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 HE IS RISEN! |
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THE NEWSLETTER
The Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Northwest Texas |
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WELCOME to the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Northwest Texas --a place where the vast open plains are as wondrous as the big sky above!
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Photo used with permission.
Dave Chapman www.stormdude.com
As depicted in the pectoral cross of Bishop J. Scott Mayer, the stars, moon, and sun are representative of the beauty one may find in this region of Texas. The landscape, covering 77,000 square miles is as diverse as the cities and people, with the canyons and rangelands of the Staked Plains; agricultural fields abounding; and the rough and ready country of the Rolling Plains and Permian Basin. The people here are known for their warm and friendly smiles, making one feel like an old and trusted friend
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Noteworthy News from Northwest Texas
|  Loretta Fulton Receives Award Loretta Fulton, member of St. Mark's in Abilene, recently received the Maxine Perini Award given annually by the Taylor County Historical Commission. The award, given at the annual dinner held in March, recognizes outstanding service to Taylor County in the preservation of its history and the promotion of historical events. McMurry University professor Donald Frazier gave the keynote address. Fulton, who was presented the award by Maxine Perini's son, Tom, was unaware of her selection until her name was called.  Fulton has been writing professionally since her graduation from the University of Texas in 1969, when she relocated to Abilene. She was cited for her articles focusing on local history in the Abilene Reporter-News and for her biography of Abilene's first female physician, Dr. Virginia Connally. Fulton derives the greatest pleasure from her profession when she is involved in writing stories focusing on history. "The stories I liked to read had a historical context," she said. As a freelance writer, Fulton often is assigned stories that draw on her knowledge of the history of Taylor County and the Big Country. The Maxine Perini award was established in 1995, with Perini as the inaugural recipient. Perini died in 2001, just shy of her 90th birthday. In addition to being a well-known local artist and activist, Perini was a longtime member of the Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest in Abilene. She chaired the committee that oversaw the construction of the church, working with Philip Hubert Frohman, resident architect of the Washington National Cathedral. Link to Reporter-News article: http://www.reporternews.com/news/2013/mar/07/journalist-author-fulton-honored-at-historical (Photo from the Abilene Reporter-News) ++++++++++++ A Missionary Update from Japan In August of 2011 Katie Young, from Church of the Heavenly Rest in Abilene, shared a story with us about her post-college graduation assignment to serve with the Episcopal Young Adult Service Corp (YASC) in Nagoya, Japan. During her time there she worked full-time teaching English, helping a pre-school class and working with the homeless. Katie was so impacted by the year in Nagoya that she volunteered for yet another year of missionary work with the YASC. This time, however, she was sent to Sendai, Japan with the Anglican Church of Japan and their Let Us Walk Together project, which was started to assist victims of the tsunami and earthquake of March 2011. 
Recently an article about Katie and her work overseas was posted in the University of the Incarnate Word's online publication. To read the full article by Rebecca Esparza, Incarnate Word '99 BBA & '03 MBA, follow the blue highlighted link. What, you may ask, will Katie do next, after she completes her year with the Let Us Walk Together project? As the article stated, "After her current commitment in Japan has finished, Katie is contemplating pursuing a career in community development. But one thing is certain at this point: she still wants to make the world a better place to live." Also featured in the article, Katie recounted a Japanese fable she heard while in Nagoya that has stuck with her during times of doubt. "A long time ago some animals in the forest were talking about hospitality. As they were talking, a beggar came into the forest and made a fire. The animals immediately went about collecting food for this beggar to eat. The monkey gathered fruit from the trees, the otter caught fish, and the fox stole some milk from another animal in the forest. The rabbit however didn't know what to offer the beggar except grass. So he jumped into the fire and offered himself. The beggar then revealed that he was a god. He then saved the rabbit from the fire and put a picture of him in the moon. That way everyone from then on would remember the sacrifice this rabbit made." "The meaning I gathered from this story," said Katie, "is that when you don't know what you can offer, offer yourself. Offer everything you have to everyone you encounter. It was a reminder of how I am supposed to live and serve in this world. It was a reminder that you are enough as long as you give of yourself fully." "What I do know for sure is whatever work I do or wherever I go, I want to serve the community around me," said Young. "I do not want to have a job that just pays the bills. I want a job that is working for something I can take pride in; something that I know is going to change the lives around me for the better." What an amazing example of the love of Christ in the world! To follow Katie's overseas adventures follow Katie's blog at: www.peaceloverice.blogspot.com.
++++++++++++  Transition News The Search Committee of St. Nicholas', Midland, is proud to announce the release of their Parish Profile, and the acceptance of names for the next Rector of St. Nicholas'. Anyone with the name of a potential candidate for the Rector position is asked to submit the name to Canon Ehmer with the address and contact information for the candidate. To view the updated website, and the Parish Profile, please visit the St. Nicholas' website. |
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Especially for our Youth...
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For more information, or to register online for camp this summer,
 EYE14 dates and location announced
July 9-13, 2014
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori announced that the popular Episcopal Youth Event (EYE) will be held July 9-13, 2014 in the Philadelphia area in partnership with the Diocese of Pennsylvania.
The 2014 event marks the twelfth EYE and remains a popular and well-attended event. EYE 2014 is geared for youth in grades 9-12 during the 2013-2014 academic year and their adult leaders.
For more information on this exciting event, follow this link.
EYE on Facebook
Episcopal Church Youth Ministries
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Treasures in Retirement
|  by the Rev. William (Bill) Wright This month we are honored to hear from the Rev. William Baskin (Bill) Wright himself. Fr. Bill and Mtr. Kara have shared interviews with the various retired clergy with us each month, however we are coming to the end of the interviews. It has been a pleasure and privilege to share these stories with our readers in the Diocese and beyond!
 During the years I have been in the ordained ministry I have served in five dioceses; Alabama, West Texas, Texas, Northwest Texas and Fort Worth. I was ordained to the transitional diaconate in 1970 and to the priesthood the following year. My family members have been very supportive of my calling.
My wife, Pat, and I were both from Alabama and met in tenth grade. We dated for six years and have been married forty-eight years. She has been my soul mate and support throughout my time in the ministry and before. We have two children and seven grandchildren, all of whom live in Texas. My daughter, Kim, and her husband Carl White, live in San Angelo with their four children. My son, Chris, and his wife Chriselda, live in Lewisville with their three children. I have also served in the Navy as a Line Officer on active duty aboard the U.S.S. Lexington (CVS 16), now a museum in Corpus Christi and would spend twenty-eight years as a Line Officer and then as a Chaplain, mostly in Naval Reserve, before retiring from the Navy after twenty-eight years. I have served in congregations in the five dioceses I mentioned and have done supply work in Arkansas, Northwest Texas and Fort Worth as well. In Northwest Texas I have served as Rector of St. Paul's-on-the-Plains in Lubbock, and Interim Rector of Heavenly Rest in Abilene. This ministry has made it possible for me to work with a great variety of people to teach, preach and experience God's love through pastoral contacts. I am a cradle Episcopalian and have really enjoyed experiencing the varieties of opportunities and ministries of the Church. It is a Church which is very much alive, well and engaged in dynamic ministries. I see the future of the Church as bright and hopeful. I have particularly enjoyed working with stewardship, Bible study and outreach ministries of the congregations I have served. Although I love the Holy Eucharist my favorite liturgy is the Baptismal liturgy with the Baptismal Covenant and its charges to "seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself" and to "strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being." If I were advising myself as a young priest I would remind myself that God is continuing to do new things (see Isaiah 43:19). I would advise myself to be tuned into God's little surprises rather than a slave to schedule. My favorite hymn is the Navy Hymn (Hymnal #608). Although it does not have as many verses as we had in the Navy Hymnal, it still reduces me to tears of joy when I hear it in a liturgy. Some of my finest memories of ministry with children have come from trips I had with EYC groups to England to live with people in villages there and to learn more about our heritage as Episcopalians. I am enjoying my work with Grace and Grub, a ministry of Emmanuel parish in San Angelo where twice a week 150 to 250 high school young people join us for a free lunch at Emmanuel. Each week a variety of other area churches helps us at one of these meals. In retirement I have been greatly blessed to serve as Chaplain to retired clergy and their spouses for Northwest Texas. The Rev. Kara Wishmeyer has assisted in this work, and it reminds me daily of the experience and wisdom we have among those who have served the Church so well, and continue to do so. Retirement has also given me the blessing of serving as a supply priest in a good number of churches. Pat and I find that we make new friendships and see so many old friends in our travels. I also am enjoying reading the classics and a variety of other literature in retirement. It has been a real gift to be able to relax, to continue to be involved in the work of ministry and to enjoy family. Blessings abound! |
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Upcoming Events
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Dallas Benedictine Experience
The 16th annual Dallas Benedictine Experience will take place at The Catholic Conference and Formation Center in Dallas, Texas from Wednesday, June 19 through Saturday, June 22, 2013. This monastic experience is presented by The Friends of St. Benedict, Washington, D.C. and is open to men and women, laity and clergy of all denominations. Participants will live on the campus of the center for four days, forming a temporary monastic community to experience the balanced way of life of The Rule of St. Benedict as it divides each day into private and group prayer, study, work, and leisure. Four Benedictine Offices (Lauds, Sext, Vespers, and Compline) will be chanted each day in English in Gregorian Chant. For more information, please e-mail heepspence@aol.com
or call 214-339-8483.
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Poker Run On April 27, 2013 United Campus Ministries at Angelo State University will be hosting a motorcycle poker run as a benefit for United Campus Ministries and Big Brothers Big Sisters in San Angelo.
This is a benefit ride to support United Campus Ministries at Angelo State University and Big Brothers Big Sisters in San Angelo. Check in/registration begins at 8:00 am at Family Powers ports, 4160 Houston-Harte Way, San Angelo, with riders leaving as they register. Last rider out will be at 12:00 pm. Cash prizes for the top three hands and the worst hand with 50/50 drawing, entertainment and food after the run. Entry is $25 for riders and $5 for passengers with additional hands available at $5 each. All riders must be properly licensed, registered and insured.
For more information call 325-949-0239
or visit our website at
ASUUnitedCampusMinistries.org
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From The Episcopal Church...
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Did you know...?
The Episcopal Church, through efforts of Episcopal Relief and Development (E.R.D.), has a Disaster Program for the United States? With thunderstorm and tornado season upon us, it's always wise to be prepared with information, just in case.
Episcopal Relief & Development's U.S. Disaster Program inspires, connects and equips leaders of the U.S. Episcopal Church and its partners to prepare for hazards that might affect their communities, to mitigate the impact of those disasters, and to help the vulnerable make a full and sustained recovery.
E.R.D. has developed three programs to aid in the event of disaster:
- The U.S. Emergency Relief Program
- The U.S. Disaster Recovery Program
- The U.S. Disaster Preparedness Initiative
E.R.D. also has a database called Ready to Serve, with volunteers, technical resources, and connections to peers around the country who have faced similar challenges.
To learn more about these valuable programs, click on the highlighted links.
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Seminary Updates
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Seminary of the Southwest- Austin
The Very Rev. Douglas Travis, dean and president of Seminary of the Southwest since June 2007 has announced his retirement. His last day of service will be May 31, 2013. In his message to the seminary community, Dean Travis expressed his joy at having led the seminary during a time of growth in enrollment and financial support during a time of health and great hope for the future. "This has been an amazing ride and I have experienced enormous satisfaction in what we have accomplished together," said Dean Travis.
 Simultaneously, the Rt. Rev. Dena Harrison, chair of the board and bishop suffragan of the Diocese of Texas, announced the board's appointment of Cynthia Briggs Kittredge to lead the seminary as its eighth dean and president. The Rev. Dr. Kittredge has served as the seminary's academic dean since 2010 and professor of New Testament since she joined the faculty in 1999.
"On behalf of the board of trustees, I want to express my gratitude to our Dean and President Doug Travis for the outstanding work he has done. It is also my great joy to announce the Rev. Dr. Kittredge's appointment as our next dean and president. She is the perfect person to lead the seminary at this time, and we are extraordinarily blessed to have her gifts and talents devoted to our institution and its faithful service to the church," said Bishop Harrison.
Dr. Kittredge holds degrees from Williams College and Harvard Divinity School where she earned a Th.D. in 1996. She was ordained priest in 1985 and is canonically resident in the Diocese of Texas. She has served as assisting clergy at Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd since 1999.
Dr. Kittredge is author of Community and Authority: The Rhetoric of Obedience in the Pauline Tradition and Conversations with Scripture: The Gospel of John. She co-edited Walk in the Ways of Wisdom: Essays in Honor of Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza with Shelly Matthews and Melanie Johnson-DeBaufre.
Dean Kittredge served on the Theological Education in the Anglican Communion Steering Committee from 2009 - 2012. She was elected president of the Anglican Association of Biblical Scholars in 2008 and has served on the board of Evangelical Education Society since 2005 and now chairs the board.
Dr. Kittredge and her husband Frank D. Kittredge, Jr. live in Austin and have three grown children.
Dean Emeritus Travis will be honored at a celebration on Sunday, May 12, and in retirement will divide his time between Dallas, Texas and Albuquerque, New Mexico
For more news and events from SSW, visit their website at http://www.ssw.edu
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Certificate Program for Youth Ministers and Christian Educators
Learn from the best at Seminary of the Southwest. If you are a practitioner in the field of Christian formation--youth minister or Christian educator--the Certificate Program is for you.
Two courses will be included in the June 24- 28 session of the Certificate Program in Christian Formation: Dr. Steven Bishop, professor of Old Testament, will teach Biblical Literacy 101, and the Rev. Dr. John Lewis , assisting priest at St. Mark's, San Antonio and co-director of The Work+Shop will teach Come, Follow Me: Living Discipleship in the New Testament.
This program is for you. It is designed to empower you to be a more able minister through strengthening your ability to speak the language of the Christian community in effective and creative ways. Please click HERE for program details, or to register online.
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University of the South at Sewanee -
School of Theology
The Rt. Rev. J. Neil Alexander, dean of The School of Theology, has appointed Dr. Courtney Cowart as associate dean and director of the School's programs center. James Goodmann has been appointed the center's associate director. These appointments were effective March 1, 2013.
Building on the success of the programs center's international Education for Ministry (EfM) program, Cowart will lead an expansion that envisions a new role for the center as the nexus of collaborative learning and creativity for an increasingly diverse body of participants from all parts of the Church.
To view the March issue of Theology Monthly from the School of Theology,
please click on the banner below.
( The April edition had not been released at press time.)
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Episcopal Church Foundation
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Getting to the 'Why'- Part 2
By Miguel Angel Escobar, part of the Vestry Papers issue on Cultivating Leaders (March 2013)  The day-to-day vitality of our congregations relies on the ongoing commitment - and sacrifice - of its lay and clergy leaders. We are blessed by the gifts of those who serve on vestries, in soup kitchens, and who stay up late putting the finishing touches on the parish newsletter or sermon. Believing that most Episcopalians want to be transformed by being a part of Christ's bold mission and vision, becoming a more faithful disciple in the process, the Episcopal Church Foundation (ECF) often advocates for transformational leadership, a model that focuses on the 'why' of all that we do. In Part 1 of this article, I shared stories of transformational leadership at work. Part 2 offers some of the key practices used by transformational leaders to both build a shared sense of purpose and strengthen leadership capacity. |
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From Other Dioceses
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Newcomer Ministry Project
from the Diocese of Texas
Each quarter  the Diocese of Texas publishes an exquisite publication named The Dialog, which serves as more than just a newsletter. In magazine format, The Dialog highlights interesting and informative articles for the diocese.
In the March 2013 issue of The Dialog one article detailed what they termed a simple idea which leads to sustained growth. The simple idea was a Newcomer Ministry, begun by a parishioner in Beaumont named Mary Parmer.
Mary discovered the Episcopal Church when she attended a service with a friend, leaving her evangelical background to eventually join the Church. She feels it is "the best kept secret." Since that time Mary has developed a newcomer ministry training program that has inspired new church growth.
As a response to the Vision and Mission of the Diocese of Texas, the newcomer ministry project was initiated in the spring of 2010. Assessment tools for systematic, intentional structures of invitation, welcome, and connection were researched, designed and implemented in four pilot congregations. All four of the parishes saw amazing new growth. In addition, ongoing consultation with these churches has provided accountability for progress and data collection to measure the results of this new work.
Soon, Forward Movement will be licensing the Newcomer Ministry training materials for purchase throughout the country, but they are now, and will continue to be, at no cost at the Diocese of Texas website at epicenter.org/newcomer.
*** SIDE NOTE- Congratulations to Diocese of Texas Director of Communications Carol Barnwell and her team for the "Best in Class" Associated Church Press award this year for a denominational magazine. "Diolog" beat out heavyweights "U.S Catholic," "The United Church Observer" (Canada), and "Presbyterians Today."
http://www.theacp.org/index.php/534-2/
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Diocesan Events Calendar
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APRIL 201315-18 Clergy Conference, Quarterman Ranch
25 Fresh Start, HEC, 10:30am
28 Visitation, Good Shepherd, Brownfield MAY 20133 Commission on Ministry, HEC, 10:00am 3-4 Deacon Formation, Lubbock 5 Visitation, St. Andrew's, Amarillo12 Visitation, St. Mary's, Big Spring13-15 SSW Commencement and Trutees18-19 Grace Church, Vernon, 60th Anniversary Celebration27 MEMORIAL DAY- HEC closed
28-30 Fresh Start Retreat, Catholic Retreat Center, San Angelo
(Items in purple indicate Bishop Mayer's presence.)
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Heavenly Father, send your Holy Spirit into our hearts, to direct and rule us according to your will, to comfort us in all our afflictions, to defend us from all error, and lead us into all truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN
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