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 Transitions: Diocesan Personnel Assignments
Bishop Dorsey McConnell has made the following appointments in diocesan leadership and staffing:
The Rev. Canon Scott T. Quinn is now Interim Dean of Trinity Cathedral. He will remain Rector of the Church of the Nativity, Crafton, where he has served since 1983. This appointment ends his nearly six years of service as Canon to the Ordinary under Bishops Johnson, Price, and McConnell, though he will continue to exercise the ministry of Canon Pastor. The duties of Canon to the Ordinary will be assumed by Archdeacon Jean Chess, with support from Canon Missioner Cathy Brall and Canon for Formation Jay Geisler.
The Rev. Timothy V. Hushion, who has been on the cathedral staff since early 2012 and priest-in-charge for the past year, becomes Vicar for the Cathedral.
The Ven. Jean Chess has been named Archdeacon and Director of Administration. She will oversee, on a half-time basis, the day-to-day functions of the diocesan office and assist the bishop with clergy deployment. She is particularly charged with reviewing the communications infrastructure of the diocese, as well as our existing organizational design, to bring our administrative structures more fully in line with our mission. Thanks to the appointment of a diocesan administrator that is distinct from the Treasurer, as permitted by canon, Kathi Workman's sole responsibilities will be diocesan finances.
The Rev. Ben DeHart has been named Diocesan Chaplain, providing regular visits to UPMC St. Margaret and "on call" pastoral care of Episcopalians from out-of-town or in situations where parish clergy are unavailable. Additionally, he will continue at St. Thomas, Oakmont, as Curate.
The position of Communications Director has been restructured. Rich Creehan, who has served in that capacity since 2008, now attends to a limited scope of projects assigned by the bishop. Rich will continue as media liaison and spokesman for the diocese.
Thanks to a grant from the Bishop's Fund, these changes are budget-neutral.
"Each of these individuals, with their unique talents and gifts, has helped move the diocese through the period of rebuilding to where we are today. I thank them for taking on new challenges appropriate to the ongoing mission before us, and I ask you to join me in praying for God's blessing on their work," said Bishop McConnell.
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 A Celebration in Highland Park
St. Andrew's, Highland Park, has recently completed a $1.5M Opening Doors capital campaign to equip their 177-year-old parish to serve the community for the next 100 years. Funds from the campaign provided for major renovations to the church and parish house.
Improvements include new floors and windows, new heating, new restrooms, accessible ramps and electric doors, an elevator, and all over sprucing up of the facilities. The renovations included a new steel I beam in the basement ceiling which created a large new space, complete with serving pantry, for parish activities and feasts.
In addition to the physical transformations made possible by this campaign, a 10% tithe of the pledges has been set aside for developing the St. Andrew's outreach ministries.
While the building was under construction, members focused on reexamining and reorganizing their outreach efforts to further develop the volunteerism that is the heart of outreach ministry.
To celebrate the completion of this huge undertaking and the launch of the new focus on outreach, St. Andrew's is having a party. Sunday, September 7, has been designated Renaissance Sunday. Following the 11 o'clock service, there will be a celebration on the church lawn with all those who made Opening Doors a reality - planners, parishioners, donors, architects, builders, neighbors and friends - for a dedication by Bishop McConnell followed by lunch and lots of activities. There will be tours of the building, music, games, mission and ministry booths and, of course, fellowship. St. Andrew's Episcopal Church is located at 5801 Hampton Street, in Pittsburgh's Highland Park neighborhood. 
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Classiest Yard Sale in Pittsburgh
Friday, August 1, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday, August 2, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Two floors of items, plus outdoors. New and gently used items: clothing, antiques, jewelry, furniture, linens, kitchenware, decorative, toys, games, books, sports equipment, collectibles, and much more! Items sorted by department, individually priced. A well organized and popular sale. 412-364-5974
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 Helping When Help is Most Needed
Are you willing to be involved in making sure our diocese and parishes are ready to respond when a disaster comes?
The diocesan disaster preparedness coordinators need two kinds of volunteers: - People to serve on the diocesan disaster preparedness team. The team will work on having a basic plan in place so the diocese can respond to help when disaster strikes here in Southwestern Pennsylvania, and can be of service when disaster strikes other regions. The commitment will be for quarterly meetings, some possible training, and perhaps some tasks to prepare for the meetings.
- Parish contacts/coordinators who will help their own parishes make plans. There will be plenty of guidance and hints for parish coordinators including a soon-to-be-launched diocesan disaster preparedness web site.
If you are interested, you can contact either Joan Gundersen ( jrgunder@episcopalpgh.org) or the Rev. Howard Gillette ( chaphoward3@aol.com) or call the diocesan office 412-721-0853 and leave a message stating your interest and how to reach you. |
 Love and Laundry: Ministries Offer Hospitality to Homeless Guests
[Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs press release] The ministry of Laundry Love, and the many lives the program impacts, are explored in a new video from the Episcopal Church Office of Communication.
The video is here .
Based in Venice Beach, CA (Diocese of Los Angeles), Laundry Love is a ministry through which the members of the Episcopal Community of Thad's Place demonstrate that "people are the new program" at a Laundromat in nearby Santa Monica.
Laundry Love "is a way to make a love-spreading difference in our community," the Rev. Jimmy Bartz of Thad's Place continued. "It's the modern day footwashing."
"Laundry Love is about developing connection and relationship," explained Mike Collins, Episcopal Church Manager of Multimedia. "It's a simple way to encourage communion between the poor and the people of Thad's."
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 Episcopal Appalachian Ministries Mountain Grace Conference
New Seasons In Appalachia
"Rooted together through communications..."
September 12-13, 2014, Morehead State University Conference Center, Morehead, Kentucky
Episcopal Appalachian Ministries (EAM) is a coalition of Episcopal Dioceses, including the Diocese of Pittsburgh, that serves the Appalachian region. EAM is a clearinghouse for those seeking ministry opportunities in Appalachia. EAM sponsors mission opportunities and provides small grants to aid individuals, parishes and groups in covering start-up costs for grass-roots ministries. EAM co-sponsors the Mountain Grace Conference on Ministry in Appalachia each year.
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Open Elected Diocesan Positions
Recommendations are now being taken by the diocesan Nominating Committee for leadership positions to be elected at the 149th Diocesan Convention, November 7 & 8, 2014, at Trinity Cathedral, Pittsburgh.
Positions are open on the Standing Committee, Board of Trustees, Committee on Constitution and Canons, Cathedral Chapter, Disciplinary Board, Commission on Ministry, and the Growth Fund.
The recommendation form with submission instructions is here (PDF). |
The Episcopal Church Granted Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council at UN
The member states of the United Nations (UN) Committee on NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) have granted to The Episcopal Church special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) at the United Nations.
ECOSOC is one of the five main UN organs and addresses economic and social development issues. Eighty percent of the UN's work happens in ECOSOC, and it is also the agency by which non-governmental organizations have official affiliation and relationships with the UN and its various agencies.
This designation will enhance The Episcopal Church's three-pronged ministry of presence, hospitality and advocacy at the UN by allowing greater access and opportunities for advocacy, explained Main, Episcopal Church Global Relations Officer. In addition to attending events open only to ECOSOC NGOs, The Episcopal Church now will be able to send official representatives to up to 11 annual Commissions (such as the Status of Women, Indigenous Issues, Sustainable Development, Social Development and Human Rights Council) whose recommendations often become General Assembly resolutions debated and voted on by member states. Also, The Episcopal Church will be eligible to submit written statements and offer oral interventions to those Commissions, and offer its expertise through other unique opportunities granted to ECOSOC NGOs.
More from the the Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs here.
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 Accountant Position Open
Trinity School for Ministry, an evangelical seminary in the Anglican tradition, is seeking a full time accountant to complete all month end accounting functions necessary to produce financial reports at the end of each month and at year end which will be provided to management. Qualified candidates must have a minimum of a Bachelor's degree in Accounting and 2 to 4 years public/private accounting experience. Non profit accounting is preferred. Proficiency with MS Office Suite, strong problem solving skills, attention to detail and organization skills, and the ability to sign Trinity's statement of faith are required.
Application Deadline: July 18, 2014. Please send cover letter, resume and references to Karen Getz at kgetz@tsm.edu.
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The 2014 Diocesan Leadership and Calendaring Day is scheduled for Saturday, August 16, 9:30 a.m. to 12 Noon at St. Paul's, Mt. Lebanon. Invitations were sent via email. Contact Judi Rogers at jrogers@episcopalpgh.org for more information.
2014 Diocesan Convention Documents Available: The 149th Convention of the Diocese of Pittsburgh will meet November 7 & 8, 2014 at Trinity Cathedral. Documents related to convention are available on the diocesan web site at www.episcopalpgh.org/2014-diocesan-convention. Diocesan Pre-convention Information Sessions Scheduled: Tuesday, October 21, 7:00-8:30 p.m. at Church of the Redeemer, Squirrel Hill; Thursday, October 23, 7:00-8:30 p.m. at Christ Episcopal Church, North Hills; Sunday, October 26, 2:00-3:30 p.m. at St. Michael's of the Valley Episcopal Church, Ligonier.
Save the Date: The Clergy Conference will be held at Antiochian Village October 8 - 10, 2014. The Clergy Association is in the midst of solidifying a speaker and a schedule. Details will be released as soon as they are available.
Save the Date II: The diocesan Social Justice and Outreach Committee has scheduled a work session at the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank in Duquesne for Saturday, November 22. Additional details to come.
Diocesan Office Summer Hours: The diocesan office will be closed at Noon on Fridays through Labor Day.
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Youth, chaperones and Bishop McConnell from the diocese participated in the Episcopal Youth Event (EYE) in Philadelphia, July 9-12, at Villanova University.
The event included 786 youth in grades 9-12 and 263 adult leaders. EYE14's theme was "Marked for Mission" and the gathering was built around helping participants discern how the Holy Spirit has marked them for mission and how they might engage in the work of the Anglican Communion's Five Marks of Mission as a way to enact the call to love that they were hearing.
Additional photos are available on Bishop McConnell's Iron City Bishop Twitter page at twitter.com/ironcitybishop. An excellent wrap up of the event and links to much more media is available from Episcopal News Service here.
--Photos courtesy Vickie O'Brien
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Eighteen people from ten parishes in the diocese participated in the Godly Play materials workshop, on Saturday, July 19. Included in the group was the children's ministry director from St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral in Erie.
Participants went home with materials to use when telling many of the core Godly Play Old Testament lessons. Some of their story materials included wooden plaques to tell the Creation story, wooden pillars and fabric for the Ark in the Tent, which included the artifacts found in the Tent. Many more story materials and patterns also went home with the participants for them to finish.
--Courtesy Joyce Donadee
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All submissions to the Grace Happens newsletter and diocesan web site are welcome and should be sent to info@episcopalpgh.org. Please be sure to include your contact information with any submission.
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