The Church of St. Michael & St. George and St. Peter's Church Host Endowed Episcopal Parishes Meeting in St. Louis
"We can be a positive force for the future of the Episcopal Church." With those words, the Rev. Winston Charles, rector of Christ Episcopal Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, welcomed participants to the 23rd Annual Conference of the Consortium of Endowed Episcopal Parishes in St. Louis, Missouri on February 21. Charles served as chair of the conference. As the conference's keynote speaker, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori brought a progress report on mission in the Episcopal Church. "One of my great privileges is to visit dioceses and people want to show off the very best," she said. "I can tell you this church is vitally engaged in mission work of many sorts." Jefferts Schori also noted that some of the dioceses that have been previously ignored, such as those in Latin America and the Caribbean, are sources of vitality and vibrancy from which we can learn. "People who live with very little get very creative in doing ministry," she said. "Those of us who don't worry about where the next meal is coming from have both an opportunity and a responsibility to build relationships with these people and learn from them." More than 500 people representing approximately 100 congregations gathered for the official opening of the conference on the afternoon of February 21. Many had arrived the day before to take in a series of pre-conference sessions targeted specifically for holders of various positions within a congregation, such as rectors and deans, assisting clergy, wardens, treasurers, stewardship leaders and faith-in-action advocates. Host congregations for the conference are St. Peter's Church and the Church of St. Michael and St. George. St. Peter's rector, the Rev. James H. Purdy, and choir led participants in the conference's opening Evensong at the historic Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France, located adjacent to St. Louis' famed Gateway Arch. The closing Eucharist of the conference will take place at the Church of St. Michael and St. George, where its rector, the Rev. Andrew J. Archie will be the celebrant and Jefferts Schori will be the preacher. The Presiding Bishop, in her keynote address, also spoke of the way in which the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have mobilized the Episcopal Church around international mission. She noted that almost every diocese she has visited is engaged in some kind of international development work. "It's remarkable," she said. "The church usually does not move this fast." Also highlighting the problems of the poor in our own country, she reported that she will host a summit on domestic poverty in Scottsdale, Arizona in May with the hope of developing goals similar in nature to the MDGs for use in the United States. Jefferts Schori engaged the conference participants in a time of dialog, asking people to share one of their fears related to mission and ministry. From simple "complacency" to battling a growing "consumer culture" to the assumption that "others will do it," to missing the "urgency of the moment," more than a dozen participants voiced concerns. In response to each fear, however, the Presiding Bishop was able to point out an opportunity as a remedy -- either a new effort to launch or some effort or movement in doing mission that is currently in progress in the church. Most of the opportunities had to do with building better community with fellow members of home congregations or faith communities around the globe. "In the end," she said, "it takes the whole church to do God's mission in the world." Venture capitalists for the gospel
The Consortium of Endowed Episcopal Parishes is comprised of 112 dues-paying Episcopal congregations with endowments of at least $1 million. Collectively, members of the Consortium hold more than $500 million in endowment funds. The organization is governed by a board of directors, currently chaired by Pamela Wesley Gomez, a member of Christ Church, Greenwich, Connecticut, and director of development at Berkeley Divinity School at Yale University. Representatives of member parishes come together each year to share best practices in running resourced parishes. The stated guiding principles of the Consortium call on members to "strive to bring hope and energy to the Episcopal Church" and to "work together to create a community where creative gratitude and imagination flourish." "Consortium members believe endowments are venture capital for the communication of the Gospel and are held in trust for Christian witness," reads the association's mission statement. "Consortium members seek to be catalysts for evangelism and mission." Learning and networking for mission
As he opened the conference, Charles said that one of the successes of the Consortium has been the networks that have been created between its members -- networks that stretch far beyond the annual conference. In addition, the annual conference offers a comprehensive set of workshops that provide education and practical training to tackle the challenges of effective mission. "It is our hope that from this experience you will be able to take home two or three nuggets that will help your parishes for the sake of the gospel and the Episcopal Church," he said. Participants seemed to agree that will be the case. Among them are two long-time members of the Consortium. The Rev. Leonard Freeman, rector of St. Martin's by-the-Lake, Minnetonka Beach, Minnesota, has been associated with the Consortium for 15 years and is a former board member. He says it's a place where you can talk to people in similar situations. "In reality, it's a small number of clergy who work with large staffs and large dollar amounts. People think that because your congregation is big, everything is fine," said Freeman. "In any given diocese there just are not many people to talk to in similar situations. But the Consortium has provided that opportunity." Freeman also says the annual conference has helped him focus on mission. "It helps you raise your sights to see the larger picture and helps, in turn, to raise the sights of your parish so they can start to see themselves as a resource, not just locally, but to the larger church, as well," he said. The Rev. Canon Harold Lewis, rector of Calvary Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh, a member of the Consortium for 12 years, says the challenge of endowed parishes is how to "harness our resources for mission." "Congregations like ours are a special breed. We have special challenges given our size and resources. This conference has helped us network with other people in like situations and compare notes about how we can be most effective in ministry. The workshops and the informal gatherings strengthen us to go back and do the work we have to do," he said. Lewis emphasizes it's all about mission for the sake of the world.
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