From the Black Ministries Officer

Dear Friends:

Welcome to the first edition of the reincarnation of the quarterly newsletter from the Black Ministries Office. This first copy is to describe the new workings of the Office and to share with you the many programmatic initiatives with which the office is engaged. You are invited to contribute to future editions by sharing your successful ministry practices, and offerings of articles, pictures, reflections, book reviews and noteworthy news.

In 2010 the structure of the Episcopal Church Center was changed to bring about improved working relationships across departments to accomplish our work throughout the Church. As a result, the wholly individualistic nature of our work has taken on a more collaborative form that in turn has engendered greater communication among our colleagues. The four Ethnic Ministries Offices were joined by colleagues from the Economic and Environmental, Jubilee and Social Justice and Intercultural Ministries Offices for ongoing partnerships in ministries identified by the team.

This new ministries focus has provided many firsts. The annual OBES Conference for the Organization of Black Episcopal Seminarians will be held this year in collaboration with seminarians from other ethnic groups for a multicultural experience. The conference is co-sponsored by Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS) and is planned for Tuesday, March 15 - Friday, March 18. Seminarians who gather at the VTS campus will be engaged in conversations on topics that include: Ministry and Mission in the Local Church, The Global Church, and Preparing for Leadership in the 21st century.

To continue this trend, the Ethnic Offices will convene a gathering of clergy and lay leaders for conversations on congregational development, within and among racial ethnic and new immigrant groups. The goal is to provide the environment for which ministers of this “new community” can engage in cross-cultural interaction, identify areas of collaboration and build solidarity out of their diverse and pluralistic settings. Further details will follow.

For more information about the work, resources, and events of the Black Ministries Office please contact the Reverend Angela Ifill at: aifill@episcopalchurch.org or (212) 922-5343/(800) 334-7626 ext. 5343. You may also visit the Black Ministries website at: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/black.


New Visions

The New Visions Pilot Project is designed to engage congregations over a two year period in activities that will address the various aspects of congregation life for renewal and vitality. Conversations will begin with the Congregational Life Cycle as a means to discuss the role of dynamic worship, radical welcome and hospitality, stewardship, faith formation, mission and leadership in the continuing life of the congregation.

Teams of three persons from eight congregations met from February 14-17, 2011 at Duncan Center Delray Beach, Florida for an orientation meeting that marked the beginning of the project. Congregations worked in pairs to develop the framework for their ongoing ministries together and signed covenants to seal their partnerships. The commitment includes participation in monthly WebEx seminars, monthly check in with partners, pulpit and pew exchange, Asset Based Community Development Training and the planning and implementation of church revivals to which the local community will be invited.

Congregations are also expected to provide opportunities for group visits to their local communities and to engage in Asset Mapping activities to match their particular gifts with ministry and mission projects. Periodic evaluations will determine areas in need of attention and modification.

Note: The first Asset Based Community Development training will take place October 10, 11, 12, at the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, Colorado.

Participating congregations are: St. Andrew and Holy Communion, South Orange, N.J., the Rev. Dr. Sandye Wilson, and St. Simon’s of Cyrene, Cincinnati, Ohio, the Rev. Trevor Babb. The African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas, Philadelphia, the Rev. Dr. Martini Shaw and St. Luke’s, New Orleans, the Rev. Keith Johnson. St. Augustine’s Brooklyn, the Rev. Dr. Howard Williams, and St. Augustine’s, Asbury Park, New Jersey, the Rev. Andrea Hayden, St. James, Baltimore, the Rev. Dr. Allen Robinson and St. Cyprian’s, Southern Virginia, the Rev. Dennis Patterson.


Scholarships

Education scholarships are available from Trust Funds earnings that are held at the Episcopal Church Center. Twice each year seminarians, students and clergy are invited to submit applications by April 15 and October 15 for review by the Recruitment, Training & Development (RT&D) Committee. Each applicant is eligible to participate only four times in the scholarship process. Click here for lists of scholarships and application information.

Leadership

BLACK MINISTRIES Advisory Council

The Black Ministries Office is served by an Advisory Council that meets twice each year to help guide and support the work of the Office. Chaired by the Rt. Rev. Michael Curry the council also provides constructive and insightful feedback to the office from the constituency and wider church to assist with planning. Other members of the council include: The Rev. Dr. Kortright Davis; John Harris; The Rev. Deon Johnson, Carolyn Gaines and the Rev. Dr. Martini Shaw.

Recruitment Training and Development Committee (RT&D)

The Recruitment, Training and Development Group is a sub-committee of the Advisory Council and meets in March and September each year. The responsibility of this committee is to review applications for scholarships and make recommendations for awards to the Episcopal Church Center’s Scholarship Committee. This group also helps to plan the annual Conference for Seminarian and assigns and serves as mentors and advisors to the seminarians. The RT&D Committee is working to develop closer ties with the three Historically Black Colleges looking toward recruitment for ministry in the Episcopal Church. Members of this committee include: The Reverends: Preston Hannibal, Anne Marie Jeffery, Sandye Wilson, Jonathan Weekes, Jill Mathis and Richard Miller. The Reverend Dr. Martini Shaw serves on the committee as liaison from the Advisory Council.

Mission Strategy Team

Seven clergy persons have formed the core of a Mission Strategy Team working with the office to identify, plan and design ongoing projects and ministries for the Church. The main focus of this team’s work is Congregational Renewal and Vitality through the New Visions Project.

The team includes the Reverends Patricia Mitchell, Diocese of New York, Allen Robinson Diocese of Maryland, Sandye Wilson, Diocese of Newark, Wilmot Merchant, Diocese of Southern Virginia, Martini Shaw Diocese of Pennsylvania, and Howard Williams, Diocese of Long Island. Lay and other clergy members will be added to this team in the near future to focus on the development of resource materials.

Upcoming Events

SOUL Conference (Spiritual Opportunity to Unite and Learn) 2011

This year the SOUL conference will meet just prior to the Episcopal Youth Event (EYE) Conference from Friday, June 17, - Tuesday, June 21, at Bethel University, St. Paul, Minnesota. The Black Ministries Office is currently accepting nominations for this conference that has only forty places available. Applicants will be considered on a first come, first served basis beginning upon receipt of this information. Please have your nominees register at: http://events.SignUp4.com/soul2011 and contact Angie Cabanban at (212) 716-6186 if you have any questions or need further information.

EYE Conference (Episcopal Youth Event) 2011

The Episcopal Youth Event (EYE) is scheduled for Wednesday, June 22- Sunday, June 26, at Bethel University, St. Paul, Minnesota. Held every three years, this event is an opportunity for youth in the 9th through 12th grades to meet other youth from all over the world and experience the church on a global level. The EYE community gathers regularly for worship, program, music and media, and participants also meet daily in small groups. A variety of other activities such as carnivals, forums, workshops, sports/recreation and free time help to round out the schedule. Click here for further information and registration, or contact: Valerie Harris at vharris@episcopalchurch.org (800-334-7626 ext. 6099) or Meghan Ritchie at mritchie@episcopalchurch.org (800-334-7626 ext. 6067).

Why Serve - Discernment Conference, 2011

The 2011 Why Serve Conference is scheduled to take place from Wednesday, June 1 to Friday, June 4 at the School of Theology, The University of the South at Sewanee, Tennessee. The Why Serve conference is a safe place for young adults between the ages of 18-30 to learn more about how their gifts might be used at various levels of the church either as lay or ordained ministers. They will interact with many other young adults from dioceses around the church who are seriously thinking about how God might be calling them in a different way. This conference is a collaborative effort that is being sponsored by the School of Theology, The University of the South at Sewanee and the Ethnic and Youth and Young Adult Offices of the Episcopal Church Center. Further information and registration could be found at: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/whyserve/

Everyone, Everywhere Mission Conference 2011

The Everyone, Everywhere Conference will be held Thursday, October 13-Sunday, October 16, 2011 at the YMCA of the Rockies, Estes Park, Colorado. The conference is for individuals, parishes, dioceses and mission groups committed to building and maintaining companion relationships with people around the world. For more information and registration please go to: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/ee11.htm.




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