The Harvest, March-April 2010

Inside The Harvest From the bishop Bishop Wolfe explains why the “Crossroads” fundraising campaign is critical to creating the kind of lay and clergy leadership the diocese needs, now and for the future. Page 2

MDG grants Funds from the diocesan budget have been awarded to groups doing work in Haiti and Kenya. Page 4

Heading to K en ya Ken eny Groups of Kansas Episcopalians are heading this summer to Kenya, to offer education, nutrition and medical help, and dialogue with the Anglican Church of Kenya. Page 4

Holy W eek Week Holy Week is a busy time for laity and clergy, and Bishop Wolfe is no exception. Take a look at some photos that show his participation in services at Grace Cathedral. Page 5

Leader ship is ffocus ocus of fund campaign Leadership Ef hanger ffor or diocese Efffor ortt can be a game-c game-changer

Episcopal Diocese of Kansas

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ishop Dean Wolfe has announced the launch of a major, diocesanwide fundraising campaign designed to provide lay and clergy leadership for parishes across the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas.

The effort has been named “Crossroads: Securing the Path to Tomorrow,” and it seeks to raise more than $4 million in coming months.

The focus of the effort is the Kansas School for Ministry, which currently educates people for ordination as priests and deacons. Plans call for the school to expand its offering to include extensive lay ministry education and training.

Money raised will create an endowment of about $1.5 million for KSM and will build a Leadership Center to provide additional classrooms and refurbished diocesan offices. Existing diocesan buildings would be renovated to provide overnight accommodations for up to 30 people.

Diocesan outreach and mission efforts will get a boost, too, as 10 percent of all money raised will go to efforts to help others locally, nationally and internationally.

“This is a bold and exciting initiative that can be a real gamechanger for the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas,” Bishop Wolfe said. “This effort can help ensure that parishes large and small have the lay and clergy leadership they need for the 21st century.”

Bishop Wolfe has named Larry Bingham, a member of St. Michael’s in Mission, as chair of the fundraising effort. Support will be provided by diocesan Director of Development and Stewardship Char DeWitt, and by RSI, a campaign consulting firm retained by the diocese.

The effort also has the full backing of members of the Council of Trustees, the diocesan governing body between conventions.

Bingham said members of the diocese will have an opportunity to learn more about the Crossroads campaign, and to consider a contribution, when additional information is provided through parishes in the next few months.

Please see Leadership, page 3

Diocesan paper wins top award

Outreac h Outreach Several parishes in the diocese have undertaken new outreach initiatives in recent months, ranging from sandwiches to English classes. Page 6

Episcopal Diocese of Kansas

Habit at house Habitat

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Construction finally is underway on the Habitat for Humanity house being built by the diocese in Coffeyville. Page 6

AW alk through Jerusalem Walk Grace Cathedral is hosting a unique exhibit that lets visitors experience some of life in ancient Israel, and they are partnering with Jewish and Muslims neighbors to make it happen. Page 7

Toc her Lecture ocher

Photo by Melodie Woerman

Spring Hill is the new home for St. Clare’s, the congregation being started by the diocese in Johnson County. The Rev. Philip Hubbard (pictured) and members will begin worshipping in rented space in historic downtown Spring Hill in mid-May.

Noted theologian and author Stanley Hauerwas will deliver the 2010 Tocher Lecture on May 20 at St. Michael and All Angels in Mission. Page 9

St. Clare’s finds new home in growing Spring Hill

Glasspool gets OKs

By Melodie Woerman Editor, The Harvest

The word that enough consents had been received to the election of the second partnered gay priest as a bishop in the Episcopal Church brought expressions of joy and sadness. Page 10

Update on Haiti Michelle Obama and Jill Biden visited a Haitian refugee camp run by the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti, and plans are announced to begin rebuilding Holy Trnity Cathedral in Port-au-Prince. Page 11

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he newest congregation in the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas soon will have a more permanent place to call home. St. Clare’s, which has been started by the diocese in Johnson County, will begin worshipping in a building in Spring Hill in mid-May. That will get its nine members out of the living room of the priest starting the church, the Rev. Philip Hubbard, and into the community. And that, he said, will help the new church grow.

Hubbard is being paid by the diocese to start this new congregation, with the title missioner for new church development. He said the decision to locate in

Spring Hill, a town of about 6,500 that straddles the Johnson/Miami county line, was made after more than a year of deliberation.

This is an area that has seen significant growth in the past 10 years, he noted. Spring Hill itself has grown by more than 40 percent since 2000, and it’s just 10 minutes away from Gardner (population of 19,000), Louisburg (about 4,000) and Paola (about 6,000).

It’s also an area, Hubbard said, that isn’t home to any other Episcopal churches. “We can draw from the entire southern Johnson County and northern Miami County region,” he said.

The congregation will worship in a Please see St. Clare’s, page 5

he Harvest, the newspaper of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas, took the top prize in its circulation category at the annual Polly Bond awards given by Episcopal Communicators at its conference March 19 in Salem, Mass.

It received the first-place Award of Excellence in the General Excellence category for newspapers with a circulation under 12,000. The Harvest has a circulation of 5,200 and had taken second in this category the past two years.

The winner in the large circulation category was Episcopal Life, the now-closed national newspaper of the Episcopal Church.

The judge described The Harvest as “crisp, clean, enticing to pick up, packed full of news, lots to read, many topics, lots of contributors, good sense of what’s going on in the diocese, big-picture, not just a community bulletin board, a real voice and vision.”

The paper’s writing was described as “clear, bright, interesting” and its layout was called “well-organized, clean and crisp-looking.”

This is the third time that The Harvest has received the best newspaper prize during the 16-year editorship of Melodie Woerman. Previous wins were in 1996 and 1997.

The newspaper also received an Award of Excellence for feature writing for Woerman’s story of Amanda Jennings’s baptism at summer camp last year.

Please see Harvest, page 2

2 • The Harvest • March/April 2010

From the Bishop

The Right Reverend Dean E. Wolfe

Publisher: The Right Reverend Dean E. Wolfe, Bishop Editor: Melodie Woerman A member of Episcopal News Service and Episcopal Communicators, The Harvest is published six times a year by the Office of Communications of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas: February, April, June, August, October and December.

Stories, letters and photos are welcome. They will be used on a space-available basis and are subject to editing. Send all material (preferably in electronic format or by e-mail) to: Melodie Woerman, editor The Harvest 835 SW Polk St. Topeka, KS 66612-1688 phone: (800) 473-3563 fax: (785) 235-2449 mwoerman@episcopal-ks.org Send address changes to: Receptionist 835 SW Polk St., Topeka, KS 66612-1688 receptionist@episcopal-ks.org Upcoming deadlines: May/June issue: May 15 July/August issue: July 15 Subscription rate: $1.50 annually Third class mailing Permit No. 601, Topeka, Kansas POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Episcopal Diocese of Kansas 835 SW Polk St. Topeka, KS 66612-1688

The Anglican Communion A global community of 70 million Anglicans in 38 member churches/provinces in more than 160 countries.

Archbishop of Canterbury The Most Reverend and Right Honorable Rowan Williams Lambeth Palace, London WE1 7JU, United Kingdom www.anglicancommunion.org Episcopal seat: Canterbury Cathedral, Canterbury, England

The Episcopal Church A community of more than 2.1 million members in 110 dioceses in 16 countries in the Americas and abroad.

Presiding Bishop The Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori 815 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10017 (800) 334-7626 www.episcopalchurch.org Episcopal seat: Washington National Cathedral, Washington, D.C.

The Episcopal Diocese of Kansas A community of 12,000 members in 45 parishes, two diocesan institutions and one school in eastern Kansas.

Bishop The Right Reverend Dean E. Wolfe 835 SW Polk Street, Topeka, KS 66612-1688 (785) 235-9255 (800) 473-3563 www.episcopal-ks.org Episcopal seat: Grace Episcopal Cathedral, Topeka

‘Cr ossr oads’ of ‘Crossr ossroads’ offfer erss us the oppor tunity tto o do a ne w thing opportunity new

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ear Friends, I love the Episcopal Church. I believe we make a substantial contribution to the Christian enterprise, and I am proud of what we represent.

But I also know the Episcopal Church in Kansas faces exceptional challenges, and I know, as you know, that we cannot continue to do the same old things in the same old ways and expect to remain a vibrant force for Christ in the world.

In this issue of The Harvest, you’ll read about an exciting, new initiative that I believe will positively impact every member of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas.

This initiative has been named “Crossroads: Securing the Path to Tomorrow” because I, along with the leadership of the diocese, believe we are at an important crossroads regarding the mission strategy of our diocese.

Early cchallenge: hallenge: ffind ind clergy In the early days of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas, Bishops Thomas Vail and Elisha Thomas faced a critical problem — how to get enough clergy to come to Kansas and stay long enough to be effective ministers.

They soon realized the best way to accomplish this goal was to offer high quality, affordable, local education right here in Kansas.

In fact, it is a quote from Bishop Thomas in 1892 that inspired our campaign theme: “I have come to the conclusion that there is but one path left open to me. I must educate my own missionaries.”

This is exactly what we will do with an expanded Kansas School for Ministry.

We plan to secure our future by raising an endowment for faculty and programs for the Kansas School for Ministry and by building an adequate space for the school to offer classes for the training of lay leaders, deacons and priests.

This facility also will provide a place where vestries, youth groups and other organizations from around the diocese can gather to spend the night while they plan and learn and dream.

Skilled leader leaderss needed The Council of Trustees and I understand firsthand the challenges faced by our churches. Nearly half our congregations are led by part-time or non-stipendiary clergy, and most of our congregations use non-stipendiary clergy to assist them in their mission.

The cost of a residential seminary education, both in dollars and time spent away from families, is beyond the reach of many who would make excellent candidates for ordained ministry.

Additionally, every congregation in our diocese is in need of well-trained lay leaders — skilled youth ministers, effective educators for children and adults, passionate stewardship chairs, inspired

Photo by Deacon Bob Hirst

liturgical leaders, compassionate pastoral care providers.

In order to achieve this objective, we will need to raise more than $4 million to ensure our parishes have the leadership needed to do the work we have been given to do.

We act ttoge oge ther ogether These needs can’t be met by any one congregation acting alone. But we don’t have to act alone.

As Episcopalians, we act together.

We all are called to be missionaries to a world that doesn’t always understand the Good News of Jesus. It’s a world that often favors power over humility, greed over giving and vengeance over forgiveness. It’s a world desperate to know the reconciling love of God. An expanded KSM will provide every member of the diocese the tools to be the kind of missionaries our society needs.

More information on this opportunity will be available in the coming months, and you’ll be offered the chance to make a contribution to this crucial effort over and above what you already give to the church.

I realize this is an ambitious goal, but Kansans have never shied away from meeting challenges head-on. I believe it would be better to try and fail in this effort than never to have tried to do what we believe God is calling us to do.

I invite you to consider prayerfully how you can help make this dream a reality, as together we seek to know Christ and to make Christ known.

Faithfully, +Dean Y

Har Harvvest est:: Writing, layout awards also received Continued from page 1 The piece was judged against all other feature stories entered from across the Episcopal Church, regardless of the size of the publication.

The judge called the writing “clear and careful, concise and colorful” and said it was “a small personal story told with such

power and color that it could easily transfer to another person’s experience.”

A second-place Award of Merit

also recognized Woerman for front-page newspaper design, in which the judge said, “It’s what a newspaper should read/ look like.”

This marks 43 Polly Bond awards Woerman has garnered since taking over as editor of the newspaper, then named Plenteous Harvest, in March 1994. Y

March/April 2010 • The Harvest • 3

Leader ship: Clergy, lay will benefit from enhanced KSM Leadership: The Rev. Andrew Grosso (right) teaches a Kansas School for Ministry class in the Bethany Place Conference Center. An expansion of KSM, along with a new building to house classes and diocesan offices, are the keystones of the diocesan fundraising campaign, “Crossroads: Securing the Path to Tomorrow.”

Continued from page 1

Parishes need clergy Bishop Wolfe said parishes in the diocese need help in developing the kind of lay and ordained leaders required for ministry today. “Right now, 20 of our 45 parishes are served by part-time or non-paid clergy,” he said.

“A 3-year seminary education can run as much as $75,000, and many parishes can’t afford to pay clergy enough to offset those costs,” he said. “Some people can’t pursue a call to ordained ministry because of the severe disruption to their income, or to the life of their family. We must develop a more efficient and costeffective way to train the clergy leadership that is essential to healthy parishes, or some of them may not be able to survive.

“We have reached a crucial crossroads in the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas,” he said. “We have a choice. We can either do nothing, or we can do something.

I believe this diocese will choose to do something.”

Bingham said this need for clergy extends to growing, urban parishes as well as smaller, more rural congregations. “There is a demand for additional clergy to serve the needs of our larger congregations, and there is an insufficient supply of resources to fulfill that demand,” he said.

High-quality, local education for clergy means more people could serve as bivocational priests, working a secular job as well as assisting in an urban or suburban parish, he said, noting, “This will be very beneficial to our larger and mid-sized congregations.”

Photos by Melodie Woerman

I have come to the conclusion that there is but one path left open to me. I must educate my own missionaries.

Diocese of Kansas.”

The building also will provide space for parish vestry retreats, as well as a central place where diocesan committees and groups can meet. The existing conference center can’t accommodate some meetings because of its small size.

The conference center, along with the building that currently houses the diocesan offices, will be remodeled into sleeping space for about 30 people.

La xpands Layy ministr ministryy e expands Bingham said expanded lay ministry training is a key element of the Crossroads campaign. The Rev. Andrew Grosso, KSM’s coordinator, said in the next few years the school plans to offer programs to certify people in one of the six licensed ministries authorized by church canons (pastoral leader, worship leader, preacher, Eucharistic minister, Eucharistic visitor and catechist).

He said KSM also is considering programs for other ministries, such as small group leaders and parish administrators, and hopes to open some of its existing ordination-track classes to anyone interested in high-quality theological education, Bingham said this kind of expanded training means churches could begin to implement true ministry teams, where clergy and lay people share in meeting the ministry needs of their congregation in an intentional, coordinated way.

“There are large, untapped resources of lay ministry in our congregations,” he said. “If we can call them into well-managed ministry teams, there will be no limit to our ability to fulfill the mission of the church — to reconcile all persons to God and each other

Centuries-long ef efffor ortt KSM classes sometimes have to use additional space, like this meeting room at Grace Cathedral, because of cramped quarters at the existing Bethany Place Conference Center.

through Jesus Christ.”

Ne w building is crucial New In order to make these ministry expansions happen, however, KSM needs a building that can meet its growing needs.

Classes currently meet in the Bethany Place Conference Center, a 140-year-old building that for much of the 20th century was the residence of Kansas bishops and before that was the barn for an Episcopal girls school. It was converted to its present use in the early 1980s.

The former living room provides meeting space for about 12 students, with upstairs sleeping space for 13. The building cannot be used by people with disabilities, since there are steep steps at all doors.

Electrical deficiencies mean teachers have very limited use of modern technology in conducting classes.

The Crossroads campaign proposes to build a 13,000 square-

foot building on the eastern portion of the current Bethany Place property near downtown Topeka.

The first floor will have classroom space for 80 people, along with a conference room and small chapel. The second floor will include offices for Bishop Wolfe and other members of the diocesan staff.

Bingham said the new building will feature state-of-the-art technology, including distancelearning capabilities. It also will be environmentally friendly and will incorporate energy savings and sustainable design features to reduce overall operating costs.

Bishop Wolfe said the new building will be “a center of diocesan learning and leadership. It not only will house an innovative approach to educating clergy, it will be the place where lay people from congregations of every size can come. Here they will learn, train, connect and prepare themselves for the challenges of leading parishes in today’s Episcopal

Long before the Kansas School for Ministry was created, Kansas bishops struggled with finding enough clergy. In the 19th century, the need was for priests who were willing to tackle the rigors of prairie life to lead congregations in the new diocese.

Both Bishop Thomas Vail and Bishop Elisha Thomas found it hard to obtain the clergy needed for growing congregations, so they sought men to study locally at the Kansas Theological School they’d created. That need for clergy prompted Bishop Thomas to write in 1892, “I have come to the conclusion that there is but one path left open to me. I must educate my own missionaries.” The school closed in 1917.

The idea of educating local parish leaders was revived in 1997 when KSM was created to provide classroom and ministry education for those seeking ordination and to offer lay people an in-depth education experience.

It provided monthly residential classes until the spring of 2006, when funding difficulties forced it to suspend operations. By then the school had graduated 50

Bishop Elisha Thomas, second bishop of the Diocese of Kansas, in 1892

people in eight classes, about half whom went on to ordained ministry, most as deacons.

Classes were resumed in the fall of 2008 under Grosso’s leadership. KSM currently has 14 students enrolled.

Hist oric oppor tunity Historic opportunity Grosso said the Crossroads campaign is a unique opportunity for the diocese to strengthen its mission. “It will remind every member that the church is called to ministry,” he said. “It also will provide the ability to offer the kind of formation that will help every member of every parish in this diocese discover and pursue the particular ministry to which God has called them.”

Bishop Wolfe said this initiative provides all Episcopalians in the diocese the chance to do something truly historic.

“At this moment, we have the chance to ensure that the needs of our parishes can be met in new and innovative ways,” he said.

“Our efforts here, right now, will determine how we shape the minds, motivate the faith and nurture the abilities of future leaders.

That’s a tremendous challenge, but it’s one I’m confident the people of this diocese will meet.

It will require sacrifice, but I know God will bless these efforts.” Y

4 • The Harvest • March/April 2010

MDG grants suppor supportt pr ojects in Haiti, K en projects Ken enyya

By Melodie Woerman Editor, The Harvest

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hree organizations committed to ministry outside the United States have received grants totaling $12,000 from the diocesan Outreach and Ministry Committee.

The awards were made in March from diocesan funds earmarked for support of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Grants were made to: Haitian Episcopal Learning Partnership, $6,000; Community Initiatives for Rural Development in Kenya, $2,500; and Kansas to Kenya, $3,500 split between two programs.

The money represents about 0.7 percent of the diocesan budget, in accordance with a resolution adopted by Diocesan Convention in 2007 to support the MDGs and provide annual budgeted funding for supporting projects.

Committee co-chairs Lisa Adams and Brenda Skaggs noted in their report on the awards that five valid applications requesting nearly $22,000 were received by the committee’s Jan. 31 deadline. Grant guidelines stipulate that no money be used for travel expenses or administrative costs.

Grant de tails details Haitian Episcopal Learning Partnership, an organization that supports partnerships between U.S. and Haitian Episcopal churches in the Torbeck and Les Cayes area of southwest Haiti. The $6,000 grant is aimed at providing emergency assistance in the aftermath of the Jan. 12 earthquake.

Even though the area is 120 miles from Port-au-Prince, it still suffered physical and economic damage.

What are the MDGs? Efforts designed by the year 2015 to: eradicate extreme poverty and hunger achieve universal primary education promote gender equality and empower women reduce child mortality improve maternal health combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases ensure environmental sustainability work for global partnerships for development

The grant money is to be divided, with $2,500 designated for food, $2,300 for school expenses and scholarships, and $1,200 for housing help for the Rev. Colbert Estil, whose rectory in Les Cayes was damaged in the earthquake.

Community Initiatives for Rural Development in Kenya. The money will provide care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS and will provide training and education to people on how to cut down the spread of the disease. Work will be centered in Kenya’s Tigania region.

Kansas to Kenya, a diocesan committee developing mission opportunities in Kenya. The money will be used on a trip this summer to the Kenyan Diocese of Nakuru. $1,750 will go to a program to help women understand their rights and to promote gender equality, and to provide AIDS education and leadership development for primary school students through soccer.

Another $1,750 will go to a nutrition program in Maai Mahiu to assess food needs of residents of an orphanage there and provide ongoing financial resources to purchase adequate food for 15 orphans in the coming year. Y

File photo

A medical mission, like this one in 2009, is one of three trips to Kenya this summer by members of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas.

Kansas to Kenya teams ready for summer trips

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ore than two dozen people will be headed to Kenya this summer to work on mission projects sponsored by Kansas to Kenya (K2K), a diocesan effort that provides opportunities for mission work in the east African nation.

Deacon Steve Segebrecht, an ear-noseand-throat physician who serves at Trinity, Lawrence, has been on a number of mission trips to Kenya and chairs the K2K effort. He noted that all those participating on Kenyan mission teams are responsible for raising the costs of their trip.

He also asked for prayers for all the team members and their work while they are engaged in ministry in Kenya.

HOPE TTeam eam Alice Johnston from St. David’s, Topeka, will be in Kenya May 30-June 25 with a group called HOPE, who will be working primarily with mothers of disabled children. Previous Kenyan mission trips helped this group learn to sew canvas tote bags in order to provide for their families.

Work with the “Malaika Mums” also helps provide educational and physical therapy opportunities for their children, who are ostracized by society because of their disabilities. Johnston also has been raising money to purchase additional industrial-grade sewing machines for the project.

Her trip is sponsored by CTC International.

Community TTeam eam The first large-scale K2K trip this summer, involving the Community Team, leaves the U.S. on June 10 and returns June 22. Seven Episcopalians, including two priests, will join four others working on projects aimed at helping women and children, as well as increasing relationships with the Anglican Diocese of Nakuru.

Their work will be centered in Maai Mahiu, a town in a mountainous region outside the capital of Nairobi and the site of previous K2K efforts.

Two grants (from the diocesan Millennium Development Goals budget line item and from the Foundation at St. Michael and All Angels in Mission) are helping fund work at Good Shepherd Orphanage in Maai Mahiu. Volunteers will assess the nutritional needs of children living in the home and will arrange for an ongoing nutritional program, including providing needed food, for the children.

Other volunteers will be evaluating other orphanages in the town and visiting with community leaders to see how the Episco-

pal Diocese of Kansas can be further involved with orphans there.

Another program will use education materials, including posters and meetings, to teach women more about HIV/AIDS and to make them more aware of their rights in society.

Volunteers will use soccer matches as a way to reach young people in a local primary school, as they seek to educate them about HIV/AIDS and provide them with leadership opportunities.

The Rev. Andrew O’Connor, rector of Good Shepherd, Wichita, and the Rev. Robert Terrill, a retired priest, will spearhead efforts to increase dialog with the Anglican Church of Kenya, representing the Diocese of Kansas at the request of Bishop Dean Wolfe.

They will work with the Kenyan church’s community development and outreach organization to assess ongoing needs, and they also will reach out to Anglicans in Maai Mahiu. The two men also will lead evening devotions for those on the trip.

Terrill said he has been preaching about the needs of Kenya in parishes in recent weeks and has received more than $4,000 in donations, as well as the promise of a number of soccer balls to replace the plastic bags filled with trash that Kenyan children sometimes have to use instead.

This trip is being coordinated by and is working under the auspices of Mercy and Truth Medical Missions, a Kansas Citybased Christian organization that supports medical missions in the U.S. and abroad.

Medical TTeam eam Nine Episcopalians will join a like number of other medical professionals in a 10day trip to Maai Mahiu. Led by overseas mission veteran Karin Feltman of St. Margaret’s, Lawrence, the group includes physicians, nurses, a pharmacist and a dentist, as well as medical and dental students.

They will be joined by the Rev. Kelley Lackey, rector of St. Andrew’s, Emporia, who will provide spiritual and pastoral care.

His wife, Carolyn, is a nurse on the trip.

The group will staff clinics in Maai Mahiu and a rural hospital in Kijabe. In addition to basic medical and emergency care, they will conduct HIV testing and will see patients from previous years’ clinics for follow-up care. Estimates are that during their five days of clinics, they will see about 1,000 patients.

This trip also is being coordinated by Mercy and Truth Medical Missions.

— Melodie Woerman Y

March/April 2010 • The Harvest • 5

Holy Week with Bishop Dean Wolfe Here are scenes from liturgies at Grace Cathedral, Topeka, during this year’s Holy Week observances.

Chrism (oil for anointing the newly baptized) is blessed by the bishop during the annual Chrism Mass on Tuesday of Holy Week.

Bishop Wolfe lights the new fire at the Great Vigil of Easter. Assisting are

Photos by Melodie Woerman (from left) verger Kent Wingerson, Deacon Don Chubb, the Rev. Don

Bishop Wolfe, Dean Steve Lipscomb and Canon to the Ordinary Craig Loya lead worshippers in the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday afternoon.

Davidson and the Rev. Ron Pogue.

St. Clare’s: New church has a new place to call home Continued from page 1

Wanted: modern missionaries

building in Spring Hill’s historic downtown district, a one-blocklong strip of 19th century buildings that is being revitalized.

St. Clare’s is leasing space on Sundays in a recently renovated building designed to be rented out for receptions, reunions and other events. Originally built as an Odd Fellows’ lodge, it can seat about 150 people.

The rent will be paid by pledges of existing worshippers, Hubbard said.

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ast fall, Bishop Dean Wolfe issued a call for modern missionaries, Episcopalians who can provide support and encouragement as St. Clare’s gets established.

He asked that 10 Episcopal families already attending church in Johnson County make a 3-year commitment to the life of St. Clare’s, to “help give birth to that nascent community of faith.”

He asked, “Who will be the 10 families who will be spiritual pioneers, the faithful frontiersmen and women of today?”

In recent comments, he noted that an additional 10 families would help provide not only the energy needed for programs to help St. Clare’s grow, but they also would assist newcomers in better learning the liturgies and traditions of the Episcopal Church.

Those interested in answering this call can contact the Rev. Philip Hubbard, St. Clare’s priest, at phubbard@episcopal-ks.org or (913) 967-9885.

Mo owth Movve will aid gr gro Since the congregation was started about 18 months ago, worshippers have met in the living room of the Overland Park home Hubbard shares with his wife and young son. While it has worked for current members, he said it wasn’t the best arrangement to attract newcomers.

“I’ve found that most people won’t come to your house for worship unless they know you,” he said.

He said the new rented building will work well until they max out the space at two services, meaning they’d be up to about 240 members.

“This move to a temporary space is a significant step in the life of this church,” the Rev. Craig Loya, diocesan canon to the ordinary, said. “Such a move significantly leverages their potential for growth.”

But beyond the practical, this move has a theological component, Loya said.

“Because we are an incarnational people, having a home that is a visible presence in the community is an important feature in the life of the community of faith.”

Hubbard said once the decision

A fomer Odd Fellows lodge in historic downtown Spring Hill soon will house worshippes of St. Clare’s, the newest congregation in the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas. It had been meeting in a house since it was started 18 months ago.

The city of Spring Hill (circled near the bottom of map) is located on the southern border of Johnson County, the state’s most populous. It is part of the greater Kansas City area.

was made to settle in Spring Hill, he started knocking on doors to talk to residents. He’s asking people what they think the needs of the community are, since St. Clare’s seeks to be of service to its neighbors.

After he talks to about 100 people, he figures he’ll have enough input to recommend outreach efforts to his parishioners.

He also makes sure to leave an informational brochure with anyone who expresses an interest and

invite them to the first public service on Pentecost.

Planting seeds Hubbard said he knows not everyone will stop by to check out the new Episcopal church, but his efforts are all about planting seeds.

“This might be the place for someone who isn’t going to church, or it might prepare them for the next church, or maybe I just get them thinking,” he said.

To be more visible in the community, Hubbard sets up a makeshift office at a café table in the local Price Chopper grocery store.

Wearing his clergy collar, he makes eye contact with shoppers while working.

He’s also a member of the Spring Hill Rotary club and the city’s Chamber of Commerce and delivers the chamber’s welcome booklet to new residents, making sure to plug St. Clare’s in the process.

Ads in the local newspaper have started inviting people to the May 23 Pentecost service, too.

About a dozen people also meet each week at Price Chopper for a Bible study of the gospel of Mark, and one or two shoppers usually stop by to ask questions, Hubbard said. The group is led by Margie Burton, a member at St. Michael and All Angels in Mission.

Realistic e xpectations expectations Hubbard said he’s excited about the possibilities all these encounters offer, but he’s keeping his expectations realistic.

He said he’s certain that once the congregation has an identifiable location, complete with an “Episcopal Church Welcomes You” sign in the window, they’ll get some visitors.

He expects most initially will come from Spring Hill, with residents of Gardner, Louisburg and Paola eventually attending.

St. Clare’s already has received gifts to make worship in their new home easier.

Becky Johnston, a member of St. Paul’s, Leavenworth, handcrafted pottery communion vessels.

A set of vestments, including chasubles and stoles, was made by Lynne Stark and Grace Lewin of St. Michael’s, Mission.

Hubbard said he is looking forward to expanding the presence of the Episcopal Church into a new area and appreciates the hard work already done on St. Clare’s behalf. But he’s also clear about where any effort ultimately originates.

“God is going to do the work,” he said, “But he does ask us to participate.” Y

6 • The Harvest • March/April 2010

Outreach

Maria Thompson of Trinity, Lawrence, puts food into a backpack as part of the BackSnack program. The food will help keep an at-risk child from going hungry over a weekend.

Parishes undertake new ministries to meet needs in their communities

By Melodie Woerman Editor, The Harvest

S

everal parishes in the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas have begun new programs in recent months to serve the people of their community. Efforts range from a variety of food ministries to English classes for non-native speakers.

Sandwic h ministr Sandwich ministryy Grace Cathedral, TTopek opek a opeka

per child. Churches provide volunteers to deliver the packs to schools on Fridays, retrieve them on Mondays, clean the packs and repack them with food for the next Friday delivery.

St. Mark’s has begun serving 30 students at Blue Rapids Elementary School. Trinity is serving 100 students, 25 at each of four area elementary schools picked by Harvesters.

Organizers at the Lawrence church say they hope to expand the program in the fall to serve 200 students in six schools, as well as augment the Harvesters food pack with items from the parish’s food pantry, as needed.

Grace Cathedral began a sandwich ministry in January that seeks to feed hungry people on Saturdays, the only day no food programs are available in the downtown area. It English classes mirrors a similar program St. John’s, Wic hita Wichita at an area Roman CathoWith a sizable number lic church that operates on of non-English speakers weekdays. in Wichita, St. John’s last Five teams of volunfall began offering ESOL teers, one for each week (English for speakers of of the month, gather in the other languages) classes. church kitchen to prepare Now in its third, 10-week a stack of peanut butter series of classes, the parand jelly sandwiches. ish has 16 people enTwo sandwiches go into rolled. Most are Spanish a brown paper sack, along speakers, but they also with a bag of potato chips serve people whose and two cookies. Doors native language is Vietopen about 9 a.m., and namese. sacks are handed to Volunteers make peanut butter Three levels of classes people as they come by. and jelly sandwiches for a new So far, demand has Saturday sack lunch ministry at are offered, from beginners through advanced, ranged from a few people Grace Cathedral, Topeka. staffed by 13 volunteers each week to a high of nearly 50. Organizers hope that as word and one paid instructor. Childcare also is spreads, and the weather warms, more available.

Classes meet for two hours, three days people who can use a Saturday meal will a week. When the current class cycle ends, stop by for a sack lunch. the parish plans to offer another series of Bac kSnac k BackSnac kSnack classes over the summer and will begin St. Mar k’s, Blue Rapids and Mark’s, again in the fall.

Trinity wrence rinity,, La Lawrence The Rev. Cathie Caimano, St. John’s The popular BackSnack program con- rector, said the church hopes to expand its tinues to expand into more churches of the classes to include preparation for the citidiocese. The two newest are St. Mark’s in zenship exam to be taken by those who wish Blue Rapids and Trinity, Lawrence, both to become naturalized U.S. citizens. of whom started in March.

Caimano said she doesn’t know of any The program is operated by Harvesters, other ESOL programs being offered by a major community food bank in Kansas parishes in the diocese and said her conCity, and provides elementary school-aged gregation is pleased it can reach out to its children at risk of going hungry a backpack non-English speaking neighbors in this way full of nourishing, snack-sized food each Food pantr pantryy enhancements weekend. aul’s, K ansas City Paul’s, Kansas Harvesters provides the backpacks and St. P The food pantry at St. Paul’s, Kansas the food, sealed into one large plastic bag

A woman listens during an English for speakers of other languages class at St. John’s, Wichita.

City already serves upwards of 100 people a week with a variety of donated and purchased food products. Partnering with Harvesters, the same food bank that runs BackSnack, the pantry hopes to offer clients and community residents additional food through a monthly distribution of food.

The first such distribution through Harvesters’ Mobile Food Pantry took place April 24, when more than 11,000 pounds of fresh and canned food were distributed

to almost 1,000 people in just three hours.

It was available to anyone who wanted it, and volunteers handed out bags of food as people drove through the alley behind the church.

Rick Bush, a member of St. Thomas, Overland Park, who organized the effort, said it would become a monthly event if enough volunteers are available to staff it.

The Rev. Ron Reed, St. Paul’s vicar, also has announced that the church plans to open a thrift shop in an unused portion of the basement later this spring. That will allow the church to better support people who live in nearby neighborhoods, Reed said.

He noted that the thrift shop, along with the Saturday morning hot breakfast program that serves more than 100 people each week, offers the church a unique opportunity to “make a difference in the lives of those who need it the most, but cannot afford it.” He also said that the new programs, along with existing ones, offers Episcopalians from across the greater Kansas City, along with many others, the chance to volunteer their time to help others. “No one else in our area is so personally binding such a diversity of people together for the common good,” he said. Y

Volunteers unpack and sort food for distribution through the food pantry at St. Paul’s, Kansas City, The pantry gave away more than 11,000 pounds of fresh and canned food to nearly 1,000 people on April 24.

Construction gets underway on Coffeyville Habitat house

T

he long-awaiting start of construction has begun on the Habitat for Humanity house being built in Coffeyville by the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas.

After an initial start day of April 17 was rained out, volunteers gathered the weekend of April 24-25 to begin building. During that time all the interior and exterior walls were built and put into place. Next on tap are the front porch and the roof.

Nearly three dozen volunteers, many of them Episcopalians, worked on the house, and others provided lunch and snacks.

The family that is purchasing the house also worked, since Habitat requires “sweat equity” from its buyers.

Ground was broken for the house last August, but permitting requirements and severe winter weather slowed the

start of construction.

Joe Miller, a member of St. Paul’s, Coffeyville, is serving as liaison to the local Habitat for Humanity committee. He said that, weather permitting, construction will take place on the site every Saturday.

The diocese became interested in building a Habitat house in Coffeyville after the southeast Kansas town was hit with massive floods nearly three years ago that wiped

out about 600 homes and left the region short of affordable housing.

Bishop Dean Wolfe linked this need with the diocesan 150th anniversary year in 2009 and sought donations to cover the initial costs of construction.

Generous contributions from across the diocese brought in $37,000, and another $25,000 came from Episcopal Relief and Development, the official aid agency of the Episcopal Church. That total is enough not only to fund construction of this house but part of another, also.

Habitat requires recipients of its houses to purchase them with a no-interest loan that helps repay the cost of construction. That money then gets funneled back into additional houses.

— Melodie Woerman Y

Jerusalem

March/April 2010 • The Harvest • 7

A Walk through

A girl in native dress makes a mosaic tile, one of three craft activities visitors can make to take home as a souvenir.

Grace Cathedral, Topeka

will host an interactive exhibit that lets participants experience life in ancient Israel.

Text by Melodie Woerman Photos by Michael Massey

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race Cathedral is hosting “A Walk through Jerusalem,” a unique exhibit on life in ancient Israel, and it’s doing it in a unique way. For the first time in its 17-year history, the exhibit is being co-sponsored by Jewish, Muslim and Christian groups.

The exhibit will be on display in various rooms of the cathedral from May 30 to June 20.

The walk-through exhibit is based on seven structures featuring authentic likenesses of the historic gates of the Old City of Jerusalem. The pieces were created by professional theatrical set designers in Boston.

Through each gate are interactive displays highlighting various themes relating to Jerusalem, including history, art, literature, archaeology, geography, faith traditions, and ethnic origins and

customs. Special activities also are designed to appeal to children and youth, including a visit to a marketplace, the chance to try on native costumes and a craft activity they can take home.

Designed for Jewish education The exhibit was created by the Bureau of Jewish Education of Greater Boston and had been shown in 18 cities around the country but never outside Jewish circles until they were approached by Grace Cathedral, according to Michael Massey, the cathedral’s ministry coordinator.

“It had been designed as a tool for Jewish education,” he said. “They had never been asked by a Christian church to host it and were understandably concerned about how we might use it.” The cathedral then approached Rabbi Debbie Stiel of Topeka’s Temple Beth Shalom and Imam Omar Hazim of the Islamic Center of Topeka about cosponsoring the event, and they both agreed.

Religious symbols central to Judaism, Christianity and Islam will be on display. Topeka congregations from all three faith traditions are sponsoring the exhibit.

Visiting ““A AW alk through Jerusalem” Walk Dates: May 30 to June 20 Location: Grace Cathedral, 701 SW 8th Ave., Topeka (8th Ave. and Polk St.) Hours: Mondays-Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m..

Sundays, 1-5 p.m.

Closed Fridays Cost: Free Size: The exhibit can accommodate 40 people at any given time.

Contact: (785) 235-3457 or mjmassey@gracecathedraltopeka.org

This offer to present the exhibit as an interfaith event, along with Massey’s visit to see the exhibit in Boston, convinced organizers to send the exhibit to Topeka as an experiment in interfaith understanding.

The exhibit is available to individuals and groups at no cost, thanks to funding from a variety of sources, including the Kansas Humanities Council, the Jewish Community Foundation of Grater Kansas City, the three sponsoring congregations and several local individuals.

Other special events

The Damascus Gate is the grandest of all the Old City gates, with many small towers decorating the top of the wall. Replicas of the seven gates highlight the exhibit and introduce visitors to a variety of displays.

The interfaith emphasis will carry over in a June 2 public discussion of the book The Faith Club. It was written by three women — a Christian, a Muslim and a Jew — about their efforts to understand each others’ faiths.

It will feature women from each of the sponsoring congregations who have been meeting regularly to follow the authors’ examples and learn from each other.

The event will be moderated by Ernest Jenkins, a history professor at the University of Kansas. It will take place at 7 p.m. at the cathedral.

Even the cathedral’s cloister art gallery will be involved, with a display

during May and June of prints depicting life in 19th century Jerusalem.

Group tours welcome Massey said they hope many groups from parishes in the diocese will want to participate in the exhibit, which also will explore the role Jerusalem plays as a holy site for Christianity and Islam as well as Judaism.

“Because of the interactive nature, this is particularly appropriate for children,” he said, but noted that it will appeal to all ages.

The exhibit can accommodate 40 people at one time and will include a short introductory film.

It is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. The exhibit will be closed on Fridays.

Group tours can be reserved by calling the cathedral office at (785) 2353457 or e-mailing Massey at mjmassey@gracecathedraltopeka.org.

Additional information is on a website created for this exhibit, www.cathedralyouth.org/Jerusalem.

Organizers also have created a Facebook page, which can be found in the “favorites” section of the diocesan Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ EpiscopalDioceseofKansas. Y

8 • The Harvest • March/April 2010

Around the diocese St. John’s, Abilene has named its columbarium area All Souls’ Chapel and recently received a new altar of repose for that area.

Trinity, Arkansas City hosted its annual spaghetti supper to benefit its Montessori pre-school March 8. This is the major fundraiser for the school, which the parish said was the longest continuously running Montessori school in Kansas.

Trinity, Atchison is making plans for a parish prayer tree, which would allow members to request prayers that would be offered by other members of the community.

St. Mark’s, Blue Rapids had more than 150 people attend its Shrove Tuesday pancake supper.

St. Paul’s, Clay Center custodian Brenda Easterberg offered extra service to the parish by scrubbing areas of the church basement found to have non-toxic mold.

She was aided by parish volunteers who helped with the cleaning, and a dehumidifier has been installed to ward off future episodes.

St. Paul’s, Coffeyville is making blankets to give to newborn babies or to sick infants and children in the local hospital.

The goal is to produce 25 blankets each month. The group meets one Friday evening a month, except in the summer.

St. Andrew’s, Derby asked members to complete a questionnaire during Lent to help them reflect on what is most basic in their faith journey. The answers will result in a special four-week Christian education class.

St. Martin’s, Edwardsville has 33 brand new Prayers Books to replace some that had become worn. Names of people whose memorial offerings funded the project will be remembered with special bookplates.

Trinity, El Dorado is doing some needed exterior refurbishing, including replacing the old copper guttering and downspouts, which no longer could be repaired.

The existing copper was sold to a recycler for more than $3,500, which will help pay for the repairs.

ers and committee heads were encouraged to undergo the training.

St. John’s, Parsons raised $90 last year by collecting labels from Best Choice products. The money was donated to the parish’s Dorothy L. Treiber Memorial Scholarship for high school students.

St. Andrew’s, Emporia has three new sets of vestments, thanks to memorial contributions given in memory of Roger and Helen Samuelson and Nettie Resch. Chasubles and stoles were purchased in white, green and red.

St. Peter’s, Pittsburg offered an instructed Eucharist on March 7, which provided an opportunity for visitors, newcomers and experienced Episcopalians to learn more about the background and history of what goes on during a Eucharistic service.

St. Thomas, Holton encouraged members to participate in the citywide garage sale April 16-17 to benefit the local food pantry. Members also brought nonperishable food items to help restock the pantry in early April.

Epiphany, Independence St. Martha’s Guild helped provide lunch April 15 for 150 people on the crew setting up the Kansas Mission of Mercy free dental clinic in town. Hundreds of dental professionals provided free care to anyone in need.

St. Clare’s, Johnson County members meet weekly for Bible study at the local Price Chopper grocery store. About a dozen people are studying the gospel of Mark, led

by Margie Burton, a member of St. Michael’s in Mission.

Covenant, Junction City youth and adults now meet on Wednesday evenings, with a new parish youth group and an adult Christian fellowship gathering.

St. Paul’s, Kansas City has begun offering a monthly dinner for parishioners, guests and church neighbors. A simple meal will finish with entertainment, followed by a Eucharist and music.

St. Margaret’s, Lawrence is ministering to its youngest members with a nursery after the 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Sunday services. Sunday school for children age 3 and older also is available at those times.

Trinity, Lawrence used the popular “Discovery” video series from the Diocese of Texas to help people learn more about the Episcopal Church. A weekend class included meals, worship, videos and discussion time.

Photo by Kay Dagg

Eggs after Easter Debbie Shaw of St. Martin’s, Edwardsville, flips bacon during a breakfast she cooked for the parish on the Sunday after Easter. She provided all the ingredients and cooked, eggs, bacon, sausage, and biscuits and gravy as a thank-you to her parish.

St. Paul’s, Leavenworth organized a card shower for longtime members Delbert and Margaret Gwartney, who celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary this year.

St. Paul’s, Manhattan heard about the city’s new hospice house and the services it provides to patients and family members during a session of its Saturday morning fellowship time.

St. Michael’s, Mission has begun a 4week trial use of a new Sunday school curriculum. Children are introduced to the material first at home with parents, with the lesson reinforced in Sunday school classes.

St. Matthew’s, Newton made plans to participate in a citywide garage sale in early May. Money raised was earmarked for scholarships to help young people go to summer camp.

St. Aidan’s, Olathe celebrated the Irish heritage of its patron saint with a festive St. Patrick’s Day celebration, complete with corned beef and cabbage, and cakes decorated with shamrocks. An auction and entertainment completed the evening, which raised more than $1,300 for the parish Building Fund.

Grace, Ottawa sends birthday greetings to young people who are Facebook “friends” of the parish and is hoping to provide a recreational event for them, almost all of whom are not members of the church.

The parish has a very active presence on the popular social networking site thanks to the ministry of Julia Davis.

St. Francis, Overland Park welcomed spring with a concert by the Southside Singers of Olathe South High School. The program, featuring classical music and an original student composition, was broadcast live from St. Francis on Kansas City’s local classical music radio station.

Photo by Patrick Kelley

Emporia shoes heading to Haiti On April 11, the children of St. Andrew’s, Emporia helped collect dozens of pairs of gently used shoes to be sent to Haiti through the “Soles 4 Souls” program. The shoes are intended to help protect the victims of the earthquake against injury and disease.

St. Thomas, Overland Park offered two certification classes in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and use of the church’s external defibrillator. Nearly two dozen members now are certified to use the machine that helps correct life threatening cardiac arrhythmias. Vestry members, ush-

Epiphany, Sedan has begun offering a monthly service at St. Matthew’s in Cedar Vale. As numbers dwindled, the small church became a chapel of Epiphany several years ago. The service will take place on the second Saturday of each month.

Grace Cathedral, Topeka wished member Eldon Sloan a happy 101st birthday on Mothering Sunday March 14. Sloan blew out candles on a special carrot cake.

St. David’s, Topeka has reopened its Servant Shop, which provides a variety of gift items and greeting cards for religious and secular celebrations.

St. Luke’s, Wamego youth are creating their own space in a room in the church basement and are seeking used furnishings to help make it homey.

Good Shepherd, Wichita has refurbished its large baptismal font. The structure sits in the church narthex and features a timer that turns on a fountain feature twice a day. It apparently had been operating without stop since it was installed 20 years ago.

St. Bartholomew’s, Wichita hosted a brunch for members following the Easter Vigil and Easter Mass on April 4.

St. Christopher’s, Wichita collected canned food on Easter Day to help restock the pantry at Episcopal Social Services.

Children also continued the tradition of “flowering the cross” during morning worship that day.

St. James’, Wichita is preparing for its annual Old English Tea, which for 80 years has been a major fundraising event hosted by the women of the parish. There are many activities associated with the tea, including a fashion show and silent auction.

St. John’s, Wichita has moved into new offices, along with a new library and rector’s study, in the church building. This freed up space in the nearby office annex for use by Episcopal Social Services, which got its start in the original Venture House building on St. John’s grounds more than 25 years ago.

St. Stephen’s, Wichita hosted a benefit concert by Chanson du Soir, a soprano and classical guitar duet. Money raised from ticket sales went to Advocates to End Chronic Homelessness.

Grace, Winfield hosted its second annual “prom dress express,” which provides a variety of prom needs (dresses, shoes and make-up) for girls who might not otherwise be able to attend prom. Students could stop by every Saturday in March to make their selections. Y

March/April 2010 • The Harvest • 9

People

No Notted theologian, author to present TToc oc her Lecture ocher Event is set for May 20 at 7 p.m. at St. Michael and All Angels, Mission

By Melodie Woerman Editor, The Harvest

church,” he said. He said Hauerwas’s work seeks to help the church reclaim its emphasis on “the proclamation of the redemptive work of God in and for the world.”

Shaping a wide inf luence influence

Hauerwas, while a noted scholar, has made his influence known in more popune of America’s most noted theo- lar circles. TIME magazine in 2001 named logians will deliver this year’s him “America’s Best Theologian,” and his Tocher Lecture. Dr. Stanley book A Community of Character: Toward Hauerwas, the Gilbert T. Rowe Professor a Constructive Christian Social Ethic was of Theological Ethics at the Divinity selected as one of the 100 most important books on reliSchool of Duke Unigion of the 20th cenversity, will speak at tury by Christianity 7 p.m. Thursday, Today magazine.

May 20 at St. He has written Michael and All Anmore than a dozen gels, 6630 Nall Ave., books, and one of in Mission. them, Resident The title of his lecAliens: Life in the ture will be “PracticChristian Colony, ing Pentecost: Learnwritten in 1989, ing the Language of achieved wide acPeace.” It is sponclaim throughout sored by the Kansas popular Christian School for Ministry. circles.

The lecture is free Hauerwas’s work and open to the pubcuts across discilic, and a reception plines, and he shares and book signing will Dr. Stanley Hauerwas a joint appointment follow.

A special by-invitation session for at the Duke Law School. He has identiclergy will take place at 3 p.m. that day, fied himself as a Christian pacifist and has written widely on the question of when also at St. Michael’s. war is just.

The Tocher Lectures is a series of anAn impor tant vvoice oice important The Rev. Andrew Grosso, rector of nual presentations by distinguished scholTrinity, Atchison and the School for ars and theologians and are sponsored by Ministry’s coordinator, said Hauerwas has the Kansas School for Ministry.

It was started by Bishop Richard Grein become one of the most important voices in 1984 and featured such speakers as in the field of theological ethics.

“He has galvanized many with his re- John Macquarrie, Arthur Vogel and Willflections on the ineluctable demands of iam Countryman. Recent presenters have the Christian faith and practice in the included Lauren Winner, Gary Dorrien, church, in the academy and in society,” Ben Witherington and Joseph Bracken.

The lectures are named for the Rev. Grosso said, “and he has helped open the way towards the creative recovery of some George Tocher, a priest who had served of the fundamental beliefs and practices at St. James’, Wichita, prior to his retirethat have sustained the life of the church ment in 1971.

After his death, a memorial bequest esthrough the centuries.”

This mirrors much of Hauerwas’s tablished a diocesan endowment fund in scholarly work, which Grosso said focuses his name for the benefit of clergy conon connecting virtue and the Christian life, tinuing education. The Tocher Lectures which has led him “to emphasize both the have broadened that desire, and now narrative shape of Christian faith and members of the general public attend from practice as well as the importance of the across northeast Kansas. Y

O

A bevy of bishops

Photo by Craig Patterson

Members of the kindergarten-through-3rd-grade Sunday school class at Trinity, Lawrence, wear construction paper mitres they made for the visit to their parish by Bishop Dean Wolfe April 24.

Earlier that morning the students had talked in class about who bishops are and what they do. They looked at a picture of Bishop Wolfe in his episcopal vestments, including ring, pectoral cross and mitre, and then they made their own mitres out of construction paper, staples and glue.

During the service the class sat near the front of the church in order to better see the action, and they had the chance to interact with Bishop Wolfe as he spoke to them.

Noting their headwear he told them, “I haven’t been in the company of so many good bishops since the Lambeth Conference.” Y

Clergy news The Rev. Frederick Miller is the new interim at St. James’, Wichita, beginning March 7. He just finished an interim assignment in New Jersey, and before that was rector of All Saints’ in Hershey, Penn., for 18 years.

The Rev. Mary Siegmund has been called as priest-in-charge at St. Matthew’s, Newton, beginning March 14. She previously was canon to the ordinary for the diocese.

The Rev. Paul McLain, curate at Trinity, Lawrence, has accepted a call to become an associate priest at Trinity Cathedral in Little Rock, Ark., beginning

June 1. His last day at the Lawrence parish is May 9.

The Rev. Lee Sampson Block, rector emeritus of St. Paul’s, Leavenworth, died Tuesday, March 9. He was 75. A memorial service celebrating his life took place March 27, with Bishop Dean Wolfe officiating.

Betty Lou Lassiter, wife of the Rev. Arleigh Lassiter, died Sunday, March 7, two days shy of her 86th birthday. A memorial service celebrating her life took place March 13 at St. Luke’s in Shawnee, where she had served as organist and Father Lassiter as rector. Y

10 • The Harvest • March/April 2010

National and international news Anglican news briefs Episcopal News Service

OKs tto o Glasspool’s election bring jo joyy and sadness Episcopal News Service

Arizona bishop urges ‘no panic’ on immigration law — Bishop Kirk S. Smith told Arizona Episcopalians April 23 not to panic in response to a new state law that will make it illegal for undocumented immigrants to be in Arizona and that will require people suspected of being illegal to show proof of legal status. “I know that the passage of this law is deeply troubling to many of you, especially those of undocumented status. I know that many of you fear for your jobs, your families and your future in this state and in this country,” Smith wrote in a letter to Arizona Episcopalians. “This law will make our communities and neighborhoods less safe, it will undermine our efforts to recover from this recession, further strain our broken state budget, and fill our courts with more lawsuits and less justice,” he wrote.

Southern Ohio begins same-sex blessings — The Diocese of Southern Ohio began blessing same-sex unions with two April ceremonies. Two men exchanged vows April 10 at St. Stephen’s Church in Columbus, and the next day two women exchanged vows in Cincinnati. Bishop Thomas E. Breidenthal announced in November that he intended to lift a preexisting ban on the blessing of same-gender unions after Easter. Breidenthal also announced formation of a task force of people with differing views about same-gender unions. The task force’s role was to collaborate with him in development of a theological rationale, policy, trial liturgy and educational resources. Those materials were posted on the diocesan website. Same-gender couples are not able to marry legally in Ohio, and Breidenthal said the new policy is not an attempt to circumvent the law.

Utah announces slate of nominees for bishop — The Episcopal Diocese of Utah has chosen four priests to stand for election as its next bishop. The candidates are: The Rev. Canon Michael Barlowe, canon for congregational ministries, Episcopal Diocese of California; The Rev. Canon Juan Andrés Quevedo-Bosch, rector, Church of the Redeemer, Episcopal Diocese of Long Island; The Rev. Canon Scott B. Hayashi, canon to the ordinary, Episcopal Diocese of Chicago; and The Rev. Canon Mary C.M. Sulerud, canon for deployment and vocational ministries, Episcopal Diocese of Washington, D.C. Barlowe, an openly gay partnered priest, has also been a candidate in episcopal elections in the dioceses of California and Newark. The election is set for May 22.

Zimbabwe Anglicans face ongoing police harassment — Anglicans in Zimbabwe continue to face intimidation from President Robert Mugabe’s police force, which is routinely instructed to take whatever measures necessary to prevent them from worshiping freely in their own churches. The latest incident occurred on April 11 at St. Luke’s Anglican Church in Rhodesville, with violent clashes between a faction belonging to excommunicated Harare Bishop Nolbert Kunonga and the one belonging to the official bishop of the diocese, Chad Gandiya. Kunonga, an avid Mugabe supporter who was officially excommunicated by the Church of the Province of Central Africa in May 2008, still claims ownership of the diocese’s Anglican churches despite court rulings ordering his faction to share the buildings with Gandiya and the country’s loyal Anglicans. Kunonga has supported the intimidation of Anglicans in Zimbabwe for opposing his and Mugabe’s leadership.

General Seminary may sell property to pay bills — The executive committee of General Theological Seminary’s board of trustees said April 19 that the school may have to sell some of its property to raise enough money in order to pay its bills after mid-November. The Rev. Canon Denis O’Pray, chair of the trustees, said in a news release that the committee considered merger or collaboration with other entities, as well as the likelihood of “immediate philanthropy,” before coming to the conclusion that selling property was the “most reasonable source” of money. He did not say what property might be sold. O’Pray earlier told faculty, students and administrative staff that the seminary needed between $2 million and $4 million, seminary spokesman Bruce Parker said. Y

for continuing gracious restraint have not been heeded,” referring to calls in late 2009 from the he news that Diocese of Los Angeles Bishop- communion’s Standing Committee and its Unity, elect Mary Douglas Glasspool had received Faith and Order commission that the Episcopal the required number of consents brought Church not elect any gay or lesbian bishops. mixed reactions throughout the Anglican CommunMaryland Bishop Eugene Sutton heralded the ion. She is the second openly gay, partnered priest news as “a great day for the cause of justice and the to be elected a bishop in the Episcopal Church. The ministry of reconciliation in the Episcopal Church.” first was Bishop Gene Robinson Sutton said he prays that “the of New Hampshire, who was whole church will be open to the elected in 2003.

Spirit’s guidance as we all move Some Episcopalians across the forward together in light of this church loudly celebrated the historic event. The time is now for March 17 announcement by the us to remove old barriers of bigpresiding bishop’s office that otry and exclusion, and recommit standing committees and bishops ourselves to welcoming all of our with jurisdiction had given their brothers and sisters in Christ.”

OK to Glasspool’s ordination and But the Rev. Canon Kendall consecration as bishop, as reHarmon, canon theologian in the quired by church canons. conservative Diocese of South Still others lamented the deciCarolina, said the news saddened sion and predicted that the action him. would further strain relationships “I’m very sad but I’m not surwithin the Anglican Communion. prised. It represents not simply a Bishop-elect Mary Glasspool Glasspool issued a statement decision or a single act but a habit March 17, saying she was overjoyed and grateful and therefore a pattern and therefore a chosen direcfor the news and attempting to reach out to those tion, without question,” Harmon said. opposed to her ordination. oups applaud consents Gayy rights gr groups “I am also aware that not everyone rejoices in Ga Several messages of congratulations from gay this election and consent, and will work, pray and continue to extend my own hands and heart to bridge rights advocacy groups were received within mothose gaps, and strengthen the bonds of affection ments of the March 17 consent announcement.

“Integrity continues in its commitment to turn the among all people, in the Name of Jesus Christ,” she resolutions of General Convention into realities on said.

Glasspool, 56, most recently served as canon to the ground for Episcopalians in every diocese,” the the bishops in the Baltimore-based Diocese of Mary- Rev. David Norgard, Integrity president, said in a land for the past eight years. During her 28-year statement.

The Very Rev. Brian Baker, dean of Trinity Caordained ministry, she has served congregations in thedral in Sacramento and co-convener of the ChiMaryland, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.

After the consents were received, Los Angeles cago Consultation, said in a statement, “Mary’s qualiBishop Jon Bruno immediately issued a statement fications were never at issue. This has always been a congratulating the church for its courage and giving question of whether our Church had the courage of thanks for the standing committees and bishops who its convictions. We are delighted to find out that it has.” gave their consent.

The Episcopal Church’s General Convention in The ordination service for Glasspool and the other suffragan bishop elected by the Diocese of Los July 2009 passed Resolution D025 saying that God’s call to ordained ministry is “a mystery which the Angeles, the Rev. Diane Bruce, is set for May 15. church attempts to discern for all people through our Williams: A ction is ‘regre ttable’ Action ‘regrettable’ discernment processes acting in accordance with [its] But a March 18 statement e-mailed to ENS from Constitution and Canons ...”

Lambeth Palace, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Glasspool is the first openly gay priest to be Williams’ London residence, said, “It is regrettable elected bishop since the passage of Resolution that the appeals from Anglican Communion bodies D025. Y

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Baghdad bombs don’t stop Anglican church’s Easter celebration Episcopal News Service

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coordinated series of car bomb explosions in central Baghdad on April 4 may have shattered the windows and caused some structural damage to St. George’s Memorial Church, but that did not deter resilient worshipers from proceeding with their Easter Day services and celebrating Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.

“The buildings in our compound shuddered, the windows shattered, the sirens began screeching and some [people] nearby ran to us in tears. Birds even fell dead from the sky,” said the Rev. Canon Andrew White, vicar of St. George’s.

But despite their difficulties in reaching the church, the congregation “started to flock in,” said White in an e-mail message. “The service continued joyfully [and] hundreds of children sang.”

The governor of Baghdad also attended the Easter Day service at St. George’s, located in Baghdad’s Red Zone. It is the last remaining Anglican church in Iraq.

White said that the bomb explosion that had impacted the church was targeting the nearby Iranian Embassy.

In the following days, further blasts in and around Baghdad have claimed about 120 lives, the Associated Press reports.

The Easter Day attacks are the latest in a series of suicide bomb-

ings that have affected St. George’s Church in recent years.

Although St. George’s serves about 2,000 worshipers, White estimates that 90 percent of Iraq’s Christians, who once numbered more than a million, have fled or been murdered by Islamic extremists since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Despite serving as a pastor in one of the most dangerous regions in the world, White’s faith remains strong. On Easter Day, he described the worship as “the most amazing I had ever experienced in Iraq. There was such joy as we sang of the Lord’s resurrection and glory. We celebrated Easter like I have never done before. The Lord was indeed with us.” Y

March/April 2010 • The Harvest • 11

Fir st lady visits Diocese of Haiti refugee camp First Episcopal News Service

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irst lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, the wife of the U.S. vice president, visited a Port-au-Prince earthquake survivor settlement run by the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti on April 13.

The two women walked to College Ste. Pierre, a wrecked diocesan high school, as part of their one-day surprise tour of the Haitian capital.

U.S. Embassy personnel told the Rev. Lauren Stanley, Episcopal Church-appointed missionary in Haiti and liaison to Bishop of Haiti Jean Zaché Duracin in the U.S., that Obama and Biden visited the site because they wanted to see an actual survivor camp where Haitians were helping Haitians recover in the quake’s aftermath.

Obama and Biden arrived at College Ste. Pierre about 12:30 p.m. and were greeted by head of school the Rev. Lucas Rigal; Joseph Harry Anglade, College Ste. Pierre academic director; and the

Photo by Eddy Alcindor, Diocese of Haiti

The Rev. Lucas Rigal (left) talks with U.S. first lady Michelle Obama (far right) and Dr. Jill Biden (center), wife of the U.S. vice president, during a visit by the two women to Haiti on April 13. Rigal is rector of College Ste. Pierre, an Episcopal high school in Port-au-Prince destroyed in the January earthquake. Second from right is U.S. Ambassador to Haiti Kenneth H. Merten.

Rev. Canon Oge Beauvoir, dean of the diocese’s nearby seminary and executive director of its Bureau of Anglican Education of

Haiti. The men, whom Stanley said learned 90 minutes before Obama and Biden arrived that they would be visiting, briefed the

two women on the situation at the camp.

Obama and Biden talked with some of the people living in the camp and with some of the people building the new classrooms.

Stanley said the two later spoke at the U.S. Embassy in Port-auPrince and praised the efforts of schools such as College Ste. Pierre to reopen.

As many as 200 students may have died at the school during the Jan. 12 magnitude-7 earthquake, according to Stanley, who said that university students were taking tests at the high school when the quake hit.

The College Ste. Pierre settlement began the night of the quake and has held as many as 3,000 survivors, including some diocesan personnel. It is one of many such camps the diocese is now managing throughout Haiti.

Before arriving at College Ste. Pierre, Obama and Biden had first toured the devastated capital in a U.S. Army helicopter, according to press reports. Their helicopter then landed on the lawn of the de-

stroyed presidential palace in downtown Port-au-Prince, where the two met with Haitian President René Préval and his wife, Elisabeth Delatour Preval.

The White House kept the women’s visit secret for security reasons until they arrived in the Haitian capital at about 4:40 a.m. local time.

The visit was meant to “underscore to the Haitian people and the Haitian government the enduring U.S. commitment to help recover and rebuild, especially as we enter the rainy and hurricane seasons,” the White House said.

Their visit came in conjunction with Obama’s three-day trip to Mexico City where, in her first solo diplomatic venture, she was to meet children, tour an anthropology museum and dine at Los Pinos, the president’s residence.

Duracin was not present for the visit because he had left earlier in the day for a previously scheduled trip to south Florida. His wife is recuperating there from injuries she suffered when their home collapsed during the quake. Y

Effort to rebuild Port-au-Prince cathedral gets underway

By Mary Frances Schjonberg Episcopal News Service

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coordinated plan to rebuild the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti’s world-famous Cathédrale Sainte Trinité (Holy Trinity Cathedral) in Port-auPrince is getting underway.

Haiti Bishop Jean Zaché Duracin has asked Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe Bishop Pierre Whalon to guide what is expected to be a multi-step, multiyear and multi-million-dollar effort.

It is hoped that the cathedral project can be a model of the sort of cooperation that Haiti has said it wants to promote among its partners as the numerically largest diocese of the Episcopal Church develops and implements its plan to rebuild following the devastating Jan. 12 magnitude-7 earthquake.

The first step for those who want to help Haitian Episcopalians, Whalon said in a telephone interview from Paris, is to “adopt a much more Christian-family point of view. It’s their house that got torn down.

They have to say how they want to rebuild it.”

The next step for what is being called the Partners with Haiti project is connecting with people who want to help, Whalon said. He has already appointed a small steering committee to expand upon a desire among members of the American Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Paris and elsewhere to aid in the rebuilding, Whalon said.

The bishop, president of the Francophone Network of the Anglican Communion, said that many other Frenchspeaking Episcopalians and Anglicans have already pledged their support.

Once the diocese has envisioned a new cathedral, the next step will be helping the diocese solicit an architect that can turn that vision into an actual building, Whalon said.

He suggested that there would be some “non-negotiables” involved in the choice of architects, including experience building churches and earthquake-resistant structures, and being willing to commit to having a long-term physical presence in Haiti,

Photo by Lauren Stanley

Fragments of its famous frescoes (this one depicting Jesus’ baptism) are all that remain of the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti’s Cathédrale Sainte Trinité (Holy Trinity Cathedral) after the Jan. 12 earthquake that rocked Port-au-Prince. Efforts now are underway to assist the diocese in rebuilding the cathedral.

to employing Haitian workers, and to teaching local architects about earthquake-resistant design and construction techniques.

List ening comes ffir ir st Listening irst But first comes the listening, Whalon said.

“We have to be the friend of the Haitians rather than telling them how it’s going to be,” he said. “There are a lot of people there now saying ‘this is what we’re going to do for you’ and aren’t really asking ‘is this what you want us to do for you?’”

“We simply cannot continue to think of Haiti as people who are dependent on outsiders. That’s how they were considered to be when they were slaves,” he said. “They couldn’t think for themselves, and if they had any inkling that they could, that was taken care of pretty quickly.”

Part of that listening, Whalon said, has to do with waiting for Haitian Episcopalians to develop a complete master plan for

rebuilding all of their diocese. Whalon predicted that the diocese’s eventual plan will dovetail with the Haitian government’s rebuilding efforts.

While some people may wonder about the progress being made more than three months after the quake struck, Whalon suggested that “people need to be very patient because you’re talking about rebuilding an entire nation from the ground up. Therefore, the things closest to the ground are the things that need to be dealt with now,” such as sanitation, hurricane-resistant temporary housing, restoration of the educational system and electrical power generation.

Whalon said that the project’s pledge to listen to and respond to Haitian Episcopalians’ desires for rebuilding “is crucial in terms of this project being a model for the reconstruction of the country as well as the diocese.”

Holy Trinity was established in Port-auPrince during Pentecost, May 25, 1863. Its

church has since been destroyed six times, often by fire. The cathedral destroyed in the earthquake dated to the 1920s.

World-famous frescoes adorned the walls of that cathedral building. The paintings, completed in 1950-51, portrayed biblical stories in Haitian motifs and were crafted by some of the best-known Haitian painters of the 20th century.

Portions of only a few of the frescoes are still standing among the ruins, including the baptism of Christ and, possibly, the Last Supper.

The cathedral is still operating on the site, albeit without walls. Whalon preached at Holy Trinity in April, standing in what Duracin is calling the diocese’s “open-air cathedral.” It consists of some plastic sheeting stretched over a frame of two-by-fours that shelters some pews rescued from the cathedral ruins.

Whalon told ENS that a fund for Haiti reconstruction, called for at the February meeting of the church’s Executive Council, could prove to be an excellent way to coordinate efforts to aid the Diocese of Haiti’s rebuilding in general and Holy Trinity in particular.

The Rev. Lauren Stanley, Episcopal Church-appointed missionary in Haiti and liaison to Bishop of Haiti Jean Zaché Duracin in the U.S., echoed Whalon’s larger hopes for the project. “Our hope is that, as we begin to rebuild after we develop our master plan, our partnerships will improve and will become more of a true partnership that will last for decades,” she said. “What we want to do is to have each player at the table be a full partner listening to each other, caring for each other and working together hand-in-hand.”

“We have a good partnership program; we want to improve it,” she added. “We know that many of our partners are frustrated sometimes because of the linguistic challenges and the communications challenges, and we are hoping that in strengthening the partnership program we will lessen frustrations on both sides and increase our ability to work together as brothers and sisters in Christ.” Y

12 • The Harvest • March/April 2010

Reflections on faith and life

Sharing the Good News

Haiti: hard realities, str ong faith strong

By Lauren Stanley Episcopal News Service

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very time I speak about Haiti, I am asked: “What is it like there?”

The only word I know is “hard.”

The devastation from the Jan. 12 earthquake has not suddenly gone away. It has not been cleaned up, and the people are not yet better. There truly is no word in any language to adequately describe the scope and horror of this tragedy.

Every time I am in Haiti, this linguistic challenge hits me in the gut again. It hits when I stand among the ruins and feel the rubble beneath my feet; when I travel about the country and see the buildings that still contain bodies; when I walk by the tent cities where tens — no, hundreds — of thousands of people still live without electricity or sanitation or water or sufficient food or protection; when I see children on the street who should be in school, and who were in school, until their schools came crashing down; when I am told of yet another friend who was killed.

‘Sa or a reason’ ‘Savved ffor

Haiti is their countr countryy Haiti is their country, and they are the ones who need to guide the rest of us in what needs to be done and how.

So even though it is hard for us (there’s that word again), we have to listen, to wait, to be patient, to be willing to let Haitians guide us instead of us telling them what to do.

Another thing that is just plain hard: ignoring those who claim that, by their work alone, the Haitians have been saved and are being saved and will be saved.

Evangelists are using this tragedy to claim that they are ones who, in one visit, converted tens or hundreds of thousands (or even, as one preacher put it, millions) of Haitians to Christianity, disregarding the fact that Haiti is a Christian nation.

Some aid workers and missionaries are determined to proclaim that they have all the answers as to what needs to be done when, how and why.

Still others even now are discussing how to remake Haiti’s government, despite the fact that Haiti has its own constitution.

It is hard (hear that word yet again?) to ignore those who are determined to remake Haiti in their own image, who refuse to recognize that Haiti and Haitians have their own image.

But no matter how much I try, it’s still hard to ignore those voices. It seems I spend at least half of each day combating

them, thanking people for their offers of help but telling them, “No, thank you,” when those offers come with strings attached that will serve only to bind up the people of Haiti instead of setting them free.

My heart is in Haiti. From the time I arrived, I was welcomed into the Haitian family. I have friends there, people about whom I care deeply. I believe them when they say God saved them for a reason.

List en, then par tner Listen, partner And I believe that our role in the rebuilding of the kingdom of God in Haiti, in what Bishop Jean Zaché Duracin calls our “new creation,” is to demonstrate our faith first by listening, then by partnering with the Haitians.

They will know us as Christians not by our words, but by our deeds; not by our boasting, but by our willingness to decrease so that the kingdom can increase.

Building this new creation will not be easy. This is a marathon, one that will take years. The best way we can run this race is to stretch our hearts and minds by listening, waiting patiently while the earth still groans and walking humbly with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

And that, like the devastation, is, for lack of any better word, hard.

The Rev. Lauren Stanley is an Episcopal Churchappointed missionary in Haiti and is Haiti Bishop Jean Zaché Duracin’s liaison in the United States. Y

May 2010

June 2010

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Habitat for Humanity house construction day, Coffeyville (through May 2)

5

Ordinations to the priesthood and transitional diaconate, Grace Cathedral, Topeka

Safeguarding God’s People training, Trinity, Lawrence

6

Bishop Wolfe at St. Aidan’s, Olathe

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8

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Kansas School for Ministry class, Bethany Place Conference Center, Topeka (through May 8) Safeguarding God’s Children training, St. Aidan’s, Olathe Bishop Wolfe at St. Michael and All Angels, Mission

Senior high summer camp (grades 9-12), Camp Wood, Elmdale (through June 12) 10 Kansas to Kenya community team in Kenya (through June 22) 11 Liturgy, Arts and Music Committee meeting, Grace Cathedral, Topeka

11 Fresh Start, Bethany Place Conference Center, Topeka

11 Kansas School for Ministry class, Bethany Place Conference Center, Topeka (through June 12)

16 Bishop Wolfe at St. Paul’s, Coffeyville

12 Bishop Wolfe at Calvary, Yates Center

18 Council of Trustees meeting, Grace Cathedral, Topeka

13 Bishop Wolfe at St. Timothy’s, Iola

19 Safeguarding God’s People training, Trinity, Lawrence 20 Tocher Lecture, St. Michael and All Angels, Mission (clergy-only gathering at 3 p.m.; public lecture at 7 p.m.)

22 Safeguarding God’s Children training, St. Luke’s, Wamego 23 Bishop Wolfe at Grace Cathedral, Topeka

Junior high summer camp (grades 6-8), Camp Wood, Elmdale (through June 19) 15 Council of Trustees meeting, Grace Cathedral, Topeka 20 Intermediate summer camp (grades 3-5), Camp Wood, Elmdale (through June 26) 25 Kansas to Kenya medical team in Kenya (through July 5)

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Yet even in all this hardship, over and over again I hear my Haitian friends and colleagues say the same thing: “God saved us for a reason. God saved us to take care of our people and rebuild our country.”

What I hear is the determination of the people not only to persevere, but also to thrive.

Everyone knows what needs to be done; everyone dreams of what can be done.

These are the people to whom I listen the most, the Haitians who, when the earth-

quake tore apart their lives, did not curse, but instead cried out to Jesus; who every night since the quake have joined with friends and strangers to sing praises to God.

Diocesan Calendar

The mission of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas is to gather, equip and send disciples of Jesus Christ to witness to God’s reconciling love.