Episcopal Diocese of Maine
Diocesan Ministry Faire, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2003
The Readfield Experience: One Congregation's On-Going Journey
Discernment is for Everybody
Saturday, September 20
9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Bangor Theological Seminary
A day to explore the possibilities for ministry for all Episcopalian in Maine
• Workshops
• Personal Ministry/Discernment Stories
• Resource Tables
• Music and Worship
• Bishop Knudsen weaves it all together
The Readfield Experience: One Congregation’s On-going Journey
by the Rev. James Gill
After serving as consultant for the Discernment Process at St. Andrew’s, Readfield, for a little more than a year and now choosing to be a regular Sunday worshipper there, I am excited about what I see as the distinctive characteristics of this congregation.
Having six or seven retired clergy and, in some cases, clergy couples, as active participants in this family-size parish (45 is average year-round attendance at the 9:30 Sunday service), is rather different in itself from many other Maine congregations. What is also significant, I think, is the way these clergy become involved in the parish life at St. Andrew’s.
Since January 1999 there has been no local priest-in-charge. There is a schedule whereby the clergy take turns leading the service and preaching. One of the clergy also sits with the Bishop’s Committee as clergy representative.
Besides a wealth of clergy coverage, what makes St. Andrew’s unique? Here are a few of the highlights of their life together:
Parish-wide participation in decision-making. From the beginning of the Discernment Process, it was decided that we operate with the parish as a whole, not with a committee in charting our discernment course. This has meant that over half of the congregation has chosen to meet after the service, twice a month, for an hour of discussion. While the frequency has diminished a bit, it is still true that more parishioners get into the act of formulating parish policy at St. Andrew’s than is true at in many other congregations.
High Quality Communication. The e-mail parish address list includes over half of the membership and minutes of group meetings, as well as pastoral updates, are sent several times a week. Bob Folsum has a ministry of communication and uses it well.
Acceptance of individual gifts. Without over-concern for official "licensing" or official appointment, members offer their gifts and find them accepted. My Thornsjo often provides the altar flowers. Cheryl Frye has implemented a Giving Thanks ritual in the Eucharist every third Sunday of the month. There is a regular line-up of those who drop money for the United Thanks Offering and give a particular reason for giving thanks. The Fall and Spring UTO Ingatherings continue unchanged.
Speedy incorporation of newcomers. I’ve noticed that new faces take on leadership roles at a much faster rate than one might expect in a congregation. The size of the congregation and the physical setting of closeness certainly help this process, but it is also true that St. Andrew’s regulars work at the ministry of hospitality.
Bible-based study and reflection. Every Sunday there is a lay-led study of scripture with lively discussion for 45 minutes before the service. Twice a month, after the service, a group gathers for Self-Directed (sometimes called African) Bible study, with discernment of gifts in mind.
Community outreach – A Priority. Henri Silz seldom misses an opportunity to remind parishioners of their ministry with the local food bank. Not just money, but physical presence is expected. He has also spearheaded an after-school program for the latch-key youth population in the community. Also, St. Andrew’s regularly provides a scholarship to the local high school The fact that the congregation spends only a dollar per year for use of the building (lots more to fix it up), helps make funds available for outreach. Yet even if this congregation had more normal plant upkeep expenses, I think that outreach would continue as a high priority ministry.
How much of this is applicable to other congregations in the diocese? This question keeps surfacing in my mind. What would be the benefits of having a variety of preaching styles? Are there ways in which other congregations can involve a majority of members in on-going decision-making about congregational life? My experience is that such matters are often left to the vestry.
Are there downside issues in the Readfield Experience? Do St. Andrew’s members miss the comfort of relating to a single clergy person as their pastor? This has not been expressed thus far, but we are only completing one year in this mode of parish life.
One of the things that has kept my attention during the year as consultant and now as a worshipper at St. Andrew’s is that we are looking at possible ways to experiment with the structure of our life together, emphasizing Baptismal Ministry and less dependence upon the ordained, without the usual constraints which lead to such experimentation. There is no lack of clergy. Lack of finances is not a real issue.
I think that St. Andrew’s is open to prayerful discernment, week by week, with the possibility in mind that a lively emphasis on each person’s baptismal ministry in church and in the world may lead us to make adjustments in the traditional structures of congregational life that have guided us in the past.
Discernment Toward
Ordination
by the Rev. Robert Jewett
As the congregation of family, friends, congregants, and sponsors gather in festive joy at
an Ordination Eucharist, the Bishop inquires of the candidate’s Presenters, "Has
[this candidate] been selected in accordance with the canons of this Church? And do you
believe [the candidate’s] manner of life to be suitable to the exercise of this
ministry?" It’s striking that this is the initial question and that the Bishop
puts it to the community of faith; it is only later in the service that the Bishop asks of
the ordinand, "Do you believe that you are truly called by God and the Church to this
[order of ministry]?"
This intriguing understanding in our Anglican tradition and ecclesiology is strikingly
different from what many people might easily assume: that an inspired person feels a
personal call from God and then goes off to proclaim the Gospel in their own way.
Obviously, each of us
must struggle and pray and reflect personally about what it is we feel God is challenging
us to do with our gifts and insights, and some persons may begin to have an inclination
that the ordained priesthood or diaconate might somehow be the path their journey ought
pursue, so as to minister for God appropriately with those endowments. However,
discernment toward ordination is a two-part process: individual and communal.
On one hand, clearly no one is ordained who doesn’t
will to be. What is paramount in our tradition, however, is that the Church—at home
and at large—must also "call" someone to ordination. The local congregation
and also the diocesan authorities must believe that each person ordained is appropriately
endowed by God for the intended ministry and is adequately prepared— intellectually,
spiritually, experientially, and practically— and that the mission of the Church
needs what they have to offer. This "catholic" understanding is often difficult
for us to comprehend given our bias toward individuality and "free
enterprise"—even in religion.
The canons of the National Episcopal Church and the procedures of our Diocese prescribe
many specific steps along an often frustratingly lengthy and complex pathway. All of these
are intended to provide for the candidate moments of discernment—local, medical,
psychological, diocesan, institutional, professional, educational, and spiritual. And that
discernment is an on-going unfolding of understanding and self-awareness for the person
involved. Very often, too, in the wondrous economy of God’s grace, spiritual insights
occur simultaneously for those sharing in the discernment process—about their own
callings, insights, and commitments. Community discernment upbuilds the Body of Christ.
But we do not always agree in our discernments, and
sometimes there is a challenging lack of concurrence. Those on the level of personal
engagement or congregational involvement experience a person from their perspective. The
Bishop, Committee on Holy Orders, or Standing Committee—let alone seminary faculties,
readers of national examinations, psychological mentors, spiritual directors, and others
involved in the formation process—discern from a different standpoint. These have
responsibility given them from the national Church and the Christian community at large,
and this informs their discernment in a way that is different from a local
community’s experience of a person’s ministry. Again, that is an aspect of our
Anglican heritage as Episcopalians.
So—in general—what is it that the Committee on Holy Orders is "looking
for" in persons presented to us for discernment toward possible ordination as Deacons
or Priests? The list is lengthy and interrelated in many ways, and living people exhibit
these characteristics in wonderfully unique blends. Briefly, these include the following:
firm belief in the Holy Scriptures and conformity to the doctrine, discipline, and worship
of the Episcopal Church; acceptance of the authority of the Bishop and openness toward
those struggling with their beliefs; collaborative leadership within and outside the
Church; ability to witness effectively; demonstrated personal commitment to Christ and a
capacity to communicate the Gospel; evidence of personal spiritual discipline and the
ability to draw others into the presence of God; sufficient maturity to withstand the
demanding role of an ordained minister, with flexibility and balance, and wisdom to seek
consultation and assistance where needed; self-awareness and self-acceptance, sense of
humor, and delight in God’s surprises; respect for the ethical traditions of our
Church; intellectual capacity and openness to continuing study and growth in the faith.
These qualities are sometimes expressed in different terms, and almost always they are
exhibited in excitingly different ways. They will be most obvious in well-seasoned
individuals, and no one is expected to possess all of them equally. Furthermore, COHO
hopes that we will always make room for the godly mavericks who will never fit a
checklist.
All of this philosophy and a great deal more, including all the details of the process toward ordination, are included in two new pamphlets (red for the Diaconate ad blue for the Priesthood) prepared for people in the Diocese of Maine by the Committee on Holy Orders. Copies of each should be in every parish and additional copies may be obtained through the Bishop’s Office in Loring House. Members of COHO, and especially its Co-Chair, the Rev. Robert A. Jewett (563-2580) are eager to answer questions and assist in any way possible with those concerned about the discernment of vocation toward ordination.
Deacons: The
messengers
of Christ in our midst
by the Rev. Peg Thomas, Coordinator
Deacon Formation Program
During the past couple of months, as I have
traveled around the diocese meeting and talking with people about the Deacon Formation
Program, I have heard lots of questions about deacons. Who are deacons? What do deacons
do? What are permanent deacons or vocational deacons? What are transitional deacons?
Some years back, actually 20 or 30 years ago, some deacons were called permanent or vocational deacons. Today, these people, those called to be deacons are deacons. During the past year several people in our diocese have been ordained deacons: David Bustin, Mary Carol Griffin, Edie Hazard, Melissa Post vanderBurg. There are other deacons too. Those people called to be priests are first ordained and serve as deacons for a period of time, usually six months to a year, before being ordained to the priesthood. During their service as deacons these people are called transitional deacons. Late last spring Mary Ann Hoy and Susan Murphy were ordained as transitional deacons. Susan was ordained to the priesthood this past December; Mary Ann will be ordained to the priesthood on March 25
th.The word deacon comes from the Greek word diakonos: servant, messenger. There is an interesting history about our understanding of the word diakonos, but that’s another story! For now, let’s stay clear and focused: diakonos: servant, messenger; diakonia: servants, messengers. Deacons are both servants and messengers. Our bishop, The Rt. Rev. Chilton R. Knudsen, has described deacons as "people whose lives reflect Jesus’ servanthood in everything they do."
Okay. So deacons are servants; somehow everything about them reminds us of Christ’s servanthood, reaching out to the powerless and the forgotten. But …. Aren’t we all supposed to "love our neighbors as ourselves?" And what’s this messenger bit?
Yes, by our baptism we are all called to be ministers, to serve. In our baptismal vows we do promise to seek and serve Christ in all people, to strive for justice and peace among all people, and to respect the dignity of every human being. Deacons help us remember our servant ministries. Deacons are icons of Christ’s servanthood: by and in and through their lives they help us understand and live into our baptismal ministries.The messenger bit …. Deacons serve in the Church and in the world, and they are messengers between the Church and the world. Deacons are active in the world in servant ministries such as: food banks, homeless shelters, refugee centers, Hospice, AIDS education and care, prison ministry, care of the environment, schools, and hospitals. Deacons are aware of and seek out areas of need; they listen to the needs of people in the world and bring these needs and hopes and concerns to the Church. Deacons encourage others to become involved. The image of a bridge is sometimes used to describe this linking, intermediary nature of diaconal ministry. Deacons serve the powerless and the forgotten, and carry Christ’s message to them. Deacons serve the Church by bringing the message of the powerless and forgotten to the Church.
Lay Preaching – What’s going on in the diocese
by the Rev. Jim Gill
Committee on Baptismal Ministry
One of the ways in which lay persons are experiencing their Bapismal Ministry is through preaching. While lay preaching may seem quite a new thing to many of us, I find it interesting that a number of congregations in Maine are making it a part of their congregational life. The following listing represents those congregations which responded to my request for information via the Dio Log, (an weekly email newsletter send to interested diocesan members). It may not give a complete picture of what is going on in the diocese.
• St. Ann’s, Windham, has a lay preachers group that meets monthly with the rector and deacon, according to Jim and Mary Folsum of the Wings Group there.
• Elizabeth Ring reported that St. Bartholomew’s, Yarmouth, is looking to revisiting and perhaps reviving the group of six who were more active as lay preachers in the past.
• At St. Philip’s, Wiscasset, the Rev. Canon Richard Hall notes that there are seven persons called by the congregation to this ministry.
• At St. Mary and St. Jude, Northeast Harbor, the Rev. Charlene Alling reported
that Moorhead and Louisa Kennedy occasionally serve the congregation as lay preachers.
• The Rev. Jack Fles of Christ Church, Gardiner, indicates interest in developing
this ministry with those who already serve as lay readers in the congregation.
• Paul Hopkins, a lay person from St. Stephen’s, Waterboro, has served as a lay preacher for many years with several priests and under various circumstances. Currently he preaches about three to four times a year. He reports that he is "grateful to our vicars for the opportunity to share the ministry of preaching."
In looking beyond our diocese, I am also in correspondence with the dioceses of Alaska, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Northern Michigan. I have asked them to share with us their own experience with developing and setting standards and training for this particular ministry.
One of the many heartening responses to my Dio Log request came from Clifton Guthrie, an Episcopal lay person who is the new preaching professor at Bangor Theological Seminary. He explained that his courses at BTS –from his teaching perspective — "don’t assume that folks are preparing for ordained ministry."
If the ministry of lay preaching is of interest or if a congregation didn’t have the opportunity to report what is going on in its midst, please contact me at MeAMFT2@aol.com .