The United Thank Offering Committee met April 7 – 15, 2005 at the Procter Camp and Conference Center , London , Ohio . Enclosed is a Fact Sheet detailing the actions of that meeting.
Meeting at the same time was the National Board of Episcopal Church Women with whom we shared some meeting time and a wonderful singing worship service with Dr. Horace Boyer, who will be the musical director at Triennial 2006. With the National Board , we visited the Convention Center in Columbus where the 2006 General Convention of the Episcopal Church and the Triennial will be held.
The United Thank Offering is a spiritual and financial partner in the mission work of the Episcopal Church. The primary purpose of this meeting was to consider prayerfully the grants for funds to support programs within the Anglican Communion responding to compelling human need and or new mission and ministry.
The amount available for granting was $2,710,247.22
We prayerfully considered 200 grant requests totaling $8,232,482.77.
After three prayer-filled readings, granting results were as follows:
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We funded partially or fully 131 grants totaling $2,710,247.22 .
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The average amount per grant was $20,688.91.
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The largest grant given was $85,000 to the Province of Brazil .
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The 2 next largest grants were $80,000 each to the Dominican Republic and Springfield .
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The smallest grant was $1,500 to Northern California .
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We gave full funding to only 14 grants, and partial funding to 117 grants.
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There were 69 grants not funded.
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17 grants were out on criteria, 1 was withdrawn and 51 received zero funding.
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53.8% was given to U.S. Dioceses
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46.2% was given outside the U.S. and to regional grants.
The regional breakdown is:
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Africa $289,770.67
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Asia/Pacific $211,233.00
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Caribbean $245,000.00
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Central America $120,000.00
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Europe $ 25,000.00
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Jerusalem/Middle East $ 25,000.00
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Mexico $ 55,000.00
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South America $155,000.00
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United States $1,458,393.55
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Regional $ 125,850.00
Province II was blessed to receive the following full or partial grants:
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Haiti - $60,000 –full award to purchase land adjacent to a church to expand facilities for children
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Central New York - $27,000 – partial grant to upgrade equipment for services to families in a refugee center, serviced by the Church World Service and Episcopal Migration Ministries
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Long Island – Grace, Church , Jamaica - $20,000 – partial grant to help renovate a kitchen serving the needy and homeless for the past 15 years.
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Newark – St. John's Church , Dover – partial grant of $1,985 to provide equipment for a computer center for a bilingual community
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New Jersey- St. Andrew's Church, Camden –$14.000 partial award to fund a part time position for one year to take a young congregation with limited English communication from mission to parish status
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New Jersey – St. Mary's, Church, Burlington - $10,693.92 partial grant to install a kitchen hood system with fire suppression to update the “Ladies of Love” soup kitchen
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New York - St. Andrews - $12,275 – partial grant to help make this historic church accessible to persons with disabilities
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New York – St. Matthew and St. Timothy - $15,000 – partial award to help improve safety of a parish hall, home of a children's neighborhood center program
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Rochester – Diocese - $19,000 – partial grant to help fund start up salary for coordinator to develop a model to bridge gap between Diocese, parishes, Bexley Seminary, diaconate program and ministry with community volunteers and organizations
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Rochester – St. Peter's Church - $19,000 – partial grant to help replace a leaking roof on a parish hall used for a non profit child care mission
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Western New York- St. Simon's Church, Buffalo - $7,000 – partial grant to remodel a bathroom to make it accessible to persons with disabilities
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Western New York – Vive, Inc. - $40,000 – partial grant to install laundry and refrigeration equipment in a shelter for refugees supported by multiple faith based agencies including Episcopal Community Services.
The Mission of the United Thank Offering is to expand the circle of thankful people. To achieve this mission, we encourage daily prayers, offerings and awareness of the abundance of God's blessings.
Muriel W. Sobers
Province II Representative to the United Thank Offering Committee
137-07 174 St. ,
Jamaica , N.Y.
718-341 -0712
murielsobers@aol.com
World Council of Churches Visits Haiti
During a recent visit to Haiti, the Rev. Dr. Samuel Kobia, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary, called upon Haitians to “work together to build a new alternative nation”. During meetings with Haiti's interim president, Boniface Alexandre and church leaders, as well as non-governmental organizations, Kobia proposed a challenge to move from “dislocated communities” and fear to reconciliation and dignity. He promised that Haiti 's “serious problems” would be on the agenda of WCC's Assembly in Porto Alegre , Brazil , in February 2006. WCC member churches would be consulted in order to determine how best they and the Council can support Haiti 's transition to democracy and help end the pervasive cycle of violence and poverty in the country.
As chair of the Haiti Network, I call upon Province II member churches to explore ways to partner with churches in Haiti to work toward a more peaceful and productive society. Please contact me, Doris H. Crocker, dhcrocker@att.net or the Rev. Canon Petero Sabune, psabune@yahoo.com to establish a partnership. There are numerous ways to become involved, not the least of which is on-going prayer. Please pray that Haiti can emerge from its blight and begin to flourish as an independent nation.
Information was taken from “WCC Update”, August 8, 2005.
Doris Crocker
DHCrocker <dhcrocker@att.net>
Additional information about the WCC visit to the Caribbean is available in the press update:
http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pu-05-23.html and in their July 28 press release:
http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-05-42.html
Photos from the visit to the Caribbean are available on the WCC website at
http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/photo-galleries/travel/caribbean/cubavisit2005.html
Joan Cupo Honored
The Inter-parish Council of Richmond in the Diocese of New York honored Miss Gwendolyn Simmons and Mrs. Joan Cupo at a luncheon held at LiGrecci's Staaten on Staten Island September 25, 2005.
The letter to them read "your friends and fellow Episcopalians on the Island want an opportunity to honor and thank you for all the many years of rich contributions you have made to our Inter-Parish Council."
Congratulations, Joan!
Only a Few More Knitting Days Before Christmas
Seafarers braving dangerous and lonely seas are now bringing the goods we buy for Christmas - why not honor their sacrifice with a gift?
Please knit a cap, scarf, or other items for mariners far away from home on Christmas Day. All who work at sea face particular perils, endure substantial physical hardships, observe strict discipline, suffer lonesome separations, and confront dangerous seas.
The Christmas-at-Sea program of the Seamen's Church Institute of New York & New Jersey is looking for knitted items as chaplains prepare to increase distribution in the Port of New York & New Jersey and along 2,200 miles of America's inland waterways.
Most seafarers come from tropical to temperate countries and are unprepared for frigid winter temperatures. The garments are deeply appreciated. The hand knit gifts the chaplains bring are a tribute to the friendliness and compassion of Americans to seafarers from all countries. Last year SCI placed close to 14,000 hand-knitted gifts onboard vessels, but we need more knitters.
One of the Christmas-at-Sea patterns is a custom-designed river mariner's scarf. SCI has an extensive ministry to the 30,000 mariners on the inland waterways called Ministry on the River that includes support from over 100 River Friendly Churches in 11 states. Our nation's river mariners perform dangerous work and endure long periods away from home and family.
Because demand exceeds the number of garments received, knitted items are collected year-round. Add your name to our list of 3,500 knitters from every state by contacting Barbara Clauson at Christmas-at-Sea, 212-349-9090, cas@seamenschurch.org or download patterns from www.seamenschurch.org
Send knitted items to:
Christmas-at-Sea
Seamen's Church Institute of New York & New Jersey
241 Water Street
New York, NY 10038
Captain Roger Haskell of the Motor Vessel Sea-Land Comet explains, "Crossing oceans, especially stormy ones at Christmas can be depressing. There is loneliness in 40-knot winds and 35-foot seas that is difficult to express to those who have never experienced it. We received our packages of presents from Seamen's Church Institute in Elizabeth on November 13 and here we are more than half way across the Pacific in route from Yokohama to Long Beach on Christmas. That's 12 ports and 19 time zones. The fact that there are people who will sit down and make gifts like these for merchant mariners they've never met is truly moving. You have brightened our Christmas away from home. May God bless all of you."
Capt. Frank Smith, a river mariner, sent this letter:
"My crew and I would like you ladies to know how much we appreciate the scarves you made. We traveled up to Chicago, North Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Today it was cold and rainy and everyone is wearing their scarves. What you ladies do is truly in the Christmas spirit. Thank you so much!"
Capt. Gregory F. Partlow sent this letter: "Our normal travel route is from Louisville, KY to Pittsburgh, PA. I have worked on the river for almost 19 years. During that time I have spent 12 Christmas' on the boat. The gift packages that we get from the Seamen's Church are a very welcome treat. I received a light brown scarf that you made. I just love it. Another one of my crewmembers got one that you made also. It never fails to amaze me how gifts from people like you can brighten up a bunch of men. Thank you so very much for your time, talent, and gift of self. I have several scarves that I have received over the years. I wear a different one very day all winter. I never put one on without wondering who made it. Thanks again from myself and my entire crew."
For more information or photos, please contact, Debra Wagner, Director of Communications, Seamen's Church Institute of New York & New Jersey, dwagner@seamenschurch.org or call 212-349-9090 Ext 249.
General Theological Seminary Announces Fall 05 Thursday Nights at General Series
Join Historiographer of the Episcopal Church and St. Mark's in the Bowery Professor of Ecclesiastical History, the Rev J. Robert Wright, for an important series on Early Church History: Creeds, Councils, and Controversies
This series of lectures will show how the central statement of the Church's Trinitarian faith, the Nicene Creed, evolved out of the controversies and councils of the Early Church, and how it relates to our lives as faithful Christians today. The lectures will be designed so that lay persons without previous theological training can understand how our doctrine of the Trinity developed as a way to enhance their own understanding of God in three persons.
Thursday October 6. The First Ecumenical Council (Nicaea, 325 AD): The debate and decision against Arianism, which denied the divinity of Christ.
Thursday October 13. The Second Ecumenical Council (Constantinople, 381 AD): The debate and decision against Apollinarianism, which denied the humanity of Christ.
Thursday October 27 . The Third Ecumenical Council (Ephesus, 431 AD): The controversy over Nestorianism, which held that Christ was two persons instead of one.
Thursday November 3 . The Fourth Ecumenical Council (Chalcedon, 451 AD): The controversy over Monophysitism, which held that Christ had only one nature rather than two.
All lectures begin at 7:00 PM and last until about 8:30 with the opportunity for discussion. The charge for the series is $135. For more information, see our website at www.gts.edu or call Helen Goodkin at 212 243 5150 extension 461 or e-mail at Goodkin@gts.edu.
Helen F. Goodkin
Co-Director of the M.A. Program and Lay Education
The General Theological Seminary
175 Ninth Avenue
New York City 10011
212- 243- 5150 extension 461