Archive of the Diocesan Newsletter on the Web
1999-2000
Part IV
October, 1999--March, 2000
Issues are Added as They Become Available
(Click on the date of the Issue you want to view)
| October 8, 1999 | October 22, 1999 |
| November 19, 1999 | December 17, 1999 |
| January 15, 2000 | February 1, 2000 |
| February 15, 2000 | March 1, 2000 |
| March 16, 2000 | April 1, 2000 |
On The Web
| Number 85 | April 1, 2000 |
BISHOP'S CONFERENCE ON STEWARDSHIP MAY 5 AND 6, ST. CHRISTOPHER'S,
LUBBOCK
The Stewardship Committee of the Diocese announces The Bishop's Conference on Stewardship
will be held Friday and Saturday,
May 5 and 6, at St. Christopher's Church, 42nd and Elgin, Lubbock. The conference leader
will be Ms. Terry Parsons, Stewardship
Officer for the Episcopal Church. Since 1993 Ms. Parsons has delivered keynote addresses,
led conferences, and served as
stewardship consultant for congregations and dioceses across the country. She believes,
"Stewardship focuses on a loving response
to all that God has given us. Receiving and giving gifts in return is at the heart of our
relationship with God and each other.
Understanding how this works truly helps us to discover another way of life." Make
plans today to attend this thought provoking and informative conference which is sure to
enhance the stewardship efforts of your Church. "Come discover another way of
life!"
Bishop Ohl has asked that each congregation in the diocese have a least one representative
present at the conference. Registration
information will be mailed to church offices. Contact Mr. Jim Brown, 806.742.1371 office,
792.6250 residence, 742.1371 fax,
jabrown@ttu.edu.
NEW/UPDATED Manual of Business Methods in Church Affairs to be
Distributed to All Churches
One copy of the new Manual will be furnished by the Diocese to each congregation. Please
contact Edna Chambers in the diocesan
office by May 1 to let her know whether you want a printed copy or a CD-ROM (both PC and
MAC format are provided). A
printed copy of the Manual will be ordered for congregations not heard from by May 1.
Additional copies of the Manual may be
ordered by contacting Episcopal Parish Services, PO Box 1321, Harrisburg, PA
17105,800.903.5544, fax 717.541.8128, or
eps@morehousegroup.com. $15
includes postage.
HAPPY CAMP FUND DRIVE UNDER WAY
Requesting that Northwest Texans give thought and prayer to helping sponsor Happy Camp
2000 as a part of their sacrificial giving,
Bishop Ohl officially began the fund drive for the annual camp for children who would not
otherwise be able to attend such an event.
"This year we will have a wonderful opportunity for our children to experience the
love of God through a Christian community in a
very special way. There are many children in our area who, because of financial
circumstances, would not normally have such an
opportunity. Without us, some of the these children will not hear in a positive, loving
way the Good News of Christ's love. With
generous givers, we have the chance to make a significant difference in young lives."
53 children attended Happy Camp 1999 at a
cost of $186 each. Send contributions to Happy Camp, 1802 Broadway, Lubbock, Texas 79401.
Spring CONSULTA at Camp Capers, May 2-4
The International Episcopal Border Consultation (The Consulta) will be hosted by the
Diocese of West Texas at Camp Capers
located just west of San Antonio. The focus of the meeting will be "Alpha in
Spanish." Contact Mr. Glenn Polhemus, PO Box 549,
Miles, Tx 76861, 915.468.3011 office, 915.468.2006 residence.
NEWS OF THE PEOPLE: Bishop Ohl has announced May 27
has been set for the ordination to the priesthood of Joan Rudolph at St.
Mark's, Coleman. David Krause has an article on pre-marital counseling
published in the winter issue of Plumbline, A Journal of Ministry in Higher
Education. Bishop Ohl has appointed Wayne Cobb of St. Stephen's, Lubbock,
and Fred
Schwarzhans of Emmanuel, San Angelo, to the Quarterman Conference Center Board. Durstan
McDonald, Dean of the Seminary
of the Southwest, is recuperating from a stroke and is doing well at home in Austin.
Southwestern Network for Women's Ministries 2000 Conference, May 5-6,
ETSSw, Austin
The Rev. Cynthia Briggs Kittredge, Assistant Professor of New Testament at ETSSw, will
give three lectures on "Early Traditions
of Women in Ministry: Gospel Stories of Women, Vision and Prophecy, and Restored Voices:
Entering the Future."
Professor Kittredge is the author of Community and Authority: The Rhetoric of Obedience in
the Pauline Tradition, and was a
contributor to the new Oxford Annotated Bible, has taught at Harvard and the College of
the Holy Cross. She is an Episcopal priest
with a BA from Williams College and M.Div., Th.M., and Th.D from Harvard Divinity School.
pmt4tex@aol.com for a brochure.
Kathy Metivier, Registrar, 218-A Polaris, Sheppard AFB, Wichita Falls, TX 76311l. $60 some
scholarships available. Make checks
to Southwestern Network for Women's Ministries.
Companion Diocese Visit
Baseball gloves, a chalice and paten, giveaway clothing, and two checks from NW Texas are
among the items a 6-member
Companion Diocese group is delivering to the Episcopal Church in Spain. Your personal
prayers for the Texans' March-April tour
and for the outreach mission of our companion church are requested by Paul and Pan Eimon,
CD co-chairs. Used baseball gloves are going to Mostoles (suburb of Madrid), where
missionary John Dixon, a native Texan, is using baseball as a way to attract young
people to the church. The chalice and paten are for one of the newly- established mission
congregations. The giveaway clothing goes
to the Episcopal Cathedral in Madrid where Deacon Luis Tavares heads the outreach to Latin
American emigrants. The checks from
NW Texas Companion Diocese and from Emmanuel Church, San Angelo go to the Episcopal
Student Center under construction in
the university complex, Salamanca, and to the outreach program in Madrid. Harry Hall,
leader of the group, is creating a slide
presentation on the Companion Diocese program which will be available to all
congregations.
Diocesan Calendar
The Vestry Workshop scheduled for April 8 has been canceled.
We hope to hold this workshop next year at a more convenient time.
April
1-4 *House of Bishops, California
7-9 Clergy Spouses' Weekend, BQCC
8 Vestry Workshop - CANCELED
Long Range Planning,
Episcopal Center -10-3
9 *Vernon, Grace - Visitation
11-12 *Clergy Small Group IV, Episcopal Center
12 *p.m. Lenten Speaker -St. Mary's, Big Spring
13 *Deans Meeting, Episcopal Center - 10 am
15 ECW Board, Episcopal Center - 10 am
16 *St. Barnabas', Odessa - Visitation
20 *All Saints School, Lubbock
21 *St. Paul's, Lubbock, Good Friday - noon
Diocesan Office Closed
23 Easter
24 Diocesan Office Closed
25 *Trustees, Episcopal Center, Lubbock - 10 am
26 *p.m. - Emmanuel, San Angelo - Confirmation
29 Eagle Cove Deanery, Abilene
30 *Albany - Visitation
May
1-4 *Province VII Small Church Clergy Conference, BQCC, Amarillo
2-4 The Consulta, Camp Capers
4-5 *U of South Trustees, Sewanee, TN
5-6 Bishop's Stewardship Conference, Lubbock
7 *Heavenly Rest, Abilene - Visitation
8 *St. Stephen's, Lubbock - Confirmation - 7 pm
10 *St. Mark's, Plainview - Confirmation - 7 pm
12 *Convention Agenda Planning Committee
12-13 *General Convention Deputies, Lubbock
14 *Holy Trinity, Midland - Visitation
16-17 *Clergy Small Group V, Episcopal Center
Your comments and suggestions to the editor are always welcome at Newsletter@nwt.org Or write: The Newsletter, 1802 Broadway, Lubbock Texas 79401.
If you have question or suggestions for this NWT.Org version of the Newsletter--including ideas for better use of html coding or the use of links, please write to Webmaster@nwt.org.
Click here for more information about our Bishop
Click here for the complete Diocesan Calendar.
Click here for Previous Editions of this
Newsletter
This page is a project of
The Diocese of Northwest Texas.
Send comments or questions to
webmaster@nwt.org.
URL: www.nwt.org/newsletter.htm
Last Updated:
July 19, 2006
Return to the top of this Page
On The Web
| Number 84 | March 15, 2000 |
Capital Funds Drive: Goals Committee Report
The Goals Committee met at the Hulsey Episcopal Center on February 5 to vision and prioritize mission and ministry for the future of the diocese. The Goals Committee drafted the first statement of possible projects to be funded.
Five areas were identified as primary areas for funding: mission development including development of Hispanic congregations, land purchases for new congregations, and expansion of campus and prison ministries; bricks and mortar focusing primarily on development of the Quarterman Conference Center including wiring and equipment for business conferences, handicapped facilities, upgrading of existing facilities, and motel-type units; youth ministry with a full-time youth coordinator for the diocese as a priority; endowment funds to assist in supporting mission congregations and the diocesan center; and education and training for clergy and lay leadership in the areas of start-up ministries, Hispanic and multi-cultural ministries, campus ministry, prison ministry, youth leaders and school chaplains as well as continuing education for clergy and lay leaders.
Preparation and planning are the first phase in initiating the capital funds drive and are a major part of the feasibility study and campaign to be conducted by Holliman and Associates. The committee identified 53 "outposts for mission" including 38 congregations, 8 schools, 2 nursing homes, 3 Canterbury groups, the Quarterman Conference Center, and the Hulsey Episcopal Center. The Goals Committee, chaired by the Rev. John Loving, will meet two or three more times and will begin to vision and assign dollar figures to proposed areas of development. Members of the committee are Jackie Batjer, Jess Holloway, and Peggy and Bob Beckham of Heavenly Rest, Abilene; the Rev. Dennis Bosley of Sweetwater and Colorado City; Dick Davis of St. Peter’s, Amarillo; Franklin Deaderick of St. John’s, Odessa; David Fairbanks and the Rev. Liz Parker of St. Andrew’s, Amarillo; the Rev. Jo Mann of St. Stephen’s, Lubbock; and Rick Tate of Brownfield.
Panhandle Regional Missioner Begins Ministry
The Rev. William D. Nix, Jr. officially began his new appointment as Panhandle Regional Missioner on March 1. In his first newsletter, Plains Speaking, Missioner Nix wrote, "I feel as if my whole life and ministry (mostly in the Panhandle and Northwest Texas) have prepared me for this ministry with you." The Regional Missioner, on behalf of the bishop, will have oversight of the organization and development of ministry teams, a "circuit rider" for the entire Panhandle. Bishop Ohl has stated, "Fr. Nix is an outstanding priest of the Episcopal Church. He brings to this new venture extensive knowledge of and insight into the Panhandle culture. I expect our mission and ministry to grow and flourish under his leadership." Fr. Nix may be contacted at 3220 S. Milam, Amarillo 79109, phone and fax 806.355.3933, nix.ranch@att.net
The Church’s Teaching Series Living with History; Volume 5; a review by the Rev. David Krause
In the 1950s and again in the 1970s, the Episcopal Church published a series of books as part of the Church’s Teaching Series. At the end of the 90s and on into the new millennium, Cowley Press takes up the challenge of bringing the series up to date. However, these works do not bear the official backing of the church. As with the two earlier efforts, the results are very uneven. While the volume on church history was one of the strengths of the series in the 50s, Fredrica Harris Thompsett’s Living With History is one of the new series’ weakest points. Harris spends the bulk of her efforts discussing the meaning of history and justifying why one should want to study it. For most Episcopalians these sorts of questions are long ago decided. While I am usually a fan of Harris, I find her current work to be so heavily dependent upon already knowing the story of our church that it is not really useful to anyone without an extensive grasp of the material. As commentary upon the meaning of history, her work is adequate. For both beginners and those whose degree may not be in the field, I would strongly recommend using Harris’s bibliography as a starting point.
The New Church’s Teaching Series, available at cowley.org, or call 800.225.1534 $11.95 each. Additional volumes are Mysteries of Faith, The Anglican Vision, Opening the Bible, Engaging the Word, The Practice of Prayer, Early Christian Traditions, and Opening the Prayer Book..
Touring the Roots of Anglicanism
The Rev. Bruce Green of St. Paul’s, Lubbock, has organized a tour of ten sites essential to understanding the unique contribution of the development of Anglicanism from St. Alban, first martyr, to the Cathedral at Coventry, a place of reconciliation following World War II, and includes sites in Scotland and England. October 2-16. Contact Father Green at 806.762.2893, PO Box 2686, Lubbock 79408, bruceg@stpaulslubbock.org
QUARTERMAN CONFERENCE CENTER
NEW WEB SITE - http://www.bqcc.org/
Hispanic Ministry Office Offers New Web Site
http://ecusa.anglican.org/congr/Hispanic/Hispanic.htm
Sermons in Spanish for the Lectionary, texts and titles of recent publications.
Transforming Rituals Explores Spiritual Healing
Written by Roy M. Oswald, senior consultant at the Alban Institute, with Jean Morris Trumbaurer, the book explores the use of rituals as spiritually healing practices for home, congregational or community life, and includes rituals for a variety of life events and guides for planning for a ministry of ritual. The Alban Institute, 800.486.1318, alban.org
7315 Wisconsin Ave, Ste 1250W, Bethesda MD 20814
NEWS OF THE PEOPLE: Nancy Loving’s mother, Elizabeth Ward, died March 9 in Florida. Charlene Birdwell’s cancer has been arrested according to the latest reports. John Watson is doing well in recovery from by-pass surgery. Panhandle Deanery elections: Liz Hanning of Borger to Executive Council, Patsy Masterman of St. Andrew’s, Amarillo to Communications; Frances Robins of Dumas to Mission Committee; the Rev. Lamuel Salik of Hereford and Plainview to Spiritual Development; Clint Hagen of St. Andrew’s, Amarillo to Youth; and Michael Pelfrey of St. Peter’s, Amarillo to Prison Committee. The Rev. John Watson will serve as Vice-Chair and the Rev. Jake Clemmens will serve as Dean. Bob Poer of Holy Trinity, Midland will serve as the new Parliamentarian of the Annual Convention
Disordered Loves: Healing the Seven Deadly Sins
Quiet Day Retreat, March 24-26, Holy Trinity, Midland, presented by the Rev. Dr. William S. Stafford, Asso. Dean and Vice-President, Virginia Seminary. 915.683.4207
DIOCESAN CALENDAR
APRIL 8 - Wardens, Vestries/Bishop’s Committees Workshop - 10am-3pm, St. Stephen’s, Lubbock
APRIL 29 - EAGLE COVE DEANERY, Abilene
MAY 1-4 - PROV VII Small Church Clergy Conference, Quarterman Conference Center
JUNE 22-25 - CURSILLO, San Angelo
March
19 *Perryton, All Saints’ - Visitation
21 *Standing Committee - Episcopal Center - 11 am
21-22 *Clergy Small Group III
22 *Lenten Speaker, St. Paul’s, Lubbock
24 Commission on Ministry, Episcopal Center-10 am
26 *Childress, St. Luke’s - Visitation
28-4/4 *House of Bishops
April
7-9 Clergy Spouses’ Weekend, BQCC
8 Vestry Workshop, St. Stephen’s, Lubbock - 10-3
Long Range Planning, Episcopal Center -10-3
9 *Vernon, Grace - Visitation
11-12 *Clergy Small Group IV
12 *p.m. Lenten Speaker -St. Mary’s, Big Spring
13 *Deans Meeting, Episcopal Center - 10 am
15 ECW Board, Episcopal Center - 10 am
16 *St. Barnabas’, Odessa - Visitation
20 *All Saints School, Lubbock
21 *St. Paul’s, Lubbock, Good
Friday, noon
Diocesan Office
Closed
23 Easter
25 *Trustees, Episcopal Center, Lubbock - 10 am
26 *p.m. - Emmanuel, San Angelo - Confirmation
29 Eagle Cove Deanery, Abilene
30 *Albany - Visitation
Your comments and suggestions to the editor are always welcome at Newsletter@nwt.org Or write: The Newsletter, 1802 Broadway, Lubbock Texas 79401.
If you have question or suggestions for this NWT.Org version of the Newsletter--including ideas for better use of html coding or the use of links, please write to Webmaster@nwt.org.
Click here for more information about our Bishop
Click here for the complete Diocesan Calendar.
Click here for the Bishops' Visitation Schedule.
Click here for Previous Editions of this
Newsletter
This page is a project of
The Diocese of Northwest Texas.
Send comments or questions to
webmaster@nwt.org.
URL: www.nwt.org/newsletter.htm
Last Updated:
July 19, 2006
Return to the top of this Page
On The Web
| Number 83 | March 1, 2000 |
Irregular Consecrations in Singapore--Response of the Archbishop of Canterbury
In a four page letter to the primates of the Anglican Communion dated February 17, Archbishop George Carey wrote "The recent consecration in Singapore of two priests of the Episcopal Church of the United States as bishops by the Archbishop of South East Asia and the Archbishop of Rwanda has placed me in the difficult position of having to write to you, and all our episcopal colleagues on the matter... there are many people who are expecting me... to make my views known on this action, on the implications for the Primates’ Meeting in march, and more generally for future relationships between our various Provinces where disagreement on matters of faith and morals exists. Archbishop Tay and Archbishop Kolini have indicated to me that they consider this to be ‘an interim action to provide pastoral assistance and nurture to faithful individuals and congregations’, and that it ‘establishes no new entity’. I fear this pragmatic view of episcopacy does not accord with the tradition of the church, which has, since the second century, recognized the call to be a bishop as a call from God to a ministry which is fundamental to the right ordering of the Church... In order to safeguard this ministry, the Church has developed a process by which the vocation to be a bishop can be discerned, encouraged and authorized... every Anglican Province contains within its constitution and Canon law, a set of procedures for the appointment of bishops... Anglican polity requires that ordained ministers should be properly authorized to pursue their ministry in the Province within which they wish to work, and according to the Canon law of that Province. It appears that this is not the intention in this case. Therefore, ... I have to conclude that I cannot recognize their episcopal ministry until such time as a full rapprochement and reconciliation has taken place between them and the appropriate authorities within the Episcopal Church of the United States. I believe that, as in the past when we have faced deeply divisive issues, we can emerge from our current debate as a stronger, more Christ-centred Church than before, and that we are actually being given an opportunity to build up the Church, the body of Christ ‘until we all attain to the unity of faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ’ (Ephesians4:13)."
+George Canterbury
for the full content of the letter and additional information go to the January 29 heading at
http://anglicansonline.org/news/index.html
The Anglican Primates will gather for a week-long consultation in Portugal the end of March.
Holliman Associates to Conduct Capital Funds Campaign.
The Selection Committee of the Capital Funds Campaign, under the chairmanship of Cliff Craig of St. Andrew’s, Amarillo, selected Holliman Associates of Newport, PA over two other consulting firms to conduct the capital funds campaign for the Diocese. The Executive Council approved the selection at its February 17 meeting in Lubbock. Holliman Associates, Inc. specializes in fund raising, communications, marketing, and public relations - especially for Episcopal churches, dioceses, and outreach organizations. Successful campaigns have been conducted for St. Andrew’s, Amarillo; the Diocese of West Texas; ETSSw and the American Cathedral in Paris. The firm also consults for the Presiding Bishop’s Fund, the Episcopal Church Foundation, and the National Association of Episcopal Schools.
Workshop for Wardens, Vestries, and Bishop’s Committees
*New Date* April 8, 10 AM - 3 PM St. Stephen’s, Lubbock
A day of learning and conversation around:
*legal & spiritual responsibilities
*sharing triumphs & getting advice on current projects
*church size & the way we work
*tips for working with volunteers
*how leaders provide a framework for the ministry of
the whole church
Cost is $6 per lunch at the door. Please register in advance.
Claire Cowden, 806.763.1370, ministry@nwt.org
World Mission Sunday - March 5
From the World Mission Office: Every member of the Episcopal Church is a member of a missionary society. As God sent Jesus into the world, we too are sent into the world. The 1997 General Convention adopted world Mission Sunday Resolution A205 which calls upon the church to hold up and celebrate our shared commitment and call to mission on the last Sunday of Epiphany, challenging congregations, dioceses, and provinces to learn about and become more fully engaged in God’s global mission. Focus this year is on the Episcopal Church in the Sudan. Please offer special prayers for these people who are "lifting high the cross" in the face of terrible deprivation, oppression, and uprootedness. Sudan is one of the fastest growing churches in the Anglican Communion. They live in Diaspora and struggle not to despair. [Please] stand with them. Offerings may be sent to the Presiding Bishop’s Fund for World Relief marked for Sudan. Contact Margaret Larom, 800.334.7626 ext 6224; fax 212.983.6377; mlarom@dfms.org or Ecusa.anglican.org/agr
NEWS OF THE PEOPLE:
Bishop Ohl has appointed the Rev. William D. Nix, Jr., to serve as the Texas Panhandle Regional Missioner for the Diocese effective March 1. Liza Philpy, of Holy Trinty, Midland, has been accepted into the Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry program at the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin. Mary Vano, Christian Education Director at St. Christopher’s, Lubbock, attended the Generation X conference at the Seminary. Northwest Texans appointed to General Convention Committees are the Rev. Canon David Veal, Ecumenical Committee; Mrs. Betty Gilmore, Dispatch of Business; and the Rev. John Loving, Liturgy and Music Committee. Please keep in your prayers the Rev. John Watson, Rector of St. Peter’s, Amarillo; the Rev. Joseph Sheldon, retired, on staff at Good Shepherd, San Angelo; and Deacon Betty Smith, retired of St. Andrew’s, Amarillo, all of whom are recovering from by-pass surgery in the past two weeks.
Please note: St. Andrew’s, Amarillo, change of address (back) to 1601 S. Georgia, Amarillo, TX 79102 (not 79109).
National Executive Council Committee Reports available online. Updated reports from the January meeting of the Executive Council are posted online at http://www.homestead.com/episcopal/echome.html under Executive Council.
Episcopal Disability Network Free Library
The Episcopal Disability Network maintains a free lending library of books on tape for persons who are blind, visually-impaired or print-handicapped by learning disabilities or an inability to hold print books. Approximately 200 titles are available and may be borrowed for one month at a time and will be sent free. A list of books available is available on request. Contact Barbara Ramnaraine at voice/fax: 612.721.1103 or 888.422.0320 p.i.n. 6634.
Booklet: Daily Prayer and Bible Study with the Book of Common Prayer. By Joseph P. Russell. Forward Movement. Pp. 20, $.85 paper. The Daily Office and Lectionary with an emphasis on prayerful reflection of scripture. Includes a section on What is the Apocrypha? forwardmovement.org or 800.543.1813
Prayer for rain: O God, heavenly Father, who by your Son Jesus Christ has promised to all those who seek your kingdom and its righteousness all things necessary to sustain their life: Send us, we entreat you, in this time of need, such moderate rain and showers, that we may receive the fruits of the earth, to our comfort and to your honor; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Memorials and GiftsMrs. and Mrs. Lee Soucy, Plainview, to the Bishop Quarterman Conference Center in memory of Margaret Ann Norman and Juanita Lee Stewart.
DIOCESAN CALENDAR
March 12 - Permian Basin Deanery-- St. Nicholas’, Midland - 1 Pm
March 4 - Panhandle Deanery–St. Matthew’s, Pampa - 9:30-2:00
March 11 - Llano Estacado Deanery–St. Paul’s, Lubbock - 10-2
April 29 - Eagle Cove Deanery--Tentative - St. Mark’s, Abilene
June 22-25 - Cursillo, San Angelo
March
2 Permian Basin Deanery, St. Nicholas’, Midland - 1
4 Mission Committee, Good Shepherd, Brownfield - 10
Panhandle Deanery, St. Matthew’s, Pampa - 9:30
5 *Pampa, St. Matthew’s -Visitation
6 *Convention Planning Committee, San Angelo
8 Ash Wednesday, Diocesan Office Closed
10-12 *Spring Fling, BQCC
11 Llano Estacado Deanery, 10-12, St. Paul’s, Lubbock
12 *Clarendon, St. John the Baptist - Visitation
14-15 MOVED TO 3/21-22 *Clergy Small Group III
19 *Perryton, All Saints’ -Visitation
21 *Standing Committee - Episcopal Center - 11 am
21-22*Clergy Small Group III - rescheduled from 3/14-15
22 *Lenten Speaker, St. Paul’s, Lubbock
24 Commission on Ministry, Episcopal Center - 10 am
26 *Childress, St. Luke’s - Visitation
28-4/4 *House of Bishops
April
7-9 Clergy Spouses’ Weekend, BQCC
8 Vestry Workshop, St.
Stephen’s, Lubbock - 10-3
Long Range Planning, Episcopal Center - 10-3
9 *Vernon, Grace - Visitation
11-12 *Clergy Small Group IV
12 *p.m. Lenten Speaker -St. Mary’s, Big Spring
13 *Deans Meeting, Episcopal Center - 10 am
15 ECW Board, Episcopal Center - 10 am
16 *St. Barnabas’, Odessa - Visitation
20 *All Saints School,21 St. Paul’s Lubbock,23 Easter
25 Trustees, Episcopal Center, Lubbock - 10 am
26 *Emmanuel, San Angelo - Confirmation
27 St. Stephen’s, Lubbock - Confirmation - 7 pm
29 Eagle Cove Deanery - tentative St. Mark’s, Abilene
30 *Albany - Visitation
Your comments and suggestions to the editor are always welcome at Newsletter@nwt.org Or write: The Newsletter, 1802 Broadway, Lubbock Texas 79401.
If you have question or suggestions for this NWT.Org version of the Newsletter--including ideas for better use of html coding or the use of links, please write to Webmaster@nwt.org.
Click here for more information about our Bishop
Click here for the complete Diocesan Calendar.
Click here for the Bishops' Visitation Schedule.
Click here for Previous Editions of this
Newsletter
This page is a project of
The Diocese of Northwest Texas.
Send comments or questions to
webmaster@nwt.org.
URL: www.nwt.org/newsletter.htm
Last Updated:
July 19, 2006
Return to the top of this Page
On The Web
| Number 82 | February 15, 2000 |
Irregular Consecrations in Singapore:
A letter from the Presiding Bishop, for all bishops
Dear brothers and sisters:
I have just learned this morning, as perhaps you have as well, that Saturday in Singapore two primates of the Anglican Communion, the Most Rev. Emmanuel Kolini, Archbishop of the Province of Rwanda, and the Most Rev. Moses Tay, Archbishop of the Province of South East Asia, along with Bishop Ruchyahana also of Rwanda, and two retired bishops of our Province, Alex Dickson and Fitzsimmons Allison, have ordained two priests of our church, John H. Rodgers and Charles H. Murphy, as bishops. Their press release says that they have "agreed to step forward at this moment of crisis, in an initiative aimed at reversing a 30_year decline of 30 percent in the membership of the Episcopal Church in the U.S.A."
I am appalled by this irregular action and even more so by the purported "crisis" that has been largely fomented by them and others, and which bears very little resemblance to the church we actually know, which is alive and well and faithful, as the Zacchaeus report so clearly indicates. A deepening of discipleship among Episcopalians is shown by increased attendance at worship and in stewardship. In actual fact, the report also indicates that it is actions such as the one just taken that confuse and alienate the faithful in the pew, who see structures beyond the congregation as conflictual and focused on concerns unrelated to mission.
It is ironic that this action occurs at a time in which we as a community of bishops have come to a deepened awareness of our unity and of the need to work together for the upbuilding of the church we serve in Christ's name. We are not helped by voices of panic and catastrophic projection which seek to undermine the careful and patient way we have sought to proceed together in discerning the motions of the Spirit.
To be sure, there are significant disagreements among us regarding human sexuality. We have been seeking to deal with those different points of view in a gracious and respectful way with a view to deepening the unity we share, and honoring the fact that scripture is read and interpreted from different perspectives _ all seeking to be faithful to the mind of Christ.
I have every confidence that the action taken in Singapore, as unsettling as it may be, provides an opportunity for us as bishops to take ever more seriously the bond we share as overseers of the household of faith and limbs and members of Christ's Body who_ because of our baptism _ are never allowed to say I have no need of you.
Yours in Christ, Frank T. Griswold,
Presiding Bishop and Primate
f
or additional information and responses by Anglican primates check the website of Anglicans Online or acnslist@epicom.org or lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu"Roots and Wings" Update
A number of our churches have signed up to participate in this national discussion on
"Episcopal Identity & Vocation." The eagerly-anticipated curriculum series
has just been published, and it should arrive in the diocesan office shortly. Each
participating church will be contacted once the series arrives. Thank you for your
patience.
Claire Cowden, 806.763.1370, ext. 206; ministry@nwt.org.
Spring Fling - March 10-12 - Grades 6-9
"Walking with Christ" led by Clint Hagen, Youth Director, St.
Andrew’s, Amarillo. Contact Jo Mann 806.799.3439 or jorobertsmann@worldnet.att.net .
Change Your World 2000 was a great success with 120 youth, sponsors and staff in
attendance. Watch for Ski Trip and Mission Trip 2001 and the youth web page.
Summer Youth Camp 2000 Dates
June 4-10 Math/Science/Drama/Computer
Jun 11-17 Primary
June 18-24 Happy Camp
June 25-July 1 Junior High
July 9-15 Senior High
Contact Brant Gill, BQCC@nwt.org 806.383.6878
The Gift of Contemplation and Your Spiritual Journey with Father
Thomas Keating, OCSO - Mar 17-18 in Ft Worth; Consenting to
God’s presence and action within by Centering Prayer. Fri. 6 pm - Sun. am.
Registration fee $35, after Mar. 1, $50. Contact David Fowler 817.244.5280 or The
Newsletter
Anglican Fellowship of Prayer International Conference
Prayer, Making the Most of the Millennium - April 27-29, Nashville TN.
Registration $99 - deadline Mar. 24. "A stimulating, renewing conference for lay
people, clergy, and all interested in growing spiritually in these rapidly changing
times." Contact Evelyn Weems 615.370.0937 or The Newsletter Editor.
Colorado Diocesan Prayer Conference - March 10-11 Denver
"Prayer, the Promise of Victory" with Bishop & Barbara Frey
303.758.3674. For information on the Anglican Fellowship of Prayer, contact
Bill Gilmore, Board Member, at 915.686.7744
Just Who Are Those Other People?
An Episcopal/Lutheran Retreat - Camp Allen, Navasota, March 24-25 $100. Prof.
Donald Armentrout and Dean Durstan McDonald, Lutheran and Episcopal National Ecumenical
Staff. Contact Canon Veal at canonveal@nwt.org or 806.763.1370
EAGLE COVE DEANERY - FEBRUARY 26
San Angelo - location to be announced
LLANO ESTACADO DEANERY - MARCH 11
10-Noon, St. Paul’s-on-the-Plains
News of the People
The Rev. Joseph Kennedy, Interim Supply at St. Peter’s, Borger, will had hip-replacement surgery on February 15 in California. The Rev. William D. Nix, Jr. has been nominated for the National Executive Council and the Rev. John H. Loving has been nominated for the General Board of Examining Chaplains in elections to be held a the General Convention in July. Claire Cowden’s grandmother died Jan. 27 in San Angelo. Chancellor Mike Thomas has a new granddaughter, Eleanor.
Visit Episcopal Software Library/Software Sharing Ministries
ssministry@aol.com for an online catalog, download programs, special links to
other Anglican/Episcopal websites 907.790.4585
Books:
Letting Go to Nurture Lay Leaders by Roy Phillips $13.95 Alban Institute. "Letting Go should be required reading for all congregational leaders ...a new and exciting approach to ministry and to the life of a congregation, a shared ministry that... will renew the church, energize ministers, and fulfill seeking laity," writes William R. Murry, Pres. Lombard Theological School, Dpowell@alban.org or 800.486.1318 I SBN: 1-56699-221-4
An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church: A User-Friendly Reference for
Episcopalians. From Aaronic Benediction to Swingli. Episcopal history, polity,
liturgy, theology. Robert Boak Slocum and Don S. Armentrout, eds. $32.95 544 pp
CHURCHPUBLISHING.ORG or 800.242.1918 $32.95
E-MAIL Addresses for Diocesan Staff
Bishop Ohl bishop@nwt.org
Canon Veal canonveal@nwt.org
Edna Chambers edna@nwt.org
Claire Cowden ministry@nwt.org
Carolyn Hearn diocese@nwt.org or newsletter@nwt.org
Brant Gill BQCC@nwt.org
Dana Wilson dana@marshill.com
Webmaster webmaster@nwt.org
O God, heavenly Father, who by your Son Jesus Christ has promised to all
those who seek your kingdom and its righteousness all things necessary to sustain their
life: Send us, we entreat you, in this time of need, such moderate rain and showers, that
we may receive the fruits of the earth, to our comfort and to your honor; through Jesus
Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Memorials and Gifts
St. John’s, Odessa, ECW to Happy Camp in appreciation of Laura Deaderick and Ann Duval. Carolyn Hearn, Lubbock, to Happy Camp in memory of Thomas Fuglaar and Cecil Holbrooks.
St. Andrew’s, Amarillo, change of address (back) to:
1601 S. Georgia, Amarillo, TX 79109
DIOCESAN CALENDAR
February
17 *EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, St. Christopher’s, Lubbock
18-20 * Mid-Winter, BQCC
19 * Lay Reader Workshop, Good Shepherd, San Angelo
21-22 Texas Conference of Churches Annual Assembly
26
BQCC Board, Episcopal Center - 10 am
Finance Committee, St. Paul’s House, Lubbock 10 am
Eagle Cove Deanery, San Angelo
Order of St. Vincent Acolyte Masters Workshop, St. Paul’s, Lubbock - 10 am
26-27 *Confirmation Retreat, BQCC
27-29 *Living Stones Conference, Atchison, Kansas
March
4 Mission Committee, Good Shepherd, Brownfield - 10
5 *Pampa, St. Matthew’s - Visitation
6 *Convention Planning Committee, San Angelo
8 Ash Wednesday, Diocesan Office Closed
10-12 *Spring Fling, BQCC
11 Vestry Workshop MOVED TO APRIL 8
Llano Estacado Deanery, 10-12, St. Paul’s, Lubbock12 *Clarendon, St. John the Baptist - Visitation
14-15 *Clergy Small Group III MOVED TO 3/21-22
19 *Perryton, All Saints’ - Visitation
21-22 *Clergy Small Group III
22 *Lenten Speaker, St. Paul’s, Lubbock
24 Commission on Ministry, Episcopal Center - 10 am
26 *Childress, St. Luke’s - Visitation
28-4/4 *House of Bishops
April
8 Vestry Workshop, St. Stephen’s, Lubbock 10am-3p
7-9 Clergy Spouses’
Weekend, BQCC
9 *Vernon, Grace - Visitation
11-12 *Clergy Small Group IV
*p.m. Lenten Speaker -St. Mary’s, Big Spring
13 *Deans Meeting, Episcopal Center - 10 am
15 ECW Board, Episcopal Center - 10 am
16 *St. Barnabas’, Odessa - Visitation
23 Easter
25 Trustees, Episcopal Center, Lubbock - 10 am
26 *Emmanuel, San Angelo - Confirmation
27 St. Stephen’s, Lubbock - Confirmation - 7 pm
30 *Albany - Visitation
Your comments and suggestions to the editor are always welcome at Newsletter@nwt.org Or write: The Newsletter, 1802 Broadway, Lubbock Texas 79401.
If you have question or suggestions for this NWT.Org version of the Newsletter--including ideas for better use of html coding or the use of links, please write to Webmaster@nwt.org.
Click here for more information about our Bishop
Click here for the complete Diocesan Calendar.
Click here for the Bishops' Visitation Schedule.
Click here for Previous Editions of this Newsletter
This page is a project of
The Diocese of Northwest Texas.
Send comments or questions to
webmaster@nwt.org.URL: www.nwt.org/newsletter.htm
Last Updated: July 19, 2006Return to the top of this Page
On The Web
| Number 81 | February 1, 2000 |
University of the South Selects New President and
Vice-Chancellor.
Dr. Joel L. Cunningham, President of Susquehanna University, has been named the 15th
vice chancellor and president of the 143-year-old University of the South at a special
session of the Board of Trustees on January 6. He will succeed Dr. Samuel R. Williamson
who retires in June after serving 12 years. The University of the South is a co-ed liberal
arts and sciences institution with 1,300 undergraduates and 100 theological graduate
students. It is consistently ranked among the top tier of national liberal arts colleges
and was founded in 1856 by leaders of the Episcopal Church and maintains that historic
relationship. Northwest Texas Trustees are Bishop Ohl, the Rev. Jerry Sneary, Mr.
Ken Baxter and Mr. Don Griffis. 800.722.1974, smoore@sewanee.edu
Children's Ministry Workshop - February 26 at Holy Trinity Church, Midland.
A free workshop designed for Sunday school teachers, chapel leaders, nursery staff,
and others who work with children ages two to seven. Sessions are Storytelling and Music
and Motion with emphasis on relating to children at their level, involving their
imaginations, and relating spiritual truths in simple and meaningful ways. Alison Porter
915.683.4207 deadline Feb 16
Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Relief Calls for Posters by Children
The Presiding Bishop's Fund and the offices for Ministries with Young People have
invited Episcopal children and youth ages 3-19 to contribute to a poster display on the
meaning of mission to be installed at General Convention in July. Each poster must be no
larger 18"x27" and can use any media and must be accompanied by a letter
explaining the poster's story or design and an entry form. Deadline for entries is April
15. Entry forms available from The Newsletter or contact Joyce Hogg, 800.334.7626 x6027,
pbfwr.org.
Workshop for Vestries, Bishop's Committees and Wardens Date Changed to April
8, 10-3 o'clock, St. Stephen's Church, Lubbock
. Because several communities are observing spring break, the date for the workshop
has been changed from March 11 to April 8. The workshop will be a day of learning
and conversation around legal and spiritual responsibilities, sharing triumphs and getting
advice on current projects, church size and the way we work, tips for working with
volunteers, and how leaders provide a framework for the ministry of the church. Cost is $6
for lunch. Please register in advance. Claire Cowden, 806.763.1370, ministry@nwt.org.
Trinity Institute's "God at 2000" Conference Available Over the
Internet February 11 and 12
"God at 2000" will feature remarks of some of today's best-known
theological scholars and will bring together seven men and women from the worlds of Islam,
Judaism, and Christianity to reveal how they see the sacred. The conference will be
telecast by the Episcopal Cathedral Teleconferencing Network to 600 downlink communities,
reaching a nationwide audience of 25,000. For
downlink sites and times call 800.559.ECTN, to view by webcast ectn.org.
Seminary of the Southwest Vocational Weekend - April 7-8
Persons considering lay and ordained ministry are invited to the annual Visitors Weekend
at ETSSw. The seminarian-organized event gives prospective students a look at study,
worship and community life. The weekend will preview the seminary's new curriculum and
provide informal talks with faculty, students and the families of students. Small group
activities will include discussions on finances, housing, academics, formation, vocational
discernment and life at the seminary. Jan Wallace,
512.472.4133x346, jwallace@etss.edu
National Executive Council Votes Unanimously Not to Use Adams Mark Hotel in
Denver as Headquarters for General Convention (ENS)
On the day that much of the nation was celebrating the birthday of slain civil rights
leader Martin Luther King, Jr., the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church voted
unanimously not to use as headquarters for next summer's General Convention the Denver
hotel of a chain accused by the Justice Department of a broad pattern of racial
discrimination. In a statement from Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold and House of Deputes
President Pam Chinnis, "other reports from local leaders citing similar problems with
the Adams Mark in Denver led us to recommend to the Council that the Church not go forward
with the planned arrangements to use any of the facilities of that hotel at the Denver
convention. Meeting space and over 1000 rooms will be moved, possibly at a cost of $1.2
million in cancellation fees.
General Convention News Teams Seek Volunteers
Editors, writers and communicators. Press coverage will be divided into several teams to
produce daily press releases for Episcopal News Service, The Convention Daily, and
electronic media coverage. July 2 through July 14. Send a cover letter with resume/bio,
phone and e-mail address to the Office of News and Information, 815 Second Ave, New York,
NY 10017
Diocese of Colorado Proposes Reform of General Convention Model of Governance.
At their fall diocesan convention, the Diocese of Colorado passed a resolution
calling upon the 73rd General Convention to consider reforming several key components of
its model of governance and asked for prayerful participation in the conversation. The
resolution is based upon streamlining the General Convention to help it model a better
stewardship of collective time, talent and treasurer, and stating the legislation's goal
is to preserve Convention while aiding it to serve more effectively and efficiently.
800.446.3081, coloradodiocese.org/gcresolution.html
Alban Institute Clergy Consultation in Texas
"Leading the Medium Sized Church" The Anglican School of Theology of
Dallas and Fort Worth Dioceses, in conjunction with the Alban Institute, are planning a
Clergy Consultation April 4-6 at Camp Crucis in Grandbury. Brochures will be mailed in the
near future. The Rev. John Heidt, 214.941.0039
St. Paul's, Lubbock, Gift Shop has Episcopal Pins
Episcopal shields, vestry, senior and junior warden, acolyte. 806.762.2893, PO Box
2686, Lubbock TX 79408.
News of the People
Deacon Joan Rudolph is recovering from surgery in Houston for a blocked
carotid artery and is back home in Coleman. An article on the summer camp program at St.
Christopher's, Lubbock, by Deacon Les Jackson was published in the latest
edition of Diakoneo, the newsletter of the North American Association for the
Diaconate. Copies are available from the diocesan office.
Jane Barnes of St. Christopher's, Lubbock, has been appointed Diocesan
Coordinator for the Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Relief. 806.799.6721
barnesj@odsy.net
CALENDAR
Layreader Training - February 12 and 19 **
9:30 am-3:00 pm Claire Cowden, ministry@nwt.or
February
5
*Capital Funds Drive, Goals and Selections Committees, Episcopal Center 10 am
6
*Kermit - Visitation/Sandhills Council
8-12 *Percept,
Clearwater, FL
12
Youth Committee, St. Stephen's, Lubbock
12
** Lay Reader Workshop, St. Christopher's, Lubbock
13
*Lamesa, St. John's
15-16 * Clergy Small Group II
18-20 * Mid-Winter, BQCC
19
** Lay Reader Workshop, Good Shepherd, San Angelo
21-22 Texas Conference of Churches Annual
Assembly
26 BQCC
Board, Episcopal Center - 10 am
*Finance Committee, St. Paul's House, Lubbock 10 am
Order of St. Vincent Acolyte Masters Workshop, St.Paul's, Lubbock - 10 am
26-27 *Confirmation Retreat, BQCC
27-29 *Living Stones Conference, Atchison, Kansas
March
2-5 Cursillo, Quarterman Conference Center
4 Mission
Committee, Good Shepherd, Brownfield - 10
5 *Pampa, St.
Matthew's - Visitation
6 *Convention
Planning Committee, San Angelo
8 Ash Wednesday,
Diocesan Office Closed
10-12 Spring Fling, BQCC
11 Vestry Workshop MOVED TO APRIL 8
12 *Clarendon, St. John the Baptist -
Visitation
14-15 *Clergy Small Group III
19 *Perryton, All Saints' - Visitation
22 *Lenten Speaker, St. Paul's, Lubbock
24 Commission on Ministry, Episcopal
Center - 10 am
26 *Childress, St. Luke's - Visitation
28-4/4 *House of Bishops
Your comments and suggestions to the editor are always welcome at Adventure@nwt.org Or write: The Newsletter, P.O. Box 1067, Lubbock Texas 79408. News deadline is every other Tuesday, four days prior to the Friday issue date.
If you have question or suggestions for this NWT.Org version of the Newsletter--including ideas for better use of html coding or the use of links, please write to Webmaster@nwt.org.
Click here for more information about our Bishop
Click here for the complete Diocesan Calendar.
Click here for the Bishops' Visitation Schedule.
Click here for Previous Editions of this
Newsletter
This page is a project of
The Diocese of Northwest Texas.
Send comments or questions to
webmaster@nwt.org.
URL: www.nwt.org/newsletter.htm
Last Updated:
July 19, 2006
Return to the top of this Page
Return to the top of this Page
On The Web
| Number 80 | January 15, 2000 |
Happy and Blessed New Year wishes from Bishop Ohl and his staff. The new year has begun and one look at the diocesan calendar will tell you that the agenda for the bishop and his staff is full to overflowing with workshop and conference planning in addition to the usual committee and commission meetings. We believe you will find these offerings helpful and informative and welcome your suggestions for future events and topics.
Greetings from the new The Newsletter Editor. This is my third edition of The Newsletter but my first as the official editor. I want to thank Bishop Ohl for appointing me to this work. I am both excited and intimidated: excited because I have an opportunity to share with you some of the many resources and news items that come across my desk each day, and intimidated because Doug Tow is a tough act for anyone to follow. I want to thank Doug for his assistance in this transition and for the wonderful ministry he bestowed in originating The Newsletter and editing The Adventure, and for being a great friend. I look forward to helping our committees, commissions, and churches share their life and ministry with you. Carolyn Hearn
Quarterman Conference Center receives gift of $4,000 from the Episcopal Churchwomen of Heavenly Rest, Abilene. Bishop Ohl reported the gift will be used for additional air conditioning at the Center and expressed his gratitude for the continuing support of the Churchwomen for the ministry of the Center.
Acolytes and Masters Workshop
February 26, Canterbury, Lubbock 9:30 am - 3:00 pm. Led by Paul Brinsden of the Diocese of Texas. Revitalizing Acolyte Programs and Instructed Eucharist. Sponsored by the Llano Estacado Deanery Chapter of the Order of St. Vincent. David Krause 806.765.0037 or canterbury@nwt.org
Confirmation.COM Retreat Feb. 26 & 27
Many young people across the diocese have begun preparation for Confirmation using the new diocesan program called Confirmation.COM (Christians on the Move).
These young people are coming together at the Bishop Quarterman Conference Center for a first-of-its kind retreat. The weekend will be a time of mutual learning and discussion, prayer and worship, music, fun and friendship as they begin to focus upon the meaning of the baptismal covenant we share. Fliers and registration forms are being mailed to all congregations. Contact the Rev. Andrew Parker, 806.376.6316 or adparker@arn.net.
Theological Education Sunday - Feb. 6
"In keeping with the Resolution of the 1997 General Convention, I invite you to celebrate the new Theological Education Sunday (TES), February 6, 2000. Yearly, the first Sunday in February will be an occasion for the Church to encourage all members to participate in the search for knowledge of God... In the past, TES was an occasion for the eleven Episcopal seminaries to appeal for support. The seminaries still need your active support, now more than ever...
With the broad flourishing of lay ministries in the Church and in the world, our seminaries recognize that their mission is changing. They are striving to be leaders in theological education, not limited to the preparation of persons for ordination... TES is an opportunity for your parish to highlight and celebrate the people and programs you offer for theological education. The seminaries are ready to assist you in this mission." Frank T. Griswold, Presiding Bishop and Primate
SOS from VENEZUELA
, 12 December 1999Bishop Orlando Guerrero writes "Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
As you may have read in the press or watched on TV, here in Caracas we are going through the worst catastrophe in recent memory. Heavy rains... have produced floods and landslides of incredible magnitude. At this moment some 500 persons have been found dead and thousands others are missing and many more are displaced and without home. Our resources are not sufficient to take care of so many needs. Our people are helping others and the diocesan center is a busy place of pastoral care, food distribution and communications. I gave a short talk on national TV this morning, assuring the people of our solidarity and commitment at this time of crisis. The misery and pain that I have seen in the last few days is beyond description. Thank you for your prayers and help. May God bless you and your people."
Donations to: The Presiding Bishop’s Fund for World Relief 815 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10017.
News of the People
Bruce and Dolly Green
are proud grandparents of Sarah Elizabeth, born December 1 to Jennifer (Green) and Paul German in Waco. Leslie Gregory is recovering from knee surgery and the flu, her daughter Alex is recovering from a tonsillectomy, and Leslie’s mother Mildred Burtner is recovering at home from pneumonia. Bill Nix has resigned as Rector of St. Andrew’s, Amarillo, effective February 13.Sheila Ohl, Phoebe Griswold, and 18 more bishops’ spouses will travel to Honduras Feb 4-12 to assist in building one of 100 homes sponsored by the Presiding Bishop’s Fund for World Relief. 30 homes have already been built.. The group will lodge at Our Little Roses in San Pedro Sula. Please keep Sheila and this mission in your prayers.
Texas Conference of Churches 31st Annual Assembly February 21-22, Ramada Plaza Hotel, Fort Worth
"Behold, I Stand at the Door and Knock - Jesus at 2000" using "The Nature and Purpose of the Church - A Stage on the Way to a Common Statement."from the Faith and Order Unit of the World Council of Churches. The Rev. Minerva Carcano, United Methodist Director of Mexican American Programs at Perkins School of Theology, will speak on "Church as Temple of the Holy Spirit/Servant in the World," and the Rev. William Seth Adams, Professor of Liturgics and Anglican Studies at the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest, will speak on "Church as People of God/Body of Christ."
Keitha Hatfield 512.451.0991. 21 January deadline.
Christian Formation - Transforming the People of God
Youth and Family Ministry on the New Edge; Design and Facilitation of Experience-Based Learning; An Invitation to Transformation; Introduction to Church Music and How to Choose; Art as Prayer; Creative Process/Way of the Spirit; Highly Effective Youth Ministry - Habits, Holy Ground, and Hospitality; Forming all Around, Forming to God; Centering Prayer; Outreach for Youth. May 1-3. DuBose Conference Center, Monteagle, TN. 800.722.1974, fax 931.598.1165, sewanee.edu/theology/theol.html $230 including meals
15 March deadline
Funding Future Ministry -
March 30 - April 1, 2000, Alexandria, VA
Theology and practical applications of Planned Giving; Establish an ongoing program for Planned Giving: Jump start your Planned Giving program; If you do nothing else... Focus on a Wills program; Investment Management Services: Funding Future Ministry Manual
The Episcopal Church Foundation 800.334.7626PERIODICALS OF INTEREST
The Anglican: A Journal of Anglican Identity
The Quarterly Gazette of the Anglican Society and the General Theological Seminary. The Rev’d Canon Jonathan L. King
, 340 Godwin Ave, Ridgewood NJ 07450. $10 yrContext by Martin E. Marty, a concise, easy-to-read, bi-weekly 8 page newsletter commentary on the interaction of religion and culture. 800.328.6515. PO Box 806064, Chicago IL 60680-7228. $29.95 per year.
The Other Side: Strength for the Journey
PO Box 3000, Denville NJ 07934. 800.700.9280 $24 per year
"The best general interest religious magazine" - The Associated Church Press. A
stimulating mix of short news items, devotionals, resources, upcoming conferences,
recommended reading, fiction, poetry and art. subs@theotherside.org
Events 2000
Layreader Training - February 12 and 19**
Theological Education Sunday, moved to February 6, 2000
Vestry and Wardens Workshop - March 11**
Stewardship Conference - May 5&6, St. Paul’s,Lubbock
Clergy Conference date change: October 2-5, 2000
**Contact Claire Cowden 806.763.1370 or ministry@nwt.org
CALENDAR:
January
21-22 Youth Evangelism Conference, BQCC
22 *Long Range Planning Committee, Episcopal Center
23 *Canterbury, Lubbock, Visitation
25 *Trustees, Episcopal Center, 10 am
27 *Executive Council, St. Christopher’s, Lubbock 10 am
29 The Great Plenary, St. Paul’s, Lubbock 10 am
30 *St. Mark’s, Coleman, Visitation
February
5 *Capital Funds Drive, Goals Committee, Episcopal Center - 10 am
6 *Kermit - Visitation/Sandhills Council
8-12 *Percept, Clearwater, FL
12 Youth Committee
12 Lay Reader Workshop, St. Christopher’s, Lubbock
13 *Lamesa, St. John’s
15-16 * Clergy Small Group II
18-20 Mid-Winter, BQCC
19 Lay Reader Workshop, Good Shepherd, San Angelo
21-22 Texas Conference of Churches Annual Assembly
26 Bishop Quarterman Conference Center Board, Episcopal Center - 10 am
*Finance Committee, St. Paul’s House, Lubbock
Order of St. Vincent Acolyte Masters Workshop, St. Paul’s, Lubbock - 10 am
26-27 *Confirmation.COM Retreat, BQCC
27-29 *Living Stones Conference, Atchison, Kansas
... God intends to restore all of his human creation to relationship with themselves, each other and Him. So, the living out of the church’s mission is meant to be both a practical course of healing for broken individual Christians and a means of furthering God’s desire for reconciliation. The practice of mercy, forgiveness and generosity heals the person doing it as much as the person who receives such care. Clifton Mann in La Carta de San Esteban
Your comments and suggestions to the editor are always welcome at Adventure@nwt.org Or write: The Newsletter, P.O. Box 1067, Lubbock Texas 79408. News deadline is every other Tuesday, four days prior to the Friday issue date.
If you have question or suggestions for this NWT.Org version of the Newsletter--including ideas for better use of html coding or the use of links, please write to Webmaster@nwt.org.
Click here for more information about our Bishop
Click here for the complete Diocesan Calendar.
Click here for the Bishops' Visitation Schedule.
Click here for Previous Editions of this
Newsletter
This page is a project of
The Diocese of Northwest Texas.
Send comments or questions to
webmaster@nwt.org.
URL: www.nwt.org/newsletter.htm
Last Updated:
July 19, 2006
Return to the top of this Page
Return to the top of this Page
On The Web
| Number 79 | December 17, 1999 |
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is January 18-25.
Many of our parishes are having joint observances with churches of other denominations, especially the ELCA Lutherans and fellow members of the Consultation on Church Union (Presbyterian, Methodist, Disciples, etc.). If your church is not participating, consider using some of the popular ecumenical hymns from our Hymnal (nos. 304, 315, 472, 518, 524, 525 et al) and some of the special prayers for Christian unity in the BCP, e.g. no. 7 on p. 816, no. 14 on p. 818, and no. 14 on p. 255. Contact Canon Veal 806/763-1370 or canonveal@nwt.org for additional information.
Bishop Ohl hosts Catholic, Lutheran, Episcopal "Trialogue" by Deacon Patricia Masterman
The first-ever gathering of representatives of Catholic, Lutheran, and Episcopal churches of Northwest Texas met December 8 at the Quarterman Conference Center. At the end of the dialogue, participants indicated their hopes for another three-way meeting in the future, possibly Eastertide. Bishop Ohl hosted bishops John Yanta of the Catholic Diocese of Amarillo and Mark Herbener of the Northern Texas Northern Louisiana Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Participants in the historic meeting heard discussions of three documents considered steps toward healing divisions created 500 years ago: (1) the Lutheran-Catholic Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification signed October 31 in Germany, (2) "Called to Common Mission," the Lutheran-Episcopal accord adopted earlier this year by the ELCA and to be presented for approval in July by the Episcopal Church, and (3) "The Gift of Authority," prepared by representatives of the Catholic and Episcopal churches but not yet adopted by either. In addition to Catholic and Episcopal priests and deacons and Lutheran pastors, the meeting included sisters from monasteries near Canyon and Channing.
Acolytes and Masters
Workshop
February 26, Canterbury, Lubbock
9:30 am - 3:00 pm led by Paul Brinsden of the Diocese of Texas
Revitalizing Acolyte Programs and Instructed Eucharist
Sponsored by the Llano Estacado Deanery Chapter of the
Order of St. Vincent.
David Krause 806.765.0037 or canterbury@nwt.org
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in Spain.: The Rev. Liz Parker has helped to arrange a Spanish speaking catechist, Lynda Catalano, to assist the Diocese of Spain in exploring the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd which Bishop and Mrs. Lopez experienced during their visit to St. Andrew’s, Amarillo.
Bishop Ohl Signs Diocesan Covenant Commitment Form for 2000
The Norwest Texas Covenant Commitment to support the mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church in 2000 is $181,937 which is approximately 3% ($6,000) over the 1999 commitment and is based on total income in 1998 of $1,005.043. Northwest Texas is short of the 21% "asking" adopted by the 72nd General Convention (A209a) by $8,122.
Some Interesting Websites:
The National Church’s Executive Council
: episcopl-ec.orgCommittee reports, "Ministry Updates & News," addresses for networking and links to ministry resources, communications survey results.
Anglican Biblical Scholars: aabs.org or 203.877.4095 Anglican Association of Biblical Scholars’ response to Lambeth. Dr. Michael Floyd of ETSSw and NWTX, first President of AABS, founded in 1991.
Associated Parishes for Liturgy and Mission: 410.752.0877 or office@associatedparishes.org committed to the renewal of Church life and ministry through the renewal of worship.
News of the People:
The Rev. Jerry Sneary, St. James’, Dalhart, was elected President of the 2000 Standing Committee. The Rev. Monte Jones, retired, of Colorado City will serve as Interim Rector of St. Mark’s, Abilene. The Rev. Clifton Gardner, Good Shepherd, San Angelo, has been appointed Dean of the Eagle Cove Deanery. Mr. Jim Brown of St. Paul’s, Lubbock, has been appointed Chair of the Stewardship Committee. Deacon Dana and Gary Wilson of Holy Trinity, Midland, have a new granddaughter born November 29, and Gary has been appointed Chair of the Hispanic Ministry Committee of the Diocese.
Debt Relief Major Victory for Church
ACNS/ENS Against long political odds, Episcopal, Catholic, and Protestant churches in the USA came together and successfully pushed a legislative package through Congress to provide debt relief for poor countries. "We haven’t seen this sort of push from the churches since the anti-Apartheid movement," said Thomas H. Hart, director of government relations for the Episcopal Church. "This is an important demonstration of what we can do," Hart continued. Congressional and White House negotiators overcame lingering disagreement on how to let the International Monetary Fund (IMF) cancel some of its loans to poor countries, one of the few remaining issues in federal budget negotiations. The agreements allow the IMF to revalue part of its gold, releasing a profit of more than $2 billion to fund debt relief for the world’s poorest nations. "The Episcopal Church was a key organization in this effort, effectively translating the Biblical vision of Jubilee into workable public policy and achieving real results on behalf of poor people around the world," said US Rep Jim Leach of Iowa, lead sponsor of debt relief legislation. "As an Episcopalian, I am particularly grateful for our church’s leadership in securing congressional approval for debt relief." The USA holds only 3% of all poor country debt. acnlist@epicom.org Presiding Bishop’s Recommended Reading"Delightful as it is, there is a certain hazard in living right over a book store. It is a bit like someone afflicted with a sweet tooth taking up residence in a candy factory," writes the Presiding Bishop about living over the Episcopal Book Resource Center.
Centering Prayer in Daily Life and Ministry (Continuum). Scripture & Discernment: Decision Making in the Church, Luke Timothy Johnson (Abingdon Press). Spirituality and Theology (Orbis). Beyond the Darkness: A Biography of Bede Griffiths, Shirley Du Boulay (Bantam). The Solace of Fierce Landscapes, Belden Lane (Oxford). Quantum Theology, Diarmuid O’Murchu (Crossroad). The Story of Discipleship, Elizabeth Barnes (Abingdon Press). For bedtime fiction, the short stories of Reynolds Price. For a brief description of these books contact newsletter@nwt.org or Carolyn Hearn at 806.763.1370. To order: your bookstore or
Episcopal Book Resource Center - Tel: 800.334.7626. Fax: 212.661.1706 E-mail: ahernandez@dfms.org. Website: wcuse.anglican.org/ebrc.
Alban Institute’s Fall Books Books
Embracing Midlife - congregations as support systems
Clergy Renewal - guide to sabbatical planning
Creating Congregations of Generous People and Letting Go -energizing congregations for ministry
Transforming Rituals - daily practices for changing lives
Never Call Them Jerks - healthy responses to difficult behavior
Congregational Conflict - real-life strategies
More Than Money - portraits of transformative stewardship
Understanding the Senior Adult - a tool for wholistic ministry
alban.org or 800.486.1318 x244.
Greetings at the Celebration of Birth of Our Savior.
The gloriousness of the event in the first century was overshadowed by the low estate where it occurred. Often, in our own lives, the nativity of Christ into our heart is overshadowed by the busyness of our world. Take a few moments this Christmas to pause and reflect on the immensity of the birth of Christ in our world, in your heart, and for those yet to come. Rejoice and give thanks. +Wallis
Holiday Reminder from Canon Veal:
During the holiday many of us will be drinking and serving various spirits in keeping with a tradition as old as Christmas itself. But, please, let’s remember:
Always serve food with liquor.
Always offer an attractive non-alcohol alternative.
Never drink and drive.
Excessive drinking leads to bad times, not good times.
Important 2000 Dates:
Parochial Reports and Audits Workshops - January 15**
Layreader Training - February 12 and 19**
Theological Education Sunday, moved to February 6, 2000
Exploring Ministry Conference, Trinity School for Ministry, March 2
Discerning God’s Call--BarbaraHopkins@tesm.edu 800.8874.8754
Women, Money, and Spirituality, March 3-5, 2000 Camp Allen, Navasota, Texas e-mail kt1648@aol.com or Kingslea Thomas at 713.522.8454
Vestry and Wardens Workshop - March 11**
Stewardship Conference - May 5 & 6, St. Paul’s,Lubbock
Clergy Conference date change: October 2-5, 2000
**Contact Claire Cowden 806.763.1370 or ministry@nwt.org
CALENDAR:
December 23-January 2 Episcopal Center Closed
December 25 Washington National Cathedral Christmas Service Odyssey Channel 8 am. Desmond Tutu Preacher, Cathedral Choirs.
January
4-6 *Standing Committee on Ministry Development, MD
7-9 101 Ways to Pray, College Conference, BQCC
8 *Schneider/Conkling wedding, San Antonio
9-12 *CDO Training Seminar, Ellenton, FL
13 *Deans, Episcopal Center, 10 am
15 *Parochial Report/Audit Workshop, St. Paul’s, Lubbock
16 *Andrews/Kermit Visitation
*St. Barnabas’, Odessa, Groundbreaking
18-19 *Clergy Small Group I
21-22 Youth Evangelism Conference, BQCC
22 *Long Range Planning Committee, Episcopal Center
23 *Canterbury, Lubbock, Visitation
25 *Trustees, Episcopal Center, 10 am
27 *Executive Council, St. Christopher’s, Lubbock 10 am
29 The Great Plenary, St. Paul’s, Lubbock 10 am
30 *St. Mark’s, Coleman, Visitation
Next Newsletter deadline: January 10
Your comments and suggestions to the editor are always welcome at Adventure@nwt.org Or write: The Newsletter, P.O. Box 1067, Lubbock Texas 79408. News deadline is every other Tuesday, four days prior to the Friday issue date.
If you have question or suggestions for this NWT.Org version of the Newsletter--including ideas for better use of html coding or the use of links, please write to Webmaster@nwt.org.
Click here for more information about our Bishop
Click here for the complete Diocesan Calendar.
Click here for the Bishops' Visitation Schedule.
Click here for Previous Editions of this
Newsletter
This page is a project of
The Diocese of Northwest Texas.
Send comments or questions to
webmaster@nwt.org.
URL: www.nwt.org/newsletter.htm
Last Updated:
July 19, 2006
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On The Web
| Number 78 | November 19, 1999 |
Servants of Christ
and Stewards of the Mysteries of God
The 41st Annual Convention of the Diocese of Northwest Texas
"TEACH US TO BE SERVANTS"
Six Northwest Texans, after three years of study, training, prayer and formation, were ordained by Bishop Walls Ohl as permanent deacons at the opening service of the 41st Annual Convention on October 29, at the Church of the Heavenly Rest in Abilene. In his charge to the deacons, Bishop Ohl asked the six Ordinands to teach us to be servants and to be icons who call the people of Northwest Texas, clergy and laity, to share in the ministry of servanthood. A reception honoring the deacons and visiting Bishop and Mrs. Carlos Lopez of the Diocese of Spain followed in the parish hall. The new deacons are Gary Bilby of All Saints’ in Perryton, Kathryn Lind of Emmanuel in San Angelo, Tami Logsdon of St. Andrew’s in Amarillo, Les Jackson and Melissa Wafer-Cross of St. Christopher’s in Lubbock, and Don Webb of All Saints’, Colorado City.
"T0 DREAM THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM"
In his Saturday address, Bishop Ohl asked the 41st Annual Convention to accept the prophesy of Joel when he says
And it shall come to pass afterward
that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh;
your sons and daughters shall prophesy,
your elders shall dream dreams,
and your youth shall see visions.
Stating that he believes "it is time for the people in the Diocese of Northwest Texas to believe that God means us," Bishop Ohl asked his people to move their dependence from self to God, to believe that God is calling them to dream impossible dreams, and to rest in the hope that He will bring those dreams to pass. Bishop Ohl called for a capital funds drive stating, "Now is the moment God has waited for with us." In response, the Convention approved a resolution accepting the challenge to grow in strength and numbers, to heighten education for clergy and laity, to revitalize congregations, youth ministry, and the Quarterman Conference Center, and to include a capital funds drive to support the growth and strength of the Diocese of Northwest Texas, believing that "with God all things are possible."
NEWS OF THE PEOPLE
Jim Aveni was ordained to the transitional Diaconate for Canon IX ministry by Bishop Wallis Ohl on November 13, at St. John the Baptist Church in Clarendon. The Rev. Kelly Schneider of St. Mark’s, Abilene, will marry the Rev. Allan Conkling in San Antonio on January 8. Deacon Patsy Masterman was honored with a celebration of her ministry at St. Andrew’s, Amarillo, on November 7.
_________________________________________________
"WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE"
In Bishop Ohl’s Sunday Convention Eucharist sermon, read by the Rev. Canon David Veal due to Bishop Ohl’s having lost his voice, the earliest days of the Episcopal Church in Northwest Texas were recounted and the strength, courage, and missionary zeal of our forebears in Northwest Texas was offered as the standard for the future of the Church in Northwest Texas. In the bishop’s words, "the Holy Spirit is driving us out of our comfort zones and into the streets. We have been given a call to mission, and I believe we will respond."
Bishop Ohl’s sermon at the ordinations, the Convention Eucharist, and his Address
to Convention are available from the Episcopal Center or on the website at nwt.org .
NEW DIOCESAN OFFICERS ELECTED AT
ANNUAL DIOCESAN CONVENTION
Newly-elected officers for the diocese are: Standing Committee: the Rev. John Loving of Emmanuel, San Angelo; Mr. David Selim of St. Paul’s, Lubbock; Trustee: Mr. Jim Brown of St. Paul’s, Lubbock; Commission on Ministry: the Rev. Bernardo Martinez, Vicar of San Miguel Arcangel, Odessa, and Dr. Mary Federman of St. Mary’s, Big Spring; University of the South Trustees: the Rev. Jerry Sneary of St. James’, Dalhart; Mr. Ken Baxter of St. Michael’s and All Angels’, Shamrock; and Mr. Don Griffis of Good Shepherd, San Angelo.
CONVENTION PASSES 2000
BUDGETThe 41st Annual Convention of the Diocese approved a budget submitted by the Executive Council totaling $1,308,093 for mission and ministry within and outside the Diocese for the year 2000. $204,009 of the budget is earmarked for expenditures outside the diocese including support for ETSSw, the Center for Hispanic Ministries, and the University of the South. $350,903 will be used to support mission and development within the diocese which includes three campus ministries, evangelism, long range planning, support for the Border Consultation ministry in Northern Mexico, mission churches, and Hispanic ministry.
MUCHOS GRACIAS FROM SPAIN
Dear Wallis, Both Ana and I would like to thank you for all that you have done for us, and the effort for making us know the Diocese. This marvelous experience has let us know the real America and the manifestation of the Episcopal Church in Northwest Texas. The links of friendship will remain in the future. I would like to thank all those people who have worked so hard during our travel in order to make us feel good. Transmit to them all our gratitude, and we hope that you will visit us soon in Spain.
Yours in the Service of Christ, +Carlos Madrid
ST MARY EPISCOPAL RETIREMENT HOME RECEIVES NATIONAL GRANT FOR VAN
St. Mary Retirement Home in Big Spring, known as Canterbury, is celebrating a $40,000 grant from national Episcopal trust fund income designated for enabling "group setting housing for older people."
A wheel chair accessible nine-passenger van was purchased to transport residents to medical appointments, shopping, and social activities. The van and some of the residents of Canterbury are an entry in the Big Spring Christmas parade on December 4. Big Spring has no public transportation.
101 WAYS TO PRAY
A Conference of Some Spiritual Depth
Connecting with other College Students
and General Fun
a gathering of Province VII college students
January 7, 8, and 9, 2000
Bishop Quarterman Conference Center
Contact: The Rev. David Krause. 806/765-0037
canterbury@nwt.org
YOUTH EVANGELISM CONCERT
Change Your World 2000
January 21, 22, and 23, 2000
Bishop Quarterman Conference Center
Stonesthrow, Michael Ridout, Ross King
A weekend filled with praise and worship, talk and games, concerts and more. Junior and Senior High. Bring a friend and your backpack. Contact: the Rev. Jo Mann 806/799-3439
jorobertsmann@worldnett.att.net
SERIES OF WORKSHOPS SCHEDULED
PAROCHIAL REPORTS AND AUDITS WORKSHOP
Saturday, January 15, 2000 10 AM - 3 PM
St. Paul’s, 1510 Avenue X, Lubbock
Do you dread the yearly Parochial Report crunch? Feel lost when it comes to Audit requirements & responsibilities? If so, take action! Attend the Workshop and let Diocesan Experts fill you in and help you out! Clergy, Treasurers, Office Managers, Secretaries, Interested Vestry, etc.
*Bring your 1999 figures & questions for the Parochial Report and we’ll help you with all the numbers & slots
*Audit Requirements & Options Explained
*Skilled, knowledgeable people available, including: Bishop Wallis Ohl, Canon David Veal, Diocesan Business Mgr. Edna Chambers, Diocesan Treasurer Carrol Holley, and Finance Committee Members John Caldwell and Bob Poer.
LAY READER TRAINING CONTINUES
IN LLANO ESTACADO AND EAGLE COVE DEANERIES
Saturdays from 9:30 AM to 3 PM
February 12, 2000 St. Christopher’s, Lubbock or
February 19, 2000 Good Shepherd, San Angelo
Lay Readers lead public worship on a regular basis and do such things as...
*lead the early Morning Prayer Service
* lead the Evening Prayer Service on Wednesday nights
* lead Noonday Prayer on weekdays in Lent
The training includes the structure, history and theology of the Daily Offices, practice planning a service, and tips and practice on effective leadership of public worship.
VESTRY AND WARDENS WORKSHOP
Saturday, March 11, 2000
St. Stephen’s, Lubbock
Issues pertinent to all vestries and wardens, members both new and old:
*What are the main responsibilities of vestries?
*What resources are available?
*How can the vestry work well as a group?
Bring a current project or situation for discussion. More details available after the New Year.
To register for any of the workshops: Forms will be available in your church office or contact Claire Cowden, Ministries Coordinator, at 806/763-1370x206, fax 806/472-0641, e-mail ministry@nwt.org
Registration fee for each workshop is $6 for lunch.
DATEBOOK REVIEW
NOVEMBER 24-26 OFFICE CLOSED FOR THANKSGIVING
DECEMBER
3 Lights on Broadway Open House 6-9 pm, Hulsey Episcopal Episcopal Center
4 Quarterman Conference Center Board 10 am, St. Paul’s House, Lubbock
Finance Committee, Hulsey Episcopal Center 10 am
Youth Committee, St. Stephen’s, Lubbock
Advent Retreat, St. Paul's’, Lubbock 8 -11:30 am
5 St. Nicholas’, Midland, Bishop’s Visitation
7 Standing Committee, Hulsey Episcopal Center 1 pm
8 Episcopal-Lutheran-Roman Catholic Conversation, Quarterman Conference Center 10 am - 2 pm
11 Capital Funds Drive Selection Committee, Hulsey Episcopal Center 10 am
12 St. James’, Monahans, Bishop’s Visitation
14 St. Stephen’s School, Sweetwater, Bishop’s Visit
15 Staff Retreat - Diocesan Office Closed
19 Dana Colley Corsello Ordination to the Priesthood, Tuxedo Park, NY
23 Diocesan Office Closes at Noon until January 4
Your comments and suggestions to the editor are always welcome at Adventure@nwt.org Or write: The Newsletter, P.O. Box 1067, Lubbock Texas 79408. News deadline is every other Tuesday, four days prior to the Friday issue date.
If you have question or suggestions for this NWT.Org version of the Newsletter--including ideas for better use of html coding or the use of links, please write to Webmaster@nwt.org.
Click here for more information about our Bishop
Click here for the complete Diocesan Calendar.
Click here for the Bishops' Visitation Schedule.
Click here for Previous Editions of this
Newsletter
This page is a project of
The Diocese of Northwest Texas.
Send comments or questions to
webmaster@nwt.org.
URL: www.nwt.org/newsletter.htm
Last Updated:
July 19, 2006
Return to the top of this Page
Return to the top of this Page
On The Web
| Number 77 | October 22, 1999 |
Bishop Lopez to Arrive from Madrid Next Week
The Rt. Rev. Carlos Lopez Lozano of the Iglesia Espanola Reformada Episcopal , our companion diocese, will begin a tour of the Diocese of Northwest Texas next week.
Accompanied by Mrs. Lopez and Bishop and Mrs. Ohl, Lopez is scheduled for public and private events in Amarillo, Canyon, Plainview, Lubbock, Midland, Odessa, Abilene and Big Spring. His first visit since the Companion Diocese relationship was sealed last year is timed to coincide with the 41st Annual Convention of the diocese October 29-31 in Abilene. Bishop Lopez will be the featured speaker at convention.A city-wide celebratory Evensong is scheduled for November 1, at St. Peter's Church in Amarillo. A luncheon to welcome Bishop and Mrs. Lopez will be hosted by St. George's, Canyon, with the Student Center of West Texas A&M, on November 2.
Plans at other stops on the tour, through Thursday, November 4, are still being finalized. Many will be announced at convention in Abilene, and in October 31 services in the parishes and missions.
Griswold Addresses Provincial Synod at Camp Allen
In the gracious setting of the luxurious new Conference Center at Camp Allen, in the woods north of Houston, the Synod of Province VII met last week. The theme for the gathering was "Go, Rebuild My Church" and the keynoter was the Most Reverend Frank T. Griswold, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. He characterized our contemporary American society as a mission field and challenged those present to suspend their quarrels and get about the business of rebuilding the Church. In response to this challenge, the focus of the assembly was on Christ's mission for the Church and the role of the Province in that mission.
The Synod is the legislative assembly of the Province. Our province includes 12 dioceses in the Southwest: Arkansas, Dallas, Fort Worth, Kansas, Northwest Texas, Oklahoma, Rio Grande, Texas, West Missouri, West Texas Western Kansas, and Western Louisiana.
The meeting was convened by the President of the Synod, the Rt. Rev. William Smalley, the Bishop of Kansas. Resolutions were passed to enable the Synod to employ a full time Coordinator in the triennial 2000-2003. The Ordinances by which each Synod is governed were revised to make it possible in the future for each diocese to send an official youth representative to the Synod
Concurrent with the meeting of Synod were meetings of Commission on Ministry representatives, who dealt with the expanding pattern of ministry in this Church; diocesan ecumenical officers, who discussed the implementation of the Call to Common Mission with the Lutherans; and the Executive Council of the Province, which formulated plans for the new triennium.
Among the officers elected for the coming triennium were the Rev. James Haney (St. Christopher's, Lubbock) as Treasurer and the Rev. Canon David Veal , as a member of the Provincial Court of Review. Representing our diocese and participating in the 40th Synod of the Southwest were: Canon Veal and Fr. Haney, Betty Gilmore, the Rev. John Loving, Jackie Batjer, Dick Davis, the Rev. Jo Roberts Mann, Claire Cowden, Sue Veal and Barbara Davis. All the dioceses of the province were represented and all of the diocesan bishops were present except the Bishop of Ft. Worth.
Christ Church, Houston Seeks Youth Director
Christ Church Cathedral, a thriving Episcopal church in the heart of downtown Houston, has a immediate need of a full-time Youth Director for 6th through 12th graders. The right person will lead the youth through working, playing, and teaching. Qualifications include a college degree and experience leading youth. Send resumes to Christ Church Cathedral, Mr. Seth Hinkley, Search Committee Chairman, 1117 Texas Ave., Houston, Texas 77002.
Strange but True:
40 Days, 39 Nights
( Double Occupancy - Meals Included )
To the dismay of monks at the Greek Orthodox Monastery of Temptation, the site that according to ancient Christian history Jesus resisted the temptation of Satan is about to become a major tourist attraction.
According to a report, for $8 a cable car, able to transport 625 visitors a hour, will travel five minutes to a point alongside the monks' sanctuary, which overlooks the entire Jericho area. The developers hope that pilgrims will prefer this fast option to the walking path, which takes about 30 minutes. And unlike Jesus, who, according to the gospels fasted for 40 days before or during the encounter with the Devil, visitors will be able to feast in two restaurants serving Arab-French cuisine. One restaurant is at the base of the mountain and the other is built into the side of the mountain, adjacent to a series of ancient caves, where Christian hermits lived from the 12th to the 14th centuries.
The monastery's three resident monks remain hospitable, but feel increasingly under siege as they prepare for a record number of tourists. Ahillios, one of the monks, said that putting in the cable car meant that everything would change. "It is good for the Palestinian economy, but we must keep the holy places. A monastery is a monastery," he said, adding that the emphasis on monastic life was at risk. "I don't want to say more about this."
For many years the monks have been serving refreshments to handfuls of grateful pilgrims who have made the trek, often in the searing heat of summer. But if the cable car operates at full capacity, the monks will be receiving countless more visitors.
Tourists will also be able to stay overnight at a three-star hotel, next to the base station of the cable car, and buy handicrafts from a series of souvenir shops. The owners, the Snukeret family of Hebron, have put about $10 million into the project. One monk, who has lived at the monastery for 15 years, told the family that if Jesus had climbed the mountain path 2000 years ago, then tourists could do the same. (courtesy of Episcopal News International)
Editor's Note:
With this 77th Newsletter, and the Fall issue of The Adventure to be mailed next week, I thank all of you for the fine education, the warm comradery, and the open hearts you have shared during my time as editor of these publications.
You All have been kind to regularly express your appreciation, but I assure you that the editor for this diocese receives an extra blessing from the work: the opportunity to watch from the crow's nest, as God works mysteries, individually but simultaneously, in persons, congregations, and communities.
Peace,
Doug Tow
DATEBOOK REVIEW
OCTOBER
23 Sat Quiet Day at St. Paul's, Lubbock (led by Bishop Ohl)
24 Sun Bishop's Visit: St. Barnabas, Odessa
25 Mon Bishop and Mrs. Carlos Lopez begin tour of the Diocese of Northwest Texas (thru Nov 5)
27 Wed Bishop and Mrs. Lopez visit in Lubbock
29 Fri Bishop and Mrs. Lopez visit in Abilene
29 Fri Standing Committee meets, Abilene
29 Fri Annual Diocesan Convention opens, Abilene
NOVEMBER
1 Mon Diocesan offices closed
1 Mon Lopez' visit in Canyon and Amarillo
2 Tue Lopez' visit in Amarillo and Plainview
3 Wed Lopez' visit in Odessa and Midland
4 Thu Lopez' visit in Midland and Big Spring
6 Sat Youth Committee meets, St. Stephen's, Lubbock
7 Sun Bishop's Visit: St. Christopher's, Lubbock
7 Sun Celebration of the Ministry of the Rev. Patsy Masterman, St. Andrew's, Amarillo
9 Tue Clergy Small Group IX meets, thru Wednesday
11 Thu Reception for Doug Tow, Episcopal Center, 4:30 - 6:30 pm
12 Fri Commission on Ministry meets, 10:00 am Hulsey Episcopal Ctr., Lubbock
12 Fri Fall Festival (Youth) opens at the BQCC
13 Sat Lay Reader's Workshop, St. Peter's, Amarillo
14 Sun Bishop's Visit: St. James', Dalhart
16 Tue Seminary of the SW Board and Province VII Bishops meet in Austin, thru Wed.
20 Sat Lay Reader's Workshop, St. Barnabas, Odessa
21 Sun Bishop's Visit: Emmanuel, San Angelo
23 Tue Bishop's Visit: St. Andrew's School, Amarillo
25 Thu Diocesan Offices Closed thru Friday for holiday
30 Tue Tiny Bishop's Conference in Detroit, thru Thurs.
Your comments and suggestions to the editor are always welcome at Adventure@nwt.org Or write: The Newsletter, P.O. Box 1067, Lubbock Texas 79408. News deadline is every other Tuesday, four days prior to the Friday issue date.
If you have question or suggestions for this NWT.Org version of the Newsletter--including ideas for better use of html coding or the use of links, please write to Webmaster@nwt.org.
Click here for more information about our Bishop
Click here for the complete Diocesan Calendar.
Click here for the Bishops' Visitation Schedule.
Click here for Previous Editions of this
Newsletter
This page is a