Episcopal News Service

[Episcopal News Service] The Diocese of New Jersey requested and received a hardship waiver for 2024 that allows it to pay less than its full 15% assessment – as is required of all dioceses to support the churchwide budget – while New Jersey leaders investigate and address what the bishop has described as “disarray” in its finances.

Executive Council, The Episcopal Church’s governing body between triennial meetings of General Convention, authorized the waiver April 20 at the conclusion of its three-day meeting in Raleigh, North Carolina. Instead of paying its full obligation of $600,000, the diocese will be required to contribute $400,000 under a one-year reduction.

The diocese had asked to contribute even less this year – $300,000, or 7.5% of its assessed revenue – but Executive Council’s Finance Committee settled on a reduced rate of 10%, which it said is in line with the waivers that have been granted to other dioceses dealing with short-term financial crises.

“Here in the Diocese of New Jersey, we are working to gain a full understanding of the financial issues we face, which will require completing overdue diocesan audits, correcting historical errors in financial recordkeeping, and obtaining accurate information about church properties,” Bishop Sally French told Episcopal News Service in a written statement after Executive Council’s vote.

French, who was consecrated as bishop in June 2023, shared an overview of the challenges discovered in the diocese’s past handling of its finances in a Feb. 27 letter and again in a speech March 9 at the diocese’s annual convention. At that time, she assured the diocese that there was “no indication of any financial malfeasance or fraud,” and she urged patience as diocesan leaders determine the full scope of the matter.

“We anticipate that it will take some time to come to terms with our financial situation and develop a strategy for the sustainability of God’s mission in our diocese,” French said in her April 20 statement to ENS. “We are grateful to the Executive Council for considering our request for a temporary reduction in our assessment rate so that we can have time to support our congregations and strengthen our budget, and we are grateful to other dioceses for their support as we move toward firmer financial footing.”

Executive Council votes April 20 to approve its consent calendar, a batch of resolutions that include a waiver for the Diocese of New Jersey allowing it to pay a reduced assessment to support the churchwide budget in 2024. Photo: David Paulsen/Episcopal News Service

Executive Council granted two other assessment waivers it its April 18-20 meeting. The Diocese of Colombia, one of the historically low-revenue Latin American dioceses in the church’s Province IX, requested and received a waiver allowing it to pay a 2.1% assessment, contributing $2,000 to the churchwide budget in 2024. Executive Council noted that Episcopal leaders in Colombia “have honored their commitments and are increasingly paying what they are able.”

And the Diocese of Hawai’i, where deadly wildfires devastated communities on the island of Maui last year, was granted a waiver that will reduce its assessment from $315,000 to about $150,000 for one year.

Overall, of the church’s 108 dioceses, at least 97 were in full compliance with their assessments in 2023, according to the most recent data provided to ENS by the church’s Finance Office.  Of those, 93 paid assessments at the full 15% rate, while an additional four reported income of less than $200,000 – which is the amount of diocesan revenue the church exempts before calculating each assessment.

Dioceses that don’t contribute at the 15% rate and fail to apply for or receive approval for waivers can be ruled ineligible from participating in churchwide grant programs for one year. In 2024, the handful of ineligible dioceses include the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, the Jacksonville-based Diocese of Florida, the Diocese of the Dominican Republic and the Diocese of Venezuela.

Diocesan assessments are The Episcopal Church’s largest revenue source. They total about $30 million a year, or 65% of the $143 million in revenue the church expects to collect under Executive Council’s proposed 2025-27 churchwide budget plan, which will be considered in June by the 81st General Convention.

Separately, at least four dioceses – Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia and Oklahoma – have asked the 81st General Convention to gradually cut the rate for all dioceses from 15% to as low as 10%, which budget planners warn could create a shortfall of up to $30 million in the three-year budget. The four resolutions proposing assessment reductions are scheduled for a Zoom hearing 8 p.m. Eastern April 30 before General Convention’s Governance & Structure committees. Anyone wishing to attend or testify are required to register in advance.

The Diocese of New Jersey historically has been one of the top revenue-generating dioceses in The Episcopal Church. In 2022, it reported revenue of $4.2 million, more than all but nine other Episcopal dioceses, according to Finance Office records.

Although French has not yet publicly released a detailed assessment of the financial challenges her diocese faces, she has spoken generally about overdue audits, inaccurate report, errors in recordkeeping, irregular payments and a failure to maintain appropriate financial and administrative controls.

The diocese’s previous canon to the ordinary for finance and administration has stepped down, and the diocese plans to relay on an outside accounting firm to help sort out the diocese’s finances.

– David Paulsen is a senior reporter and editor for Episcopal News Service based in Wisconsin. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.

A Palestinian man, Ali Oroq, carries a water container as he walks at a school sheltering displaced people in Gaza City on April 16. Photo: Reuters

[Episcopal News Service] Executive Council voted overwhelmingly April 20 in support of a resolution lamenting the ongoing deadly violence in the Holy Land since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, though some council members raised concerns about the resolution’s reference to the “potential genocide” of Palestinians.

Other council members questioned whether it was appropriate for Executive Council to approve such a statement just two months before the 81st General Convention will convene and consider a dozen of its own resolutions related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Bishops and deputies are scheduled to meet June 23-28 in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Rev. Charles Graves IV, a priest in the Diocese of Texas who helped draft Executive Council’s resolution, urged its passage now – his voice breaking with emotion as he underscored the urgency and severity of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

“Two months is a long time in the middle of a war. Two months is a long time when children are dying every day,” Graves said. “Is it the judgment of this body that we should wait and be silent for two more months while children are dying every day?”

Executive Council is the church’s primary governing body between the triennial meetings of General Convention. It previously approved a resolution at its October 2023 meeting that condemned Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre of more than 1,200 Israelis while also lamenting the thousands of Palestinians killed in the ensuing war by Israeli airstrikes targeting Hamas in Gaza.

Executive Council approved this newer resolution on the last day of its April 18-20 meeting in Raleigh, North Carolina, which was its last scheduled meeting before the 81st General Convention. The resolution primarily affirms past statements released by other religious leaders, including Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, the ecumenical group Churches for Middle East Peace and the leaders of Christian denominations in Jerusalem, who are commonly known as the patriarchs.

Executive Council’s statement “gravely laments the continuing violence, destruction and loss of life following the events of Oct. 7, 2023.” It goes on to call for an end to the violence, the release of Jewish hostages by Hamas, increased humanitarian aid for Gazans and a rejection of all forms of anti-Jewish hatred.

The Rev. Angela Goodhouse, a deacon from the Diocese of North Dakota, was the first to say she could not support the resolution, because she felt it would be more appropriate for Executive Council to defer to the wider representation of churchwide leaders who make up General Convention. It divides its authority between the House of Bishops and House of Deputies, with members from all 111 dioceses and mission areas.

House of Deputies President Julia Ayala Harris acknowledged such concerns and asked the council to consider whether the statement crossed over a line into “something perhaps General Convention should be doing.”

The 12 resolutions that have been proposed already to the 81st General Convention respond to the conflict in the Holy Land from several angles. The first four resolutions went to a hearing last week on whether the church should label Israel’s treatment of its Arab citizens a form of “apartheid.”

Some of the other resolutions address the latest developments in the Israel-Hamas war, while others offer broader perspectives on the violence and destruction. Resolution D013 acknowledges the historical scope of the decades-long Arab-Israeli conflict and renew calls for a lasting peace that includes creation of a sovereign Palestinian state.

Executive Council’s use of the phrase “potential genocide” generated the most debate before the April 20 vote. Matthew Taylor, a lay member from the Diocese of Washington, proposed striking that language from the resolution. “Sometimes it is better to describe what is going on,” Taylor said, rather than using phrases that might further inflame tensions in the Middle East.

The Rt. Rev. Anne Hodges-Copple, former bishop suffragan of North Carolina, affirmed that “our hearts are unanimously, collectively universally breaking” in response to the Israel-Hamas war. At the same time, she noted that the Jerusalem-based Christian patriarchs had not, to her knowledge, used the term “genocide.”

Thomas Chu of the Diocese of New York asked Curry directly about the presiding bishop’s decision to sign Churches for Middle East Peace’s March 26 letter to U.S. President Joe Biden, which suggested that Israel’s bombardment of Gaza and killing of thousands of Palestinians may rise to the level of “potential genocide.”

Curry responded that he agrees that Executive Council should be careful about the impact of its words, though he personally felt the language used by Churches for Middle East Peace struck the right balance.

“I would not have signed this if it had only said ‘genocide.’ It referred to ‘potential genocide,'” Curry said, adding that the deaths of Palestinian children weighed heavily on his mind. “This is innocence being killed,” he said.

Sandra Montes, originally from the Diocese of Texas and now in New York, said she would be in favor of using even stronger language, though she supported the resolution as proposed. “I am surprised and disappointed that we are having this discussion, because to me – this says ‘potential genocide.’ For me ‘potential genocide’ is the middle ground.”

Taylor, speaking against the resolution, questioned whether it would even achieve Executive Council’s stated goals. “We have no power over any entity that could stop this war,” he said. “I don’t know that this statement does anything to help the cause of the Diocese of Jerusalem or Christians in the Holy Land.”

Others referred to the personal perspective on the conflict shared with them by a Palestinian priest in the West Bank, who joined one of the committee meetings by video earlier in the week. The priest told the committee’s members that even in the West Bank, Palestinians are under constant threat of violence.

“He is asking us to affirm what is going on there, to affirm the potential genocide of children,” said Lillian Davis-Wilson, a deacon in the Diocese of Western York. “We were in tears, watching this man ask us to affirm and support them.”

Executive Council’s final vote on the resolution was 24-2 in favor, with some members abstaining. The full text of the resolution has not yet been posted online but will be added here on Executive Council’s resolutions page.

– David Paulsen is a senior reporter and editor for Episcopal News Service based in Wisconsin. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.

Editor’s note: The Standing Committee of the Diocese of Massachusetts announced the addition of the Rev. Edwin D. Johnson as a candidate by petition on April 19. 

[Episcopal News Service] The Standing Committee of the Diocese of Massachusetts, after receiving the recommendations of the Bishop Nominating Committee, has approved a preliminary slate of four nominees for election as the 17th bishop diocesan of the Diocese of Massachusetts. They are:

• The Rev. Brendan J. Barnicle, rector, St. Francis of Assisi Church, Wilsonville, Oregon.
• The Rev. Jean Baptiste Ntagengwa, canon for immigration and multicultural ministries, Diocese of Massachusetts.
• The Very Rev. Gideon L. K. Pollach, rector, St. John’s Church, Cold Spring Harbor, New York.
• The Rev. Julia E. Whitworth, rector, Trinity Church, Indianapolis, Indiana.
• The Rev. Edwin D. Johnson, director of organizing, Episcopal City Mission, Boston, Massachusetts.

Additional information about each of the nominees is on the diocese’s bishop search website.

A seven-day petition period begins on March 15, during which anyone who meets the canonical requirements may petition to be added to the slate of nominees. The deadline to submit nomination materials is March 22.

An electing convention is scheduled for May 18 at Trinity Church in Boston, and the bishop-elect will be consecrated, pending a successful churchwide consent process, on Oct. 19.

The new bishop diocesan will succeed the Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates, who has led the diocese since 2014. Gates said in May 2023 that he plans to retire at the end of 2024.

Earth Day is said to be the largest secular observance in the world. Photo: Steve Taylor/AP

[Episcopal News Service] April 22 marks Earth Day, and many Episcopal congregations and ministries will be observing with various creation care-themed events, including neighborhood cleanups, special worship services, educational presentations and more.

About 20 million Americans observed the first Earth Day in 1970, launching the modern environmental movement. It led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Water and Endangered Species acts. These laws and the EPA’s regulatory oversight addressed many environmental concerns of the time — pesticide usage, oil spills, toxic waste dumps, pollution resulting from agriculture and industry.

Environmental regulations have reduced pollution and contamination in some areas. Meanwhile, global dependence and investment in fossil fuels continue to dominate the energy sector over renewable sources. At the same time, temperatures continue to reach record levels, resulting in more frequent extreme weather events, including heatwaves, hurricanes, severe rain events, increased flooding and wildfires. Additionally, humans’ exponential increase in plastic production and use over more than a half century has contributed to a worldwide pollution crisis, killing millions of animals every year and dumping 12 tons of plastic waste into oceans every year. 

Today, Earth Day is said to be the largest secular observance in the world.

Episcopalians can learn more about the church’s support for the environment and public health here. The Episcopal Church’s Creation Care ministry offers Earth Day 2024 resources on its website. Additionally, The Episcopal Church’s Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music offers liturgical materials for “honoring God in creation” online. The materials are available in English and Spanish.

The following is a list of some Episcopal ministries and affiliates, dioceses and parishes hosting Earth Day events. Check online for additional events in your area. All events listed are free and open to the public unless otherwise specified. All times are local.

Nationwide — Creation Justice Ministries is an ecumenical nonprofit devoted to protecting Earth and advocating for racial, economic and environmental justice. For Earth Day 2024, Creation Justice Ministries created a free online resource called “Plastic Jesus: Real Faith in a Synthetic World,” to help congregations think critically about plastic’s impact on Earth and how to practically address it. Phoebe Chatfield, The Episcopal Church’s program associate for creation care and justice, and the Rev. Melanie Mullen, the church’s director of reconciliation, justice and creation care, both serve on Creation Justice Ministries’ board of directors.

On April 19 between noon and 1 p.m., Creation Justice Ministries will host an ecumenical Earth Day prayer service via Zoom. The service will draw from “Plastic Jesus” and offer an opportunity for participants to reflect on what they can do to minimize their carbon footprint. The Rev. Caleb Cray Haynes, co-founder and director of Nazarenes for Creation Care, will preach. The prayer service will include live music.

Nationwide — Interfaith Power & Light is a national nonprofit that helps faith groups respond to climate change by minimizing their carbon footprint through energy-savings efforts. Between April 19 and 28, Interfaith Power & Light will host Faith Climate Action Week, when affiliated congregations nationwide will host events focusing on this year’s theme — Common Ground: Cultivating Connections between Food, Faith, and Climate. Event listings are available on Interfaith Power & Light’s website.

Dioceses of Massachusetts and Western Massachusetts — On April 20 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Dioceses of Massachusetts and Western Massachusetts will celebrate the conclusion of “An Episcopal Path to Creation Justice,” a four-level pilot educational program to help congregations “amplify and accelerate” addressing the climate crisis. More than 10 congregations participated in the pilot program. The celebration will take place at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Southborough. It will also be livestreamed on Province 1’s YouTube channel. The virtual event will feature presentations and opportunities for discussion and reflection. Massachusetts Assistant Bishop Carol Gallagher and Western Massachusetts Bishop Doug Fisher are scheduled to conclude the event with a celebratory Eucharist.

Coconut Grove, Florida — On April 21 at 8:30 a.m., parishioners of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Coconut Grove, Florida, will clean up Peacock Park by collecting garbage. The event will conclude before 10:30 a.m. Mass.

Vestavia Hills, Alabama — On April 21 at 10:15 a.m., St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, will host a Sunday forum for participants of all ages. Members of the St. Stephen’s Soil Sisters ministry, who tend to the church’s grounds and plantings around the property, will discuss how “working in God’s creation is a spiritual practice.” The forum will conclude with a scavenger hunt on church grounds.

Statesville, North Carolina — On April 21 between 2 and 4 p.m., Trinity Episcopal Church in Statesville, North Carolina, will host a “planet party” for all ages. Festivities include games, eco-friendly crafts and creation care education activities.

Diocese of Los Angeles — The Diocese of Los Angeles’ Education Committee of the Bishop’s Commission on Climate Change is inviting every parish, mission, school and institution within the diocese to ring bells, pray or meditate for 425 seconds on April 21 or 22. The number of minutes represents the amount of global atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration — 425 parts per million — that is responsible for extreme weather events and catastrophic loss of life and property. More information can be found here.

Nationwide — On April 22 at 3 p.m., the Episcopal Parish Network will host a virtual discussion about the state of climate advocacy. Speakers from the Church Investment Group and InfluenceMap will highlight corporations leading in climate advocacy and share how partisan advocates and fossil fuel interests direct resources to hinder progress. Anyone interested in participating in the Zoom event may register online.

Mobile, Alabama — On April 22 at 7 p.m., All Saints Episcopal Church in Mobile, Alabama, will host a special sunset Earth Day worship service outside in the parish’s garden. Gulf Coast Creation Care is co-sponsoring the worship service.

Tacoma, Washington — On April 22 at 7 p.m., Gordon Okumu, an environmental policy analyst based in Seattle, Washington, will give a lecture on his nonprofit tree planting project, “Angels of Africa,” at Christ Episcopal Church in Tacoma.

Annapolis, Maryland — On April 26 from 7-9 p.m., St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Annapolis, Maryland, will host an Earth Day concert and art reception. The church will host an Earth Day arts festival the following day from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Cincinnati, Ohio — On April 28 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., The Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in Cincinnati, Ohio, will host a Reuse Swap It Earth Day Celebration event to encourage reusing items that are in good condition rather than throwing them away. Participants are asked to bring clean reusable items to swap, including furniture, toys, baby cribs and accessories, shoes, art, housewares and tools. The Church of the Redeemer will also collect metal and plastic hangers, egg cartons, clean and dry #1 plastic containers, wrapped and unused plastic utensils, eyewear and eyewear cases, prescription bottles with attached lids and empty dental care and deodorant packaging. The church will donate these items to the Cincy Recycling & Reuse Hub for recycling. The church is also collecting batteries for recycling but requests a “small donation” to cover the recycling fee. During the swap event, the Church of the Redeemer will also offer presentations on honeybees and kitchen composting.

-Shireen Korkzan is a reporter and assistant editor for Episcopal News Service based in northern Indiana. She can be reached at skorkzan@episcopalchurch.org.

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry addresses Executive Council on April 18 in a ballroom at the Hilton Raleigh North Hills hotel in North Carolina’s capital city. Photo: David Paulsen/Episcopal News Service

[Episcopal News Service – Raleigh, North Carolina] Presiding Bishop Michael Curry received a rousing standing ovation April 18 from members of Executive Council, who were seeing him in person for the first time in more than a year after his recovery from a series of health complications.

“You have no idea how good you look,” Curry told his fellow Executive Council members as they gathered in a hotel ballroom in Curry’s home city for the opening plenary session.

Executive Council is the church’s governing body between meetings of General Convention. The April 18-20 meeting is Executive Council’s last before the 81st General Convention convenes in June in Louisville, Kentucky. With Curry’s nine-year term as presiding bishop expiring this fall and half of Executive Council’s members concluding their six-year terms, Curry noted this is a time of transition for the church.

“And the transition is [occurring] in an uncertain time,” Curry said, for the United States and the world. “This great church of ours will sail forward, but not the way it has always sailed. That’s just the reality, and that’s OK.”

Change can be “fraught with possibility but also danger,” Curry said, but added he took comfort in the words of Moses to his people at a time when they faced an uncertain and potentially dangerous future: “Stand still, and see the salvation of the lord.”

House of Deputies President Julia Ayala Harris welcomed Curry back with “joy and gratitude” in her opening remarks. “Your presence among us has been missed,” she said. In their roles as presiding officers, Curry serves as chair of Executive Council and Ayala Harris as vice chair, though Ayala Harris filled the role of chair for the council’s sessions that Curry was unable to attend while he received treatment and underwent surgery for an irregular heartbeat, a brain bleed and a non-cancerous mass on his adrenal gland.

Like Curry, Ayala Harris spoke of this as a time of transition and transformation, within the church and beyond. She lamented the violence that has gripped the Holy Land during the Israel-Hamas war, as well as the rise of anti-transgender policies implemented by some state governments in the United States.

“It is easy to feel overwhelmed,” Ayala Harris said, but Christians have the Holy Spirit as their guide. “While society breeds division, mistrust and a quest for power, we embody a different way of being, one grounded in love, in humility and in the steadfast commitment to our shared mission in Christ.” Members of the church, she added, can be “a transforming people” for a hurting world.

In addition to the two presiding officers, Executive Council’s other 38 voting members are a mix of bishops, other clergy and lay leaders. Twenty are elected by General Convention to staggered six-year terms – or 10 new members every three years. The Episcopal Church’s nine provinces elect the other 18 to six-year terms, also staggered.

With few major issues on the agenda of this Executive Council meeting, saying goodbye will be one of the members’ the top orders of business. The following 19 members are concluding their terms on Executive Council this year: the Rev. Devon Anderson, Liza Anderson, the Rev. Lillian Davis-Wilson, the Rev. Patty Downing, the Rev. Cornelia Eaton, the Very Rev. M.E. Eccles, Blanca Echeverry, Alice Freeman, Polly Getz, the Rev. Angela Goodhouse, the Very Rev. Mark Goodman, Bishop Scott Hayashi, Bishop Anne Hodges-Copple, the Rev. Anne Kitch, Andrea McKellar, the Ven. Aaron Perkins, Diane Pollard, Rose Sconiers and Sarah Stonesifer Boylan.

Nine of those seats will be filled by the church’s regional provinces. The 81st General Convention will elect the remaining 10 – six lay leaders, two bishops and two other clergy members – from a slate of 22 nominees.

The slate of 22 nominees for Executive Council was released by the Joint Standing Committee on Nominations, for votes at the 81st General Convention in June.

This also is the last Executive Council meeting for the body’s secretary, the Rev. Michael Barlowe, who announced in January that he planned to retire as General Convention’s executive officer later this year. Curry and Ayala Harris released a letter to Executive Council last week outlining the process and timeline for recruiting and appointing Barlowe’s successor by February 2025.

Executive Council’s next meeting is scheduled for Nov. 7-11 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. It will be the first meeting chaired by Curry’s successor, the church’s 28th presiding bishop, who is scheduled to be elected and confirmed at the 81st General Convention and will take office on Nov. 1.

The five presiding bishop nominees are Nebraska Bishop J. Scott Barker, Central New York Bishop DeDe Duncan-Probe, Pennsylvania Bishop Daniel G.P. Gutiérrez, Atlanta Bishop Robert Wright and Northwestern Pennsylvania Bishop Sean Rowe, who also serves as bishop provisional of the Diocese of Western New York.

The nominees for 28th presiding bishop are, clockwise from top left, Bishop J. Scott Barker, Pennsylvania Bishop Daniel G.P. Gutiérrez, Northwestern Pennsylvania Bishop Sean Rowe, who also serves as bishop provisional of the Diocese of Western New York, Central New York Bishop DeDe Duncan-Probe and Atlanta Bishop Robert Wright.

Ayala Harris said the church will continue to draw inspiration from Curry, who led the Raleigh-based Diocese of North Carolina before his election as presiding bishop in 2015.

“His prophetic voice, his unifying presence, his unwavering commitment to love have been a beacon of hope, not only for our church but for the wider world,” Ayala Harris, and she joked that Curry likely has the distinction of being the only Episcopal bishop to have been parodied by “Saturday Night Live” – after his 2018 royal wedding sermon.

In other business, Executive Council is receiving an update on negotiations to possibly relocate The Episcopal Church Archives to the DeKoven Center in Racine, Wisconsin. That discussion was conducted April 18 in a closed session that reporters were not allowed to attend.

Executive Council also will consider a funding request from the Diocese of Cuba, as well as possible resolutions reacting to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the war in Ukraine and violence in Haiti. In addition to budget discussions, the Finance Committee is expected to recommend waivers for some dioceses that have said they are unable to pay the mandated 15% of diocesan revenue to support the churchwide budget.

– David Paulsen is a senior reporter and editor for Episcopal News Service based in Wisconsin. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.

[World Council of Churches] People attending the Global Christian Forum heard from World Council of Churches general secretary the Rev. Jerry Pillay on the opening day of its fourth global gathering, held this week in Accra, Ghana, under the theme “That the World May Know.”

“As we gather as the 4th Global Gathering of the Global Christian Forum under the inspiring theme ‘That the World May Know (John 17:23b),’ we are reminded of the profound significance of our shared commitment to Christian unity and cooperation,” Pillay said in his message, noting that the Global Christian Forum is also marking its 25th anniversary this year.

With a particular focus this year on providing space for the inclusion of youth, women and leaders of migrant and megachurches, the Global Christian Forum serves to bring together Christians from all major streams of world Christianity for ecumenical encounter, prayer and faith sharing, all ultimately to contribute to the vision of visible Christian unity.

Read the entire article here.

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House of Deputies President Julia Ayala Harris and Presiding Bishop Michael Curry signed documentation on April 17 to create the new Episcopal Coalition for Racial Equity and Justice as an independent nonprofit. Photo: Amanda Skofstad/Office of Public Affairs

[Episcopal News Service] Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and House of Deputies President Julia Ayala Harris, The Episcopal Church’s two presiding officers, signed documentation on April 17 to create the new Episcopal Coalition for Racial Equity and Justice as an independent nonprofit incorporated in New York.

The signing, which took place in Raleigh, North Carolina, ahead of Executive Council’s April 18-20 meeting there, is the culmination of a three-year effort by churchwide leaders to establish long-term and lasting commitments to the church’s ongoing racial healing framework. The goal, first identified by Curry and Ayala Harris’ predecessor, the Rev. Gay Clark Jennings, is to address the harms of the church’s complicity with white supremacy, colonialism and the racism that still is found embedded in the church and other American institutions.

An advisory group formed by Curry and Jennings had called for the creation of the coalition as one of its recommendations, encouraging the church and its members to embrace racial justice and truth-telling as a lifelong vocation. In July 2022, the 80th General Convention endorsed the creation of such a coalition to be “a voluntary association of Episcopal dioceses, parishes, organizations, and individuals dedicated to the work of becoming the Beloved Community.”

Church leaders are establishing the Episcopal Coalition for Racial Equity and Justice as an independent nonprofit so it can continue pursuing its mission regardless of any shifts in church leadership or future changes in ministry priorities under General Convention’s direction.

“While today’s news is in one sense legal and administrative, there is tremendous spiritual depth to what we have achieved these past years in our commitment to becoming the Beloved Community envisioned by Jesus of Nazareth,” Curry said in a news release. “We are called to the hard and holy work of love, and I cannot wait to see how the Episcopal Coalition for Racial Equity and Justice will carry this work into a sustainable, creative future.”

Ayala Harris called it “a historic step forward in our church’s ongoing work to dismantle systemic racism and build a more just and equitable future for all God’s children.”

“While there is still much work ahead of us, today’s announcement marks a significant milestone in our journey toward racial justice. Let us move forward with courage, compassion, and a steadfast commitment to creating a church and a world where all people are valued and loved.”

After passage of the General Convention resolution, Curry and Ayala Harris formed a group of Episcopal clergy and lay leaders to develop the structure of the coalition. Executive Council, the church’s governing body between meetings of General Convention, set aside $300,000 in 2023 and 2024 to help with the launch.

“The Episcopal coalition will breathe new life into the church,” said Ryan Kusumoto, chair of the coalition’s constituting group. “It will serve as a central point for the work of racial justice. Our next step is to bring individuals and groups together in this crucial mission and ministry.”

Future funding for the coalition will be based on 10% of the annual budgetary dividend, or draw, from The Episcopal Church’s unrestricted trust funds. It is due to receive $2.3 million in 2025-27, equivalent to 10% of the church’s budgeted draw on its unrestricted investment funds. Curry and Ayala Harris said in the news release that they intended to introduce a rare joint resolution at the 81st General Convention in June that would enshrine that funding mechanism in the church’s canons, to ensure the coalition’s long-term viability.

Israeli soldiers stand next to the Israel-Gaza border, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, as seen from Israel on April 10. Photo: Reuters

[Episcopal News Service] The 81st General Convention is poised to consider 12 resolutions related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, starting with four separate resolutions that would label Israel’s disparate treatment of Jewish and Arab citizens a kind of apartheid.

A hearing on those four resolutions is scheduled for 11 a.m. Eastern April 18 on Zoom with the bishops’ and deputies’ committees on Social Justice & International Policy. Additional hearings are likely in the coming weeks as the parallel committees deliberate on whether to recommend the resolutions for approval by the House of Bishops and House of Deputies when they meet June 23-28 in Louisville, Kentucky.

Three of the apartheid resolutions were proposed originally for consideration by the 80th General Convention in 2022 but were deferred until this year’s meeting. A010, for example, would acknowledge that Israel “has passed laws that discriminate against its non-Jewish citizens, particularly Palestinians.” That resolution, along with A011 and A012, would put the church on record for the first time in labeling such a system as “apartheid.”

The fourth resolution, D003, was newly proposed this year by the Rev. Boyd Evans, a deputy from the Diocese of Southwestern Virginia. It makes a similar case, “that Israel’s entrenched discriminatory rule over Palestinians amounts to the international wrong of apartheid.”

The Episcopal Church’s positions and policies toward the decades-long and ongoing conflict in the Holy Land typically generate some of the most contentious debates when bishops and deputies gather for the triennial churchwide meeting. This year’s General Convention comes as Israel faces intense global scrutiny for its handling of its war with Hamas.

Hamas militants attacked Israeli communities on Oct. 7, killing an estimated 1,200 people and taking more than 200 hostages back to Gaza, which the Palestinian group has controlled since 2007. The unprecedented attack initially generated worldwide condemnation for Hamas and empathy for the Israeli victims, particularly from the United States, Israel’s strongest ally. Since then, however, public opinion has shifted in response to the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza under Israel’s aerial bombardment and a ground invasion by Israel’s military, which has resulted in thousands of civilian Palestinian casualties.

A Palestinian man. Ali Oroq, carries a water container as he walks at a school sheltering displaced people in Gaza City on April 16. Photo: Reuters

Some of the resolutions proposed to the 81st General Convention address these latest developments. D007, a deputy-proposed resolution, would condemn Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, as well as “the ensuing military aggression by Israel against Palestinians in Gaza.”

“No lasting peace can be achieved nor justice established until Israel’s military occupation and control over Palestinians comes to an end and Palestinians and Israelis have equal rights, freedom, and self-determination,” the resolution says, as proposed by Tieran Sweeny-Bender, a Diocese of Olympia deputy. It also seeks to pressure the U.S. government on a range of policy goals, from a cease fire in Gaza to negotiations toward “a future based on equal rights, freedom, and self-determination for all people.”

Resolution D009 would call on the U.S. government to provide money to assist in the long-term rebuilding of Gaza after the Israel-Hamas war. And Resolution D012 would put the church on record supporting conditions for U.S. military aid to Israel to prevent American weapons and technology from being used in potential human rights violations and war crimes. Both were proposed by Sarah Lawton, a Diocese of California deputy.

Other proposed resolutions offer broader perspectives on the conflict. D013 would underscore “no military solution” while acknowledging the historical scope of the conflict and renewing calls for a lasting peace that includes creation of a sovereign Palestinian state.

Resolution D004 would label Palestinians as “among the indigenous people of the lands of Palestine and Israel lying between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River.” The resolution does not mention the Jewish people, who also claim that region as their historic homeland.

Additional resolutions mine narrower aspects of the conflict. D005, for example, would align The Episcopal Church with the “boycott, divest and sanctions” movement, which has drawn strong opposition from Israel’s supporters. An earlier resolution on a similar issue, relating to the church’s own investments, generated intense debate at the 79th General Convention in 2018 before ultimately passing.

The Diocese of Rochester has proposed Resolution C002, “On Responsible Travel to the Holy Land.” It would recommend “that pilgrimage travelers to the Holy Land explore and engage the realities of the circumstances and conditions impacting the lives of today’s Palestinians and Israelis, paying particular attention to the Israeli military occupation of Palestinian territories, to the violations of human rights and to Palestinian national aspirations.”

And Resolution D006 would oppose “the theology and politics of Christian Zionism.” The resolution, proposed by Rochester deputy Carolyn Mok, defines Christian Zionism as an ideology “that believes the establishment of Israel as an exclusively Jewish state in the whole land of Palestine-Israel, denying the legitimacy of any Palestinian Arab existence there, was mandated by God and must be completed before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ can occur.”

– David Paulsen is a senior reporter and editor for Episcopal News Service based in Wisconsin. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.

[Anglican Communion News Service] The Rev. Glen Ruffle is the Anglican Communion’s assistant permanent representative to the United Nations. He writes about the recent 55th U.N. Human Rights Council and the Anglican Communion’s contribution.

The 55th session of the Human Rights Council took place Feb. 26 to April 5 in Geneva, with the Anglican Communion working with partners to co-sponsor statements and observe proceedings.

We co-sponsored a side-event, “Empowering responses to religious hatred,” led by ADF International at which Archbishop Balestrero of the Holy See spoke. He shared that love for God cannot be separated from love for other people, noting that 1 in 7 Christians experience persecution – with hostility notably growing in the West.

Other speakers noted how human dignity needs to be the starting point for laws on rights and freedoms, and that in legislating we must always ask, “How might a law be used against human dignity?” The need to target root causes of hatred was also mentioned: empowering those most vulnerable to hate messaging and dealing with the struggles in their lives is a key strategy.

A speaker from Pakistan spoke on how blasphemy laws tend to embed the religious majority, fuel vigilantism, rarely demand evidence beyond an accusation, often affect the relatives and friends of the accused person as much as the accused person, work against the promotion of freedom to hold one’s own opinion, and tend to lead to social apartheid.

The event ended with the call to educate and counter misinformation with facts; build communities and meet the other person, learning to see their humanity; and in cases of violence, be bold in litigation and diligent in documenting evidence.

The Communion also co-sponsored a statement led by the Quakers on the need to fundamentally reform global economic structures and systems to protect the planet and human rights.

In the Council sessions, disturbing information was presented on many situations ranging from the horrors of Gaza, the rising rate of suicides in Afghanistan, and the oppression in Nicaragua. The latter case shows how divided the world is at the moment, as states either condemned the dictatorship and its attacks on churches and civil society, or claimed the real problem was western sanctions, politicization of the Council, and that the Council had no right to talk about Nicaragua’s internal affairs.

There is much work needed to bring about change in what is a dysfunctional world, but the Anglican Communion’s U.N. team is working to build relations with states and the U.N. and to speak out where there is injustice. We work to encourage states to move toward a world where the principles of the Kingdom of God are influential, and to demonstrate to the world the work of our Communion around the world in bringing peace, caring for refugees, healing the sick, and pointing toward Jesus.

[Episcopal News Service] Atlanta Bishop Rob Wright announced April 15 that the Rev. Greg Warren will serve as interim executive director of the Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing, based in the diocese and Georgia’s capital city.

The Rev. Greg Warren was named interim executive director of the Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo: Diocese of Atlanta

Warren, a priest in the Diocese of Arkansas, will begin in his new role on May 1, succeeding the center’s founding director, Catherine Meeks, who retired at the end of 2023. Warren most recently served as rector of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Conway, Arkansas, and has a previous experience in corporate settings, including strategic communications and advertising, according to the Diocese of Atlanta news release. Before his seminary training, he worked for Walmart as vice president for diversity and inclusion.

“Greg is well-qualified and well-experienced in the work of helping people see afresh the dignity of every human being,” Wright said in the news release. “I look forward to him bringing his considerable gifts and talents to bear as well as building on the good work of the center.”

Warren said in the news release that he sees racial reconciliation as some of The Episcopal Church’s most important work. “The center’s work is uniquely positioned and has proven to be a powerful force for real change,” Warren said. “The center has a great history, a powerful reputation, and many opportunities for growth; I am honored and excited to be a part of that legacy.”

The appointment of an interim executive director comes about a month after Meeks went public with a complaint she had filed against Wright under the church’s Title IV canons governing clergy discipline. She said she had accused Wright of “ageism, ableism, microaggressions and abuse of power,” but the complaint had been dismissed with no disciplinary action against Wright.

Wright now is one of five candidates for the church’s 28th presiding bishop and will stand for election at the 81st General Convention in June.

The Absalom Jones Episcopal Center for Racial Healing is named for Absalom Jones, the first Black Episcopal priest, whose feast day is celebrated every Feb. 13. Meeks helped the Diocese of Atlanta found the center in 2017 and led it for more than six years as executive director.

The Episcopal Church first formalized its support for the Absalom Jones Center in a 2017 memorandum of understanding with the Diocese of Atlanta. That document, which acknowledges the leadership of both Wright and Meeks, affirmed that the Absalom Jones Center would be “a part of the Diocese of Atlanta and under the direction of the bishop of Atlanta. The Diocese of Atlanta shall have complete discretion as to the details of the operation of the Center, including decisions as to personnel, materials and expenses.”

The Episcopal Church also has committed a total of $200,000 to the center through that initial agreement and subsequent annual updates. A proposed update for 2024 is being finalized and would include an additional $40,000 of support, according to the church’s Office of Public Affairs.

– David Paulsen is a senior reporter and editor for Episcopal News Service based in Wisconsin. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.

[Episcopal News Service] Central New York Bishop DeDe Duncan-Probe on April 16 was added as a nominee by petition to stand for election as The Episcopal Church’s 28th presiding bishop, joining four other bishops who were announced two weeks ago on the initial slate of nominees to succeed Presiding Bishop Michael Curry.

Central New York Bishop De-De Duncan-Probe became a nominee by petition for 28th presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church on April 16.

The two-week petition period closed at the end of the day April 15, and Duncan-Probe was the sole petition nominee. She joins Nebraska Bishop J. Scott Barker, Pennsylvania Bishop Daniel G.P. Gutiérrez, Atlanta Bishop Robert Wright and Northwestern Pennsylvania Bishop Sean Rowe, who also serves as bishop provisional of the Diocese of Western New York.

“We are grateful that the Holy Spirit continues to guide the church’s discernment process towards electing our next presiding bishop,” Steve Nishibayashi of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles said in the April 16 news release announcing Duncan-Probe as a nominee. Nishibayashi and Alaska Bishop Mark Lattime are co-chairs of The Episcopal Church Joint Nominating Committee for the Election of the Presiding Bishop, which produced the initial four-bishop slate.

Electing and confirming a new presiding bishop to serve a nine-year term will be a top order of business for the 81st General Convention when it convenes June 23-28 in Louisville, Kentucky. The five candidates are scheduled to address bishops and deputies in a two-hour session on June 21. The nominating committee will formally submit their names June 25 during a joint session of the House of Bishops and House of Deputies, and on June 26, the House of Bishops will hold a closed session at Christ Church Cathedral for the election. The bishops then will ask the House of Deputies to vote to confirm the result of the election.

Duncan-Probe, 61, has led the Syracuse-based Diocese of Central New York since 2016. The nearly 80 congregations in the diocese span from the Canadian border to the Pennsylvania state line.

After a career in education and business, Duncan-Probe earned a Master of Divinity degree from The General Theological Seminary in New York and was ordained to the priesthood in 2004 in the Diocese of El Camino Real in central California. She also holds a doctorate in theology from the Graduate Theological Foundation, completed at Oxford University, and served as an adjunct faculty member at Virginia Theological Seminary before her consecration as bishop.

The nominees will not make themselves available for news interviews, consistent with past practice in presiding bishop elections, the nominating committee said in its news release.

View each nominee’s videos on the General Convention Office website.

The nominating committee declined to say whether Duncan-Probe was among a group of finalists who had been invited by the committee to attend a March retreat at a conference center in the Diocese of Western North Carolina. The bishop, however, confirmed in a message to her diocese that she had been a finalist in the original search process. “When my name was not included in the initial announcement on April 2, colleagues petitioned and I have been added to the slate as a nominee,” Duncan-Probe wrote.

Her nomination by petition follows some complaints from members across the church that the committee’s initial slate, though racially diverse, included no women or LGBTQ+ bishops.

ENS reported in May 2023 on the rapid diversification of the House of Bishops since Curry was installed as presiding bishop in November 2015. During that period, at least 43 women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, or a combination of more than one of those categories had joined the House of Bishops out of 66 total Episcopal bishops either consecrated or “translated” since Curry’s installation. Since that story published, four additional women have been consecrated bishops.

“On the plus side: We have become a church where BIPOC representation on the PB slate is so expected that the slate isn’t considered diverse because it includes no women or Queer bishops,” the Rev. Susan Russell, a Diocese of Los Angeles priest and prominent advocate for greater LGBTQ+ inclusion in the church, said in a Facebook post when the April 2 slate was announced.

“On the minus side: We are still a church where the pool of qualified potential candidates includes so few women and Queer bishops that it is statistically unsurprising that none are represented in the slate.”

Some other Episcopalians, while lamenting the absence of women on the initial slate for 28th presiding bishop, also noted that many of the women and LGBTQ+ bishops in the House of Bishops have taken office within the past five years. There is no canonical requirement that nominees have a certain amount of experience, though length in office traditionally has been seen as a factor in the nominating committee’s decision.

The church’s first and only female presiding bishop, the Rt. Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, had served as bishop of Nevada for five years when she was elected presiding bishop in 2006.

Among the few canonical requirements for presiding bishop candidates, they must be members of the House of Bishops and cannot yet have reached the church’s mandatory retirement age of 72. Nothing prohibits the election of a presiding bishop who would turn 72 during the nine-year term, though historically nominees have been able to complete the full term.

The committee chose this year’s initial slate of nominees from a list of names submitted by 111 Episcopalians during a two-month window last year. Some names were submitted multiple times, and though bishops were invited to nominate themselves, none did.

Bishops named during the two-month window were asked to enter the discernment process. Those who agreed to be considered were asked to provide biographical information, references and responses to the committee’s questions. They also were interviewed on Zoom. From those candidates, the committee invited a smaller number of bishops to the March retreat after which the committee finalized its slate of nominees.

The committee said Duncan-Probe, as a petition nominee, was vetted through the same process of background and reference checks as all nominees, as required by the canons.

The 28th presiding bishop is scheduled to take office on Nov. 1, and an installation is scheduled for Nov. 2 at Washington National Cathedral, the traditional seat of the presiding bishop. When the nominating committee released its presiding bishop profile in March 2023, it identified via survey several qualities needed in “a presiding bishop for our time.” Among the most important characteristics are strong leadership, a love of communicating and faithfulness.

The presiding bishop has a range of responsibilities, as outlined by The Episcopal Church Constitution and Canons. Those include presiding over the House of Bishops, chairing Executive Council, visiting every Episcopal diocese, participating in the ordination and consecration of bishops, receiving and responding to disciplinary complaints against bishops, making appointments to the church’s interim bodies, and “developing policies and strategies for the church and speaking for the church on the policies, strategies and programs of General Convention.”

– David Paulsen is a senior reporter and editor for Episcopal News Service based in Wisconsin. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.

[Episcopal News Service] The Episcopal Diocese of Central New York has expressed its grief and called for prayers in the aftermath of a shooting that left two law enforcement officers and the gunman dead in a residential neighborhood just minutes away from its office in Liverpool, New York.

Those killed on April 14 were Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Michael Hoosock and Syracuse police officer Michael Jensen. The local district attorney identified the shooter as Christopher Murphy.

In a post on its Facebook page, the diocese said it “joins our community in grieving the unthinkable gun violence” that took place, adding “The trauma of the tragic loss of life and feelings of a loss of safety will continue to have harmful impacts on our neighbors and loved ones for years to come.”

Just as Jesus wept at the grave of his friend Lazarus, the post describes “the holy power of mourning and grieving death,” adding, “We, too, weep.”

It also notes that as Christians, the diocese is called to act to end gun violence. “As we love our neighbors in weeping, let us also love them in praying and acting to end senseless gun violence that takes lives and rips apart families and communities in our diocese and across the world,” the post said.

Click here for gun violence response and prevention resources from The Episcopal Church.

[World Council of Churches] World Council of Churches general secretary the Rev. Jerry Pillay extended congratulations to Francis Kuria Kagema after his appointment as the new secretary general for the Religions for Peace World Council.

“I note with appreciation the work you have done to advance your organization’s mission in building bridges of understanding and cooperation among people of diverse faiths and traditions throughout Africa when you served as regional secretary,” wrote Pillay.

He also noted that the WCC’s interreligious work thematically intersects with the aims of the Religions for Peace World Council.

Read the entire article here.

The Cathedral Church of St. Paul’s video of the Easter Vigil on March 30 shows the moment when Bishop Alan Gates removed the Rev. Tamra Tucker’s white tab collar before saying “just kidding.” Gates has since apologized for the incident.

[Episcopal News Service] Massachusetts Bishop Alan M. Gates has issued a written apology for what he calls “an instant of altogether misguided mischief” in which he removed a female priest’s tab collar insert in front of those who were gathered March 30 at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston for an Easter Vigil.

The priest, the Rev. Tamra Tucker, leads The Crossing, an LGBTQ+-affirming congregation that is based at the cathedral and organizes the annual Easter Vigil there. The festive service is attended by several Boston congregations, including other Protestant denominations, with the churches’ members helping to act out Scripture lessons. A drag queen serves as emcee.

The incident between Gates and Tucker happened toward the end of the service while they and others were standing at the altar. Video of the March 30 service shows Tucker addressing worshipers to offer Communion instructions but momentarily forgetting the liturgical language for administering the elements. After Tucker joked about having recently returned from a three-month sabbatical, Gates stepped up to her and snatched the piece of white tab collar from her neck, placing it on the altar. Gates could be heard saying, “just kidding,” to a visibly surprised Tucker. Gates then picked up the white tab and handed it back to her, patting her on the back. Tucker then reinserted the white tab into the collar and proceeded with Communion.

“It was a devastating and demeaning act, which I regret with all my heart,” Gates said in his April 12 statement. “The Rev. Tamra Tucker is a valued colleague and fine priest whose leadership it has been my honor to affirm. It was not and would never be my intent to humiliate Rev. Tamra; however, that was precisely the impact of my action.”

When reached by Episcopal News Service, Tucker said she was not ready to speak publicly about the incident and declined to comment for this story.

Two other sources who attended the service and asked not to be named told ENS that Gates appeared to realize his mistake almost instantly, when Tucker and others were taken aback by his gesture. They described the service as an otherwise joyful occasion, typical of the Easter services organized each year by The Crossing.

Gates’ actions also drew the attention of the Rev. Jay Williams, the lead pastor of Union Combined Parish, a United Methodist congregation in Boston. Members of the congregation attended the Easter Vigil at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul. The next day, Williams referenced the incident in his Easter sermon, describing it as an example of “violent patriarchy and sexism.” Tucker’s wife, the Rev. Sara Garrard, serves as executive pastor of Union Combined Parish.

Gates “literally stripped Rev. Tamra of her clergy collar in public. You can’t make this stuff up,” William told his congregation, as captured on the church’s video of the service. “The male bishop tried to say it was a joke and apologize in public, but it’s no joking matter when a man publicly violates the personal space of a woman and symbolically strips her of her sign of ordination.”

The Crossing was founded in 2006 by the Rev. Stephanie Spellers, who now serves Presiding Bishop Michael Curry as his canon for evangelism, reconciliation and creation care. The congregation is rooted in a spirit of “radical welcome,” according to its website, and today, its primary ministry is to provide “a welcoming worship space for LGBTQIA+ folks.”

“We have always been a queer church. Trans, gay, lesbian, non-binary and other folks have always been a part of The Crossing,” the congregation’s website says.

Tucker, formerly from Oklahoma, moved to Boston in 2010 and joined The Crossing while serving in the Episcopal Service Corps, according to her online biography.  She earned her Master of Divinity degree from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific and was ordained to the priesthood by Gates in February 2019 at the cathedral.

Bishop Alan Gates ordained the Rev. Tamra Tucker, in red, to the priesthood on Feb. 23, 2019, in a ceremony at Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston. Photo: Bob Greiner/Diocese of Massachusetts

Gates is in the final year of his episcopate. He announced last May that he intended to retire at the end of 2024 and has called for the election of his successor. The election is scheduled for May 18. There are four nominees on the slate.

In his written statement, Gates extended his apology to Tucker, The Crossing, its members and others who were harmed by his actions.

“I misused my authority, failed to extend episcopal grace and transgressed personal space and boundaries. I am deeply sorry,” Gates said. “In our baptismal covenant we pledge to ‘respect the dignity of every human being.’ I seek forgiveness for my failure to keep this pledge, and God’s grace to renew that commitment.”

– David Paulsen is a senior reporter and editor for Episcopal News Service based in Wisconsin. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.

[Episcopal News Service] The Episcopal Diocese of Texas has suspended the Rev. Jason Myers, who had been serving as associate rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Fort Worth, after he was arrested and charged with online solicitation of a minor. The charge is a felony when it involves attempted sexual contact with a person younger than 17.

Myers, 43, was arrested by deputies of the Collin County sheriff’s office on April 11, according to news reports.

The Rev. Robert F. Pace, Trinity’s rector, said he first learned of Myers’ arrest when an investigator in the sheriff’s office contacted him on April 12, according to an April 13 email sent to parishioners and friends of the parish.

Upon hearing of the arrest, Pace informed Texas Bishop Andy Doyle, who suspended Myers under the Title IV disciplinary canons of the church. This prevents Myers from functioning in any capacity as an Episcopal priest during the duration of the legal proceedings. He also cannot have contact with anyone in the congregation.

Pace said that Myers and his family will have pastoral support during this process.

The church does not have any reason to believe that anyone in the congregation or its preschool has been harmed, he said, but noted “there is much that we do not know or understand, and we have many questions that cannot yet be answered.”

Anyone in the congregation who wants to share information about the case was urged to contact the diocese’s intake officer for clergy misconduct complaints, local law enforcement or the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.

Noting that “this situation comes as a shock,” Pace was available in the parish hall after the 9:30 a.m. worship service on April 14 for anyone who wanted to talk or pray.

He closed his email by inviting parishioners to join him in prayer for all involved. “We pray for all children and adults who have experienced harm. We pray for our parish family. We pray for Jason’s wife and their children. Please also pray for Jason.”

The Episcopal Church in North Texas, formerly the Diocese of Fort Worth, and the Houston-based Diocese of Texas merged in 2022.

Bishop Mark Edington of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe spoke in favor of Resolution A009, which would create full communion between The Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria, during the April 12 hearing of the Ecumenical & Interreligious Relations legislative committees.

[Episcopal News Service] Members of the Ecumenical & Interreligious Relations legislative committees heard testimony April 12 during an online hearing on a resolution that would establish full communion between The Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria (in German, the Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern), that often is noted by its initials, ELKB.

The hearing on Resolution A009 drew seven people, six of whom were participating from Europe, speaking in favor of full communion through the document “Sharing the Gifts of Communion,” also known as the Augsburg Agreement. This resolution was carried over from the 80th General Convention to the 81st convention because of the reduced number of legislative days in 2022, resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Full communion agreements require changes to the canons of The Episcopal Church (Title 1, Canon 20, Section 1) and currently exist with seven other churches: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; the Moravian Church-Northern and Southern Provinces; the Mar Thomas Syrian Church of Malabar, India; the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht; the Philippine Independent Church; the Church of Sweden; and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada.

Full-communion partnerships allow members of both churches to receive the sacraments in the other body, and it also allows for interchangeability of clergy, allowing them to officiate at services and celebrate the sacraments with equal authority in either church.

One of the questions about full communion with the ELKB has centered on the role of bishops in that church. The presence of “the historic episcopate, locally adapted in the methods of its administration” is one of the requirements set forth in the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral, which is the framework for how The Episcopal Church and other denominations can reach full communion.

The Rt. Rev. Mark Edington, bishop of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe, expressed his “fervent” support” for the resolution and noted the numerous studies that had explored the nature of the ELKB episcopate. He said that after all of those, he has become very comfortable that “the sign of the historic episcopate [is] present throughout their long history.”

Edington noted the Episcopal congregations in Munich, Nuremburg and Augsburg are the only Anglican presence in Bavaria, which is one of 16 federal states in Germany. Those three congregations all meet in ELKB buildings.

Eugene Schlesinger, a member of the Standing Commission on Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations, noted that over time any concerns about the historic nature of the ELKB episcopate would be removed, as Episcopal bishops lay hands on ELKB bishops during ordinations and thus create a “shared history of succession.”

The Ven. Walter Baer, a Convocation deputy and a member of the Standing Commission on Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations, said that connections between the two churches dates to 2013, when then-Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and then-Landesbischof (Regional Bishop) Heinrich Bedford-Strohm of the ELKB met informally. A formal dialogue with a formal dialogue between the two churches began in 2018.

Two leaders within the ELKB also spoke in favor of the resolution. Theologian Oliver Schuegraf, who also is an honorary canon theologian of Coventry Cathedral in England, was one of the people who drafted the Augsburg Agreement. He said the ELKB has both a historic and an evangelical episcopate – historic, in that it is passed down over time, and evangelical, in which preaching the Gospel has taken place unbroken from generation to generation. “It is absolutely clear that we have episcopé” he said, although it is exercised both by bishops and other church structures.

Maria Stattner, the ELKB ecumenical officer, gave an overview of those other structures: Synod, Executive Committee of Synod, the Council and the regional bishop, who is elected for a 12-year term by the Synod. The ELKB already has adopted the Augsburg Agreement, she said, and if General Convention adopts this resolution, “we hope to have reason to celebrate the agreement of full communion and to fill it with life.”

Two people from the Church of the Ascension in Munich spoke in support of the resolution. The Rev. Daniel Morrow, its priest-in-charge, told the committees that his congregation has met in an ELKB church for over 50 years. “We work on projects together, we minister together, we pray for each other weekly. And we love each other,” he said. He acknowledged that there are differences in structure between the two churches but urged the committees “not to equate unity with uniformity.” Being in full communion, he said, “will make a day-by-day difference for the Episcopal churches in Bavaria.”

Loren Stuckenbruck, a member of Ascension and a professor of New Testament and early Judaism at the University of Munich’s school of theology, urged passage of the resolution for practical reasons. Episcopalians wishing to study for ordination would be able to take classes and undergo some formation through the Lutheran theology school in Munich, which would be more cost-effective than other options. Having an ELKB pastor able to officiate at Episcopal services, or vice versa, in their shared building, would provide sense of familiarity and continuity during times when clergy are absent, he said.

The agreement also calls for bishops of each church to regularly take part in ordinations of the other, but Edington noted that most likely would involve ordinations taking place in Europe.

Resolution A037, which is identical to A009, was proposed by the Standing Commission on Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations. Bishop Douglas Sparks of Northern Indiana, chair of the bishop’s committee of the Ecumenical & Interreligious Relations legislative committee, said he thought that when the committees discuss these resolutions in an upcoming meeting, they would be combined into a single resolution to be submitted to the convention with the committees’ recommendation.

Legislative committees include parallel committees of deputies and of bishops, which, though distinct, typically meet and deliberate together. Committees can recommend that General Convention adopt, reject or take no action on a resolution, and every resolution must be voted upon by the convention. Resolutions also can be placed on each house’s consent calendars, in which resolutions are not individually debated on the floor but are voted on together.

Because A009 would amend the canons, it also would need to be reviewed by the legislative committees on Constitution & Canons.

The General Convention is the governing body of The Episcopal Church. Every three years it meets as a bicameral legislature, dividing its authority between the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops, and is composed of members from each diocese.

—Melodie Woerman is a freelance reporter based in Kansas.

[World Council of Churches] World Council of Churches general secretary the Rev. Jerry Pillay, on behalf of the global fellowship, expressed grave concern regarding the recent escalation of violence in the Middle East following the first direct confrontation between Iran and Israel.

“We firmly believe that violence and warfare offer no sustainable solutions and only serve to further harm vulnerable communities and destabilize the region,” he said. “We reaffirm our conviction that safety and security are not singular achievements but collective realities that depend on the access of all people to justice, peace, and human dignity equally.”

He described five calls to action and then concluded, “As followers of Christ, who calls us to be peacemakers, we are compelled to speak against the spiraling cycle of violence and to work tirelessly for a world where peace is rooted in justice.”

Read the entire article here.

General Convention’s Social Justice & U.S. Policy committees heard testimony April 11, 2024, on five proposed resolutions seeking to affirm and, in some cases, broaden The Episcopal Church’s stance on pacifism and just war, gun safety and addressing homelessness. Photo: Screenshot

[Episcopal News Service] General Convention’s Social Justice & U.S. Policy committees heard testimony April 11 on five proposed resolutions seeking to affirm and, in some cases, broaden The Episcopal Church’s stance on pacifism and just war, gun safety and addressing homelessness. 

Forty-six people attended the virtual hearing of the House of Bishops’ and House of Deputies’ committees, which though distinct, typically meet and deliberate together. Once finalized, resolutions will advance to the 81st General Convention, to be held June 23-29 in Louisville, Kentucky, June 23-28. 

All but one person who testified supported the resolutions, with exceptions mostly addressing the resolutions’ wording. The full list of resolutions can be found here. 

Two of the resolutions, D011 and D014, were proposed by Joe McDaniel, a member of the church’s Executive Council from the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast. Both address gun violence. D011 calls for General Convention to urge the U.S. Congress to adopt a new ban on the purchase and ownership of all assault, automatic and semi-automatic weapons. 

“These guns are often used in mass shootings and are recovered at crime scenes, but research shows a prohibition on assault weapons can prevent mass shooting fatalities and active shooter events,” McDaniel said during the hearing.

Alaska Bishop Mark Lattime said the resolutions need to be more specific in their language, particularly when distinguishing between rate of fire and velocity of assault weapons.

“It may be nitpicking, but sometimes that’s what some people use to derail any conversation that we might have about this,” he said.

D014 calls for convention to promote legislation aimed at reducing gun violence and to urge U.S. officials to declare gun violence a national health crisis. The resolution also calls for General Convention to urge the reform of the Victims of Crime Act, which was created by Congress in 1984 to provide federal assistance to state and local programs that support crime victims. 

The Diocese of North Carolina proposed resolution C003, which asks General Convention to establish a 13-member task force on affordable housing and homelessness. The task force would investigate and document the engagement of Episcopal dioceses and congregations in the development of affordable housing using best, local practices. The resolution also calls for formulating a standing commission on housing and homelessness to “elevate and empower” Episcopal engagement in addressing what is a racial and economic justice issue. The requested budget to implement C003 is $95,000.

“We found that when we created a focused group of individuals who were involved with and committed to the development of affordable housing, the amount of congregational involvement in affordable housing ballooned,” testified Rebecca Yarbrough, a member of the Diocese of North Carolina’s Bishop’s Committee on Affordable Housing and a deacon at Chapel of Christ the King in Charlotte.

Resolution A081 calls on General Convention to acknowledge and urge The Episcopal Church and its mission-related entities to partner with the Anglican Communion to combat rising religious nationalism. The resolution encourages individuals, congregations, dioceses and other Episcopal affiliates to educate themselves on how religious nationalism harms marginalized groups. The Standing Commission on World Mission proposed A081.

“This is not just Christian nationalism. How does it impact how we are doing mission around the world, and how does it impact who we are as both Episcopalians and Anglicans?” Thomas Diaz, a member of the Standing Commission on World Mission, said during the hearing.

Some hearing participants expressed a need for A081’s language to be clearer with what, exactly, the resolution hopes to accomplish.

“What kind of education action do you want The Episcopal Church to do?” said Ed Sisson, a deputy from the Diocese of Mississippi. “It’s not clear in my mind what it is you want to do. If we pass this resolution, what would the first attempt be in terms of an advocacy and education approach?”

Resolution A018 calls on General Convention to authorize a task force of 12 church leaders to study pacifism and just war. The task force would use the experience and expertise gathered from the Military Chaplains Just War Education Project, which was funded by a 2020-21 Constable Grant. The proposed budget to implement task force duties is $5,000.

“I feel strongly on behalf of the standing commission that this is one of these issues that we have not necessarily delved into as best we can,” said Martha Gardner, the Diocese of Massachusetts’ missioner for networking and formation.

The General Convention is the governing body of The Episcopal Church. Every three years it meets as a bicameral legislature dividing its authority between the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops and composed of members from each diocese. 

-Shireen Korkzan is a reporter and assistant editor for Episcopal News Service based in northern Indiana. She can be reached at skorkzan@episcopalchurch.org.

[Episcopal News Service] The Episcopal Church’s two presiding officers on April 12 publicly released a letter addressed to Executive Council that outlines their plan for appointing a new General Convention executive officer to succeed the Rev. Michael Barlowe, who plans to retire later this year.

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and House of Deputies President Julia Ayala Harris, in their letter, cited Episcopal Church Canon I.1.12a, which grants them in their leadership roles the authority to jointly appoint the executive officer, with the advice and consent of the Executive Council. Curry and Ayala Harris also serve, respectively, as chair and vice-chair of Executive Council.

“We have developed a timeline that will allow our body to study the position, discern the needs of our church, and ensure an opportunity for the presiding bishop-elect to provide ample input,” Curry and Ayala Harris said. “Upon Secretary Barlowe’s retirement, leadership of the General Convention Office will operate via the cabinet approach … until a new executive officer is appointed.”

Barlowe is scheduled to retire around Labor Day in September after serving as executive officer and secretary of the 81st General Convention, which convenes June 23-28 in Louisville, Kentucky. Barlowe announced in January his plans to retire after 11 years as executive officer and more than 40 years as an Episcopal priest.

At Executive Council’s last meeting, held in late January in Louisville, council member Annette Buchanan of the Diocese of New Jersey asked for information on succession planning for the executive officer. At the time, Ayala Harris responded that she, Curry and their chancellors were still reviewing the canons and would report back to Executive Council with a clear answer.

In their April 12 letter, Curry and Ayala Harris announced that this spring they will develop an advisory committee that will include members of Executive Council, the House of Deputies and House of Bishops. From July to September, that advisory committee will work with the presiding officers to “review the job description of the executive officer, study the current needs of the church, make recommendations to them for any necessary changes, and assist them in their discernment with regard to candidates for the position.”

The executive officer leads the General Convention Office, the church’s central office responsible for the administration of church governance. The General Convention Office’s duties include negotiating contracts for venues and accommodations at each General Convention, coordinating the meetings of all the church’s interim governing bodies, receiving and tallying parochial report data from dioceses and congregations, facilitating the consent process for bishop elections, and ensuring the church has the technology needed to achieve all those goals.

After conducting their review of the position, the presiding officers plan to publish a job description and begin recruiting candidates for the role from October 2024 to January 2025. During that time, Curry also will hand off his role in the recruitment process to a newly elected successor, who will become the church’s 28th presiding bishop on Nov. 1. (The presiding bishop election is one of the top agenda items at the 81st General Convention this June.)

Through the beginning of 2025, the presiding officers will interview qualified candidates while providing updates to Executive Council, the letter says. Appointment of the new executive officer is scheduled for February 2025, at which time the presiding officers will seek consent from Executive Council, presumably in a vote at the governing body’s in-person meeting scheduled for that month.

“We are committed to a transparent and intentional process, which is essential to identifying the best candidate to serve as our next executive officer,” Curry and Ayala Harris said. “We ask for your continued prayers and support as we undertake this important work together.”

This will be the second major churchwide leadership appointment that current members of Executive Council are asked to endorse. Curry and Ayala Harris previously chose Jane Cisluycis to serve as the church’s chief operating officer, but that process drew vocal objections from some members of Executive Council that the search was not broad enough, didn’t involve the council and failed to generate a racially diverse pool of candidates.

Curry and Ayala Harris stood by their appointment of Cisluysis while adjusting her title to acting chief operating officer. Executive Council approved the appointment in February 2023, with a third of the members voting against giving their consent.

– David Paulsen is a senior reporter and editor for Episcopal News Service based in Wisconsin. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.