All Advocates stand together with Native women

An update from the National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence Against Women  

In just the past several days there has been real progress in talks with Senate and House leadership about passing a final VAWA now.  However, House Republican leadership is strongly resistant to including Tribal provisions that would protect countless Native women from the brutal violence they face every day.  Victims face dire and life-threatening violence on Tribal lands and advocates are unwilling to accept a bill that leaves those victims without access to justice.  House Republican leadership knows that taking away provisions that protect Native women could be the demise of the entire VAWA bill because supporters will not abandon justice for Native women.  

That is outrageous!  We need to act now.

Early last week, Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA) and some of his Republican colleagues introduced H.R. 6625, the Violence Against Indian Women Act, which contains compromise solutions to help address opponents' constitutional concerns and move VAWA forward.  Other House Republicans have also co-sponsored the bill.  NTF praises Congressman Issa's leadership and is committed to working with Congressman Issa and other House and Senate Republicans to enact these provisions.  We are also asking Speaker Boehner and Leader Cantor to support the compromise provisions so that VAWA can protect all victims.

ACTION ALERT    

Congressman Issa has given us a path forward that allows VAWA to protect Native victims. But Republican leadership needs to hear from you.  Urge them to accept this compromise and pass a VAWA that protects all victims.

Please call Speaker Boehner and Leader Cantor and tell them a final VAWA that does not protect Native women and does not hold perpetrators accountable is unacceptable.  Urge them to support the Issa compromise on Tribal provisions (H.R. 6625) and include that in VAWA so that VAWA can move forward to protect all victims.

Speaker Boehner:           202.225.6205
Leader Cantor:                202.225.2815

Use these tweets to amplify our message:

@EricCantor Pls accept Issa's HR 6625 compromise on tribal jurisdiction as a path forward to get #VAWA done for all victims! #PassVAWA2012

@GOPLeader Pls accept Issa's HR 6625 compromise on tribal jurisdiction as a path forward to get #VAWA done for all victims! #PassVAWA2012

@SpeakerBoehner Pls accept Issa's HR 6625 compromise on tribal jurisdiction. A path forward to get #VAWA done for all victims! #PassVAWA2012

BACKGROUND

VAWA must include a key provision that would give tribes jurisdiction over non-Native perpetrators in domestic and dating violence cases.  House Republicans leaders claim that these critical protections might be considered unconstitutional.  This protection is, however, supported by scores of law professors, the Justice Department, former Republican U.S. Attorneys, the American Bar Association, and the judges of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.  All agree that these protections are legally sound and are needed to address the epidemic rates of violence against Native women.

House Republicans must allow Tribal protections to be in the final VAWA in order for it to pass in lame duck.  NTF cannot support a bill that leaves any victim behind or that suggests that some victims are more worthy of protection than others.  We are working with a dedicated group of Republican House members, who understand the seriousness of the violence Native women face, to keep the Tribal jurisdiction provisions in the VAWA bill. 

For additional fact sheets on Tribal issues and a statement from a Native survivor of violence, visit www.4VAWA.org.

UPDATE: Task force members for structural reform

[Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs] Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and President of the House of Deputies the Rev. Gay Clark Jennings have announced that the Rev. William H. Allport, Jr. from the Diocese of West Texas has resigned from the Structure Task Force for personal reasons.

Jefferts Schori and Jennings have named the Rev. Canon Marianne S. Ell from the Diocese of North Dakota.  She is the vice president of Province VI.

Approved at the July General Convention 2012, Resolution C095 calls for development of a 24-member task force charged with presenting a plan to the next General Convention in 2015 "for reforming the Church's structures, governance, and administration."

The other members of the Task Force for Church Structural Reform named by Jefferts Schori and Jennings are:

* The Rev. Jennifer L. Adams, Diocese of Western Michigan
* The Rev. Joseph M.C. Chambers, Diocese of Missouri
* Canon Judith G. Conley, Diocese of Arizona
* Bishop Michael Bruce Curry, Diocese of North Carolina
* Bishop C. Andrew Doyle, Diocese of Texas
* The Rev. Miguelina Espinal-Howell, Diocese of Newark
* Professor Victor A. Feliberty-Ruberte, Diocese of Puerto Rico
* The Venerable Robert Anton Franken, Diocese of Missouri
* Dr. Catherine George, Diocese of New Jersey
* Bishop Mary Gray-Reeves, Diocese of El Camino Real
* Ian L. Hallas, Diocese of Chicago
* Julia Ayala Harris, Diocese of Florida
* The Rev. Dr. Bradley S. Hauff, Diocese of Pennsylvania
* The Rev. Leng Leroy Lim, Diocese of Los Angeles
* Thomas A. Little, Esq. Diocese of Vermont
* The Rev. Canon Craig W. Loya, Diocese of Kansas
* Sarah Miller, Diocese of Alabama
* The Rev. Kevin D. Nichols, Diocese of New Hampshire
* Bishop Sean W. Rowe, Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania
* Margaret B. Shannon, Diocese of Texas
* T. Dennis Sullivan, Diocese of New York
* Jonathan McKenzie York, Diocese of North Carolina
* The Rev. Dr. Dwight J. Zscheile, Diocese of Minnesota

In addition, two partners from other Anglican Communion provinces have been appointed: the Very Rev. Peter Elliott of the Anglican Church of Canada, dean of the Diocese of New Westminster and rector of Christ Church Cathedral in Vancouver; and the Rev. Sathianathan Clarke, Th.D., of the Church of South India, who is the Bishop Sundo Kim Chair in World Christianity and professor of theology, culture and mission at Wesley Theological Seminary.

Resolution C095
According to resolution C095, "The membership of the Task Force shall reflect the diversity of the Church, and shall include some persons with critical distance from the Church's institutional leadership."

In addition, the task force will conduct a special gathering with representation from every diocese in preparation of its final report, due by November 2014.  The date and location of the special meeting will be determined later.

Resolution C095 in full is here.

Swift reaction follows rejection of women as bishops in England

Canon Paula Gooder looks on alongside Rowan Williams (R), the outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury, after draft legislation introducing the first women bishops failed to receive final approval from the Church of England General Synod in London. Photo: REUTERS/Yui Mok

It had been widely assumed that the oft-debated and amended measure - backed by both incoming and outgoing archbishops of Canterbury - would pass Nov. 20 during the second day of the church's Nov. 19-21 group of sessions at Church House in Westminster. Archbishop of York John Sentamu said after the rejection that the measure would not proceed any further and cannot be considered again until a new synod is elected in 2015, unless a convincing case is presented by the leadership of synod and supported by its members. Details about that process are here.

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, who actively supported passage of the measure, told General Synod on Nov. 21 that the day after the vote "was always going to be a difficult day," no matter the outcome. "The priority for today for all of us is to attend to one another ... that is to give to one another the care that we need, and whatever else we do today, and think today and say today, I hope that that is what we will be able to offer one another," he said. An audio file of his comments is here.

Williams made his remarks after an emergency meeting of the Church of England's House of Bishops early in the morning Nov. 21 for what he called "an informal discussion," and he said that the synod leadership also met during the evening of Nov. 20.

The archbishop had also commented in a broadcast interview about two hours after the decision, saying that he felt "deep personal sadness" at the outcome. However, he said, the vote "isn't the end of the story, this is not an issue that is going to go away."

More ... 

Nominees for Bishop Suffragan in the Diocese of North Carolina; election in January

A Bishop Suffragan is a permanent (i.e., not time-limited) assistant to the Bishop Diocesan. The Bishop Suffragan in this diocese would have some responsibilities in the whole diocese (e.g. Galilee ministry initiatives, young adult ministries, diaconate expansion, diocesan outreach ministries, and Sunday visitations) and some specifically related in the Greensboro, Winston-Salem and Charlotte convocations (e.g. convocation confirmations, bishop pastor for clergy, and deployment of deacons). The new bishop will be based in Greensboro.

The Rev. Susan Buchanan, Rector, Christ Episcopal Church, North Conway, NH  (Diocese of New Hampshire)

The Rev. Canon Amy Real Coultas, Canon Missioner, Christ Church Cathedral, Louisville, KY, and Episcopal Chaplain, University of Louisville Interfaith Center, Louisville, KY (Diocese of Kentucky)

The Rev. Lisa Fischbeck, Vicar, Episcopal Church of the Advocate, Chapel Hill, NC (Diocese of North Carolina)

The Rev. Anne Hodges-Copple, Rector, St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Durham, NC  (Diocese of North Carolina)

The Rev. Matthew Heyd, Priest and Director of Faith in Action, Trinity Church Wall Street, New York, NY (Diocese of New York)

The Episcopal Women's Caucus strives to offer views from different women, lay or ordained, throughout the Church and to hold up celebrations, events, achievements, or struggles that involve women. If you are interested in contributing, whether through an article you have written or a newsworthy item, please contact either Karen Bota, editor of RUACH, at kdbota@aol.com or Gigi Conner, editor of "The Monthly Caucus," at gigipriest@prodigy.net.

The Episcopal Women's Caucus is on Facebook and we have a website. Follow us on Twitter @ewcaucus.  

 Please feel free to pass along articles to friends or forward this email ... and let us hear from you. And if you are a member and would like to "re-up" your membership, please do so by filling out the coupon at the bottom of the page. If you are new to the Caucus and would like to become a member, please use the same form.