Wave of green: Diocesan Convention approved creation of a Reparations Fund, without debate or dissenting votes. "The resolution carries and the hard work continues," Bishop Alan M. Gates announced after the vote. Photo: Tracy J. Sukraw
View more photos from Diocesan Convention here.
|
|
"The time is now":
Convention creates Reparations Fund with $11.1 million goal
|
|
In a vote described as historic by many in attendance, the 237th annual convention of the Diocese of Massachusetts, meeting Oct. 28-29 in Danvers, approved the creation of an Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts Reparations Fund "as part of our effort to address our legacy of wealth accumulated through the enslaved labor of Africans and Afro-Caribbeans on our behalf and for our use today."
The convention resolution calls for an initial pool of approximately $3 million to generate investment income for the new reparations fund. That pool is to be established in part with 15 percent of the diocese's unrestricted agency and Diocesan Council-designated endowment funds. The resolution calls for additional commitments of 15 percent of the annual draw from unrestricted trusts and bishop-directed funds, as well as 3 percent of income from parochial assessments until the reparations fund exceeds $11.1 million. The resolution also urges contributions from congregations, organizations and individuals.
When the call for the vote came, a wave of green "Aye" voting cards rose across the room and the resolution was adopted without debate or dissenting votes. "The resolution carries and the hard work continues," Bishop Alan M. Gates announced following sustained applause.
In his annual address to the convention earlier in the day, Gates voiced his support for the reparations fund resolution even though its called-for allocations are likely to significantly impact other parts of the diocesan budget.
"No one is more aware than I am that we do not yet know what sacrifices will need to be made in order to keep the commitment if we act today," Gates said.
"From my perspective, that is precisely the point. The commitment we are invited to make today names the enterprise of racial justice and repair as a non-negotiable priority, as something we are committed to fund 'off the top' and not just with whatever is left over after we do everything else we're already doing. It places this work in the highest tier of our mission priorities," he said. "It asserts, simply, that this is a generational obligation, and that the time is now."
|
|
Bishop Gayle E. Harris Leadership Development Fund announced during Diocesan Convention tribute |
|
In honor of Bishop Gayle E. Harris's 20 years of service as bishop suffragan, a new fund has been established to support leadership development for women of color in the Diocese of Massachusetts.
Bishop Alan M. Gates announced the Bishop Gayle E. Harris Fund for Leadership Development for Women of Color during the recent Diocesan Convention, held Oct. 28-29 in Danvers–Harris's final one as bishop suffragan.
Harris, who has served as bishop suffragan in the Diocese of Massachusetts since January 2003, announced on Sept. 29 that she will complete her work in the diocese as of Dec. 31 of this year and then take sabbatical time ahead of her official retirement date of March 31, 2023.
|
|
"She has served me well, she has served you well and we are grateful," said Bishop Gates, here with Bishop Harris following the convention's tribute to her.
Photo: Tracy J. Sukraw
|
|
Gates announced to the convention that the new fund in Harris's honor will "provide financial support for women of color in the Diocese of Massachusetts to participate in trainings, workshops or other formation programs fostering the development of leadership skills. It will be available to those furthering their gifts as lay leaders as well as persons preparing for ordained leadership."
Diocesan Convention paused during its afternoon business session on Oct. 29 to recognize and thank Harris. The program included a video message from Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry and tributes from outgoing Standing Committee members William C. Boyce of Grace Church in New Bedford and the Rev. Deborah Phillips of Grace Church in Salem, as well as a video montage of photo highlights from Harris's 20 years of episcopal ministry.
|
|
Donations to the Bishop Gayle E. Harris Fund for Leadership Development for Women of Color are being gratefully accepted online at www.diomass.org/give-now or by mail to: The Bishop Gayle E. Harris Leadership Fund, c/o Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, 138 Tremont Street, Boston MA 02111.
Click the image to download an announcement card to help spread word about giving to the new fund.
|
|
All in the diocese invited to participate:
Racial Justice Commission launches REDI Assessment
|
|
The diocesan Racial Justice Commission invites all people in the diocese to take part in a Racial Equity Diversity and Inclusion (REDI) Assessment. It is an online survey that takes 30-35 minutes to complete, and is being offered by the commission's Subcommittee on Accountable Structures and Practices as "something people in our diocese can do to move us closer to the idea of Beloved Community."
“As we approach Advent, the beginning of our church year, the REDI survey provides an opportunity to pause and reflect on how we are living into our mission as Christians,” Kris Wile, subcommittee co-chair and a member of St. Elizabeth's Church in Sudbury, said. “We hope every leader will participate–and encourage those in their communities to participate also.”
The REDI survey measures proxies for race-based discrimination, diversity, inclusion and equity in faith-based institutional settings. The results will help in gaining an understanding of the level of awareness and knowledge of racial equity culture and will help gauge perceptions of the environment for decision makers, staff and community members.
REDI survey results are confidential and are reported only in the aggregate, in a continuum format, with suggested areas to develop based on a final REDI score. This assessment will be used as a baseline in 2022 and can be taken again in the future to measure progress toward race equity goals.
|
|
Photo: Lynnaia Main/Episcopal News Service |
|
Presiding bishop’s delegation engages on climate issues at COP27 in Egypt [Episcopal News Service]: For a second year, the United Nations’ annual climate conference has an option for online attendance, which has allowed Presiding Bishop Michael Curry to appoint a larger delegation to represent him at the global summit, and this month, for the first time in three years, some Episcopalians have resumed attending in person.
|
|
The 18-member delegation of Episcopalians is now engaged in a mix of online meetings and face-to-face conversations on the sidelines of the COP27 summit underway Nov. 6-18 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. California Bishop Marc Andrus leads the Episcopal delegation alongside Lynnaia Main, The Episcopal Church’s representative to the United Nations, with additional support from the church’s Offices of Creation Care and Government Relations. Andrus and Main are among six Episcopalians at COP27 in Egypt this week, and they gather online with the entire delegation at the end of each day for a group update.
[Bishop Carol Gallagher and Kelsey Larson of the Diocese of Massachusetts are among the delegation members participating virtually.]
“This is a pivotal moment when global leaders are taking seriously the witness of the American faith community,” the Rev. Melanie Mullen, The Episcopal Church’s director of reconciliation, justice, and creation care, said in a church news release before COP27. “We are seeking to lead the way in demanding a moral approach to addressing climate change and insisting that the communities that are impacted first and worst by climate change won’t be left behind.”
Members of the Episcopal delegation will report back to the church about their experiences at COP27 in an online session at noon Eastern on Nov. 30. Anyone interested in attending is invited to register in advance.
|
|
New priest ordained: The diocesan community's prayers and congratulations are with the Rev. Adam L. Dawkins, ordained to the priesthood on Nov. 1 at Trinity Church in Stoughton. He is pictured (front center) with Bishop Alan M. Gates (back center) and colleagues. Photo: Bruce Byers Photography
Prayers and presence are invited for these upcoming scheduled ordinations to the priesthood:
Please contact each hosting congregation directly about service details.
|
|
Registration opens Dec. 1 for annual Ministry Discernment Conference: The annual Ministry Discernment Conference offered by Bishop Alan M. Gates and the Commission on Ministry will be held online on Saturday, Feb. 4, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. This conference will provide an in-depth look at the 2023 edition of the Ministry Discernment Handbook and give potential inquirers an opportunity to learn about the ordination process in the Diocese of Massachusetts as they consider whether their call is to ordained ministry or committed lay ministry.
Online registration is required and will be open, here, Dec. 1, 2022, through Feb. 2, 2023.
|
|
Advent Online Retreat, Saturday, Dec. 3, 9:30 a.m.-noon: We live in a time of radical challenge and change. Advent offers rich material for prayer, conveying images of disruption, struggle and endings, and images of reconciliation, birth and beginnings. This morning retreat, led by the Rev. Dr. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas, will seek to create a space of prayer big enough to encompass both what disturbs and shakes us, and what brings comfort and hope. How do the images of Advent enlarge our capacity to midwife Christ’s birth within us and among us? The retreat will include presentations, silence, singing, solitude and small group conversation. If possible, participants are asked to have a candle and Bible at hand, and wear something comfortable for an optional walk outdoors.
This free retreat is open to all and is sponsored by both Episcopal dioceses in Massachusetts and the Southern New England Conference, United Church of Christ.
Click the image above to download the flier.
|
|
Bethany's new Mysteries of Joy Garden invites reflection this Advent and beyond: On the brisk, blustery afternoon of Oct. 2, Bishop Alan M. Gates joined the Order of St. Anne and Bethany House of Prayer in Arlington to bless a newly created Mysteries of Joy Garden.
The garden is planted where the refectory of the former St. Anne’s School, also known as the Germaine Lawrence School, was located. The building was taken down in 2021 and plans for how to best use the space were explored. A companion garden for the many beautiful spaces that are already a part of the property seemed a natural direction, along with the addition of an accessible parking lot with space for overnight parking.
The "Mysteries of Joy" are one way of praying the rosary, and explore the stories around the Nativity. The garden is still in its early stages, with plans to add a mural on the back of the gymnasium to anchor the space in the artwork and history of the sisters, along with artwork to illuminate and encourage reflection on each of the joyful mysteries.
|
|
Bishop Alan M. Gates, Sister Ana Clara, OSA and Bethany House of Prayer's executive director Dawna Wall at the Oct. 2 garden blessing Courtesy photo
|
|
“In a world that is always wrestling with pain and struggle, it is important to safeguard space for the great gift of God’s joy, and we hope that the garden will offer joy to those who visit,” Sister Ana Clara said.
Visitors are invited to stop by often to see how the mysteries continue to unfold in the Mysteries of Joy Garden. Bethany House offerings can be found at its website: www.bethanyhousearlington.org.
|
|
Grace Chapel, Brockton, celebrates 12th anniversary: Grace Chapel in Brockton, a mission congregation of the diocese, invites the diocesan community on Sunday,
Nov. 20 at 10 a.m. for a celebration of its 12th anniversary.
Grace Chapel began with a small group of people in 2010 before the closing of St. Paul’s Church in Brockton. The ministry obtained space at First Evangelical Lutheran Church, where it continues to reside, and was made a mission in union with the Diocese of Massachusetts in 2018.
"Meeting people where they are and journeying together to become like Jesus, Grace Chapel has built a beloved community while supporting children through the Brigade Youth Program and empowering women through the Abigails Women's Program. My greatest joy has been the opportunity to watch children grow and see individual lives transformed over the last 12 years," the Rev. Moses Sowale, Grace Chapel's vicar, said by e-mail. "We celebrate the beauty of our uniqueness in Christ while breaking down the walls created by our differences."
|
|
Diocesan staffing transition announced: After nearly four years serving as assistant for governance and administration, Chelsea Smith will be leaving the diocesan staff on Dec. 2 to complete an accelerated training program to become a software developer.
“Chelsea has been an invaluable resource to our governance bodies. She has brought her knowledge of technology to the task of implementing our new diocesan database and has supported our staff in getting acquainted with new software systems," Canon to the Ordinary Bill Parnell said.
|
|
Chelsea Smith,
Margaret Lias
Courtesy photos
|
|
"Her dedication to our diocese, along with her patience and cheerfulness, will be greatly missed. We wish her well as she takes this next step in her career."
Margaret Lias, who has served for the past six months as administrative assistant for congregations and grants, will be stepping into the newly crafted position of administrator for governance and grants. A search will be conducted for a new administrator for congregations and data management. Read the full announcement here.
|
|
Episcopal News Service: On Election Day, historic church serving as polling place welcomes voters with music and warm greetings: Emmanuel Church in downtown Boston, a 161-year-old landmark across the street from the Public Garden, is renowned for its music, architecture and contributions to local and national history. But every Election Day, it also plays a prosaic but crucial civic role as the polling place for Ward 5, Precinct 6.
Though Emmanuel has been a polling place for many years, the Rev. Bob Greiner told Episcopal News Service, this Election Day is a little different.
Greiner–who serves the parish as a deacon–and a few other church leaders were stationed by the door and around the building to serve as guides and greeters, something they hadn’t done before. And in the nave, a cellist performed for hours, entertaining anyone who wanted to sit and enjoy the space. It was all part of an effort to make the building more welcoming to all who use it. Read the full story.
Boston Globe: Newton church holds community meal-packing event: More than 100 volunteers gathered at St. Mary’s Church in Newton last month for a community meal-packing event to address food insecurity around the world.
Volunteers packed nearly 13,000 meals at the event called “World Hunger Day Community Meal Packing” on Oct. 15, with help from the nonprofit Rise Against Hunger, an international hunger relief organization working to end world hunger in countries by holding community meal-packing events.
“People are looking for a way to make a difference in a small yet concrete way,” said the Rev. Ann Bonner-Stewart, the rector at St. Mary’s Church. Read more.
The Christian Century: Film project sheds light on New England's legacy of slavery: As evening darkness fell over Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts on Oct. 12, a big screen erected on the front lawn of Christ Church lit up with a message for all to see: “Here Lies Darby Vassall.”
As an 11-minute film of the same name had its outdoor debut, Vassall’s descendants watched from front-row folding chairs. Researcher and artist Nicole Piepenbrink created the film as part of a multimedia installation to a public spotlight on some historical facts that many at the iconic 1759 church became aware of only recently.
Darby Vassall, son of Tony and Cuba, was born in 1769 into enslavement by the Vassall family, early benefactors of Christ Church. After slavery was made unlawful in Massachusetts in 1783, he went on to become a leader in Boston’s Black community, helping to found a mutual aid society for Black Bostonians, petitioning for state funding for Black children’s schooling, and advocating all his life for equal rights and abolition of slavery.
No one knows why, but it was Darby Vassall’s choice to be buried in the Vassall family tomb under Christ Church’s sanctuary. Read more here.
|
|
Nov 16: Installation of The Rev. Jennifer Vath at Trinity Church, Topsfield, 6:30pm
Nov 16: "Invite, Welcome, Connect" Orientation Session, via Zoom, 7:00pm
Nov 16: Creation Care Justice Network, via Zoom, 7:00pm
Nov 17: "Invite, Welcome, Connect" Orientation Session, via Zoom, 10:00am
Nov 19: Lay Eucharistic Visitor Training, via Zoom, 9:30am
Nov 20: Bishop Gates visits Episcopal Chinese Ministry Boston
Nov 20: Bishop Harris visits Church of the Advent in Medfield
Nov 20: 12th Anniversary Thanksgiving Service and Reception, Grace Chapel, Brockton, 10:00am
Nov 22: Advent Evening Devotions, Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston, 5:30pm
Nov 27: Bishop Gates visits St. John's Church in Newtonville
Nov 29: Practical Aspects of Congregational Leadership Seminar: Year-End Financial Matters, via Zoom, 9:00am
Nov 29: Advent Evening Devotions, Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston, 5:30pm
Nov 29: "Episcopal Church 101" with Bishop Gayle E. Harris, via Zoom, 6:00pm
Nov 30: Creation Care Justice Network, via Zoom, 7:00pm
Dec 1: Diocesan Council Meeting, via Zoom, 6:00pm
Dec 3: Practical Aspects of Congregational Leadership Seminar: Year-End Financial Matters, via Zoom, 9:00am
Dec 3: “Comfort ye, my people” Online Advent Retreat, 9:30am
Dec 3: Ordination to the Priesthood: The Rev. Adwoa Wilson, Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Burlington, Vt., 10:00am
Dec 4: Bishop Harris visits Parish of the Good Shepherd in Newton
Dec 6: Advent Evening Devotions, Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston, 5:30pm
Dec 9: Installation of The Rev. Dr. Jarred Mercer at St. Paul's Church, Newburyport, 6:00pm
Dec 11: Bishop Gates visits St. James's Church in Somerville
Dec 11: Bishop Harris visits St. Bartholomew's Church in Cambridge
Dec. 13: Advent Evening Devotions, Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston, 5:30pm
Dec 13: "Episcopal Church 101" with Bishop Gayle E. Harris, via Zoom, 6:00pm
Dec 17: Ordination to the Priesthood: The Rev. Isabel Geller, St. Andrew's Church, New Bedford, 10:30am
Dec 18: Bishop Harris visits Church of the Holy Name in Swampscott
Dec 18: Bishop Gates visits St. Thomas's Church in Taunton
Dec 20: Advent Evening Devotions, Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston, 5:30pm
|
|
Stay connected with our diocesan community: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
