The Record Winter 2013-14

VOL. 4, ISSUE 4 • WINTER 2013-14

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori delivers the Convention sermon.

2 The Record/Winter 2013 -14 Episcopal Diocese of Michigan

The Record/Winter 2013 -14Episcopal Diocese of Michigan 3

Diocesan NewsChurches may look online to access Parochial Reports in earlyJanuary. Page 4

Becoming the Household of God‘Conflict Transition and Change’ is the theme for the annual event, which will be held over two dates and two locations this year. Page 5

The 179th Diocesan ConventionRead the text of the address delivered by Bishop Wendell Gibbs Jr. at the 179th Diocesan Convention, which featured a visit from Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, plus other information.Page 6

The Genesis of Nuts and BoltsWho wants to learn more about church resolutions?Judith Schellhammer and the diocesan Resolutions Committeefound a way to put it into regular English. Page 14

Not a Haitian VacationThree churches in our diocese deliver valuable goods andexpertise to a community in Haiti. Page 15

Photostory: Youth & Young Adult ActivitiesA vibrant community has to tear itself down before building up into a bigger church.Page 16

Found on Facebook, Page 17

Book Review, Page 18

Donate to the Record, Page 19

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Check out our ‘Three Churches’ feature, plus more convention photos and links to other good news at theRecordOnline.org. You may also scan this QR code to access the site from your smartphone.

The Record is a quarterly magazine for theEpiscopal Diocese of Michigan.Vol. 4, Issue 4 Winter 2013-14

Episcopal Diocese of MichiganEpiscopal Church Center

4800 Woodward Ave.Detroit, MI 48201-1399

(313) 832-4400 • Toll Free (866) 545-6424

Submissions: [email protected]

The Rt. ReverendWendell N. Gibbs Jr.Bishop of the Diocese

[email protected]

James GettelCanon for

Congregational [email protected]

Canon Jo Ann HardyDiocesan Administrator

[email protected]

Sue McCuneExecutive Assistant Office of the Bishop

[email protected]

Beth RowleyAssistant for Program

and Administration [email protected]

Rick Schulte

Diocesan Communications

Editor, The Record [email protected]

The Reverend Michelle Meech

Ministry Developer & Provisional Director of

Whitaker [email protected]

Eric TravisMissioner for Youth and

Young Adults [email protected]

Mark Miliotto

Director of Finance [email protected]

Kara Chapman

[email protected]

Knena CauseyWhitaker Institute

[email protected]

TABLE OF CONTENTS


DIOCESAN NEWS

Jan. 11Diocesan CouncilSt. John’s, Plymouth 9 a.m.

Jan. 18Becoming the Household of God (Opening Session, ‘God’s Work, Our Practice’)Christ Church Cranbrook, Bloomfield Hills1-6 p.m.

Diocesan CalendarJan. 23-25Ministry RetreatSt. Francis Retreat Center,DeWitt

Feb. 22Becoming the Household of God (Session 2, ‘Church and the Practice of Change’)Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Detroit9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Times, dates and location subject to change.

March 1Diocesan CouncilSt. John’s, Plymouth9 a.m.

March 14-16New BeginningsALSO:July 26Diocesan PicnicEmrich Retreat Center, Brighton10 a.m.

Oct. 24-25The 180th Diocesan ConventionLansing Center, Lansing

Churches reminded to file onlineParochial Reports beginning Jan. 2

Churches are reminded to keep an eye out for the 2013 Parochial Reports, which were shipped out to congregations earlier this month.

Each individual packet will contain a card with the UEID and PIN that pertains to that church, as well as the updated cover letter and instruction sheet.

To download the workbooks, a PDF of the 2013 Parochial Report and for other research statistics and reports, please see the Research page of the Episcopal Church website (www.episcopalchurch.org/page/our-congregations). There is a great deal of useful information on the website, including a video overview and a link to a page offer-ing examples of helpful case studies.

These resources should help during the creation of each congrega-tion’s Parochial Report.

Online filing begins Jan. 2, 2014 and must be filed electronically no later than March 1. Questions may be directed to Mark Miliotto, Direc-tor of Finance, at (313) 833-4427 or email [email protected].

Access TENS resources TENS (The Episcopal Network for Stewardship) and the Episcopal

Diocese of Michigan announce the release of the 2013 Flourish in Faith Stewardship Narrative Series.

The Episcopal Diocese of Michigan is a member of TENS, an orga-nization committed to inspiring generosity and faithful discipleship. A primary benefit of membership is that all congregations throughout the diocese have access to the 2013 Stewardship Narrative Series, a program designed to complement and support the fall annual giving program.

You will have access to the following materials: • Seven Bulletin Inserts to include Worship Bulletins• E-Newsletters, E-Blasts. Each reflection includes discussion questions that can be used for adult formation gatherings• Pledge card and proportional giving chart• Prayers of the People to be used in liturgy over the course of six weeks• Prayer over the Pledge Cards to be used at the in-gathering of pledges• Introductory Letter from the Rector/Vicar• Introductory Letter from the Stewardship Chair

• Letter of Encouragement from the Senior WardenTo learn how to access this, please contact [email protected] for more

information.

ECW Spiritual Journey Retreat

The 38th Annual ECW Spiritual Journey takes place Jan. 16-18, 2014 at the Columbiere Center, Clarkston. The theme of the event is ‘The Spirituality of Song’ and the speaker will be the Rev. Julia Huttar Bailey, priest at St. Michael’s, Lincoln Park.

The double room rate is $165; single room rate is $185. For confer-ence information, call Beth LeClair at (248) 495-2564.

Preventing Foreclosure St. Patrick’s, Madison Heights offers free help to homeowners,

showing how to access funds to avoid foreclosure. Call (248) 842-6856 for details.

Caregivers Group

This group meets on the second Saturday of each month at 10 a.m. in the parish hall at Holy Cross, Novi. It offers support and open dis-cussion for all those dealing with Alzheimer’s disease and related de-mentia.

Mariners Inn

This alcohol and substance abuse treatment center for men (which is also an agency of the Diocese of Michigan) has speakers and other resources available.

To learn more about Mariners Inn, visit marinersinn.org. For infor-mation on speakers and resources, call (313) 962-9446 (ext. 230).


This year, the annual Becom-ing the Household of God con-ference takes on a new feel: Two events designed to help deal with issues of challenge and conflict.

“Conflict Transition and Change” is the theme for this two-part event, with the Very Rev. Dr. Michael Battle and Pas-tor Amy Bulter serving as the key speakers.

Pre-registration is required for both events and can be done on-line at www.edomi.org/whitaker-institute. Questions may also be directed to Whitaker Institute at (313) 833-4423.

Session 1: Opening Deadlock: God’s Work, Our Practice

The Very Rev. Dr. Michael Bat-tle, Saturday, Jan. 18 from 1 to 6 p.m. at Christ Church Cranbook, Bloomfield Hills.

Fee: $25 for the event; $15 to join us online; $40 for both events

(1 continuing education unit)How do we practice reconcili-

ation in a world full of violence? How do we love someone at work who seems hell-bent on sabotag-ing a successful career? And how do religious people resolve differ-ences when religious interpreta-tions seem to lead to righteous indignation rather than reconcil-

WHITAKER INSTITUTE

Becoming the Household of GodTackles ‘Conflict Transition and Change’

iation? We practice reconciliation by affirming that God is present and acting on that belief, even in the midst of something that looks more like the devil’s work. Michael Battle, who worked with Desmond Tutu in South Africa in the past, draws on his knowl-edge of biblical texts, as well as contemporary scholarship, to ex-amine the ways in which each of us can practice being reconciling people.

Michael Battle founded the PeaceBattle Institute focusing upon peacemaking, transforma-tion and spirituality. Much of Battle’s life is shaped by Arch-bishop Desmond Tutu, having been ordained by and lived with the Archbishop in South Africa for two years. Battle has written out of these experiences as the author of nine books includ-ing his latest work: ‘Black Battle, White Knight: the Authorized Biography’ of Malcolm Boyd. He has served in many capacities: as Chaplain to both the Episcopal House of Bishops and the 2008 Lambeth Conference, as Vice Chairman of the Board of the Gandhi Institute, in academic positions at Duke University and Virginia Theological Seminary, and in the Diocese of Los Ange-

les. He was the first American to receive the “Six Preacher Award” given by the Archbishop of Can-terbury.

Session 2: Tradition Meets In-novation: Church and the Prac-tice of Change

Pastor Amy Butler, Saturday, Feb. 22 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

at The Cathedral Church of St Paul, Detroit.

Fee: $25 for the event; $15 to join us online; $40 for both events

(1 continuing education unit)“If we could only get things

back to the way they used to be!” That’s a sentiment every church leader hates to hear. But more than that, it’s a theologi-cally flawed lament. The truth is that it’s part of our calling as followers of Jesus to live boldly into God’s constant invitation to rebirth. How does the church an-swer God’s invitation when our human institutions resist change with a forceful and almost always involuntary impulse? And what is our role as spiritual leaders in facilitating a faithful institu-tional response to God’s ongoing transformation of the world…and even of the church? Amy Butler will tell the story of ten years of ministry in a congrega-

tion undergoing transition and rebirth. She’ll get honest about the realities of being the church in American culture today. And she’ll help us explore some ways in which we might boldly lead and live into the future of the be-loved community.

Amy Butler has served since 2003 as Senior Pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. Urban engagement is Amy’s passion, finding her life at Cal-vary to be an adventure of living relationship with God, trans-forming us individually and our world as a whole. Amy earned a BA in political science and reli-gion from Baylor University as well as an MA in church history. She was trained in Zürich, at the International Baptist Theologi-cal Seminary. Most recently Amy graduated from Wesley Theo-logical Seminary with a DMin in preaching in 2009. She is a con-tributing author for many books and writes regularly for various Baptist publications, including a bi-weekly column for the Associ-ated Baptist Press and maintains a blog called www.talkwiththep-reacher.org.

• Our Three Churches feature• The Nuts and Bolts Blog• Progress at St. Paul’s, Brighton• Christmas photos and more

There’s even more news at

theRecordOnline.org


BISHOP GIBBS ANNUAL CONVENTION ADDRESS

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19

Of all the worship opportunities throughout the liturgical year, my absolute favorite has to be The Great Vigil of Easter! Beginning in the darkness in the anticipation of the resurrection; blessing the fire from which the Paschal Candle is lit and then carried through the church spreading the light from candle to candle; the chanting of the Exsultet – the Easter Proclamation; hearing the record of God’s saving deeds through the biblical story; the opportunity to renew the covenantal promises of baptism: Our entrance into new life with Christ; the first celebration of Eucharist since the call to love and servant ministry of Maundy Thursday, and the chance to offer the wonderful prayer:

“O God of unchangeable power and eternal light: Look favorably on your whole Church, that wonderful and sacred mystery; by the ef-fectual working of your providence, carry out in tranquility the plan of salvation; let the whole world see and know that things which were cast down are being raised up, and things which had grown old are be-ing made new, and that all things are being brought to their perfection by him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” (Book of Common Prayer, page 291)

The part of the prayer that truly captures me is “…let the whole world see and know that things which were cast down are being raised up, and things which had grown old are being made new…” For me this is a powerful image for honoring things which have gone before us while not allowing ourselves to remain and worship the past. The context of this prayer in the Vigil draws our hearts and our minds into and through the present toward tomorrow and God’s continued prom-ise of eternal life. Each time we celebrate the Eucharist we express our faith and hope in the eternal nature of the Godhead – “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again” – which is also an expression of our participation in the continuum of God’s creative presence in all that was and is and is to come. Thanks be to God!

This year’s convention theme is intended to be a catalyst for giving deliberate thanks to God for who we are as a diocese; for giving delib-erate thanks for all those whose labors have made it possible for us to be where we are today; and, for giving deliberate thanks for the guid-ance of God’s Holy Spirit as we continue to move into new ways of be-ing Christ in an ever changing and ever needy world. As we read in 1 Thessalonians, we are called to “give thanks in all circumstances,” not just in those times and conditions that please us or seem to add only joy to life. We are also called to give thanks when we face challenges, uncertainty, disappointment and loss, not in some morbid expression of self-denunciation, but as an acknowledgement that, as the Psalmist says: “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” This is the will of God for us, so then let us give thanks!

Honoring our PastAs we turn to honor our past, it is important that we set clear and

realistic boundaries. The first boundary is a common understanding

Honoring the Past, Celebrating the Present, Embracing the Future

Delegates prepare to go over resolutions during the Saturday morning portion of Diocesan Convention.

For third consecutive Convention,budget gains unanimous passageAnother year, another unanimously approved budget.The swift passage of the 2014 budget of $2.148 million – up slightly from this year’s budget – was one of the highlights of the 179th Diocesan Convention, held Oct. 25-26 in Detroit. After a detailed report from Mark Miliotto, diocesan director of finance, and Rob Sherry, the chair for the mission budget committee, it took little time to get through one question from the floor and move to a vote to approve the budget.It had a familiar result.

“Might I note, for the third year in a row, we have unanimously passed the budget,” Bishop Wendell N. Gibbs Jr. said. The Rev. James Rhodenheiser from St. Clare’s, Ann Arbor, noted he’d like to see an increase in the number of churches paying their asking amount, wanting to see more churches “paying its fair share.” Bishop Gibbs explained that there are ongoing conversations with churches struggling to reach their annual amount. Some of the conversations are more successful than others, but through Diocesan Council reaching out, there is a mechanism in place to help these churches contribute to the overall budget.

Bishop Gibbs did urge all to be a part of budget planning throughout the year.

“Please, don’t leave the Mission Budget Committee out there hanging. They need your input. So now that we’ve gone to only two required meetings, please show up,” Bishop Gibbs said. “What you see on paper today is a draft…Please, help us build our budget.”

A detailed explanation of the recent, current and projected budgets, plus various other resolutions may be found on the diocesan website at www.edomi.org.


BISHOP GIBBS ANNUAL CONVENTION ADDRESSof what it means to honor here. We are not looking to worship, idolize, glorify or in any other way exalt people, places, situations or memo-ries. Not everyone will respond the same to the mention of past expe-riences, but the past is the past. What did or did not happen yesterday is very much a part of who we are as a community today. In our act of honoring, we seek to remember and acknowledge contributions of past times. We do this because lives were touched, seeds of faith were sown and, regardless of our personal judgment, our community has been and will be formed by that past. One further boundary: While there may be some memories we want to reclaim, we cannot turn back time. We are called to let go so that we can move toward embracing our future.

People have been a huge part of our corporate past. Going only as far back as folks present may actually have memory; we give thanks for and honor the bishops that have served us in recent history as Di-ocesans: Richard Emrich, Coleman McGehee and Stewart Wood. Of course, Episcopal leadership in Michigan would be incomplete with-out including the bishops of recent memory who served among us as either Suffragan or Assisting Bishops. In that august group we give thanks for and honor Archie Crowley, Bob DeWitt, Bill Gordon, Irv Mayson and Kilmer Myers. From among these bishops issues related to the ordination of women, anti-war and, anti-racism efforts and mat-ters of social justice and equality shaped the vision of this diocese and helped shape the face of the Episcopal Church. To God we give thanks!

In addition to our local Episcopal leadership, there have been those who served among us and were called forth by the Spirit of God mov-ing all over this land to serve as bishops elsewhere. We give thanks for and honor Orris Walker, Cate Waynick and Arthur Williams. Their ministry to the larger church has reflected positively on the faith and commitment of people in this part of God’s vineyard. Their ministry as servant leaders is also a witness for us as we continue to shape and respond to our call as servants of God.

When we look at events that have affected the corporate life of this diocese, a watershed moment that must be spoken is the 1995 division of the diocese that resulted in the formation of the Diocese of Eastern Michigan. Although the process had begun a number of months prior, the effective date of the division and creation of a new diocese was Jan. 1, 1995. The corporate life of the Diocese of Michigan was forever changed by that event. Congregations in the more northern counties were no longer in the same relationship with their sister congrega-tions in southeast and south central Michigan. Funding of diocesan programs changed out of necessity while both continuing and new dioceses adjusted to a new reality of being the church in Michigan. It is still an interesting exercise to drive north of Oakland County and visit an Episcopal Church. The pictures of the bishops displayed on the walls are the same there as they are in Washtenaw County up through and including Stew Wood; then a new face appears (Ed Leidel) – a face that is not displayed on the walls in this part of Michigan. And now, today, there is another face on display up there and you saw him last night: Todd Ousley. This new reality continues to push us and chal-lenge us in how we live into being the people of God. And, to God we give thanks!

There are a number of ministries (sometimes called agencies) to honor as part of what has shaped us as a community. Some of these ministries continue today; some have ceased to operate; all have had to transform how they responded to a call to serve and all have been transformative in the lives of those served. We remember and honor St. Christopher House, St. Peter’s Home for Boys, Crossroads, Mari-

Rob Sherry, chair of the Mission Budget Committee, listens asDiocesan Treasurer Mark Miliotto delivers the budget report.

Commission on Ministry, layJuanita Woods, elected

Commission on Ministry, layDr. Edie Woods, electedMs. Jackie Womble, appointed

Commission on Ministry, clergyThe Rev. Dcn. Jenny Ritter, electedThe Rev. Robert Alltop, appointed

Deputy to General Convention, lay1. Lizzie Anderson2. Cedric Flounory3. Bro. Paul Castelli4. Judith Schellhammer

Lay Alternates1. Margaret Wessel Walker2. Denise Crenshaw3. Peter Trumbore4. Stephen Ott

Deputy to General Convention, clergy1. The Rev. Lisa Tucker Gray2. The Rev. Ronald Byrd3. The Rev. Julia Huttar Bailey4. The Very Rev. Phil Dinwiddie

Clergy Alternates1. The Very Rev. Ellis Clifton2. The Rev. Laurel Dahill3. The Very Rev. Richard Hamlin4. The Rev. George Davinich

Disciplinary Board, layMaureen Mahar

Disciplinary Board, clergyThe Rev. Diane Morgan

Standing Committee, layDr. George Swan III

Standing Committee, clergyThe Rev. Dr. JoAnn Kennedy Slater

Trustees, clergyThe Rev. Karen Johanns

Trustees, lay1. Rob Sherry2. Marc Robinson3. Pamela Wagner4. Blane Hansknecht

The next ConventionThe state capital hosts the 180th Diocesan Convention, which will be held Oct. 24-25, 2014 at the Lansing Center.

Election ResultsHere is the list of elected and appointed persons.



ners Inn, Canterbury on the Lake, St. Anne’s Mead, Camp Holiday (also known as Gordonwood), Parish Field (a.k.a. Emrich Center) and Emmanuel Head Start. Whether the lives touched were the very young, the very old, the abused or the marginalized, they were lives through which Christ was served as we gave food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty or clothing to the naked. An individual – a community – cannot be the hands and feet of Christ in this way and not be formed and transformed. Thanks be to God!

Congregations and their local mission and ministry must also be honored as a part of ensuring a complete picture of our formative journey. This is a difficult part of our journey because a congregation’s decision to bring closure to its ministry in a community is more than about buildings. It is about people and their relationships of which the building or the place is but a symbol. The loss of that symbol strikes at the very heart of those relationships and those memories. In each of the communities now closed, vital Christian ministry once ema-nated from the faithful who worshipped there. Their presence in those communities held vital significance in the lives of those touched and changed by the servant ministry once offered. I am aware that my ac-cess to the history of all of our congregations is limited. I am sure that there are some here whose memory could fill the gaps and help us to honor those congregations that completed their ministries prior to the division of the diocese in 1995, as well as those congregations who completed their ministries after the division and prior to 2000. In addition to those communities of faith catalogued in your memories, I ask you to join with me to remember, honor and offer deep appre-ciation for the ministry of the communities of St. Mary’s, Detroit; St. Columba, Detroit; St. Matthew’s, Flat Rock; Grace Church, Jonesville; St. Martha’s, Detroit; St. Edward the Confessor, Clinton Township; St. Margaret’s, Hazel Park; St. Mark’s, Detroit; St. George’s, Warren; St. David’s, Garden City (a.k.a. Journey of Faith, Dearborn); St. Philip’s and St. Stephen’s, Detroit; St. Andrew’s, Clawson; St. Andrew’s, Jack-son; St. Peter’s, Tecumseh; St. Timothy’s, Detroit; Church of the Holy Spirit, Livonia; St. Hilda’s, River Rouge; St. Gabriel’s, Eastpointe; and Emmanuel, Detroit. We also honor and give thanks for the clergy who served in these places; for their commitment to the people and com-munities in which they found themselves and for the giving of heart and soul to that ministry. The closure of a congregation is not a state-ment that anyone failed, especially not its congregants nor its clergy. Rather, it is an acknowledgement of the cycle of life to which we are all subject. And so, we give thanks for the hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of lives touched through these communities of faith and ask that God continue to bless and water the seeds of righteousness planted there. To God we give thanks!

Of course, no recollection or honoring of the past can be complete without a mention of some of the saints and notables on whose shoul-ders we now stand: Bonnie Anderson, John Cannon, Lew Beers, Bob Davidson, Paul Downey, Marjorie Frazier, Harvey Guthrie, Charles Johnson, Bill Logan, Seth Lloyd, Dorothy Ludwig, Alex Miller, Bob Miller, Jim McLaren, Nick Mumford, Alan Ramsey, Freddie Shannon, Howard Simpson, Chuck Tomlinson, Bob Whitaker, Hugh White; just to name a few. No, all of these folks are not yet resting in the nearer presence of God! But, they are saints nonetheless. And, no, not all of these names are familiar to all of you. Some of these folks have served or are serving the church within the lay order; some are or were clergy. All of them are people whose faith and commitment in response to God’s call in their lives made and continue to make a difference while we, as the Diocese of Michigan, journey onward toward being and

The former St. Columba, Detroit is one of several communities remembered in Bishop Gibbs’ convention address.

A good amount of thought-provoking discussions took place during Saturday afternoon’s small-group sessions.



becoming the people God desires us to be. To God we give thanks!

Celebrating the PresentNow, as we turn to celebrating the present, honoring who we are to-

day, there is the danger of wanting to stop here, rest and celebrate and not move from a place that is very good. We must resist that tempta-tion even as we seek to applaud the positive steps we have made ei-ther as individuals, congregations or as a diocesan household. In some cases, that which is a cause for celebration today may be only a mo-mentary success; it may not be a true success at all if the needs of the local community are not the ones being met, but rather the needs of the providers. Any current ministry response must frequently be re-evaluated to ensure that the context of our ministry is truly our focus, rather than our need to show what good servant ministers we can be.

I give thanks that across this diocese, our congregations are discern-ing the needs of their communities and finding ways to partner with their communities to address those needs. As a result of this good and faithful discernment, we celebrate and give thanks for the many veg-etable gardens that have sprung up around our diocese, as well as the Produce Market in Pontiac. Throughout the growing season, Episco-palians in Michigan are producing, donating and otherwise making available thousands of pounds of fresh and healthy food to local food banks where scarcity, and even the label of “food desert,” is today’s reality. As it is so well stated on the All Saints’, Pontiac website: “Jesus commanded his followers to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, and because we take those words seriously we discerned that our neighbors deserved the opportunity to eat well and thereby take care of themselves and their families just as most members of All Saints’ can.”

In other places around the diocese, hot food is provided through feeding programs hosted in our parish halls and other church build-ings. Some of these programs have been serving meals for 30 years or more; others have just begun, as the needs have become known. Two ministries of special note are Manna Community Meal at St. Peter’s, Detroit, which has operated since 1976, and The Breakfast at St. An-drew’s in Ann Arbor, which was founded in 1982 and has served 90 to 150 guests every day since it opened. Yes, including Christmas.

Some have discerned that the most effective way they can respond to needs in their communities is through various kinds of pantries. Around the diocese we have a diaper pantry, paper goods pantries, various food pantries and a number of clothing pantries. These acts of servant ministry make a difference; they plant seeds of hope and highlight our willingness to welcome all people into our midst regard-less of need, education, ethnicity or religion. To God we give abundant thanks!

But, Michigan Episcopalians are not satisfied with providing food, clothing and basic life necessities. In various places in the diocese, our partnership with communities is going the additional mile. A num-ber of congregations participate in various rotating shelter programs where their church buildings become home and congregants become hosts to homeless guests for a week once or twice a year. Providing a safe place to sleep, warm conversation and some food is an important part of helping to break the cycle of homelessness. In Hillsdale, the St. Peter’s Free Clinic provides uninsured, under-insured, low-income individuals and families with free medical care, and, as necessary, this important medical assistance also includes helping with obtain-ing medications. While we’re on the topic of healthcare, the Cathedral Church of St. Paul has worked in partnership with Advantage Health

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori.

Bishop Gibbs at the Convention Eucharist.



Centers to establish a clinic in a former school building to provide access to healthcare for the uninsured who would otherwise go un-served. In Williamston, the St. Katharine’s community recognized a need to partner with caregivers for the elderly and other adults with physical or mental impairments. That important discernment gave birth to Forster Woods Adult Day Center: A place where daily living activities and opportunities for socialization are provided in a beauti-ful, safe and professional atmosphere. To God we give thanks!

When I arrived in Michigan, I was stunned to learn that the city of Detroit boasted a functional illiteracy rate of 47 percent! While the population of Detroit has continued to drop, I suspect that those who have left the city are not those with literacy issues. Thus, it is quite possible that the percent of the Detroit population considered func-tionally illiterate has probably increased. However, thanks be to God, Michigan Episcopalians are not sitting by idly! After-school mentor-ing and tutoring programs have increased in number in and around the city of Detroit and in other cities in our Diocese. Assistance with reading and study skills are coupled with mentoring around other is-sues that our young people face as they navigate growing up in our world today. To God we give abundant thanks!

On the ecumenical front, I continue to give thanks for our expand-ing relationship with our Lutheran sisters and brothers. The Full Com-munion agreement between the ELCA and The Episcopal Church continues to find new and hopeful expressions here in Michigan. This relationship is not a new reality for us here, as our cooperative part-nership dates back to before the Call to Common Mission agreement. And yet, this is a part of being the church that is to be honored as part of our history, celebrated as part of our present and embraced as a vital ingredient for our future ministry. More on that in a moment!

We are still in the infancy of living into the Full Communion re-lationship with our Moravian sisters and brothers. Michigan is not a place where Moravians are found in large numbers. There are three congregations in Michigan; one in the Upper Peninsula, one in West-land and one in Unionville, near Bay City. While we give thanks for this churchwide partnership today, we have work to do to discover what that partnership might mean locally tomorrow. A good place to start that discernment is for each of us to commit to learning more about our Moravian colleagues. Look them up on the website; they are there!

Full Communion conversations continue with our cousins in the Methodist Church. In 2015, the General Convention may consider legislation that would further that relationship. Meanwhile, opportu-nities for us to partner in ministry with local Methodists abound and I encourage exploration of what those partnerships could mean for local mission and ministry.

These ministry partnerships are an incredible gift to the church and we give abundant thanks to God!

Embracing the FutureIt is one thing to look toward the future with wonder, enthusiasm,

anticipation and perhaps even some trepidation; it is completely an-other to go all out and embrace the future. Such a demeanor would suggest that we are ready to accept, welcome, hug, and even cuddle the future! The unknown is often a source of fear and hesitation, but it can also be a great opportunity to imagine, to develop bold vision and step out in the faith that, as promised, God is with us, always. If we give in to our fears, we quench the Spirit and fall short of God’s will for us.

I suggest that enriched by the faithfulness evident in our history

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori spent a busy three days taking part in the 179th Diocesan Convention for the Episcopal Di-ocese of Michigan.

A Thursday-evening mixer in Plymouth with diocesan clergy pre-ceded the actual weekend convention, held Oct. 25-26 at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center. During that time, she was able to interact with a wide range of people – and under a wide range of formats.

First, she took part in a panel discussion, taking a series of ques-tions from the Rev. Terri Pilarski (Christ Church, Dearborn), the Rev. Ronald Byrd (St. Katherine’s, Williamston), Deacon Tim Span-naus (St. John’s, Royal Oak) and Rick Schulte, editor for The Record. But showing she is a Presiding Bishop for the people, she strongly encouraged the discussion to include questions from the audience.

It proved to be a great idea, with a majority of the event (which lasted nearly 90 minutes) featuring audience questions. The topics included:

The role of deacons: “You have a presence in the world many people with collars cannot have. The deacon’s role is primarily to prod the church, nag the church, kick the church out the door and into the world, to attend to the ministry that it meets in the world. The priest’s job is primarily within the church, to form and educate and gather the faithful with what was promised in the Baptismal Covenant…A bishop’s job, in the church and world, is much more in common to the deacon’s ministry than it is with a priest’s ministry, because it goes back and forth, seeing the bigger picture and encour-aging others to view the bigger picture.”

The process of deep-water injection, known as fracking: “How we steward the gift of God’s creation, how we steward our engagement with that creation is fundamental to what it means to be a faith-ful Christian and a faithful human being, no matter what your reli-gious tradition. Fracking is a significant issue on which even people of faith disagree, both about process and consequence and intent. Therefore, it’s a juicy subject for lively moral debate. The Episcopal Church is good at that kind of work. We insist that people of faith can disagree, but we insist people have that conversation.”

What to teach young people about the Episcopal Church: “We have brains for a reason,” drawing a loud round of applause. “Look at all the gifts God has given you. Use your brains and hearts and minds, engaging with others around you to make decisions of how you’ll live your life as a faithful person.”

She related a comment she heard from a college student who asked what it means’ to be Episcopalian. “I get it. You don’t just ex-pect people to use their ears.”

Presiding Bishop Sermon Here’s an abbreviated version of the sermon delivered at the Con-

Presiding Bishop makes her mark at 179th Convention



and strengthened by the commitment to servant ministry that is palpable in our story today, we are superbly poised to embrace a fu-ture filled with hope and opportunities to witness to and serve God’s mission. This is primarily true because we have begun to appreciate and embrace the spirit of partnership. We are understanding that our response to God’s call to mission is not a competition with other people of faith but, rather, with the forces of darkness that seek to keep us distracted from the love of God.

The future of this diocese is emboldened by the partnership that has made it possible for the Cathedral to host a memorial garden for the loved ones of St. Andrew’s, Clawson. The future is stron-ger because of the partnership and cooperative spirit that has lifted the Emrich Center from a budgetary burden to a self-sustaining re-source. We can go further and embrace the future because larger congregations are partnering with smaller ones to make it more possible to serve the needs of inner city communities (special ku-dos here to Christ Church Cranbrook and their annual Evening for Outreach). And, I am not just talking about writing checks (although that’s a nice touch). Both the dollars and the muscles at Christ Church Cranbrook rebuilt a playground at Glazer Elemen-tary School in Detroit. We can step boldly into the future because many of our smaller congregations continue to find ways to part-ner with schools and other local agencies to discover ways that the church can respond to community needs. To God we give thanks! The future here looks extremely bright and ready for our embrace as our own Whitaker Institute continues to review, revise and revital-ize educational offerings. And here, as elsewhere, partnership is key! Michelle Meech has helped connect us with online program offer-ings around the country that not only enhance our offerings, but will keep us from the time consuming task of “reinventing the wheel”! If a program is already being offered elsewhere and it’s working, then why do we need to try to duplicate it? Let’s just jump onboard.

The St. Francis Retreat Center in DeWitt, Michigan boasts beauti-ful grounds and facilities that are available for meetings and retreats, and it is home to a Sustaining Pastoral Excellence (SPE) project, dedicated to honoring and supporting pastoral leaders – lay and ordained – as a key to vital congregational life. As a member of the Board of SPE, I continue to network across denominational lines, and with the invaluable assistance of Michelle Meech, we are en-deavoring to discover more ways we can collaborate and partner on educational and training events. Just recently, SPE launched a “Boundaries Training” event that is akin to our Safeguarding train-ings. Eight judicatories worked to give input to the program and some 48 people from 10 denominations experienced the inaugural workshop. I am delighted to give approval to make this program of-fering one of the options available for ongoing training for members of our diocese. You will also find that St. Francis Center is a great place to do a one-, two- or three-day retreat, either with others or alone. It is a wonderful resource now and into the future and reflects a growing partnership with our Roman Catholic sisters and broth-ers as well as many other denominations who also participate in the Center’s programs. To God we give abundant thanks!

Now, before I leave the topic of denominational partnerships, I want to return to our Lutheran partnership for just a moment. I mentioned a few minutes ago that our continued growing partner-ship with our ELCA sisters and brothers is a “vital ingredient for our future ministry.” One of the great learnings of the Lower Michi-gan synods and our diocese is that, while we both do ministry well

The Rev. Beth Taylor of Christ Church Cranbrook, Bloomfield Hills, greets Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori during a clergy mixer prior to the start of the 179th Diocesan Convention.

vention Eucharist. A full text may be found at theRecordOnline.org.Coming in from the airport yesterday, I noticed plenty of aban-

doned buildings, some decorated with street art and graffiti. One said simply, “Nekst.” My initial thought was that this was a sign of hope for what will come in this place. But the spelling threw me. What is this about, I wondered? Well, Nekst was the tag of a famous graffiti artist, who has works in many of the large cities in this country. He died late last year, and his buddies painted a number of pieces here in Detroit, as well as a three-block long tribute to him in Brooklyn. It makes me wonder what this Church knows about Nekst and his friends, who are also in the transformation business – making cities more beautiful, in their eyes, taking back the night. Nekst painted with some others with pretty fascinating tags – Wyse, Chaos, Sage…If we think Theology on Tap is a reasonable evangelical endeavor, what about God and Graffiti? Who’s going to engage these artists of the night? Who’s Nekst, and what’s next in the holy healing of this community?

There’s a long history around here of getting involved in dodgy ministries. There’s a church across the street that used to be much closer to the river. It used to be an Episcopal Church, and it was one of the final stops on the Underground Railroad. Slaves escaped to Canada through a tunnel that began in its sub-basement. The mer-chants and parishioners who set up that system of liberation knew something about transformation and building communities of jus-tice.

You know something about a foundation built on rock. The hearts around here are grounded in wisdom. Wise hearts know about love of neighbors. How are these hearts of wisdom going to gather and form others to apply love to the chaos and despair out there? Who’s next (Nekst) in your neighborhood?


on our own, we do even better together! When I returned from my sabbatical a few years ago, I addressed this convention and indicated that we, as a diocese, needed to respond to the growing Latino/Latina population among us. Regrettably, the one Spanish-speaking congre-gation we had was closed long before I arrived in Michigan, and yet the need to respond increases each year. Through conversation with our ELCA colleagues, we have determined that a partnership geared toward addressing the needs and concerns of the Latino/Latina popu-lation would be more effective than if either church goes solo. Human assets are vital to building the kinds of relationships necessary to gain access to a community. The ELCA has already placed two people in Southwest Detroit who are working through a project called Grace in Action. In July, Marcia Ledford, a transitional deacon, was assigned to be a part of our team, and I anticipate that this coming summer, we will add Juan Perez, one of our senior seminarians (hopefully soon to be ordained), to this project. I am happy to announce that, in mid-November, an Episcopal-Lutheran Latino/Latina Consultation, which will include leadership from both churchwide offices, is scheduled to take place in Detroit. This is a future to be embraced, perhaps even cuddled. To God we give thanks!

The Diocese of Michigan is quite ready to embrace the future as evidenced by the growing desire to look beyond ourselves to the larger world around us. Mission partnerships are a part of our diocesan life through the joint companion relationship with the Dominican Repub-lic that we share with the dioceses of Eastern and Western Michigan. Mission partnerships are also part of the life of our congregations and include commitments to sisters and brothers in Liberia, Haiti, Nicara-gua and Honduras. To God we give thanks!

As a diocese and as individual congregations, we continue to grow more aware of, concerned about and responsive to environmental is-sues. Care for this earth is an important part of our legacy to our chil-dren and our children’s children; it is also a focus of the fifth Mark of Mission. The good folks of St. Aidan’s, Ann Arbor have made en-vironmental concerns a part of their mission statement and it is the first congregation in Michigan to join the GreenFaith Certification Program. I encourage all of you to be a partner with St. Aidan’s; learn about ways to protect God’s creation and help us embrace as a dioc-esan community a future that provides for a sustainable and healthy environment. For God’s creation and for our sisters and brothers liv-ing in all parts of this world, we must give abundant thanks!

I believe our future is something we can fully embrace, and perhaps even cuddle, as I witness the growing desire for our parishioners to be more biblically literate. Thank you, Jesus! Various programs around the diocese are providing new opportunities for folks to engage the bible and hear or rehear the story of God’s saving action among us. Along with biblical literacy is a desire to reinvigorate our times of wor-ship, making new entrances into our spiritual expressions, sometimes using “old” tools. I encourage you to seek out folks who attend Lex Orandi at Christ Church Cranbrook or the folks from St. Patrick’s who are making new space at The Table on Sunday evenings. As partners in ministry, there is so much more we can do to feed the spiritual hunger of those around us.

And, how could we embrace the future without watching with eager longing the building project at St. Paul’s, Brighton? This is a congre-gation that has continued to defy all that is logical! Burdened with a worship space that was, shall we say, less than conducive to growth or even warm welcome, this congregation invited, offered hospital-ity, taught, baptized, nurtured in the faith and grew! Now, in faith,


The Presiding Bishop was active during each day of Convention.

The Presiding Bishop insisted on going out to the audience to field questions. It made for a very lively exchange of thoughts and ideas.

The procession at the conclusion of the Convention Eucharist.



and with the support of this diocese, they have begun to build for the future; making a place that is holy and welcoming. By the way, while they are away from their building during construction, they are continuing their witness to the inclusive nature of God’s love as they worship in the chapel of a nearby Roman Catholic community, even inviting women clergy to supply when the rector has to be away! FYI: The parish is looking to a May return to the building and a June celebration and rededication. To God we give abundant thanks!

A final nod to the future: If you attended the workshop presented by Michelle Meech and Jim Gettel yesterday prior to the opening of convention, you heard a great deal about the Five Marks of Mission and our own ongoing revitalization process. You will hear more. For those of you who could not be there I simply want to enumer-ate the Five Marks of Mission because they are and will be a central part of how the Church must be church as we embrace the future. The Marks of Mission call us:

To proclaim the Good News of the KingdomTo teach, baptize, and nurture new believersTo respond to human need by loving serviceTo seek to transform unjust structures of society, to challenge

violence of every kind, and to pursue peace and reconciliationTo strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and

renew the life of the earth Our past, our present and certainly our future are parts of a great-

er whole; a Spirit-filled journey of Christian mission. It is a journey that is best taken in partnership with others and it is a journey that helps us to bear witness to the loving, saving power of God. To God we need give abundant thanks!

My sisters and my brothers: In the year since we last came togeth-er in convention, it was, at times, overwhelmed with heart-breaking stories, including the Boston marathon bombing, the tornadoes in Oklahoma, the floods in Colorado, genocide in Syria, shoot-ings that are becoming all too commonplace in schools and even a government shutdown. These are certainly situations and there are certainly people directly affected by these situations that need our prayers and often call us to action. One way to respond to such events would be to redouble the locks on our doors, build dooms-day shelters and move into them and/or throw up our hands in dis-gust and walk away. Another way, to respond as people of faith, is to turn to God and, as we read in 1 Thessalonians, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit.” Or if you would prefer, look to the Psalmist who finds comfort in these words:

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be moved, and though

the mountains be toppled into the depths of the sea;Though its waters rage and foam, and though the mountains trem-

ble at its tumult.The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold.Psalm 46:1-4Why have we come today to honor the past, celebrate the present

and embrace the future? Because the common thread that connects it all together is God. All that we have been, all that we are and all that we will be issues forth from God. I hope I have helped you see that our God has been extremely generous to us. Let us give abun-dant thanks and praise as we go forth to embrace the future! Amen.

The Rev. Bill Wylie Kellerman of St. Peter’s, Detroit interacts with the Presiding Bishop.

The pre-Convention clergy mixer provided a good opportunity for all to meet and discuss all kinds of topics.


DIOCESAN REVIEW COMMITTEE

Judith Schellhammer at the Diocesan Convention with Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori.

By Judith SchellhammerI began serving on Diocesan

Council in November 2009. I felt like such a “newbie” at that first meeting. I only knew our other deanery rep, and not even very well at that point. While others were friendly, the first meeting was a bit like walking into a new church for the first time. I felt shy and a bit lost. I’ve learned in this situation that it’s best to listen and learn – so I did.

Initially, I signed up for the Tithes and Offerings Committee with a desire to help bring some of the congregations facing chal-lenges and transitions back into the fold of the Household. This interest likely arose from my ex-perience in a small, rural congre-gation located far from the Dioc-esan office. This was a wise choice for me as I enjoyed the closeness of the committee and the oppor-tunity to get out and visit some of the congregations in my area of the diocese.

Called to ServeRight before the second year

of my term, the Rev. Lisa Tuck-er-Gray (then Canon to the Or-dinary) called to say that Bishop Gibbs asked if I would chair the Resolution Review Committee because of “my particular skill set.” Honestly, I had no idea of what skill set that might be nor did I have any profound interest in a topic that seemed more con-stitutional than congregational. But, I also believe God sends di-rection through people not often through audible prophetic utter-ances; and, the Bishop had asked. Was this really a question? I said: “Sure, I’d be delighted.”

My first year as chair I re-lied heavily on the experience and expertise of Pete Ross, who seemed to have a real love for

The Nuts and Bolts blogputs resolutions into real terms

this work and certainly knew his way around the resolutions. My committee of three divided the work: one focused on resolutions from General Convention, one from Diocesan Convention, and one from Council. This made the work manageable and helped me get my feet wet. Soon, it became quite obvious to me that any of these governing bodies could write all the resolutions they wanted but if no one took own-ership of them, it was merely a waste of time and effort. Nothing would happen; nothing would change.

I think the big motivating nudge came with the 77th Gener-al Convention in 2012. I knew the deputies – in fact, I had voted for

some of them. By now, I had been to our own conventions for a few years and felt a part of the work. And I knew just how important the work of our Church is in the personal lives of people around the world. When the resolutions passed at that convention came home, I was amazed to read of the breadth of issues that reflect the passions of our membership. If we let these fall through the cracks, we are not being faithful to our Church community or our call to minister to all.

The Birth of the Nuts and Bolts Blog

So, on to the birth of the blog…I could bring up resolutions all day at Council meetings but if

we didn’t get the information out to the people in our pews, what good was it? At one Council meeting over lunch, Rick Schulte, Cindy Corner, Lizzie Ander-son and I brainstormed what approach might be the best for sharing the resolutions. Quickly, Rick said: “I know – a blog. The Nuts and Bolts Blog.”

Okay, I thought; I’ve never written a blog but I’ve read plen-ty. And the format seemed just right: not too stuffy, maybe even a bit personal – like a letter to friends. To me, this was crucial. I remember just how I felt when the Bishop first asked me to chair this committee: resolutions – yuck!

I knew that if we were going to nurture people’s interests and, hopefully, awaken some passion, we were going to need some-thing informal and interesting, maybe something people would even want to read. I don’t believe people get involved with an is-sue because of rules and regula-tions imposed from on high but because they feel a personal and local connection to a cause or interest. Behaviors might change through rules, but not hearts. For me, the opportunity to present background for the resolutions, some suggestions of how one might get involved, and open the door to conversation with other like-minded individuals will build the connections needed. It’s not about issues; it is all about people.

This is how The Nuts and Bolts Blog was born!

Judith Schellhammer is a mem-ber of St. Michael’s and All Angels, Cambridge Junction. To read The Nuts and Bolts Blog, go to www.edomiresolutions.wordpress.com.


OUTREACH

By Leonard SackettThe Diocese of Haiti is the larg-

est and fastest growing diocese of The Episcopal Church. There are over 100,000 Episcopalians in Haiti—107 Episcopal churches and 13 stations (missions), sup-ported by just 36 active priests. More than 72,000 students are served in over 300 Episcopal schools. While dollar poor, the Episcopal Church in Haiti is peo-ple- and spiritually-rich.

Several Diocese of Michigan congregations actively support the work of one of the 36 Episco-pal priests, Fr. Joseph Jeannot. Fr. Jeannot has over 2,000 souls he shepherds in his many parishes and missions. He also is respon-sible for 2,000 students and many parish schools. His home parish, serving over 1,000 members, is St. Pierre Episcopal Church in Mirebalais. There, he is in charge of an elementary and a high school (with 800 students) and a medical clinic, which consists of a doctor, dentist, pharmacy nurse and support staff.

Fr. Jeannot’s clinic is financially supported by Haiti Outreach Mission (HOM), which is made up of three Episcopal church-es, plus four Catholic parishes. HOM is focused on helping the people of Mirebalais, especially its children. This is accomplished by working through Fr. Jean-not and the Mirebalais Catholic priest. Each HOM parish con-tributes $3,500 for Haitian pro-grams. Many also sponsor fund-raisers to help HOM and support HOM programs.

As an example, St. Clare’s, Ann Arbor has its annual Caribbean Feast. St. David’s, Ann Arbor recently held its Help For Haiti fundraiser at the Comedy Castle in Royal Oak. All Saints, East Lansing is also actively involved

Michigan churches supportHaiti Outreach Mission

Photos: Bill and Valerie McNeece

with the program.Once a year, Haiti Outreach

Mission has a medical mission trip to the St. Pierre medical/dental clinic and to several Epis-copal and Catholic churches and schools in outlying areas. The trip involves medical, dental and lay

people from all HOM participat-ing churches, who provide thou-sands of dollars of medical sup-plies for the St. Pierre pharmacy.

Leonard Sackett is a member of St. David’s, Southfield.

The entire Michigan contingent for this year’s Medical Mission Trip to Haiti.

Dr. Mimi Parker (from St. Clare, Ann Arbor) and Dr. Monica Stafford (from All Saints, East Lansing) perform dental work at a makeshift clinic.

The Rev. Joseph Jeannot from St. Pierre Church (Mirebalais, Haiti).

Kathy Graham (St. David’s, Southfield) puts her skills as a registered nurse to good use,helping with many patients.


It was a busy fall for the young people from the diocese. After the first Episcopalooza event (at St. David’s, Southfield) ushered in the new school year, the calendar remained full. At the Diocesan Convention (top), young people were front and center with various activities and a presentation, plus played an important role with distributing and collecting information on the convention floor. Young people were also able to gather for two popular events. New Beginnings #8 (hosted by St. John’s, Royal Oak) was geared toward students in grades 6-8. Later, high schoolers gathered for the weekend-long Happening #13, which was held at St. James, Birmingham.

PHOTOSTORY: YOUTH & YOUNG ADULT ACTIVITIES

Immersed in the spirit


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‘Like’ us on Facebook, then join in the conversation with other members of the diocesan household and beyond.

I remember St. John’s, Clinton from about two or three years old. I used love listening to my father practice his sermons on Saturday afternoons. Many wonderful memories.

Rozanne Waner Pauze

Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve at St. John’s Episcopal in New York. The choir was singing ‘O Holy Night’, I was about 5 and it seemed like angels were singing.

Karen Kearse

Age 5, St. Andrew’s in Clawson...I didn’t know what the “red thing” was. When I decided to find out by using it, I learned what a fire alarm was.

Paul Castelli

All Saints, Detroit, when services were still held in the small cha-pel or in the undercroft. My memories there go back to at least age 3 or 4.

Janet Moffat DeMerchant

St. Paul’s, Jackson, preschool classroom with big sandbox!Sarah Swart

St. John’s, Plymouth. Walking up the church steps and just being able to see over the pew in front of me. For some reason it also sticks in my mind that when the ground was broken for the “new” church that it was a very windy day.

Leonard Sackett

When I was 3 years old, my uncle came back from the war and with nothing better to do, he began teaching me the Robert Service poems. He was quite proud of my memory. Shortly thereafter, we moved to Detroit, and on one of my first days in Sunday School at St. Timothy’s, the teacher asked if anyone knew a verse. I raised my hand and began reciting “A bunch of the boys were whooping it up in a Malamute saloon.” I remember very well her horror, and discovering that what she really wanted was a Bible verse.

Christine Herfurth

St. Andrew’s Episcopal in Waterford…I don’t remember how old I was but I remember Sam, who lived on the property next to the

church. He had a husky that would sit in the window behind the altar at times, watching until we got out of service. She would come out front to get petted by the kids and adults. I also remember the big red doors in the front that are still there.

Krista Strang-Rickerson

With my grandparents, at what used to be Saint Anne’s Episco-pal…Currently Christ United in DeWitt…That is the best church ever.

Becca Hollandsworth

Greenfield Hill Congregational in Fairfield, Conn. I remember how hard I worked for my Sunday School pin and how much I loved the way my gloves and pocketbook matched my Easter dress. I was obviously not a spiritual youngster!

Jennifer Lenox Craig

What is your earliest memory ofattending church (and where was it)?


BOOK REVIEW

The Rev. Trevor Babb (left, rector of St. Simon’s, Lincoln Heights, Ohio) and the Very Rev. Ellis Clifton (rector of St. Clement’s, Inkster) take a final look over New Visions documents for congregational renewal and vitality. Also that day, St. Clement’s celebrated its partnerships with the wider church and local agencies, including Crossroads of Detroit (which received nearly 5,000 items collected by St. Clement’s parishioners in an annual food drive) and the Adopt-a-Child Size program (115 necessity packages to help keep needy children warm during the winter season).

Celebrating New Visions

In Does this Church Make Me Look Fat?, Rhoda Janzen tells the story of the changes in her life as a result of faith. I love stories of life-changing faith, but Rhoda’s story is es-pecially moving. That’s because Rhoda Janzen is an intellectual, a person who loves to laugh, and a person who believes in good taste and emotional dig-nity. I’m much the same kind of person. Rhoda admits on the first page of her memoir, “I am an egghead intellectual.” But also on the first page is this perceptive af-firmation: “Advanced education doesn’t make one wise.”

Two experiences led Rhoda to her change of heart. She visits her new boyfriend’s enthusiastic Evangelical church, because she wants to demonstrate her willing-ness to share what’s important in his life. She hasn’t turned off her inner smart aleck, and the heal-ing service seems just a little odd to her. The pastor feels the Spirit has told him someone in the con-gregation “throws up a lot,” and

‘Does this Church Make Me Look Fat?’reminds how faith gets us through trials

the next Word of the Spirit is that someone in the congregation has “lady problems.”

A week later, the results of her annual mammogram force Rhoda to reevaluate that healing. The test shows a large mass where there should be no such thing, and the

biopsy shows it’s definitely cancer. She needs intense chemotherapy before surgery can be considered. On the day she hears the results, as she writes on the chalkboard for a college class, she remembers the healing service and realizes, “I had been mocking a message that could have been directed to me personally.” Rhoda knew be-fore the year was over she would be throwing up a lot because of chemotherapy, and she realizes that stage 4 breast cancer is cer-tainly a “lady problem.”

The diagnosis and the healing Rhoda seeks only take up a quar-ter of the book. Although Rhoda doesn’t ignore the medical and spiritual journey her cancer dic-tated, she spends the rest of the

book exploring classical theolog-ical questions. When her fiancé, Mitch, shares a sad event from an already sad childhood, she has this response: “God respects our right to choose…If in the midst of our suffering, we call on God to sustain us, then that’s where God will be.”

Rhoda’s tumor was nonre-sponsive to chemo. Her reac-tion to the likelihood of an early death was the classic answer of someone who has found faith. “I was strangely okay with it…All through that queasy season a

tranquility lay around my shoul-ders, delicate as a pashmina…When I thought of my old life, shut off from God, I knew I’d rather have cancer with faith than health with denial.”

For readers who think stories of faith during serious illness are interesting but not applicable to healthy people, I suggest Chapter Nine, which is organized around stories of gratitude, and Chapter Ten, which turns out to be about the place of tithing and generos-ity in a spiritual journey.

I’m almost sorry the bright yel-low jacket with its cartoon like drawing makes the book seem merely entertaining. Although it is very funny in places, what touched me was Rhoda’s honesty and willingness to change her life. Look at me, she seems to say. I was arrogant, mistaken and dy-ing of loneliness in my separation from God and my fellow humans. Look how faith can heal these in-juries and even more.

Dawn McDuffie is a freelance writer and is also a member of the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Detroit.

Dawn McDuffie


We are grateful you are reading this edition of ‘The Record’ magazine. Four times a year, we do our best to present a wide range of news and events, showing who we are as the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan.

And while this magazine has been a large part of how we keep you informed, it’s not the only way.

Our Communications Ministry also presents Weekly Connection, a Tuesday-morning electronic newsletter highlighting events at our churches and offering helpful resources to everyone in our diocesan household.

We are also busy in other areas online. We have developed and maintain a website that serves as a great resource for information about our diocese. We also believe it’s important to maintain a social media presence on Facebook and Twitter, promoting events locally while also providing timely news and informa-tion to all.

All of this is done so our identity is clear – not only to long-time Episcopalians, but also to thosewho are curious about what our Church has to offer.

Today, we ask you consider helping our Communications Ministry. Your help allows us to continuethe mission of telling our story. Won’t you consider making a donation to our worthy cause?

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The Record Winter 2013-14

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