Vol. 2, No. 8, October 2007

Direct Line Audio

In the Bishop's Words: Bishop Lillibridge on the recent House of Bishops meeting and the upcoming Core Values Workshops. Click here to listen.

Anglican Committee responds to House of Bishops

The Joint Standing Committee of the Anglican Consultative Council and the Primates has responded to a statement from the Episcopal Church House of Bishops that was issued at the close of the bishops' fall meeting in New Orleans in September.

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori at a press conference during the September House of Bishops meeting in New Orleans.

The bishops' statement, which was itself a response to questions put to them by the Anglican Communion Primates, addressed key points regarding the further ordination of bishops who are living in same-sex unions and rites of blessing for same-sex unions. 

In their statement, the bishops pledged "to exercise restraint by not consenting to the consecration of any candidate to the episcopate whose manner of life presents a challenge to the wider church . . ." The Episcopal Church General Convention had said the same in passing resolution B033 at its 2006 meeting. However, the primates of the Anglican Communion, meeting in Dar es Salaam in February 2007, were not satisfied with that wording and asked the House of Bishops to confirm that B033 means that "a candidate for episcopal orders living in a same-sex union shall not receive the necessary consents to election." In their September statement, the bishops acknowledged that non-celibate gay and lesbian persons are included among those to whom B033 pertains. 

The Joint Standing Committee said that this added wording confirms that the House of Bishops is agreeing to abide by the request of the primates to not ordain as bishops those living in same-sex unions. 

In the matter of the rites of blessing of same-sex unions, the Anglican Communion primates, in their Dar es Salaam meeting, said that the "ambiguous stance" of the Episcopal Church about such rites caused them concern. While the Episcopal Church General Convention has never authorized rites for blessing of same-sex unions, some bishops, at the local level, have allowed such rites to be performed in their dioceses. In their September statement, the bishops of the Episcopal Church pledged "not to authorize for use in our dioceses any public rites of blessing of same-sex unions" and added that the majority of bishops "do not make allowance" for such rites. The Joint Standing Committee took this to meet the request of the primates to effect a "moratorium" on the blessing of same-sex unions. 

The Joint Standing Committee includes representatives from the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) and from the primates of the 38 provinces of the Anglican Communion. The ACC was formed following a resolution of the 1968 Lambeth Conference which discerned the need for more frequent and more representative contact among the churches of the Anglican Communion than was possible through a once-a-decade conference of bishops (The Lambeth Conference of bishops). The ACC includes representatives, both clergy and lay, from every province of the Anglican Communion.  

The report of the Joint Standing Committee has been sent to the primates of the Communion with their response expected by the end of October.

For the full report of the Joint Standing Committee, plus the statement from the House of Bishops as well as messages from Bishop Lillibridge both during and at the close of the House of Bishops meeting, click here.

Discerning our core

Lay leaders of the diocese will have the opportunity, this month, to participate in determining the values that are core to the life and work of the diocese. Core values, say James Collins and Jerry Poras in their book Built to Last, are the essential and enduring tenets of an organization --  a set of timeless guiding principles by which an organization navigates. The lay leadership and clergy of the diocese will begin to discern the diocesan core values in seven workshops throughout the diocese on Saturday, October 27.

"These core values will assist us in achieving a bright and Godly future as a diocese," says Bishop Lillibridge. "We cannot wait for someone else to come in and take care of business for us. We must be about the active work of identifying and living into our vocation."

During these day-long workshops, to be held in Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Kerrville, Dripping Springs, Uvalde, Victoria, and Harlingen, participants will use the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer to get at the core of what identifies us as a diocese and a people of God. The results of the workshops will then be collated by the diocesan Executive Board and the Standing Committee and will be introduced at Diocesan Council in February.

"The fruit of our work," says Bishop Lillibridge, "isn't going to be simply some nice words to put on our letterhead; it will become the foundation for our life and ministry with one another and the world in which we live."

The bishop and elected leadership of the diocese have been planning the process of determining our core values for several months. In August, the Executive Board and Standing Committee gathered to set the outline for the October workshops. "Along with all diocesan clergy, we are inviting members of vestries and bishop's committees, persons who have been delegates to diocesan councils, and all who are in leadership positions at the parish level to now join in that conversation," says Lillibridge.

The workshops will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. To register, logon to www.council-dwtx.org.

Before you update your website

The diocesan IT Committee has researched a number of content-management style website providers and has created a list of recommended companies that the committee feels best suit the parishes in the Diocese of West Texas.  The companies provide web-based solutions; they vary based on the size and need of the parish. All of these website providers offer the ability to edit your website online, which means no special web-editing software is needed. They also allow multiple persons to update the site, which means your Christian ed director can update the Christian ed pages, the youth minister can update the youth pages, and so on. 

Below is a list of the recommended companies with their website address. 

Simple Updates http://www.simpleupdates.com. The most economical solution for smaller parishes with very "user-friendly" tools for creating and maintaining websites.  

KingdomTools http://www.kingdomtools.com. A broad-based content management solution that provides multiple web-based services including: web content manager, membership database, calendar, mail, group management and more.  Very cost effective for medium to large parishes.

Network Solutions http://www.networksolutions.com. Offers a streamlined web content manager as well as web hosting and domain administration.  Reasonably priced for any parish size.  

If your congregation is using any of these providers and has comments to offer, or has other website providers to suggest, e-mail Marjorie George at marjorie.george@dwtx.org.

It is possible that if a number of parishes opt for the same provider, training could be arranged.

Briefs

Will golf for camp

A few more of your church's youth may be able to go to camp if you and your fellow parishioners sign up for The Bishop's Golf Tournament on Friday, November 9.  Last year we were able to provide scholarships for 80 children at Camp Capers or Mustang Island.  Don't wait!  Join us at The Canyon Springs Golf Club in San Antonio, TX on Friday, November 9 for an excellent time and worthwhile charitable fund raiser.  Applications for the tournament may be made on-line at http://www.council-dwtx.org or contact Mike Horridge at dmhorridge@stic.net -- Tel: (210) 492-3536.

Presiding Bishop will host October 16 webcast

[Episcopal News Service] Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori will host a live webcast on October 16, featuring the Presiding Bishop's responses to questions asked via telephone and email during the program. The program is part of "Episcopal Life Focus" -- a half-hour monthly video "multicast" featuring church mission, ministries and news.

Co-produced with Trinity Church Wall Street, the webcast will begin at 2 p.m. Central time.

Access will be available through both the websites of the Episcopal Church (www.episcopalchurch.org)  and Trinity Wall Street (www.trinitychurchwallstreet.org). 

Hurricanes, floods, disasters

With the hurricane and flood season upon us, these reminders are sent you by your Disaster Preparedness Task Force.  Please take time to review them and share with your parishioners. 

• Before a disaster occurs, create a plan:  a place to meet, an out-of-town contact to notify.
• Prepare a disaster kit for survival for at least three days.
• Know preferred and alternate evacuation routes.
• Review insurance policies and determine if flood insurance may be needed.
• Inspect roof to ascertain compliance with building codes or necessity of extra reinforcement.
• Photograph property and belongings -- store in secure, off-site location.
• Prepare to shut off utilities.
• Become aware of neighbors with special needs.
• Maintain a battery-powered radio for news and instructions.

Adapted from Diocese of E. Tennessee and the American Red Cross

Pray for the Persecuted Church

The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church -- a global day of intercession for persecuted Christians worldwide -- is November 11. Over 200 million Christians now face intense persecution for their faith, and over 250 million undergo some form of discrimination. More Christians were martyred for their faith in the 20th century than in the previous 19 centuries combined. To learn more about the Day of Prayer, visit www.persecutedchurch.org.

For parish nurses

The Diocese of Northwest Texas will host a Parish Nurse Preparation Course at Mercy Center in Slaton, Texas, April 6 through 10, 2008. Parish nurse programs in congregations promote wellness, prevention, and clinical programs of health ministry. Their purpose is to empower, educate, and advocate for health and care for people in need. To learn more about the April event, e-mail Margaret Williams at mhiettwilliams@hotmail.com. To learn more about parish nurse programs in the Episcopal Church, visit online at www.episcopalhealthministries.org.

Free money

The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Unclaimed Property Division, may have money that belongs to your congregation. It is estimated that millions of dollars in unclaimed property belongs to churches and other organizations. See if you are on the list by logging on to www.window.state.tx.us/up/

Camp Capers in the winter time 

Mid-winter camps for boys and girls aged 8 1/2 through high school will begin January 11 at Camp Capers. The weekends are mini-camps for those who have and those have not attended Camp Capers in the past. Registration brochures will be available at your local church office by early November. For info, e-mail Jean Beere at jean.beere@dwtx.org.

Mid-Winter I - High School (9 to 12th grades), January 11-13

Mid-Winter II - Middle School (6 to 8th grades), January 18-20

Mid-Winter III - Elementary (8 1/2 through 5th grade), January 25-27

From Our Churches

People

Folts	The Rt. Rev. Jim Folts will serve as interim rector at Church of the Good Shepherd, Corpus Christi, starting in mid-January. The Rev. Ned Bowersox retires as rector of the church in January. The Rev. Sherridan Harrison will serve as interim rector at All Saints', Corpus Christi, effective November 1. The Rev. David Stringer resigned as rector in September to serve a church in Atlanta, Georgia. The Rev. Dan Lauer has taken an appointment with the U. S. Coast Guard. Lauer has been serving in the Coast Guard reserve. He has been assistant rector at Christ Church, San Antonio, since 2002 and started the new congregation at Christ Church in the Hill Country. John Brooke, who retired in 2006 as Bishop's Deputy for Congregational Development  for the Diocese of West Texas, has been elected chair of the Texas Rural Church Task Force of the Texas Conference of Churches (TCC). The TCC is composed of  56 Texas judicatories in several denominations. Booke has been active for many years in small church work in the Diocese of West Texas and nationally. The purpose of the Task Force is to try to determine what role the Conference might play in the future life of rural churches in Texas.  Brooke would welcome your thoughts on this subject by email: johnbrooke4@sbcglobal.net. Dr. Gene Dowdy is the new chair of the diocesan Liturgy and Music Committee. Dowdy is the Chair of the Department of Music and orchestra conductor at The University of Texas at San Antonio and is a member of Holy Spirit, San Antonio
Brooke

Go, see, do