Marketing materials available focusing on "The Episcopal Church Welcomes You"

Ad in today's USA Today

Marketing materials focusing on the welcoming nature of The Episcopal Church are available to dioceses, congregations and provinces from The Episcopal Church Office of Communication.

As example of outreach and evangelism, The Episcopal Church ad was featured on page 9A in the Friday, November 20 edition of USA Today, receiving national exposure.

The print ad in various sizes centering on "The Episcopal Church Welcomes You" was designed for local and regional use. The ad is also available in Spanish.

The ads are available here: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/adcollaborative.htm

"We want to herald and share our welcoming message," explained Anne Rudig, Director of Communication.  "The work delves into our identity, our core beliefs, and our heritage in a manner that invites all to share.

"In the past few weeks, news about various religions has focused more about who's excluded from certain practices than who is included," Rudig said. "We follow Christ and believe that he's very clear that all are welcome. We strive to 'love our neighbors as ourselves'."

"We are celebrating the fact The Episcopal Church recognizes that God doesn't differentiate between the gifts of men or women, lay or ordained," said the Rev. Canon Dr. Charles Robertson, canon to the Presiding Bishop and Primate. "We want people to know who we are and to make their own, informed decisions."

The ads are available to dioceses, congregations and provinces at no cost. Additionally, space is provided for customization of local church and web site address.

"We encourage dioceses and congregations to place these ads in their local media outlets," Rudig said. "These are important tools in our efforts to tell our own story."

Rudig added that this effort is the first in a series of materials that will be available as an overall communication strategy for The Episcopal Church is developed.

"We want to be bolder and more proactive about letting people know that The Episcopal Church has so much to offer," said Robertson. "Our message continues to be that we welcome you into this adventurous life and reasonable faith in Christ...whoever 'you' may be."

Bishop Christopher Epting, Deputy for Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations of The Episcopal Church, has issued the following:

Now that the full text of the Vatican's "Apostolic Constitution" dealing with certain former Anglicans who wish to become Roman Catholics has been released, it is clear that what is being touted by some as an 'ecumenical gesture' may be understood as 'pastoral' but is not necessarily very ecumenical. Even though Cardinal Walter Kasper has now given one newspaper interview, there has otherwise been a noticeable silence on the part of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity on this matter. This appears to be a unilateral action on the part of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith which flies in the face of the slow, but steady progress made in the real ecumenical dialogue of over forty years.

This is "come home to Rome" with absolute clarity. Any former Anglican who has been ordained will not only have to be re-ordained as a priest in the Roman Catholic Church, not only re-ordained as a transitional deacon, but even re-confirmed as an adult member of the Body of Christ! Any one who does make this move is not an Anglican, nor an Anglo-Catholic, but a Roman Catholic convert.

As we have said on numerous occasions, we commend with our blessing any Anglican who in good conscience wishes to become a Roman Catholic just as we welcome any Roman Catholic who in good conscience wishes to enter into full communion with the Anglican Communion. But these decisions are to be made as individuals not as communities of persons. The Vatican may rest assured that we will never create "Roman Catholic Ordinariates" within the Anglican Communion for former, disaffected Roman Catholic converts. We will continue to welcome individuals, from the Roman Catholic Church or any other Christian communion, who desire to be in full communion with the See of Canterbury, and therefore with the Anglican Communion.

For our part, The Episcopal Church remains committed to genuine, ecumenical dialogue both on the national (Anglican - Roman Catholic Consultation in the USA) and international (Anglican - Roman Catholic International Commission) levels. We are encouraged by Cardinal Walter Kasper's comment in Osservatore Romano on November 15 that these will, of course, continue. The recent "Apostolic Constitution" is a distraction, but likely only a minor one, from the real goal of ecumenical conversation between the largest (Roman Catholic) and third largest (Anglican) Christian communion in the world.

Bishop Christopher Epting
Deputy for Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations
The Episcopal Church

November 16, 2009

The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth celebrates a milestone - our prayers are with the Rev. Susan Slaughter, her family, and the entire Diocese!

Fort Worth Star Telegram: First woman is ordained as priest in Fort Worth Episcopal Diocese 

FORT WORTH — Kneeling during an ancient laying-on-of-hands ritual, the Rev. Susan Slaughter on Sunday became the first woman ordained as a priest in the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth.

Among a sea of friends, relatives and colleagues gathered at St. Luke’s in the Meadow Episcopal Church, Slaughter was ordained by the Right Rev. Edwin F. "Ted" Gulick Jr., bishop of the Diocese of Kentucky, who has also been serving as provisional bishop of the Fort Worth Diocese.

A letter of congratulations from Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori read by Gulick said: "I give thanks to God for this sign of the resurrection of the Diocese of Fort Worth. Susan, may his light shine through you. May the widow’s gifts spread throughout your diocese."

Slaughter, 67, is a widow; her husband, Jerry, died two years ago. She had pursued her dream of becoming a priest since the 1980s but faced many obstacles because bishops of the Fort Worth Diocese opposed the ordination of women on theological grounds.

Slaughter answered several questions during the ordination ritual. Gulick asked her, "My sister, do you believe that you that you are truly called by God and his church to this priesthood?" She responded with an emphatic, "I believe I am so called."

A longtime proponent of women’s ordination, Katie Sherrod, the diocese director of communications, presented a wooden cross to Slaughter.

The cross was a gift from Bonnie Anderson, president of the Episcopal Church House of Deputies, a governing body.

Anderson also sent a letter praising those in the Fort Worth Diocese who continued to support the national church.

"Today is the day many people have hoped for, prayed for, worked for, cried over and lost sleep over," she wrote. "After 33 years of struggle and prayer, confusion and angst, here we are, the holy people of God."

Slaughter’s ordination was supported by members of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth who remained in the national church after a local group led by Bishop Jack Iker voted to break away from the New York-based denomination.

Iker’s group has aligned with the Argentina-based province of the Southern Cone and joined the new Anglican Church in North America. Those leaving say the Episcopal Church has strayed from biblical principles and church tradition on many counts, including the ordination of Bishop Gene Robinson, the openly gay bishop of New Hampshire.

The Fort Worth Diocese, under the leadership of Iker and other bishops, was one of the few to refuse the ordination of women, though the national church has supported it since 1976.

At a high point of the ordination, Gulick, joined by other priests, laid their hands on Slaughter’s head, and the bishop said, "Give your holy spirit to Susan; fill her with grace and power, and make her a priest in your church."

Attendees included Sheila Camp, a Fort Worth Episcopalian who has long championed the ordination of women.

"We’ve waited so long for this day," Camp said.

Fort Worth entrepreneur Robert Bass and his wife, Ann, congratulated Slaughter.

Both are officers of the diocese.

The Right Rev. C. Willis Ohl, who was elected to succeed Gulick as provisional bishop of the Fort Worth diocese at a convention Saturday, conducted the ritual making Slaughter rector of St. Luke’s.

After Slaughter was proclaimed rector, several of her relatives stood with her, and people in the packed sanctuary gave her a long standing ovation.

 

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and House of Deputies President Bonnie Anderson sent messages to the Diocese of Fort Worth on the historic ordination of Susan Slaughter.

From Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori:

November 12, 2009

To the faithful gathered for the ordination of Susan Slaughter: 

I give thanks to God for this sign of resurrection in the Diocese of Fort Worth.  Many thought this day would never arrive, but you have all been faithful, hopeful, and highly persistent – not unlike the importunate widow.  May the Rev. Slaughter be a living witness to the ministry of such seekers after justice, and may the widow’s gifts spread abroad throughout the Diocese of Fort Worth.  There are many of the least of these who are in abundant need of those gifts.

Susan, may you bear lightly the symbol you become, knowing that it is Christ within you who bears all such burdens.  May his light shine through you, and may those whom you help to gather around his table become his light-bearers as well.

With abundant gratitude for all the people of Fort Worth, I remain

Your servant in Christ,

Katharine Jefferts Schori
Presiding Bishop
The Episcopal Church

From President Anderson:

To:  The faithful, hopeful and persevering people of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth
   The Rt. Rev. Ted Gulick, Jr.
   St. Luke’s in the Meadow Episcopal Church
   The Rev. Susan Slaughter

From:  Bonnie Anderson, President of the House of Deputies and Companion on the Trail

Today certainly makes the case for hope. Today is the day that many people have hoped for, prayed for, worked for, cried over, and lost sleep over. Today is the day when we see hope realized in God’s time.

Today is the day that we will conjure up in our mind’s eye when we are looking for reason to keep pressing on.

Today is the day we will recall when we seek inspiration and courage during difficult times.

After thirty-three years of struggle and prayer, confusion and angst, here we are, the Holy people of God, gathered together in the midst of Holy worship on Holy ground to give thanks to our beloved God who did not leave us alone.

The Episcopal Church is truly blessed by the commitment of the lay people, bishop and clergy of this diocese. You show us how God is working through all the baptized. You are an example of deep faithfulness.

Giving of gifts:
In the House of Deputies at the 76th General Convention in Anaheim in 2009, small wooden crosses were given to all the deputies, made by an artist from Eastern Oregon. Near the close of convention, the Diocese of Eastern Oregon presented me with a larger wooden cross made by the same artist. In their presentation they asked me to keep the cross until I felt the appropriate time to pass it on. Today is the time.

Susan and the Sr. Warden: This cross is passed to you and the people of St. Luke’s in the Meadow. Please know it comes to you in peace and thanksgiving for your courage and your ministry. When you feel it is the appropriate time to pass it on, please do.

Bishop Gulick and Chair of the Standing Committee:
To the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth I present the official seal of the General Convention, inscribed from the House of Deputies. You are valued and beloved by the Episcopal Church as we all are one in the Body of Christ.

Peace,
 
Bonnie Anderson, D.D.
President, The House of Deputies

Here's a note from our friends in the Diocese of Fort Worth.

Today's historic ordination of Susan Slaughter to the priesthood is a day long-awaited in our diocese.
 
Please join us. And if you can't be at St. Luke's in the Meadow, you can share our joy at your own computer. We are streaming the ordination live over the Internet through our diocesan website here Click on the button on the upper right of the home page.
 
It begins at 5 PM Central Time on Sunday, November 15.

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori preached the following at the Moravian Seminary in Bethlehem, PA on November 11, 2009.

Greetings from around TEC, and from our covenant partners – Mexico, Brazil, Central America, Philippines, and Liberia.  We work with many partners around the world, and we look forward to the opportunities of partnership with the Northern and Southern Provinces of the Unitas Fratrum.

One of the great gifts of ecumenical work is discovering new facets on the old jewels of our faith.  I am grateful for and intrigued by your festival celebration of Jesus Christ as Chief Elder, and the essential recognition that only he can be the chief shepherd of this Body of Christ.  I’m grateful personally, as the first line of my job description says “chief pastor” to The Episcopal Church – a completely impossible task, and an aspiration that tends toward hubris. 

A significant portion of the responsibility of any pastor has to do with protecting the flock.  As Jesus notes, the shepherd must guard against those who try to get in by ways other than the gate.  Any human shepherd needs others to help with that work, because the shepherd is just one person, with a limited capacity and view.  A growing number of shepherds and goatherds in this country use llamas as flock guardians.  That exotic creature is so big that dogs and coyotes and rustlers all take a second look before they try to sneak in to harass the sheep. 

Sometimes the local protector is even a member of the flock.  My husband and I kept goats in Oregon for more than 20 years, and I still have vivid memories of an early summer morning when a wandering dog got into the pasture.  The dog was kept at bay by a big wether who outweighed the other goats by a good 50 pounds.  He protected the rest of the herd until the human goatherd got there, but he was mortally wounded in the process.  That happens to more human shepherds as well.
 
We can do a lot of constructive work to equip congregations to protect themselves – particularly by modeling pastoral ministry on the character of the chief shepherd:  one who lays his life down for others, one who exists to serve, one who knows all by name, and loves each member of the flock equally.  We all have the ability to look out for each other – it’s part of the pastoral task that all God’s people share, for we are shepherd as well as sheep.  Episcopalians talk about baptismal ministry as including the need to respect the dignity of every human being, and working for justice, freedom, and peace.  When every member of the body of Christ is met with justice and dignity, it’s going to be a lot harder for predators to get into the pasture.  When the sheep are working at finding the mind of Christ, the herd might even begin to turn the predators into vegetarians.
 
What do we do when we discover predators or crummy shepherds in the sheepfold?  This seminary exists to train up good and faithful shepherds, well equipped to discern and forestall those threats.  The reality is that we can’t protect everybody all the time.  Life is dangerous, and that includes life in the church.  We exercise prudence, do what we can, and we remember that ultimate salvation is not up to us.  Our Elder Brother is looking over our shoulder, probably in the direction we’re missing right now, and he will walk with those who are injured through our lack of awareness or error.  We live in hope that God redeems even the worst damage of predators.
 
The Franciscans have a wonderful understanding of the finite nature of pastoral ministry.  They describe it in four acts:  show up, pay attention, tell the truth, and leave the results to God.  Be present and alert in your pastoral ministry, be faithful in sharing the results of your discernment, and let God be God. 

Yet keeping the sheep safe doesn’t mean restraining them forever in one pasture.  Sheep need exercise and varied grazing if they’re going to stay healthy.  A good shepherd keeps the sheep moving, from one foraging spot to another.  A herd that remains too long in one pasture becomes far more liable to infection with parasites and disease.  It is the risk of journeying beyond the familiar and known that contributes to health – and a varied diet provides far better nutrition.  The dangers do not only come from outside.  Abundant life requires venturing beyond the corral.

Life outside the familiar pasture can be challenging – and our conversation about full communion is a wonderful example.  We are only beginning to discover the abundance of other pastures, and we have little sense of the blessings they will bring to both our communities.  The good shepherd himself acknowledged the reality of many flocks, but only one shepherd.  He pointed out that there were herds his hearers didn’t know about, but he was meant to tend them as well.  Our own adventure is a small step toward that reality.  Blair Couch joined the Episcopal bishops last spring, and greatly enriched our gathering – one tiny and yet very significant step outside the familiar.

Yesterday I got to visit Grace Montessori school in Allentown.  Aside from being located in a parking garage (what an unlikely pasture for lambs!), this learning community brings together children from a broad variety of cultural backgrounds.  A couple of adults got to overhear the gospel, as Fred Craddock puts it, watching a teacher work with the children in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. 

The encounter began with a booklet these young children had made for me, with a picture of their class and their names, one page for each class.  On the cover was a picture of Jesus with a lamb.  I asked them who he was, and why he had a sheep.  “He’s found the lost one.”  As we looked through the pictures the children pointed out their names, written in the beginning printing of 3-6 year olds.  There was some pathos as one little girl couldn’t find her own name.  But no one is lost – we found it on the edge of a page, tucked into the fold.  Each one of those kids knows s/he has a place, and is known by name.  The teacher’s hauntingly beautiful recounting of the story of the good shepherd reminded them once again:  this shepherd will find you when you’re feeling lost, this shepherd will call your name and lead you home.

We share that task, all of us, whatever pasture we call home.  Our chief and elder brother names each one of us, always leading us toward a broader meadow, filled with rich grazing and encounter with more of his varied sheep – spotted, piebald, different colors and breeds. 

Keep us moving, brother.  Heal us when we hurt, show us paths that heal and make holy.  Make us better shepherds of all we meet.  Give us the timbre of your own voice, and eyes to discover the blessed image of the beloved in each brother and sister.  Your pasture is filled with peace and abundance.  Lead us home.

The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori
Presiding Bishop
The Episcopal Church