[Episcopal News Service] Christ Episcopal Church in Toms River, New Jersey, is considering its options after the town Zoning Board of Adjustment refused June 12 the parish’s request for a variance, which would allow for a 17-bed overnight shelter on its campus. The parish and the diocese are considering whether to appeal the 5-2 decision to the Ocean County Superior Court. The church’s attorney, Harvey York, predicted during his closing argument to the board that a no vote would prompt an appeal. The Rev. Lisa Hoffman, Christ Church’s rector, told Episcopal News Service that she is “not surprised but very disappointed” by the board’s decision. “We will continue to do whatever we can to assist and support the homeless in our community,” she said. Christ Church and the Affordable Housing Alliance need an exception to the church’s zoning classification to open the shelter. The town’s administrative code says that zoning board members must consider whether the request “can be granted without substantial detriment to the public good and will not substantially impair the intent and purpose of the zone plan and zoning ordinances.” New Jersey Bishop Sally French told ENS that she was also disappointed. “I do appreciate that all members of the zoning board recognized the need for such a shelter, and I hope and pray that there is a way forward that will permit the church to continue their Gospel ministries of care for the poor, the homeless and the vulnerable,” she said. The diocese and the parish “remain committed to this work and to continuing to serve those in need.,” French added. As board members cast their votes, they gave their reasoning. Nels Luthman would have approved the variance, noting that the town’s zoning structure does not allow for such a shelter anywhere. “Wherever we would put it in this town, we would need a use variance,” he said, adding that he knows the Christ Church shelter would not help every person experiencing homelessness, “but it’s a step in the right direction.” Board member Dana Tormollan disagreed. “We’re not solving the problem; we’re putting a small Band-Aid on it,” she said before voting no. Jason Crispin, the board chair, acknowledged that Toms River has a “homelessness problem,” but he said the Christ Church site “is not adequate.” Crispin said he was also worried about how the shelter would be staffed and secured. Approving this variance, he said, could lead to a flurry of requests for non-residential uses in neighborhoods. A video of the meeting is here. The shelter proposal calls for updating the church’s circa-1882 parish house while adding 949 square feet. The Affordable Housing Alliance and the Toms River Housing and Homeless Coalition have operated out of the building since 2023. The AHA would run the shelter with a grant from Ocean County. Some Toms River residents have said that a shelter on church property would make the town a “magnet” for people experiencing homelessness. Others said it would put neighborhood homes and the children who live in them at risk. An expert witness at an earlier board meeting predicted a 15% decline in the value of homes near the shelter. The zoning board’s rejection comes in advance of an anticipated July 30 vote by the town council on Mayor Daniel Rodrick’s desire to acquire the church’s property and five other lots, either through purchase or use of eminent domain. The mayor said previously that it is a “coincidence” that his land-seizure plan became public during the town’s zoning board’s deliberations. “One thing has nothing to do with the other,” he said. Rodrick wants to create a park on the church’s 11 acres. He has not said what will happen to the ashes of 325 people interred in a memorial garden on the property. It is not clear how area residents would feel about a large park in their neighborhood, but Rodrick told ENS that, if he had to put the proposal to a vote, 85% of voters would approve it. The mayor’s plan became a topic in the local June 10 primary election, as did Rodrick’s actions to reduce the size of the police force, close an animal shelter, and close a local emergency medical service after accusing it of “financial irregularities.” Rodrick claimed during the May 28 town council meeting that his four candidates would win by 65% and his opponents would face “massive loss.” Instead, two lost to challengers who oppose Rodrick’s plan. One Rodrick candidate defeated an incumbent who supports the church while the other incumbent, who opposes the effort, won a spot on the November general election ballot. The primary results mean that no matter how the November election turns out, the mayor will no longer have a majority when the new council convenes in January. Christ Church held a prayer vigil the evening before the primary. “In these times when we find ourselves being challenged, what the people of God do is we pray and we vote,” Hamilton said French attended the vigil. “This isn’t partisan politics, this is about supporting those who are vulnerable and in need, and supporting our church, this particular church and all faith communities,” she said. French said the diocese and the parish “remain committed to this location,” adding that they will defend the church’s “right to stay on this piece of property where we have been for so many years, and we will do that through whatever means are available to us.” – The Rev. Mary Frances Schjonberg is a freelance writer who formerly was a senior editor and reporter for Episcopal News Service.
[Episcopal News Service] Activities marking Juneteenth – June 19 – are set to take place in churches and dioceses across The Episcopal Church in the coming days, ranging from helping to restore a historically Black cemetery to concerts, worship services and speakers. Juneteenth commemorates the date in 1865 that federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to ensure that all enslaved people in the Confederate state were freed. This came more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863, but the order couldn’t be enforced everywhere until after the end of the Civil War on April 9, 1865. The official end of slavery in the United States came with the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution on Dec. 6, 1865. Juneteenth, also known as Juneteenth Independence Day or Freedom Day, became a national holiday on June 17, 2021. While Texas and more than two dozen other states already observed Juneteenth as a state holiday, interest in a federal holiday was renewed in the summer of 2020, during months of racial reckoning that followed the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and several other Black people. In 2021 Missouri Bishop Deon Johnson wrote collects for Juneteenth that others are welcome to use. The Episcopal Diocese of Newark has made available liturgical resources for the observance, and the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan has created a private devotion for Juneteenth. The following is a list of some Juneteenth events hosted by Episcopal churches and dioceses. Check online for additional events. All times are local. Church of the Nativity – Church of the Nativity, Grand Junction, Colorado, is hosting a celebration on June 14 from 2-6 p.m. in the town’s Lincoln Park. This family-friendly event will feature local performers, guest speakers, kids’ activities and information booths. The Episcopal Church in Western Oregon – The Episcopal Church in Western Oregon is cosponsoring a Juneteenth Freedom Day celebration June 14 at 1 p.m. at Allen Temple CME Church in Portland. The event will bring together churches, community members and civic leaders to commemorate Juneteenth and to celebrate Black freedom, resilience and culture. Keynote speaker will be the Rev. Allison Cannady-Smith, pastor of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Portland. The program will include music, prayer, and time for fellowship and reflection. St. John’s Cathedral – On June 14 beginning at 5 p.m., St. John’s Cathedral in Jacksonville, Florida, will host an evening of music, reflection and community featuring the Jacksonville Gospel Chorale, a keynote address by Jacksonville educator Tammy Hodo, and a book signing with Alton and Gwen Yates. The event is free and open to all. Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles – The diocese’s Program Group on Black Ministries and the Union of Black Episcopalians H. Belfield Hannibal chapter will present a Juneteenth Evensong on June 14 from 4-7 p.m., at St. John’s Cathedral in Los Angeles. Washington National Cathedral – Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., will celebrate Juneteenth on June 15 at the 11:15 a.m. Sunday Holy Eucharist, with music from the cathedral’s Contemporary Worship Ensemble. Episcopal Diocese of California – The annual Juneteenth celebration of the Episcopal Diocese of California will take place on June 15 at 6 p.m. at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. Presiding will be the Rev. J. Sierra Reyes, the diocese’s canon to the ordinary. The preacher will be the Rev. Sakena Young-Scaggs, senior associate dean for religious and spiritual life at Stanford University and pastor of Stanford Memorial Church. The service is sponsored by the Afro-Anglican Commission of the diocese and the Northern California Vivian Traylor chapter of the Union of Black Episcopalians. Church of the Epiphany – On June 17 at 12:10 p.m., the Church of the Epiphany, Washington, D.C., will host a Juneteenth event featuring performers from the Coalition for African Americans in the Performing Arts who will bring to life the experiences, trauma and jubilee of the enslaved Africans in Galveston, Texas, through music, dance and narration when they experienced freedom for the first time. Diocese of Virginia – St. Peter’s, St. John’s and St. Philip’s churches in Richmond, Virginia, will host a Juneteenth Day of Freedom Celebration. It begins on June 19 at 8:30 a.m. at St. John’s with a walk to Peter Paul RVA, an organization that serves people in the city’s East End. The day also includes a community picnic with a bounce house, games and face painting. More information is on the event flyer. Episcopal Diocese of West Missouri – On June 19, the Diocese of West Missouri will host a tour to Pierce City to visit the lynching site of three African Americans, followed by a trip to Diamond, Missouri, to the George Washington Carver Museum. A bus will depart at 8:30 a.m. from St. Augustine’s in Kansas City. Reservations are required. St. Clare of Assisi – Members of St. Clare’s in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on June 19 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. will take part in restoration efforts at Woodlawn Cemetery, which was founded decades ago by Black residents of Washtenaw County because other burial options were restricted by racism. More information about the project is here. St. Barnabas’s Memorial Episcopal Church – St. Barnabas’s in Falmouth, Massachusetts, will host the city’s Juneteenth celebration, with music, food and live entertainment on June 19 from 1-5 p.m. The Episcopal Diocese of Maryland – Memorial Church, Baltimore, and the diocese’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission will host a Gospel Evensong service on June 19 at 6:30 p.m. Featured guest artists include the Unified Voices of Johns Hopkins Gospel Choir, dancer Shonnita Johnson, poet Kenneth Something, and Lady Brion, poet laureate of Maryland. The Rev. Karen Mercer, the Rev. Ruth Elder, the Rev. Canon Randy K. Callender and the Rev. […]
[Anglican Communion News Service] “Multicultural. Reaching out to serve. Meeting Human Needs.” These are some of the values prioritized by the Diocese of Texas in its ministry. They are evident in a variety of church and community programs visited by Bishop Anthony Poggo, the secretary general of the Anglican Communion this week. Hosted by Texas Bishop Andy Doyle, the secretary general has been in Houston to spend time with church leaders and church planters and learn more about the ministry of a diocese that spans 70,000 miles, has 175 congregations and serves around 77,000 parishioners. It is an innovative and forward-thinking diocese and has just completed a strategic visioning and planning initiative that looks ahead to 2035 called Faith in the Future. Its purpose is to help church leaders anticipate and prepare for major external forces that will affect their communities over the next decade. The diocese is deeply committed to church planting and growth, and creating missional communities that are responsive to the needs of the communities they serve. Read the entire article here.
[Episcopal News Service] Michigan Bishop Bonnie Perry will celebrate the second full weekend of Pride Month with Anglicans in Dublin, Ireland, beginning with preaching at the fifth annual livestreamed Pride worship service at Christ Church Cathedral on June 13. Perry, a lesbian, told Episcopal News Service in a phone interview that she’s still “in awe” at having been invited to lead Pride Month programming at Christ Church Cathedral. “In 2006, when I was the first out lesbian on a ballot in the Diocese of California, the archbishop of Canterbury spoke out against my candidacy,” said Perry, who’s been bishop of Michigan since 2020. “I came in dead last in that election for a number of reasons, but one of the reasons was the overwhelming sense that the Anglican Communion did not want another LGBT person in the office of the bishop after [former New Hampshire Bishop] Gene Robinson. “If someone had told me nearly 20 years later that I would be flying out to Ireland to preach at their pride service as the bishop of Michigan, I would have been amazed.” LGBTQ+ issues have always been a significant part of Perry’s ministry. In 2007, she co-founded and became a co-convenor of the Chicago Consultation, a network of Anglican theologians, clergy, community leaders and activists who work for full inclusion of LGBTQ+ people in The Episcopal Church and in the wider Anglican Communion. The consultation was involved with passing resolutions at General Convention in 2009 and 2012, including the affirmation of opening all orders of ministry to LGBTQ+ people, eliminating canonical discrimination against transgender people and providing The Episcopal Church with a liturgy for blessing same-sex marriages. Today, most of the Chicago Consultation’s work is concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2023, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appointed Perry one of 13 commissioners for the state’s LGBTQ+ Commission. Ireland became the world’s first country to legalize same-sex marriage through a popular vote in 2015. However, the Church of Ireland, a member of the Anglican Communion, doesn’t permit same-sex marriage. Christ Church Cathedral has been hosting its annual Pride Service since 2021. It’s organized by Changing Attitude Ireland, a Church of Ireland-based organization that seeks to promote love, understanding and justice for LGBTQ+ people from both within and outside the church. “I am delighted with the raising of the profile of the service this year when, on Friday 13 June we will welcome Bishop Bonnie Perry of the diocese of Michigan to preach at the annual service in the cathedral. Bonnie is a leading voice in promoting LGBTQ+ issues in The Episcopal Church,” the Very Rev. Dermot Dunne, dean of Christ Church Cathedral, told ENS in an email. “I am very happy to represent the community of the cathedral in its support for the LGBTQ+ community and to identify publicly with all the issues facing that community in these troubled times.” This year’s Pride Month is taking place as hate crimes targeting LGBTQ+ people continue to increase worldwide. Between Oct. 1, 2023, and Sept. 30, 2024, 350 known transgender people worldwide were murdered, though the number may be much higher, according to data compiled by the Trans Murder Monitoring Project, an initiative of Transgender Europe, a Berlin, Germany-based nongovernmental organization. Globally, LGBTQ+ people are also at risk of suffering from mental health issues because of discrimination, homophobia or transphobia, social isolation, rejection, negative experiences of coming out or being afraid to come out. Many LGBTQ+ people have also been denied or received unequal health care treatment, according to the Mental Health Foundation, a United Kingdom-based organization committed to addressing mental health issues through education and advocacy programs. After the Pride service concludes, the cathedral will host a reception and celebration honoring Belong To – LGBTQ+ Youth Ireland, the country’s national organization supporting young LGBTQ+ people. During the reception, Dunne will present a €3,000 check to Belong To. On June 14, Perry will lead a workshop on The Episcopal Church’s decades-long journey toward LGBTQ+ equality and inclusion. She also will discuss community organizing for the Church of Ireland, addressing how to best connect with people of different perspectives when engaging in discussions of same-sex marriage and other LGBTQ+ issues. On June 15, Perry will preach at Christ Church Cathedral’s livestreamed Trinity Sunday worship service. Matthew “Matty” Zaradich, a former parishioner of Perry’s when she was rector of All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Chicago, Illinois, now lives in Dublin and is planning the cathedral’s Pride service. He told ENS that having Perry preach during the service this year “is an absolute joy.” “Bringing [Perry] to my new home in Dublin for our Pride Service at Christ Church is profoundly meaningful,” Zaradich said in an email. “What I learned from Bonnie then still grounds me now: where there is love, there is holiness; and where there is holiness, there is God. Her preaching will be a gift to our community, and I know it will leave an indelible impact.” Perry said this will be her first time visiting Ireland, and she’s “super excited” to be there with her wife, the Rev. Susan Harlow, a pastor in the United Church of Christ. “Christ Church Cathedral is graciously welcoming to people who are LGBTQ+, and I am happy to be a part of it,” Perry said. “It’s truly an honor.” Watch the livestream of both services here. -Shireen Korkzan is a reporter and assistant editor for Episcopal News Service. She can be reached at skorkzan@episcopalchurch.org.
[Episcopal News Service] Fort Johnson, an Army installation in Louisiana, is poised for another name change – back to Fort Polk – though the reversal, promised this week by President Donald Trump, won’t officially honor the fort’s original namesake, Episcopal Bishop Leonidas Polk. Instead, Fort Polk will honor Gen. James H. Polk, a Silver Star recipient who served in World War II. During the Biden administration, the Pentagon had renamed nine bases that previously were named for Confederate generals. Fort Polk became Fort Johnson, honoring a Black soldier, William Henry Johnson, who served in World War I. The changes were based on a commission’s recommendations to fulfill legislation passed by Congress mandating the elimination of the Confederate names. On June 10, Trump said his administration intended to return all nine bases to their original Confederate names. The bases, however, now would officially honor different war heroes who happen to have the same names as the Confederates but fought for the United States rather than against it. “We won a lot of battles out of those forts. It’s no time to change,” Trump said in explaining his desire to resurrect the bases’ Confederate names. Polk, the Episcopal bishop, is arguably one of the most controversial figures in the church’s history. Born in 1806 to a family of slaveholders, he has long been lauded for his role leading the church’s 19th century expansion as a missionary bishop and as the first bishop of Louisiana, and he was the driving force behind the 1857 founding of the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. He later was both honored and vilified for joining the Confederacy as a general in support of the South’s succession to preserve slavery. Sometimes referred to as “the fighting bishop,” Polk was killed in 1864 on a battlefield in Georgia. Long after his death, Polk’s name and tributes to him could be found in Episcopal churches across the United States, though in recent years, many of those displays have been removed as congregations and the larger church have grappled with their complicity in slavery and other racist systems. The decision to restore the name of Fort Polk has generated criticism from those who argue Johnson, the World War II soldier, is more deserving of the honor. State lawmakers from Johnson’s native New York issued a statement objecting to the move. “In yet another attempt to revise our nation’s proud history, the implications of reverting to a name with such proximity to the original inspired by the Confederacy is an insult to Black Americans who have served this nation honorably,” the lawmakers said. “Sgt. Henry Johnson’s legacy deserves full recognition. He embodied the very ideals of courage, sacrifice, and patriotism that our military installations should reflect.” – David Paulsen is a senior reporter and editor for Episcopal News Service based in Wisconsin. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.
[Episcopal News Service] Nebraska Bishop J. Scott Barker issued a letter on June 11, one day after Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers raided an Omaha meat production plant and detained dozens of workers. The full letter follows. Beloved in Christ – Tuesday’s raid at an Omaha meatpacking plant by immigration enforcement officers brought an issue that’s daily in the national headlines directly to our community. As of this morning, 76 individuals who have been living and working in Nebraska, some for many years, are being kept in an unknown location after being detained. Currently, they are unable to communicate with their families and appear to be without access to legal representation. They represent a tiny portion of the many thousands of people who have been arrested and deported over the last few months. Immigration management and border security are real and complex issues. As followers of Jesus, we know it is no “solution” to turn away sisters and brothers in desperate need, to demonize particular races and cultures, or to break families apart. We can and should expect more than this shameful response from our leaders and of our nation. We cannot lose sight of Jesus’ teachings and witness, nor forget the Baptismal Covenant promises that every Episcopalian makes as an adult profession of faith. Our commitments to “seek and serve Christ in all persons” and to “respect the dignity of every human being” extend especially to people on the margins of society who Jesus commends to our care: the poor, the sick, those persecuted and imprisoned, the outcast. Jesus teaches that every human being God places in our path is a neighbor, and that our duty as his followers is to love our neighbors as ourselves. I hope you will pray for your neighbors this day, especially for those detained yesterday and for their families who are suffering and scared in their absence. I hope you will offer some care this day, in charitable giving or hands-on service, especially directed toward the improvement of the lives of those who’ve recently made their way to this country and this state to find safety and opportunity for themselves and their families. And I hope you become an advocate this day, working to ensure that our immigration laws are sensible and just, and that law enforcement officials do their work without unnecessary abuse or cruelty. Write your elected officials and speak out in the public square. In one of the most memorable and sobering of his parables, Jesus identifies himself with the marginalized and imagines that the citizens of heaven came to that reward because of the way they treated him. “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you invited me in.” Today – and always – may we do our part to love and serve the one whose name we bear. Faithfully Yours in Christ – + Bishop Barker
[Diocese of Los Angeles] Peacefully protesting ICE raids roiling Los Angeles, a downtown interfaith vigil drew an estimated 1,000 attendees — including dozens of clergy and Mayor Karen Bass – and closed with a prayer by Los Angeles Bishop John Harvey Taylor. “Holy God, Ice-T said it best. Ice-T said, ‘Los Angeles is a microcosm of the United States. If L.A. falls, the country falls,’” Taylor told the June 10 assembly in downtown’s Grand Park, eliciting applause and cheers. “So we’re here tonight to lift up our city on a cloud of prayer. Multicultural, polylingual, pluralistic – Los Angeles is America the beautiful. The most American city of them all, and by your grace, it will not fall. We’re here tonight to beseech you to lift the city of angels on the wings of angels.” “[W]e pledge to be peaceful witnesses,” Taylor continued, following Mayor Bass, Roman Catholic Archbishop José Gomez, and some 10 other faith leaders in praying for non-violence and an end to ICE raids. “We can resist unjust authority without lifting a hand against our neighbor. These federal troops coming to Los Angeles – God, you know the mayor had it under control. But it’s not the soldiers’ and Marines’ fault. It wasn’t their idea. They’re not our enemies. They are brave United States volunteers … And we beseech you to still the hand of anyone tempted to use violence against those who protest peacefully.” Mayor Bass, before offering a prayer, decried federal actions that are creating fear in families. “As I look out at this crowd, this represents the beauty of our city; everywhere, everybody represented, everybody standing together. We stand together and our message is to stop the raids. … We cannot accept the uncertainty that has been created in this environment here today led by the leadership in Washington, D.C.” Taylor’s prayer preceded remarks from Los Angeles Rabbi Susan Goldberg of Nefesh, a progressive Jewish congregation that worships weekly on the Echo Park campus where the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles is headquartered. Goldberg then led a blocks-long procession of vigil attendees, reaching the nearby federal building before an 8 p.m. Civic Center curfew was enforced. (See L.A. Times report here.) Taylor continued: “God of mercy, we’re also going tell the story of our neighbors who are undocumented workers – our friends being taken from their places of honest labor, ripped from the arms of their families and churches. Thirteen million of them nationwide, paying their taxes, caring for those they love, part of the foundation of the United States economy.” One such first-hand story was recounted by Yurien Contreras, whose father, Mario Romero, is among those detained by ICE on June 6 and unable to communicate with his family. “I’m here today on behalf of my father and the dozens of workers who should be released to their families,” she said. “My siblings – ranging in age from four months to 20 years – and I need our father back, especially my four-year-old brother who suffers from a disability. “What happened that day was a very traumatic experience, watching my father being taken away, chained by the hands, feet and waist, and unable to do anything,” Contreras said. “It was a very traumatic experience that affected us emotionally and physically. My family and I haven’t been able to communicate with my father. “What happened was an injustice,” Contreras said. “They [ICE] simply arrived at their workplace and kidnapped dozens of workers. … I want my father back. I want the workers to return to their families. We demand the release of all workers now! We call on all elected officials … to step up and defend L.A.’s status as a sanctuary city by prohibiting any collaboration or protection of ICE by local law enforcement, show up in detention centers and pressure for oversight to protect the rights and due process of those kidnapped, follow the cases of all of those detained during the racist raids and ensure they have access to all the resources that Angelenos have worked hard to provide.” Organized by L.A. Voice and PICO California in partnership with other community and faith groups, including the Episcopal diocese, the vigil was moderated by Jesuit priest Brendan Busse of Dolores Mission and opened with an invocation by Father Greg Boyle, the Jesuit founder of L.A.’s Homeboy Industries, a nonprofit specializing in rehabilitation of former gang members. Rabbi Sharon Brous of L.A.’s IKAR congregation called vigil-goers to the physicality of using their bodies to stand up to oppression, much as people of Jewish faith and heritage have done historically. “We will not answer violence with violence,” she said, drawing comparisons between the Trump administration and the “authoritarian” Pharaoh who oppressed Jews in biblical times. Aziza Hassan, co-director of NewGround: A Muslim-Jewish Partnership for Change, offered her prayer as a faith leader “and a Muslim mother… to open our hearts to one another. … Children belong in the arms of their caretakers. … Let us not swerve from justice. … In the words of the Holy Koran, don’t let hatred lead you to be unjust.” Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Human Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA) spoke next, expressing gratitude to local rapid response networks “who’ve stood up in this moment.” Her remarks were followed by the “We Who Believe in Freedom” chorus of “Ella’s Song,” led by Aquilina Soriano Versoza, executive director of the local Filipino Worker Center. Sikh leader Valarie Kaur offered a riveting reflection on the resilience of her immigrant grandparents in California’s Central Valley, describing them as “sage warriors who put their love into action.” “We’ve all become sage warriors,” Kaur said, assuring the affected families that “We’ll make our bodies a shield for you.” Mercedes Nava of the Community Coalition recounted in Spanish, through an interpreter, her experience of sitting at a local bus stop and watching the arrest of two young women. “They could be […]
[Episcopal News Service] Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe released a letter to The Episcopal Church on June 11 responding to a series of Trump administration policies on migration and immigration, including the use of the military for crowd control at protests. After federal agents conducted immigration enforcement raids in Los Angeles on June 6, protesters clashed with law enforcement in parts of the city over the weekend. Trump, against the wishes of California leaders, ordered the California National Guard to deploy thousands of soldiers to assist. His administration also has deployed Marines to the city to secure federal properties. California leaders have sued the Trump administration to reverse the decision to send in troops. Rowe’s letter, titled “Acting Faithfully in Troubling Times,” calls such military deployments “a dangerous turn” in President Donald Trump’s attacks on his political opponents and his administration’s ongoing immigration crackdown. He also amplified a statement issued June 10 by the bishops of California’s six Episcopal dioceses. Trump also has faced criticism for a separate policy, restricting travel to the United States from 19 countries. Rowe, in his letter, said he had written to Anglican leaders in those countries expressing his concern about Trump’s new travel ban. “At its best, our church is capable of moral clarity and resolute commitment to justice. I believe we can bring those strengths to bear on this gathering storm.” The following is the full text of Rowe’s letter. Dear people of God in The Episcopal Church: I am writing to you from Geneva, where I am meeting with global partners at the World Council of Churches and the United Nations Refugee Agency. As we have discussed how our institutions might act faithfully and boldly in these turbulent times, I have been reflecting on how we Episcopalians can respond to what is unfolding around us as followers of the Risen Christ whose first allegiance is to the kingdom of God, not to any nation or political party. The events of the last several days lend urgency to this spiritual challenge. Earlier this week, President Trump’s executive order banning or restricting travel from 19 countries went into effect. This order impacts countries that are home to dioceses of The Episcopal Church and many of our Anglican Communion partners, and I have written to the bishops and primates in those countries to express our concern. The unwarranted deployment of the National Guard and U.S. Marine Corps on the streets of Los Angeles also signals a dangerous turn. As the bishops of California have written, these military deployments risk escalating the confrontations unnecessarily and set a dangerous precedent for future deployments that heighten tensions rather than resolve them. As Christians committed to strive for justice and peace among all people, we know that there is a better way. What we are witnessing is the kind of distortion that arises when institutions like the military and the State Department are turned on the people they were meant to protect. These mainstays of the federal government, designed to safeguard civil society and promote peace and stability, are now being weaponized for political advantage. The violence on television is not our only risk. We are also seeing federal budget proposals that would shift resources from the poor to the wealthy; due process being denied to immigrants; and the defunding of essential public health, social service, and foreign aid programs that have long fulfilled the Gospel mandate to care for the vulnerable, children, and those who are hungry and sick. With all of this in mind, we are finding ways to respond as Christians to what we see happening around us. We are exploring options to support litigation challenging the travel ban on the ground of religious freedom; advocating for federal spending that safeguards the welfare of the most vulnerable; caring for immigrants and refugees in our congregations and communities; and standing in solidarity with other faith groups. In short, we are practicing institutional resistance rooted not in partisan allegiance, but in Christian conviction. At its best, our church is capable of moral clarity and resolute commitment to justice. I believe we can bring those strengths to bear on this gathering storm. Churches like ours, protected by the First Amendment and practiced in galvanizing people of goodwill, may be some of the last institutions capable of resisting the injustice now being promulgated. That is not a role we sought—but it is one we are called to. In Geneva, I have been reminded that we are part of a global communion of hope in the Risen Christ. We do not stand alone as we live by our baptismal promises: to persevere in resisting evil, to strive for justice and peace among all people, and to respect the dignity of every human being. In these troubling times, may we find courage and resilience in our identity as members of the Body of Christ. Yours in Christ, The Most Rev. Sean Rowe Presiding Bishop The Episcopal Church
[Church of England] The Lord’s Prayer is still more easily instantly recognized by the British public than some of the most famous lines from Shakespeare, Dickens or Churchill, new research suggests. People in the U.K. are more likely to identify correctly a short extract from the Lord’s Prayer – also known as the Our Father – than one from the National Anthem and other sources chosen for their deep cultural resonance, a new poll has found. The polling, carried out for the Church of England ahead of the annual Pentecost prayer initiative Thy Kingdom Come, also found the reference in the prayer to being forgiven and forgiving others was the element people found most meaningful to them. Pollster Savanta surveyed more than 2,000 people across the U.K. They asked them to match seven famous lines – spanning areas ranging from literature and history to popular culture – with their source, from a list of correct answers. The famous literary lines were “To be or not to be,” from Hamlet by William Shakespeare, and the opening to Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” From British history, people were asked if they recognized the phrase, “Never in the field of human conflict, was so much owed by so many to so few” – Churchill’s stirring words in the House of Commons in August 1940 amid the Battle of Britain. Famous musical lyrics offered were “You’ll never walk alone,” which was a hit for Gerry and the Pacemakers and also is the anthem of Liverpool FC; and “Happy and glorious / Long to reign over us,” from God Save The King. From the world of film, they were asked if they recognized “May the force be with you” from Star Wars. Also on the list was “Give us this day our daily bread” from the Lord’s Prayer. Overall, the phrase from the Lord’s Prayer was recognized correctly by the largest number of people (80.3%), just ahead of Star Wars (79.9%). They were followed by Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” (73%); the extract from the National Anthem (63%); the line from Churchill’s “The Few” speech (61%); and You’ll Never Walk Alone (58%). A minority of those surveyed (39%) correctly identified the opening line from Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities. Overall 89% of those surveyed said that they had previously heard of the Lord’s Prayer or the Our Father. This was highest among those who described themselves as Christian (95%), but also by 88% of those who said they had no religion. Overall, 89% said they had ever said or prayed the Lord’s Prayer, and 58% said they had done so in their daily life. The survey then gave people the full wording of Lord’s Prayer and asked them to select the lines they found most meaningful. The most commonly selected line was “…and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us,” with 43% overall and more than half (56%) of Christians surveyed. Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell is currently leading a “Lord’s Prayer Tour” of events at churches and cathedrals across the north of England attended by thousands of people, as part of his Faith In The North initiative. He said, “These results reflect what we’ve been hearing across the North of England through our Faith in the North initiative, which invites people to explore the Lord’s Prayer. “Though ancient, its words continue to resonate with people of all faiths and none. “In a world of shifting cultures and changing circumstances, the Lord’s Prayer remains a steady guide – perhaps never more so than now. “Lines like ‘Give us this day our daily bread’ speak powerfully to today’s challenges, reminding us to seek sufficiency, not excess, and to consider what ‘enough’ truly means.” The enduring popularity of the Lord’s Prayer is echoed in the growing number of people engaging with daily worship in both traditional and new ways. Well over 3 million people have used the Church of England’s Daily Prayer podcast and app, which offers Morning and Evening Prayer in audio form. Launched during the pandemic, the service has seen over 12 million downloads, with thousands tuning in each day. Blending scripture, music and reflection, it reflects a wider resurgence of interest in regular prayer and spiritual rhythm, showing that ancient words continue to find new life in modern formats.
[Anglican Taonga] Fe’iloakitau Kaho Tevi, climate commissioner for the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, has shared the church’s concern for the health and conservation of the oceans that make up so great a portion of our province, and impact so strongly on the lives of people this church serves. The Anglican Climate Commissioner’s June 6 statement for World Oceans Day is led by this church’s call to care for God’s creation, particularly through its understanding of Moana theology, which for many years has led this Church’s engagement with climate resilience and climate justice advocacy. The text of his statement follows. On the occasion of World Oceans Day, the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand, and Polynesia reaffirms its unwavering commitment to ocean justice, conservation, and the theological imperative of creation care. This year’s theme resonates deeply with our church’s spiritual and ecological identity: the Pacific Ocean— our Moana — is both life-giving and hope-giving. Drawing on the recent charge of Archbishop Sione Uluilakepa, the church recognizes the ocean not merely as a resource but as a sacred inheritance, central to Pacific identity and theological reflection. As articulated in the charge, the Moana is a site of lamentation and renewal — a source of sustenance, resilience and divine promise. In light of the mounting threats from climate change, pollution and industrial overexploitation, we are called to act in faithful stewardship. Through its Climate Change Commission, the Anglican Church in Aotearoa New Zealand and Polynesia supports the international call to protect at least 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030 through the establishment of Marine Protected Areas. MPAs are not only environmental safeguards; they are spiritual investments in the healing and restoration of God’s creation from the long-term impacts of industrial fishing, extractive economies, and ecological neglect. At the same time, we support the continuation of scientific deep-sea research across the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of Pacific Island Countries, while at the same time we strongly advocate for a pause on all deep-sea mining activities. This dual commitment reflects a theological ethic grounded in discernment and responsibility. The pause represents a necessary moral safeguard, ensuring that no irreversible harm is inflicted upon deep-ocean ecosystems before adequate knowledge is acquired. Through careful research and exploration, we honor the mystery of the deep, acknowledging it as part of God’s wondrous and still unfolding creation. Archbishop Uluilakepa reminds us, “Our Pacific Ocean, Moana, is not merely a resource to be exploited; it is a sacred entity providing life, sustenance and hope to countless communities across our region. As stewards of this precious gift, our duty extends beyond preservation — it calls us to restoration and rejuvenation.” On this World Oceans Day, we urge communities of faith, civil society, governments and global actors to embrace a vision of the ocean rooted in reverence, justice and regeneration. As we prepare for the upcoming United Nations Ocean Conference — UNOC 3 — in Nice, France, we have a critical opportunity to elevate both the moral and scientific imperatives for ocean protection. With its theme focused on scaling up ocean action through science and innovation, UNOC 3 aligns with our church’s call to safeguard the Moana through care, equity, and intergenerational responsibility. Let us move from lamentation to hope, from degradation to healing, and from extraction to restoration.
[Religion News Service – Washington] Religious leaders are ramping up pressure on lawmakers to reject the Republican-led budget bill currently before the U.S. Senate, arguing proposed cuts to health care benefits and food assistance programs as well as provisions involving public education will disproportionately hurt low-income Americans. Part of an effort that has built momentum over the past two months, on June 10, hundreds of clergy and religious leaders from mainline Christian, Black Protestant, evangelical and Catholic traditions rallied on the steps of the U.S. Capitol against the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” that passed the House and is set to be voted on by the Senate. “This bill chooses to take from the poor and give to those who already have enough,” said the Rev. Teresa Hord Owens, general minister and president of the Disciples of Christ. As she closed in prayer, she said, “May your will be done, and may this bill be killed,” sparking cheers from the crowd. The faith leaders were joined by a group of prominent Democratic senators, including Chris Coons of Delaware, Raphael Warnock of Georgia, Cory Booker of New Jersey, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. “This so-called big, beautiful bill pushes 16 million people off of health care and literally takes food from the mouths of hungry children. An enormous tax cut for the very wealthiest is the definition of an immoral bill,” said Coons, a Presbyterian and graduate of Yale Divinity School. Warnock, who is a pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, recounted how he was arrested in 2017 for protesting a reconciliation bill before he became a senator. “Here I am, eight years later, having transformed my agitation into legislation, my protest to public policy,” he said. “But I’m here today because I still know how to agitate. I still know how to protest. I’m not a senator who used to be a pastor — I’m a pastor in the Senate.” Arguing the bill takes “food out of the hungry mouths of children in order to give people like Elon Musk a tax cut,” Warnock noted some senators are churchgoers and he cited the biblical Book of Amos. “God is not impressed by you quoting Scripture, God is not impressed by you showing up to church on Sunday,” he said. “The test of your faith is the depth of your commitment to the least, the left out.” Warnock was echoed by Coons, who told Religion News Service he hoped the cries of faith leaders would impact his Republican colleagues. “My hope is that these voices from priests and nuns, from pastors and rabbis from all over our country, reading Scripture — the same Scripture that my colleagues read — will challenge their conscience and test them to reconsider their vote for a bill that will be profoundly harmful to those at the margins of our country,” he said. Asked if he believed any of his Republican Senate colleagues would be moved to vote against the bill, Coons said yes, arguing that “in many of their home states, rural hospitals will close and emergency rooms will be flooded and families will be hungry” if the bill becomes law. The lawmakers were flanked by prominent faith leaders who have been critical of President Donald Trump’s administration, such as the Rt. Rev. Mariann Budde, the Episcopal bishop of Washington; the Rev. Barbara Williams-Skinner, coordinator of Faiths United to Save Democracy; the Rev. Jim Wallis, head of Georgetown University’s Center of Faith and Justice; and the Rev. Adam Russell Taylor, head of the Christian social justice advocacy group Sojourners. Some of the clergy left the event to meet with lawmakers and their staff, hoping to make their case in person. The gathering followed an earlier rally at a nearby park, where other faith leaders outlined frustrations with the legislation. “It is a budget that robs from Peter and Paul,” said the Rev. Keith William Byrd Sr., first vice president of the Progressive National Baptist Convention Inc. and pastor of Zion Baptist Church in Washington. Byrd criticized the bill for increasing military spending while also cutting programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps. “Lord help us when we can pay for bombs but cannot feed our children,” he said. The rally followed weeks of advocacy by other religious leaders. Last week, a group of faith leaders primarily from Texas rallied in Washington against a provision of the bill that would include a $5 billion national school voucher program. “Vouchers are a corruption of God’s common good,” the Rev. Charles Foster Johnson, a Texas pastor, told the crowd. In an interview with RNS, Johnson — who is head of Bread, a Christian community in Fort Worth — said he was inspired to speak out both because of his faith and his experience in Texas, where the state Legislature recently passed a controversial school voucher provision. “You go into any community, anywhere in Virginia and Maryland and Texas, and you’ve got two institutions holding that community together: the local school and the local church,” he said. “There is a symbiosis between the two.” Johnson said he believes Trump intervened to support the Texas voucher bill, but a similar proposed federal program may not be supported by Republican senators such as Deb Fischer of Nebraska, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine. As he finished speaking, Johnson turned and joined other faith leaders as they entered a Senate office building to meet with lawmakers’ staff. Meanwhile, the Rev. William Barber II and other faith leaders have spent weeks holding “Moral Monday” demonstrations on Capitol Hill against the budget proposal. On three separate occasions, Barber and other faith leaders have been arrested in the Capitol Rotunda while praying against the legislation. Some religious groups have been selective in their criticism of the bill. In a recent letter sent to elected officials on Capitol Hill, leaders of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops lauded provisions that would prohibit Medicaid […]
[Episcopal News Service] The diocesan bishops of the six Episcopal dioceses in California issued a statement on June 10 responding to the federal immigration raids in Los Angeles and subsequent clashes between protesters and law enforcement, as well as the Trump administration’s decision to send soldiers to the area against the wishes of California leaders. The following is the text of the bishops’ letter. A Letter from the Episcopal Bishops in the State of California Beloved in Christ, Like all Californians, we are watching with great concern the events unfolding around immigration protests in Los Angeles. We are deeply concerned about the ICE raids and about the potential for violence arising from the deployment of National Guard troops and Marines to the Los Angeles area. We are concerned that military deployments will escalate the confrontations unnecessarily, and worry that all of our regions in California may be subject to future deployments that heighten tensions rather than resolving them. Bishop John Harvey Taylor, the Episcopal Bishop of Los Angeles, has posted on social media this past weekend about what is happening in Los Angeles and his interpretation of the ways in which local officials, law enforcement, federal agencies, and protesters are all interacting. He expressed deep pain and anger as fourteen people in one single Episcopal congregation in that diocese were detained by ICE on Friday. Certainly, we as Episcopalians are shocked and saddened when any of our own are removed from our beloved community. In all six of our dioceses, people are concerned and fearful about the denial of due process for those detained and the potential for ICE raids targeting beloved community institutions and people working to support their families. People feel angry and threatened that the haven they sought in our communities is no longer safe. U.S. citizens and legal residents feel deep grief at losing beloved friends and family members. Children whose parents are deported face uncertain futures. In our churches, we strive to protect our members who are at risk. Our Baptismal Covenant asks us, “Will you strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being (BCP p. 417)?” This question is a direct and ongoing call to us as persons who follow Christ to live out our calling opposed to injustice, to violence of any kind, and to stand up where human beings are not treated as we would treat a child of God. This question needs to be foremost in our thoughts as we consider our response to the situation in Los Angeles. In The Episcopal Church, we uphold a proud tradition of advocating for civil rights and supporting the vulnerable in our society. We stand for fierce love and for justice that leads to peace, as well as societal practices that preserve human dignity. With God’s help, we will speak and pray on behalf of all in this situation. Bishop Taylor has asked for our prayers for Los Angeles, and we invite all our dioceses to pray for the unfolding situation there as well as for peace and justice in all our communities. We ask that you join us in praying: “Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart, and especially the hearts of the people of this land, that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen” (BCP p. 823). In Christ, The Rt. Rev. Lucinda Ashby Episcopal Bishop of El Camino Real The Rt. Rev. David Rice Episcopal Bishop of San Joaquin The Rt. Rev. Austin K. Rios Episcopal Bishop of California The Rt. Rev. Susan Brown Snook Episcopal Bishop of San Diego The Rt. Rev. John Harvey Taylor Episcopal Bishop of Los Angeles The Rt. Rev. Megan Traquair Episcopal Bishop of Northern California
[Church of Ireland] Half a century of service in episcopal ministry was celebrated June 9 – St. Columba’s Day – when a congregation gathered for a choral Eucharist in St. Columb’s Cathedral, Londonderry, Ireland, to mark the 50th anniversary of the consecration of the Rt. Rev. Robin Eames. Eames served as bishop of Derry and Raphoe from 1975 to 1980, and after that as bishop of Down and Dromore, and then archbishop of Armagh and primate of All Ireland, from 1986 until his retirement in 2006. He was consecrated in St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh, on June 9, 1975, by Archbishop George Otto Simms, at age 38. The service was led by Archbishop John McDowell, and the preacher was Bishop Andrew Forster, the current bishop of Derry and Raphoe. Forster’s predecessor, Bishop Ken Good, along with Mary Good, Bishop George Davison (bishop of Connor), Bishop Ian Ellis (bishop of Clogher) and Bishop Patrick Rooke (formerly bishop of Tuam, Killala and Achonry) also were present. Archdeacon Mark Harvey (archdeacon of Dromore) represented Bishop David McClay (bishop of Down and Dromore). Scripture was read by Forster and Dean Shane Forster (dean of Armagh), with intercessions led by Archdeacon Robert Miller (archdeacon of Derry). A reception was held afterwards in the Chapter Room, giving many representatives from parish life in the diocese, and guests who had travelled from elsewhere, the opportunity to congratulate Eames, his wife Christine and their sons Michael and Niall. Forster’s sermon from the service is available in the full article here.
[Church of England] The Church of England on June 9 unveiled plans to invest more than £1.6 billion ($2.1 billion USD) toward sharing the good news of Jesus Christ and serving local communities over the next three years – a 36% rise in the national funding made available in 2022 for the current three-year period. The distributions from the Church Commissioners, which manages the church’s national endowment fund, will support a major package of measures for clergy well-being and a focus on supporting parishes in the lowest-income communities in the country, as well as other key priorities including safeguarding and help for victims of institutional sexual abuse. The majority of the work of the Church of England across the country is paid for through the generosity and giving of those in local congregations – a critical partnership with many faithful people, which is the bedrock of the church’s finances. On top of that, the Commissioners’ funding for the work of the church, distributed through the Archbishops’ Council, is set to increase by more than £430 million ($580 million) between 2026 and 2028 above the previous three-year period, or triennium, which was itself up 30% from the period before. Overall, the Church Commissioners and Archbishops’ Council have set indicative distributions of £4.6 billion ($6.2 billion) in support of the work of the church over nine years to support the church’s vision and strategy to enable the flourishing of parishes and worshipping communities across the whole country and help the church to become younger, more diverse,and safer. Details of how the funding will be divided is available in the full article here.
[Episcopal News Service] Iowa Bishop Betsey Monnot on June 9 released a letter she sent to U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst after her recent comments drew extensive public coverage. It was posted on the diocesan website and social media. In the letter she notes that while they both describe themselves as Christians, “you and I understand what that means very differently,” Monnot said. Pew Research Center identifies Ernst as Lutheran. Monot sent the letter to Ernst’s office on June 4 but hasn’t received a reply, she told Episcopal News Service. The senator’s first comment came during a May 30 town hall meeting in Parkersburg as Ernst was explaining proposed cuts to programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP (formerly known as food stamps), and Medicaid in the federal budget bill that has been passed by the U.S. House of Representatives but awaits action in the Senate. At one point a person in the audience shouted, “People will die,” to which Ernst said, “People are not … well, we all are going to die.” As the crowd groaned, she added, “So, for heaven’s sakes. For heaven’s sakes, folks.” Monnot said she found Ernst’s comments “very dismissive of some really important issues that are central to the Gospel,” but she didn’t think they rose to a level that required her to respond. That changed after Ernst’s second comments, this time made in an Instagram video in which she seemed to apologize for her town hall remarks before noting that she wasn’t aware that everyone there didn’t understand that “we all will perish from this earth,” adding that she was glad she didn’t have to bring up the tooth fairy. She then added that for those who wanted “eternal and everlasting life,” she encouraged people to “embrace my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” “At that moment, the senator crossed over from her lane to my lane,” Monnot told ENS. “My lane is the Gospel lane.” And as bishop and the chief evangelist of the Diocese of Iowa, “I couldn’t not respond to somebody from Iowa with a national platform being, as I said in the letter, unkind, and claiming that as part of her faith in Jesus Christ.” In her letter, Monnot said that as a Christian, Ernst certainly is aware of the times Jesus healed those who were sick. “He did it without asking whether they were eligible or deserving of his care,” she wrote. Noting the Gospel stories of how Jesus fed people, she added, “For Jesus, no one was unworthy of being fed. Again, that’s because that is who Jesus is.” Recalling Ernst’s video invitation to people to “embrace Jesus Christ,” Monnot wrote, “Your recent comments at a town hall meeting, followed by your unkind video, indicate to me that you have forgotten what it means to truly embrace Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. You are not showing care for the people who Jesus called ‘the least of these who are members of my family.’” While assuring Ernst of her prayers, Monnot closed by saying, “Today I call upon you to turn again to Jesus whom you claim as Lord, to embrace him, and to serve all people as you would want to serve him. Because it is by your works, not by your words, that Jesus and the world will know your faith.” So far, responses to the letter have been positive, Monnot said. After posting it to her personal Facebook page, she received 53 comments, all in support. The letter drew three comments on the diocese’s Facebook page, all positive. This isn’t the first time she has spoken publicly on important issues. That’s because she said she sees it as her responsibility as bishop “to respond with the voice of the Gospel to things that are happening” in the world. In February Monnot testified at the Iowa Capitol against an anti- trans bill, and in October 2024 she addressed a gathering in Des Moines organized by Interfaith Alliance, a group that fights Christian nationalism. — Melodie Woerman is an Episcopal News Service freelance reporter based in Kansas.
[Episcopal News Service — San Antonio, Texas] Episcopal deacons gathered in San Antonio, Diocese of West Texas, to network, share resources and learn different ways to approach ministry in their communities at the Association for Episcopal Deacons triennial conference. “When we’re at this gathering, we are inspiring deacons to go out and make positive changes, to be the church and to go out into the world and feed communities,” the Rev. Kristi Neal, vice president of the Association for Episcopal Deacons and a deacon at St. James Episcopal Church in Black Mountain, North Carolina, told Episcopal News Service. “We are servant leaders in those communities, instigating, provoking and inspiring that change. … as the priest is an icon of sacrament, and the deacon is an icon of service.” One hundred and forty deacons attended the June 5-8 conference at the Embassy Suites by Hilton San Antonio Landmark Hotel. This year’s theme, “Ignite Change,” highlighted deacons’ call to interpret the needs of the world to The Episcopal Church and to encourage the church to be involved with challenging injustices. This was the first gathering since 2019; there was no conference in 2022 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In The Episcopal Church, deacons and priests are both ordained clergy but fulfill different duties. While among their duties, priests lead worship services and celebrate the sacraments as pastors, deacons’ roles tend to be more service-oriented, directly assisting communities in need, assigned and under the direction of their bishop. And, unlike priests, deacons usually aren’t paid for their work. The church has about 3,300 deacons – including retirees and non-parochial deacons – 1,806 of whom are assigned to a parish, according to Church Pension Group. “Deacons are the bridge between the church and the world,” the Rev. Janice Grinnell, the conference’s chairperson, retired archdeacon of the Diocese of Rhode Island and a former board member of the Association for Episcopal Deacons, told ENS. The gathering began on June 5 with greetings from conference leaders and West Texas Bishop David Read, followed by a keynote address from Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe. He thanked the deacons for “continuing to amplify” the church’s mission. “I think we will see a kind of renewable change … how can we take this into the next iteration of what God is calling us to do? How do we do it in a way that’s transformational, life-changing and world transforming? You’re already doing that,” Rowe said. During the address, Rowe told the deacons that he plans to work with the Association for Episcopal Deacons’ board to determine the best use of a $200,000 grant promised by Resolution D023, adopted by General Convention in 2024. Rowe also listened while some deacons asked questions and shared their concerns. One deacon expressed frustration that deacons “feel like we have a chain around our neck” because of a lack of financial and moral support from bishops and dioceses. Another deacon said they were concerned about the future of The Episcopal Church’s racial reconciliation work as “many of the programs, meetings and newsletters have disappeared over the last several months.” Rowe reassured them that racial reconciliation continues to be a priority for The Episcopal Church, but the process is “changing” and “reorganizing.” Some deacons said the church should take a stronger stance against white Christian nationalism. The Rev. Hailey McKeefry Delmas, director of the Deacons’ Formation Collaborative at Bexley Seabury Seminary in Chicago, Illinois, said during the Q&A session with Rowe that Episcopal church leadership is “top-heavy” and that “we need to focus on growing the bottom, and diaconal ministry is the way to do that.” “It’s the way to make the church more vibrant, more alive, or expressive of what’s going on in God’s imagination,” McKeefry Delmas later told ENS. “The systems that the church is working under really favor putting all our resources into the first half of the baptismal covenant – Will you say the prayers? Will you partake in the sacraments? All of those things are great, but the other half of the baptismal covenant is, ‘Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons’ and ‘respect the dignity of every human being?’ That’s the piece we’re not investing enough time and the money in.” The first day of the conference concluded with Rowe preaching during the opening Eucharist. The second day of the conference on June 6 started with a panel discussion featuring Read, Connecticut Bishop Suffragan Laura Ahrens and New Hampshire Bishop Robert Hirschfeld. The bishops reflected on the church’s evolving vision of the diaconate amid contemporary global challenges, particularly in terms of how deacons respond to urgent social and spiritual needs. The bishops also shared their hopes for the future of diaconal ministry. The panel discussion was mostly well received, though some deacons told ENS that they felt mixed about it. “The bishops in the panel came out with suggestions that we’ve already been doing,” the Rev. Carter Hawley, executive director of the Association for Episcopal Deacons and a deacon at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, told ENS. “It was frustrating to hear, ‘If only you all would just go out and be in community in churches.’ We’ve already been working very hard to increase the visibility of the diaconate.” Neal said she hopes to bring a delegation of deacons to a future House of Bishops gathering to continue open conversation and relationship-building with the bishops. Workshops throughout the first day included topics ranging from addressing human trafficking and refugee ministries to preaching and the ministry of Episcopal schools. The second plenary – presented by the Rev. Maureen-Elizabeth Hagen, deacon at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Portland, Oregon, and the Rev. Molly James, interim executive officer and secretary of General Convention who was the first dean of the Province 1 School for Deacons – addressed how deacons help the church grow into its mission. The first half of the third plenary included an overview of artificial intelligence and […]
[Episcopal News Service – Milwaukee, Wisconsin] Bishop Matthew Gunter – as a bishop, and for his diocese – was trying something new just by being here. Gunter, the former bishop of Fond du Lac, has served as bishop of the reunited Diocese of Wisconsin for the past year, since the June 2024 merger of the state’s three Episcopal dioceses. Last week, Gunter completed his first weeklong “residency” in Milwaukee. He plans to travel to all five of the diocese’s regions each year for similar “bishop in residence” weeks. The regional structure is central to the Diocese of Wisconsin’s plan to ensure Episcopalians in all 100 or so congregations in the state remain connected to and supported by their bishop and diocesan staff. Wisconsin is one of a series of recently merged dioceses and pending reunions. The Diocese of the Great Lakes, a recent merger of two Michigan dioceses, is now calling its first bishop. The dioceses of Central Pennsylvania and Bethlehem hope to finalize their reunion in January 2026. The dioceses of Northern Indiana and Indianapolis also are in talks about their future together. All provide potential collaborative models and strategies for the rest of The Episcopal Church as it responds to long-term membership decline and limited resources. On June 4, at a weekday morning Eucharist at the St. John’s on the Lake retirement community, Gunter joined 25 or so worshippers who welcomed him warmly to their downtown Milwaukee high-rise. During his sermon in St. John’s chapel, Gunter emphasized the exciting changes underway in their diocese over the past year as Episcopalians in Wisconsin experiment with “ways to be faithful into the 21st century.” Throughout last week, Gunter participated in a range of events and parish visits across the diocese’s newly created Lakeshore Region, which parallels the Lake Michigan shore from Sheboygan to Kenosha. Each of Wisconsin’s five regions contains about 20 congregations, formerly part of the dioceses of Milwaukee, Fond du Lac and Eau Claire. Gunter still hopes to visit every congregation in the state individually on a multiyear rotation, but the “bishop in residence” weeks mean all Episcopalians still will have opportunities to see their bishop at least once a year in their region. He also will preside separately at regional confirmations; the first was held May 18 at Trinity Episcopal Church in the western Milwaukee suburb of Wauwatosa. During his residency week, Gunter celebrated Eucharist on June 1 at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Racine and Compline at St. John the Divine Episcopal Church in Burlington. He met June 3 with his regional counterparts in the Roman Catholic Church and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. On June 8, he visited Grace Episcopal Church in Sheboygan, while later in the day regional clergy marched with other Episcopalians in Milwaukee’s annual Pride Parade. Gunter also joined a few dozen clergy and lay leaders at Trinity Episcopal Church for a daylong educational session June 7 led by the diocese’s Formation and Discipleship Mission Action Team. The diocese created four action teams as part of its reunion plan to help coordinate statewide efforts in four focus areas. The other three are stewardship, evangelism and community engagement. In an interview with Episcopal News Service after the Eucharist at St. John’s on the Lake, Gunter said he has been encouraged by how smoothly the transition has gone over the past year, though he noted that the reunited diocese will continue to learn and adapt as necessary. “We’ll do some review and decide what’s working, what’s not working,” Gunter said. This residency week was “the first one,” he said, “so we’re kind of feeling our way.” St. John’s on the Lake is just a mile from All Saints Cathedral, once the seat of the bishop of the former Diocese of Milwaukee. Today’s Diocese of Wisconsin is not headquartered in any one place, though Gunter lives in Neenah, a small city on Lake Winnebago that is located roughly in the center of the state, putting the bishop within a few hours’ drive of the farthest congregations. The original Diocese of Wisconsin dates to 1847, the year before its namesake territory became a state. After the Diocese of Fond du Lac was established in 1875 in response to population growth in northeastern Wisconsin, the remaining diocese changed its name to the Diocese of Milwaukee in 1886. Then, as more people moved into the northwest part of the state, the Diocese of Eau Claire was carved from parts of the other two dioceses in 1928. In today’s Wisconsin, a state of about 6 million residents, Episcopal church membership has steadily declined – down overall by a third in the past decade. In 2021, the three dioceses launched a formal process “to explore ways to deepen cooperation and coordination” at a time of bishop transition in the dioceses of Milwaukee and Eau Claire. That process culminated in the June 2024 votes by the 81st General Convention approving the reunited Diocese of Wisconsin. Under the reunited diocese’s regional structure, a missioner is assigned to each region, to support and collaborate with congregations throughout the year between bishop visits. The missioner for the Lakeshore Region is the Rev. Jana Troutman Miller, who also serves at the St. John’s on the Lake director of spiritual care. “All the preparation has really paid off,” Troutman-Miller told ENS, referring to the three years of discernment and planning that preceded the diocesan reunification. In the Lakeshore Region, Troutman-Miller organizes in-person clergy gatherings four times a year. In addition, at least once between those gatherings, she reaches out to talk individually with the priest or senior warden at each congregation in her region, so they feel connected to the diocese and supported. Although Wisconsin became a larger diocese after the merger, the goal has been to provide congregations with more pastoral and episcopal care, not less, Gunter said. “The regions are meant to make sure that nobody falls through the cracks,” he said. To have someone […]
[Scottish Episcopal Church] On June 7, the final day of General Synod 2025, members backed a motion that affirmed transgender, non-binary, gender non-conforming and intersex people within the church after an often emotional but always respectful debate at St. Paul’s & St. George’s Episcopal Church in Edinburgh. Specifically, the motion affirmed that trans+ people are made in the image of God, are loved by God, should be accorded the same dignity, respect and rights as cisgender people, and can and should participate fully in the life, worship, mission and ministry of the Scottish Episcopal Church. Bringing the motion to Synod, the Rev. Amy Jo Philip described the experience of trans+ people since the recent Supreme Court ruling that a woman is defined by biological sex under equality law, saying, “The SEC welcomes you. We are all familiar with this phrase. We all assent to it, we want to live it. Trans+ and intersex people are, however, fearful about where we are welcome. We always have been and we are even more so since the Supreme Court ruling. “But God is love and there is no room for fear in love. “Are we welcome in the SEC? I know I am, personally, but are my trans siblings? And moreover, do they know it? “This motion is about making that welcome clear.” Philip highlighted that trans+ people are among the most marginalized groups in society, facing higher rates of violence, personal crime and domestic abuse, lower employment rates and lower pay than cisgender (non-trans) people. “All we are asking for is to be treated as humans,” she said. Among a host of comments from the floor, the motion was backed strongly by Bishop Ian Paton, Diocese of St. Andrews, Dunkeld & Dunblane, who said in an impassioned address, “Calm heads are needed on all sides. The hatred and the toxicity we are seeing in public debate about this is creating even more fear for the trans+ people whose lives are being put in the center of highly politicized culture wars. “But surely as Christians serving the God who made all humankind in the divine image, in whom there is neither male nor female, we are called to show a different way, which is why I am supporting this motion and I urge you to do the same.” A counter motion was proposed by the Rev. Amanda Fairclough, Diocese of Argyll & The Isles, who suggested that the matter should not be addressed by Synod but should instead be sent to dioceses for discussion, citing the need for debate to be deep, wide-ranging and open, and without the relatively limited amount of time allocated by Synod. She said, “We are the Scottish Episcopal Church. We can work through contentious issues. We’ve proved it in the past. We don’t necessary need all to agree. But Synod, I beg you to let all of us have the time and space to have an honest debate in an appropriate setting.” The counter motion fell, as did an amendment proposed by Jaap Jacobs, Diocese of Brechin, leaving Synod to carry the full motion proposed by Philip, with 92 votes cast for the motion, 12 against, and five abstentions. Information about other matters discussed by General Synod is available here.
[Anglican Communion News Service] On June 8, Pentecost Sunday, Bishop Anthony Poggo, secretary general of the Anglican Communion, visited St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston, Texas. It is the first in a series of church and community visits he is making in the Episcopal Diocese of Texas this week, hosted by Texas Bishop Andy Doyle. Invited to preach at two of St. Martin’s morning services, he also was the special guest at their adult Christian educational hour, where he was interviewed by the Rev. Wesley Arning, associate for Riverway and discipleship ministries. The adult forum explores different topics each week, including Bible study, the spiritual life, social and cultural affairs, and The Episcopal Church. The global nature of God’s church was a major focus of Poggo’s Pentecost message. Preaching on Acts 2, he described the coming of the Holy Spirit to the apostles at Pentecost as the “birthday of the church,” where God empowered his church to spread the Gospel to all nations. He celebrated the way he sees the work of the Spirit in the Anglican Communion, saying, “In my role as secretary general of the Anglican Communion, and through our work at the Anglican Communion Office, I am privileged to see the many ways in which Anglicans around the world are acting in the strength and power of God’s spirit to build his church.” During his interview with Arning, Poggo explained that the Anglican Communion Office works in various ways to cultivate relationships, conversation and learning between Anglican provinces. One example included its role in facilitating the next meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council, which will be hosted in Ireland in 2026. Inviting representatives from every province, the Council will be an important opportunity for Anglicans to gather for prayer and dialogue on church and world affairs. Poggo also celebrated a recent online webinar organized by the Anglican Communion Office, in which Anglican bishops and church planters from around the world shared ideas on mission, evangelism and how they are seeing church growth in their settings. Touching on his personal faith story, he talked about some of the visits he makes to Anglican churches around the world, including those impacted by conflict and humanitarian crisis. Referring to places like South Sudan and Sudan, he remarked that for many Christians, the words “give us today our daily bread” is a prayer of utter reliance. The discernment process to nominate the next archbishop of Canterbury, the work of the Nairobi-Cairo Proposals and ways in which people could support the work of the ACO also were featured in the interview. Asked by Arning what encouragement he would give to the people of St. Martin’s, Poggo invited people to think of the connection of the local church to the global, encouraging people to “remain connected” so that we can all “learn from one another.” And during his Pentecost sermon he said, “We should not only think of the work of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost day, but every day of our lives we should be filled with the Holy Spirit for continuous ministry as we minister daily in our work to build the church of God.” The secretary general’s time at St. Martin’s was hosted and assisted by the Rev. Martin J. Bastian, vice rector, and other members of the clergy team, including the Rev. Sharron Cox, the Rev. Lisa Neilson, the Rev. Jordan Hylden and the Rev. Gregory Cross. Since its founding in 1952, St. Martin’s Episcopal Church has grown to become the largest Episcopal Church in North America with more than 10,000 members. The parish celebrates worship at six Sunday and three Wednesday services in both traditional and contemporary liturgical styles.
[Episcopal News Service] El Salvador’s government on June 7 arrested Enrique Anaya, a constitutional lawyer who had criticized the May 18 arrest of Ruth López, a lawyer who leads the anti-corruption unit of Cristosal, an Episcopal-affiliated organization committed to defending human rights and promoting democratic rule of law in Central America. CNN reported that Anaya had been a critic of El Salvador President Nayib Bukele and that according to authorities, “the arrest is for his alleged involvement in money and asset laundering.” Cristosal said in a June 7 post to its Facebook page that Anaya’s arrest “is part of a rapid escalation in the criminalization of those who defend the rule of law in El Salvador.” López remains in detention after a June 4 court hearing in which the judge ordered her to be jailed for six months on charges of illegal enrichment, a charge she has denied. She had asked to have a public trial, but the hearing was closed to the public and remains under seal, according to the Associated Press. “Observers say the case against López is retaliation for her work, while authorities allege she aided one of her former employers being prosecuted for embezzlement,” the AP added. The hearing followed Cristosal’s May 29 petition for habeas corpus on behalf of López, who had at that time been detained without a judicial warrant for 11 days. In a statement the day after the court hearing, Cristosal said López’s provisional detention “represents a serious setback for due process and an alarming sign of the political use of the judicial system in El Salvador. We believe this measure not only violates Ruth’s fundamental rights but also confirms a systematic pattern of criminalization against those who defend democracy, transparency and human rights.” On Facebook, the organization added, “We reiterate that imprisoning Ruth is a political act, not a judicial decision. They want us to be afraid, but now more than ever we have reason to speak out. She is not alone.” López had been scheduled to participate in a May 20 webinar organized by Episcopal Divinity School. Seminary officials, other Episcopal leaders and global justice advocates are joining Cristosal in drawing attention to the situation while pleading for her safe return. That includes Human Rights Watch, a non-profit that works to highlight abuses around the world, which posted a video about López on Facebook; and Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, whose president, Kerry Kennedy, offered support for López and the work of Cristosal. — Melodie Woerman is an Episcopal News Service freelance reporter based in Kansas.
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