LIBERAL CHURCHES SHEDDING MEMBERS ALONG WITH TRADITIONS

From Montana-

The music in the malls is always a sign that we’ve hit the holiday season, and people get started making their Christmas preparations. In addition to shopping for the perfect gift, some advance planners go through the process of checking when their neighborhood church is holding its annual Christmas service.

While they might not go regularly, for many those Christmas carols at church are a holiday tradition, so they want to squeeze it in. Sadly, if their neighborhood church is mainline Protestant, they may be surprised to find it’s closed.

Across the English-speaking world the numerical decline of mainline Protestantism is accelerating. The largest mainline Protestant denominations in the United States are the United Methodist Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the Episcopal Church. Collectively, membership in these denominations decreases by about 1 million a year, resulting in hundreds of church closures annually.

More here-

http://www.dailyinterlake.com/article/20161225/ARTICLE/161229895

Montana Officials Deny Wedding License for Polygamous Man

From Montana-

Montana officials have denied a marriage license to a man who sought to be legally married to both of his wives after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the right of gay couples to wed.

Deputy Yellowstone County Attorney Kevin Gillen wrote in his letter Tuesday to Nathan Collier that the Supreme Court's ruling last month did not expand the number of people in a marriage and Montana's anti-bigamy laws still apply.

"There is nothing in that ruling that describes the arrangement you seek to establish," Gillen wrote.

More here-

http://magicvalley.com/news/local/montana-officials-deny-wedding-license-for-polygamous-man/article_82e21f12-3c90-5df8-a50e-323f35d36ee2.html

Gay Montana couple responds to excommunication

From Montana-

More than a month after being told they would no longer be able to participate in communion, Lewistown residents Paul Huff and Tom Wojtowick continue to sort through the events of the past several weeks, to try and make sense of the decision that was applied to them, and to ponder their future relationship with the Catholic Church.

“I’ll be 73 on Oct. 1, and I’ve been a Catholic since I was 2 weeks old,” Huff said. “I still have the same God that I believe in, and I don’t need this in my life.”

Wojtowick and Huff are both lifelong Catholics. They are also both gay men who have been a committed relationship for more than 30 years. They were married in a civil ceremony in Seattle on May 31, 2013.

More here-

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/local/2014/09/25/gay-montana-couple-responds-excommunication/16192565/

Also from the New York Times-

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/24/opinion/i-do-means-youre-done.html?smid=tw-share&_r=2

Ugandan orphanage provides Tender Mercies to its inhabitants

From Montana-

With work nearly done on an orphanage in central Uganda, it’s time to thank the people who pitched in to make it a reality and invite others into its future.

That’s the idea behind a gathering on Tuesday by AIDSpirit in Billings, to talk about the successes of Tender Mercies Ministries and outline upcoming projects.

“There are so many people who have participated monetarily or with their prayers and their support,” said Kathy Brayko, an AIDSpirit board member. “We’re so appreciative, and we want to thank them and show them what their generosity has achieved.”

The hope is also that others who have never heard about the African outreach will come and learn about it, Brayko said.

She gathered with Tom Jacques, chairman of the board, and board member Terry Fettig to discuss the international aspect of the faith-based ministry.

Read more:

http://billingsgazette.com/lifestyles/faith-and-values/religion/ugandan-orphanage-provides-tender-mercies-to-its-inhabitants/article_28dc30f2-9a83-5e2b-914d-dafe28dbc7cc.html#ixzz2vNP2r6vK

Missoula's Holy Spirit Episcopal Church to bless same-sex couples

From Montana-

A Missoula Episcopal church is one of the first three in Montana to approve a new blessing for same-sex unions.

“The main thing here is that it’s a step forward after years of talking about it,” said the Rev. Terri Ann Grotzinger, priest at Holy Spirit Episcopal Church.

For decades, the Episcopal Church at large has discussed sexual orientation in the church. During the 2012 General Convention, which is held triennially, it was decided that congregations could approve instituting a uniform rite to bless same-sex unions.

The rite is a uniform way to bless same-sex and straight couples, but does not equate to marriage, Grotzinger said.

“When you’re talking about deep values that people have, it takes time to talk it through, to make resolutions that make sense,” Grotzinger said.

More here-

http://missoulian.com/news/local/missoula-s-holy-spirit-episcopal-church-to-bless-same-sex/article_0f911a52-937f-11e3-8dde-0019bb2963f4.html

Helena Catholic, Episcopal dioceses hold joint service, pledge cooperation

From Montana-

Members of local Episcopalian and Roman Catholic churches prayed and sang together Sunday during what bishops said may have been the first joint service in Montana.

Bishops of the respective dioceses and local church leaders hosted a choral evensong at St. Peter’s Episcopal Cathedral in Helena to celebrate the Christian Advent season and foster cooperation between the two denominations.

“It’s a gesture of friendship and affection I think,” said the Rev. C. Franklin Brookhart, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Montana.

Brookhart said he invited Bishop George Leo Thomas of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena about a year ago to hold a joint service. Thomas said he joyfully accepted, saying, “It’s good to give witness to the light that comes through ecumenical dialogue.”

“Bishop, it’s nice to be on your turf,” he said to Brookhart before the service began.

Thomas has been bishop at the Helena diocese for the past nine years, and Brookhart has been the Episcopal bishop of Montana for almost 11.

More here-

http://helenair.com/news/local/helena-catholic-episcopal-dioceses-hold-joint-service-pledge-cooperation/article_a93f6c94-6620-11e3-a4c9-001a4bcf887a.html

Montana clergy wage campaign that could save Canadian killer

From Montana-

While Canada’s Conservative government is still weighing whether to comply with a Federal Court order and resume efforts to seek clemency for the only Canadian on death row in the U.S., a coalition of Montana religious leaders has launched its own bid to help abolish capital punishment in their state.

The Montana clergy are backing a bill that would save Alberta-born killer Ronald Smith from execution.

Renewed debate over capital punishment and the fate of Smith produced oddly divergent arguments in the two countries last week, with the Conservative government here accusing opposition MPs of being too sympathetic to killers while the alliance of Montana clergy decried the “morally corrosive” effects of state-sanctioned executions.

Read more:

http://www.canada.com/life/Montana+clergy+wage+campaign+that+could+save+Canadian+killer/1365875/story.html#ixzz1k0U0dlkS

Butte soup kitchen expands, changes name

From Montana-

A soup kitchen in Butte has expanded and changed its name.

The Shepherds Fold Soup Kitchen is now the Shepherds Community Meal of St John's Episcopal Church. It's serving food an extra day each week.

Father Smith says they are now serving lunch from noon to 2 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday. The extra day is due to extra people coming in for food. In the last month they've served almost 350 people and that's why it's now called a "community meal" instead of a soup kitchen.

"The meal is a community based phenomenon, not just for Episcopalians, but for anyone who's hungry. But it's also for college students, people working uptown, anybody who'd like to come in," Smith said.

The community meal is located at St John's Episcopal Church at the intersection of Broadway and Idaho streets.

http://www.kbzk.com/news/butte-soup-kitchen-expands-changes-name/

New Episcopal church forming

From Montana-

Beginning on June 5, the newly established St. Mary’s Episcopal Church will hold services in Butte at 10:45 a.m. each Sunday.
The Rev. John Toles, church rector, will officiate the services, which will be held at the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Utah and Second. The Episcopal church is a member of the Worldwide Anglican Communion.

“We just felt that there was an opportunity to reach a broader audience to have a second (Episcopal) church there,” Toles said.

Toles said that the arrangement to use the St. Joseph Catholic Church for the Episcopal services came through ecumenical cooperation.

“Bishop Thomas of the Roman Catholic Church and Bishop Brookheart of the Episcopal Church discussed it and decided it would be a great opportunity,” he said.

The bishops worked with local priest, the Rev. Bob Hall, to work out the details. Toles, who lives in Anaconda, serves Episcopal congregations in Anaconda, Deer Lodge and Philipsburg. He said he logs 1,500 miles a month commuting between churches. That number will be even higher with his new congregation in Butte.

More here-

http://www.mtstandard.com/lifestyles/faith-and-values/article_06d290a4-88d7-11e0-850c-001cc4c03286.html

Former Harford priest faces sex abuse charges

From Maryland-

A retired Episcopal priest who served for six years at a church in Street and has ties to two other churches in Harford County, is facing child sex abuse charges in Cecil County.

Rev. Donald Wells Belcher, 82, was indicted in Nov. 3 on two counts of child sex abuse and one count each of third- and fourth-degree sex offense, according to Cecil County Assistant State’s Attorney Kevin Urick.

Urick declined to discuss the charges in detail or why they were brought in Cecil County.
Belcher, who has been living in Yaak, Mont., waived extradition to Maryland on Dec. 29 and agreed to accompany a member of the Lincoln County, Montana, sheriff’s office back to Cecil County to face the charges, according to court documents and a statement issued by the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland.

Belcher served as vicar of the Church of the Holy Cross in Street from 2001 to 2007. He also has connections to St. John’s Episcopal Church in Havre de Grace and St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Abingdon.

“His connection with St. John’s in Havre de Grace seems to be the occasional service here and there,” Sharon Tillman, director of communications for the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, said Thursday.

Tillman said Belcher has no formal connection to St. John’s.
Belcher served as associate of pastoral care at St. Mary’s between June and December 2008, Tillman said.

More here-

http://www.exploreharford.com/news/7502/former-harford-priest-faces-sex-abuse-charges/

Retired Episcopal priest charged with sexual abuse

From Baltimore-

Episcopal Church and Montana officials say a retired priest is facing child sexual abuse charges and is awaiting extradition to Maryland.

The Episcopal Diocese of Maryland issued a statement Wednesday saying the Rev. Donald Belcher, who now lives in Yaak, Mont., had been indicted by a Maryland grand jury on child sexual abuse charges.

Crystal Byington, deputy court clerk in Lincoln County, Mont., said Belcher appeared in court Dec. 29 on a Maryland extradition warrant for a sexual assault charge.

The diocese said the 82-year-old Belcher was vicar of the Church of the Holy Cross in Street from 2001 to 2007. The diocese says steps are being taken to prohibit Belcher from priestly functions and an investigation has begun.

It could not be determined if Belcher has a lawyer.

More here-

http://www.necn.com/01/05/11/Retired-Episcopal-priest-charged-with-se/landing_nation.html?&blockID=3&apID=5f0c182ed73e46818921a87fd3cef67f

New Catholic priest brings wife, kids with him

From Montana-

When the Rev. Bart Stevens is ordained a Catholic priest in Billings on Thursday, he will share the moment with friends and family — including his wife and five children.

Stevens, 35, joins a small fraternity of married Roman Catholic priests. Since 1980, slightly more than 100 former Episcopal priests in the United States have been ordained priests in the Catholic Church.

He is the first in the Great Falls-Billings Diocese. And his presence has sparked talk around town, as his wife, Becky, found out not long ago at a local grocery store.

"She's in the checkout line and these people are talking about me," Stevens said, sitting in his office in a house next to Holy Rosary Church. "One says 'Did you hear about the married priest in the Catholic church?' "

The other person corrected the first one, suggesting it must be an Episcopal priest. The two went back and forth until Becky Stevens broke into their conversation.

"Becky's like, 'I think you're talking about my husband,' " Stevens said, smiling. "It takes people a while to wrap their head around it."

He will be ordained at St. Patrick's Co-Cathedral by Bishop Michael Warfel. Priests from throughout the diocese are expected to attend the ceremony.

More here-

http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/article_a1652bae-9f69-5f64-87af-79ebaf90457e.html

Summer camp helps homeless children learn life skills

From Montana-

The kids wanted to touch everything.

Bright orange Kevlar pants. A simple ax. Cut pieces of wood.

Most of them had never seen these things, at least not so close. Seeing and touching and experiencing new things outdoors was a goal for the Angel Camp campers — kids who are homeless, living in foster homes or overcoming major life trauma.

Yes, they could touch, retired firefighter Steve Irving told them. He gave them slices of a tree branch, called them “cookies” and told them to count the rings and feel the cuts and moist, freshly cut wood.

“We get to keep these?” they asked.


“They’re yours — forever and ever.”
Greta Hinderliter, the homeless coordinator for the Natrona County School District, searched for years for a summer activity for the kids she helped during the school year. She found a partnership with the Wyoming Wilderness Camp run by the Episcopal Diocese of Wyoming.
“I’d say 99 percent of these kids have never been to camp,” Hinderliter said.

More here-

http://www.billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/wyoming/article_1d945498-9c5c-11df-9cd0-001cc4c002e0.html

Good Stuff in TEC: Teens learn empathy for those who are hungry

From Montana-

It was a lesson in humility and empathy. About 20 teens, led by five adults, participated in the World Vision-sponsored 30-Hour Famine and learned what it’s like to be hungry, like many who live in Ethiopia, for example.

The group included Jack Preston, who is 12. How was he feeling Saturday afternoon, after not having eaten since Friday at noon? “I’m kinda hungry. I’m really hungry and tired,” he said. Unlike many of the others, though, he wasn’t thinking about food. Instead, he was thinking about “all the kids that we’ve been helping by doing this. I’m glad we’re making an impact with the kids,” he added.

The group’s goal was to raise $3,000, which will be donated to World Vision, a nonprofit group that will use it to feed hungry people all over the world. Preston said he raised $202 by sitting in front of Sunshine Foods with his sister. He said participating in the famine “gives me an awareness and the experience of what it is like for kids who don’t eat very often. We’re lucky to live in St. Helena, because it’s easy to get food. There aren’t really any hardships for us.”

The fasting teens — juice and water were allowed — were joined by Erika Trez, who is the teen coordinator at Grace Episcopal Church, and four adults: Phil Toohey, John Hendrick, Genevieve Schlangen and Katie Kimsey. The group started fasting at noon Friday. Twenty-four hours later, Hendrick said he was feeling a little lightheaded. “I’m waiting for it to hit me like a rock, it hasn’t snuck up on me yet. I’ve got seven hours to go,” he said.

More here-

http://www.sthelenastar.com/articles/2010/04/08/features/community/doc4bbd1f156862b247446508.txt

Churches aim to help homeless families

From Montana-

A group of volunteers from area churches has agreed to take part in a new program aimed at helping homeless families find shelter and get back on their feet.

The city’s lack of a family emergency shelter and a place for women with sons has served as a point of contention for years. While solutions once seemed close at hand, few if any have materialized.

“Homelessness is so multifaceted, there isn’t a single answer,” said Liz Moore, chairwoman of the Helena Action Coalition on Homelessness. “If there was, we would have already come up with it.”

But a new program known as Family Promise and the volunteers it has enlisted could finally put a dent in homelessness in Helena. Five area churches have signed into the program to provide food and shelter to homeless families.

Under the program, each church would take a weeklong shift offering breakfast, dinner and a place to sleep to those accepted into the program. Ideally, Moore said, the program needs 10 local churches for the model to work, though 12 churches would be ideal.
“It’s one piece of the puzzle,” Moore said. “There are many folks who this program wouldn’t be an option for.”

The program is intended for families needing a fresh start. It’s not intended for people with untreated chemical dependency or mental illness. Nor can participating churches serve as a safe house for women fleeing new cases of domestic violence.

More here-

http://www.helenair.com/news/local/article_d74468cc-3255-11df-88e5-001cc4c03286.html

Presiding bishop of Episcopal Church to visit Missoula

From Montana-

Montana Episcopalians will combine the national with the local this weekend during a visit by their church leader, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori.

The 26th presiding bishop of the 2.4 million-member church will lead the state's diocesesan convention at Missoula's Holy Spirit Episcopal Church, and also tour the site of the church's volunteer relationship with the Partnership Health Clinic.

"The (Missoula) church is phenomenal in the help they give us," said Partnership Health Executive Director Kim Mansch. "To have the bishop come and see that firsthand is really an honor for the Partnership, but also for their parish."

Holy Spirit Parish started sending volunteers to Partnership Health in 2002. The nonprofit health care center provides medical and dental services to Missoula residents. About 60 percent of its clients are uninsured, with 16 percent on Medicaid.

The church volunteers organize medical records, remind patients of visits and overdue payments, and perform other tasks.

Church members also helped the clinic win two grants, worth $35,230 and $40,000 respectively, from the national Episcopal Church's United Thank Offering program. The second grant was awarded in July, and will help the clinic pay for its expansion into the historic Creamery Building at 401 W. Railroad St., doubling its office space.

Partnership Health also landed a $571,545 federal capital improvement grant for expansion in July. In August, it received two more ongoing federal grants worth $300,000 to strengthen its behavioral health program and pharmacy service.

"The support we had from the community helped us score high and really beef up that program," Mansch said of the behavioral health and pharmacy grants. That kind of community teamwork is also a big part of the presiding bishop's message.

More here-

http://www.missoulian.com/news/local/article_4f511b50-a98d-11de-b7b5-001cc4c002e0.html

Good Stuff In TEC: Montana (but also sad)

Butte comes together to grieve for crash victims

St. John's Episcopal Church sits on a hill overlooking the city of Butte, Montana, and right now the church is busy looking out for their community members who are grieving in the wake of the deadly plane crash there last weekend.

The church has planned a city-wide memorial for all who have been effected by the crash, the outreach to the entire city something that has become commonplace the last few days in Butte.

Inside St. John's Father Elton Smith and Deacon-in-training Mary Alice Jones prepare for what they anticipate will be a packed memorial service.

"This is a horrible event for all involved but nonetheless I think we're seeing Butte at its best," Father Smith said.

At the crash site flowers, hand written cards and crosses for each of the victims line the Holy Cross cemetery's fence line, most if not all left behind by complete strangers to those who died here.

"Butte is a town that cares," Father Smith said.

http://www.kxly.com/Global/story.asp?S=10063942

You can see all of the Good Stuff posts by clicking on Good Stuff in the labels below.

Good Stuff In TEC: Montana

Church hosts dinner for unemployed workers, families

People out of jobs because they've been laid off or downsized have something to look forward to.

St. Luke's Episcopal Church, at 119 N. 33rd St. in Billings, is hosting a free dinner on Tuesday at 6 p.m. for unemployed people and their families. The church would like people to RSVP by Friday, at 252-7186, so there will be enough food to go around.

Guest speaker for the dinner will be Dr. Ann Rathe, a Billings psychiatrist, who will speak on "Keeping Your Sanity in a Bad Economy."

Often, people who lose their jobs grapple with a lot of negative feelings, said the Rev. Gary Waddingham, rector of the downtown church.

http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2009/03/17/news/local/23-church.txt

You can see all of the Good Stuff posts by clicking on Good Stuff in the labels below.

Good Stuff In TEC: Montana

New Butte soup kitchen to open

A new soup kitchen will open in uptown Butte next week.

Meals will be served Saint John's Episcopal Church at Broadway and Idaho Streets every Thursday at noon.

This week, church volunteers are busy preparing the kitchen and the tables. While Saint John's is providing the space, Shepherd's Fold Pastor Dallas Doyle is providing the food and much of the labor.

"There is a great need, a great need, and especially in this uptown area, ever since the Salvation Army closed their doors there's been nothing up here for people, like living in these apartments up here or sleeping in vacant houses they find. So, they need something," Pastor Dallas Doyle of Shepherd's Fold said.

"It's a tough economy right now and so many people going without food and having to decide if they're going to pay their rent, or buy medicine or buy groceries. And, people should not have to make those kinds of choices," Fr. Elton Smith of Saint John's Episcopal Church said.

Food will be served from noon to two every Thursday at the soup kitchen.

http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/Global/story.asp?S=9920928

You can see all of the Good Stuff posts by clicking on Good Stuff in the labels below.