The Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem Diolife 27

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News from The Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem, Bill Lewellis, Editor

Mission to Kajo Keji
By Archdeacon Rick Cluett
Diocesan Life, November 2002

[Kajo Keji is the southernmost of 24 dioceses in the persecuted Episcopal Church of the Sudan.

Since 1956, when Sudan became independent, the country and the church have suffered through a series of civil wars, violent persecutions of Christians and, since 1990, some 1.5 million people have been killed and almost five million people have been displaced.

Because Kajo Keji borders northern Uganda at a strategic position for rebel forces, the war by the Khartoum Muslim government has been waged there even more fiercely than in some other places in southern Sudan.

Bishop Manasseh and many of his people have had to flee, many to refugee camps around Adjumani in Uganda.]

Four Diocese of Bethlehem representatives visited our partner Diocese of Kajo Keji in the Episcopal Church of the Sudan this summer. Dr. Randall Fegley, who lived and taught in the Sudan several years ago and now teaches about Sudan and Africa at Penn State, was the team’s education expert. Jack Moulton, who recently retired from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and is an agriculture specialist with experience in Africa, looked carefully at agricultural issues in Kajo Keji. The Rev. Elizabeth Moulton and Archdeacon Cluett looked specifically at needs of the Diocese of Kajo Keji as they spent time with Bishop Manasseh and the clergy and people in local congregations.

The welcome and hospitality of Bishop Manasseh and the people of Kajo Keji, in their Sudan home and their Uganda refuge, was incomparable. They could not have worked harder to arrange for our safety and comfort and to help us complete the work we had come to do: seeing and learning as much as possible about the people of southern Sudan, the conflict there and its effects on people and the church, the Episcopal Church of the Sudan, and the Diocese of Kajo Keji in particular.

Before our trip we had requested meetings with specific people, some by name, others by position or title. We met everyone we wanted to meet. We saw as much as possible of life in the refugee camps of Uganda and the communities in Kajo Keji as could be put into our days.

Many assisted Bishop Manasseh in the success of our visit: Stephen Tomor, Simon Peter Kenyi, the principal and staff of the Bible College, Susan Tabia and her assistants from the orphanage, Charles Laku and his family and the staff of the school he heads.

With the exception of Stephen Tomor, all traveled with us from Adjumani into Kajo Keji and back. They served as translators, housekeepers, cooks, sources of information, colleagues, guides and companions.

It is important to put the scarcity of resources available to the people of Kajo Keji in the same context as their expertise in making this visit a success. Moving 15-20 people together from various places and setting an itinerary that involved several hundreds of people gathering in different communities was a Herculean task involving organizational and communication skills in an area where communication is very difficult.

It was extraordinary. From the perspective of the visiting team, the scarcity of resources did not in the least hamper the conduct or success of the visit. We should have no reason to doubt the ability of the diocese of Kajo Keji and its leaders to carry out difficult and complicated missions.

We saw that Bishop Manasseh is loved and respected by the people in his episcopal care and by the civil authorities with whom he must work, both in northern Uganda and in Kajo Keji. He reciprocates that love and respect. His leadership of the clergy is grounded in love and care which they return in kind. They were quite attentive to his needs and desires. He works well with the diocesan leadership of archdeacons and diocesan secretary/administrator. They make a good leadership team.

The extent of Bishop Manasseh’s knowledge of and relationship with the people in parishes was demonstrated time and again. For instance, in the gathering at the refugee camp in Magburu where there had been a lot of robbery and mayhem committed, he strongly admonished people for collaborating with robbers and with the renegade army of the LRA.

People with scarce resources have many needs. My teammates have articulated them well. The needs of the people of Kajo Keji are opportunities for the people of the Diocese of Bethlehem. The task of the world mission committee and the visiting team is to communicate the needs in ways that will be compelling to us as a diocese, as parishes and as individuals. The needs are not all monetary. Some of the opportunities could involve clergy traveling there to do some teaching and preaching. The people are hungry for the word of God, Bishop Manasseh kept reminding us. The students and faculty at the bible college are hungry for knowledge of God and of the greater church. People-to-people opportunities abound.

The bishop of Kajo Keji and the leaders of the church have shown themselves to be more than competent in mediating the needs of the people and transmitting the resources made available to them by the Diocese of Bethlehem and others. They can be thoroughly trusted to be faithful and truthful in administering any aid that is made available. It will be expended according to the agreed upon terms and will be accounted for in more detail than we need. In other words, let there be no doubt that any aid we send will reach the people to whom it is directed – in full.

While we were presented with many requests for assistance, in no sense did we feel that is why we had been invited. Even if few material and monetary resources flow in their direction, the knowledge that the people of the Diocese of Bethlehem who live half a world away have not forgotten them, the people of southern Sudan, the refugees in northern Uganda, and the church and hold them before God in prayer — those two acts, remembering and praying, empower and sustain them and bring them both joy and hope.

Gifts that the church in Kajo Keji can provide the Diocese of Bethlehem also abound. As a church we can learn much about spirituality, joy in the faith, the sustaining power of strong faith, the power of the gospel and the power of gospel preaching.

As we struggle nationally with our own feelings of violation and vulnerability since September 11, 2001, we can learn much from these people who have endured 40 years of war. In a consuming society we can learn much about life priorities from people who have so little in the way of material goods.

I hope that the Diocese of Bethlehem will find ways to make some of their gifts available to the people and the parishes in our diocese by bringing people from Kajo Keji to our diocese.

Education, the place of women in their society, the production and marketing of food, and the availability of the church and its ministry (and all the church brings) seem to encapsulate the areas where the Diocese of Bethlehem can make some real differences in the lives of the people of Southern Sudan.

In this relationship, God has provided the Diocese of Bethlehem with a unique opportunity to help build the kingdom of God both in Kajo Keji and in our own community. It is a rich gift and we must receive it with open hearts and hands.

Whatever you can do to help will make a difference.

WHAT CAN OUR DIOCESE DO TO HELP OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN KAJO KEJI?

Our diocesan World Mission Committee, in consultation with the diocesan team that visited Kajo Keji, strongly urges the Diocese of Bethlehem to adopt the following list of specific projects. The committee has the information required to insure implementation and accountability.

PROJECTS FOR PARISHES, YOUTH GROUPS, ECWs, PRAYER GROUPS, INDIVIDUALS

Kajo Keji Church Initiatives: The Diocese of Kajo Keji has proposed specific projects in ecumenism, evangelism, pastoral counseling, community leadership and HIV/AIDS awareness. Groups and individuals in our diocese are encouraged to contribute to these initiatives.

Adopt-a-School Program: Bishop Manesseh of Kajo Keji sees support for education as his diocese's top priority. Groups, individuals and particularly parishes in our diocese are strongly urged to adopt each of 48 educational institutions in Kajo Keji County. These include primary and secondary schools as well as institutions involved in agricultural, technical, cottage industry and teacher training. This program will enhance connections between our dioceses and provide schools with supplies, textbooks, teacher-training and scholarships. Support would begin with as little as $500 per year to assist a traditional one room primary school and could range up to the larger sums necessary to rebuild a key school now in ruins. Parishes here would be matched with a school based on that school's needs and the parish's contribution. Additional $60 annual scholarships per secondary student would be appropriate commitments for individuals and families.

Emergency and Resettlement Fund: As refugees return to Kajo Keji County, groups, individuals and parishes within our diocese will be called on to provide returnees with the resources needed to establish livelihoods in agriculture and cottage industry.

Orphans Fund: Youth, ECW and other groups are encouraged to raise funds to support the work of the Amazing Grace and Jolimo Orphanages.

PROJECTS FOR CLERGY AND DIOCESAN STAFF

Clergy-to-Clergy Support: Bethlehem's clergy and diocesan staff are urged to commit themselves to support the clergy of Kajo Keji, all of whom are currently unpaid. This includes special support for women clergy, an educational scholarship fund for clergy children and the provision of bibles, prayer books, hymnals and stationary.

Projects for Diocesan Leaders: Our diocese is urged to provide the Bishop of Kajo Keji with a discretionary fund ($2-3000 per year) so that he can better deal with the numerous urgent needs that arise regularly in the current situation. Additionally, we would provide Canon Benaiah Poggo Memorial College (mentioned specially in our Companion Relationship Agreement) with support to meet its operating costs ($7-8000 per year) and funding necessary for the administration of Kajo Keji's educational system ($1000-1500 per year).

Most importantly, the Diocese of Bethlehem will continue to commit itself to lobbying our national church, government and the United Nations on the issues of peace and land mine removal on behalf of Kajo Keji. This will include public statements by our bishop, advocacy trips to New York and Washington D.C. and letter writing campaigns by parishes and groups within our diocese. In conjunction with other North American, British and Irish dioceses and churches active in Sudan, we encourage our national church institutions and the Anglican Communion at large to fund the Episcopal Church Support Office in Kampala, Uganda.

THE ROLE OF OUR WORLD MISSION COMMITTEE

Our diocesan World Mission Committee will coordinate all projects, seek sources beyond our diocese to support Kajo Keji, develop media on Kajo Keji and provide voluntary agricultural and educational expertise. The World Mission Committee has committed itself to providing speakers and exhibits to visit all parishes in our diocese. All of this support would be provided without any additional administrative costs here in America.

For further information:
Archdeacon Rick Cluett - archdeacon@diobeth.org
or Connie Fegley - conniefegley@yahoo.com

Checks are to be made payable to The Diocese of Bethlehem, marked for Kajo Keji, sent to Maggie Watkins, Diocesan House, 333 Wyandotte Street, Bethlehem PA 18015

RESPONSE FORM

A response form for helping Kajo Keji, our companion diocese in Sudan, will appear in the November edition of Diocesan Life. You may clip that, fill it out, and return it to Diocesan House for referral to our World Mission Committee.

If you wish to respond by email, however, you may send a note to Archdeacon Cluett, archdeacon@diobeth.org or World Mission chair Connie Fegley, conniefegley@yahoo.com with your name, parish, address, telephone and email. Please indicate that you are interested in knowing more about any of the following:

Funding Kajo Keji Diocese's Initiative in (A) Ecumenism, (B) Evangelism, (C) Pastoral counseling, (D) Community leadership, or (E) HIV/AIDS awareness.

Or, perhaps...
Adopting a school
Funding scholarships for secondary school pupils
Providing emergency and resettlement assistance
Providing assistance for orphans
Providing assistance for Kajo Keji's clergy (on a clergy-to-clergy basis)
Advocacy for Kajo Keji related to the peace and land mine removal

Or, perhaps, you want more information about our diocesan World Mission Committee or something else that you may specify.

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Reaching Pygmies in Southwestern Ugana
By Charles Pinches
Church of the Epiphany, Clarks Summit
Diocesan Life, November 2002

[Three people from the Church of the Epiphany, Clarks Summit, traveled to Southwestern Uganda to visit a Pygmy settlement the parish has been helping. The story below, with nine full-color photos, will appear in the November edition of Diocesan Life. Thanks. --Bill]

Another Mission to Uganda
It seems an unlikely thing, that the Diocese of Bethlehem should send two delegations to the interior of Africa in one summer. I wonder, is God telling us something? Unlike Archdeacon Cluett's group who traveled north from Kampala to the Sudan, our delegation, consisting of three parishioners from Epiphany, Glenburn, Wayne Divis, Robin Pinches and me, traveled to the extreme southwest corner of Uganda, very close to the Congo border. Our purpose was to participate in the official opening of "Epiphany School," a primary school built with assistance from Epiphany's Christian Outreach Fund.

Epiphany's involvement in this remarkable work began some ten years ago when then Rector Henry Male invited the Rev. Canon Charles Busingye, an Anglican priest from Uganda studying in our area, to join our worship. Charles and his associate, the Rev. Canon Fred Tumusiime, became our good friends and shared with us their call from God to reach the Pygmies. The Pygmies have long lived as hunters and gathers in the rainforest in southwest Uganda. Yet recently farming has pushed back the rainforest's boundaries, and the Ugandan government has nationalized what remains into Bwindi National Park. The Pygmies have been displaced from their native home. Furthermore, they lack the resources they needed for survival outside it. Dispersed in scattered groups, many are hungry, naked, and sick. They know little of Jesus and of his love for us all. Charles and Fred wanted to tell them and offer them help in His name.

As we discovered in an instant after landing in Entebbe, in Uganda everyone is poor. Per capita income is about $300 per year. Charles and Fred knew if they were to seriously address the plight of the Pygmies, God would need to provide financial help from Christians somewhere else. This is where Epiphany and other friends in the Diocese of Bethlehem have stepped in. As we discovered on our trip, what little we have given has born remarkable fruit. Approximately 12 acres of farmable land has been purchased and approximately 60 Pygmies have settled on it. With Charles's help, Pygmies have learned to raise crops, use latrines and wash dishes. This year, Epiphany School was established about a kilometer from the settlement. Today, 62 children, most sponsored by individuals or families throughout our diocese, are at school for the first time.

Getting There
Our first days in Uganda were spent mainly in the back of a Toyota Corolla that Fred drove like a Land Rover. To get to the region where the school and settlement are located, we passed over rutted trails that Westerners would hesitate to call roads. Paved road from Kampala ends at Mbarara; to reach Rukungiri, a town of perhaps 30,000, we traveled dirt roads perhaps 50 miles southwest. Rukungiri is the seat of the diocese and the site of Fred's church where we worshiped on the following Sunday with some 500 fellow Anglicans. (Here I can only hint at what an extraordinarily uplifting experience this was.) Our brief stay included a visit with the bishop, who greeted us warmly and offered an open invitation to others from our diocese to come. From Rukungiri westward, the terrain is steep and the roads become progressively worse. In the rainy season a major mudslide blocked the road that leads from Rukungiri to Kihihi where Charles Busingye lives. It was cleared just a few days before we passed.

After a stay at the Busingye's, on Friday (6/7) we were finally ready to visit the school. We returned the next day as guests of honor at the school's official opening. Our Friday visit was combined with a tour of the Pygmy Settlement. Here are some impressions gathered at each site.

Visiting Epiphany SchoolI
Charles and Fred could hardly contain their excitement as we neared the school site. They had prepared some surprises for us. We had earlier given them a suitcase stuffed full with royal blue tee shirts displaying the school logo.

At a bend in the road we found a royal blue welcoming party of staff and volunteers, each decked out in new tee shirts. They cheered as we ceremonially planted the roadside sign to the school and settlement, then walked with us the short distance to the school.

The lane leading to the school was narrowed by tall vegetation; it suddenly sprung open to display the new school. It was beautiful: sturdily constructed of cement and bricks, brightly painted and sitting atop a broad sloping yard.

Already deeply moved by what we saw, sounds drifted to our ears that brought tears to our eyes. No one was visible on the school grounds; yet we heard what Robin described as the voices of angels. Two full classes of children were singing and rhythmically clapping with great gusto. This they did to welcome us, but singing is a habit for Pygmies (really, for most Africans) and a vital part of school instruction. Once we passed inside to greet the children they sang for us again to demonstrate their English: "One little, two little, three little fingers... on my hand."

We were repeatedly amazed at the orderliness of the children. While hardly docile (as we later discovered on the play yard after distributing soccer balls and Frisbees), they sat for hours at opening ceremonies the next day, and lined up in perfect rows when directed by their teachers. Here in the classroom they sat quietly before us. While all are in their first year of school, the children range in age from 4 to 16. They are a mixture of Pygmy and Mukiga, the predominant tribe in that area. Charles and Fred believe in consistently integrating the Pygmy children with other Africans, for the Pygmies have been sometimes scorned by other tribes and made to feel inferior. The Mukiga school children are almost as poor as the Pygmies and join easily with them. While we could tell the boys from the girls by the color of their uniforms (all hair is closely cropped), we could not distinguish the pygmy children from the others. Charles showed us some differences, mainly related to the Pygmies' distinctively rounded faces.

Besides the school building, two latrines and a kitchen stand on the grounds. A hot lunch for the children, their main daily meal, is cooked in the kitchen over a wood fire in large pots.

Saturday, when we returned for the official opening celebration, the cooks were especially busy. Government and church officials from the region came to join the Pygmies and other neighbors and friends for a generous meal. (We were told that a cow was killed in our honor.) This celebration included a long series of speeches from honored guests (including me), and a number of singing performances from the children and the Pygmies.

Afterwards, Alice and Irene (Fred's wife) served us all cake - something the Pygmies had never before tasted. Once again, we were amazed, not only by the extraordinary preparation that Charles, Fred and so many others had put into our visit, but also by how widely the mission's efforts are supported. The only white faces in the crowd, we were welcomed with open arms, as fellow human beings and brothers and sisters in Christ. The royal treatment was humbling to us, especially as we thought of how little, really, we had done. However, we came to see that the celebration expressed genuine joy in the wonderful work God has done through so many people. Our financial support had played an important part. We joined in thanking God for inviting us among such gracious people.

Touring the Pygmy Settlement
Near the end of our one-kilometer walk from the school to settlement, Charles and our many guides began pointing out the Pygmies' gardens, which included such crops as bananas, maize and sweet potatoes. We soon came to our first set of huts. When the Pygmies first settled the newly purchased in 2000, they built traditional round grass huts that suited their nomadic life in the rainforest. These were no more than six feet high and seven feet in diameter. Since, however, most have learned a new style of stick and mud construction.

Their new structures, some still under construction, sit next to the older grass huts. We were greeted first by a woman, described by our guides as a "grandma." She took my hand and dropped to one knee. I was again humbled: what little I had done seemed to mean so much. We were invited inside to tour her house. Stooping though the doorway, we were greeted by darkness. As our eyes adjusted, we saw that the space, perhaps ten feet square, was divided in two by a grass screen. One side was for sitting, the other for cooking and sleeping. A strong smoky smell came from the cooking fire, but the interior otherwise was quite orderly. Grass mats were lined in one section to serve as beds. I believe the house kept a family of six.

We visited many other huts, one owned by the family of "Bede," a boy whose education at Epiphany School is being sponsored by Wayne Divis.

Introductions there were especially genuine. In the dry season, life mainly goes on outside the huts. Each family has space outside for gardens and a number of other "improvements": a clothesline, a rack for drying a few dishes, and one or two brightly colored plastic five- gallon Gerry cans for hauling and keeping water. (These are ubiquitous in Uganda.) A path to the closest latrine passed from each yard. Some of our guides had not been to the settlement for some time. They were encouraged by signs that the Pygmies were using the latrines regularly, washing and drying their clothes and keeping their gardens. (These habits have proved difficult to ingrain.) They made much of a Pygmy hut with an attached door. The owner of the hut was plainly proud.

The disruption from the rainforest has already changed much in Pygmy culture. Survival dictates that they adapt to a more settled life. Yet Charles and Fred have worked hard to find points where Pygmy culture can be encouraged and enhanced. Singing and dancing is key to this. After we visited each family's hut, they joined our entourage. By the time we reached a central gathering place by a large tree, we were a sizable group. There the Pygmies sang and danced to welcome us and express their gratitude.

Our guides understood the song well (the Pygmies have taken on the main dialect of the Mukiga) and pointed out words like "Epiphany" and even "Pinches" laced within it. The Pygmies are especially good at quickly composing songs that carry messages. A song they sang the next day at the celebration and in front of government officials was laced with some social criticism: if the rainforest is to be cared for, and its animals (especially the mountain gorillas, which bring Western tourists), then so should its people. Our tour over, the whole group accompanied us on our trek back towards the school, singing the whole way. I shall always think of it as a heavenly passage.

More Information
Our visit to Uganda was exhilarating and life changing for all three of us. We thank any and all in the Diocese who have supported this wonderful work (including Bishop Paul who gave $1000 from the Bishop's Fund to support school construction.) Much more is left to do. We would gladly share the work across the Diocese, and would happily come to tell its churches more of the work by story, pictures and videos.

If you are interested, email me at pinchesc1@scranton.edu. Contributions can be sent to Church of the Epiphany, Pygmy Fund, Box 189, Clarks Summit, PA 18411.

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Hooker's Three-Legged What?
By Philip B. Secor
Diocesan Life, November 2002

During the past ten years or so, while buried in work on a biography of Richard Hooker, (Richard Hooker Prophet of Anglicanism, Burns and Oates/Anglican Book Centre, 1999), Hooker's sermons, (The Sermons of Richard Hooker: A Modern Edition, SPCK, 2001) and, most recently, the forthcoming Anglican Worship: A Modern Edition of Book V of Hooker's "Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity," there have been a number of occasions when friends and neighbors not familiar with such esoteric labors have asked, "Hooker who?"

Eager to provide uninitiated souls (and myself) some common turf, I have some-times offered up Hooker's tripartite theological epistemology of Scripture, Reason, Tradition. This, of course, is the sloppy turf whereon sits the infamous three-legged stool which all of us smart Anglicans and Episcopalians know Hooker never built, much less stood or even sat upon. But the turf is no less slippery when we remove the stool, as I can attest from the mail I get on the subject from scholar and neophyte alike.

Hooker scholars assure me - and one another - that Hooker is a true son of the Reformation for whom Scripture is the be all and end all. Trouble is that other scholars insist that Hooker was not a Scripture-only chap but found God also in Tradition and Experience, i.e., the revelations of God to his Church in human history. Still others see Hooker as affirm-ing that Reason is God's greatest gift to us and the sine qua non for understanding Scripture and Experience.

Woe to us who would get a firm grip on Mr. Hooker's meaning. Is it a three-legged stool after all, but with uneven legs? Or should we just forget the stool and look for another metaphor?

Just when all seems lost, a new possibility arrives in my e-mail: the three wheeled cycle, with Scripture the over-sized front wheel balanced by two rear wheels, named (you guessed it) Reason and Tradition - or was that Experience? I give up! No, I don't really give up. Here is my idea.

The three principal elements in Hooker's thought cannot be separated into legs, wheels; they are inseparable. It is no more possible to separate Scripture, Reason and Experience in Hooker than it is to separate Father, Son and Holy Spirit in the Trinity. I find the analogy of the Trinity a most helpful approach to understanding Hooker's meaning.

Scripture is, for Hooker, what God the Father is in the Trinity: the source of all that is truly important. Reason is, for Hooker, what God the Son is in the Trinity: the enabler or instrument of God. Experience (Tradition) is for Hooker what the God the Holy Spirit is in the Trinity: the ongoing expression of God in human history, especially within his Church in the experiences of the saints, prophets and martyrs and in the official pronouncements of the Church. These three elements in Hooker's thought, as in the Trinity, are distinguishable but not separable.

Recently I tried out this interpretation on a fellow Episcopalian who shall remain nameless. After listening to my theory patiently, but without noticeable enthsiasm, she said, "You could be right about this, Phil, but I still like the three-legged stool." Tradition trumps!

[Phil Secor has been a follower of Richard Hooker since he wrote his doctoral thesis on Hooker's political thought in 1959. He holds an MA and PhD from Duke and has taught political science at Duke, Davidson College, and Dickinson College. He has been Dean of Muhlenberg College and President of Cornell College.]

Visit www.trinitybeth.org/hooker/home.html to discover how to bring "Richard Hooker" to your parish, to see "Hooker's" travel schedule for 2002-2003, to see a list of recent books on Hooker's thought and influence, and to read a one-page Hooker Primer for newcomers.

SIDEBAR
A PRIMER ON HOOKER
By Phil Secor

Richard Hooker is the premier theologian of the Anglican/Episcopal religious tradition. He is also an important intellectual link in the development of modern constitutional law and one of the exemplars of Elizabethan prose writing. His writings have long been required reading in seminaries and college English.

He is the closest counterpart for Anglicans and Episcopalians to Luther for Lutherans, Calvin for Presbyterians, Wesley for Methodists.

Richard Hooker is the author of the most basic source book for Anglican/Episcopal "doctrine" on all subjects from church governance to worship, to interpretation of Scripture to Christian ethics. The book is called Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity. It was written in the 1580s and 90s.

He was the choice of Queen Elizabeth I to "battle" the Calvinist extremists. She made him Master of the prestigious Temple Church in London in 1585. From this pulpit he engaged in a great public debate with the arch-Calvinist, Walter Travers, arguing against the extreme forms of election, predestination, biblical literalism, and the supposed damnation of all Roman Catholics. He forged an epistemology based on human reason and the historic affir-mations of the church. He preached a tolerant and inclusive church in which a wide variety of opinions were allowed so long as episcopal governance was respected and a public affirmation of Christ was maintained.

Biographical Highlights:
Born in 1554 into a prominent Devon family in a village near Exeter. Attended grammar school in Exeter under the patronage of his uncle, John Hooker, a renowned historian, archivist and civic leader.

Entered Corpus Christi College, Oxford in 1568. Stayed on as a Fellow and tutor to famous students, including the son of the Archbishop of York, Edwin Sandys, and the grand nephew of Archbishop Thomas Cranmer.

Appointed in 1585 by Queen Elizabeth to be master (rector) of the most influential church in London, other than St Paul's. He engaged there in one of the most important public debates of the English Reformation, forging the main features of the Anglican/Episcopal branch of the Christian Church.

Married Joan Churchman, daughter of a wealthy London merchant in 1588.

In 1592, published the first part of his opus, Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity. Left London in 1592 to become a minor canon at Salisbury Cathedral and rector of Boscombe parish in Wiltshire. Continued work on his Laws. In 1595, became rector of Bishopsbourne parish in Kent. In 1597 published the Fifth Book of his Laws. By 1600 had substantially completed writing the final four Books of the Laws. (They were published posthumously.)

Died November 3, 1600; almost immediately became famous as the leading spokesman and writer for emergent Anglicanism.

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Children Belong in Worship
By Debra J. Kisssinger
Diocesan Life, November 2002

Imagine you are visiting a church. Just outside the entrance to the nave is a coat rack with lots of colorful bags. Each bag has a child's name on it and there are several marked visitor. You enter the nave and see a soft teddy bear on the end of each pew. What would you think?

I asked the question above during a recent visit with a parish considering the place of children in worship.

Children are welcome here! offered one member without skipping a beat. Another shot back, Kids and families!

Just as Jesus welcomed children when his disciples tried to keep them away, so must the church work to include children in worship and receive children's special gifts as signs of the grace of God.

Children learn how to worship by worshipping. Children learn how to be in worship by being in worship. There is just no way around it.

I remember well how bored I was as a child sitting in church after spending an hour in Sunday School, seeing but not hearing the pastor as he droned on for what seemed like forever.

I was fortunate. My parents were firm and loving. They made certain church was part of my life through high school. However, I was only one of three that made it that far - there were thirty children my age in the kindergarten class when we all started.

Some things don't change. That was in the '60s and '70s. I hear the same tale today as I travel about. The difference now is that some of our churches are willing to talk about it and, better yet, do something about it.

The challenges are many for parishes willing to wrestle with questions like:

How do we make our worship accessible to children without 'dumbing it down?' In what ways can children and adults participate in worship leadership side by side? How can we help children and their parents feel comfortable in church? And what about the grumblers?

Face it. Every congregation has them (sometimes they are clergy) and to some extent grumbling is natural to those of us grieving the loss of traditions that have meant so much to us in our faith journeys.

The good news is that there is help for parishes willing to rise to the challenge of making worship formational for people of all ages. A plethora of resources is widely available. I'll send you a book list that is too long to publish here. If you ask, I'll come to your parish and walk with you through the challenges, obstacles and opportunities.

God became incarnate in the Christ child. The child became an adult, took children in his arms, placed his hands on each of them and blessed them. The church is called to care for, minister to and receive the ministry of children, recognizing that children are a gift from the Lord.

Making worship accessible to people of all ages is one step towards the kingdom.

[The Rev. Debra J. Kissinger is Missioner to Children and Child Advocate for the Diocese of Bethlehem. You may speak with her at 610-691-5655 x237 or email dkissinger@diobeth.org.]

Churches that Welcome Children

Things kids of all ages can do...
Illustrate the scripture for the bulletin covers
'Sign' the Lord's Prayer
Readers' theatre in place of a lesson
Lay hands on for healing
Write the Prayers of the People
Liturgical dance
Serve as ushers, greeters, lectors, chalice bearers,
acolytes and sing in the choir

Welcoming Signs to Families
Clean, bright church and nursery
Soft Space for young children up front
Children's worship bulletins
Children's prayer books
Children in worship brochure
Rocking chairs
A mix of music

Prevailing Attitude
Children sitting with adults other than mom and dad
Every child is known by name

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Anne Kitch Chosen to Take Part in Leadership Project
Diocesan Life, November 2002

The Rev. Canon Anne E. Kitch, Canon for Christian Formation at the Cathedral Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, has been chosen as one of 30 participants in the 16th class of the Clergy Leadership Project.

Several hundred clergy were nominated. Selection was based on talent, experience, geography, leadership ability, and other criteria.

The Clergy Leadership Project is a national initiative formed to develop and strengthen clergy leaders, supporting new visions for vigorous ministries in their personal lives, families, congregations and communities. Trinity Church, Wall Street in New York City, and The Episcopal Church Foundation virtually founded a strategic alliance to build this leadership model. Today, Trinity Church is the sponsor of the program.

Canon Kitch will be attending a ten-day conference in November in West Cornwall, Connecticut. She will continue to meet with her clergy colleagues for the next three years.

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Mollard Hospitality Center
In memory of Elsie Mae Mollard
New Bethany Ministries Meal Center Rededicated
Diocesan Life, November 2002

The meal center at New Bethany Ministries, 337 Wyandotte Street, Bethlehem, became the Mollard Hospitality Center on October 4 when Bishop Paul Marshall rededicated the center in memory of Elsie Mae Mollard.

A deferred major gift to New Bethany's endowment fund in honor of Elsie Mollard has been incorporated into the estate plan of Chaplain Kenneth E. Hartranft and his deceased wife, Mrs. Vera M. Hartranft.

Elsie Mollard was born in Summit Hill in 1917 during the flu epidemic. She was mentally challenged and lived for some 40 years at Allentown state Hospital.

New Bethany Ministries, a faith-based nonprofit agency founded by the diocese of Bethlehem, has served the poor, the hungry, the homeless and the mentally challenged in the Lehigh Valley for some 19 years.

Programs include housing and support services for some 50 families and 50 single adults each year, financial management for some 60 mentally disabled adults each year, daily meals to some 100 hungry neighbors each day, employment readiness training, and a variety of emergency and community services.

Services at the Mollard Hospitality Center include hot lunches and continental breakfast on weekdays, day shelter with socialization and educational programs, showers, clothing, emergency groceries, 12-step support groups, mailboxes, telephone access and spiritual care.

Supported by many religious communities and judicatories, several corporations and foundations, and thousands of individual donors, New Bethany is a United Way Agency. Half of its $750,000 annual budget is derived from donations.

More information on New Bethany may be accessed at www.newbethanyministries.org.

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Habitat for Divinity
St. Elizabeth's Church finds a Home in Schnecksville
By T. Scott Allen
Diocesan Life, November 2002

September brought many things to St. Elizabeth's Church, formerly at Hall and Wyoming streets in south Allentown: the installation of a new rector, secularization of the old building, moving in with Grace Church at Fifth and Linden in Allentown for a few weeks of shared worship and signing a lease for a new church space on Route 309, north of Allentown

The new space is being leased for three years as St. Elizabeth's seeks to build a congregation and establish themselves in the Schnecksville area. The storefront (a former beer distributorship) has been remodeled into two commercial units. St. Elizabeth's has leased the left side with a Karate studio renting the right side.

A new floor, some partitions for office/classroom/program space needs to finished before occupancy. Mr. David Hornung, husband of our realtor, Susan Hornung, has offered his architectural expertise to design the new space. We plan on asking local from the Episcopal community and other local volunteers - people with framing, dry walling and carpentry skills - to help put the building in shape for mission and ministry.

We have named the project Habitat for Divinity (a take off on Habitat for Humanity which builds low income residential housing). Details will be forthcoming to parishes.

We ask the diocese's continued prayers and moral support as we move forward in this exciting new venture on behalf of the mission of the Church!

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But did you put all your money in?
By Debra J. Kissinger

When I arrived in the Diocese of Bethlehem, my three-year-old daughter, Emma-Li, and I visited a few local churches. Being on the other side of the altar with my daughter was a new experience. I was moved by watching her soak up the movement of the liturgy and participating in the service at her own pace. She really seemed to like the offertory and leaped forward to grab the plate, toss her coins into it and pass it to the next person. One Sunday, to my pride and embarrassment, she tapped the “grandma lady” in front of us on the shoulder and asked, “Did you put your money in the plate?” The lady smiled and nodded affirmatively. Not satisfied, Emma-Li added in a loud voice, “But did you put all your money in?”

Children understand more than we give them credit for. Their attitudes are formed at an early age and we have a responsibility to be part of that formation as Christian parents. Fall is here and chances are your congregation will soon be in the midst of its annual financial stewardship campaign. This is a good time to intro-duce your child to stewardship — and a time to think about your own understanding of stewardship as well!

What is Stewardship?

When most adults hear the word stewardship, they hear only the word money. Stewardship, understood more fully, is about all that God has given us, how we take care of it and what we do with it. Stewardship is essentially about being responsible with what God has entrusted to us for a time.

Perhaps I’m old fashioned, but I suspect most parents hope that their children will grow up to be responsible people. Instilling a sense of stewardship in our children will lead them on that path.

Teaching children about Stewardship?

Teaching children about Stewardship doesn’t have to be difficult. When you take walks with your child point out the beauty of God’s creation. Talk about our responsibility to take care of the earth. Take a small garbage bag along on the walk and pick up trash along the way.

Recycle — paper, plastic, metal. Children really love to sort things and recycling is often reinforced through school and television programming. God gave us the earth and it is up to us to take care of it.

“Take care of your toys!” How many times did you hear that as a child? Taking care of toys and talking about why are perfect opportunities to teach stewardship. Not being rough with our toys, putting them away, making sure we have all the pieces are wonderful teachings. Why? Even children know that it is no fun to play with broken toys.

The number of toys we have, how we share them, giving them away or selling them in a yard sale when we’ve outgrown them also provide opportunities to teach stewardship.

Be aware; your kids are watching. Your possessions are your toys. Make sure you are practicing what you preach before you try to put this one into practice.

Chores and Money

Teaching our children about the stewardship of money is a critical life skill. If we don’t teach them, where will they learn it?

All children should be assigned basic responsibilities for which they will not be paid. This teaches them that we are all part of a society, and each of us can do specific things to achieve order in the way we live.

Children need to learn that there are certain duties they must perform for which they will receive no monetary payment. Even parents have those to do. My daughter helps me empty the wastebaskets, likes to sort laundry and is able to fold towels and t-shirts and set the table.

Though she may not always get the fork on the “right” side, she understands this is her way to “help our family” and she is proud of her accomplishment.

Giving children paid jobs around the house teaches them the value of hard work. I believe these should be bigger things and must be age appropriate. It is an important principle to instill in our children: if they don’t finish the job, they don’t get paid. Employers don’t pay for partially completed jobs, so we shouldn’t pay our children until they finish their tasks.

Visual reinforcements, such as sticker charts or a chip system, may be more effective for younger children. This way they can see the immediate results of what they have accomplished.

Regardless of which approach we take, the important thing is that we help our children learn that they can’t have everything they want. As parents we will supply the needs of our children, but they can and should (for the most part) be responsible for their wants.

This principle carries over into giving at church. When we give our children money to put into the offering plate, it doesn’t mean anything to them unless they earn it and it costs them something to give it. Instead we need to teach that we give of ourselves to the church and that working supplies the resources necessary for giving.

In our house we use a commercially produced Giving Bank but the same things could be easily accomplished by using three plastic jars. The three sections of the bank are labeled Church, Bank, and Store.

When Emma-Li is given money as a gift or for a job performed she decides how to distribute the coins in her bank.

Pay attention to this: her natural inclination is to put equal amounts in the three compartments. When was the last time you gave 10% to the church let alone 33 1/3%?

It is up to Emma-Li how and when to remove the money from her bank, with our guidance along the way. On Sunday mornings she takes some coins from the Church section and puts them in her Sunday School envelope.

The Bank section is for short and long term goals, presently for a special toy or article of clothing that she really wants. The store section is for current spending. If she wants a gumball or a sticker when we go grocery shopping, she knows she needs to take a quarter out of the Store section.

Obviously our approach to the Church, Bank, Store sections will change as she matures. As Emma-Li gets older we will share more about our own giving habits, talk about percentages and the Biblical commands. We’ll open a real bank account for that new bike, a car or college. We may even expect that she draw from the Store for her school lunch money.

The important thing is to give children the opportunity to make financial decisions and to be able to learn from them. Giving, saving and spending are all part of stewardship.

Our children need our guidance to practice faithful stewardship — but most importantly, they will learn from our example.

[The Rev. Debra J. Kissinger is Missioner to Children and Child Advocate for the Diocese of Bethlehem. You may speak with her at 610-691-5655 x237 or email dkissinger@diobeth.org.]

Children's Stewardship Resources
Amos and Boris by William Steig is about giving to strangers through the experience of a mouse and a whale.

Beatrice's Goat by Page McBrier tells the true story of a young girl in Africa given a goat and how the gift extends.

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein reflects the joy of continual giving.

Miss Fannie's Hat by Jan Karon tells the story of an older woman who gives up one of her many precious hats to help raise money for the church.

Miss Rumphius, by Barbara Cooney tells of how the author's grandfather taught her to do things to make the world more beautiful. She passed this on to the children around her.

Stone Soup by Marcia Brown is a classic based on an old French tale relating how the soldiers helped the villagers create a feast out of what they thought was nothing.

Teaching Kids to Care & Share by Jolene Roehlkepartain is filled with more than 300 ideas and activities to involve children in service to one another.

A Treasure Chest of Stewardship Resources: Church School Materials for Grades 1 – 12. www.tens.org/TreasureChest/T.B.ToC.html

My Giving Bank A three section bank that helps children give, save and spend. www.cookministries.com/catalog/index.cfm

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Youth ministry coordinators
Diocesan Life, October 2002

Josephine Goldberg of Christ Church, Stroudsburg, and Father Ed Erb, rector of St. John’s, Hamlin, have joined the bishop’s staff as coordinators of youth ministry. They will work with the youth advisory committee and other groups in planning and leading youth events, and will also be our diocesan liaisons with provincial and national youth offices.

A Brooklyn native, Goldberg had been a member of Trinity Church, Wall Street, where she and her husband, Brian, were married and where she taught Sunday School for eight years. They have two sons, James, 18, and Matthew, 16, and are now members of Christ Church, Stroudsburg.

She has been a youth group advisor at Christ Church and a member of the diocesan youth advisory committee. She had been trained in New York by the board of education, office of comprehensive health and substance abuse prevention, to be a parent leadership facilitator. She facilitated workshops throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan on topics such as self esteem, building communication in the family, making sound decisions, understanding human sexuality, preventing child sexual abuse, promoting good health, understanding HIV/AIDS, eating nutritiously, multi-cultural issues and resolving conflict creatively.

Erb is rector of St. John’s, Hamlin. He was a professional musician prior to ordination. He serves the diocesan community on the Commission on Ministry, the Liturgy and Music Commission and the diocesan Youth Ministry.

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EYE rocks in WY
By Sarah Tax
Diocesan Life, October 2002

Eight young people from the Diocese of Bethlehem joined thousands of other Episcopal youth at the University of Wyoming in Laramie from July 23-28 to celebrate their unique gifts and inspire the faith of other believers and seekers of Christ.

The Episcopal Youth Event occurs every three years as a gathering for senior high school students of the Episcopal Church USA. Young people are at the helm of the event, and chose a theme inspired by 1Timothy 4:11-16: Bring It To The High Plains! Tell The People Who I AM!

Andrew Pennington of St. Andrew’s Church, Bethlehem was a member of the national design team for EYE 2002. Over the past two years, Andrew had the opportunity to work with a group of adults and young people from each of the nine provinces of the Episcopal Church. The team was responsible for every aspect of the preparation, planning, and outcome of the event.

The week was crammed with activity. There was Music. The songs were as diverse as the Church itself. Beautiful old hymns were sung with new styles: ska beats and electric guitars. There were new songs, old favorites, reggae, rock ’n roll, techno, gospel. Many were sung in Spanish. Liturgical offerings in the form of Eucharist, Evensong, Taize, Stations of the Cross, and Healing Services were authentic to the styles, theology and worship of young people.

Workshop offerings included titles that related to church life, relationships, prayer, social issues and spirituality. Hot topics were sessions where important current issues about the global economy, addiction, endanger-ing our environment, sex, Matthew Shepard and the events of September 11 were examined. Participants were asked to look at the issues from a theological standpoint asking: “Where God is in the midst of this?” “What is my charge as a disciple?”

Tours of historical Laramie, Vedauwoo Rock formations in Medicine Bowl National Forest, and the local area gave everyone the opportunity to get off campus for a few hours. Games, crafts, swimming, music jam sessions, salsa dancing, hula lessons, stargazing, karaoke, and movies were some of the many recreational activities available during “free” time.

The event generated cultural diversity with youth from Barbados, United Kingdom, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras and Puerto Rico as well as every state in the nation in attendance.

Members from 100 dioceses as well as 20 bishops who interacted directly with the youth came together for the event. Bishop Paul and Diana Marshall represented the Diocese of Bethlehem.

With a renewed sense of the Body of Christ, the following people have returned to confront the changes and challenges of life: Emily Brown, Scott Moore, Andrew Pennington, and Shannon Solt (St. Andrew’s, Bethlehem), James Goldberg (Christ Church, Stroudsburg) Caitlin Huffman and Mariah E. Van Doren (Cathedral Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem), Christine Merchant (Good Shepherd and St. John the Evangelist, Milford), C. Lynn Tax, Michael Tax and Sarah Tax (St. Anne’s, Trexlertown)

EYE rocks! See you in 2005. Aww yeah!

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The Irish Visit
Irish Youth Exchange 2002
By Josephine Goldberg
Diocesan Life, October 2002

The next morning, they were off to New Bethany for a service project. A second evening with their host families and time to reflect on the day was followed by an early morning bus ride to New York City.

Six youth from the Diocese of Bethlehem, Mariah Van Doren, Aubrey Van Wick, Cal Trepagnier, Tom Lewis, James Goldberg and Matthew Goldberg, accompanied the Irish visitors to New York City. The Rev. Anne Kitch, Brian and I went along as chaperones/tour guides.

Upon arrival at Port Authority, we took a subway to General Seminary in Chelsea to drop off our luggage. We headed toward lower Manhattan for a private tour of Trinity Church, Wall Street, by head verger David Jette.

As we walked down Broadway towards Trinity, all were filled with the excitement of the Wall Street area. As we passed St. Paul’s Chapel the lively chatter of both the youth and the adults turned to quiet reflection and prayer.

A tour of lower Manhattan must include a discussion of the stock market and the meaning of bulls and bears — and, of course, a photo of the kids ‘taking the bull by the horns.’ A walk past Ground Zero brought us to the newly erected Irish Memorial which was put up to commemorate the people who died during the Potato Famine.

Stones, soil, flowers and ground cover plants were brought there from Ireland, along with larger boulders that had the names of the counties in Ireland.

There was a scurry of activity with each youth trying to find their own county. When all counties were found, a group picture was taken by a pleasant and helpful security guard.

A walk through Battery Park City gave us a breeze off the water; a fine Mexican restau-rant filled us with tacos and chips. Then we were off to the Staten Island Ferry to sit, rest, reflect, and catch a cool breeze off the water as we passed the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and the Brooklyn and Verranzano bridges.

Refreshed from the ferry ride, we hopped on a bus headed for the South Street Seaport. If you haven’t been there lately, it’s a must see. I’m sure the kids would all recommend it highly. With the old ships in the harbor, live music, street performers and all the most trendy shops, they were in heaven. It also gave the more ‘mature’ folks time to sit a bit with a cool beverage and some adult conversation till dinner time rolled around. What better place for dinner than Chinatown!

We took them to our favorite restaurant and suggested they each order a different dish to share family style. They were adventurous and excited about trying different types of foods. The fortune cookies and oranges at the end of the meal were definitely a big hit.

With our stomachs full and a long day behind us, we decided to head back to the seminary to relax, reflect and plan for the next days adventures. Everyone wanted to go to the top of the Empire State Building. It was unanimous.

Midtown Manhattan was as big a thrill as downtown was. Standing outside the Empire State Building they looked up in total amazement, but were even more amazed while at the top looking down. We were pleasantly surprised when they began to point out places we had been to the day before.

A brisk walk to Port Authority left us with time to get a slice of pizza and a magazine before boarding our bus back to Bethlehem and the awaiting host families.

Saturday was a fun-filled day at Dorney Park. With no large amusement parks in Ireland, Dorney was an instant success.

Sunday, after going to church with their host families, the young people enjoyed an afternoon pool party at Dean Bill and Beverly Lane’s home.

Monday morning they were off to Kirby House for an overnight stay, some R&R, and fellowship with the diocesan kids on the Youth Advisory Council. We enjoyed the slower pace, naps on the lawn, walks around the beautiful grounds, swims in the pool and opportunities to learn a bit about one another before we were off to host families in the northern part of the diocese.

Their last two days were spent at a soccer game, a concert at Shawnee on the Delaware, go-carting and, yes, shopping.

On the next morning, the Irish youth and the host families from north and south met at the Cathedral for a service officiated by the Rev. Anne Kitch, the Rev. Ed Erb and the Rev. Alan Stewart with readings done by both Irish and American youth. After the service we enjoyed a light lunch and shared hugs, kisses and even some tears before they had to board their bus to the airport.

Thank you Anne, for organizing this trip and thanks to all the host families who opened their homes and hearts. If you feel as we do, we got back more than we gave.

An e-mail from the Stewart’s reported that their flight home was “uneventful and all the kids were collected from the airport safe and sound.”

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Have you wondered about the bell tower and terrace repairs at the Cathedral?
Diocesan Life, October 2002

The Cathedral Bell Tower has begun to emerge in full splendor from beneath the shroud of the scaffolding and debris netting.

The internal damage was far greater than had been anticipated — a century of weathering, acid rain, freeze-thaw cycles, neglect and improperly performed repairs had taken their toll. Upper levels of the tower were on the verge of collapse.

Nearly three tons of structural steel frameworks were required to stabilize the upper levels; the tower and the top parapet walls had to be totally dissembled and rebuilt with new core materials.

All the Pennsylvania bluestone battlement caps and the decorative niche stones in the parapet level had to be replaced; the limestone traceries in the bell level had to be dissembled and rebuilt. Major repairs to the sandstone frames around all windows and the belt courses had to be made before proceeding with the chipping out of the old mortar, cleaning and repointing. Work on the tower will be largely completed by the end of September; the tower and terrace rebuilding work will be completed by the end of October.

Visit the website of Masonry Preservation Services of Berwick where the tower work is featured with pictures under the Projects button, www.masonrypreservation.com.

[Adapted from the September Parish Visitor, Cathedral’s monthly newsletter.]

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Yes, You Can Preach — and be licensed as a lay preacher

The spring session, 2003, of Bishop’s School will include six sessions led by Bishop Paul — Yes, You Can Preach — that will equip people for licensure as lay preachers. These had been planned for this fall. Please note the change.

Classes for the fall session of Bishop’s School, morning (10 to noon) and afternoon (1:30 to 3:30), all at St. Peter’s, Hazleton, have been set for September 21, 28; October 12, 26; November 2, 9 16, 23, and December 7, 21. All Saturdays.

You may bring a bag lunch or go out for lunch. Coffee and tea will be provided.

The Rev. Howard Stringfellow, rector of St. Luke’s, Scranton, will teach the History of the Episcopal Church at all the morning sessions. The required textbook is History of the Episcopal Church, Robert Prichard, rev. ed. 1999, 4th printing. It is available from Morehouse publishing, 800-877-0012, or Amazon.

The Rev. Bill Marshall, soon to be priest in charge at St. Clement and St. Peter’s, Wilkes-Barre, will lead afternoon sessions, September 21 and 28, on substance abuse.

Bill Lewellis, diocesan communication minister will lead October 12 and 26 afternoon sessions on communication ministry.

The Rev. Andrew Gerns, rector of Trinity, Easton, will lead six afternoon sessions on pastoral care of the dying and bereaved: November 2, 9, 16, 23 and December 7, 21.

Classes are required for some in the ordination process and are also open to anyone who would like to attend. Call or email Linda Shifter to register: lshifter@diobeth.org.

Questions: Canon Jane Teter (800-358-5655) or email Jane at jteter@diobeth.org.

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Trial Court finds former diocesan staff person guilty
Diocesan Life, October 2002

The seven-member Ecclesiastical Trial Court of the Diocese of Bethlehem deliberated for several hours before announcing its verdict Thursday evening, August 22, that the Rev. Dane C. Bragg, 40, who served on diocesan staff as missioner for youth and social ministries from January 1999 to October 2001, was guilty of immorality and conduct unbecoming a member of the clergy.

Testimony and closing arguments were heard in open court over four days at Trinity Episcopal Church, Pottsville.

The court found the accused guilty of four charges under ‘immorality” and 21 charges under “conduct unbecoming,” counts included in Title IV (Ecclesiastical Discipline) of the Canons of the Episcopal Church.

Charges of alleged inappropriate conversations, inappropriate emotional attachment, and inappropriate actions (not including sexual contact) on the part of a diocesan youth missioner with young people in his pastoral care were listed in a presentment (indictment) returned in late February 2002 by unanimous vote of the diocesan Standing Committee.

At press deadline for Diocesan Life, the court had not handed down a sentence. [the next meeting of the court is scheduled for October 25]

Bishop Paul Marshall will make a statement after the court officially communicates its verdict and sentence to him.

Background and canonical process

In October 2001, two complainants, a man and a woman, 18 and 19, met with Bishop Paul regarding their relationship with Father Bragg who refused the bishop’s request to meet with the complainants and a few witnesses.

Because the complainants had been 17 at the onset of the series of complaints, the bishop sought legal advice about whether any of the complaints needed to be reported to authorities in the counties where they took place.

“Attorneys of considerable experience and reputation determined that the complaints did not come under any criminal statute,” said the Rev. Canon Bill Lewellis, diocesan communication minister. “Additionally, the complainants were referred to separate psychotherapists to be sure they did not need to be subjected to the legal system. The psychotherapists, mandated reporters, did not believe any of the events were reportable offenses.

“Nothing of substance here resembled the Roman Catholic situation of not reporting to prosecutors. There was no intent or attempt to cover anything up. Charges were dealt with according to am open canonical process.

“Mutual accountability has marked the Episcopal Church since its formation. The Standing Committee of ten clergy and lay people elected by diocesan convention and the Ecclesiastical Trial Court, seven clergy and lay people elected as judges, provided canonical checks and balances.”

Advised that the complaints did not amount to a criminal offense, the bishop determined they would, if true, constitute grounds for charges according to church canons. He set in motion a process and procedures clearly outlined in the canons of the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Bethlehem.

After consulting with the chancellor, the archdeacon and the president of the Standing Committee, the bishop terminated the accused as a member of diocesan staff on the basis of admissions to the bishop in the presence of a witness. He was given a termination package that included salary until the end of 2001 as well as health insurance and help with his mortgage to June 2002.

The bishop also suspended him from exercising priestly ministry and representing himself as a priest.

In accordance with church canons, the bishop compiled a summary of allegations and submitted them to the Standing Committee.

In early December 2001, the Standing Committee, determined that an offense may have occurred. The committee prepared a general statement of the charge and sent copies to the bishop and to the accused.

The Standing Committee engaged an attorney, James Bartholomew of Allentown, to investigate the charges and to serve as the church attorney in this matter. Bartholomew, who had no connection with the Episcopal Church, took depositions under oath from the complainants and others.

Also in December, persons were appointed as advocates for the complainants and the accused. Advocates provide pastoral care and support. Therapists were provided for the complainants. The complainants requested that their names not be made public.

In February 2002, upon reviewing the church attorney’s report, the Standing Committee determined that there was sufficient reason to believe that an offense had been committed and that the evidence might warrant a trial. The committee issued a presentment, the ecclesiastical equivalent of an indictment by a Grand Jury.

The Rev. Henry Pease, president of the Standing Committee, wrote to the clergy of the diocese: “With sadness I am writing to inform you that the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Bethlehem by a unanimous vote has returned a presentment against the Rev. Dane C. Bragg for alleged offenses outlined in Title IV of the Canons of the Episcopal Church. The presentment has been forwarded to the president of the Ecclesiastical Trial Court as required by the canons. To protect all concerned and because the process is ongoing, this is the extent of the information that we will make public. I ask your prayers for all involved.”

The presentment was communicated to the accused, his advocate and his attorney as well as to the complainants, the president of the Trial Court, the bishop and the diocesan chancellor.

The president of the court informed the accused that he was in receipt of the presentment and required a response.

Through his attorney, Charles Coslett of Kingston, Luzerne County, the accused denied all charges in the presentment. He declined an option to settle the matter outside of a trial. That option would have been a no-contest “submission to discipline,” to be determined by the bishop.

Bragg came to the Diocese of Bethlehem in 1999 from the Diocese of Southern Virginia. Born in 1962, he was ordained a priest in 1995. Prior to seminary studies, he was a school social worker and a counselor for outpatient, acute and residential programs in Virginia.

The Constitution and Canons of the Diocese of Bethlehem may be accessed at www.diobeth.org. (Scroll down two screens to the link on the right side of the screen.) On the Bethlehem Constitution and Canons page, there is a link also to The Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church USA.

The Ecclesiastical Court (Canon XXVII, Diocese of Bethlehem) is a seven-member body (four priests or deacons and 3 lay persons) elected by diocesan convention to hear the ecclesiastical discipline trial of a priest or deacon.

Attorney John E. Feather of Lebanon served as president of the Ecclesiastical Trial Court. Other members of the court were: The Very Rev. William Lane, rector and dean, Cathedral Church of the Nativity; The Rev. Peter Harer, rector, Episcopal Ministry of Unity, Palmerton and Lehighton; the Rev. Elizabeth Haynes, rector, Christ Church, Stroudsburg; Mr. William Cauller, member, Cathedral Church of the Nativity, Marshall Dawsey, Esq., member, Christ Church, Towanda; the Rev. J. Lawrence Holman, deacon, Church of the Redeemer, Sayre.

The Standing Committee (Article VIII of the Constitution and Canons of the Diocese of Bethlehem) consists of five clergy and five lay persons elected by diocesan convention.

The Diocese of Bethlehem is the Episcopal Church in 14 counties of eastern and north-eastern Pennsylvania, from Lebanon County to the New York State line.

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