UNITED THANK OFFERING REPORT

by L. Marie Williams as reported in the G.L.U.E. Newsletter of the Province II ECW

In 1997 dioceses in Province II submitted nineteen grants. Of these, twelve received awards. Nine grants received full funding and three received partial funding. At the Triennial Meeting of the Episcopal Church Women in Philadelphia in July the following grants were awarded in Province II.

Diocese Project Amount
Albany Christ Church Clothing Outreach $30,000
Haiti School "Saints Innocents" $70,000
Virgin Islands Purchase Passenger Van/Bus $30,000
Central NY Church Sponsorship Coordinator $21,000
Central NY Cursillo Outreach to the Deaf $ 3,400
Long Island Handicap Access to Toilet $ 8,200
New Jersey Homeless/Other Program Enhancement $21,523
New York St. John's Angel Food Kitchen $30,000
Newark New Directions: Life and Hope $26,662
Rochester Home Opportunities for Women $10,000
Western NY Interfaith Hospitality Network $12,000
Western NY Outdoor Family Recreation Park $25,000

These awards totaled $287,785. Province II's United Thank Offering Ingatherings for 1996 (the monies granted at Triennial) totalled $260,506.65. Many of the Grants that did not receive funding were the second priority of a diocese and may be submitted again. Some had other sources of available funding which was taken into consideration.

Contact: L. Marie Williams
Province II Representative
to the United Thank Offering Committee

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EPISCOPAL CHURCH WOMEN

by Patricia Stewart
Province II Representative
National ECW Board

My initial and overriding reaction to our National ECW Board meeting at the Thompson Center in St. Louis, MO in October was, and still is, WOW! The energy, enthusiasm, visions, faith and love for our Church and ECW was almost overwhelming. It was an immensely exciting and empowering experience. Sixteen virtual strangers had to get to know each other, establish a sense of community, and begin the task of preparing for the Triennial Meeting in Denver. We did a lot of talking, listening, praying and laughing, and we gave ourselves the challenge to plan a truly memorable and special meeting to commemorate the year 2000. As time goes on, you will hear about some of the dreams we hope to put into reality.

Each of us was required to sign up for at least two committees, and after some soul searching, I felt my talents could best be spent in Communications and Worship. We already have had several meetings for both groups, and the Communications Committee has been hard at work on a new ECW pamphlet, which should be available in a few months. We're also planning some big changes in the Communique, including an all Spanish edition! The new editor, by the way, is Cathy Boyd, 3344 Hunter Road, Lexington, KY 40502. Articles may also be e-mailed to her at CTBOYD@ecunet.org.

The Worship Committee is responsible for all of the services at Triennial, as well as assigning coverage for prayers during each of our meetings. We also have agreed to recruit contributions for the summer 2000 edition of Forward Day By Day. I've "volunteered" to be in charge of Music, which is near and dear to me. If you have any particular requests, please let me know - we welcome suggestions and will give due considerations to all of them.

Besides the new editor, there are two other changes you need to note:

Local ECW presidents are asked whether anything has been done in your dioceses with the covenant made at the Joint Session at Triennial on "Advocacy for Youth and Children at Risk"? If you have done anything or have any plans, please pass the information on to me. We would love to hear from you!

Our next meeting in February of 1998 will be a particularly memorable one. At the request of Elizabeth Torres, Province IX Representative, we will all be traveling to Honduras to show our solidarity with the women in that area. Betty and the rest of us are very excited and have to keep reminding ourselves that it is a working meeting, one of only six that we have to plan the entire Triennial.

Contact: Pamela Stewart
Province II Representative to National ECW Board
18 Spinnaker Court
East Patchogue, NY 11772
(516)447-3996
FAX(516)632-8240
e-mail: Pamela.Stewart@sunysb.edu

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FROM THE CONVOCATION OF AMERICAN CHURCHES IN EUROPE

by Nell Toensmann Editor, the Convocation Newsletter

EDMOND L. BROWNING ATTENDS CONVOCATION CONVENTION IN PARIS DURING HIS LAST INTERNATIONAL TRIP AS PRESIDING BISHOP

More than 175 people gathered to participate in the annual Convention of the Convocation of American Churches in Europe at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Paris, France from Friday through Sunday, 10 to 12 October, 1997.

Lay and clergy deputations represented the eight convocation parishes and five outreach ministries located in five European countries. The Presiding Bishop, the Most Reverend Edmond L. Browning, who is also the Diocesan Bishop of the Convocation, attended the convention during his last international trip before retiring. Accompanying Bishop Browning from the Episcopal Church Center in New York City were the Rev. Canon David W. Perry, Ecumenical Officer, and the Rev. Canon J. Patrick Mauney, Director of the Department of Anglican and Global Relations.

COABICE

All five Bishops of the four Anglican communions in continental Europe were present for the meetings. The College of Anglican Bishops in Continental Europe (COABICE) is composed of the following Bishops: Jeffery Rowthorn, Bishop in Charge of the Convocation of American Churches in Europe; John Hind, Bishop of the Diocese of Gibraltar in Europe and his Suffragan Bishop, Henry Scriven; Carlos Lopez Lozano, Bishop of the Spanish Episcopal Reformed Church; and Fernando Soares, Bishop of the Lusitanian Church of Portugal.

BOARD OF FOREIGN PARISHES

Also in attendance were ten members (almost half) of the Boards of Foreign Parishes, St. Paul's Church, Rome and St. James Church, Florence, which meet twice a year in New York City. A central responsibility of the three boards is the management of the endowments held in trust for St. Paul's and St. James and the income from the Nice Fund, which provides annual support for the Bishop in Charge and the Convocation. The Boards also hold the titles to the property owned by four of the churches in Europe. The members, who attended at their own expense, included: Conner Fay, President of the three Boards, Henry Darlington, Jr., Marion Dawson Carr, Candice Foss, James H.W. Jacks, William Marsh, Fred Reinhardt, Arthur V. Savage, Peter Trent and Cecil Wray.

YOUTH ACROSS EUROPE

And for the first time, fifty young people met together in Paris representing all of the eight Convocation churches, in addition to a large deputation from All Saints, the military chapel in Heidelberg. There were special activities for the teenagers which included * two nights in a beautiful youth hotel in the heart of Paris * a personal meeting with the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, Edmond L. Browning on a boat trip on the River Seine * an expedition to the top of the Eiffel Tower * a treasure hunt in historic Paris and ice cream party * a picnic on the Champs de Mars and * an opportunity to meet new friends from other Convocation parishes and plan future activities. The young people joined the rest of the Convention attendees for the Saturday evening activities. Bishop Browning later mentioned that some of the toughest questions that he has received in his ministry as Presiding Bishop came from these young people.

PRESIDING BISHOP'S ADDRESS TO CONVENTION

Bishop Browning spoke very movingly about the Pilgrimage of the Canterbury Cross in the Convocation, why it is essential for us to renew our Baptismal Vows and to discern what God is calling us to be and to do in this place. Using stories to illustrate his message, he spoke of reconciliation and of our need to have a Ministry of Presence - a presence of universal love for all, not just a select presence. Bishop Browning called us to have a Faith of expectancy of finding Jesus in every situation and in every person. And he challenged us to pick up the Cross and follow Christ.

COABICE BISHOPS SPEAK TO CONVENTION

John Hind, Bishop of the Diocese of Gibraltar in Europe, addressed several issues: What is God doing in Europe and what challenges does the new Europe put to us? He spoke of the renewal of ministry in places such as Moscow, the new spirit in older and newer Christian communities across Europe, and new training possibilities. What does it mean to be a Christian? Religious diversity should not be suppressed and Bishop John looked at the current visible and audible ecumenical relations within Europe. What do we contribute in the new Europe? To this he reflected that integrating the four Anglican jurisdictions and bringing the four different prospectives together would not be cost free.

Carlos Lopez Lozano, Bishop of the Spanish Episcopal Reformed Church, the youngest bishop elected in the Anglican Communion, acknowledged help from ECUSA in the past and is very excited about the prospect for a new jurisdiction (Province of Continental Europe), hoping that the process will move quickly. He spoke of the close relationship with many of their Spanish churches with Church of England clergy in Spain.

Fernando Soares, Bishop of the Lusitanian Church of Portugal, has worked closely with the Anglican Consultative Council. He refleced on the Episcopal Vision of Europe and mentioned that many Lusitnians were confirmed by ECUSA Bishops. He spoke of the ignorance about the Anglican Communion among other religious denominations and that Anglicanism is seen as a branch of the Church of England. He feels Anglicanism should be present in more effective ways and that the European religions need to contribute to multi-culturism. His call to action for the Anglican Mission is to "Give a Soul to Europe".

ADDRESS BY THE BISHOP IN CHARGE

The Rt. Rev. Jeffery Rowthorn, Bishop in Charge of the Convocation, first reflected to the Convention about the ongoing Pilgrimage of the Canterbury Cross, which was to end with the arrival of the Cross and Reaffirmation of Baptismal Vows in the Catheral on the following day. The Bishop and his wife, Dr. Anne Rowthorn, have been present at every church en route for the service of Confirmation and Renewal of Baptismal Vows during this extraordinary Pilgrimage which began on Friday, 15 August when the Cross was dedicated during Evensong at Canterbury Cathedral and entrusted to the young people of St. Augustine of Canterbury Church in Wiesbaden. Traveling to all the Convocation churches and related ministries during the course of the next 50 days, the Cross was ending its journey with the arrival in Paris for the service on Sunday, 12 October. Bishop Rowthorn selected one aspect of each of these visits to discribe the rich variety of experiences the Pilgrimage brought to the churches of the Convocation and concluded that the Holy Spirit took our offering in faith and blessed the Pilgrimage. He also mentioned that the Council of Advice had met in Rome in May to help launch the Pilgrims' Way Pilgrimage of 48 people of different ages, nationalities and from different backgrounds who journeyed from Rome to Canterbury. COABICE, the College of Anglican Bishops in Continental Europe, then welcomed these travel weary pilgrims along with the Archbishop of Canterbury, when they arrived on the shores of England where St. Augustine was said to have been welcomed 1400 years before.

Bishop Rowthorn spoke of General Convention Resolution C031a, which was given almost unanimous support from the House of Deputies and House of Bishops. This resolution supports the collaboration of the Convocation of American Churches in Europe with the other Anglican jurisdictions in the area and provides some funding for Convocation use in developing new ministries. However, the new funding of $20,000 per year was not approved by the Program, Budget and Finance Committee. Therefore, other sources of funding will need to be explored.

The Bishop's address then focused on Stewardship: the Stewardship of the young lives entrusted to the churches and nurtured before confirmation; the Stewardship of the Baptized, enforced by the renewed commitment being made during this Pilgrimage and the awareness that lay people are the primary ministers of Christ; and the Stewardship of the Gospel and that we should always be on "permanent evangelistic alert".

Bishop Rowthorn spoke of the new structure of the Commission of the Ministry of the Baptized, which will be reduced from the previous 12 members and chaired by Michelle Spike from Florence, with oversight by Ernie Hunt, Dean of the Cathedral in Paris. This will free up funds to enable the creation of a new Mission Task Force within the Convocation to propose a "Strategy for Europe", working primarily through the technology of e-mail and fax. The job of the Council of Advice will then be to focus on Stewardship.

Continuing, he said, "The Convocation is blessed with many friends," and he then proceeded to speak of Barbara Holliman who worked with the Cathedral on the successful Living Stones Campaign, the Boards of Foreign Parishes, St. James and St. Paul's, who came to Paris at their own expense, the national church staff, including David Perry and Patrick Mauney in attendance, as well as the Presiding Bishop, who "are here to help us carry forward our ministry."

Bishop Rowthorn then concluded by saying that in this year of the pilgrimage, "gifts have been poured out throughout the Convocation and beyond. The Good News has been brought home." He then challenged us with, "What is it that you see?"

BOARD OF FOREIGN PARISHES

Conner Fay, President, spoke of the work of the Boards of Foreign Parishes, St. James, Florence and St. Paul's Within the Walls, Rome. The boards now have one-third new members, bringing with them the rich experience of having worshiped in churches in Europe, with several previous wardens and treasurers, who can help explain some of the complexities. The Boards have also formed new committees to better work with the churches in Europe. President Fay feels that the mission of the Convocation is inspirational and that it is important to inform the broader church of the truly exciting and wonderful things that are happening here.

ELECTIONS

Elected as representative to the Province II meeting in May was the Rev. Ledlie Laughlin, retired rector from St. James, Florence, who is currently living in New Hampshire.

The Council of Advice elected the following people to be the Convocation representatives at the planning meetings in February with the COABICE bishops in determining the first steps of moving towards a province of continental Europe: the Rev. Peter Casparian, St. James, Florence, and Helena Mbele-Mbong, Emmanuel, Geneva as delegates and the Very Rev. Ernie Hunt, Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, Paris and Dr. Hanns Engelhard, Lay Pastoral Leader, Anglican-Episcopal congregation at Karlsruhe and St. Augustine of Canterbury, Wiesbaden.

Contact: Nell Toensmann
Editor, the Convocation Newsletter
nell.toensmann@munich.netsurf.de

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RESOURCES

Electronic and book versions of Constitutions and Canons

(ENS) The General Convention Office (GCO) recently announced that orders for the 1997 Constitutions and Canons may be placed by calling the Episcopal Parish Services phone number, (800) 903-5544, after January 1, 1998. The distribution of the 1997 Constitution and Canons will be handled by Morehouse Publishing as part of their contract to manage Episcopal Parish Services. GCO also will post the 1997 Constitution and Canons on its website in January 1998. Since the entire book has been reformatted for the electronic version, the text had to be resubmitted for certification by the representatives of the Canons committees of the two houses of convention, as required by Canon V.1.5 (a). This step may delay print publication by two weeks. In the interim, on January 1, 1998, GCO will supply a loose-leaf copy of the version awaiting final certification. If questions arise and immediate access to the canonical amendments made by resolution in Philadelphiais is needed, please contact Bruce Woodcock at (212) 922-5186.

A reorganized General Convention website awaits your viewing pleasure at http://ecusa.anglican.org/governance/general-convention/

Here you will find a photos of the presiding officers, a calendar of dates for this triennium, pages for each interim body including current membership rosters and lists of 1997 Convention resolutions referred to each, and links to communications from the President of the House of Deputies. The Interim Body lists will be updated here as vacancies occur and are filled. Additionally, the full retrospective files from the 1997 General Convention in Philadelphia, including the Blue Book, legislative committee lists, all the legislation and several indexes thereto, as well as the 1997 constitution and canons, will be available there.

The Oasis has a new home page location.

We are now located at http://members.aol.com/TheOasisNJ. Come visit us and let us know what you think.

Griswold investiture available on videotape

(ENS) The two hour video program (on two videocassettes) of Presiding Bishop Griswold's investiture in Washington National Cathedral will be available from Episcopal Parish Services (EPS) during the week of January 26. The cost is $19.95, plus shipping. The one hour Odyssey special with highlights from the investiture live telecast also will be available from EPS for $15.00, plus shipping. To place an order with EPS, call (800) 903-5544 Episcopal media resource libraries in dioceses and parishes are eligible for one complimentary copy of either or both programs. Library requests may be phoned to Eurith Jackson at (800) 334-7626, ext. 6102 or faxed to (212) 949-8059. Cable systems may request broadcast format tapes by sending email to the Rev. Clement W. K. Lee, ECUSA electronic media director, at cwkl@dfms.org.

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LITURGY AND MUSIC COMMISSION SETS PRIORITIES

by Doug LeBlanc
United Voice | posted Jan. 27, 1998

NEW YORK -- The newly formed Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music reviewed a hefty challenge during its first meeting: completing many projects, despite uncertain funding, during the next three years.

The SLMC -- a hybrid of the Standing Liturgical Commission and the Standing Commission on Church Music -- held its first meeting on Jan. 16-17 at the Sheraton LaGuardia Hotel. Thirteen of the commission's 16 members attended the meeting, which convened on short notice.

The SLMC faces a busy workload for the triennium of 1998-2000. General Convention did not provide a budget for most of the projects it referred to the commission. Like other commissions and interim bodies, the SLMC will submit requests for block grants from Executive Council.

General Convention of 1997 has authorized the commission to:

Jenneker expressed optimism that the SLMC's work will receive hearty support from Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold, who was chairman of the Standing Liturgical Commission in 1992-97.

"It would be hard to find a project that matters more to him, and is closer to his heart, than the common worship of the Church," Jenneker told the commissioners.

Jenneker said he is pleased with how quickly the commissioners began working together. Both commissions had expressed misgivings about merging. Nevertheless, they met jointly at the end of 1996, and Convention voted to combine the two long-independent bodies.

"I'm very, very excited about the coalescing of the agendas," Jenneker told *United Voice*. "I'm even surprised we were that unified in our responses to the issues. It didn't feel like we had liturgists on one side of the room and musicians on the other side. We had people all concerned about the sung prayer of the Church."

Still, Jenneker sounded a cautionary note: "I am nervous about the magnitude of the task and the scarce resources at our disposal."

Meet the SLMC

Commissioners attending the meeting included Dr. Mary Abrams, Louisville, Ken.; Jill Bigwood, Hamden, Conn.; Dr. Owen Burdick, New York; The Rev. Sister Jean Campbell, Vails Gate, N.Y.; Dr. Carl Haywood, Virginia Beach, Va.; The Rev. Dr. John L. Hooker, Cambridge, Mass.; the Rev. Bruce W.B. Jenneker, Boston; Paula MacLean, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.; Monte Mason, Minneapolis; the Rev. Canon Leonel L. Mitchell, South Bend, Ind.; Phoebe Pettingell, Three Lakes, Wisc.; the Rt. Rev. Catherine S. Roskam, Yonkers, N.Y.; and Milner Seifert, Wilmette, Ill.

Bishops Mark MacDonald of Alaska, Paul Marshall of Bethlehem (Pa.) and Geralyn Wolf of Rhode Island missed the meeting.

United Voice is the national newspaper of Episcopalians United.
Contact: "Douglas L. LeBlanc" dlleblanc@mindspring.com

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LOOKING TOWARD LAMBETH...

As the summer approaches, the churches within the Anglican Communion are taking positions on the issues that will come before the Lambeth Conference. What follows are several articles which have appeared in various places and which represent a sample of the diversity which comprises the Anglican communion.

Anglican Communion News Service (ACNS) - 23 January 1998

AUSTRALIA: APPELLATE TRIBUNAL SURPRISE ON LAY PRESIDENCY RULING

(from Muriel Porter - CT) Lay and diaconal presidency is in agreement withthe Australian Anglican Church's Constitution, says the Appellate Tribunal, the Church's highest court. But, it goes on, a canon of General Synod is required to authorise the change: a diocesan ordinance is not enough. The tribunal's finding, announced on 11 January after two years' deliberations, took many in the Anglican Church of Australia by surprise. It was widely expected that the seven-member tribunal would find lay presidency in conflict with the Fundamental Declarations and Ruling Principles of the Church's constitution, which tie the Church to the doctrine and principles of the Church of England. Instead, the tribunal voted by four to three that it was constitutional.

The Primate, Dr Keith Rayner, took the lay-presidency issue to the tribunal in response to attempts by the Diocese of Sydney to permit the practice through its own ordinance. Its bill had passed the second-reading stage and was put on hold while the tribunal deliberated. Revelations in April 1996 that the Bishop of Armidale in rural New South Wales, the Rt Revd Peter Chiswell, had authorised diaconal presidency for some years in his diocese added urgency to the reference.

The Primate said that the tribunal's opinion did not "in itself alter existing practice". Given the narrow majority, the reasons for the decision would have to be "closely studied" by the Church, he said.

Anglican Communion News Service (ACNS) - 12 January 1998

BRITAIN: ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY SPEAKS OUT ON DEBT

(CEN) Before Christmas the British Government launched the Mauritius Mandate, a five point plan to help resolve the debt problems of the poorer countries of the world and to enable them to reach a point of sustainable growth. The launch was attended by the Archbishop of Canterbury and Cardinal Hume of the Roman Catholic Church.

Speaking at the launch, the Archbishop called the Mandate "a significant step on the road towards the alleviation of the burden of debt faced by so many of the poorest countries in the world". He praised the Chancellor for "pressing for the acceptance of the proposed measures in the wider international community."

The Archbishop went on to say that poverty was a hindrance to world peace. "Many countries now facing devastation from war and revolution are precisely those which are on the list of the most heavily indebted poor countries.

The fact that most developing countries were paying out more in debt repayments than they were receiving in aid, was, he said, "not only illogical, it is immoral". He spoke in particular detail of Mozambique, believed to be the poorest country in the world, where the Anglican Church has been instrumental in developing helpful projects for regeneration after the country's civil war.

Such projects were hindered by Mozambique's "enormous debt burden", he said.

"I want to challenge our Government, therefore, to show its commitment to the Mauritius Mandate by reaching, if necessary, a unilateral pledge to give at least 90 per cent relief to Mozambique....I suspect that many of our own people have very little idea of the true nature of the poverty faced by millions and millions of people in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

"I am privileged to have the opportunity from time to time to see and hear them. They demand justice and I am more than happy to add my voice to the campaign to ensure that their demand is heard and acted upon."

Christian Aid, one of the Jubilee 2000 member organisations has launched its own 'mandate', a report entitled, The New Abolitionists.

Comparing the 19th century slave trade to the modern debt crisis, the report was launched to bring the problem of debt to the attention of G8 leaders who will meet in Birmingham in May.

"Over one million people are estimated to have died in passage during the Atlantic slave trade," said the report's author, Andrew Simms. "But the modern debt crisis could cause the deaths of 21 million children before the next millennium. Our new year's pledge is to stop that happening."

Anglican Communion News Service (ACNS) - 12 January 1998

CANADA: CHURCH JOINS JUBILEE INITIATIVE

(Anglican Journal) The Anglican Church of Canada will join churches around the world in the Call for Jubilee, an international ecumenical initiative to celebrate the millennium.

A recent meeting of the Council for General Synod committed the church to participation in the Canadian Jubilee Initiative, part of a larger, international project to help cancel international debt.

The resolution to support Jubilee participation came from the Partners in Mission Committee and was backed by the Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples, the ecojustice and the Primate's World Relief and Development committees.

An information package given to council members quoted Archbishop Desmond Tutu: "The leaders of rich nations should look to the Bible for inspiration. Every 50 years you make a new beginning - this is the Jubilee principle in the book of Leviticus. You cancel any debts still owed; if there are slaves, you set them free - it is a chance for renewal by everybody."

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FROM THE EDITOR

Grapevine Deadlines for 1998:
For the April issue: April 4, 1998
For the October issue: September 12, 1998
There is a Grapevine web page - The Grapevine Online - linked to the provincial web page (http://ecusa.anglican.org/province-two/). On that are posted all of the coming events for the next 12 months, as well as the nomination form for the Provincial Court of Review . The intention is to have that resource current and available at all times, since the Grapevine is only published three times per year. I will add things to the web site whenever they are sent to me.

Please send me any planned events happening in your diocese/network/special interest group that should be placed on the web page and published in the print version so that folks can come to them, as well as any articles or information that you would like published in The Grapevine. If any of the articles/information you send include pictures, that is good, but you will need to send the actual photograph if we are to publish photographs. If you send me hard copy, that is fine. Better yet, however, would be to send it on a PC disk in Word Perfect or in Word or in ASCII. Best of all, would be to e-mail it to me at paxton@intac.com or to jan.paxton@ecunet.org or to my inbox, JAN PAXTON if you are on Quest.

Jan

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