years creating.

“I see this as an incredible sign of hope,” for the future of the Church, said Bishop John Lipscomb of the Diocese of Southwest Florida.

“We’re excited about where it’s going to go,” offered Bishop Edward Benoway of the Florida-Bahamas Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. “We’re blessed to have partners who can think in a creative way in how to do ministry and good stewardship, and not compromise who we are as people of God.” The Southern Cross September/October 2004

What it means The bylaws of the ELCA provide the structure for the merger. Simply put, a federated congregation is a single congregation that operates under the rules of two denominations that consider themselves to be in full communion with each other. The Lamb of God merger was made possible by the joint communion agreement between the ELCA and the Episcopal Church, named “Called to Common Mission,” which was approved in 2000.

In essence, a federated congregation enjoys “dual citizenship.” As spelled out in the judicatory covenant signed Sept.

7, Lamb of God will send voting delegates to both Lutheran synod meetings and diocesan conventions. The church will also pay apportionments to both denominations.

Lutheran Pastor Walter Fohs is the senior pastor at Lamb of God. An Episcopal priest, the Rev. Becky RobbinsPenniman, serves as assistant pastor.

Any new clergy called to serve will (Continued on page 19)

The Commission on Ministry is sponsoring Vocations Day on Sept. 25, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at DaySpring Conference Center for anyone considering ordained ministry or who has entered the nomination stage in the home congregation.

Since the diocese put a sabbath stop on new nominations for one year, the meeting will provide information about how to use this year as a time of personal growth and what the new Title III Canons mean for potential candidates.

If you are planning to attend, your clergy person is required to accompany you.

To register, call Karen Rettler at the bishop’s office at (941) 556-0315 or register by e-mail at krettler@dioceseswfla.org.

You can learn more about nomination and preparation for ordination by going to our diocesan website, www.dioceseswfla.org, and clicking on “Resources for Congregations” and then “Commission on Ministry.”

Jacket drive to end Oct. 2 in St. Pete A two-month-long drive to provide new cold-weather jackets and windbreakers to at-risk children in the Tampa Bay community, called Koats for Kids, will culminate at the Welcome Home Family Festival on Saturday, Oct. 2, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at St. Anthony’s Park, between 7th and 9th Avenues North at 12th Street North.

The coat drive is sponsored, in part, by Florida Resurrection House in St. Petersburg.

Twenty-five dollar contributions to buy a new jacket are also welcome.

Checks may be sent to Koats for Kids, Resurrection House, 800 11th Street North, St. Petersburg, FL 33705-1256.

Festivalgoers will be asked to bring a new or gently used book to leave for distribution to at-risk kids.

(Continued on page 16)

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Surviving the storms A Diocese rises to the occasion as hurricanes pound Florida Story and photos

by Jim DeLa

Top photo: Hurricane Charley made landfall Aug. 13 at Charlotte Harbor, ripping through Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda.

At right: Winds of more than 140 miles an hour drove this piece of mobile home into the roof of the parish hall of Church of the Good Shepherd in Punta Gorda.

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s Floridians continue to pick themselves up after two major hurricanes plowed across the state, churches in the midst of the chaos have risen up to provide care and comfort to their stricken communities.

The diocesan community has rallied to provide money, supplies as well as spiritual and physical comfort to thousands of victims in the wake of hurricanes Charley and Frances.

The diocesan office has collected more than $177,000 in donations to fund relief efforts and coordinated dozens of volunteer efforts in the affected areas.

“The response of this diocese, I tell you, has been overwhelming,” Bishop John Lipscomb told clergy and lay leaders at the Manasota/ Venice deanery convocation on Sept. 8. “Your witness has been exemplary. I think that was has happened these last two weeks has shown what is best about the Episcopal Church.

“You have responded and you have responded well,” he said.

The two storms, which crisscrossed the state only three weeks apart, caused significant damage to several churches and minor damage to many others in the dioceses of Southwest, Central and Southeast Florida. Damage estimates statewide are in the billions, and the storms took the lives of at least 40 people, including the

The Southern Cross September/October 2004

choirmaster at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Fort Myers, who died of head injuries after falling from a tree during clean-up activities at the church (see page 8).

By turning Punta Gorda into a disaster area, Charley also has forced the relocation of diocesean convention to St. Stephen’s Episcopal School in Bradenton (see page 15).

The storms turned entire communities upside down. Several congregations — despite sustaining heavy damage themselves — looked outward and became a refuge to those in need.

While Frances was twice the size of Charley, it did relatively little damage in Southwest Florida. The biggest challenges from Frances continue to be the threat of flooding as rivers crest and additional rain falls, and the lack of electricity and phone service in many areas. It took utility companies nearly a week to restore power in some areas.

Port Charlotte resident Carolyn Brenner attends services with two of her grandchildren at Church of the Good Shepherd in Punta Gorda. Their home was damaged and her business was destroyed by Hurricane Charley.

Aug. 13: Charley hits land It was a small storm, as hurricanes go, tightly wound and fast-moving.

Churning up the Gulf coast on the afternoon of Friday the 13th, the eye of the storm, surrounded by 145 mph winds, began wobbling and veering east, heading directly into Charlotte Harbor. By then it was too late for many who had not evacuated to head inland.

Carolyn Brenner, a member of Church of the Good Shepherd, rode out the winds in her Port Charlotte home with her husband, son and five grand-

children. “We were trying to move things away from the front window,” she recalled. “I don’t know how the house stood like it did. God was watching over us.”

The future for the family, though, is uncertain. Their upholstering business in Port Charlotte was destroyed by the storm. “I started with a sewing machine and a pair of scissors, and I’ll start again. That’s all I can do,” she said. “We’ll be all right. We’ll survive.”

The church itself, meanwhile, in neighboring Punta Gorda, was taking a beating. Good Shepherd and its day school were heavily damaged by winds, water and flying debris which punched several holes in the roof.

Initial estimates for repairs were $1 million; much of the building will have to be completely rebuilt.

Good Shepherd’s assistant rector, the Rev. Lisa Barrowclough, was the (Continued on page 8)

Volunteers bring emergency supplies to St. Edmund’s Episcopal Church in Arcadia Aug. 15. The church was severely damaged by Hurricane Charley.

The Southern Cross September/October 2004

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Storms (Continued from page 7) first person inside the church the day after the storm. The outside of the church looked bad enough. Large patches of the roof were bare; several holes exposed the roof’s skeleton.

A large piece of aluminum, resembling a window awning from a mobile home park several hundred yards away, stuck halfway out of the roof of the parish hall.

Once inside, Barrowclough and longtime parishioner Dick Gamble quickly moved through the building, finding water damage in almost every room. Debris had punched two holes in the roof of the church itself. A panel in the bell tower was missing, allowing rain to flood the sacristy.

However, the offices apparently survived unscathed, and every stained glass window was spared, including a large original Tiffany window behind the altar that was protected by a recently installed hurricane-proof shutter.

The church’s day school was in bad shape, too, with water damage in nearly every classroom, several broken windows and a large hole in its roof.

The school’s outdoor playground was in ruins.

After the walk-through, Gamble noted there’s still a lot to be thankful for. “Listen, we’re all alive,” he said.

This was a tough lesson in Florida living for Barrowclough, a Canadian who was received into the diocese from the Anglican Church of Canada only three months ago. She had planned to ride out the storm in Punta Gorda with two parishioners.

When Charley took a sudden unexpected turn to the east, Charlotte County Sheriff’s deputies ordered their evacuation. She remembered friends from Canada owned a summer home in the rural, inland town of Arcadia. She called them and arranged to get a key from their neighbors.

After settling into their new refuge, they discovered the hurricane was heading directly for them — again.

They spent an hour huddling in an interior bathroom as the storm demolished downtown Arcadia before moving on to Orlando, out into the Atlantic

Choirmaster dies after fall during clean-up The diocese suffered its first stormrelated fatality Aug. 24 when a staff member of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Fort Myers died of head injuries following an accident three days earlier.

Robert W. Turner, the full-time choirmaster and organist at St. Luke’s, was part of a volunteer work crew trimming trees on church grounds at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, according to the Rev. Philip Read, the church’s rector. Turner, 59, apparently stepped off a ladder and onto a tree limb when he lost his footing and fell 14

feet to the sidewalk below.

He was taken to Lee Memorial Hospital where he underwent surgery. He died of his injuries, however, at about 6:15 p.m., Tuesday, Read said.

“Bob Turner was one of these rare people who spent his entire working life in the church, as a full-time musician, and he was certainly willing to help out with anything going on at the church,” Read said.

Turner is survived by his wife, Margaret, and two children.

Managing Volunteers Effectively and Safely In a Crisis Volunteer work crews have been and will continue to be an important part of relief efforts. The Southern Cross asked the Church Insurance Corporation for some guidelines as to what volunteers can do and what tasks they should avoid: 1. Assess the Tasks • Make a list of all tasks that need to be done.

• Prioritize the list in order of importance.

• Determine which tasks can be safely and effectively done by a volunteer and which ones require a professional.

2. Assess the Volunteers • Determine the experience, skill and interests of each volunteer to determine which tasks are the best fit.

• Match small teams of volunteers to tasks. Avoid assigning a task to a single individual wherever possible.

• Require volunteers to take regular work breaks. Reassign volunteer to easier tasks if they are having difficulty with the original one.

• Don’t forget to regularly feed the bodies and souls of your volunteers.

3. Tasks to Avoid • Any work involving heights — e.g., working on roofs, climbing ladders or trees.

• Any work on utilities — e.g., electrical, gas, water.

4. Most Common Tasks Suitable for Volunteers • Light debris removal.

• Mopping or vacuuming up water once a building is safe to enter.

• Sort through and itemizing damaged items.

• Assisting the rector and staff with tasks to free up some of their time.

• Monitoring and recording the status of all items on the “to do” lists.

• Locating and screening contractors and other professionals to do work that requires specialized expertise, training or equipment.

• Reaching out to individuals in the parish or community who may need special assistance.

—Source: Church Insurance Corporation

(Continued on page 9)

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The Southern Cross September/October 2004

Storms (Continued from page 8) and headed for the Carolinas.

“This was my first hurricane,” she said. “I’m never going to complain about the weather again.”

Grace in Arcadia After making landfall, Charley moved northeast, weakening only slightly by the time it slammed into rural Arcadia. The 110 mph winds ripped a large section of the roof from St. Edmund’s Episcopal Church, causing extensive water and structural damage to the 70-year-old building.

The rectory next door was also damaged.

As reports filtered in about the damage, partner churches in Sarasota were already organizing a relief effort.

Two days after the storm, more than 15 vans, trucks and SUVs in the parking lot of St. Margaret’s of Scotland Episcopal Church loaded up with water, food and other necessities and headed 40 miles east to Arcadia. The convoys continued for weeks.

“It’s been an amazing effort,” said the Rev. Greg Fry, the assistant rector of St Margaret’s and the priest in charge at St. Edmund’s.

Donations were so plentiful, in fact, that St. Edmund’s became an official relief station in Arcadia — despite having been hit as hard as anyone by the storm.

The congregation gathered for worship that Sunday in the relatively undamaged parish hall. Less than two hours later the room was full of bottled water, canned food and other items as the first convoy from St. Margaret’s arrived.

Fry said Sunday he did not know of anyone in the congregation who had been injured as a result of the storm.

“The people of this church are very fortunate. A little property damage here and there. I haven’t heard of anyone [in the congregation] that’s homeless,” he said.

St. Edmund’s has also partnered with Catholic Charities in ministering to migrant farmworker families in DeSoto County who continue to need food, (Continued on page 10) The Southern Cross September/October 2004

High winds wrapped aluminum siding around the porch of St. Edmund’s in Arcadia, blocking the exit of the parish hall.

A resident of Pine Island and her son rest on a mattress in the nave of St. John’s Church. The church provided emergency shelter as well as medical care and food for victims of Hurricane Charley.

St. John’s Church on Pine Island provided sleeping space for up to 80 people in the first days after Hurricane Charley.

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Storms (Continued from page 9) clothing and shelter.

Island lifeline As soon as the skies cleared over Pine Island, near Fort Myers, St. John’s Episcopal Church became a lifeline for the barrier island’s hurricane victims, especially for the area’s migrant farmworker families.

Escaping the storm without damage, St. John’s immediately opened its doors to the newly homeless, letting as many as 80 people sleep in its nave, as well as providing emergency supplies and meals, and staffing the only medical clinic on the island during the first week of recovery.

They did it all without help from county, state or federal agencies, setting up the shelter and providing aid within 48 hours, said Vivian Raleigh, a volunteer from Cape Coral who coordinated much of the church’s initial relief effort. “When that kind of bureaucracy gets involved, it’s counterproductive,” she said.

Raleigh, a licensed clinical social worker, said the job actually became harder when emergency agencies began to arrive, citing poor communication between government agencies in the first few days after the storm.

St. John’s was able to end its shelter program after 10 days, but continued to provide meals, supplies and medical care to the island for a time.

The Rev. Ann McLemore, the rector of St. John’s, now says the church is going to focus on ministering to the local farm workers, particularly those who were living in substandard trailer parks.

“This is going to be the costly end of the relief work,” McLemore said, as they help people relocate and bring in alternative permanent housing.

The diocese will help coordinate continuing relief efforts wherever they are needed. To keep track of current needs or to volunteer your time or talents, visit the diocesan web site (www.dioceseswfla.org) or contact volunteer coordinator Bonnie Jean Durning at (800) 992-7699.

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Diocese collects $170,000 for relief The outpouring of prayers and concern in the wake of these storms has overwhelmed the diocese.

At press time, the diocese had collected $177,338.25 in donations to aid victims of the hurricanes, from dioceses, churches and individuals from all over the country.

The diocese has used some of the money to buy food and supplies that was distributed by relief stations at churches, as well as generators and chain saws.

Donations earmarked for hurricane relief can be sent to the Diocese of Southwest Florida, 7313 Merchant Court, Sarasota, FL 34240.

Episcopal Relief and Development also collecting funds for storm victims As we join together in prayer, we also join together to help restore the lives of all persons whose lives have been devastated by the effects of Hurricane Charley. Many hands are already at work, providing food, generators, clean water and temporary shelter. We all know it will take months before things are settled.

Right now, though you may not be physically involved, you can participate in providing for our brothers and sisters.

Donations of money are needed to purchase food, clothing and medical supplies as we stabilize the area. One of the most efficient ways you can direct your donations for this purpose is to send them directly to Episcopal Relief and Development — U.S. Hurricane Relief. You may wish to note in the memo section, Florida or Charley.

Doing this relieves the bookkeeping burden on our already overworked staff and that of your church. As an alternative to a check, you can make quick and efficient donations by use of credit cards on the secure www.er-d.org website, make funds transfer, or stock gifts over the phone. Every donor will receive a tax-receipt acknowledgement letter from ER–D. As I receive assessments regarding the needs of any affected church and the needs of the people whom it serves, we will have a basis for applying for additional emergency funding. ERD will collect donations and disperse emergency funds to our diocesean office.

It will be many months before everything is resolved, and there may be additional calls for your assitance, perhaps in other ways.

By frequently checking the diocesan web site, (www.dioceseswfla.org),

Episcopal Relief and Development is an effective, reliable and vital ministry of the Episcopal Church in communities around the world. Episcopal Relief and Development provides emergency assistance in times of disaster, rebuilds devastated communities after the immediate crisis is over, and offers long-term solutions to help people sustain safer, healthier, and more productive lives.

To make a contribution, donate to the Disaster Relief Fund online at www.erd.org or call (800) 334-7626, ext. 5129.

Gifts can be mailed to: Episcopal Relief and Development, c/o Disaster Relief Fund, PO Box 12043, Newark, NJ 07101

Diocesan ER–D Coordinators: Northern Deaneries: Maureen Belote (727) 736-6466 Southern Deaneries: Jody Tiffany (239) 262-3434

you can be kept up to date.

We are family, and as such, will do all in our power to encourage our brothers and sisters, and give them hope while relieving their immediate, physical suffering. God has given us all opportunities; some to help, some to receive. Both are gifts. Thanks be to God! Episcopal Relief and Development c/o U.S. Hurricane Relief PO Box 12043 Newark, NJ 07101 —Maureen Belote The Southern Cross September/October 2004

The ceiling inside the Good Shepherd Day School was destroyed by water damage caused by Hurricane Charlie.

Photo by Jim DeLa

Devastated day school seeks tuition help for its students The Good Shepherd Day School, located on the campus of the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Punta Gorda, offers a preschool program for 92 children aged 6 weeks through 4 years of age, and a college preparatory program for 47 students in kindergarten through sixth grade. Our program is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and is a member school of the National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES). We are known throughout Charlotte County for our high standards in education and living.

During this time of recovery from the devastation of Hurricane Charley, we would like to offer our families some financial assistance and special support.

Insurance policies and federal aid will, of course, be helping in many ways, but the obligation of tuition payments may be an unusually heavy burden on our school families at this time.

With this in mind, we propose the opportunity for individuals/organizations to “Adopt-a-Lamb,” by contributing toward, or paying in full, the tuition fees for a student. A donor may choose to pay for (or toward) one or more months worth of tuition fees.

The tuition fee for a lower school The Southern Cross September/October 2004

Children from Canterbury School in Greenboro, N.C., recently sent dozens of homemade cards to cheer up students of Good Shepherd Day School (kindergarten through sixth grade) student is $535 a month. The tuition for a preschool student varies from $494 to $676 a month. Distribution of Adopt-aLamb funds will occur at the discretion of the school director and chaplain.

(Checks should be made out to the Good Shepherd Day School Scholarship Fund with a memo line note indicating Adopta-Lamb program.) All donors will receive a tax receipt for scholarship donations, and the “lamb” being spon-

sored will correspond with the donor throughout the school year.

Please consider the importance and blessing of our being able to continue offering the high quality of education for which we are known. We believe that the children of God deserve the very best.

Please do not hesitate to contact “Pastor Lisa” at (941) 639-2757 or (941) 2765502 with any questions or concerns.

—The Rev. Lisa Barrowclough chaplain, Good Shepherd Day School

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Ever thankful: Parishioners at St. Edmund’s Episcopal Church in Arcadia celebrate the Eucharist on the deck outside the parish hall after Hurricane Charley tore the roof off their church.

Photo courtesy of Judith Copland

Countless acts of selflessness Editor’s Note: In the weeks since Hurricane Charley hit Florida on Aug. 13, there have been an untold number of acts of kindness, generosity and graciousness that will never be known to the community at large.

Hurricane notebook The Southern Cross will never be able to discover every story or acknowledge every individual who gave their time, talent or wealth to help the victims of these storms.

Thanks to information provided by congregations and individuals involved, we’re able to give you a small glimpse of what the diocesan community has done. *** Despite being damaged in the first storm, St. James Episcopal Church in Port Charlotte was used as a shelter and about 25 people took refuge there on the day Charley made landfall.

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Photo by Jim DeLa

The Church of the Good Shepherd in Punta Gorda has been able to use its parish hall for Sunday services despite heavy damage to the building.

The parish hall had its windows protected with steel panels, and the stained glass in the church was shielded with Lexan. The nave sustained little damage, but the side chapel’s roof was damaged, with water soaking the insulating ceiling panels. The roof had not yet been repaired as Hurricane Frances rolled

through, and heavy rain caused even more damage to the inside of the chapel.

St. James also lost many trees during the storms.

(Continued on page 13) The Southern Cross September/October 2004

Hurricane notebook (Continued from page 12) *** On Sanibel Island, St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church sustained little damage and used its web site to post more than 100 photos of the neighborhood, so part-time residents could see the if their homes had been damaged.

“It’s nice to be able to see a picture that shows you it is still there, and you can begin to relax,” the Rev. Donald Fishburne told the Fort Myers News-Press. *** Students and parents from St. Stephen’s Episcopal School in Bradenton and the Out of Door Academy worked together to organize a shoe drive, to provide new shoes for hundreds of migrant farmworker familes displaced by the storm. ***

Photo by Jim DeLa

Volunteers from St. Stephen’s Episcopal School in Bradenton and the Out of Door Academy unload shoes collected for needy families.

The Church of the Holy Spirit on Osprey, St. Wilfred’s in Sarasota and Christ Church, Bradenton, have worked together to send volunteer work teams to Arcadia and Port Charlotte. *** Church of the Ascension in Clearwater staged a relief drive to collect supplies for Arcadia and Punta Gorda, collecting, among other things, a generator and freezer.

Photo courtesy of Calvary Church

Professional help: Linda Butler (center), parish nurse at Calvary Episcopal Church in Indian Rocks Beach, volunteered for duty at St. John’s Church on Pine Island. Pinellas Suncoast Fire and Rescue Chief John Leahy (right) arranged for her transportation. Calvary’s rector, the Rev. Bob Wagenseil, is the fire department chaplain and conducted services for emergency and rescue personnel in Punta Gorda.

Staying in touch: The Rev. Jim Gerhart, an assisting priest at St. Alfred’s, Palm Harbor, and an amateur ham radio operator, helped out The Salvation Army in Punta Gorda by providing communications between their Tampa warehouse, the base of operations in Punta Gorda, and the individual canteens.

Photo courtesy of the Rev. Jim Gerhart

The Southern Cross September/October 2004

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The Oct. 9 diocesan convention will be held in the gymnasium of St. Stephen’s Episcopal School in Bradenton.

Southern Cross file photo

Diocesan convention moving to Bradenton Storm damage forces planners to scramble Hurricane Charley not only laid waste to Punta Gorda Aug. 13, it also wrecked most of the planning for this year’s diocesan convention.

With Charlotte County’s convention center heavily damaged and most hotels destroyed, the 36th Annual Convention of the Diocese of Southwest Florida is still on schedule for Oct. 9 — but it has been moved to Bradenton and Sarasota.

The opening Eucharist and business session on Saturday will be held in the gymnasium of St. Stephen’s Episcopal School, next to Christ Church in Bradenton.

Also on Saturday, clergy and delegates will be choosing from among 52 candidates to fill 19 seats on various committees, including selecting eight people to serve as deputies at the 2006 General Convention in Columbus, Ohio.

General Convention deputies are elected once every three years.

This year’s theme is “One Communion and Fellowship” and the convention’s special guest and preacher at Saturday’s Eucharist will be the Most Rev. Frank Tracy Griswold, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church USA. Friday evening activities, including a public forum with Bishop Griswold and

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Tentative Schedule: Friday, October 8: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Presiding bishop’s tour of hurricane-affected areas 4–6 p.m.: Public conversation with Presiding Bishop Frank T. Griswold (St. Wilfred’s Church, Sarasota) 6–6:45 p.m.: Box dinner (St. Wilfred’s Church, Sarasota) 7–9 p.m.: Forum for candidates running for deputy at 2006 General Convention (St. Wilfred’s Church, Sarasota) Saturday, October 9 (St. Stephen’s School gymnasium, Bradenton): 7:30 a.m.: Registration and Continental Breakfast 9 a.m.: The Holy Eucharist. Preacher: Presiding Bishop Frank T. Griswold 10:15 a.m.: Video presentation 10:45 a.m.: Business session a forum for canidtates running for election as deputies to the 2006 General Convention will be held at St. Wilfred’s Episcopal Church in Sarasota.

No-frills convention Since the diocese was forced to move the convention from Punta Gorda, many of the pre-convention activities have been changed or cancelled due to lack of space or time for additional planning.

Workshops scrapped: Plans for workshops on the Friday before convention, including the new course on sexual misconduct prevention, Safeguarding God’s Children, have been scrapped due to space limitations. The traditional Fri-

day evening barbecue has also been cancelled.

Visitors – come early: Space will be at a premium at the gymnasium at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School. There will be no room for displays from groups or businesses. Space for visitors and spectators will also be extremely limited.

Materials on line Material relevant to convention, including a list of candidates, proposed resolutions and the 2004 convention book, which includes the proposed 2005 budget, is available on the diocesan web site (www.dioceseswfla.org/2004convention/2004conventionhome.htm.)

The Southern Cross September/October 2004

Local youth go west for Missionpalooza Youth from Church of the Ascension in Clearwater spent five days of their precious summer break sleeping on church floors, painting, constructing and serving their community. The eight Ascension high school men and two sponsors traveled to Kansas City at the end of July to participate in a summer missions program called Missionpalooza.

The program, organized by Episcopal Social Services – Kansas City and typically attended by youth from the dioceses of Kansas and West Missouri, offers Episcopal youth an opportunity to explore service opportunities within the church. Throughout the week, the 78 participants of Missionpalooza and their adult sponsors worked with Habitat for Humanity, the “Harvesters Food Distribution Center” and “Restart,” a center that provides services to people getting back on their feet after hardships and addictions.

The young people also had the chance to work in the Kansas City Community Kitchen and a free health clinic.

The group from Clearwater was diligent in their work, even giving up their Saturday morning to serve breakfast at St. Paul’s Church, in Kansas City, Kan. The breakfast program at the church grew from the realization that children receive hot breakfast and lunch at school during the week, but often go hungry on the weekends. The breakfast service originally served only children, but now serves all hungry people.

In addition to the daily work, the Missionpalooza participants spent time in the evening reflecting on the day’s activities and relaxing. Nathan Erdman, the youth director at Ascension and trip leader said, “It’d be very easy to complain on a trip like this where it’s hot, but I didn’t hear any complaints. In fact, (the guys) would be up for full court basketball at night. They respond well to mission work.”

This summer marked the first of shared ministry between the Florida and Kansas City youth. ESS-KC Executive Director Jay Lehnertz was excited to The Southern Cross September/October 2004

Photos by Melodie Woerman/Diocese of Kansas

Nathan Erdman, (left) youth minister at Church of the Ascension, Clearwater, helps a teen from Kansas City, Mo., on a Habitat for Humanity work site. have the Florida youth involved in the mission event. “It helps underscore the interconnectedness of the Episcopal Church and shows that we are part of a larger community,” he said.

The Ascension youth are no strangers to the interconnectedness of believers. For the past three summers, the group traveled to the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming to work in St. Michael’s Mission. There is also an emphasis on service throughout the year, from helping with the Sunday School Halloween party to making and serving sandwiches for a local street ministry.

—Information for this article was provided by Melodie Woerrman, director of communications for the Diocese of Kansas, and Melanie Fitzsimmons of the Diocese of Southwest Florida.

Roy Allison paints a door at the home of an elderly widow in Johnson County, Kan.

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In Brief (Continued from page 5) Individuals or groups wishing to contribute or collect new jackets, windbreakers or new or gently used children’s books may call Resurrection House at (727) 823-4742 for more details.

Marriage Encounter weekend Sept. 24–26

PYE in the sky: Mountaintop experience strengthened faith The week of July 19–24, more than 200 participants, including five bishops, met at Berea College, in Berea, Ky., to participate in this year’s Provincial Youth Event.

Whether by bus, car, or plane, all of the participants showed up ready and willing to work. Along with the praise, worship and small groups, the community of the 2004 PYE also embraced the people of Barnes Mountain, as this year’s event was the first to incorporate a mission project along with the spiritual program.

The tasks given to the group seemed insurmountable to many. The group was given four days to complete tasks such as reconstructing the playground, basketball court and a home on the grounds of the parish on top of the mountain.

Work also included a foundation for a meditation path, building a fence and the demolition of the falling chapel.

Hillary Edester, one of the 10 participants from Southwest Florida, had her own doubts about the challenges the group faced. “My expectations for this past week were low and I figured four days to complete the large tasks at hand were utterly ridiculous, but I was proved wrong,” she said. “And I now have new friendships all across the Southeast region, as well as a new relationship with God. Praise be to God.”

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Beyond the work, the relationships established were more than just a part of what many refer to as a “mountaintop experience.” While this trip was a pinnacle of their walk with Christ for many of the youths (and sponsors), their walk with one another in Christ was that which was truly strengthened. As the sponsor for this event, I was given the great gift of building my own faith along with the participants.

As a group, we were able to bond, not only with each other, but also with the entire community. I have watched a lot of these kids grow up through camp, but this experience allowed me to meet them as individuals and as adults.

On the top of Barnes Mountain, we met with God’s love face-to-face. The prospect of their faith becoming a reality through what was accomplished at the work site is an amazing and intense idea, which many of our participants were able to grasp only after leaving the group to return home. This summer, we were all given such an opportunity to help God’s community in a manner that we are not used to. As a group, we accomplished more than any of us had hoped, and I am proud to say that on this particular mountaintop, it was God’s tears of joy and praise that showered them.

— Amanda Knox

An Episcopal Marriage Encounter weekend has been scheduled for Sept.

24-26 at Sheraton Safari Hotel in Lake Buena Vista, near Orlando.

Marriage Encounter is 44 hours where married couples can get away from jobs, kids, chores and phones, to focus only on each other. Marriage Encounter can provide greater depth, growth, and enrichment in your relationship.

For information, contact Bill and Joanne Snyder at (352) 687-3364 or by e-mail at snyderbj@comcast.net or go to: www.episcopalme.com. Registration is limited so a quick response is encouraged.

Centering prayer course in Clearwater Starting on Monday evening, Sept.

20, St. John’s Episcopal Church in Clearwater, 1676 S. Belcher Rd., will host an intensive study of the Centering Prayer Practice.

These hour-long sessions begin at 7 p.m. and consist of 20 minutes of centering prayer, a video by Thomas Keating (founder of Centering Prayer Movement) or one of his associates, and a brief discussion of the evening.

Centering Prayer is a method of Christian Formation, which prepares us to receive the gift of Contemplative Prayer—the opening of our hearts and minds or our whole being to God. This prayer, done in silence, consists of responding to the Spirit of Christ by consenting to God’s presence and action in our lives.

Centering Prayer is meant to enrich and compliment other disciplines, not to replace them. It opens hearts and minds to the further development of our relationship with God on a one-on-one ba-

(Continued on page 17) The Southern Cross September/October 2004

In Brief (Continued from page 16) sis.

Father Keating is the author of Open Mind Open Heart. This book is recommended in preparation for the study group and can be purchased online..

Another book, Centering Prayer, $14.95, is also recommended.

The facilitator will be Karen Cunningham. Karen is a commissioned presenter of Centering Prayer as taught by Fr. Thomas Keating the founder of Contemplative Outreach. Please contact Karen, 727 734 0111, or email klindyc@aol.com to register.

Additional information on Centering Prayer and Centering Prayer groups is available at www.geocities.com/margerafftery/.

School for Healing opens with a Splash Nearly 90 trainers and participants took part in the kickoff of the 2004 School of Healing July 26–31 at Church of the Holy Spirit in Osprey.

Named “Summer Splash,” the week was a time of learning and great refreshing for those who attended. Three courses were offered – “Blocks to Healing and Legal Ground,” “Basic Theophostic Prayer Training,” and “Advanced Practices in Inner Healing.”

Each of the five days followed a schedule of worship, teaching, discussion, and small group prayer ministry. A closing communion service on Saturday morning was followed by individual prayer.

Joining the clergy from Church of the Holy Spirit – Pastor Sharon Lewis, Deacon Doug Scharf, and Deacon RocksAnne Paul – were Pastor Malcolm Burleigh (Living Faith Assembly of God, Tampa) and Rev. Agatha Taylor (Priestly Garments International). Rev. Janet Shell, who preaches and ministers in worship internationally, led the CHS worship team in anointed worship.

For the past 10 years, Holy Spirit has conducted more than 30 healing conferences and over 2,800 healing prayer appointments. More than 6,000 individuals have been touched directly by this healing ministry.

The Southern Cross September/October 2004

Photo courtesy of Maureen Belote

Nearly 30 people in the Dominican Republic received clown ministry training from a group sponsored in part by Church of the Good Shepherd in Dunedin.

Clowns spread Gospel in Dominican Republic

Cathedral to host Hereford choir

Nearly 30 Clowns for Christ, or Payasos de Cristo, received training in August from five Fools for Christ in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic.

Maureen “Hug-A-Bug” and Gene “Ivan Goofinov” Belote of Church of the Good Shepherd in Dunedin lead a team of five experienced clowns to nurture the yearold Dominican Christian clown ministry.

Jan and Warren Ankerberg of St. Petersburg, and Jim “Rusty” Gorgans of Williston, rounded out the team and brought their expertise in make-up, puppets, face painting and props to help spread the Gospel.

Thanks to many generous donations of goods and money, every student received make-up, a wig, shoes, gloves and a costume.

The Episcopal Church Women of Good Shepherd gave a $1,000 grant to assist with the housing and food costs of everyone during the conference. The Largo Rotary donated $350 for the purchase of brushes and puppet making supplies. Many individuals sponsored a clown with a $60 donation.

St. Peter’s Cathedral Music Department has announced that the Choir of Men & Boys of Hereford Cathedral (England) will be in concert on Thursday, October 28 at 7:30 p.m.

The choir is under the direction of Organist/Choirmaster Geraint Bowen.

Geraint was born in London in 1963 and studied at Jesus College, Cambridge, where he was the organ scholar. He has held the post of Assistant Organist at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, Organist/ Choirmaster at St David’s Cathedral in Wales before coming to Hereford where he is also conductor of the Hereford Choral Society and was Artistic Director and chief conductor for the famous Three Choirs Festival last year when it was in Hereford.

The choir also sings for many special services, including Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols. They are in residence throughout Holy Week and also participate in the Three Choirs Festival held every August. They broadcast frequently on national radio and television and have made several CD recordings. In recent years they have toured Europe and the U.S.

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Lambeth Commission report to go public Oct. 18 Anglican Communion News Service The Lambeth Commission on Communion has aanounced that it is to publish its report in London on Monday, Oct. 18 at the beginning of the meeting in London of the Joint Standing Committee of the Primates and the Anglican Consultative Council.

The announcement follows the Commission’s third plenary meeting, held Sept. 6–10 in Saint George’s House, Windsor Castle.

Archbishop Robin Eames, Chairman of the Commission and Primate of All Ireland, said, “The Commission has been greatly challenged in this task and I have

been privileged to work with such a dedicated team. I have no doubt that their collective insights and recommendations can and must make a profound and practical impact for good in the life and mission of the Anglican Communion. This has been a labor of love in the faith that Christ is our guide and strength in working for peace and healing.”

The Commission was established by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, in October 2003, following an “extra-ordinary meeting” of the Primates in London, to make recommendations to the primates of the Anglican Communion on how to maintain the highest degree of communion possible

following developments in North America.

The Commission has now concluded its plenary sessions, but work is continuing to be done in the preparation of the report in readiness for its delivery to the Archbishop of Canterbury by late September.

No further statements will be issued by the Commission before the release of its report in October.

Full information on the work of the Lambeth Commission on Communion can be found online at: www.anglicancommunion.org/ecumenical/commissions/lambeth/index.cfm.

Churches commemorate 9/11 anniversary Episcopal News Service From St. Paul’s Chapel in Lower Manhattan to L.A.’s Cathedral Center, Episcopal church sites across the nation opened their doors this past weekend for prayer and liturgies marking the third anniversary of the Sept.11, 2001, terror attacks.

Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold, preaching at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, underscored the importance of compassion as the healing process continues: “Three years ago, on the fourteenth of September ... our visit to the scene of the devastation took us by St. Paul’s Chapel,” he said. “Though only a block away from the World Trade Center no damage had been done, not even a pane of glass had been broken ... I knew in that moment that beyond anything I could think or feel or do there was another whose compassion and mercy were able to embrace it all, and that it was only in the power of that embrace that we, and our world, would be able to find the way forward.”

In New York Saturday, St. Paul’s Chapel and Trinity Church Wall Street continued their ministries of hospitality and support as family members gathered nearby at Ground Zero for memorial services remembering those killed when

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Photo by Leo Sorel

St Paul’s Chapel holds memorial service on the third anniversary of Sept. 11. planes were flown into the Twin Towers.

The historic chapel of St. Paul, downtown Manhattan’s oldest building in continuous use, commemorated with a Taizé service of remembrance, and prayers for peace and healing. The service of remembrance paused for a ringing of the Bell of Hope in the chapel’s churchyard at 8:46 a.m., the time when the first plane hit the World Trade Center towers.

In Washington, D.C., President George W. Bush and Laura Bush attended a prayer service at St. John’s Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square, near the White House. The church’s rector, the Rev. Luis Leon, reportedly told Bush that “part of his role is to be chaplain to this na-

tion” adding that “hatred is not the answer” in responding to the terrorist attacks.

A memorial service was also held at the Pentagon and the customary noon Eucharist at Washington National Cathedral was enhanced to remember the events of 2001.

In Shanksville, Pa., a Service of Remembrance was held in the field where Flight 93 crashed three years earlier.

And in Los Angeles, “9/11: Healing Journeys for Local & Global Justice,” a coordinated series of marches from four points in Los Angeles, converged at MacArthur Park in the historic Westlake area of the city for music, art and sacred ritual.

The Southern Cross September/October 2004

Members of Lamb of God Lutheran Church greeted Episcopalians from St. Joseph’s with handshakes and flowers as they arrived for their first combined service on Dec. 31, 2000.

Southern Cross file photo

Called to common mission (Continued from page 5) have to be approved by both denominations; both styles of worship will also be made available each Sunday.

For parochial reporting purposes, Episcopalians will initially count 25 percent of the congregation, with the Lutheran Church claiming 75 percent.

But that will gradually shift, and by 2009, each denomination will count 50 percent of the congregation to determine apportionments and membership data.

The same goes for a worst-case scenario, in which the federation would dissolve. According to a sliding scale, the Lutherans would be entitled to most of the assets in the event of a split; by 2028, assets would be divided 50-50.

Four years in the making The two congregations have been worshipping together since Dec. 31, 2000, when Episcopalians from the nowclosed St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church were invited to worship several blocks away at the Lamb of God Lutheran Church.

At that time, St. Joseph’s had been struggling to stay afloat. The idea of a merger came out of some friendly conversations between Pastor Fohs and the Rev. John Adler, who at the time was the interim vicar of St. Joseph’s.

The Southern Cross September/October 2004

“It just made sense,” Fohs said. “Why build two congregations that are a block or two away from other? Why replicate buildings and staff when we could do the same thing in the same place. It makes all the sense in the world.”

“It’s been a very long, gradual process that did not happen overnight,” said Fohs. He applauded the congregation for the work it has done, but added, “It’s also the result of a lot of other people buying into the vision.”

The future, says Bishop Benoway, is exciting. “It gives us a chance to see it working and see how it will work.

“I think it’s also a challenge to us as we look at our theologies coming together, to see what is really important and what really isn’t. You know you have to let some things go in this kind of situation, while holding tight to that which is most important to us in our faith. In one way it helps bring to the top that which is really important in theology and practice,” he said.

Working together This historic federation will be a unique practical test of the joint communion agreement between the Episcopal Church and the ELCA. “I think that what we are doing is saying very clearly that all parishioners have a common mission,” said Bishop Lipscomb.

“The two churches bring in an enormous history on parallel tracks,” he said.

“It points to the fact that no one church

or one denomination has a corner of the conversation, and as long as we sit at the table together, we will ultimately discover God’s purpose for the Church.”

Fohs said Lamb of God can be an example to Lutherans. “In a time when Called to Common Mission is still not accepted in a lot of Lutheran communities, I think what we’re doing proves to be a working example to say that we have not sold out; we have not lost our soul,” he observed.

“We can live into what we say, when we talk about Christians doing things together,” said Robbins-Penniman. “We will be doing things in a way that makes it possible for people to remember they are Christians first.”

If federated congregations are a good idea, why has it taken so long for a federated congregation to emerge? Fohs suggests a big stumbling block he calls “the ownership thing.”

“Identification of the community has more to do with the building and the space than it does of the real presence of faith in people’s lives,” he said. “You know what they say: ‘This is the church my parents were married in…’ “ Lamb of God Lutheran Church, being only 15 years old, didn’t have those hurdles, he said. “We didn’t have that kind of tradition; there’s not that kind of emotional ties to the space.”

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Letters to the editor (Continued from page 3) disciples. None of these have anything to do with committed gay and lesbian relationships and none of them speak to sexual orientation! The Bible is silent on sexual orientation. Scholars now believe that these passages actually have more to do with survival and common identity of the tribe (Leviticus), inhospitality and rape (Sodom), and Temple prostitution (St. Paul). A good book on this topic, which has been around since 1981 is John Boswell’s book Christianity, Social Tolerance and Homosexuality. There is a good, solid basis of biblical scholarship for full inclusion of gays and lesbians in the Church. Standing up for that is in no way “affirming sin as righteousness.”

More importantly, we have the testimony of committed gay and lesbian Christians who speak to the church from their own experience of Christ in their lives. In dioceses of the Church where dialogue has been ongoing, many Episcopalians already know growing numbers of gay and lesbian Christians and can point to them as integral members of their parishes. Only in dioceses like Southwest Florida, which have refused to have any dialogue on this issue, would acceptance of gays and lesbians be condemned out of hand as “affirming sin as righteousness” as Mr. Howell would have it.

This rigid approach to gays and lesbians is essentially that of the 17th century Puritans who sought to impose what they perceived to be the mind of God on the rest of the Church at that time. As William Countryman has written, this is not the classical Anglican way of the Episcopal Church, which above all seeks to maintain common life and conversation of the faithful in community. None of us can ever presume to know fully the mind of God, but we can hope that the Holy Spirit will work with us, all of us, in unity to bring us toward truth.

Arrogantly asserting that we know what God thinks or wants, without taking the time to listen to others in the Body of Christ, and joining with them in prayer

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for discernment of God’s will, is a manifestation of the sin of pride, plain and simple. Let us remember that we are all, each and every one, redeemed children of God and we all need each other very much.

— Frank B. Dowd Naples

Church data statistics reveal theology gap The July/August issue of The Southern Cross presented four full pages (two letters, an interview, a news article and a lengthy excerpt of testimony) strongly condemning the selection of the Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson as bishop of New Hampshire. No space was given to supporters of that decision, despite the fact that the election, legitimate and fair, was (and is) supported by the majority of Episcopalians.

We do need to hear the views of our more orthodox brethren, but the “conversation” which our own bishop has called for can only take place if all members of the diocese also have the opportunity to hear other points of view through regular presentations of the centrist (i.e., majority) position and sometimes even the “liberal” position in diocesan publications. Sadly, this issue of The Southern Cross fails to provide the balanced coverage — and the open forum — which its readers deserve.

— Mark Leggett and James Kyle St. Boniface, Sarasota

Lambeth article provided needed clarity Thank you for the superb article “A peak inside the Lambeth Commission,” written with the clarity for those of either viewpoint to understand.

Also, thank you for printing the Lambeth Commission testimony by Michael Howell on the “core question of this controversy.” The title, “Not a matter of homosexuality but the affirmation of sin as rightiousness” puts the spotlight where it is sorely needed.

—Marguerita Farmer Bradenton

Letters show unwarranted predjudice toward gays The two letters to the editor published in the July/August issue were examples of unthinking prejudice.

That has become a too-frequent feature of The Southern Cross. One of the letters states that “gay people should not be entitled to the lay ministry let alone into the clergy.” It appears that the writer feels that there is no room anywhere in the Episcopal Church for gay people. I find this a shockingly unChristian point of view and, as a lifelong Episcopalian, I find it to be in total opposition to the teachings of the church I have loved for so many years.

The second letter is even worse. In this letter the writer states that the “consecration of Mr. (Bishop) Robinson in New Hampshire is in direct conflict with the teachings of Jesus.” Such presumption is alarming. It does not require being a theological scholar to know that in the four gospels Jesus never addresses the subject of homosexuality at all. Further, it is in serious debate whether any of the passages in the Bible refer to homosexuality as we know it today. The officiousness of the writer in claiming for himself the right to reject the official action of the church is discouraging.

The element within the church as represented by these letters and by the AAC in general want nothing less than total domination of ECUSA in the same way their conservative brethren took over and now dominate the Southern Baptist church.

—Kenneth E. Charles Church of the Good Shepherd, Punta Gorda

‘Judge not’ is good advice in homosexuality debate I read, in the July/August issue, the articles on the AAC and the comments

by Dr. Michael Howell, on his testimony before the Lambeth Commission. What is happening to my beloved Episcopal Church?

I read in Matthew 7:1-5 that Jesus said “Judge not, that you not be (Continued on page 21) The Southern Cross September/October 2004

Letters to the editor (Continued from page 20) judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get.” As far as “sin” is concerned, I think there is more than enough to go around. How do I know that the person at the altar rail receiving communion next to me is not a liar, a cheat, an adulterer, a blasphemer or a homosexual – and that those administering the sacraments are not the same. Why not let God be the judge?

If being a good Episcopalian means we have to pass a litmus test of absolute purity, I am afraid I will not qualify. Personally, I prefer to be judged before God, not men. I find him to be more compassionate and yet demanding of me and my fellow sinners.

—Robert Tharin St. Alfred’s, Palm Harbor

Howell’s testimony based on disputed interpretation The testimony of Dr. Michael Howell published in the July/August issue of The Southern Cross that speaks against the ordination of Bishop Gene Robinson and the blessing of homosexual unions shows that the foundations for his objections are his disputed interpretations of the Bible and scientific opinion.

Outside of this, no unbiased reason is shown why these actions are wrong in regard to an individual or society.

But an unbiased reason can be shown that it is good to welcome homosexual persons into full participation in the church because this act exhibits love and acceptance for them. Love and acceptance beget love, acceptance, stability and peace in relationships and in society.

Christ’s teachings of love and acceptance are simple, wise, and valid not only in our church, but in the entire world.

—John K. Steinmeyer Bradenton

Howell responds: Critic doesn’t know the Bible I would like to respond to Mr. Frank Dowd’s letter regarding my testimony before the Lambeth Commission. I’m sure Mr. Dowd had good intentions, but unfortunately, his letter reflects nothing more than a grave lack of knowledge on the Bible and homosexual behavior.

In Dr. Robert Gagnon’s On Boswell and “Men who lie with a male” in 1 Corinthians 6:9: A Response to Harwood and Porter, he states that the concurrence of the aforementioned writers with Boswell’s conclusion that arsenokoitai referred to male prostitutes was erroneous, and reflected a lack of knowledge on the relevant scholarly works of the past 25 years.

Gagnon notes that Boswell’s arguments have not persuaded most New Testament scholars, including those supportive of homosexual practice (e.g., Dan Via, and William Schoedel). They affirm that the terms malakoi and arsenokoitai collectively designate a general condemnation of ALL male-male intercourse. Moreover, homosexual advocate Walter Wink’s review of Gagnon’s The Bible and Homosexual Practice, acknowledges that even men in committed homosexual relationships would not have been acceptable to Paul and would have been included among the arsenokoitai who would not inherit the coming kingdom of God. Regarding arrogance, I would state that it is not arrogant to speak in righteousness and truth against a behavior that is consistently condemned in the Bible under ALL circumstances (i.e., not just in exploitative relationships, as shown by contextual and thorough scholarship).

If that were true, Paul and all the prophets would have to have been considered “ministers of arrogance”.

On the contrary, it is arrogant for Mr. Dowd or anyone else to assume that they know better than God, when it comes to living in accordance with his expectations for sexual purity and holiness.

— Michael W. Howell, Ph.D. St. Petersburg

From the Bishop (Continued from page 3) status that made conversation possible.

Many issues in the current turmoil came up in our discussions: effects of the Episcopal Church’s decisions on Anglicans in Africa; stands taken by African provinces and by the Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa; biblical, ethical and theological views of sexuality; interactions of gospel and culture in Africa and the USA; the scope and limits of diversity within the Anglican Communion; the course of recent Communion-wide discussions; the range of opinion within the Episcopal Church and the polity of our church in making decisions; parameters of the Lambeth Commission; actions desired from the Episcopal Church; opportunities and constraints in continued shared mission.

It was clear to us that the Episcopal Church’s sexuality decisions have affected African Anglicans on the ground, as well as leaders. We heard reports of some members leaving the Anglican Church, of clergy experiencing deep anguish, and of complications in Christian-Muslim relations. Even accounting for the disproportionate coverage that international media give to events in the USA, the intensity of some African Anglicans’ feelings suggested to us that the global aspects of Anglican life may be more prominent in their sense of church identity than it is in the sense of church identity of many American Episcopalians. Thus the effects of actions taken by another Anglican province may be felt more deeply by African Anglicans than by American (Continued on page 22)

The Southern Cross September/October 2004

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Women’s History Project seeks presenters

B ooks

FREEDOM IS A DREAM: A Documentary History of Women in the Episcopal Church, edited by Sheryl A. Kujawa-Holbrook (Church Publishing Incorporated, New York, 2002, 319 pages, $26.00) Sheryl Kujawa-Holbrook has culled through 200 years of documents, speeches, and interviews to assemble the remarkable material collected here. Included are such writings as Sojourner Truth’s impassioned speech for women’s rights at one of the first national conferences on the topic; Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s call for the creation of a Woman’s Bible; and a powerful sermon from Pauli Murray, the first African American woman ordained to the priesthood.

The book is available from the Episcopal Book/Resource Center, 815 Second Ave., New York, NY 10017; (800) 334-7626; www.episcopalbookstore.org LEADING LADIES: Transformative Biblical Images for Women’s Leadership, by Jeanne Porter (Innisfree Press, Inc., Philadelphia, 2000, 158 pages, $13.95) Leading Ladies presents transformative images that recognize women who lead in all walks of life and expand our definition of “leader.” Dr. Porter introduces four female archetypes from the Bible who honor women’s experiences and perspectives: The Midwife (Puah and Shiprah), helps birth ideas and dreams; The Choreographer (Miriam), brings people together to celebrate; The Weaver (Deborah), braids together her vision for the future; The Intercessor (Esther), advocates on behalf of others.

The book is available from the Episcopal Book/Resource Center, 815 Second Ave., New York, NY 10017; (800) 334-7626; www.episcopalbookstore.org

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The Episcopal Women’s History Project invites proposals for individual papers and panels for a 2005 conference celebrating women’s ministries (lay and ordained) in the Episcopal Church.

The conference will be held in Dallas Sept. 22–24, 2005 and is being held in celebration of two anniversaries, the 30th anniversary of women’s ordination to the priesthood in the Episcopal Church and the 25th anniversary of the Episcopal Women’s History Project.

The groups is seeking proposals for individual papers and panels on women’s participation in a broad range of lay and ordained ministries. Studies of marginalized women and girls, including women of color and poor and working

class women, papers on women’s participation on the local level, and regional histories are welcome. Scholars, parish historians, archivists, and others involved in the study of women’s history are encouraged to participate.

To apply, please e-mail a one-page description of your paper, along with a brief biography, to the Program Committee, EWHP, c/o Sheryl A. Kujawa-Holbrook at sherylkujawa1@msn.com, no later than March 1, 2005. If you are proposing a panel, please send a description of each of the papers and presenters involved.

Participants selected for the conference will be notified as soon as possible after the due date.

From the Bishop

We noted that dialogue within the Episcopal Church is ongoing. We expressed our concern for the effects our decisions were having in parts of Africa and elsewhere in the Communion.

A number of bishops expressed hope that visits such as ours would be made to other African provinces, which they felt would find such visits similarly helpful in providing a forum for personal conversation.

We share this hope. We will be sharing more specific observations with relevant individuals and groups in the Episcopal Church. In general, we felt that the personal meetings with church leaders at this sensitive time were helpful, that good relationships were formed, and that the conversations were fruitful. In a time of stress, we continue to hope and pray for the continuing unity of the Anglican Communion.

(Continued from page 21) Anglicans. We believe that as a church we can learn from their more intense global awareness.

Our African companions disagreed on biblical and theological grounds with the Episcopal Church’s sexuality decisions. They felt that our decisions disregarded the Communion and the need for a wider Anglican consensus. There was some variation in the ramifications people felt these decisions would have on inter-provincial relations. Some were as concerned for the situation within the Episcopal Church as they were about relations with their province. We invited reflection on what the Episcopal Church could do to repair strained relationships, and a number of suggestions were made.

We were open about our own views in human sexuality, which reflected the diversity of the Episcopal Church. We shared the process by which the General Convention made its decisions in 2003, the theological views those decisions reflected, and the cultural context of the Episcopal Church.

—The Rt. Rev. Theodore Daniels, Assistant Bishop, Diocese of Texas —The Rt. Rev. John Lipscomb, Bishop of Southwest Florida —The Very Rev. Dr. Titus Presler, Dean, Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest The Southern Cross September/October 2004

Calendar C Conferences/Meetings

Retreats/Prayer

Clergy Day. Nov. 3, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at St. Boniface Church on Siesta Key, Sarasota. The Rt. Rev. Mark Dyer will lead the discussion.

Amazing Love Healing Conference. Sept. 17–18, 7 p.m.

Friday to 10 p.m. Saturday, at Church of the Holy Spirit, 129 S. Tamiami Trail, Osprey. Experience Spirit-filled worship, anointed teaching, and large group prayer ministry. Cost is $45 per person; $70 per couple; $25 for team members. Contact: Church of the Holy Spirit at (941) 966-1924.

Special Events 36th Annual Convention of the Diocese of Southwest Florida. Oct 7–9 at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School gymnasium in Bradenton. Annual business meeting of the diocese.

Theme: “One Communion and Fellowship.” Invited guest: The Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church USA. Contact Beverly Persson via e-mail at bpersson@dioceseswfla.org; or at (941) 556-0315, ext. 260.

Training/Workshops Preparing for Marriage Seminar. Oct. 2, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Holy Cross Conference Center in St. Petersburg.

Couples who are preparing for marriage as well as newlyweds are invited to attend. Sponsored by the St. Petersburg Deanery.

Cost is $150 per couple; $125 for those couples from churches in the St. Petersburg Deanery. Some scholarship assistance is available when necessary. This seminar meets the State of Florida requirements to receive a reduction in marriage license fee. Contact: The Rev. Dr. John V. Monsour, executive director of the Samaritan Counseling Center of Tampa Bay, at (813) 872-7186.

Deacon Training Day. Oct. 16, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at St. Wilfred’s Episcopal Church, 3773 Wilkdenson Road, Sarasota.

The program wil lbe led by the Rev. Ormonde Plater, a nationally-recognized leader in the development of the diaconate.

The morning session will be open for deacons-in-training, active deacons and rectors/vicars with deacons or those thinking of having one. The afternoon session is for deacons-in-training. Contact Karen Rettler at (941) 556-0315 or by e-mail at krettler@dioceseswfla.org for more information. Registration deadline is Oct 11.

Safeguarding God’s Children training. Nov. 6, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.at St. Peter’s Cathedral, 140 4th St., St. Petersburg. Cost is $5 per person. Program developed by Church Pension Group and Praesidium Religious Services which deals with prevention of child sexual abuse. Class is requiried for all licensed clergy, lay people, vestries, and people who work with children and youth. Contact: Jean Bordeaux at Diocesan House, (941) 556-0315, ext. 274.

The Southern Cross September/October 2004

“Eternal Impact” —Building up God’s Manpower 2004 Diocesan Men’s Conference. Nov. 6, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at DaySpring Episcopal Conference Center in Ellenton.

Cost: $35 per person (includes lunch). Contact: Jay Crouse, director of Episcopal Men’s Ministries, at (941) 957-1271, or e-mail dedeemm@aol.com.

Youth Events Happening #52. Nov. 12–14 at DaySpring Episcopal Conference Center. Cost is $100. Contact: Lynda Botzenhart at (941) 747-3709.

New Beginnings #36. Dec. 3–5 at DaySpring Episcopal Conference Center. Cost is $100. Contact: Jean Bordeaux at (941) 556-0315, ext. 274.

Advent Camp. Dec. 19–21, at DaySpring Conference Center. Cost is $125. Contact: Jean Bordeaux at (941) 556-0315, ext. 274.

If your group or congregation is planning an upcoming event of interest to the rest of the diocese, please send the information to: The Southern Cross Calendar 7313 Merchant Court Sarasota, FL 34240 or e-mail it to jdela@dioceseswfla.org The 2004 diocesan events calendar is also available on our web site: www.dioceseswfla.org 23