New York Youth Pilgrimage to Korea
Half-way around the world but still at home
by The Rev. Christopher King
The Diocese of New York initiated its first international youth exchange in August 2000, when 12 youths and eight adults traveled in pilgrimage to the Anglican Diocese of Seoul in South Korea. Led by the Rev. Christopher King, Diocesan Youth Coordinator, the pilgrimage to "The Land of the Morning Calm" included visits with Korean families, dining on spicy Korean food (including the ubiquitous fermented cabbage dish, kimchee), work projects, cultural tours, museum visits, and forays into the busy rhythms of Seoul, the capital city.
"The Land of the Morning Calm" seems hardly an appropriate name for Korea, if one just visited Seoul. Seoul feels like one gigantic Times Square. Half the population of Korea lives in or near that city," said the Rev. Allen Shin, Curate at St. Mary the Virgin, Manhattan. "I think everyone was impressed and surprised by the reality that Korea is not an underdeveloped country and that people's lives in Korea bear little difference from our lives in the United States."
The heart of the pilgrimage was a three-day youth camp and work project. Joining with 20 Korean teens under the theme "God is Always Near", the New York pilgrims worked to complete a new stone entranceway to a diocesan retreat center in the mountainous region outside Seoul. For most of the teens, the three days of intense physical labor gathering the stones for the entranceway was first-of-its-kind. In the process, they learned to live communally in a culture where the individual is not the center.
This exchange was the first step in getting members of congregations in both dioceses to know each better and the newest stage in a mission partnership that the Diocese of New York and the Diocese of Seoul began four years ago. "We traveled half way around the world to find ourselves at home," said the Ven. Michael S. Kendall, Archdeacon for Mission, to the congregation at St. Mary and St. Nicholas Cathedral in Seoul. "We are of the same faith and serve the same Lord. We are learning that Episcopalians can easily find themselves at home throughout the worldwide Anglican Communion." In August 2001, Korean youth will be guests of the Diocese of New York.
The Rev. Dr. Christopher King
Diocesan Youth Coordinator
The Episcopal Diocese of New York
1047 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, NY 10025
(w) 212.316.7433
(f) 212.932.7345
cking@dioceseny.org
Children Helping Children
by Nancy Wart, Diocese of Central New York
The Children's Sabbath was celebrated at the St. Paul's Cathedral in Syracuse, NY on National Children's Sabbath Sunday, October 22, 2000
The first step in planning a Children's Sabbath is determining the advocacy project. The Cathedral is a designated Jubilee Center and one of its ministries feeds 1000 children and their families in the course of a year. Mrs. Sue Worboys, a teacher in the public schools reported that one of the most difficult things for a child in school is not having a back pack. In keeping with the theme of joining Hearts, Hands, and Voices To Leave No Child Behind the church school took on the awesome project of providing new back packs, a new book, and age appropriate school supplies to be given to the school age guests at the Samaritan Center. Because of the large number this has to be an ongoing project throughout the year.
To prepare for the celebration the children wrote their concerns to God on their footprints which were hung in the Hanson Dining Room.
As the parishioners entered church each one was asked to pray for a specific
child in the parish for one year. The youth choir sang "You Have
Put On Christ". At the time of the Prayers of the People the prayers
of the children were heard through the voices of the youth. The Rev. Harold
Avery was the guest preacher, having attended a Children's Defense Fund
Conference, and
having experienced the heartbreak and then the joy of helping one child
at a time.
At the offertory with a backpack over his vestment the acolyte, Luis
Breyer lifted the cross high and lead a large cardboard yellow school
bus, built by Caroline Rung and Elizabeth Metzler housing several children,
and the church school to the altar with the new backpacks. The base of
the altar was completely covered with 48 backpacks. Many comments were
that the altar
never looked more beautiful. Many eyes were moist!
Tri- State Educators Network
Some times the simplest things can make a big difference. Last year while working on the National Children's Advocacy Conference in NYC a number of Christian educators realized that while they shared the same geography, the same resources and similar interests they did not know each other or what anyone else was doing. Thus was born the Tri-State Educators Network, an ad hoc forum open to any interested educator in the Tri-State Metropolitan area. Originally the thought was to meet quarterly and share interests and concerns but, as the group grew, so did the enthusiasm and energy.
Meeting now every other month at the Episcopal Church Center offices
at 815 Second Avenue in New York City, the group has explored finding,
growing and financing professional Directors of Religious Education, nurturing
spirituality in children, youth and the home, the ubiquitous Sunday morning
sports issue and on-going training for educators. It has provided the
opportunity to find out about programs like " Healthy Communities,
Healthy Youth" and to exchange resources on a smaller scale, such
as curricula for urban churches. Encompassing both Province I and Province
II educators, clergy, laity and youth workers, the meetings are lively
and, of course, communication extends well beyond the meetings. The proximity
of so many Dioceses made this Network possible, but the concept could
be adapted to any populated or metropolitan area. Unlike official Diocesan
committees or commissions, membership is by interest only, which gives
a unique energy and diversity to the group. For further information contact
Bonnie Magnuson <bonmagsn@att.net>
, Diocese of Newark or Sharon Pearson <SelyP@aol.com>
Diocese of Connecticut.
Province-wide Meeting Planned for May 31 in Albany
The year 2001 marks the start of a "new era" in Province activity in the Episcopal Church USA, endorsed and supported by resolution of the 73rd General Convention in Denver this past summer. Because a Province offers the opportunity for a number of dioceses to come together, share resources, and cooperate on programs, it provides a way for new initiatives to take shape working with staff from the Episcopal Church Center and from the individual dioceses.
On Thursday, May 31, 2001 Province II will hold a Province-wide gathering at the College of St. Rose in Albany, to mark the start of this "new era." Leadership and members of the staffs of all of the eleven dioceses within the Province are expected to participate, and a general session and workshops will make it possible to learn from each other's current experience, as well as to set priorities for cooperation in the current triennium. Also in attendance will be representatives of the Program Networks which currently exist in the Province. Province II has about twenty Program Networks, and some are much more active than others. In the past, there has been very little communication among the various Networks, and it is anticipated that meeting together will make it possible to build on each other's "success stories". All Networks will be asked to have representation at the May 31 meeting, to lay a foundation for active cooperation in the years ahead.
The Provincial Council is currently working on program plans for May 31. The day's program will be scheduled between about 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., so that many will be able to come and return home in the same day. Carpooling will be recommended; Albany is also accessible by train, bus and plane. For those who wish to stay overnight in Albany, the College of St. Rose will have some rooms available at very modest cost. There are also motels within two or three miles of the College.
Province II will continue to hold a Synod meeting every third year, to take care of any necessary business and to prepare for attendance and participation at General Convention.
The other Provinces across the country are taking various approaches to their activities. Province I (New England) has now been holding Provincial Convocations for a number of years. Their most recent Convocation, on the subject "Where is Christ in a Post-Christian Age?", drew hundreds of participants, including more than two dozen college and university students. Province III, which includes the Middle Atlantic states, is planning Province-wide anti-racism training, and is also exploring how to have a closer working relationship with the Lutherans in the region, drawing on the foundation established by "Called to Common Mission." Province VIII, which includes most of the western states as well as Hawaii, Alaska and Taiwan, has been making use of satellite downlinks for pre-General Convention orientation. Province VIII recently had a working meeting of its Program Network Coordinators which was held in Navaholand, and did a work project while they were there.
Specific requests or suggestions for the May 31 meeting can be directed
to any member of the Provincial Council, or sent to Mary Flad, who continues
to serve as Program Liaison for Province II until a Province Coordinator/Administrator
is hired. She can be contacted at maflad@earthlink.net
or by mail at 115 Academy Street, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601.
Convocation of American Churches in Europe
to Elect next Bishop in Charge
7 December 2000
Nell Toensmann Communications Officer
The Presiding Bishop, the Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold, has agreed to the request by the Convocation of American Churches in Europe to permit them to elect the next Bishop in Charge of the Episcopal Churches in Europe. For the first time ever, this decision enables the Convocation not only to vote for its next Bishop in Charge, but also to have a greatly expanded list of potential candidates for bishop. Historically, this position has been filled by an appointed part-time bishop, usually retired after serving in another diocese, with the responsibility of providing pastoral oversight to the American congregations in Europe. An exception to this was the appointment of the Rt. Rev. Edmond L. Browning as full-time bishop from 1970 to 1973.
With the arrival of the current Bishop in Charge, the Rt. Rev. Jeffery W. Rowthorn, in January 1994, the position was increased to a full-time appointment with greatly expanded responsibilities. The bishop's current portfolio includes building a closer working relationship with the other three Anglican jurisdictions in continental Europe - the Church of England; the Spanish Episcopal Reformed Church; and the Lusitanian Church of Portugal; forging closer ties with the Old Catholic and Porvoo Lutheran Churches of Scandinavia and the Baltic; and broadening the mission of the Episcopal Church in Europe, in addition to his primary responsibility of providing oversight and pastoral care to the existing congregations.
Meeting in their Annual Convention in Nice, France from 19-22 October, the delegates of the Convocation churches passed a resolution requesting the Presiding Bishop to call for the election of the next Bishop Suffragan. The resolution was presented because of the Convocation's unique standing in the church. Though not legally recognized as a diocese, it functions in many of the same ways as a diocese does within the United States, with its eight churches, five mission congregations and four other-language ministries. One of the main differences is that the geographical area encompasses five European countries. The Convocation is aligned with Province II (primarily New York and New Jersey dioceses, as well as Haiti and the Virgin Islands), but is unique in that it falls under the jurisdiction of the Presiding Bishop and has not until now shared fully in the choice of its Bishop in Charge.
A search committee will now be established, to begin the process towards the selection of the next Bishop in Charge of the Convocation of American Churches in Europe. With Bishop Rowthorn's definite retirement at the end of December 2001 (he is currently working on a reduced schedule), the Convocation is aware of the great challenge that will be addressed during the next twelve months. As Bishop Rowthorn said in his letter to the Convocation announcing the good news, "The coming year will be a moment of unprecedented opportunity for us in our life and witness together here in Europe. As I said in my sermon at our final Eucharist in Nice, so I say again in the name of us all: "Come, Holy Spirit, come!"
Nominating Committee for the Bishop Suffragan Appointed
- Chair: The Very Rev. Ernie E. Hunt III, Dean of the Cathedral of the
Holy Trinity, Paris, France
- Vice-Chair: Peter Handford, All Saints's, Waterloo, Belgium, Member
of the Leadership Committee and Commission on the Ministry of the Baptized
- The Rev. Peter Casparian, Rector, St. James, Florence, Italy, retiring
President of the Council of Advice and Member of the Leadership Committee
- The Rev. Canon Carlson Gerdeau, New York, NY, Assistant to the Presiding
Bishop
- Helena MbeleMbong, Emmanuel Church, Geneva, Switzerland, Convocation
Lay Representative to the consultations exploring the possibilities
of an eventual Anglican Province in Continental Europe and Member of
the Standing Commission on World Mission
- Nell Toensmann, Christ the King, Frankfurt, Germany, Communications
Officer for the Convocation of American Churches in Europe
- Cecil Wray, New York, NY, representing the Boards of Foreign Parishes and Boards of St. James and St. Paul's
For further information, visit the Convocation web site at http://www.episcopalchurch.org/europe/
Contact: Nell .ToensmannNell.Toensmann@netsurf.de