Diocesan Convention – Play On!

Those who have been paying attention know that last week’s Diocesan Convention was hosted by the West Branch and Northern Tier convocations. The Northern Tier is our “where’s that?” convocation—a collection of small congregations in small towns along the northern border of the Commonwealth. I suspect that few of us have been there. It is our loss.

First off, these folks are competent, and they managed an event that can easily become—well—not very organized with grace and poise.

Second, these folks know their church music, and they execute beautifully. Joan Berrresford from St. James’, Mansfield, coaxed a nicely-toned rendition of Thomas Tallis’ If Ye Love Me out of a not-quite-pickup choir that had had exactly one rehearsal.

They saved the best for last, though. At the Ordination Eucharist, twenty-something organist Jeffrey Johnston (Trinity, Williamsport) outdid himself, working up a sweat with a bravura rendition of a Mendelssohn prelude, then proceeding to handle the hymns and service music with an aplomb that most veterans never master. Need an extra verse of that hymn? No problem, we’ll just improvise a variation or two.

In short, Convention was the sort of experience that would make a curious Episcopalian head north, just to see what’s going on and what else we might be able to learn from these folks.

From the Other Side of the Pond

Surprises at diocesan conventions are usually few and far between. Attend one of these events, and orderly, predictable agendas are the usual fare. This year’s Central Pennsylvania convention—built on the theme of Global Anglicanism and Local Ministry—promised to be just such a gathering. That is, until the guest speaker got started.

The Rt. Rev. Pierre Whalon is Bishop in charge of the Episcopal Congregations in Europe. His congregations include everything from a cathedral in Paris to parishes in Switzerland, Belgium, and Germany, to a house church in Kazakhstan.

After some introductory descriptions of the geographic scope of the European Episcopal congregations and the Anglican Communion, Bishop Whalon acknowledged that some of the folks in the Communion had been doing a lot of scuffling in recent years. This, he noted, had made some wonder whether the Anglican Communion really does anything or is worth having at all

“So,” said the Bishop, “What happens if the Anglican Communion splits up? Well,” he said, “the short answer is that people will die.”

The Bishop then went on to describe the nature of the work and ministry that goes on in the congregations he serves. “You may think,” he said, “that this is a group of expatriot Americans and Brits, having church while waiting for the next steamer home. That vision, my friends, sank with the Titanic.” He then described parishes whose membership is diverse beyond anything we have in the U.S.: French congregations of Sudanese and other African refugees, blended with Europeans and even a few French; diplomats and NGO leaders in Geneva, Episcopalians in Spain and Italy.

This is an Episcopal church that, while very much an American institution, has much shorter and more direct, more “local” ties to our Anglican brethren than most of our domestic dioceses. Their local ministries are similar to our local ministries, but they nearly always have international connections, and these connections reinforce the connectedness of the Communion itself.

By way of illustration, Bishop Whalon offered this: “Let me give you an example. The rector of our congregation in Geneva had noticed that a number of the leaders of non-governmental organization in Geneva were part of his parish. He got them together and said, in so many words, ‘Why don’t you folks work together to do something about AIDS in Africa?’ That was the beginning of what is now the U.N. AIDS program in Africa.”

He pointed out that, because of the cooperative structures that our Anglican Communion relationships provide, many nationalities can readily cooperate, and people and resources can be brought to bear with fluidity in places where there are real, even desperate needs. It is an effect that is frequently catalytic, not always visible, but never trivial.

Wrapping up his presentation, Bishop Whalon compared the current quarrels in the Communion to a marriage that is “stuck.” “When this happens,” he said, “one of three things can happen. First, the marriage can stay stuck. In that case, both parties remain uncomfortable and nothing changes. Second, one of the parties can give in. This solves the problem, but at the cost of the dignity of at least one partner. However, in the best case, the parties can decide to grow up, back off, and figure out how to continue living together in a way that makes their differences less of a problem.”

Bishop Whalon concluded by voicing his hope and expectation that, at the upcoming Lambeth Conference, the bishops of the church will take their allotted three weeks to decide to grow up, set their differences aside, and get on with the global mission that was the original impetus for the creation of the Anglican Communion.

Interesting Connections

Two items caught my eye today, and each suggests in a different way that mission—defined as spreading the Good News—often lies in venues we don’t expect.

First, consider the story in the New York Times about the Archbishop of Canterbury’s meeting with the Pope Benedict. The subject under discussion: a runup to the seventh annual Building Bridges seminar in Rome, an ongoing dialogue between Christian and Muslim clerics. Could it be that it is the Muslims who will help forge a better understanding between Anglicans and Catholics by helping them refocus on what they all have in common with Abraham’s other two faiths? You can read the article here.

Second, consider the announcement of a collection of newspaper columns written by Bethlehem (PA) Bishop Paul Marshall. Defining his purpose, Bishop Marshall says, "I have from the first spent most of my time each month attempting to reach those who think Christianity is irrelevant or anti-intellectual, and those who have been burned by rigorist religion." In other words, let’s not get ourselves excited over the fine points of denominational theology, but focus instead on those who really don’t know us very well, if at all. You can read the announcement here.

To be sure, both of these are “big picture” stories, but they can be applied locally. Perhaps the best way to find a path forward with the person at the other end of your pew is to get him to help you reach the person who has never darkened the door, or who left in a huff some years back.

A New Rector for St. James’, Lancaster

The vestry and people of St. James”, Lancaster, have announced the appointment of their new rector. The Rev. David Warner Peck will begin his tenure at the end of the summer.

Father Peck is currently serving as Secretary for International Development for the Archbishop of Canterbury, serving as the principal advisor on African affairs, international development and UN agencies. His wife, Cordelia, is a social historian currently working for an international aid agency helping churches in Europe speak up on issues around global poverty, such as the effects of climate change on the poor. You can find more here.

Remembering Bishop Saito

The Rev. Ron Lynch recently passed along the following note regarding the death of Bishop Paul Saito.

"On Sunday morning, March 30th, 2008, The Rt. Rev. Paul S. Saito, Retired Bishop of North Kanto, Japan, unexpectedly passed away at his home in Japan, with his wife by his side. The Diocese of North Kanto was our companion diocese for many years.

A Vigil Service took place on the evening of his birthday, April 1st, and the Funeral was held on April 2nd. On the day following his death he would have been 94 years old. He had two children, three grandsons, and several great-grandchildren.

Bishop Saito was well known in our Diocese traveling here many times as a priest and as bishop."

Rest in Peace…. Please

The Diocese honored and laid to rest the Rt. Rev. Ronald H. Haines today at St. James’, Lancaster, but not before the local media had a chance to take one last whack at him. The problem, so far as we can tell, is the result of an articulate obituary by Washington Post staff writer Matt Schudel that was apparently picked up, very badly edited, and transmitted without attribution by the Associated Press wire service. Local papers in Philadelphia, Harrisburg, and York, dutifully picked up the story and ran it, mostly as-it-was.

While Bishop of Washington, DC, Bishop Haines ruffled a number of feathers by agreeing to ordain a candidate for Holy Orders who was gay. The year was 1991, which, especially in today’s instant message world, makes the item decidedly Old News.

To be sure, editors walk a very fine line when crafting obituaries about famous or controversial figures. What to include? What to omit? You can browse an unexpectedly articulate discussion about which goes where at GetReligion.com here.

That post contains a sentence that caught my eye: Referring to coverage of the turmoil in the Anglican Communion, the author says, “The key is that hard issues are not avoided.” A propos, I would say, because that is also one of the hallmarks of Anglicanism. It has the strength and pliability to confront the hard issues, and it has historically done so by compromise, accommodation, and often by agreeing to disagree.

Bishop Haines was a faithful priest and bishop, and he sought to be a messenger of that faith in the most authentic way he knew—by “seeking God in all persons” and by conduct that sought to widen the circle of the faithful, not limit it. He did not require that his colleagues do the same, nor did he condemn those who disagreed with him. What his wife thought about the matter or what his children did later in life doesn’t materially change the story of who this man was, and so it has no place in an obituary.

A comment to the aforementioned blog post hits the nail on the head when its author says, “…now is hardly the time to go into [an analysis of Episcopal Church politics]. As the Trappist monks say: Now he knows more theology than all of us.”

Send us Your Photos!

The theme of this year’s Diocesan Convention is “Celebrating Global Anglicanism and Local Mission.” To help with Convention planning, we need your assistance. Tell us what mission means to your parish. Is it a local food bank? Is it a youth group trip to help a neighbor down the street or in another state? Is it supporting your sister parish in Sao Paulo? Or supporting a program somewhere else in the world?

Bishop Baxter has asked parishes to send us photos (with a description, please), illustrating a mission in which they are involved. We would prefer to receive good-sized, digital images, but smaller files will also be usable for this project. If you have photos you’d like to share—or know someone who does---please email them to tidings@diocesecpa.org along with caption information. Be sure to mention the name of your parish; it isn’t always obvious.

Thank you for your assistance.