Vol. 3, No. 1, February 2008

Direct Line Audio

In the Bishop's Words: Bishop Lillibridge discusses the newly-released second draft of the Angelican Covenant. Click here to listen.

Anglican Covenant Draft is Published

The design group charged with producing an Anglican Covenant has published its second draft which now goes to the Lambeth Conference in July 2008. The document contains three major sections -- Our Inheritance of Faith, The Life we Share with Others: Our Anglican Vocation, and Our Unity and Common Life. Each section contains a number of statements to which each body in the Anglican Communion would commit itself.

The idea of an Anglican Covenant was originally proposed in the Windsor Report 2004. This was one of the report's main recommendations, proposed in order to give explicit articulation and recognition to the principles of co-operation and interdependence (sometimes called "the bonds of affection") which hold the Anglican Communion together. The Windsor Report considered that this was one vital way in which trust and co-operation could be rebuilt between the churches of the Anglican Communion in the wake of tensions. At their meeting in January 2007, the Covenant Design Group (CDG) produced a first draft - the Nassau Draft - for such a covenant, which was received at the meeting of the Primates and the Joint Standing Committee in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in February of that year. This draft was subsequently sent to the Provinces, Churches and Commissions of the Anglican Communion for consultation, reflection and response.

In January 2008, the CDG reviewed the comments and submissions received and developed the new draft. In addition to 13 provincial responses, a large number of responses were received from commissions, organizations, dioceses and individuals from across the Communion. It is intended that these responses will be published in the near future on the Anglican Communion website.

The current draft - known as the St. Andrew's Draft - will now be offered for reflection in the Communion at large, and in particular by the Lambeth Conference, which has been convened by the Archbishop of Canterbury to meet in his see city of Canterbury, England, between July 16 and August 3 of this year. The CDG has asked that bishops will study the present draft in their preparations for the Conference, consulting in their dioceses and sharing their reflections at the Conference.

The draft is accompanied by a number of supporting documents, including a brief commentary which outlines the thinking of the CDG on some of the issues considered, and which also gives responses to some of the specific suggestions and criticisms made to them. It also includes a tentative draft of a procedural appendix, the status of which is set out in the commentary.

Following the Lambeth Conference, the CDG will meet to review the progress on the development of the Covenant project within the Communion and will submit a Covenant draft to the Provinces and ecumenical partners of the Communion for formal comment and response. It is their intention to produce definitive proposals for adoption in the Communion following that further round of consultation. Proposals for the process of consultation, and reception of, the Covenant and its ultimate consideration by synodical process will be presented to the Joint Standing Committee of the Anglican Consultative Council and the Primates at their meeting in March 2008.

For the complete text of the St. Andrew's Draft is available at http://www.aco.org/commission/covenant/st_andrews/draft_text.cfm

Background on the Anglican Covenant and supporting documents are available at http://www.aco.org/commission/covenant/index.cfm

The 104th Council, What You Should be Doing Now

The 104th Annual Diocesan Council convenes in San Antonio, February 21-23, at the downtown Municipal Auditorium. Details of Council events are at www.council-dwtx.org. If you are a delegate, alternate, or clergy head of a congregation, please note:

• Hotel rooms are sold out. If you still need a hotel room, Marilyn Koontz is brokering those who have rooms they don't need and those who need rooms they don't have. Contact her at (210/888) 824-5387 or marilyn.koontz@dwtx.org.

• Biographical info and photos of nominees for election, including election of deputies to General Convention, to be held in Anaheim, California, in July 2009, are at http://council-dwtx.org/Council_2008/Nominations.htm If you plan to nominate someone from the floor of Council, you must first secure that person's acceptance and be prepared to give that person's name in writing to the Dispatch Desk at the time of nomination.

• Only one resolution has been put forward, a resolution to support the work of Habitat for Humanity, available at http://council-dwtx.org/Council_2008/Resolutions.htm No resolutions may now be introduced at Council (the deadline was December 31) without a 2/3 vote of Council to consider the resolution.

• Congregational Parochial Reports were due on February 1. No congregation will be seated at Council without a current Parochial Report. For questions or problems, contact Barbara Baugh at (210/888) 824-5387 or barbara.baugh@dwtx.org.

• 2006 audits were due May 1, 2007. Congregations that have not completed their audits must go before the Credentials Committee before their delegates may be seated at Council. For questions or problems, contact Susan Hardaway at (210/888) 824-5387 or susan.hardaway@dwtx.org.

• Congregational certification deadline was February 6. Forms and instructions are at http://council-dwtx.org/Council_2008/Certification.htm

• Online registration closes February 13. Forms are at http://council-dwtx.org/Council_2008/Registration.htm

Council for Visitors

Visitors are encouraged to attend Diocesan Council. Visitor registration cost is only $35, and that includes a ticket to Friday's box lunch.

Events of special interest to visitors include:

• Thursday afternoon, Baroness Caroline Cox will address Council. She has a ministry to the forgotten peoples of Africa, Asia, and Europe -- those who are often neglected by other aid organizations. She is a "voice for the voiceless" who suffer persecution and oppression all over the world. We will also hear from Peter Alier, one the Lost Boys of Sudan. Time: approx. 3 pm

• Baroness Cox will also address Council at the Friday noontime meal as we dine on simple box lunches so that funds usually spent on a more elaborate lunch can be used to support food ministries around the diocese. Time: noon to 1:30 p.m.

• Thursday afternoon the entire Council will process from the Municipal Auditorium to the First Presbyterian Church for the Council Eucharist. The parade will be led by a Dixieland jazz band, 91 church banners, and vested clergy. Time: 4:30 p.m.

• Thursday evening: the Council Banquet will be held at the Crowne Plaza Riverwalk Hotel. Cost is $35. Time: 7 p.m.

• Friday morning, Bishop Gary Lillibridge will give his annual Bishop's Address on the state of the church, the state of the diocese, and his vision for our future. Time approx. 9:15 a.m.

• Friday afternoon, Bishop Lillibridge will lead Council in guided table discussions about our Council theme: Deny Yourself, Take Up Your Cross, and Follow Me. Time approx. 3 p.m.

• Visitor registration forms are at http://council-dwtx.org/Council_2008/Registration.htm

Lay Professionals Eligible for Continuing Ed Leave and Funds

The Diocesan Commission on Ministry has recently approved new guidelines for granting continuing education leave and financial support to lay professionals of the church. Lay professionals are defined as those who work full time or part time, paid or volunteer, to "use their God-given gifts to fulfill needs in the church's structures" within the diocese. Congregations are encouraged to grant continuing education leave time of one week per year (for full-time employees), and lay professionals are eligible to apply for grants of up to $500 per year to finance continuing education. Requests for these grants should be submitted by the employee's rector. Request forms are available by contacting Marilyn Koontz at 210/888-824-5387 or marilyn.koontz@dwtx.org

Briefs

The new diocesan website is up and functioning. In the coming months it will be greatly expanded with new features being added frequently. For now, please follow the Find A Church and/or Find A School links and determine that the information for your church and/or school is accurate. If you have changes, email Kelly Harris at Kelly.harris@dwtx.org.

Interviews are now being conducted for counselor and staff positions at Camp Capers and Mustang Island Family Camp this summer. Applications are on the website www.dwtx.org then click on Camp Capers and Mustang Island under Quick Links.

Camp Capers is also seeking nurses to serve for one or more one-week sessions. RNs, LVNs, and experienced individuals to assist the nurses are invited to contact Stacy Dowdy at stacy.dowdy@dwtx.org or 210/888- 824-5487 or Jayne Creasy at recjc1@juno.com or 210-658-2212. Salary is $500 per session.

Still looking for a Lenten idea? The World Mission Department has published a "Count your Blessings" Lenten calendar. The idea is to count your blessings each day, then put a coin for each one into an accompanying "mite box" which you donate to your church world mission efforts or the diocesan World Mission Department. See a sample at www.dwtx.org, under Current News.

The 2008 Episcopal Coed Softball program begins March 2 and runs through the middle of May. Games will be held at Rusty Lyons softball field in San Antonio. A team should include at least four females, and should be made up of 15-year-olds or above; some adjustments can be made. Games are played on Sunday afternoons beginning at 2 pm. For information or to register a team, contact Frank Cole, colefm@sbcglobal.net or call 210-655-5489. Fee for each team will be $100.

The Cursillo movement in the Diocese of West Texas has created a newsletter to be sent out on a regular basis. If you did not receive it by personal email or at your church and would like to, contact Ann Shorter 210-273-5705 or George Jeffery, 210-849-4363, or by email at itsallabouthim@live.com and they will add you to the list right away.

Sunday, April 6 through Wednesday, April 9, the Episcopal Diocese of Texas will present their annual Altar Guild Workshop and retreat at Camp Allen in Navasota, TX. DWTX Altar Guild directress Ellen Martin encourages anyone interested in Altar Guild, experienced or new, to consider this opportunity. A variety of workshops will be available to share and learn from; the deadline to register is March 17. Cost for accommodations including meals, seminars and spiritual enrichment exercises range from $260 to $305 based on private or double occupancy; workshops additional costs from $20 to $60 each. For additional information or a registration form contact Ellen at 210-494-2495.

Visitors weekend at the Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest -- for those who are considering attending seminary to prepare for lay or ordained ministry -- is March 28-30. Visit www.etss.edu/VisitorsWeekend08.shtml for more information, a downloadable brochure and registration form.

The Archives of the Episcopal Church announces an electronic publication and online exhibit entitled, The Church Awakens: African Americans and the Struggle for Justice. The multimedia exhibit, found at http://episcopalarchives.org/Afro-Anglican_history/exhibit/, covers the period of enslavement to the present, with emphasis on the Civil Rights era. This web-based project offers an examination of the compelling story of how African American Episcopalians struggled to claim their rightful place as full and equal members of the Church community. The exhibit brings together a narrative overview of that development with photographs, documents, videos, and previously unheard taped interviews with prominent American figures on matters of race. Figures such as Absalom Jones, George Bragg, Pauli Murray, Jonathan Daniels, and Charles Lawrence are featured along with Church organizations such as the American Church Institute, the Conference of Church Workers, and the Episcopal Society for Cultural and Racial Unity. Audio recordings include interviews with figures as diverse as Langston Hughes and Jackie Robinson.

New from Communication Resources is a software program to produce your own church photo directory. Cost is $60. We have not used the program, but Communication Resources is a very reliable company that caters to church communications.

Church Publishing has released an update for Rite Stuff version 1.5 that enables automatic selection of Revised Common Lectionary readings. Price of the update is $10. For details, www.churchpublishing.org.

From our churches

St. Mark's, Corpus Christi, is in the process of building a new sanctuary, and with that in mind are deliberately focusing on welcoming visitors to their church. First Friends is a part of their newcomer's ministry. As they look ahead to their anticipated growth with the new sanctuary, they are intentionally inviting current parish members to sign up to be sponsors or "friends" in the program. Current parishioners will be matched up with newcomers as they come into the church according to similar interests, ages, etc. and will be encouraged during the newcomer's first year to invite them to church events, offer rides where needed, sit with them, introduce them around, all the things that come with friendship.

St. Luke's, San Antonio, has a new outreach ministry caring for the homeless, called Lisa's Pantry. The missioners will visit the homeless at an underpass at Broadway and I-35 in downtown San Antonio every Sunday morning serving sandwiches and taking some basic supplies to distribute to people in need. They welcome donations, either monetary or actual items, including box-lunch type foods, and white socks and underclothing for men and women. Additionally, blankets, toilet paper and diapers sized newborn to size 6 are needed. If you are interested in assisting with this ministry or have questions about specific items needed, contact Olive Gaskins at 210-732-2042.

Santa Fe, San Antonio, is proof that you need not be a huge congregation to have huge plans. Vickie Swapp, Sunday School leader for the mission church, is the epitome of thinking outside the box when it comes to getting what she needs for her 30 students. What she needs at the moment is a way to take them on a real vacation this summer; the goal is a trip to the Grand Canyon. She said, "Some of these kids NEVER go on vacation." To raise the money for a trip like that takes some creativity; they have been working hard to accomplish it. It is not just the parents paying; these kids are "out there with me selling baked goods at Wal-Mart, cleaning a woman's yard, and making crosses for sale." All of the money raised goes into their Kidz Fund for the trip and other events planned for the year. Crosses sell for $8 each or your donation. To assist them in their work, contact Bishop's Warden Faye Oldham at santafebw@aol.com or by phone, 830-281-8285.

People

Arvak Insurance Group, whose founder and president, John Otto, is a member of All Saints', Corpus Christi, has been named the best small company to work for in Corpus Christi. The secret, he says, is "authentic communication . . . we tell the truth, even when the truth makes us look bad. That is the only way to develop trust."

Patrick Roberts has been named the head of school at St. James Episcopal School in Corpus Christi. Roberts is from Lafayette, LA. St. James is a ministry of Good Shepherd Episcopal Church.

The Rev. Betty Fuller, former rector of Church of the Advent, Alice, is the new part-time chaplain at All Saints Episcopal School in Beaumont where she has moved with her husband, Frank. Betty Fuller is still canonically resident in West Texas.

John Fritts, recent graduate of the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, will be ordained to the diaconate at St. Andrew's, San Antonio, on March 15. He will then serve as deacon-in-charge at St. Paul's, Brady.

Good Samaritan Community Services' Santos Vargas was honored as Field Instructor of the Year at the Worden School of Social Service at Our Lady of the Lake University. Vargas is currently a social worker in the agency's Department of Family Development Services.

Good Samaritan Community Services has named Tozi Gutierrez Tijerina as Program Manager for the Workforce Solutions youth contract serving Hildago, Starr, and Willacy Counties.

Leigh Saunders is the new executive assistant for Bishop David Reed. She is a member of St. George, San Antonio, and a former member of St. Alban's, Harlingen.

The Rev. Matthew Frey has accepted a call to become Assistant and School Chaplain for St. George, San Antonio. Matthew and Catherine are moving from the diocese of Pittsburg. He began his duties January 15.

The Rev. Randy Melton has arrived in Gonzales to begin as rector of Church of the Messiah. Melton, along with his wife Karen, come from the Diocese of Northern Indiana.

The Rev. Jim Friedel will be installed as the rector of St. Peter's, Rockport, February 17 at 5 p.m.

The Rev. Steve Bilsbury, from the Diocese of Southern Ohio, has accepted an appointment to serve as assistant rector for Good Shepherd, Corpus Christi. Steve, his wife Kim, and their three daughters moved to Corpus Christi the end of January.

The Rev. Scott Kitayama, from St. Cyprian, Lufkin, in the Diocese of Texas, is the new assistant rector at Christ Church, San Antonio. Scott and wife Susanna will be in San Antonio by mid-February.

Walter Spencer has been named division head of the middle school at TMI-The Episcopal School of Texas. He has been serving as interim head of the school, teaches history, and has been dean of the middle school, assistant athletic director and head varsity basketball coach.

Bishop David Reed will receive the honorary doctor of divinity degree from the Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest on February 13 during the meeting of the board of trustees. The inaugural Bishop Claude Payne Lecture will also be presented at that time. Reed is a 1983 graduate of the Seminary of the Southwest and has spent his entire ministry in the Diocese of West Texas.

Calendar

Together We Grow, the 2008 church staff conference sponsored by Church Supplies and Services Inc., will be February 21 at Champion Forest Baptist Church in Houston. Topics include Shelby databases, ServiceU, TransactU, and EventU, and PhoneTree Live plus excellent speakers. Cost is $75/person for groups of three or more. For details, www.ChurchCo-op.org.

The Community of Hope of West Texas annual retreat at Mustang Island will be March 2 and 3. Bishop Bill and Barbara Frey will be the retreat leaders speaking on The Healing Power of Forgiveness. The retreat will begin at 10 am Saturday and conclude with lunch on Sunday. For information or to register, contact Carol Miller at Christ Episcopal Church, carolm@cecsa.org or 210-736-3132.

The Rev. Barbara Brown Taylor will explore "Sabbath - Self Care or the Mending of the World?" during her March 3 Harvey Lecture at the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin . Taylor will preach at the 11:15 a.m. chapel service and begin her lecture at 6:30 p.m. in Knapp Auditorium. Both events are open to the public at no charge. For details, www.etss.edu

Cursillo #242 will be held at Camp Capers, March 6-9. Lay rector Curt Mowen (St. Luke's, San Antonio ) and Spiritual Director The Rev. Stockton Williams (St. Peter's, Kerrville ). To register for any Cursillo weekend, download a registration form or for information contact Cursillo registrar Leigh Saunders leigh.saunders@dwtx.org or 888/210-824-5387.

Paula D'Arcy and Tony Navarra will star in "On My Way Home," a play about grief, loss, and the transforming power of forgiveness at Church of Reconciliation, San Antonio, March 28 and 29. Both performances are at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15. For details, www.churchofreconciliation.org

The Spring Gathering for Women, hosted by the diocesan Commission for Women's Ministries, will be April 4-6 at Camp Capers. Presenter is the Rev. Mary Earle on "Praying with our Desert Mothers." Cost is $125. Brochures and registration forms available soon at your local church.

The Diocese of Northwest Texas will host a Parish Nurse Preparation Course at Mercy Center in Slaton, Texas, April 6-10. Parish nurse programs in congregations promote wellness, prevention, and clinical programs of health ministry. Their purpose is to empower, educate, and advocate for healthcare 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.

April 21-26, Mustang Island Conference Center will be the location for the Epiphany Institute's clergy and lay leadership development program, "Look Up." Speakers include Bishop Gary Lillibridge, The Rev. John Rayls, the Rev. Hugh Magers, and the Rev. Bill Easum. For information or to register, go to www.epiphanyinstitute.org or call 828-324-1351.

The advanced degree programs of the University of the South include the master of sacred theology program and the D. Min. program. Dates for summer courses in 2008 are June 25 to July 16. In addition, the Anglican Heritage Tour course will be May 29 to June 9. For information on any of these programs, visit http://sewanee.edu.