The Archbishop made the statement during a visit to Leicester where he was meeting with Christian and other faith leaders.

Full transcript of the Archbishop’s statement, and video link below

“We have all been horrified by the brutal murder of Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich. All of our prayers and mine are with Lee’s family, with his colleagues and comrades, and all those who witnessed this crime and all those in the community who have been so affected by it.

It’s very good to be here today with the Bishop of Leicester in whose diocese we are, with the Bishop of Woolwich, with the other Bishops of Pontefract and Bradford, and with Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra, who is Co-Chair of the Christian Muslim Forum.  I want to recognise the response of churches, mosques and other faith and civil society groups as well as those of brave individuals who have done so much to bring our communities together at this time. The strong response from the Muslim Council of Britain and many other organisations has rightly emphasised that these acts have no place in Islam.

The Bishops of Southwark and Woolwich have visited the area in which this dreadful crime took place and have prayed with the local community there. Bishop Michael Ipgrave has met with other faith leaders in the Woolwich community and encouraged clergy and other Christian leaders to make contact with other faith leaders to ensure that this awful incident does not cause division. I want to commend very strongly what they are doing locally and to encourage Christian leaders more widely to do the same. This is very much a time for communities to come together.

As Patron of the national Christian Muslim Forum I know that the Forum is offering support and encouragement for these meetings to happen and I continue to hold all those working in these efforts in my prayers.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4K9SNp5MwPw

The Very. Rev. William “Bill” Lane shepherded the Diocese of Delaware’s Cathedral Church of St. John through its closing in 2012. Previously, he served as dean of the Diocese of Bethlehem’s Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Pennsylvania. Photo:Danny N. Schweers/www.photoprayer.com

[Episcopal News Service] As the Very Rev. William Lane describes it, the typical Episcopal cathedral is a parish-plus: plus hospitality to the diocese, plus prophetic ministry to the community, plus a showcase for best practices in worship and programs.

“Cathedrals are a strange bird in the Episcopal Church,” said Lane, who served as dean of the Diocese of Bethlehem’s Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Pennsylvania and later as interim dean of the Diocese of Delaware’s Cathedral Church of St. John in Wilmington, shepherding its closing in July 2012.

Most Episcopal cathedrals, he said, are like those he served: “a combination of parish church with an add-on, and it varies how big that add-on is, I guess, from diocese to diocese … Quite often it’s a focal point for diocesan functions and major functions in the life of the diocese.”

But for those who serve as cathedral rector and dean, as for any other parish priest, “a good chunk of our ministry” focuses on meeting pastoral needs, running the parish and overseeing parish life, education, worship and liturgy, he said. “That pretty much was true in Bethlehem and true here in Delaware.”

Ordained a priest in the Diocese of Maryland in 1964, Lane served both parish and diocesan ministries in Delaware from 1975 until his call to Bethlehem in 1997. He retired in January 2006 and returned to Delaware, becoming cathedral interim dean in June of that year. “I was there as one of the longest interims in the history of the church, I think!”

Nativity was “an active growing parish and not looking over its shoulder at the possibilities of closing,” he recalled. Beyond running a full contingent of parish programs, it hosted most diocesan convocations and renewals of clergy vows and many ordinations.

“Many of those things, of course, involved both diocesan personnel as well as the cathedral personnel,” Lane said. “It was at times demanding, but it was the kind of thing you enjoy doing, and we had good lay leadership at the cathedral to pitch in. … I never felt it as a burden.”

To an extent, St. John mirrored that, he said. “We had good leadership here at St. John. We had a great music program. … Again, it was a joy to be kind of the host for many of the diocesan activities, and the diocese provided a lot of assistance … a lot of the people power.”

The trouble was, there were fewer people. Lane arrived as interim knowing the cathedral might close in two years. Average Sunday attendance was 70 to 90, including the choir, compared to 180 in Bethlehem.

“It was in an at-risk community,” he said. “Over the years, the congregation had dwindled partly because of demographics and location, and then the congregation was aging, and then the financial stuff began to hit. Things just began to multiply with dwindling numbers, dwindling pledges.”

An endowment helped, but the income from it wasn’t enough when the markets dipped, he said.

Dean William Lane leads a Bible study during a 2010 summer camp at the Cathedral Church of St. John, Wilmington, Delaware. Photo/Danny N. Schweers/www.photoprayer.com

During his six-year tenure, they explored different options for keeping the cathedral open. They spent nearly a year talking with a charter school interested in locating there, “and then at the last minute … the charter school pulled out and found a different location.”

The cathedral’s biggest “outreach and mission ministry” was the choir school, which served at-risk children and included services such as homework help and mentoring as well as musical training. It served, “any given season, anywhere from 25 to 40 children, most of them from the at-risk communities of the city,” Lane said. “We had talked about the possibilities of building out the choir school into a day school.”

But that, too, didn’t pan out.

“We gave it a shot and really worked hard, but in the end, we just couldn’t make it,” Lane said. “Finally, it just became clear that it wasn’t for lack of ministry and a lack of good worship and a lack of all the things you want, it was just a lack of funds, and there wasn’t enough people power there to generate the funds.” And, he said, “The diocese didn’t feel it had the major dollars to put into keeping the cathedral afloat.”

“There was no choice” but to close, he said. “As you can well imagine, it was a time of sorrow.”

In the cathedral’s last months, it held a celebration called “30 and Over” marking the longevity of some parishioners’ time there. When Lane polled those attending on how long they had been at the cathedral, “we had folks who had been there 70 years.”

“For all of them,” he said, the cathedral’s closing “was heart-wrenching.”

“Part of my task, my ministry, was to help folks live through it, not to be in denial about the grief … and to recognize that there’s not only death but resurrection, and we find resurrection sometimes in different places.

“I will never be able to say too strongly how much I admire the people of St. John’s, how they lived through that grieving, but on the whole not letting that grief control their lives and their spiritual lives,” he said. “They could have let bitterness really take hold and control them, and they didn’t.”

Some cathedral members began worshiping at the Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew in Wilmington, where he now is an associate priest. “That’s one of the reasons I came over here, to be with them through a time of transition. Some of them went other places, to other parishes.”

The choir school relocated to Andrew and Matthew and is “still alive and well,” he said.

Offering exemplary programs such as that is part of a cathedral’s role, he said. “I think the cathedral should exercise ministries that set an example and provide a teaching for parishes.”

“On the other hand, it depends on the resources available to the cathedral,” he added, noting that in the Diocese of Delaware “parishes had far more resources in people and finances and clergy staff.”

“In my mind, it doesn’t necessarily mean that because it’s a cathedral church it’s going to always be the prime example of urban ministry or teaching ministry or education, but that is certainly a function that it should strive to,” he said. And whatever it does, it should do everything possible to ensure that “whatever it does, do it very well.”

“A cathedral dean,” he added, “needs to have his or her eye or hand on the pulse of the community.” And the dean must be willing to allow things to take place in a cathedral that a parish might not want, he said. “You need to provide opportunities for controversy to be expressed.”

In Bethlehem, for example, they brought Palestinian and Israeli Jewish activists to preach and teach about issues of Israel and Palestine.

“With a cathedral church, the dean also has to have a pastoral sense,” he said, concluding, “I’m not so sure that a dean is any different than a parish rector. But you definitely have to be open to the ministry of hospitality to the diocese and the ministry of prophetic ministry to the community.”

– Sharon Sheridan is an ENS correspondent.

Amber, one of the participants in the Taking Music to the Streets program at the Episcopal Church Center in Ocean Beach, California, strums a guitar during a lesson with volunteer teacher Packy Bergquist. The program offers free weekly music lessons to homeless youth. Once a youth returns three times to the program, he or she receives a free instrument. As trust builds, volunteers assist the youth with safe living situations, education, job training and general life skills. Photo/Jeffrey Sitkov

[Diocese of San Diego] “I like all kinds of music,” said Kayla, a slight young woman with a panda bear hat and an air of sweetness and innocence. “There’s this song by Jason Aldean called ‘Don’t Give Up on Me’ that talks about love. I love that song! It makes me want to play guitar.”

Kayla is one of 75 homeless youth who have walked through the gates of the Episcopal Church Center in Ocean Beach and received a free music lesson and a hot meal. Through a partnership with Photocharity, a nonprofit that raises awareness about homeless and disadvantaged youth, the center welcomes people ages 12 to 24 to learn an instrument and feel at home for a few hours every Sunday afternoon.

This particular Sunday, a soft rain was falling, but the doors stood wide open as young people trickled in. Jeffrey Sitkov, founder and executive director of Photocharity, buzzed around the parish hall, welcoming people. He moved quickly, carrying a stack of T-shirts and six guitars. He talked to donors and checked kids in all at once. When he saw a familiar face, he gave a hug and said, “Welcome! Good to see ya, bro!” He looked each person full in the face, locked eyes and said, “Welcome!”

Three volunteer teachers showed up and started tuning instruments. Warm sounds of acoustic guitar filled the parish hall as someone played an Eric Clapton-like riff.

Kids sauntered in, some on skateboards. One, probably 8 years old, arrived with his mom, eager to learn the harmonica.

“We just came in to see what’s up,” said another when Sitkov asked what brought him and his friends through the doors. Everyone is greeted with a handshake and a proper introduction; each person is met with dignity. A donor has brought home-made chocolate chip cookies, which no one turns down.

Within 20 minutes the parish hall transformed into a lively music lab with different groups focusing on guitar, drums, piano, harmonica, bass and ukulele. The drummers sat outside, sheltered by the balcony overhang. Once lessons got underway, the guitar players headed for the sanctuary because the parish hall grew too noisy.

A volunteer teacher sat with a young woman and asked, “Do you like the blues?”

“I don’t know,” she replied. “What does it sound like?”

He played a classic blues progression on the acoustic guitar. She wasn’t sure she liked it, so he played reggae. Her face lit up, and they set to work.

When participants return for the third time, they receive a free musical instrument of their choice.

Building trust
The Taking Music to the Streets program aims to improve the self-esteem of these young people, to show them that people care about them and to create trust, which eventually leads the kids into shelters and programs that help them break the cycle of homelessness.

“We give them something good for the heart and soul and that helps them pay for their meals,” said Sitkov. “Then when they’re feeling good and they trust us, we help them get into programs that get them off the streets.”

The program began March 10 at the church center.

“Without this program, there is no way I would have an opportunity to learn how to play and get an instrument,” said Casey, one of the participants. “Thank you.”

“I’ve wanted to get my own guitar for over six years,” said Amber, another participant. “I am excited about earning my guitar!”

These homeless youth have heartbreaking stories. One was kicked out at age 14 because of her sexual orientation. Her mother was addicted to prescription pills and would badger her daughter for them. She wanted a better life for herself so she left home.

Another young woman has been homeless since she was 12. She likes the music program because she feels respected. She looks forward to getting off the streets.

In the program’s first 10 weeks, 75 youth attended classes. Twelve returned three times or more. Ninety-five percent of these youth are 18 to 24 years old and none have many marketable skills. In the city of San Diego, there are 25 beds and a one-year waiting list for homeless kids in this age bracket.

Sitkov, the founder of Photocharity, expressed thanks to the Episcopal Church for allowing Photocharity to have classes for “the throwaway homeless youth that no one is helping.”

“You are keeping hope alive for these young people. This is the beginning of breaking the cycle of youth homelessness,” said Sitkov.

The partnership between Photocharity and the Episcopal Church Center began through an unlikely acquaintance. Susan Rackley attends church at the center, but not for the Episcopal liturgy. She is a member of The Oasis Christian Fellowship, a nondenominational church that meets in the parish hall. When she learned about Photocharity’s need for space to teach music to homeless kids, she reached out to the owner of the property, the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, who reviewed the proposal and said yes.

“Homeless people know this place well,” Rackley said. “They have dinners here on Wednesday nights and receive food from the pantry on other days. This place has been so instrumental in the success of the music program. They’ve been open, flexible. You think of Episcopalians as a little uptight, but not this place!”

History of service
The center in Ocean Beach has a long history of offering peace and sanctuary to all regardless of creed. It was founded in 1922 as Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, which it remained until 2006, when its rector led the congregation out of the Episcopal Church. After a legal dispute, the property was returned to the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego in 2011.

Ministries to homeless people, which began more than 20 years ago, continued uninterrupted through the change of leadership thanks in large part to Nancy Holland, canon for mission enterprise and director of the Episcopal Church Center.

“I’m so proud of Nancy and grateful for her leadership and presence,” said Diocese of San Diego Bishop James R. Mathes. “She has been a remarkable ambassador for the church in Ocean Beach, taking up residence on the city’s crime-prevention task force while bolstering existing programs at the center and making room for new ones. She has turned this church into a life center for the community, and she’s done it with patience, grace and a lot of quiet listening. We are gifted by her business acumen and her strategic thinking.”

Opportunities to partner with others in the community is a key to success, said Holland. “It’s the only way we’re going to end homelessness in San Diego.” Currently there are more than 3,000 youth, ages 12 to 17, who are homeless in San Diego, she said.

Photocharity’s Sitkov is a professional photographer who rubs shoulders with celebrities such as B.B. King, Elton John, Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen. He procures their autographs on musical instruments and memorabilia, which he then sells or auctions. All proceeds support the mission and vision of Photocharity, which is dedicated to raising awareness and funds for charitable organizations that empower homeless and disadvantaged youth to make better choices.

“Nancy’s a joy to work with!” exclaimed Sitkov. “She trusted Photocharity and our vision. The facility is great – we love it. It’s a perfect place to have classes.”

Rackley saw Photocharity featured on a local television station. Her father had just died, and she was looking to make a memorial gift in his honor. She researched Photocharity and found that it was a worthy nonprofit that devoted a high percentage of each dollar to helping kids on the streets.

“Jeffrey’s amazing,” said Rackley. “He’s got the energy of an Energizer bunny, and he’s a heck of a fundraiser. He’s not afraid to ask for autographs from celebrities to raise money for this program. He has a big heart and is always looking for ways to reach homeless kids.”

Said Casey, “This program gives me more stability every week, I have somewhere good to go no matter what, where I can play instruments, hang out with nice people and have dinner. I’m very thankful. It is a blessing.”

– Hannah Wilder is communications director for the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego.

El Comité Judicial del Senado aprobó en votación 13-5 el proyecto enmendado de reforma migratoria avanzando una mejor vía a la ciudadanía para millones de indocumentados. El comité esquivó intentos de dificultarla o descarrilarla garantizando que la próxima vez que se vote, sea el pleno del Senado el que intervenga. Al conocerse el resultado final, muchos en la audiencia, incluyendo inmigrantes que se beneficiarán de la reforma, corearon “Sí se puede, Sí se puede”.

El servicio secreto de Venezuela investiga a periodistas, empresarios, políticos y activistas en territorio de Estados Unidos desde al menos 2003, denunció el periódico Diario Las Américas. Reveló que un documento del Servicio Bolivariano de Inteligencia Nacional ordena que se haga un perfil de siete personas, entre ellos los periodistas Gerardo Reyes, director de Univisión Investiga, y Casto Ocando, investigador de dicha unidad de la cadena Univisión. Según el derecho internacional los periodistas no pueden servir de espías en otros países.

En una noche llena de emociones, y sobre todo sorpresas, la reina “Nuestra Belleza Latina 2013″ de la Cadena Univisión recayó en la joven salvadoreña radicada en Los Ángeles, Marisela Demontecristo. La nueva reina conmovió a los televidentes al narrar su historia de trabajos y pobreza. Algunas personas la apodaron como “La Cenicienta” por su vida humilde y por su sueño de ganar la corona para ayudar a su mamá y operar a su sobrina de 5 años que tiene una condición especial. La elección lleva consigo cerca de medio millón de dólares en premios.

Elsa Morejón , esposa del médico disidente cubano Oscar Elías Viscet, dijo en una conferencia de prensa en Miami que el arzobispo de La Habana cardenal Jaime Ortega, “no es capaz de ponerse a favor de los cambios en Cuba, ni de criticar las injusticias  y violaciones de los derechos humanos”.  Añadió que cuando se entrevisto con él en ocasión del arresto de su esposo “me parecía que estaba hablando con un funcionario del gobierno cubano”. “Oscar y yo seguiremos la lucha pacífica”, dijo.

Los partidos de oposición en España han criticado la reforma educativa aprobada por el gobierno conservador de Mariano Rajoy que, entre otras medidas, devuelve el valor académico a la asignatura de religión, computándola en la media de calificaciones y para la obtención de becas. El texto debe ahora ser debatido en el Parlamento, donde el Partido Popular de Rajoy tiene mayoría. Algunos críticos de la medida dicen que en la práctica “es un intento de volver al nacional catolicismo de épocas pretéritas”.

Anthony Guillén, encargado del ministerio hispano de la Iglesia Episcopal en Estados Unidos, ha informado que la Iglesia Episcopal ha establecido en los últimos dos años 23 nuevas congregaciones de habla hispana en lugares donde la población hispana ha aumentado considerablemente. El plan original era establecer un total de 44 congregaciones pero los fondos designados resultaron insuficientes.

David Hope, anterior arzobispo de York que sirvió de 1995 a 2005 en la Iglesia de Inglaterra, está en medio de una disputa porque uno de sus sacerdotes fue acusado de abuso sexual y él lo trasladó de parroquia en lugar de notificar a la policía o a las agencias protectoras de niños. El sacerdote en cuestión ya falleció. El mismo Hope dijo en una ocasión que su sexualidad es un área “gris” de su vida y por eso escogió vivir una vida célibe hasta su muerte.

El líder de la oposición de Venezuela, Henrique Capriles, dijo recientemente que en las filas del oficialista Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela se ha planteado la posibilidad de un referendo para revocar el mandato del presidente, Nicolás Maduro, según la agencia Efe. “En apenas un mes de la imposición ilegítima de Nicolás Maduro por parte del Consejo Nacional Electoral, hasta en sus propias filas han revivido la figura del revocatorio, porque el pueblo no puede seguir esperando por soluciones que sabe que no le van a llegar desde tamaña pandilla de incompetentes”, escribió Capriles en un artículo publicado en varios diarios locales.

PARA PENSAR. Es más fácil destruir una roca que el pensamiento cerrado de un fanático.

The conference was peer led, facilitated primarily by The Rev. Jered Weber Johnson (Age 33) of St. John the Evangelist, Saint Paul, MN and The Rev. Emily Wachner (Age 30) of Trinity, Wall Street. Wachner said, “Jared brought skills in public narrative and I brought the techniques of Change Technology because we felt that as a church we spend a lot of time trying to change things, but if we couldn’t get down to the values and fears that motivate us, real change would never happen”.

Five values emerged through small group conversation around which the conference coalesced: freedom from fear, community rooted in Jesus, fidelity even in brokenness, transformation rooted in the Gospel, and a witness confronting culture. Given these values, the group articulated a commitment to witnessing Jesus Christ in a broken and sinful world.

All participants were priests of the Episcopal Church, including 3 bishops. 21 were 35 years or younger.  Clergy came from Alaska to Florida, California to Maine, and many places in between.  Ross Kane (Age 33), Assistant to the Rector at St. Paul’s, Alexandria Virginia said, “Sometimes I feel that the church I felt called to isn’t the church I work in, but this conference opened me to reimagine a church centered around the transforming love of Jesus, and cares more about the renewal of the world than preserving institutions.”

Paige Blair (Age 42), Rector of St. Peter’s, Del Mar, California said,  “I will take away a keen awareness of God’s presence and the Spirit working through the people gathered here. I have renewed courage to follow God’s call, wherever that might lead, and this experience of the divine will stay with me long after I leave this place.”

The conference was funded in part by a grant from Trinity, Wall Street. Plans are being made for a subsequent gathering.

Una mujer camina en medio de los escombros después que un gigantesco tornado azotara a Moore, Oklahoma, el 20 de mayo de 2013. El inmenso tornado, que arrasó con este suburbio de Oklahoma City, causó por lo menos 24 víctimas mortales cuando vientos de hasta 320 kilómetros por hora barrieron hileras de casas, dos escuelas y un hospital, dejando una estela de enmarañadas ruinas. Foto de Richard Rowe/Reuters.

[Episcopal News Service] Miembros de la Iglesia Episcopal y personas de todas partes del mundo ofrecieron sus oraciones y brindaron su apoyo, el 21 de mayo, a las víctimas de un gigantesco tornado que el día anterior había dejado  centenares de heridos y docenas de muertos, entre ellos 9 niños, en Oklahoma.

“Ésta es la primera jornada completa desde el tornado y aún hay muchas cosas cambiantes, la información todavía es muy fluida. Lo fundamental es cerciorarse de lo que podemos hacer y ofrecer apoyo y recursos a aquellos que los necesitan”, dijo el Rdo. José McLoughlin, canónigo del Ordinario para la Diócesis Episcopal de Oklahoma, que se olvidó de que era su cumpleaños hasta que alguien se lo recordó.

“Imagínese a alguien que viva en un barrio, en una comunidad, y que todo eso desaparezca, que vea nada más que escombros donde antes había un vecindario, y casas y donde los niños jugaban”, dijo durante una entrevista telefónica con ENS el 21 de mayo.

“Resultaba difícil concentrarse realmente o pensar en un cumpleaños con tantas pérdidas y tantas personas necesitadas, e imaginando todas las cosas que deben hacerse”.

El había pasado la mayor parte del día entre dos extremos: lidiando [por una parte] con la pavorosa inmensidad de la destrucción y [por la otra, atendiendo] las desbordantes muestras de cariño y ofertas de apoyo de todas partes del mundo.

“Ha sido extraordinario. Durante las últimas 24 horas en particular, ha resultado abrumadora la cantidad de comunicaciones que hemos recibido —a través de correos electrónicos, mensajes de texto y llamadas telefónicas— de personas dispuestas a hacer cualquier cosa en cualquier momento.

“La Iglesia se ha portado estupendamente, desde la Obispa Primada dirigiéndose al obispo Ed Konieczny  y el personal de Ayuda y Desarrollo Episcopales (ERD, por su sigla en inglés), hasta los curas párrocos — ha sido sencillamente asombroso, las genuinas muestras de preocupación y las genuinas ofertas de ayuda”.

[Ayuda y Desarrollo Episcopales ha abierto una página de recursos para socorro en casos de tornado aquí]

McLoughlin dijo que él y otros miembros del personal diocesano habían recibido expresiones de interés desde sitios tan remotos como “Japón, Alemania y Dubái… [y de] personas de todas partes de la Comunión Anglicana” y de todos los niveles de la Iglesia.

“Es increíble la manera en que se han volcado hacia nosotros. Clérigos de todo el país se han acercado para preguntar lo que pueden hacer, y han dicho que nos llevan en sus oraciones.

Ahora mismo, la diócesis se encuentra en gran medida en plan de evaluación y contemplando una recuperación a corto plazo, añadió.

“Hemos estado catalogando a todas las personas que han llamado, lo que ofrecen y lo que pueden hacer, así como estamos catalogando las necesidades de parroquias y sacerdotes para estar seguros de que podemos estar preparados según vayan pasando los días, porque el verdadero reto se va a presentar cuando la prensa se vaya y el trabajo continúe, y para cerciorarnos de quién está en disposición de ayudarnos”.

Según van surgiendo las historias de heroísmo y servicio, él encomiaba la resistencia de los oklahomenses, muchos de los cuales están empezando a pasar del momento del shock y del rescate al de la recuperación y la ayuda mutua.

Los clérigos locales todavía están intentando contactar a su feligreses y de comprobar la situación de todos sus miembros. La diócesis ofreció ayuda inmediata a los que tenían necesidad de alojamiento, comida, ropa, artículos de uso personal y otras cosas esenciales, dijo él.

La Cruz Roja Americana y otros de los primeros en acudir al lugar del desastre, aún impiden el acceso de las personas a algunas áreas, “de manera que sospecho que en los próximos días, una vez que ellos hayan terminado la labor de rescate y comience la limpieza, conseguiremos a algunas personas que nos ayuden en el empeño de limpiar [los escombros]”,añadió.

La escuela de Santa María [St. Mary’s School], en Edmond, ha comenzado esfuerzos coordinados para recoger agua y otros artículos accesorios, tales como juguetes o peluches, pero las agencias locales han dicho que la necesidad inmediata es de ayuda económica, dijo el 21 de mayo el Rdo. Bob Story, rector de la iglesia de Santa María.

“Nos hemos puesto en contacto con dos agencias diferentes [y] el banco de alimentos regional y nos dicen que lo que necesitan es dinero”, dijo Story, que se enteró de dos familias desplazadas por el tornado. “No tienen necesidad de otras cosas ahora, lo cual crea un problema de almacenamiento”.

Y, si bien al presente hay mucha gente que quiere “hacer algo más que librar un cheque”, “el banco de alimentos regional en Oklahoma City se encuentra ahora mismo tan bien coordinado que tienen un conocimiento preciso de lo que necesitan para cubrir esa necesidad, simplemente necesitan dinero porque eso les da más flexibilidad”, afirmó.

“Como personas de fe, podemos hacer varias cosas, la más importante de las cuales es ofrecer nuestras oraciones a Dios y apoyar a esas agencias que brindan ayuda en los [momentos de] desastre, según un comunicado de la Iglesia.

“Todas las donaciones deben enviarse a Ayuda y Desarrollo Episcopales [Episcopal Relief & Development] para la labor que lleva a cabo, en nuestro nombre, de apoyo a las víctimas”, según dice el comunicado.

Irónicamente, McLoughlin se dirigía al aeropuerto el día que azotó el llamado tornado “monstruo” (20 de mayo) para asistir a una sesión de entrenamiento y preparación para desastres que Ayuda y Desarrollo Episcopales tenía programada en San Luis.

Al pensar en las tormentas y tornados del 19 de mayo que afectaron algunas áreas suburbanas de Oklahoma City, y al escuchar los informes meteorológicos en la radio, “tuve el pálpito de lo que estaba por ocurrir”, recuerda él.

“Algo no parecía andar bien. Llegué al aeropuerto y nunca salí de mi auto”, contó. “Regresé a la oficina y nunca me fui, y luego se produjo el tornado”.

Anoche, al final de una jornada muy larga dedicada a responder a problemas inmediatos, tales como evaluaciones de propiedades, ayuda [para reclamaciones] de seguros, catalogación de recursos y ofertas y la creación de una infraestructura económica para recibir las donaciones, McLoughlin cambió su centro de atención.

“Pasé la velada con mi familia” al cumplir 44 años, dijo. “La ironía es que, mientras estoy sentado aquí en mi casa (en Edmond) y hace una hermosa tarde soleada, sé cuanto daño y cuanta devastación han ocurrido apenas a 40 minutos en auto de aquí”, agregó.

“Para algunas personas, para muchísimas personas, el sol no ha comenzado a brillar todavía. Es muy doloroso”.

Una vez que el foco de la prensa se vaya, él espera que el apoyo y la ayuda continuarán durante lo que promete ser un extenso período de recuperación.

“Resulta claro que va a ser un proceso largo. Sólo la extensión del daño, el número de casas destruidas, los negocios, las escuelas —tres escuelas recibieron el impacto [del tornado], y una fue completamente demolida. Sólo considerar la cantidad de tiempo que se necesita para reconstruir barriadas que han desaparecido completamente, el tiempo que se necesita para levantar nuevamente esa infraestructura… Hay un largo trecho por delante para que la gente tome la decisión de si va a reconstruir.

“Pero”, añadió él. “Los oklahomenses tienen una gran resistencia, han atravesado antes por la tragedia. Son personas recias que se juntan y se ayudan mutuamente. Somos afortunados de contar con personas comprometidas a hacer lo que sea necesario”.

– La Rda. Pat McCaughan es una corresponsal de Episcopal News Service radicada en Los Ángeles. Traducción de Vicente Echerri.

This will be the first occasion that synod members have met since November 2012, when the previous legislation narrowly failed to secure the requisite majority in all three houses (laity, clergy and bishops), despite a 73% majority overall.

The proposals from the House of Bishops accompany the publication of a report of a working group which it had established in December. The working group’s report sets out four possible options for the shape of the new legislation. Of these the House of Bishops has recommended “the simplest possible legislation” (option one) which reads:

“A measure and amending canon that made it lawful for women to become bishops; and

“The repeal of the statutory rights to pass Resolutions A and B under the 1993 Measure, plus the rescinding of the Episcopal Ministry Act of Synod.”

In addition, option one involves arrangements for those who, as a matter of theological conviction, are unable to receive the ministry of women bishops or priests being set out either in a declaration from the House of Bishops or in a new Act of Synod.

The short report from the archbishops of Canterbury and York on behalf of the house sets out the text of a motion which invites the synod to reaffirm its commitment to admitting women to the episcopate as a matter of urgency, require the legislative process to begin in November so that it can be concluded in 2015 and specify that the legislation should be in the simplest possible form.

The business committee of the General Synod met earlier this week and has scheduled the debate for the morning of Monday, July 8, in York. In addition, synod members will spend a substantial amount of time in York on the Saturday in facilitated conversations, in which the various options can be explored further.

The chair of the working group, the Rt. Rev. Nigel Stock, bishop of St. Edmundsbury and Ipswich, said on behalf of the group:

“The mandate given to the working group in December reflected the House of Bishops’ view that new proposals would need both greater simplicity and a clear embodiment of the principle articulated by the 1998 Lambeth Conference that ‘those who dissent from, as well as those who assent to, the ordination of women to the priesthood and episcopate are both loyal Anglicans.’

“This mandate did not simply reflect the House of Bishops’ assessment of what was achievable, it also reflected its view of what was desirable – namely that the Church of England should retain its defining characteristic of being a broad Church, capable of accommodating a wide range of theological conviction.

“Given this range of views it is essential to be clear on whether the Church of England is still willing to leave space for those who dissent from its decision. We have approached our task on the basis that the Church of England is so willing.

“To expect unanimity on where the limits of diversity should be drawn may be unrealistic, given the variety of strongly held views which exist and are maintained with integrity. Nevertheless it is necessary to see whether there might be an approach which could command a sufficiently wide measure of assent to enable progress to be made.

“We are perhaps at a moment when the only way forward is one which makes it difficult for anyone to claim outright victory.

“The synod, guided by the recommendation that the House of Bishops has now made, needs in July to come to a clear decision about the proposals and options laid before it and give a mandate for the introduction of a draft measure and amending canon in November.

“That decision-making process will be greatly assisted by all synod members having first the opportunity in York for facilitated listening and engagement of the kind that the group has found so helpful in producing this report. To that end, we are grateful to the business committee for making space for this to take place on the Saturday of our July meeting.”

The report from the House of Bishops, “Women In the Episcopate – New Legislative Proposals” (GS1886), is available here.

Liqin’s guests were from the Amity Foundation, Episcopal Relief & Development’s local partner in China.  Amity is an independent Chinese Christian voluntary organization that was created in 1985 to promote education, social services, health and rural development.  The organization is active across the country, from China’s coastal provinces in the east to the minority areas of the west, working with local groups and individuals toward sustainable development.  Its partnership with Episcopal Relief & Development currently encompasses a health and economic development program in Zhangfeng Township in southwestern China, and the water and sanitation program in three villages in Baojing County.

The program in Baojing began in 2012 in order to combat pollution and improve health in three rural communities: Puxi, Tiechang and Yama.  Although China’s ever-increasing need for food production has put pressure on rural agricultural areas, the quality of the environment in China’s rural areas is very important, both for the health of the people living there and for the future of sustainable development. The government has passed strict regulations on industrial pollution, but this is not the only source of environmental degradation.  Rural communities that lack sufficient waste disposal and sanitation infrastructure also contribute to pollution, and residents of these areas often suffer as a result.

Compounding these challenges is a factor that many rural areas face, which is that young people and able-bodied men tend to leave their villages and seek work in cities.  This is often a necessity, and the remittances that these workers send back form a substantial part of a family’s income.  However, this means that their home communities are primarily made up of women and elderly people, who may not feel that they have the skills or physical strength to undertake large construction or clean-up projects.

For Liqin and her community in Puxi, overcoming those feelings and recognizing the gifts and resources that they had were the first steps toward building solutions.  These activities are the at the core of Asset-Based Community Development, a framework used by Episcopal Relief & Development that identifies and mobilizes area resources to build programs that are locally led and customized to fit the community.  At the beginning of the program, before any work was started, our partners at Amity visited the three villages and gathered with all of the community members to do a mapping exercise.

“Since we are to implement the drinking water system and garbage disposal system, which involves every household,” wrote local partner Peng Zhong in a report, “we need to get a picture of the village map in our head [and] also in each villager’s head. In Puxi Village, we asked them to gather together and draw maps of the village and discuss how the project should be implemented.”

Peng continued, relating the story of Ms. Liu, an elderly woman who lives with her husband and their disabled 40-year-old son.  “She held my hand and said, ‘Young Peng, thank you, what you have just helped us to draw is not just the map of our village, but the better future of us.”

The plan that the community members developed with facilitation from the Amity Foundation incorporates the construction of rainwater catchment systems and water storage tanks, the installation of sanitary toilets next to people’s homes and the implementation of garbage collection and disposal systems.  The overall goals of the project are to separate and protect rainwater from pollution sources, and to preserve the environment through safe and effective waste management.

Liqin and her neighbors in Puxi have made significant progress on their projects, though it has not been without challenges.  Chief among them are the remoteness of the village – 6 miles away from the nearest town on an unpaved road – and the age of the inhabitants.  “People around 60 years old in the village are considered as ‘young people,’” an Amity Foundation report says.  Yet rather than give up, the community is taking things at their own pace and completing the projects in stages.

“All of the beneficiaries of [the] drinking water and sanitary toilet project have participated in digging the tank or laying the pipe,” the report continues.  It takes 10 days to finish digging a tank with size of 6’ x 8’ x 10’, which has slowed down the overall timeline of the project, but the community members feel very satisfied with their efforts and with the result.

“It is very hard work indeed,” said Liqin, “but we must work very hard too.  I am getting old and am ready to see God.  In my lifetime, I never expected to use such a kind of sanitary toilet.  It is really convenient and clean.”

Overall, more than half of the households in the village now have access to safe tap water and sanitary toilet facilities, and many people are using the garbage cans and collection sites to dispose of their refuse.  These efforts have greatly improved the living conditions and environment in the Huapuxi watershed, and the communities have established village environmental protection committees to help sustain progress and guide further projects.  Eventually, as the villages in Baojing grow and develop more sophisticated infrastructure, agriculture and cottage industries can expand, bringing more life to the communities and even encouraging young people to stay and raise their families there.

“It’s something we see quite often, young people from rural areas leaving home to find work in the cities, but life definitely continues back home,” said Nagulan Nesiah, Program Officer for Episcopal Relief & Development.  “Our partner, the Amity Foundation, is doing wonderful work in three mountain villages, helping local residents to get together and envision a better future.  The work they are doing makes a difference in the lives of people living there now, but the hope is that small improvements will start to add up and create a place where young people will want to stay.  All in all, these activities help further the larger goals of alleviating poverty, protecting the environment and strengthening families and communities.

Episcopal Relief & Development is the international relief and development agency of the Episcopal Church and an independent 501(c)(3) organization. The agency takes its mandate from Jesus’ words found in Matthew 25. Its programs work towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Episcopal Relief & Development works closely with the worldwide Church and ecumenical partners to help rebuild after disasters and to empower local communities to find lasting solutions that fight poverty, hunger and disease, including HIV/AIDS and malaria.

Reminder: we have a new domain name! Please visit us at www.episcopalrelief.org, and update emails in your address book to @episcopalrelief.org.

The Rev. John Paddock and the Rev. Rodney Kennedy, far left, are joined by a combined choir of both congregations for the first worship service together. Photo/Greg Sexton

[Diocese of Southern Ohio] The challenges were real, but the opportunities for a bold experiment in ecumenism outweighed them when the clergy and congregations of downtown Dayton’s Christ Episcopal Church and First Baptist Church worshiped together for five weeks in January and February.

When Christ Church learned that demolition of two of its deteriorating chapel walls would block the main and only disabled-accessible entrance to “The Great Lady of First Street,” the Rev. John Paddock, rector, immediately called his friend and colleague, the Rev. Rodney W. Kennedy, pastor at First Baptist, to ask if the Episcopalians could use space at First Baptist during this phase of the building project.

What Paddock had in mind was the Christ Church congregation worshiping at noon or later on Sundays. But when Kennedy suggested that the two congregations worship and do Christian education together, Paddock eagerly accepted his invitation.

The Episcopal and Baptist congregations joined together for Christian education as well as worship. Photo/Greg Sexton

“John and I are not only friends and colleagues, but we share a passion for social justice and racial reconciliation. Our joint worship was a natural for both of us. For a number of years, the rest of the First Baptist staff and I have worshiped at Christ Church every Wednesday, and the Order of Worship at First Baptist Church already came mostly from The Book of Common Prayer,” Kennedy said.

On his first Sunday in the First Baptist pulpit, Paddock said: “Different polities, different traditions, different amounts of water used in baptism, different ways of gathering and praising God. Sharing worship? How’s that work? Well, we’re going to find out. It’s so intriguing that both the Baptist and Episcopal press services and The Christian Century magazine are asking questions about this experiment. They’re really interested in how it will turn out. I can’t wait to find out myself!”

Each pastor approached the combined worship with his own particular hopes. For Kennedy, it was “that we would realize our commonalities as fellow Christians, and I wanted my congregation to experience the strength, consolation and meaning of weekly Communion.”

To what extent was that hope fulfilled? “The congregation responded in magnificent ways, but they weren’t ready to continue weekly Communion,” he said. “At least the possibility is now part of our conversation. When a church evaluates her practices, there is always a chance for genuine change.”

A representative response from the pews came from Linda Brown, a longtime First Baptist member, who said, “What really impressed me was the ease with which we came together as one body to worship Christ our Lord. An added energy was present. As the weeks went on, when I walked into the sanctuary, I didn’t see Episcopalians or Baptists. I just saw the family of God.”

Paddock’s hope was “that no one would be too put out over the five weeks that we would be out of our building. I was telling folks to think of it like going on a field trip. And the responses were overwhelmingly positive. By the end, people were trying to find excuses to keep going. The choirs are plotting reunions.”

Christ Church parishioner and choir member Carole Ganim noted, “Many of us in the two churches know one another in other contexts: neighborhoods, work, community activism. We live, play and work together and share common interests, so worshiping together does not seem unusual, but rather a natural development and a welcome part of community life. And I loved singing with a big choir. We all want to do more of this.”

Youth from both traditions served at the altar during the combined services of Christ Episcopal Church and First Baptist Church. Photo/Greg Sexton

Kennedy and Paddock agreed that their greatest challenge was working out the logistics of consecrating and distributing the elements, which included wine and grape juice, during Communion. According to Kennedy, this was the first time wine ever was served at First Baptist Church.

“It got a whole lot easier once we clergy relaxed about it and trusted the Holy Spirit and the people to work it out,” Paddock said. “Isn’t that always the way?”

For Kennedy, the most memorable aspect of the experience was “the smooth integration of word and table. So powerful. We already pretty much used Episcopal worship, but to participate in it fully lifted me on high.”

What resonated for Paddock were “the joyous, full sound of the combined choirs, the full church and genuine hospitality – every week there were numerous expressions of thanks to us for coming to First Baptist Church.”

While acknowledging the role his and Paddock’s long-term friendship played in the successful collaboration, Kennedy said credit belonged “mostly to the Christian faith of two progressive churches that embrace hospitality, love of neighbor, openness to diversity and mutual respect.”

Enthusiasm for the experiment was contagious and ongoing. Paddock said. “Local interest is amazing. Just today, my dentist’s receptionist quizzed me about ‘the worship with the Baptists,’ and two days ago a Methodist pastor in a coffee shop wanted to know how it had gone.

Collaboration and cooperation are so rare these days, when something like this occurs, it’s real news.”

As for the broader ecumenical implications of the collaboration, Paddock reflected: “When we can figure out how to praise God together, not in some watered-down way, but out of the depth of our separate traditions, then we can experience a true gift.”

This article first appeared in the April/May issue of Interchange, the publication of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio. Mary Thomas Watts lives in Wilmington and is a member of Christ Church, Dayton.

The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori
Presiding Bishop and Primate
The Episcopal Church

            The ongoing tragedy of conflict throughout the Middle East challenges people of faith throughout the world.  As Christians, we share a vision of a healed world where no one lives in fear of death or violence.  We have gathered here to listen to the stories of those who live in the midst of these conflicts, to stand in solidarity with those who suffer, and to strategize ways in which the wider world might encourage peace.

The task of our respective churches is to pray and work for peace, and to advocate for justice for all human beings, particularly those quite literally caught in the crossfire.  We gather under the cross of the prince of peace in order that we might lead others toward peace.

We have the ability to educate our own members about the reasons for these conflicts, many of which are born of competition for the blessings of this life – food, water, fuel, land, the resources to grow food or earn a living – and the struggle for self-determination.  We know that some of the violence is born of the desire for overweening control of other human beings – the lust for power which Jesus met and refused in the desert after his baptism.  We know that a good part of the difficulty is the frightful lack of trust of others who claim different lineage, nationality, tribal history, and religious heritage.  Yet the same God has created us all.  God weeps to see his children at war, murdering one another and exploiting the weak.

Many of us feel quite helpless – we don’t know how to respond, except with lament.  How long, O Lord, how long will you ignore the cries of your children in this wilderness?  Come quickly and save these refugees, bring balm to the wounded, an end to the violence, and comfort to the frightened.  Yet God has only our hands and hearts and feet to do his bidding in this world.  May we make common cause here this week, may we stand in solidarity, and cry, “enough.”  May we find prophets among us to challenge Pharaoh to let all God’s people go.  May we find the courage to confront the powerful and the creativity to mediate and rebuild nations.

We may feel helpless, yet we share a dream for peace.  That dream must continue to lead us onward, even if the way is shrouded in fog.  We have seen peace come in Ireland and South Africa.  We continue to dream of peace in Korea.  I met a woman last week who told of being awakened in the middle of the night several years ago by such a dream, of God telling her to go to North Korea.  She shared this with her husband, a Methodist pastor, who told her she couldn’t.  He said it wasn’t legal for her to travel there given her immigration status – which wasn’t accurate.  God didn’t let go of her, however, and she kept sharing her dream with others.  Eventually she joined a tour group from California that took her to Pyongyang.  She visited with other Christians, heard their stories, and came home and began to urge her friends to do what they could to help make peace in Korea.  She went a second time not long ago, and this time her husband helped raise the money to send her.  She told me that peace means crying together.  That is the beginning of hope for a better future.

This woman has experienced Pentecost.  The tongue of fire lit on her in the middle of the night, and she heard the same thing people of faith have been hearing for more than 2000 years – “God is doing a new thing, and you are going to be part of it.”  She is one of the ones Joel was talking about, “I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and see visions and dream dreams.”  The prophet was talking about the dream and vision we have shared for thousands of years, of a world where people can sit down to a feast together because there is no more poverty, injustice, or war – the same vision the psalmist shared:  “you set a table before me, in the presence of my enemies… my cup is running over.”[1]

Let us dream that dream together, even if it begins in lament.