The One Hundred Thirty-third Council of the Diocese of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Report of the Bishop Ordinary November 7, 2013

Transcription

1 The One Hundred Thirty-third Council of the Diocese of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Report of the Bishop Ordinary November 7, 2013 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The following report is submitted as a summary of my principal activities as Bishop Ordinary, October 2012 through September I. Regular Episcopal Visits (27 Confirmations, 2 Baptisms) Trinity XVIII, October 7, 2012 Good Shepherd, Brockton. Trinity XIX, October 14, 2012 Emmanuel, Pipersville. Trinity XX, October 21, 2012 Covenant Chapel, Basking Ridge. 4 confirmations. Trinity XXI, October 28, 2012 St. Luke s, New Providence. Trinity XXIII, November 11, 2012 Messiah, Philadelphia. Trinity XXIV, November 18, 2012 Redeemer, Jersey City. Advent I, December 2, 2012 Faith, Baltimore. Epiphany, January 6, 2013 Grace, Collingdale. 4 confirmations. Lent III, March 3, 2013 Igbo Anglican Church, Bronx. 1 Baptism. Lent IV, March 10, St. Luke s & Bishop Hoffman, Philadelphia. Annual meeting. Easter III, April 21, 2013 St. Mark s, Rydal. Easter V, May 5, 2013 St. Mary s Church, Bronx. 6 confirmations. Whitsunday, May 19, 2013 Bishop Cummins Church, Catonsville. Trinity I, June 2, 2013 St. Paul s Church, Oreland. Trinity II, June 9, 2013 First Church, New York. Trinity VI, July 7, 2013 Holy Trinity Church, Bronx. Trinity VII, July 21, 2013 Grace Church, Scranton. 1

2 Trinity X, August 4, 2013 Grace Church, Havre de Grace. 2 confirmations. Trinity XV, September 8, 2013 Grace Church, Collingdale. 3 confirmations, 1 baptism. Trinity XVII, September 22, 2013 St. George s, Hamilton. 3 confirmations. Trinity XVIII, September 29, 2013 St. Michael s, Enola. II. Other Activities A. Atonement Church Men s Ministry: I spoke on Saturday, November 17, B. Kuehner Seminar: Thursday, December 13, 2012, St. Paul s, Oreland under the sponsorship of Reformed Episcopal Seminary. C. Clergy Retreat: January 24-26, 2013, Eden Resort Inn, Lancaster, PA. D. Diocesan Leadership Meeting March 8, 2013 at RE Seminary. E. St. Mark s, Rydal March 30-31, 2013, Celebrant at Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday service. Delivered the sermon on Easter Sunday. F. Funeral Service for Jean Booth Saturday, April 6, A memorial service for Mrs. Jean Booth, wife of the Rt. Rev. Robert Booth, was held at St. Mark s Church, Rydal. Many people from our Diocese, as well as many members of other churches, attended the service, honoring her life and memory and showing love and support for Bishop Booth. G. Women s Day: On Friday, May 3, 2013 I attended the annual REC Women s Day conference, held at St. Mark s Church, Rydal, PA. H. ACNA Women Clergy Conference: On Tuesday, May 14, 2013, I spoke at the ACNA Women Clergy Conference, regarding the work of the ACNA Holy Orders Task Force, of which I am the chair. The conference was held at All Saints Church in Woodbridge, Virginia. I. Fellowship of Concerned Churchmen: On Saturday, May 25, 2013, I spoke at the conference of the Fellowship of Concerned Churchmen (FCC), held at St. Luke s Anglican Church in Fredericksburg, Virginia, regarding the work of the ACNA Holy Orders Task Force. The FCC is an organization for traditional Anglicans. J. Reformed Episcopal Seminary Commencement: Saturday, June 1, K. Diocesan Leadership Meeting: Friday, August 2, 2013 at Reformed Episcopal Seminary. L. Memorial Service for Mrs. Eleanor Jerdan: I attended the memorial service for Eleanor Jerdan, widow of the late Bishop William H. S. Jerdan and mother of the Rev. Canon William Jerdan. The service was held on Friday, September 13, at the James Campbell Funeral Home, Philadelphia. M. Funeral for Lynn Didden: On Friday, August 9, 2013, I assisted the Rev. John Medvick with the funeral service for Mrs. Lynn Didden, a member of St. Paul s, Oreland. The service was held at St. Paul s Church and in interment was at Rose Hill Cemetery, Upper Dublin, PA. 2

3 III. Special Services and Events A. Clean-up Day at St. John s by the Sea, Ventnor. On Saturday, November 18, 2012, workers from several parishes in the Diocese assisted St. John s Church with clean-up activities in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. I arrived after lunch and assisted in the afternoon. B. Diocese of Mid-America Synod: I was invited by the Rt. Rev. Royal Grote to attend the annual Synod of the Diocese of Mid-America, February 21-22, 2013 and to deliver the sermon for the opening service of Holy Communion. C. Diocesan Youth Seminar. On Saturday, May 4, 2013, I participated in a youth seminar, sponsored by the Bishop s Youth Advisory Group. The seminar featured two guest speakers, the Rev. John Boonzaaijer (Rector, Chapel of the Holy Cross, Dallas, TX) and the Rev. Dr. Brian Crosby (Presbyterian minister and author). The speakers focused upon the importance of substance in youth ministry and how the Anglican way, which focuses upon the framework provided by the Book of Common Prayer, addresses the spiritual needs of today s youth. D. Commencement Speaker for Cummins Theological Seminary. On Saturday, May 11, 2013, I delivered the commencement address at the graduation service for Cummins Theological Seminary, Summerville, South Carolina. E. Jenkins-Gillespie Wedding: On Saturday, August 10, 2013, I conducted the wedding ceremony for Allison Gillespie and William Billy Jenkins, Jr.. The service was held at Faith Church, Baltimore, where Billy s father, the Very Rev. William Jenkins, Sr. is rector. IV. Reformed Episcopal Seminary A. Administration. I continue to serve as President and Chancellor of the Seminary and Associate Professor of Biblical Languages and Literature. I teach New Testament Exegesis, Acts & Paul, Hermeneutics, and General Epistles. Convocation, marking the beginning of the academic year, was held on Tuesday, August 27 th. The Rev. Jason Patterson was the preacher. The Ven. Dr. Jon W. Abboud has retired from all administrative positions at the Seminary. Dr. Abboud has given years of faithful and dedicated service to Reformed Episcopal Seminary and deserves our gratitude for his tenure. B. Commencement. The Seminary commencement service was held at St. Paul s, Oreland, on Saturday, June 1, 2013 at 2 PM. The speaker was the Rev. Dr. Vern Poythress, professor of New Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary. Next year s commencement will be held on June14th at St. Paul s, Oreland, and the Rt. Rev. John Guernsey will give the commencement address. C. Accreditation. I am pleased to report that the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) has granted the Seminary full accreditation for a period of five years. This achievement is the culmination of over ten years of activity and hard work, performed by many people. Continued communication and interaction with ATS will be required, as there are several items upon which we will need to report through the five year term. I also am encouraged by the prospect of adding the Rev. Dr. William Miller, now a retired ATS staff member, to the Seminary Board of Directors in November. This will further strengthen our institution, as we move forward in providing training for service in Christ s Church. 3

4 D. 831 DeKalb Pike. The Seminary is moving forward with the purchase of property adjacent to the present campus. After extensive discussion, the Board of Directors believes that acquisition of the property is a necessary step in planning for the future of RES. This is a significant action for the Board to take, especially considering the current financial needs of the Seminary. The Board has committed to initiating a major capital fundraising effort for the purchase of the building and the maintenance of the expanded campus. More information will be communicated to our parishes in the near future. Settlement is scheduled for November 22 nd. E. Capital Fundraising Committee. A fundraising committee is being organized. Board member, Mr. Christopher Komline, has agreed to chair the committee. Other members include Canon Daryl Fenton (Board member), Mr. Art Jenssen (Diocesan Trustee), Mr. George Lutz (Diocesan Trustee), and Dr. Jonathan Riches (Academic Dean). An informal preliminary meeting was held over the summer, but further organization will be taking place shortly. F. Friends of Reformed Episcopal Seminary (FORES). The Seminary Auxiliary and Alumni Association have been reactivated and combined as the Friends of Reformed Episcopal Seminary. An initial luncheon fundraiser was held at the Blue Bell Country Club on Saturday June 8, The Most Rev. Leonard Riches was the keynote speaker. This was a well-attended event, and the positive responses coming from it bode well for future support for the Seminary. FORES also sponsored a picnic on Saturday, September 14 th, for the Seminary community. V. Pastoral Connections and Vacancies A. Church Planting: Discussion is taking place, concerning several areas, where church planting efforts are beginning to take shape. We currently have Bible studies taking place in Flemington, New Jersey, and Norristown, Pennsylvania, and preliminary investigation is being conducted for a new work in Philadelphia. Good Shepherd Church, West Bridgewater, Massachusetts, has begun some initial efforts in this direction also. B. St. Luke's & Bishop Hoffman Church, Philadelphia, and St. Timothy s Church, Mt. Laurel. For some time, there has been a combined vestry for these two parishes. By mutual consent of both parishes, it was determined that independent vestries should be reinstated. The last combined vestry meeting was held on Wednesday, January 16, Bishop Gillin has been providing general oversight for St. Timothy s, and services and pastoral care at St. Luke s & Bishop Hoffman Church are being provided by the Rev. Barton Craig, the Rev. Richard Baird and the Rev. Frank Spadafora. C. St. Luke s, New Providence. The Rev. Robert Hackendorf resigned as rector of St. Luke s, effective mid-december He has taken a parish in North Carolina. The Rev. Scott Hoogerhyde has served as interim rector from then until this month. Bishop Gillin and the Very Rev. Greg Miller, Dean of the New Jersey Convocation, have been providing additional guidance to the parish, as they begin the search for a new rector. VI. Other Parochial Matters A. All Saints, Newark. I have received a request from the Rector and Vestry of All Saints Church, requesting a transfer of the parish to the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA). CANA is a jurisdiction within the ACNA, which was created 4

5 by the Anglican Church of Nigeria and still maintains strong ties with that country. The parish, which itself is primarily Nigerian, believes that CANA is a better cultural fit for the congregation. The Standing Committee approved the transfer. B. Christ the King, Pasadena. In an , dated August 30, 2013, I received notice from the Rev. Gregory Carr that Christ the King parish has determined to leave the Reformed Episcopal Church. Rev. Carr has requested transfer for himself and the parish to a charismatic-oriented denomination, Elim Fellowship, Lima, New York. The Standing Committee approved the transfers. VIII. Ordinations M. Russell Buchanan. On Saturday, October 17, 2012, I ordained M. Russell Buchanan to the diaconate at a service held St. Paul s, Oreland. The ordinand was presented by the rector of the parish, the Rev. John Medvick, the Rev. Dr. Jonathan Riches read the Epistle, the Rev. Justin Forsberg read the Litany, and the Very Rev. Walter Hawkins delivered the sermon. X. General Council Activities A. General Council Committees; Conference of Bishops. I attended the semiannual meetings of the Conference of Bishops and the various General Council Committees in Summerville, South Carolina, October 8-13, 2012 and April 9-13, B. General Council 2014: General Council is being hosted by Reformed Episcopal Seminary, and accommodations will be at Normandy Farms Conference Center, Blue Bell, Pennsylvania. The theme of the Council is, Equipping the Saints for the Work of the Ministry. Other Reformed Episcopal Seminaries will be invited to present their schools to the Council. XI. Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). A. Prayer Book Task Force. I also continue to serve as member of the ACNA Prayer Book Task Force. I attended the meeting at Nashotah House Seminary on October 23-25, Although my various responsibilities have prevented me from attending any of the subsequent meetings, since then, I have participated in conference call meetings. B. College of Bishops. I attended the sessions of the ACNA College of Bishops meeting, January 7-11, 2013 in Orlando, Florida, and June 20-21, 2013 at Nashotah House Seminary, Nashotah, Wisconsin. I also attended the Provincial Council held at the same place, June C. Holy Orders Task Force. I have been appointed by Archbishop Robert Duncan to chair the newly formed Holy Orders Task Force. The first face-to-face meeting was held at Reformed Episcopal Seminary, February 19-20, Subsequent meetings were held at Nashotah House Seminary on June 17, 2013, and Trinity School for Ministry, Ambridge, Pennsylvania, on September 5, D. Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON). I attended GAFCON in Nairobi, Kenya, October 21-26, This the global gathering of orthodox Anglicans jurisdictions, which are part of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (FCA). I provide more information in my supplement to this report. 5

6 XII. Other Matters A. Anglican Relief & Development Fund (ARDF). The Anglican Relief & Development was not designed to address domestic disasters, such as Hurricane Sandy; however, ARDF continues to receive contributions from ACNA parishes when domestic disasters strike. For this reason, ARDF has requested that those dioceses which often experience natural disasters designate a representative to a special working group, which will be responsible for dispersing such designated funds. I have appointed the Very Rev. Gregory Miller to this position. Greg has been instrumental in dispensing ARDF funds to the Northern New Jersey and New York area after Hurricane Sandy, and I believe he is well-qualified to serve in this capacity. B Episcopal Schedule. Bishop Gillin and I have discussed a special arrangement for our episcopal visits in Bishop Gillin will conduct the bulk of the regular episcopal visits, while I will visit those parishes which are in close proximity and require less travel. This will accomplish a couple of goals. First, Bishop Gillin will become better acquainted with the people of our parishes and they with him. Second, it will enable me to address certain pressing matters, such as beginning the capital fundraising campaign for the Seminary and finishing my doctoral work. I am deeply thankful for Bishop Gillin s support and important contribution to the pastoral care and administration of the Diocese. To God be the glory for the great things that he has done and continues to do among his people. Respectfully submitted, The Rt. Rev. David L. Hicks 6