Amid protests, US faith leaders engage racism and politics

From Missouri-

On Wednesday, Bishop LaTrelle Easterling, leader of the United Methodist Church’s Washington-area conference, joined Rev. Mariann Budde, the bishop of Washington’s Episcopal diocese, which includes St. Johns, and other faith leaders for a prayer vigil that aimed to orient the religious conversation around fighting racism.

“I think that all leaders that consider themselves to be religious or moral leaders have an obligation to rise and to speak to this moment, because institutional racism and supremacy cannot be dismantled by African American leaders alone,” said Easterling, who is African American. “Those who enjoy the privilege of those systems must rise.”

Many black religious leaders are welcoming the new allies, while lamenting that it took Floyd’s death to jar white congregations into paying attention.

More here-

https://www.newspressnow.com/life/amid-protests-us-faith-leaders-engage-racism-and-politics/article_3c4e1302-acd6-11ea-ab7d-436c6990e18b.html

In disciplinary hearing, Albany Bishop William Love defends prohibition of same-sex marriage in his diocese

From ENS-

The dispute over Albany Bishop William Love’s prohibition of same-sex marriage in his diocese took a major step forward at a hearing on June 12, when The Episcopal Church laid out its charges of canonical violations against Love, whose counsel defended his actions as not conflicting with existing church canon law.

The hearing, conducted under the church’s Title IV disciplinary process, was originally scheduled to take place on April 21 in Colonie, New York, but was changed to a Zoom meeting due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Title IV hearings are held when a member of clergy is accused of breaking their vows, or violating the church’s constitution and canons.

In this case, the church argued that, by prohibiting clergy in his diocese from using the same-sex marriage rites approved for churchwide use by General Convention, Love broke the vows he took when he was ordained a bishop to “conform to the doctrine, discipline, and worship of The Episcopal Church.”

More here-

https://www.episcopalnewsservice.org/2020/06/12/in-disciplinary-hearing-albany-bishop-william-love-defends-prohibition-of-same-sex-marriage-in-his-diocese/

Three Rivers Episcopal is on Vacation!

Standing with my fellow Episcopal Church leaders in upholding the truth of our core symbols

From California-

As a priest, I am called to serve as a guardian and custodian of religious symbols, such as the Cross, the Bible and the Church. I am also called to interpret and help others interpret these symbols in ways that remain faithful to our sacred texts and traditions. Symbols are tangible realities that render present transcendent mysteries. For instance, the Cross renders present the transcendent mystery of God’s self-giving love. For this reason, I adore the symbol of the Cross: I wear it around my neck, I sign my body with it, I sign my name with it (Daniel +), and I even ascended 60 feet high in a rickety basket crane to install and bless our new steeple cross back in September. At the same time, I have realized that true fidelity to the Cross sometimes means abstaining from displaying it. Since the message of the Cross is love, I am called to be extra sensitive to the ways in which the Cross has been used sacrilegiously to justify and reinforce violence and hatred, especially towards my Jewish siblings. Throughout far too much of Church history, the Cross has been thrust upon Jewish people like a sword to the neck, as Christians have demanded their conversion upon threat of death. Not only is this is a misuse of the Cross, it is perhaps the most egregious form of blasphemy because it utilizes a religious symbol to engage in the very behavior that the symbol condemns.

More here-

https://www.times-standard.com/2020/06/07/standing-with-my-fellow-episcopal-church-leaders-in-upholding-the-truth-of-our-core-symbols/

White House Security Barred Clergy From Holding Vigil Outside Church

From Huffington-

Federal security forces blocked clergy from having a prayer vigil in front of a Washington, D.C., church on Wednesday ― the same church that President Donald Trump freely strode up to days earlier for his photo shoot with a Bible.

More than 100 interfaith clergy answered a call from the Episcopal Diocese of Washington to gather outside
St. John’s Church at Lafayette Square, directly across from the White House, for a prayer vigil on Wednesday afternoon. But an expanded security perimeter around the White House prevented the faith leaders from congregating on church property ― prompting them to scramble to find another place to meet and pray. 

The change led to a truncated vigil several hundred feet away from St. John’s Church, as well as confusion and tension between the clergy and some young protesters.

More here-

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/clergy-prayer-vigil-st-johns-church_n_5ed92b53c5b6fb6d6b3b254e?fbclid=IwAR1K6yHOQAo0fcZW0xQBOjZVcmaDJOcbcNhzUy5i1qK9t8GSQK2k_duX39g

Singing might not be so great a risk, after all

From Church Times-

NEW scientific evidence from Germany has cast doubt on the claim that singing constitutes a high-risk activity in the transmission of Covid-19.

This and other evidence suggests that, with adequate risk assessment and social distancing, singing could be restored in some contexts as part of church life in the UK.

Stories about the danger of transmitting the coronavirus through singing have proliferated since the widely reported outbreak of Covid-19 in Washington State, where 53 of the 61 members of the Skagit Valley Chorale fell ill after rehearsals on 3 and 10 March, immediately before lockdown measures. The incident was subsequently correlated with two other “super-spreader” events involving choirs in Amsterdam and Berlin (News, 29 May).

An investigation by the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, however, established that Skagit Valley choir members were sitting six to ten inches from one another, and sharing snacks and stacking chairs together, and that 19 members with “probable symptoms” were never tested.

More here-

 https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2020/5-june/news/uk/singing-might-not-be-so-great-a-risk-after-all?fbclid=IwAR2cHpQ0NPVdOwpkkiqadJVjaAc5Okj9F1Ml0DlwRmVw6tn90I9hsf0pRko#.XtknXsmSGB4.facebook

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church to keep graffiti tagged during Richmond protests: ‘I consider these memorials’

From Richmond-

Many businesses and public buildings have been tagged with graffiti during the days of protests in Richmond, including places of worship. One church is choosing to keep the graffiti in place.

Charlie Dupree, Rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, said the graffiti, which reads things like “I can’t breathe,” and “George Floyd” is a reminder that change is needed. George Floyd died after a police officer knelt on his neck in Minnesota. 

“I consider these memorials. They represent those people who have lost their lives to injustice,” Dupree said.

Dupree told 8News the spray painted messages will be staying put for now. “We don’t know how long, but we feel like to race to get rid of it, to rush to either spray wash off everything, just kind of sweeps the conversation under the rug and it’s a conversation that’s been swept under the rug for far too long,” he said.

More here-

https://www.wric.com/news/local-news/richmond/st-pauls-episcopal-church-to-keep-graffiti-tagged-during-richmond-protests-i-consider-these-memorials/

Maine’s Episcopal Bishop stands with protesters, decries Trump’s church photo-op

From Maine-

New England’s Episcopal bishops unanimously are calling out President Donald Trump’s appearance in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C., on Monday as “disgraceful and morally repugnant.”

In an unprecedented move, they released a statement on Tuesday, also condemning law enforcement use of force and tear gas to clear a path for the president through peaceful demonstrators.

New England bishops wrote that the real injustice is the continued oppression of and violence against people of color in the United States.

Bishop Thomas Brown of the Maine Episcopal Church echoed the need for healing.

“The real concern here is addressing the inequality and the pain that people throughout this land have been trying to say and have been wanting us to address,” he said. “So, we who are white, we who have authority and privilege — we need to be listening, and we need to be bringing people together.”

More here-

 https://mainebeacon.com/maines-episcopal-bishop-stands-with-protesters-decries-trump-d-c-church-appearance/

They turned holy ground into a battleground': clergy teargassed by Washington police

From The Guardian-

Episcopal clergy linked to St John’s church in Washington DC were among the peaceful protesters violently swept out of the way by police so that Donald Trump could pose in front of the building on Monday evening, and they have condemned the US president’s behavior.

The Christian leaders were teargassed along with protesters and journalists, some of whom were also shot with rubber bullets and punched by officers as they cleared a path to the church from the nearby White House.

“They turned holy ground into a battleground,” the Rev Gini Gerbasi said.

Gerbasi is the rector of nearby Saint John’s Episcopal church in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, a sister church of St John’s Lafayette that is better known as the Church of the Presidents because every one since James Madison has attended services there.

As Trump spoke at the White House, where he threatened to unleash the US military on protesters if state governors don’t crush unrest triggered by the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis, riot police attacked the crowd outside the church.

More here-

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/02/clergy-priests-attacked-police-washington-dc-st-john-church-trump-photo-op

‘His tactic was obvious’: New England Episcopal bishops lambast Trump for ‘cynical’ Bible photo-op

From New England-

Nine bishops from across the Episcopal Church’s New England dioceses slammed President Donald Trump on Tuesday for posing with a Bible in front of a church in Washington, D.C., calling the move “disgraceful and morally repugnant.”

“His tactic was obvious,” the bishops who helm the church’s Province 1 dioceses said in a joint statement. “Simply by holding aloft an unopened Bible he presumed to claim Christian endorsement and imply that of The Episcopal Church. Far more disturbingly, he seemed to be affecting the authority of the God and Savior we worship and serve, in order to support his own authority and to wield enhanced use of military force in a perverted attempt to restore peace to our nation.”

More here-

https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2020/06/02/new-england-episcopal-bishops-lambast-trump-bible-photo 

and here-

https://vtdigger.org/2020/06/02/vermonts-episcopal-bishop-decries-trump-photo-op/

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s statement on President Donald Trump’s use of St. John’s, Holy Bible

From ENS-

The following is a statement from Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry:
 
This evening, the President of the United States stood in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church, lifted up a bible, and had pictures of himself taken. In so doing, he used a church building and the Holy Bible for partisan political purposes. This was done in a time of deep hurt and pain in our country, and his action did nothing to help us or to heal us.

The bible teaches us that “God is love.” Jesus of Nazareth taught, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The prophet Micah taught that the Lord requires us to “do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with our God.”

The bible the President held up and the church that he stood in front of represent the values of love, of justice, of compassion, and of a way to heal our hurts.

We need our President, and all who hold office, to be moral leaders who help us to be a people and nation living these values. For the sake of George Floyd, for all who have wrongly suffered, and for the sake of us all, we need leaders to help us to be “one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all.”

More here-

https://www.episcopalnewsservice.org/pressreleases/presiding-bishop-michael-currys-statement-on-president-donald-trumps-use-of-st-johns-holy-bible/

Priests reveal they were teargassed by cops clearing a path to St. John's Church for Donald Trump to have his photo taken as cops who fired the gas are pulled out for being misused and Bishop slams the president

From The Daily Mail-

Priests have revealed they were part of a peaceful crowd teargassed by cops who were clearing a path for President Donald Trump so he could take photos in front of St. John's Church in Washington DC. 

On Monday Trump left the White House and walked across the street to the historic church, which was partially burned in protests the night prior, to pose for photos with a Bible in hand. 

Trump was allegedly angry about news coverage that he fled into a White House bunker on Friday during George Floyd protests, and told his aides he wanted to be seen outside the White House gates, prompting his walk to St. Johns, according to CNN White House Correspondent Kaitlin Collins. 

But his photo shoot triggered outrage from church leaders and rival politicians, and led Arlington County police to pull their officers out of the capital after they were used to charge at protesters. 

More here-

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8378517/President-slammed-clearing-St-Johns-Church-area-tear-gas-photo-opportunity.html?ito=facebook_share_article-home&fbclid=IwAR2rAIU6xyCYWUuRhjna07Ab3MxyIwWxGPMEtDork4DxpGPQBF7FSUUyBLk

and here-

https://www.thedailybeast.com/episcopal-bishop-outraged-trump-tear-gassed-protesters-to-use-our-church-as-a-prop

and here

https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Episcopal-bishop-on-Trump-Everything-he-has-15309650.php

and here-

https://theweek.com/speedreads/917624/episcopal-bishop-outraged-trump-used-dioceses-church-prop

Historic St. John's Church near White House set on fire in DC riots

From Washington D.C.-

The parish office at the historic St. John's Episcopal Church in Lafayette Square near the White House in Washington, D.C., was torched as riots escalated Sunday night.

Fox News White House correspondent Kevin Corke was at the scene to report that the church had been vandalized with graffiti and set on fire.

"It does appear that St. John's Church is on fire, the parish office," Corke said. "We went downstairs, and it is on fire."

"This is awful. We saw graffiti, once the door was broken, we saw something similar happen earlier, and as you can see there's definitely a fire here," he said a half-hour before the city's 11 p.m. curfew.

More here-

https://www.christianpost.com/news/historic-st-johns-episcopal-church-set-on-fire.html

and here-

https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/ny-white-house-george-floyd-protests-trump-bunker-church-fire-20200601-p7rk4yn3prcnbgv35fyv3iwosu-story.html 

and here-

https://theweek.com/speedreads/917414/firefighters-extinguish-blaze-historic-st-johns-church-dc

Gathering the flock: Services to return, with restrictions

From New Hampshire-

Bishop A. Robert Hirschfeld, who heads the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire, said he wants to “move incrementally, very carefully” in returning to public worship.

Hirschfeld said he’s still putting together guidelines for Episcopal churches here, but he expects those will be more restrictive than what the state has provided. In considering “the way of love,” public welfare must be of supreme importance, he said.

“We don’t believe that the risks of coming together ... outweigh the joy we have in gathering right now,” he said. “It just doesn’t seem prudent.

More here-

https://www.unionleader.com/gathering-the-flock-services-to-return-with-restrictions/article_45158afb-851f-5296-9b64-ed662682c9ca.html

New Episcopal bishop consecrated at Savannah’s historic Christ Church

From Georgia-

Following a holy ceremony combining centuries-old traditions and modern technology to abide by COVID-19 precautions, Frank Logue was ordained and consecrated as the 11th Bishop of Georgia at Savannah’s historic Christ Church Episcopal on Saturday, May 30.

After the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia elected Logue to lead as bishop in November 2019, Saturday’s ceremony was originally scheduled to take place at Savannah’s Johnny Mercer Theater to accommodate a large audience. However, after the ongoing pandemic precluded crowded gatherings, the ceremony was moved to Christ Church on Johnson Square, according to Rev. William Willoughby III of Savannah’s Collegiate Church of Saint Paul the Apostle.

On Saturday morning, Christ Church was equipped with multiple cameras so that the ceremony could be livestreamed on the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia’s YouTube channel, while chorus and clergy members participated in the ceremony online from remote locations. Bottles of hand sanitizer were placed around the pulpit, and Logue wore a face mask during the proceedings.

More here-

https://www.savannahnow.com/news/20200530/new-episcopal-bishop-consecrated-at-savannahs-historic-christ-church

Houses of worship confront COVID-19 as some reopen buildings

From Rhode Island-

Meanwhile, the Episcopal Dioceses of Rhode Island is taking a more measured approach. Church buildings can reopen for very small groups of worshipers if they choose to do so. But most services will remain online for now. It’s something Bishop Nicholas Knisely said has been a surprise blessing.

"We are worshiping in ways, and more effectively, than I would have even guessed," Bishop Knisely said. "We've actually seen in the diocese here, attendance has gone up."

The online services have been especially popular with older people and parents of young children who can't necessarily come to church in person, and Episcopal churches plan to continue to livestream them even once it’s safe for people to attend in person.

"It's as if we have done two decades worth of evolution in two months," Knisely said.

More here-

https://turnto10.com/i-team/houses-of-worship-confront-covid-19-as-some-reopen-buildings

Late deacon was the face of LR church

From Arkansas-

One of the Rev. Joyce Hardy's favorite things was to stand in Little Rock's Christ Episcopal Church before services and welcome the people entering its narthex.

"I'm getting lots and lots of stories ... that Joyce is the first person somebody met when they came to Christ Church," said the Rev. Kate Alexander, rector of the church, where the 68-year-old Hardy served as deacon from 2005 until her death earlier this month of melanoma. "By the next week she'd remember their name and welcome them again."

Welcoming others was one of Hardy's duties as a longtime deacon in the Episcopal Church but only a piece of her legacy. The social justice advocate has been described as a champion for the marginalized and underprivileged, and as a person who truly found her calling.

Those discerning their calling as ordained ministers in the church are called to be a deacon or a priest, Alexander said. Priests work within the institutional church, while deacons mostly focus on the world outside their church buildings, seeing and helping to meet the needs of their communities.

More here-

https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2020/may/30/late-deacon-was-the-face-of-lr-church-2/

Churches preparing return to services

From Rhode Island-

At St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, the Rev. Christa Moore-Levesque will continue to conduct her live-streamed Sunday sermons via Zoom. The virtual meetings have allowed the congregation to remain connected, albeit remotely.

“They really like seeing each other’s faces,” she said. “I try to say hello to everyone when they come in, and people really like that. It makes them feel like we’re still a community. Everyone knows who’s there worshipping together.”

The online sermons have been about as long as they would have been if the church was open, but Moore-Levesque said her sermons are “not very long” in the first place, typically lasting about 10 minutes in length. The subjects of her virtual sermons have touched upon the coronavirus pandemic, how to cope with feelings of isolation and how neighbors can help one another.

“The content has definitely been different,” she said.

Additionally, Moore-Levesque has offered a weekly children’s message on her YouTube channel, and she also posted videos during Holy Week in April. She has been sending bulletins and children’s activities to families since the shutdown, and following Easter, she began posting stories for children featuring spiritual stories each Friday afternoon.

The decision to continue the live streams in lieu of reopening St. Matthew’s came following guidance from Bishop W. Nicholas Knisely, the Episcopal leader for Rhode Island. He recommended churches in the diocese continue worshipping online through June. According to Moore-Levesque, there have been religious leaders who were surprised by Rai- mondo’s decision to incorporate churches into her second phase of reopening.

More here-

https://www.jamestownpress.com/articles/churches-preparing-return-to-services/

Episcopal Diocese of Michigan answers call to 'feed the hungry'

From Michigan-

Michigan food banks will get a $200,000 infusion from the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan to help them provide food to those affected by the coronavirus.

The donation stemmed from the driving need and "high demand at local food pantries and soup kitchens," as well as the fact that Michigan is a place where many cases emerged, Episcopalian officials said Wednesday.

"With more than a million unemployed in our state, people from all areas of life: rural communities, suburbs and cities are finding it difficult to feed their families," said the Rt. Rev. Bonnie A. Perry, who was recently consecrated as the 11th bishop.

"Hunger is real and hunger is debilitating," said Perry. "As people of faith, we want to answer Jesus’ call to 'feed the hungry.' In the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan, we care about our communities and we act when we see a need. That’s how we live out our faith."

More here-

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2020/05/27/episcopal-diocese-donates-michigan-food-banks/5271439002/

Dr. Anthony Fauci: To keep churches safe, use masks, limit singing and wait to resume Communion

From American Magazine-

As states around the country begin to ease stay-at-home orders, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said churches should adopt “common sense” measures to protect worshippers and the wider community, like requiring masks, practicing social distancing and prohibiting singing.

Regarding the distribution of Communion, he said, “I think for the time being, you just gotta forestall that.”

In an interview with America on May 26, Dr. Fauci said churches in places experiencing a sustained decline in coronavirus cases can slowly take steps to reopen safely by following public health guidelines, including those released last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Fauci serves on the White House’s coronavirus task force.

“You always have to take into account what the dynamic of the outbreak is in your particular region,” Dr. Fauci said. “Having said that, when you’re dealing with a nationwide outbreak like we have right now, you've really got to take precautions.”

More here-

https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2020/05/27/dr-anthony-fauci-catholic-churches-masks-communion-covid-coronavirus?fbclid=IwAR3aqkEN_rTJGwIAtSpaKRbbmz5RUrLj4p2f3k-extg8lQ1naNyvA4Ar1-0

So your church is opening up after COVID-19 closures? It won’t be what you are hoping for.

From Millenial Pastor-

It’s been months of isolation, months of mostly staying home to stop the spread of COVID-19. But active cases are going down (or maybe not), and politicians and business leaders are worried about the economic impact of social distancing. And so, for a few weeks now, things have been opening up. Playgrounds and hair salons, dentists and restaurant patios are letting people come back. 

And things seem to be going well enough, so the government announces the next phase of opening, which includes increased gathering sizes. And one of the places you have been missing the most, your church, sends out an email telling you that they are going to re-open for an in-person service on Sunday. 

You heard from a friend that your Pastor was against it, but enough folks were pressuring the council because of freedom of religion, people are getting tired of staying home and surely church should be a safe place right? Plus you are missing your friends, the folks you love to see on Sunday mornings, the other couples that you often go for brunch with following worship. 

Finally, the big day comes, you wake up excited to get back to this important part of your life, to something that feels little bit like normal, seeing familiar faces, hearing  familiar music, being in familiar community. 

More here-

https://millennialpastor.ca/2020/05/26/so-your-church-is-opening-up-after-covid-19-closures-it-wont-be-what-you-are-hoping-for/?fbclid=IwAR35jnVd1x1myaY6nMWMOQ8YqfXkToWO5poxsFbbeU-twFUdHEBq73ieh8Y

Churches altering communion practices in the wake of a pandemic

From Pittsburgh-

With several area Eastern Orthodox churches now holding public services with small congregations, the servers are providing both the bread and wine of communion to parishioners — but without anyone touching their lips to a shared vessel.

With local Roman Catholic churches reopening at the start of June, they’ll be offering the bread but not the wine so as to avoid the traditional use of a common cup.

With local Episcopal churches preparing for eventual reopenings, they also don’t plan to offer a common cup.

These are just some of churches’ liturgical responses, at least for the near future, as Pennsylvania counties increasingly adapt to “yellow” status, opening up with caution amid the easing of pandemic-related shutdowns.

More here-

https://www.post-gazette.com/news/faith-religion/2020/05/25/church-communion-wine-bread-common-cup-spoon-servers-churches-Pittsburgh-COVID/stories/202005220087

Breakaway Anglican group that left Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth wins property fight

From RNS-

The Texas Supreme Court awarded a Fort Worth breakaway group affiliated with the Anglican Church in North America the right to $100 million in church property.

The ownership of the property has been in dispute since the ACNA-affiliate group broke away from the Episcopal Church in 2008.

The ruling on Friday (May 22) is the latest over properties held by breakaway congregations and dioceses that the Episcopal Church has been fighting in court for decades.

The Texas ruling may be the first time that a breakaway diocese has prevailed.

Ever since the Episcopal Church ordained Gene Robinson as an openly gay bishop in 2003, scores of congregations and five dioceses withdrew from the church over doctrinal differences. Many joined ACNA, formed in 2008.

That was the case in Fort Worth, too, where a majority of clergy and lay leaders in the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth voted to leave. Both groups continue to call themselves the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth.

More here-

https://religionnews.com/2020/05/26/breakaway-anglican-group-that-left-episcopal-diocese-of-fort-worth-wins-property-fight/ 

and here-

https://www.christianpost.com/news/texas-supreme-court-rules-against-episcopal-church-100m-in-properties-belong-to-breakaway-diocese.html

Bill requiring churches to allow guns during worship passes Louisiana House

 From Louisiana-

As Rev. Bill Terry walks in front of the memorial for murder victims outside his church, St. Anna’s Episcopal Church on Esplanade Avenue, he says he knows more guns are not the answer.

“We started this in 2007 and it ended in 2012 because we ran out of room,” said Terry, as he pointed at the wall on Monday night. 

To Terry’s dismay -- a series of gun bills passed the house Friday. One -- House 334 -- would allow those who have a concealed carry permit to carry a concealed handgun into a church. 

“There is too much murder and violence and particularly gun violence that goes on right now without exacerbating that by arming our citizenry and encouraging that,” said Terry. 

Rep. Bryan Fontenot, a republican out of Thibodaux, sponsored the bill and says the leader of the church may still stop someone from carrying and says he wants to be clear on that. 

More here-

https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/politics/bill-requiring-churches-to-allow-guns-during-worship-passes-louisiana-house/289-284da0ce-9d93-4a46-bea1-c8218b949f3f

Priest arrived to lead Ravenswood church as pandemic hit Chicago; three weeks later, his congregation vanished

From Chicago-

The woman Stephen Applegate replaced at the pulpit earlier this year liked to pop champagne corks at baptisms, write rock-themed Christmas pageants and almost single-handedly saved the church from extinction 27 years ago.

Rev. Applegate, a soft-spoken New York native, made his debut at All Saints Episcopal Church in Ravenswood in mid-February before a congregation still reeling from the loss of that beloved priest, Bonnie Perry, who left after being named bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan.

Three weeks later, Applegate’s voice echoed in a church of empty pews.

Applegate, 68, is an itinerant man of the cloth. But even for someone whose job is to wade into sometimes messy situations — say, when a former priest has been accused of theft or sexual misconduct — there is, as he puts it, no “pandemic handbook.”

More here-

https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/5/25/21267742/all-saints-episcopal-church-new-priest-rector-coronavirus-online-services-uptown

Richmond-area churches seeing higher-than-normal attendance online

From Virginia-

While church doors have partially opened for the past two weeks in most of Virginia, many faith leaders have enjoyed an uptick in participation in online services and are looking for ways to retain that interest.

Richmond couple April and Rick Greenwood each lead their respective Episcopal churches on Sundays, though their homilies haven’t been delivered from their sanctuaries for some time because of closures due to COVID-19. Rick Greenwood is the rector at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in downtown Petersburg, and April Greenwood, a 30-minute drive east, is the rector at Westover Episcopal Church, one of the oldest in the country, in rural Charles City County.

More here-

 https://www.richmond.com/news/local/watch-now-richmond-area-churches-seeing-higher-than-normal-attendance-online/article_555e7f0d-8feb-52f0-b35d-ac9d10c253d5.html

A Pastoral Letter from the Episcopal Bishops in California

From California-

From the beginning of the pandemic, our Episcopal congregations and our respective dioceses have been strengthened by prayer, study, and praise. In this time, our churches have never “closed” or ceased in teaching, fellowship, prayer and service to our communities; we have simply continued our gatherings on-line and in homes, bowing to Christ’s authority and the teaching that we are to act out of love for others.

As the weeks go on, the weather is nicer, and our solitude continues, there is pressure to get out, be among people and gather. Churches are a place where we feel that pressure intensely, for we are a people that is embodied and communal, and we often refer to ourselves as “family.”

Over the past few weeks, we have carefully considered how and when we will re-gather in person. We recognize that our plans are not as simple as unlocking a door and walking in. All of our congregations are actively making plans centered spiritually on our love for others, and scientifically on the realities of disease. The reminders from the CDC, and state government tug us into the reality that we still do not know enough about COVID-19 to gather safely in the same ways as before; we need to find new ways to keep our people safe. 

 

More here-

 

 https://myemail.constantcontact.com/A-Pastoral-Letter-from-the-Episcopal-Bishops-in-California---Una-carta-pastoral-de-los-Obispos-Episcopales-en-California.html?soid=1101307179673&aid=wd2ECP_3Vy4&fbclid=IwAR0q7R0riKPMeYR3z2zITmgKjvNaDuRArQHENWijbSBJBdW-mI27G2arwrQ

Official statement from Bishop Provenzano about the White House directive to open churches for public events

From Long Island-

To all the People of God gathered in the Diocese of Long Island, the Episcopal Church in Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk:

Regardless of the misinformed and politically-motivated direction coming from the White House, the Church will continue to be the Church, caring for the safety of all people and protecting the health and well being of our parishioners. 

The Church will continue to be the Church and our buildings will remain closed until we can begin to safely gather in person.

We will continue to pray, worship, share in formation and education through online platforms, and other electronic communication. 

We will care for God’s people and minister to their needs and not put them at risk. 

More here-

https://www.dioceseli.org/media/diocesan-news/official-statement-from-bishop-provenzano-about-the-white-house?fbclid=IwAR1G8dLI85fcquuRGooKPj40nVLPgFMhPxNIJ-g3WsKLJt0tSwCSpA897TE

also here-

https://huntingtonnow.com/episcopal-bishop-says-churches-will-remain-closed-for-now/

Oklahoma Episcopalians prepare to welcome new bishop

From Oklahoma-

A 50th birthday is typically considered a milestone worthy of great celebration.

Within about a week of turning 50, the Rev. Poulson C. Reed will have another reason to feel festive.
Reed is set to become the sixth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma in a private ceremony on May 30 at St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral in downtown Oklahoma City.

"Best birthday present ever," he said, joking during a recent interview.

The event had been set for April 18 and was to have been a huge celebration at Oklahoma City University, with between 3,000 and 4,000 people expected to attend.

However, the ceremony has been scaled down dramatically because of the pandemic.
"We're trying to keep everybody safe," Reed said. "I'm also very happy to have the service at St. Paul's."

More here-

https://oklahoman.com/article/5662919/oklahoma-episcopalians-prepare-to-welcome-new-bishop

exas Supreme Court rules against Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth in property dispute

From ENS-

On May 22, the Supreme Court of Texas issued a ruling against the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth and in favor of a breakaway group now affiliated with the Anglican Church in North America in a dispute over which group legally controls the diocese’s property.

The ruling reversed a 2018 appeals court decision that established The Episcopal Church’s diocese, led by Bishop Scott Mayer, as the rightful controller of the Diocese of Fort Worth. In 2008, a majority of clergy and lay leaders in the Diocese of Fort Worth voted to leave The Episcopal Church and join the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone over doctrinal differences on topics like same-sex marriage and the ordination of women. Now there are two entities calling themselves the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth: the original diocese associated with The Episcopal Church and the breakaway group that is now part of the Anglican Church in North America.
 
The Supreme Court decision puts the ACNA-affiliated group in control of the diocese’s $100 million worth of property.

More here-

https://www.episcopalnewsservice.org/2020/05/22/texas-supreme-court-rules-against-episcopal-diocese-of-fort-worth-in-property-dispute/