Bishop Ihloff's Convention Address 2004

Bishops Meet with "Network" Parishes

Impact 2004- A huge Success

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NEWS

Confronting Racism with Grace at Colorful Convention 2004

By VAL HYMES 

Your face, Lord, will I seek? Ps. 27:11

Adifficult issue — racism – was confronted by the 2004 convention with style and grace, according to delegates at the 220th gathering held in Hunt Valley, north of Baltimore, May 7 and 8. Besides the registered 483 for the convention, “Seeing the Face of God in Each Other,” there were scores of vendors, artists, crafts people, diocesan committees, commissions and staffers.

The program of elections, resolutions, reports and worship was interwoven with reminders of diversity in our society, communities and churches, and reminders of the Lord’s wishes for our response to those differences.

“It was handled judiciously, fairly and with a positive spirit,” said the Rev.William H. C.Ticknor, St. James’ Parish, Lothian, “and it was a beautiful setting.”

“Racism continues to exist,” said theme committee chair Sherry McCall Ross.“We invited people to open their hearts and minds to engage in self-examination and awareness of our roles and the church’s role in confronting racism, corporately and personally.”

The convention sought to emphasize the Baptismal covenant “to seek and serve Christ in all persons … to strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.”

Calling it “serious work,” she said,“We cannot do it alone but we can do it together, with God’s help.” The keynote speaker, a civil rights expert on diversity and inter-group relations, Jim Karantonis, spelled out the casual ways that racism creeps into words, bodylanguage and actions.

Art, crafts and artifacts dramatized the setting, especially the videos of many faces, paintings, sculptures and drawings of children by church school pupils, and a backdrop of quilts in the hall.

Powerful and moving messages and meditations by Chaplain Jane Cosby punctuated the business sessions.A member of the Diocese of Pennsylvania and a member of its Committee to Combat Racism, she was given a standing ovation.

Reparation for Slavery

A resolution was adopted calling for “diocesan-wide education and discussion for at least the next year” to be led by a special committee or task force concerning the issue of reparation for slavery.The bishops of the diocese will appoint the committee with the Anti-Racism Task Force in the hope of making a recommendation to General Convention 2006.

“Racism is a sin because it is contrary to the word of God,” said Bishop Suffragan John L. Rabb. “The call in Christ Jesus is that … race, ethnicity or class cannot and must not ever be reasons, excuses or rationale for not seeing the face of Christ in each person … The sin of racism has left people out ... In all of our boards, commissions, task forces and agencies, we must ask, ‘Are all God’s children at the table? Who is not present and what can we do to bring them to the table?’”

“Too many people in the communities that make up this diocese have fewer economic opportunities, diminished educational opportunities and less than adequate health care. People are at risk … We must advocate as well as serve,” said Bishop Rabb.

“Learn from One Another”

In his vision address, Bishop Robert W. Ihloff decried the “ugliness of the national political debate … the lack of respect for others” and “self-righteous indignation coupled with judgmentalness…” on the parts of both liberals and conservatives over the consecration of Bishop Gene Robinson.

“I do not believe,” he said,“we are collapsing as a denomination, nor do I expect that the Anglican Communion will dissolve. I do expect we will continue to be guided by Christ our Lord, learn from one another, and often see, if only in retrospect, the hand of God working in our midst.”

“Concerned members” read a report from the “Network,” a group of Anglican Communion dioceses and parishes. It was titled “A Statement of Conscience” and bore the names of five – and later six — churches.

“We did not choose this issue (of homosexuality) and we are not spoiling for a fight with anyone,” said Daniel Muth of Christ Church, Port Republic.“We intend to remain engaged and involved with our parishes and diocese and the world-wide Anglican Communion.”

“We recognize the canonical authority of our bishops,” said Roger Bair of Ascension, but “until they repent of their positions …a severely strained relationship exists between us.”

They will pray, he added,“for all persons confused as to the truth of the Scriptures” and the “teaching of the church.”

The churches that signed are “designated point parishes” and do not necessarily represent their full membership, said one delegate.They are Ascension,Westminster, All Saints, Reisterstown, St.Timothy’s, Catonsville, Holy Cross, Baltimore, Christ Church, Port Republic and Los Tres Santos Reyes,Timonium.

Young people from across the diocese who served as delegates, alternates and pages, also issued a statement saying they “fully support” the consecration of Bishop Robinson, and the decisions made by Bishops Ihloff and Rabb. They called for “mature conversations that respect all opinions,” expressed their “concern regarding the unity of the Church,” and hoped that the church accept all who wish to “seek and follow the Lord.”

Another successful resolution called on churches and meetings in the diocese to use fairly traded, organically and shade-grown coffee known as “triple-certified coffee” to aid small coffee farmers. “Bishop’s Blend” is one brand offered by the national church as a fundraiser.

The discussion led the Rev. Ronald S. Fisher to urge similar support for Chesapeake Bay clean-up efforts. “How can we mobilize 40,000 Episcopalians?” he asked, noting that most parishes border the bay or its tributaries.

Music Presence

Music was a steady and joyful presence at the convention, highlighted by Friday night’s Heartbeat Choir of the Church of the Redeemer, Baltimore, and punctuated by hymns from Lift Every Voice and Sing.Young people from Epiphany,Timonium,Youth.Net, presented a worship performance with singing and dance to We All Bow Down.

The closing Eucharist was celebrated and served by both bishops, priests, deacons, a verger, the convention chaplain and young people with special communion bread from St.Thomas’,Towson and musicians from St. Michael and All Angels, Baltimore.The service included Eucharistic Prayer 2 (rooted in Job 38:4-11) from Enriching Our Worship and hymns from Lift Every Voice and Sing and was used to honor the diversity of prayer in both the Eastern and Western traditions before the Reformation.

“We are asking ourselves to take risks about recognizing racism, so we need to be taking some risks in trying new ways to worship together,” said McCall Ross.

The offering included gifts of treasure for the Ghana Cursillo Team, which was commissioned by the bishop during the service, for youth ministry and anti-racism work. Bishop Ihloff ’s vestments were made of brightly colored Kinte cloth he found during a trip to Ghana in our companion diocese of Accra.

Val Hymes is a member of St. James’ Parish, Lothian.
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Sending Out the Twelve!

By IZZYWINN, ST. MARGARET’S CHURCH,ANNAPOLI

Most members of the team scheduled to export Cursillo to Ghana in the companion diocese of Accra in August posed with Bishops Ihloff and Rabb before their commissioning during the closing Eucharist at the diocesan convention. Photo by Val Hymes

Sometimes an idea takes hold and there is no stopping it.That seems to be the case with introducing Cursillo to our companion diocese of Accra. At the invitation of Bishop Justice Akrofi, Bishop Ihloff put his support behind sending the Cursillo program to Accra. Cursillo is a program for active church members that inspires and supports laity in leadership roles in churches and other environments. Introducing Cursillo from one diocese to another, authorized by respective diocesan bishops and approved by National Episcopal Cursillo, is known as “exporting Cursillo.” For example, the Diocese of Virginia exported Cursillo to Maryland nearly 25 years ago.

In four years since the bishops initiated the Companion relationship, eight Ghanaians (including two priests) have traveled to Maryland to experience a Cursillo weekend. In 2003, Maryland Episcopal Cursillo funded the travel and program expenses for six Ghanaians to come to Maryland. One of them,Mercia Laryea, called by Bishop Akrofi to be the lay leader of Cursillo in Accra, was also one of three Ghanaians who came in 2000. She returned here last year for a two-month stay to train for Cursillo community and team leadership.All of the Ghanaian Cursillistas have joined with the Ghanaian Anglicans who have participated inWalk to Emmaus, a similar non-denominational program, to form the first Anglican Cursillo community in Ghana.

A committee of Maryland Episcopal Cursillo leadership has selected 12 qualified individuals to go to Ghana from August 14 through August 29: Izzy Winn, Lay Rector – St. Margaret’s, Annapolis;The Rev. Ron Fisher, Spiritual Advisor – Ascension,Westminster; The Rev. Mary Jane White, Deacon (and nurse!) – Resurrection, Joppa; Debi Frock, Maryland Music Director – Ascension,Westminster; Betty Stuart McNulty,Maryland “Head Cha” – St. Anne’s, Annapolis; Patty Forsythe – St. Mark’s, Lappans; Marjie Mack – St. James’, Lothian; Connie McNey – Christ Church, Forest Hill; Gail Morton – St. Margaret’s, Annapolis; Bruce Neumann – St. John’s, Hagerstown;Michael Winn – St. Margaret’s, Annapolis; Charlie Wolf – St. James’, Lothian.They will unite with eight Ghanaians to form one team to present the first Cursillo weekend in Accra.The goal is to have thirty Ghanaians attend the weekend as new participants.

Team preparation on this side of the Atlantic began back in January with a gathering to reflect on Jesus sending out “the twelve,” the meaning of mission, and the significance of diocesan companionship. Jeanne Cushing, past Lay Director of Maryland Episcopal Cursillo, is coordinating travel details and has been encouraging the startup Cursillo leadership in Accra. Team meetings start in earnest following team commissioning by Bishop Ihloff at Diocesan Convention.The team will have a two-day overnight retreat in June at the Winn’s house. Plans include a night of Ghanaian movies, outdoor cooking (a foretaste of the cooking style expected in Ghana), beverages without ice cubes and no hot showers! Team members are reading the New Church’s Teaching Series Horizons of Mission by Titus Presler and the Ghanaian publication Invitation To Be African Anglican by J.S. Pobee.Team members will prepare talks and activities for the Cursillo weekend that will be coordinated with the Ghanaian part of the team. Of course over the span of summer meetings there will be extraordinary community building amidst the hard work and fun.

This is an ambitious undertaking girded by prayer.The budget for just this year’s activities (including program supplies and airfares) is over $20,000. Ghanaians will host team members for much of the visit cutting down on costs and strengthening the companion relationship.Team members, however, have agreed to personally absorb costs such as inoculations, passports and lodging at Trinity College, site of the Accra Cursillo weekend. In 2005, a second smaller team of 5-8 persons will be sent to assist Accra Cursillistas in holding the second Accra Cursillo weekend. Future support for this Cursillo “export” will depend upon the needs of the growing Cursillo community in Accra.

This entire effort is a long-term commitment involving teams and supporting communities on both sides of the Atlantic. “Attic sales for Accra” are popping up at various parishes as fundraisers.Theater nights, concerts, novelty sales, card and book sales, and other creative efforts have been put into the mix to raise money for this endeavor.While the team is preparing, the financial needs are very immediate (tickets have been purchased in advance on credit!) and cannot be ignored.As much financial and prayer support as possible must come from our greater church community, friends, family and colleagues. Send us out to do the work you have given us to do. Contributions for this mission should be sent to:
MEC Comptroller – Ghana Project
C/O Church of the Ascension,
23 North Court Street,Westminster, MD 21157

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Bishops Meet with “Network” Parishes

By DANIEL W. MUTH

In September and October of last year, vestries from several Diocese of Maryland congregations began discussing issues that came to a head with the controversial actions of the 2003 General Convention in Minneapolis. While these issues were sparked by the votes related to sexuality, the concerns ran much deeper with the general feeling that the church is re-arguing issues that they believe were decided in the first four centuries of Christianity and that the fundamental doctrine of the church is being deliberately and significantly altered. After informal talks amongst several representatives from these congregations, a series of meetings of the combined vestries was convened beginning in January to deliberate on how best to address the direction ECUSA is taking.

These meetings resulted in conversations that related to how traditional teachings can be expressed while still allowing for modern thought and discernment to inform them without superseding them. As a first step it was determined that a Statement of Conscience should be written to encourage traditionalists across the Diocese, foster communication and fellowship among them, and provide an accurate and irenic summary of their concerns.

Vestry members representing over ten churches gathered over the subsequent months to prepare and agree on this Statement of Conscience, which was presented to both bishops the night of April 30 in a meeting attended by over 200 concerned lay people and clergy. The meeting was cordial and served to clarify the intent of the statement. While clearly expressing disagreement with aspects of the Statement of Conscience, both Bishops were encouraging and reassured those present that they understand the need for fellowship amongst “the loyal opposition.” They expressed support of the Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes as a vehicle for providing this fellowship. Several of the congregations represented are in the process of affiliating with the Network.

Once the Statement of Conscience was presented to the Bishops, arrangements were made to read the Statement at the 220th Annual Convention of the Diocese of Maryland, where copies of the document were made available. Online copies of the documents can be downloaded from, http://www.allsaints.ang-md.org .

Information regarding the Network or the Statement of Conscience can be obtained from any of the following designated point parish offices: St.Timothy’s, Catonsville; Church of the Ascension,Westminster; Los Tres Santos Reyes, Catonsville; All Saints Church, Reisterstown; Christ Church, Port Republic; or Holy Cross, Baltimore.

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Episcopal Housing Corporation Begins Construction of Union Bridge Senior Housing Project

By DANIEL MCCARTHY

Foundation is laid for the Shriner Court Project

Episcopal Housing Corporation (EHC) in partnership with the Town of Union Bridge recently began construction of the Shriner Court project in Union Bridge. Once completed, Shriner Court will provide 20 units of housing for low-income seniors in northern Carroll County. The one-bedroom units will rent for $385 per month and are affordable to seniors with incomes of $13,000 per year.

The project is being built on land that EHC acquired from the Diocese of Maryland. Funding for the project has come from the State of Maryland, Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta and the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation. The first residents will be able to move into their new homes in November 2004.

For information about the project, please call EHC’s Executive Director, Daniel McCarthy at 410.366.6200.
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The Archives needs You!

By MARY KLEIN

Unlike many organizations and offices within the Diocese, the Archives has a Diocesan Canon governing its operation.We are mandated to “preserve and store publications, documents, correspondence and other items relating to the history of the Diocese’s mission and ministry…”We must also collect “materials such as written histories and other historically significant documents pertaining to the parishes and missions of the Diocese.” Many of our parishes and missions have thick files pertaining to their histories housed in the Archives, but some have no files at all.We depend on you to help us collect historical materials so that our facility can serve researchers who are gathering information on all kinds of topics. If your parish has documents, photographs, written histories or other interesting items, the Archives would love to have copies.We have many requests for photographs of clergy, information about lay leaders in parishes, how women have figured in parish history, churchmanship in parishes, educational attempts, missionary outreach and many other topics. Have you personally collected interesting mementos relating to the Diocese or your parish? You can help fill in the gaps of our collections.

Perhaps your parish has a closet full of “stuff ” relating to your history, but you don’t know how to begin organizing it and preserving it. Call on your diocesan Archivist to help begin your own Archives. A representative will be happy to visit your parish or have you come and tour the Diocesan Archives. It doesn’t matter if your parish has a 300 year-old ancestry or if your mission is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary, all the past is important to the expansion of historical knowledge. Each parish and mission helps make up the colorful patchwork quilt that is our Diocese, and the Diocesan Archives is happy to help preserve that little patch you call your parish home.

News Flash…News Flash

Due to the slow summer months, the Maryland Church News will not be publishing an August/September edition. The next Maryland Church News will be the October/November edition. The deadline for this edition is September 1, 2004. Have a peaceful and blessed summer.

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IMPACT 2004 A huge success

By JOSÉ GONZALEZ

IMPACT 2004 Rewired Conference participant Brooke Miller (left) is pictured with Shelter International relief worker Heather Mercer (right). Ms.Mercer, who was imprisoned by the Taliban in Afghanistan with fellow relief worker Dayna Curry, spoke about her experience to more than 4,000 high school students.

Over 4,000 high school students and youth leaders had their routine, ordinary daily lives challenged to the core at IMPACT 2004 last March in Ocean City,Maryland. For 15 years, Metro-Maryland Youth For Christ has been hosting youth conferences in order to share the life-changing message of Jesus Christ with teens and to help them deal with the issues they face daily. What began as a single yearly event in 1989 with 300 young people has exploded into two annual mega-conferences in March and November with a combined attendance of more than 7,000 participants.

Headlining this year’s IMPACT was American relief worker Heather Mercer. In 2001, Mercer was arrested and charged in Afghanistan for sharing her faith with a local family, a crime punishable by death under the rule of the Taliban. As she strode the stage of the main hall of the Ocean City Convention Center, Heather detailed a vivid account of how her faith in God, a faith tested immensely during her 105-day ordeal, allowed her to endure and survive in prison under unimaginable conditions, often forced to huddle under her bed as U.S. and coalition bombs rained down on Afghanistan following September 11.

Heather challenged the attentive audience of high school students to be more than just a very small pebble in a big ocean and to be God’s witness anywhere, anyplace and anytime.“What is your story going to be?” she asked them.

Hundreds came forward towards the stage and responded to the call to pledge their lives in the service of Christ.

A makeshift cross was displayed in the main hall that allowed students to place Post-it notes containing their prayers, praises and hopes for the weekend and beyond. Their words were a testament to how deep an impact God was having on their hearts. One wrote,“I want you to know I have found you this weekend. I have felt your love for the first time, and it was the greatest.” Another asked, “Please help me to serve you wherever I am and where you want me to be.” And one note pleaded,“Please use me. I’m tired of being nobody.”

The overriding message conveyed to the teens at this year’s IMPACT and at every Metro-Maryland Youth For Christ conference is that everyone has a critical role to play in God’s plan and that not one single person, young or old, is ever a “nobody.”

“We had some challenges to face this year,” said Metro- Maryland Youth for Christ Executive Director Bob Arnold. “But in spite of family medical emergencies that caused lastminute cancellations by one main speaker and two seminar leaders, and an audio speaker blowing out, God was present in an amazing way at IMPACT.Many students who came from difficult backgrounds understood for the first time the love that God has for them, while those who have had a strong faith for many years were challenged to be a generation of young people who will influence the 21st century in a positive and powerful way.”

Other highlights of the weekend included the insightful drama and hilarious comedy of Curt Cloninger, powerful adult training conducted by Brennan Manning, worship led by guitarist and singer Lincoln Brewster, and a concert by TAIT.

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‘Endless Circle of Prayer’ spreads Prison Ministry

By VAL HYMES
Prison Ministry logo
“I was in prison and you visited me. Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” –Mt. 25:36.

Has the Prison Ministry Task Force achieved its mission and goals since the 1998 Diocesan Convention created it?

That’s a hard call when one sees what other dioceses and parishes are doing inside and outside prisons – starting congregations and educational programs inside, helping families and children of inmates, developing re-entry assistance and working the political system to fight the death penalty and mandatory minimum sentences.

We have helped spread the word.

Our mission is “to promote public awareness of the current attitudes relating to incarceration through public education and advocacy.”

Our goals are to educate parishes about “the problems associated with a retributive justice system, about the issues related to the prison-industrial complex” and to be “advocates for major reforms in attitudes concerning methods for the prevention of crime.”

A trio leads the task force: the Revs. Joel G. Hill, deacon, St. John’s, Hagerstown (who will move to Vermont in the fall) and Miriam A. (Mimi) Mathews, deacon, St. John’s, Ellicott City, and this writer, a member of St. James’, Lothian, serving as coordinator and editor of the network and website.

We spread the word through the Internet and Prison Ministry Network News, an online news summaries service to about 200 members in Maryland and around the country.

In return, the members apprise us of other successful ministries in their congregations and communities. So we share with others in an endless circle of prayer witnessing God’s love to those behind bars, their families, their victims and those who care for them, teach them, train them and heal them.

Examples: parishes in Western Maryland help inmates become active Jaycees for charity; a member of the diocese is fighting successfully for sweat lodges for Native American inmates in the Eastern Correctional Institution on the Eastern Shore; and interfaith groups are supporting Kairos and working on a hospitality house for families.

“Retreats” and educational programs like Touchstones Discussion Groups and Alternatives to Violent Project (AVP) are having life-changing effects on inmates’ attitudes, self-esteem and actions.

Other denominations also have pitched in to help several Maryland parishes take back from the drug dealers Collington Square in Baltimore.

Statistics show that these ministries dramatically cut recidivism rates.

We have met with our counterparts in the Dioceses of Washington and Easton and three dioceses in Virginia.We hear regularly from prison ministry groups in other states and link our network to those like CURE.

A message from Kentucky said, “Thanks for getting us started.” Virginia modeled three of its task forces after Maryland’s. “It’s good to know we’re not alone in this,” wrote a network member.

In April last year, we supported an April 2 conference of the National Women’s Prison Project at the diocesan center.

In July and August, we covered General Convention 2003 for the website of the bishop of chaplains. (www.episcopalchurch.org/chaplain)

In February, we led a table discussion on prison ministry for the National Episcopal Urban Caucus in Towson. In April, we attended and covered the National Prison Ministry Conference in the Diocese of Texas.

Stories have also appeared in national and diocesan Episcopal publications including the Maryland Church News,The Living Church, Episcopal Life and Anglican Digest about ministries.They included the chapel inside the walls of the Louisiana State Prison, the blind priest ministering behind bars in Oregon, the new priest ordained in Iowa’s penitentiary and the first inmate soon to be ordained a priest inside a California prison.

The task force works closely with Don Schroeder, Bishop’s Deputy for Public Policy, during the legislative sessions.

We have met with the secretary of public safety and corrections and communicate to her important inmate grievances.

The web site includes conference reports, a calendar of events, books and other resources, political and department contacts as well as a list of ministries and resources – including those for victims — locally and nationally.

Tentative plans are being made for a Spring 2005 conference.And we are exploring links with the Lutheran Church’s St. Dysmas prison congregations and ministry.

Are we being heard? Will our work help stop the cycle of retribution, vengeance and death in our criminal justice system? Will it help teach that rehabilitation, education, training, caring and forgiveness can heal the horrors of crime? We don’t know.We do know Jesus cared about the outcasts and taught forgiveness.This is not an easy ministry. But for those who persevere and reach out to others and into the cells, the reward is knowing His love.

To join the network, email PrisMinNet@aol.com or valhymes@aol.com. Deacon Hill: jhill@jhsph.edu. Deacon Mathews: deacmimi@hotmail.com. Web site: www.prisonministry.ang-md.org.

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Order of Urban Missioners’ Fifth Annual Covenanting

By MARY DAVISSON

The Order of Urban Missioners has scheduled its fifth annual Service of Covenanting for September 25, 2004 at the Cathedral of the Incarnation from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Lay and ordained Christians from around the Diocese who feel called to urban ministry will commit or recommit themselves for one year to specific ministries and to a simple rhythm of spiritual disciplines which sustain them in those ministries. The Order’s membership has been diverse including fulltime urban clergy, volunteers who tutor or advocate for an hour a week, and members who have focused on discernment about future urban ministry.

Membership is on a yearly basis.The September 25 gathering is for those who would like to renew their covenant for 2004-2005 as well as those joining for the first time. Please bring one lunch item (bread, cheese, salad, fruit, etc.) in enough quantity to share.The day’s events will include meditation, lunch, sharing of prayer requests, formal vows and Eucharist. Returning members, please wear your crosses for this occasion. Each new member will receive a silver cross, handcrafted according to a design by Deborah Patterson. Donations towards the cost of manufacture ($40.00) are welcomed but not required.

The Order has traditionally gathered on the third Saturday of most months from October through June for meditation, lunch, sharing, prayer and Eucharist at the Church of the Holy Nativity from 11:00 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. However, 2004-2005 dates are not firm at this point, so please check back with us.Visitors are welcome.We are also planning a winter weekend retreat in February, date to be announced.

Please contact Mary Davisson (MaryHTDavisson@aol.edu; 410.866.6922) or the Rev.Victoria Sirota (VGRSirota@aol.com; 410.542.9554) if you plan to covenant on September 25 or if you have a conflict and need to covenant in October instead.

History is on our side

By DON SCHROEDER

Throughout history, the Episcopal Church has faced up to numerous challenges. The recent issues surrounding the installation of a gay Episcopal bishop, and the public debate over gays and lesbians seeking same-sex unions are cases in point where the Church is again in the forefront of these important social justice and public policy issues.

There have been several points in our history where issues divided the Episcopal community and many in the faith held strong and opposing positions. But eventually, with time and tolerance, we became a stronger and more diversified faith – working together to do God’s work in serving our communities.

In the late 1960s, the ordination of women presented a major religious fracas in our faith. For 270 years prior, ordained leadership remained exclusively a male privilege. But after much perseverance, a breakthrough finally occurred on July 24, 1974 with the “irregular” ordination of the “Philadelphia 11,” the first ordination of women to the church.

In 1977, Phoebe Coe was the first ordained woman in Maryland. She was a graduate of Goucher College, and attended St. Anne’s Episcopal Church in Annapolis. Today, she serves as the rector of Epiphany Church in Odenton. Her husband Bruce McPherson serves as the rector of the National Cathedral in Washington, DC.

The year 1977 saw Pauli Murray ordained in Baltimore as the first black woman in the nation. She served as the priest-in-charge of the Church of the Holy Nativity in Forest Park. Murray previously had been a professor at Brandeis University. She was a social activist and believed that women needed to break the discrimination barrier and religion was a natural area to be challenged. She wrote several books about her life experiences as a minister and lawyer – one entitled “ The Proud Shoes” and “Song in a Weary Throat.”

In the 1920s the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland established the first halfway house in the U.S. for alcoholic men. It was located in Baltimore and principally served the veterans of World War I.

Over the years, there have been countless other strongly debated issues in the Episcopal Church.Agree or disagree, it is our mission to challenge ourselves -as Jesus so challenged his followers to join him.

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The Rich Family in our Church

By ANONYMOUS

“I’ll never forget the summer of 1946. I was 14, my little sister, Ocy was12, and my older sister Darlene was 16. We lived at home with our mother and the four of us knew what it was to do without many things. My dad had died years before, leaving Mom with seven school kids to rear and no money. By 1946 my older sisters were married, and my brothers had left home.

A month before Easter, the pastor of our church announced that a special Easter offer would be taken to help a poor family. He asked everyone to save and give sacrificially. When we got home, we talked about what we could do. We decided to buy 50 pounds of potatoes and live on them for a month. That would allow us to save $20 off our grocery money for the offering. Then we thought that if we kept our electric lights turned out as much as possible and didn’t listen to the radio, we’d save money of that month’s electric bill. Darlene got as many house and yard cleaning jobs as possible, and both of us babysat for everyone we could. For 15 cents, we could buy enough cotton loops to make three potholders to sell for $1.00. We made $20 on potholders. That month was one of the best of our lives. Every day we counted the money to see how much we had saved. At night we’d sit in the dark and talk about how the poor family was going to enjoy having the money the church would give them. We had about 80 people in the church, so we figured that whatever amount of money we had to give the offering would surely be 20 times that much. After all, every Sunday the Pastor had reminded everyone to save for the sacrificial offering. The day before Easter, Ocy and I walked to the grocery store and got the manager to give us three crisp $20 bills and one $10 bill for all our change. We ran all the way home to show Mom and Darlene. We had never had so much money before. That night we were so excited we could hardly sleep. We didn’t care that we wouldn’t have new clothes for Easter; we had $70 for the sacrificial offering. We could hardly wait to get to church. On Easter morning rain was pouring. We didn’t own an umbrella, and the church was over a mile from our home, but it didn’t seem to matter how wet we got. Darlene had cardboard in her shoes to fill the holes. The cardboard came apart, and her feet got wet. But we sat in church proudly. I heard some teenagers talking about the Smith girls having on their old dresses. I looked at them in new clothes and I felt so rich. When the sacrificial offering was taken, we were sitting in the second row. From the front, Mom put in the $10 bill, each of us girls put in a $20.As we walked home after church, we sang all the way. At lunch, Mom had a surprise for us. She had bought a dozen eggs, and we boiled Easter eggs with our fried potatoes!

Late that afternoon, the minister drove up in his car. Mom went to the door, talked with him for a moment, and then came back with an envelope in her hand. We asked her what it was, but she didn’t say a word. She opened the envelope and out fell a bunch of money. There were three crisp $20 bills, one $10, and seventeen $1s. Mom put the money back in the envelope. We didn’t talk, just sat and stared at the floor. We had gone from feeling millionaires to feeling like poor people. We kids had such a happy life that we felt sorry for anyone who didn’t have our mom and dad for parents and a house full of brothers and sisters and other kids visiting constantly. I know we didn’t have a lot of things that other people had, but I never thought we were poor. That Easter Day I found out we were. The minister had brought us the money for the poor family, so we must be poor. I didn’t like feeling poor. I looked at my dress and worn-out shoes and felt so ashamed that I didn’t want to go back to church. Everyone there probably knew we were poor! I thought about my school friends and felt terribly embarrassed to be thought of as “poor.” We sat in silence for a long time. Then it got dark, and we went to bed. All that week, we girls went to school and came home, and no one talked much. Finally on Saturday, Mom asked us what we wanted to do with the money. What did poor people do with money? We didn’t know. We’d never known we were poor. We didn’t want to go to church on Sunday, but Mom said we had to. The joy of what we had done, of sacrificing and saving had been taken away from us. Although it was a sunny day, we didn’t talk on our way to church as we usually did.

At church that Sunday, we had a missionary speaker. He talked about how churches in Africa made buildings out of sun-dried bricks, but they needed money to buy roofs. He said $100 would put a roof on a church. The minister said,“Can’t we all sacrifice to help these poor people?” We looked at each other and smiled for the first time in a week. Mom reached into her purse and pulled out the envelope. She passed it to Ocy, who gave it to me. And I dropped it into the offering. When the offering was counted, the minister announced it was a little over $100. The missionary was excited. He wasn’t expecting such a large offering from our small congregation. He said “you must have some rich people in this church.” Suddenly it struck us! We had given $87 of that “little over $100.” We were the rich family in the church! From that day on, I’ve never been poor again. We had been given back the joy of sacrificial giving.

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(c) 2004 The Episcopal Diocese of Maryland
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