In second whitest state, racial justice leaders urge inclusion of diverse voices

From Vermont-

At the state level, newly named Vermont Episcopal Bishop Shannon MacVean-Brown is sharing her experience as the first African American woman to serve in a post initially held by John Henry Hopkins, who offered the 1851 lecture “Slavery: Its Religious Sanction, Its Political Dangers, and the Best Mode of Doing It Away” before helping to end the division between northern and southern dioceses after the Civil War.

“Clearly it’s not the only story that should be told in this diocese,” MacVean-Brown said at her ordination, “but it is part of our story. It holds importance in relationship to my presence and future ministry here.”

As Vermont’s first executive director of racial equity, Davis is addressing issues in state government.
“I worry that people assume this work is all taken care of because we now have one person in a position,” she says. “It’s everybody’s work.”

Davis isn’t simply seeking a display of greater diversity.

More here-

https://vtdigger.org/2020/01/19/in-second-whitest-state-racial-justice-leaders-urge-inclusion-of-diverse-voices/

Vt. Episcopal Bishop Shannon MacVean-Brown On Inclusivity, Community And 'Creation Care'

From Vermont-

Rev. Shannon MacVean-Brown is the first black woman to lead the Vermont Episcopal Church, and just one of three black women to hold the title of bishop in New England. MacVean-Brown says that experiencing this "otherness" can be uncomfortable, but it's also what informs her ministry. 

Listen to Rev. Shannon MacVean-Brown speak with Morning Edition host Mitch Wertlieb above.

Church work called to MacVean-Brown from the beginning. She grew up in a religious household, though she said her parents also allowed her plenty of freedom to explore. 

“Even at one point I thought I wanted to be Buddhist,” she said.”But I just kept having conversations with Jesus, and that doesn’t quite work.”

More here-

https://www.vpr.org/post/vt-episcopal-bishop-shannon-macvean-brown-inclusivity-community-and-creation-care#stream/0

Shannon MacVean-Brown Is the First Black Woman to Lead Vermont’s Episcopal Church

From Vermont-

By the time she entered an Episcopal seminary in 2004, Shannon MacVean-Brown thought she knew what sort of priest she wanted to be. In her 30s and pregnant, the seminarian had already run a design business, taught elementary school art and become a preacher at her unconventional childhood church in Detroit. She saw full priesthood as a way to take her creative approach to other congregations. 

MacVean-Brown did not initially see her race as particularly important to her ministry. That began to change when she entered Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in Evanston, Ill., where, as one of the few nonwhite students, she was confronted with a church that wasn't quite living up to its ideals.
During her orientation, one of the professors made disparaging comments about the church's African American hymnal, and several classmates registered their displeasure with a required antiracism training. 

More here-

https://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/shannon-macvean-brown-is-the-first-black-woman-to-lead-vermonts-episcopal-church/Content?oid=28391236

First African-American Bishop of The Episcopal Church in Vermont elected

From Vermont-

Eighteen months after Bishop Thomas Ely announced his retirement, the Episcopal Church of Vermont has officially named his replacement.

Reverend Dr. Shannon MacVean-Brown was elected by the 45 Episcopal congregations across the state Saturday.

She was one of three women vying for the position, and is the first African-American bishop of the Episcopal Church in Vermont.

Rick Swanson, a reverend at Saint John's in the Mountains in Stowe, explained the church's decision.
"I believe that the three candidates that we had were all wonderful women and offered amazing gifts," said Swanson. "I believe that Shannon brings a host of creativity and artistry with her that will help us break boundaries."

More here-

https://www.wcax.com/content/news/First-African-American-Bishop-elected--510124251.html

The Search For the 11th Bishop of Vermont

From Vermont-




Candidates for the 11th Bishop of Vermont.






https://www.bishopsearchvt.org/finalists?fbclid=IwAR1YK3-nspVz_NtSCOOQX8y9YWdKKIrvk6uNX4yWbRHT3kINbuozPhGe-Q8

Sudanese Community Rallies to Send Kids to Camp Rock Point

From Vermont-

This summer might bring a new experience for fourth graders Nyankoor Anyang and Rosa Kuku. Along with their teammates from Chittenden County's Nile Bright Stars Academy soccer team, the students hope to spend a week at Rock Point Camp in Burlington. The entire local Sudanese community is rallying behind them.

Last Saturday, the Sudanese Foundation of Vermont and the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Burlington  organized a fundraiser dinner so that kids from the Sudanese community can attend Rock Point Camp, which is run by the Episcopal Diocese.

"When the school is closed, the kids stay at home. That's not OK," said Chol Dhoor, executive director of the Sudanese foundation. His goal is to send all 21 members of the soccer team, who range from 5 to 16 years old, to camp so that they stay engaged and healthy over the summer. 

More here-

https://www.sevendaysvt.com/LiveCulture/archives/2018/04/16/sudanese-community-rallies-to-send-kids-to-camp-rock-point

Vermont Episcopal Bishop Thomas Ely announces plan to retire

From ENS-

The Right Reverend Thomas C. Ely, tenth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont, recently announced his intention to retire and resign his ministry, no later than September 30, 2019. He has agreed to remain in his position until a successor is chosen and is in place.

Ely, 65, was consecrated as bishop of the Vermont diocese in 2001, having previously served as a priest in the Diocese of Connecticut for 20 years. In a message to the people of the Diocese of Vermont, Ely said that by the time of his retirement he will have served in the priesthood for nearly 39 years.

“There are other interests and ministries to which I am feeling called to devote my time and energy while my health and stamina are still good,” Ely said, “including family, community theatre, various justice ministries and a bit more golf.”

More here-

http://www.episcopalnewsservice.org/2017/12/06/vermont-episcopal-bishop-thomas-ely-announces-plan-to-retire/

Pay for a Priest or a Building

From The Living Church-

In Bethel, Vermont, Christ Church cannot afford a full-time priest. But its buildings — an in-town church and parish hall, plus a historic church for summer use a few miles away in the countryside — are in good shape. So is the congregation’s record of giving thousands a year to the local food pantry and supporting other missions.

Christ Church’s priest, the Rev. Shelie Richardson, is a volunteer who works as a full-time insurance agent. That has freed much-needed cash for buildings and benevolence.

“It’s money we just wouldn’t have available if we were trying to pay for a salary, a reasonable retirement, and all the things that go along with being an employer,” said Nancy Wuttke, Christ Church’s senior warden.

In turning to volunteer clergy, Christ Church ranks among scores of Episcopal congregations exploring what becomes possible when the priest is not paid a penny. Such arrangements can have drawbacks and need careful structure, diocesan officials say. But they also open the door to new vitality, an invigorated laity, and what many regard as a heartening shift in congregational dynamics.

More here-

http://livingchurch.org/2017/05/19/pay-priest-or-building/?platform=hootsuite

CLERGY TAKE TO PULPITS TO DECRY RELIGIOUS AND RACIAL HATE

From Vermont-

Churches, synagogues and mosques usually focus on love. But recently, many are fending off hate.

“Some people are using the current political climate to justify anti-Semitic or Islamophobic beliefs or degrade human beings,” Vermont Episcopal Bishop Thomas Ely says. “That’s not acceptable, and religious people need to say that.”

To do so, Vermont Interfaith Action — a nonpartisan coalition of more than 40 spiritual communities encompassing 10,000 members from Brattleboro to Burlington — spoke out over the weekend through a “Sabbath of Listening and Healing.”

“The intention,” the coalition said in a statement, “is for our member congregations throughout Vermont to spend time in prayer and preaching at their worship services listening to the voices of the vulnerable in our midst, listening to the concerns for safety and inclusion, listening in a deep way beyond our normal political posturing and to initiate the actions of healing that will enable our congregations to continue to seek justice for their communities.”

More here-

https://vtdigger.org/2017/01/08/clergy-take-pulpits-decry-religious-racial-hate/

36 religious communities show solidarity for the Islamic Society of Vermont

From Vermont-

It's not every day more than 200 people from 36 different faith-based communities come together to support one religion.

“We are so honored to have you here today, and we are so honored to have this atmosphere of love and support,” said Imam Islam Hassan from the Islamic Society of Vermont.


A hate letter written to the Islamic Society of Vermont prompted religious leaders across the state to come together.

“The members of the congregation of Vermont Interfaith Action strongly condemn this hateful action, we find the sentiment expressed in this letter, completely unacceptable,” said the Rev. Earl Kooperkamp, from the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepard.

More here-

http://www.mynbc5.com/article/36-religious-communities-show-solidarity-for-the-islamic-society-of-vermont/8509338

Vermont clergy call for end to hate-filled speech, actions

From Vermont-

Religious leaders across Vermont on Friday called for a stop to hate-filled speech and actions around the country and in the state since the presidential election and urged unity and a greater commitment to fighting oppression and injustice.

There have been reports of racist threats and anti-Semitic speech and actions around Vermont, said Earl Kooperkamp, rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Barre. A Jewish community organization in Middlebury, Vermont, said someone drew two swastikas on its door this week.
"Our faith calls each one of us here today," Kooperkamp said at a press conference on the Statehouse steps held by Vermont Interfaith Action, a coalition of 42 congregations throughout the state. "Our religious traditions teach us to respect, respect the dignity of every human being. And we deplore racist ... anti-Semitic, homophobic, sexist, Islamophobia and anti-immigrant actions and speech that has been on the rise throughout our country. We urge all Vermonters to open their hearts and to find in our true, fundamental unity," Kooperkamp said.

More here-

http://www.newstimes.com/news/article/Vermont-clergy-call-for-end-to-hate-filled-10623211.php

Episcopal Church weighs in on NEK counselor accused of sex assault

From Vermont-

A family therapist is accused of preying on kids he was supposed to help. The Northeast Kingdom counselor says the accusations of sex assault are untrue, but as investigative reporter Jennifer Costa found out, he's been accused before.

During his 20-year career, Armand Henault has counseled countless kids, many from broken homes. In June, police arrested him. They say some of his behavior is criminal and some unethical. Henault says it's a witch hunt. Now, the Episcopal Church is weighing in.

"It's totally devastating and sad for us," said Bishop Thomas Ely, Episcopal Diocese of Vermont.

Ely is not hiding from a harsh reality. One of his own is accused of sexually assaulting a child. He says the allegations against Henault are a blow to the Episcopal Church, but not entirely surprising.

"So, many others whose trust in Mr. Henault must be understandably shaken by the allegations, including me," said Ely. 

More here-

http://www.wcax.com/story/32491347/episcopal-church-weighs-in-on-nek-counselor-accused-of-sex-assault

Episcopal Diocese Makes Plans to Preserve Burlington's Rock Point

From Vermont-

Religious organizations own roughly 6,000 acres of land in Vermont, which ranks among the most secular states in the nation. But those churches are losing ground.

Six years ago, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington sold 33 acres of lakefront real estate to Burlington College to settle multiple priest-abuse lawsuits. The school, also cash-strapped, then resold most of the land to a housing developer, despite fierce opposition from those who wanted it to be conserved.

Just north of that property is an equally breathtaking tract that is still under ecclesiastical ownership. For years the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont has insisted it has no desire to sell the peninsula known as Rock Point. But it's never been clear how the diocese would be able to hold on to 130 acres of forest, open fields and steep cliffs surrounded by Lake Champlain.

More here-

http://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/episcopal-diocese-makes-plans-to-preserve-burlingtons-rock-point/Content?oid=3180362

Episcopal church reopening Sunday

From Vermont-

The historic Christ Episcopal Church on State Street plans to open its doors for the first time since a crane collapsed on its roof June 8.

“It’s been a long haul,” said the Rev. Paul Habersang. He said the church has been under construction and undergoing repairs since the accident.

In June, workers were in the process of setting up a crane assembly to remove granite blocks from the church’s roof, when something in the equipment failed. The crane’s boom landed on the church roof and on the crane truck’s cab itself, crushing the windshield and coming to rest suspended between the two. It damaged the church’s roof and the inside of the church.

More here-

http://www.timesargus.com/article/20151202/NEWS01/151209927

CRANE COLLAPSES ON DOWNTOWN MONTPELIER CHURCH

From Vermont-

A crane that was in place to begin removing blocks of granite from the side of Christ Episcopal Church on Monday collapsed across the roof of the 1868 building when a huge pin supporting the crane dislodged.

The three workers nearest to the crane were not injured, said Rev. Paul Habersang, priest of the church on State Street in downtown Montpelier.

One of the workers was actually on the roof and had to leap to get on to a scaffolding landing where two other workers were, a firefighter at the scene said.

The accident happened shortly after 7 a.m., according to Habersang, who said while the crane’s pressure caused both internal and external damage, including dislodging of roof tiles and plaster on the interior, the fact no one was injured is really all that matters.

More here-

https://vtdigger.org/2015/06/08/crane-collapses-on-downtown-montpelier-church/

Retired Bishop Daniel L. Swenson dies

From ENS-

The Rt. Rev. Daniel L. Swenson, eighth bishop of Vermont, died May 24. A private service with his family took place May 29 (Ascension Day) in Northfield, Minnesota.

Swenson leaves behind family and countless friends whose hearts and lives have been warmed by his friendship and laughter. Following Swenson’s ordination in the Episcopal Church in 1960, he and his wife Sally lived in a number of towns in Minnesota including Minnetonka Beach, Wayzata, Virginia, Eveleth, Faribault, and White Bear Lake. In 1986 they moved to Burlington, Vermont, when he was elected the eighth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont and was active in the wider Episcopal Church.

More here-

http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2014/05/30/retired-bishop-daniel-l-swenson-dies/

Historic church to reopen

From Vermont-

St. John’s Church in East Poultney is reopening its doors for the summer for the first time in 83 years. Since closing in 1931, the church has opened only once a year for an annual service. Now, the community is pulling together to reopen, and hopefully save, the historic building.

St. John’s has “no heat or electricity, except through its charm,” said Ida Mae Johnson, historian and chairwoman of St. John’s Executive Committee. “We haven’t renovated,” Johnson said of the nearly 200-year-old building. 

More here-

http://rutlandherald.com/article/20140526/THISJUSTIN/705269959

Scholar speaks on ‘God in the White House'

From Vermont-

Asked in a 1999 Republican debate in Iowa who his favorite political philosopher was, then-candidate George W. Bush said that it was Jesus.

"And like a lot of people I kind of scratched my head at that," said religion scholar Randall Balmer. "I don't fault Governor Bush for that answer. It's a legitimate answer. What are you going to say to a question like that? ‘Machiavelli' is probably not going to win you a lot of votes. So I'm not criticizing the answer."

However, this answer got him thinking about "how 40 years earlier the Democratic nominee for president, John Kennedy of Massachusetts, had to address the so-called religion issue in the 1960 presidential campaign.

"So I decided there's got to be a story of this narrative arc between John F. Kennedy in 1960 addressing the whole issue of his faith and presidential politics and George W. Bush on the eve of the Iowa precinct caucuses saying that Jesus was his favorite political philosopher. So I began to try to delve into that story a little bit."

Balmer is chairman of the religion department at Dartmouth College, an Episcopal priest, and the author of more than a dozen books. The book that grew out of the comment by the younger George Bush was "
God in the White House: How Faith Shaped the Presidency from John F. Kennedy to George W. Bush," published in 2008.

More here-

http://www.benningtonbanner.com/ci_23645117/scholar-speaks-lsquo-god-white-house-rsquo