"I do not believe people are afraid of change; they're afraid of loss."
— Bishop Brown
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IN THIS EDITION:Two invitations from the bishop; Nominations for Annual Convention; Fun Fact; Did you know? Check it out! and more.
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Sermon given by the Rev. Canon Mark Harris
on Sunday July 26, at St. Peter’s, Lewes
“Increase and multiply upon us your mercy; that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal. We could do with a multiplication of God’s mercy in these days. As Mary Gauther says in her song, 'We all could use a little mercy now.”' Last week, in the middle of the night I tried to cry. There was this deep sense of grief within me, and I wanted to let tears wash that grief out. But the tears did not come. I could not cry." Grief without tears. Read full sermon here.
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Invitation from Bishop Brown to join him in two events |
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Speaking of Freedom in Delaware
A forum with Bishop Brown
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Thursday, August 6
6:30 p.m.
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The forum will discuss Speaking of Freedom, a stirring open letter to our church from three Episcopal priests, The Revs. Kelly Brown Douglas, Stephanie Spellers, and Winnie Varghese.
Published on Independence Day, the letter calls upon Episcopalians not to assume the issues and structures of injustice are all “out there” somewhere else or that issues of our past do not matter. Please read the letter here, and hear it read by the authors themselves here.
To join the forum via Zoom, use the following link/information:
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The Rev. Kelly Brown Douglas |
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The Rev. Stephanie Spellers |
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21-Day Racial Equity Challenge
The Episcopal Church in Delaware
joins this state-wide challenge and journey
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The Episcopal Church in Delaware has joined the state-wide challenge and journey, 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge, August 17 - September 6.
Led by the United Way of Delaware and YWCA Delaware, the challenge is a state-wide virtual journey into the history of racism here at home in Delaware. The Episcopal Church in Delaware is a partner (a “challenge champion”) in this effort. A personal commitment of time (5-30 minutes a day for three weeks), an internet connection, and openness to learning are all that are required. Read more about the challenge here. Register to participate here.
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Question: The original church building of which diocesan parish still exists, but as a museum in a different state?
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Finding ‘Sacred Ground’: thousands connect with Episcopal Church’s film-based series on racism’s historic roots |
When protests against racial injustice erupted nationwide in late spring, dioceses across the country invited Episcopalians to participate in Sacred Ground, the Episcopal Church’s 10-part, film-based discussion series. The curriculum confronts the historical roots of systemic racism and examines how that history still shapes American institutions and social interactions today.The response has been overwhelming.
Read full Episcopal News Service article here.
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Detective story techniques safeguarded a United Thank Offering donation at a Japanese internment camp in WWII |
Japanese forces captured the city of Baguio, Philippines on December 27, 1941. They set up several concentration camps which were used to intern 500 civilians including Frances Crosby Bartter, along with her husband, George C. Bartter, the rector of the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection in Baguio. Mrs. Bartter’s plan to save the UTO offering the Woman ‘s Auxiliary of the Church of the Resurrection was lifted right out of a detective story. Read full story from Living Church archives here.
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Upcoming Programs in the Diocese |
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Curriculum During Quarantine
Via Zoom, Saturday,
August 22, 10am - 12pm
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Fire & Formation
in the Episcopal Church in Delaware
SAVE THE DATE
Saturday October 3, 2020
A Special Zoom Gathering
sponsored by the
Commission on Ministry
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236th Annual Convention
Friday-Saturday
November 20-22
Online Gathering
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Nominations: the deadline is Friday, August 21.
As members of the Episcopal Church, we all share in its leadership and oversight, often by serving on parish and diocesan teams and committees. Any active Episcopalian in the Episcopal Church in Delaware may nominate someone to serve on a diocesan-wide body. You may nominate yourself as well. Please prayerfully consider a person you know who might be ready to serve at the diocesan level. If you have questions, feel free to contact John Michael Sophos, Nominations Chairperson, [email protected] or D-L Casson, Secretary of Convention, [email protected].
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A 15 Year Anniversary!
The Rev. Jeffrey Austin Ross officially became the Rector of
on Monday, August 1, 2005.
The photograph with Ross's family and Bishop Wayne Wright was taken shortly afterward.
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This is a stressful time and the National Association for Mental Illness (NAMI) is an excellent resource for people dealing with various mental health issues.
NAMI Delaware is pleased to announce we will be hosting the following virtual support groups during August. Registration can be located at the links below. Once registered, an email is sent from Eventbrite including the secure Zoom information for the meeting.
NAMI Delaware Virtual Family Support Groups for family members and caregivers who have a loved one living with a mental health condition:
NAMI Family and Friends is a free 90-minute program open to family members, friends, neighbors, advocates, and anyone inereted in learning more about mental health conditions, and how to support those impacted by the diagnoses:
NAMI Connections Virtual Peer Recovery Support Groups will be held on:
For any questions, please contact Jenn Ford, Multicultural Engagement Manager, NAMI Delaware, Office Voicemail 302.427.0787 ext. 116 or [email protected]
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News from the Episcopal Church in Delaware |
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Celebrate Sea Sunday! Remembering Seafarers - Our Supply Chain Heroes, September 20, 2020
Almost everything we use in our daily life arrives by ship. And it is seafarers, an invisible society of workers that bring those ships to our shores. As we drive our imported cars, eat fresh fruit, and wear clothing that is manufactured overseas we give little thought as to how these items made it into our stores. At the Seamen's Center of Wilmington we see firsthand the sacrifices these workers make in order to earn a living for their families. This year, more than ever, we have witnessed that dedication as seafarers were not able to set foot on shore for months on end due to COVID-19. We have seen crew after crew unable to go home when their contract ended, again due to the pandemic. Remembering them on Sea Sunday has never been more important. More information.
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Annual Giving is up and running!
We are pleased to be able to offer you resources for your Annual Giving campaigns in 2020 for your 2021 Fiscal Year. These are easily downloadable for your parishes to use and adapt to your needs. For some, using the writeable PDF format may be best, and for others the Microsoft Word format may work. If you decide to use these resources, please know that they are generic and “over-written” so that you can customize them to the needs of your community. Full information on the diocesan website here.
Thank you to all who have supported the diocesan offerings!
Read a message of thanks from Helen King Spence, Chair, Diocesan Stewardship Resource Team, here.
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Province III ECW Virtual Meeting, August 22, 10am-2pm
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Cycle of Prayer in the Episcopal Church in Delaware |
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News from the Episcopal Church |
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"I Condemned Trump’s Bible Photo-Op And Went Viral. Here’s What That Moment Taught Me"
The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington said: “It seemed to others that I was being brave. It felt more like I was being summoned to stand with others who were being brave.” Read full article here.
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Episcopal Church House of Bishops July 2020: A Word on Protest and Federal Policing
The House of Bishops met virtually July 28-29, 2020. The following statement was adopted on July 29. While the situation on the ground in Portland has changed, the bishops believe it is important to share their statement about protest and policing. More information in English More information in Spanish
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Episcopal Church plants seeds for 10 new ministries
At its June meeting, The Episcopal Church Executive Council approved grants totaling $213,551.00 for new church starts and missional communities. Resolutions A005 and A032 approved by General Convention in 2018 authorized the Task Force on Church Planting and Congregational Redevelopment to solicit and recommend grants for new and continued funding for new worshipping communities and missional enterprise ventures throughout The Episcopal Church. Read full press release in English here, and in Spanish here.
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Third season of The Way of Love with Bishop Michael Curry podcast continues with guest Ruby Sales
In the latest episode, Bishop Curry talks with legendary leader Ruby Sales about her long and enduring work for civil rights and freedom in the United States. The two discuss how she was introduced to these movements, her search for a calling, and the potential of The Episcopal Church to lead in honest racial justice and reconciliation. To Go on the Way of Love is to cross boundaries, listen deeply, and live like Jesus. To do any of these things, and to have any hope of healing, we need to be able to tell each other the truth and go, as Ruby Sales says, “where it hurts.” Full information here.
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Season of Creation, September 1 – October 4, 2020 Devotions offered by four leaders
Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop and Primate Michael Curry and the leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the Anglican Church of Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada have prepared a series of devotions to observe the Season of Creation 2020, September 1–October 4. Read full information here.
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Episcopal Church House of Bishops: sermon from the Presiding Bishop
Read the text of Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s July 28 sermon at the House of Bishops, which is meeting virtually July 28-29, 2020. English version here. Spanish version here.
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The Executive Council of The Episcopal Church, met virtually on July 22.
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Looking Ahead: General Convention planning 2021: A letter to Episcopalians from Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry and President of the House of Deputies the Rev. Gay Clark Jennings.
"When we wrote to you in early June about the need to consider alternative plans for the 80th General Convention, we hoped that the summer months would bring us more clarity about the course of the pandemic and how we might reasonably plan for 2021 and beyond. But as summer stretches on, infection and death totals in the United States are climbing ever higher, even as the virus has been brought under control in other parts of the world." Read full letter in English here, and in Spanish here.
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The Episcopal Church invites all clergy to ‘Be a Part of the Picture’ as it seeks to Become Beloved Community: Efforts Will Help the Church Better Understand the Diverse Experiences of Clergy
The Episcopal Church and the Church Pension Group (CPG) announced that the Recorder of Ordinations will begin to collect data on race, ethnicity, gender identity, and sexual orientation from all clergy. The data will be used to assist the Church in understanding how different groups are treated in terms of deployment and compensation, as well as in Episcopal elections. Responding to resolutions passed by the 79th General Convention, CPG updated various technology systems so it could collect the requested demographic information that it did not collect previously. The newly requested data will only be used for analysis and reported in aggregate form. Read full article here.
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Episcopal Evangelism Initiatives: Seek. Name. Celebrate. A Good News Newsletter
Right now, given the political tensions in our country and the continuing demands and limitations of COVID-19, the art of communication – the how, when, where, what, and why of it – is challenging for most, if not all, of us. From choosing the most practical ways to communicate for work and ministry – Email? Text? Snail mail? Phone calls? - to choosing the most honest and loving way to communicate with neighbors or loved ones with whom we have political or social differences, we are all struggling with how to communicate effectively and lovingly. Read newsletter here.
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The presiding Bishop speaks about the soul of America in a BBC radio interview
The Most Rev. Michael Curry was interviewed on the BBC Radio 4 program Sunday, which looks at the ethical and religious issues of the week.Listen to the interview here. BBC R4 The Presiding Bishop's interview begins approx. 33:10.
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News from the Anglican Communion |
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Covid-19 and Domestic Abuse
A major new resource jointly published by the Anglican Consultative Council and the Anglican Alliance. produced by Mandy Marshall, Director for Gender Justice: “Domestic Abuse and COVID-19: How Churches can respond” is now available in French, Spanish, Portuguese and Kiswahili in addition to an updated English version. Further translations are in the pipeline. The resource is available free of charge from the Gender Justice page of the Anglican Communion website – anglicancommunion.org/genderjustice.
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What do Anglicans Believe?
Stephen Spencer, Director for Theological Education, has produced a new study guide as an introduction to Christian doctrine. What do Anglicans Believe? A Study Guide to Christian Doctrine from Anglican and Ecumenical Statements is published today in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. It can be freely copied and distributed (but not for a fee) and downloaded from the Theological Education in the Anglican Communion (TEAC) page of the Anglican Communion website: anglicancommunion.org/teac.The interactive study guide can be used in a range of settings from seminaries to home study groups.
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Lambeth Conference and the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Together in Unity Appeal
The Archbishop of Canterbury has taken the decision to further postpone the Lambeth Conference until the British summer of 2022. Later this year details will be given of a four-year program leading up to and extending beyond the Lambeth Conference. This programme will be designed to allow the whole Anglican Communion – priests and laity as well as bishops – engage with the issues that the bishops will consider in their face-to-face meeting in July and August 2022. Last week, when the bishops had been due to be gathered at the University of Kent in Canterbury, Archbishop Justin launched the Together in Unity Appeal; and asked bishops across the Communion to join in a global response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Details of the Archbishop’s appeal can be found at archbishopofcanterbury.org/appeal. Many mission agencies throughout the Anglican Communion have launched their own appeals, and many of these are included in a composite article on the Anglican Communion News Service: anglicannews.org.
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