DWTX from Anaheim - The Church Periodical Club (CPC), an affiliated organization of the Episcopal Church, held their triennial meeting in Anaheim just prior to General Convention. The organization was founded at Church of the Holy Communion, New York, 125 years ago by Mary Ann Fargo, wife of the owner of Wells-Fargo. Her group sent books and magazines to settlers in the West on the wagons, providing both religious and secular information, education, and entertainment.
At the meeting, over $32,000 in grants was provided to recipients in the United States, Haiti, Tanzania, Kenya, and other parts of the world. Students at St. Philip’s Theological College in Tanzania received funds for books they will take from the seminary to other parts of their country where they travel as missionaries. The Dominican Episcopal Church in the Dominican Republic requested copies of The Book of Common Prayer in Spanish for an area with “limited resources vs. significant growth.” St. Leonard’s Adult High School in Chicago received funds to purchase computer books for adult education. Each year, CPC grants $8,800 for the eleven Episcopal seminaries in the United States. Up to four seminarians, chosen by the dean, receive those grants. Betty Morris, Diocese of West Texas, is the Seminarian Chair.
Also during the meeting, election of new officers was held and Ethel Marple, Diocese of Southern Virginia, was elected President. The Board also consists of CPC representatives from each Province. Connie Osborne, Lovington, New Mexico, is the new Province VII representative.
The Triennial report of National Books Fund (NBF) grants showed that Bibles, Prayer Books, and Hymnals were provided in the United States-including one in Seattle in the Dinka Language, the Philippines, Honduras, and Puerto Rico, among other countries. Grants had also been made for Christian education, prison ministry, library books and recovery programs. In addition to the NBF, a Miles of Pennies fund makes grants for books for children. School and library books, Godly Play programs, and shipping costs to send books to 18 schools in Belize for 5,000 students were some of the MOP grants. A mile of pennies is $844.80, and grants are made in that amount. Grant applications for the National Books Fund and Miles of Pennies are available on line at www.cpc.org.
During the Convention, CPC members were at their booth in the exhibit hall to provide information on their programs and to learn from visitors how better to meet their needs for books. Each day, the Houses of General Convention and the ECW Triennial receive candy and a bookmark for an Energy Lift delivered by CPC members and volunteers.
The closing event for CPC and first event of Convention was the Overseas Bishops’ Dinner. Over 300 people from all parts of the church came to meet bishops from the countries where books from the Church Periodical Club make a real difference in their ministry. For more information on this organization, visit www.churchperiodical.com.