Episcopal Relief & Development: Working together for lasting change

Episcopal Relief & Development: Working together for lasting change

The Rev. Margot Page, Episcopal Relief & Development Diocesan Ministry Partner

What is the first thing you associate with Episcopal Relief & Development? For me it is an immediate response to national and international natural disasters. Earthquakes in Haiti, famines in Africa, hurricanes in the Caribbean and the United States, fires in Southern California, and so many more times when the world was galvanized by the fragility of life and the destruction of land and properties. In the face of these devastations, I have found myself yearning to respond, to make a difference, to help in some way, and frustrated that I don’t actually have a clue as to how to even begin. And then I go to church on Sunday and the announcement is made from the pulpit, “The loose offering for today and the rest of the month (or Holy season or some designated time frame) will go to Episcopal Relief & Development.” The comfort that comes from knowing that my church family will step up and step in when my siblings in Christ are hurting is beyond words. Faith in action every day, one crisis at a time. This is the first thing I associate with Episcopal Relief & Development.

For many others, their first association with Episcopal Relief & Development is that this is the organization that provides livestock or agricultural assistance to world communities in need. There are so many beautiful milestone celebration stories that start with, “In lieu of a gift please make a donation to Episcopal Relief & Development to purchase livestock.” The gift of livestock or agricultural produce provides opportunities for sustainable living with the dignity of individual and collective empowerment. This is made possible through financial gifts that become tangible products which are provided to and supported by the local agencies throughout the world with whom Episcopal Relief & Development interacts.

The outreach and impact of Episcopal Relief & Development in the world and nationally is all of the above and so much more as I learned when I attended the Ministry Partner gathering in Memphis, TN last November as the Western MA Diocesan Ministry Partner. The tagline, “Working Together for Lasting Change” says a lot about the core values that drive the powerful work Episcopal Relief & Development does in the world. Within that, there is a focus on four primary areas in which this organization is making global impact. These areas are: nurturing early childhood development, reducing violence against women and girls, strengthening communities’ climate resilience, and providing support in the wake of disasters. Some of their powerful work bears highlighting.

In Brazil, Episcopal Relief & Development works with local Episcopal partners—Serviço Anglicano de Diaconia e Desenvolviment (Anglican Diakonia and Development Service); the development arm of the Igreja Episcopal Anglicana do Brasil (Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil); as well as the Anglican dioceses of Amazônia and Brasília—to prevent and respond to violence against women and children and to improve access to food in this climate impacted region of the world. In Nambia, the focus is economic stability and the needs of children. The work is done in cooperation with the Namibia Anglican Community Development Organization. The outreach of Episcopal Relief & Development includes: Jerusalem, Palestine, Central and West Africa, South America, Central America, and Asia. At the core is the asset-based model of development which embodies the value of partnering with the local populations and organizations for lasting change.

All these programs, connections, and disaster relief efforts are financially supported by donors and, perhaps most importantly, direct financial support from our congregations. Episcopal Relief & Development does not receive any federal funding and as such is not subject to the whims or control of the US federal government. The next time there is a flood, an earthquake, a wildfire, or a hurricane and you hear the call from the pulpit of your church that “Today’s loose change offering will go to Episcopal Relief & Development” I encourage you to give as you are able knowing that what you offer will be used thoughtfully and responsibly to relieve some of the hardship that is the unanticipated new reality of our family members in Christ.

As I grow in the role of Ministry Partner for the Diocese of Western MA I welcome your input, thoughts, and dreams to imagine ways in which we can make a global and local impact through a diocesan engagement with Episcopal Relief & Development. One dream that I have is to find ways in which we can engage with our siblings throughout Province 1 to imagine a project that embodies our core values and supports the mission to work together for lasting change. To this end I have started conversations with mission partners in both Maine and Vermont.

More information about Episcopal Relief & Development can be found on their website: www.episcopalrelief.org. Please also feel welcome to reach out to me directly at mskenepage@gmail.com and I will do my best to answer questions and work with you to imagine ways to engage with the Jesus Movement in service to the vulnerable with the support of Episcopal Relief & Development. ♦