Inclusiveness focus spotlights
facets of church identity

In a reminder of baptism, St. Peter’s Episcopal School students collected holy water to sprinkle on some of the 600 worshipers who attended the Festival Eucharist Sunday, Feb. 9, at the 19th annual diocesan convention in Chattanooga. Beginning left with arm extended is Zack Rutledge, then Manning Smith, Sarah Van Deusen, Tru Taylor and Jackson Harris.

Attendees at the 19th Annual Convention of the Diocese of East Tennessee in Chattanooga Feb. 7-9 studied the diocese from many angles: The Bishop spoke on diocesan identity; delegates acted on the entire Constitution and Canons; the diocese placed a new emphasis on lay ministry; and convention-goers participated in multicultural worship and fellowship.

The final tally of delegates and others numbered 280.

Voice vote confirmed eight people who were unopposed in re-election, and 11 people were elected to new service. No layperson was nominated or elected to represent the Upper East area on Bishop and Council.

The convention approved a 2003 budget for the diocese of $1,703,053, and it accepted an invitation from the Rev. Frank Cooper on behalf of the parishes in Johnson City to stage the 2004 convention there.

Resolutions

The Hon. Marie Williams communicated actions of the Constitution and Canons Committee, noting that much of the group’s work primarily is to bring the document in line with that of the national church. One such change that convention approved is that actions on how real property is transferred, encumbered or assigned will be taken by the Standing Committee instead of by Bishop and Council. Another suggested revision did not pass convention: It would have required that members of Bishop and Council be nominated and elected at the convention by the area in which they reside. The change was withdrawn from consideration, and Bishop and Council was asked to review and possibly reintroduce it at next year’s convention.

The Jubilee Committee proposed one resolution. It urged “all parishes and members to make a careful study of our conservation efforts” and to consider a variety of “environmental stewardship” measures. Those measures include using nondisposable dishes at coffee hours and potluck dinners; buying paper products containing recycled material, energy-efficient appliances, low-wattage light bulbs and biodegradable cleaners; and others. Convention approved the resolution as amended to encourage conservation of gasoline.

The three members of the Youth Action Council who were delegates with seat and voice also introduced a resolution, passed by delegates, which directs Bishop and Council to designate funds in the current budget to fund the part-time position of Youth Ministry Facilitator.

Reports and special reports

The Commission on Ministry reported that the diocese plans to place additional emphasis on lay ministry. It will develop a program to license lay ministers, identify the needs of lay ministers and work to increase the opportunities for their involvement in the life of the church. Extra attention also will be given to recruiting younger Aspirants to Holy Orders. The diocese has added a staff member who will coordinate lay ministry efforts: Rick Govan began this new job April 1.

Norma Mills reported on the Grow in Mission capital campaign; funds pledged to date were $751,206. Doug Dooley, senior warden of St. Paul’s-Chattanooga, gave the Bishop the first of five checks for $100,000 pledged by the church for a chapel at Grace Point, bringing the total to $1,251,206.

Highlights of reports and special presentations included that of the Rev. Harry Bahlow on the work of the Hate Crimes Task Force, in which he warned against judging potential churchgoers in a kind of “ecclesiastical profiling.” Jan Hayes said the Committee on Ministry to Disabled Persons plans a Web-based inventory of accessibility for all parishes.

The Rev. Al Minor, for the Committee on Disaster Relief, applauded the efforts of the Rev. Joe Pinner, Sharon Pinner and the parish of St. Andrew-Harriman to assist residents of the Mossy Grove area following the community’s near-total destruction by tornadoes last fall. Assistance to the area is ongoing. The Rev. Wade Frye said the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church had recently designated two more Jubilee Centers in the diocese, and he introduced representatives of all seven centers.

A slide show on Appalachian Ministries sowed “Seeds of Hope” as it showed efforts including the Backpack Project, the Easter Tree Project, Coats of Many Colors and the Firewood Project that are conducted by parishes in conjunction with area agencies to ease poverty in Campbell County. St. Paul-Athens youth got delegates moving to the song, “Trust in the Lord” when they taught expressive gestures used at an art and music camp last summer.

The unmistakable sound of a bagpipe preceded presentation of St. Francis of Assisi-Ooltewah. Member Chris Armstrong, arrayed in tartan, played “When the Saints Come Marching In” as he led dozens of parish members to the front of the hall. Members Lana Hamilton and Jim Morris described the progression of the parish from its first meetings at the James County Courthouse in 1991; to baptisms using water from a spring on the church property; to the selection of a church name affirmed through the Spirit when Charter Day was found to be the feast day of St. Francis; to construction of the church and a memorial garden. The Rev. Buckley Robbins announced that the parish’s 2003 budget reflects commitments fully met and no request for diocesan funding.

In another inspired moment, Hugh Jones, chairman of Grace Point’s Board of Managers, directed the convention’s attention to small bottles of dirt on each table in the convention hall and asked that people take the “holy ground” home as a reminder that Grace Point Camp and Retreat Center is “a place of growth.” He noted that the bottles contained a bit of moisture, and perhaps a few roots; he talked about the need for people to set the roots of their faith into holy ground, and how air (the Holy Spirit) and moisture (baptism) are necessary for growth. And for a lucky few winners, he outlined a drawing that would be held following the lunch break.Third Prize, a birdhouse, went to seminarian Bo Townsend. Second Prize, a 5-gallon container of “holy ground,” was awarded to Diane Purdy of St. Christopher-Kingsport. And First Prize, a 2-hour tour of Grace Point with Vicar Bo Lewis, went to Vivian Talmadge from St. Paul-Athens. The Rev. Canon Dr. Richard Brown of St. John’s Cathedral added kayak lessons to the first-place prize, making it “worth winning, which had not been my original intent,” Jones joked.

Worship

Hundreds of worshipers gathered Friday at St. Paul-Chattanooga for a choral Evensong guided by the University of the South’s University Choir. The hymn St. Paul’s had commissioned for the convention, “When Silence Filled the Formless Night,” by Richard Shephard with lyrics by Katherine Holtby, was presented and sung by the assembly.

The seminarians launched Saturday with Morning Prayer: Brad Smith of the University of the South was the Officiant, Bo Townsend of the Seminary of the Southwest was reader and Pat Grace of Virginia Theological Seminary preached a homily.

The convention closed Sunday with a Festival Eucharist that stressed multiculturalism. Hymns included “All Creatures of Our God and King” and “All People that on Earth Do Dwell,” and two students from St. Peter’s School in Chattanooga directed the congregation’s attention with colorful ribbons during a Four-Direction Prayer. Students also sprinkled worshipers with water dipped from a font in a reminder of baptism, and Bishop Ron Warren of the Southeastern Synod-ELCA preached a sermon on baptism. An offering of $1,690.50 was gathered; it was later distributed among the three Chattanooga-area Jubilee Centers: Esperanza del Barrio, Chattanooga Community Kitchen and St. Elmo Reading and Tutoring Center.

Fellowship

After Friday’s Evensong, St. Paul’s Church hosted the Bishop’s Reception, which included refreshments and music by Lookout Mountain fiddler Joseph Duncan. Convention-goers were on their own Friday to explore Chattanooga by night. Clergy spouses were treated Saturday to lunch and a tour of the Hunter Museum, and a fiesta on the convention center’s South Portico to the sounds of a Latin band drew both convention-goers and area parishioners Saturday night.

Events, workshops

The Episcopal Commission of Southeast Tennessee brought Bishop Onell Soto to the convention, where he discussed issues facing the Hispanic community and how the church can respond to this growing segment of East Tennessee’s population. Soto is a former Bishop of Venezuela.

Other opportunities included a prayer room for those who wished a quiet time to pray or meditate; nearly 30 staffed exhibits; and a video presented by Good Shepherd-Lookout Mountain that examined mission projects in Haiti. In four workshop events, convention-goers could participate in “Godly Play,” “Seeds of Hope: Living the Gospel in Appalachia,” “Reducing Barriers for People with Disabilities” or “Growing Stewardship Ministry.”

Workshop leader Kathleen Crevasse said she had nearly 30 adult participants in her session on “Godly Play,” a Christian education method that is usually oriented toward children. Most attendees were clergy and vestry members from smaller churches who were looking for “something different” and who had no exposure to the method that uses Bible stories to enable learning. Crevasse said she led participants through a greeting, a story, “wondering questions,” a time of reflection and a “feast.” She talked of the deep meaning people draw from “Godly Play” sessions, and how in an adult session, “somebody always ends in tears.” She said participants from two churches left the workshop discussing how they might combine resources to explore “Godly Play” in their parishes.

The Committee on Ministry to Persons with Disabilities sponsored a workshop featuring the Rev. Emily Richards, Vicar of St. Alban in Morehead, Ky., who has had personal experience in finding practical ways to overcome barriers to full inclusion in worship, education and fellowship. She reminded participants that the aging population makes this concern one that every church will face.

The Rev. Dan Matthews, St. Paul-Kingsport, and members of the diocesan Stewardship Committee worked with nearly 60 participants to examine a theology of stewardship. The workshop outlined “Six Steps to Success” and four stewardship ideas, and reminded attendees that any program must be conducted with the guidance of the rector and input of the vestry. Presenters also issued an open invitation to the Bishop’s Conference on Stewardship, which is set for Aug. 23 and will have as keynote speaker Terry Parsons of ECUSA.

“Seeds of hope” workshop facilitator Mary Nell Osborne and members of the Appalachian Ministries Committee welcomed an unexpectedly large group of about 75 people to a “dialogue of sharing, questions, talking about ministry” to and with Appalachian communities. Osborne described connections that were made at the session, including the positive response of a Chattanooga-area trucking company employee to a project coordinator who expressed concern about the difficulties her group faced in transporting all the donated materials to Appalachian communities. Osborne noted that “We are in Appalachia ... People think it’s ‘out there,’ but we are it.”