Bishop Wolf's Christmas Letter

Christmas 2011

Many years ago, on a sparkling clear Christmas Eve, a friend and I stood beneath the stars on a very cold and silent winter’s night. Our parents and siblings were having dinner inside the house, celebrating one of the eight days of Hanukah. Wrapped in a warm, jacket, barely audible from behind a large scarf, Mark lifted his head to the sky and said, “I don’t know about Jesus, or about what we’re supposed to believe about this night, but I know that something very special has occurred.”

Like Mark, some people will come to our churches this Feast of the Nativity, unsure of what they believe, but knowing deeply within their hearts that something special has occurred.

“Christmas is a time of coming to terms with God’s all embracing and redemptive love for us,” said the Archbishop of Canterbury. Perhaps what my friend Mark described as “special,” was a glimpse of God’s love and embrace, a mysterious “surrounding” for which he had no words.

God’s Word, spoken through a human voice and amplified by a divine heart, is for our well-being and fulfillment. He announces a truth from which we cannot hide, and through our persistent engagement with its message, we discover a new life has been born within. Through Jesus, God holds us and loves us with a loyalty that inspires us to reach out and hold the human family.

In these times of economic insecurity and grave uncertainty, the most important gift that we can give is ourselves; our steadfastness with others, our loyalty to the promises of God’s kingdom, our generosity in stilling the anxiety of others, our capacity to forgive and set free those living in the bondage of shame. The light of God leads us to peoples in whose heart Christ has already found a home, and from which we will discover anew the gift of God’s profound love.

With the pains of poverty or near poverty facing over 40% of our population and the persecution of Christians prevalent in so many countries in the world—we can learn much from the grace and faithfulness revealed through the deep heartache of these, our sisters and brothers, who are so rich in the spirit of Christ.

We may feel powerless to help, but I assure you that they are strengthened by the knowledge that their plight is not forgotten, and that the prayers of others unite us across otherwise insurmountable boundaries. So, we pray for all for whom Christ entered this world and died for its redemption. We pray, and we write letters; we share financial resources, and we spend time in listening. We give and we receive, a hundred fold. Through the power of the Word enfleshed, the Father’s love is born into the world, and into each of us. It is our joy to receive this gift as invitation and opportunity as we join in the long line of saints through whose lives others have experienced forgiveness and liberty.

To my priests and deacons, I know how challenging it is to focus on the word of God, when many look to you to attend to pastoral and liturgical details.  May this holy season of the Nativity give you time for stillness in the face of such  awesome responsibilities, and a deep knowledge of God’s devotion to you who have chosen to follow him in such a wondrous and generous calling.

May you have a Blessed Christmas, a joyous celebration of the Holy Name and the Feast of the Epiphany, and a season that reveals Jesus’ all encompassing love for you. 

Yours Faithfully,

+Geralyn Wolf
Bishop of Rhode Island

Bishop Search: Reflections and Impressions

Today’s post is another in a series of reflections and impressions from members of the Search & Nomination Committee and Transition Committee. This post is from the Rev. Deacon Dorothy “Ricky” Brightman, a member of the Transition Committee. Visit www.episcopalrisearch.org  for more Search Process updates

My church, St. Luke’s in East Greenwich, is also in a time of transition. As we search for a new rector, a sizable group of parishioners is working diligently to define, solidify and enrich our parish ministry – and identify a new leader. The time spent on this transition process often confuses non-Episcopalians, who assume that a new priest will simply be assigned or “rotated in.” They don’t understand that this is a shared endeavor as we struggle and work to build a new church – a new diocese – built on the strengths of the past and the needs of the future. It is important that many are involved and all are knowledgeable about what is going on. When done well, this wonderful process will bring all parts of the parish (and diocese) together in a process of discernment, preparation and waiting.

We have welcomed Bishop David Joslin to our original “Transition Team,” as well as other friends throughout the diocese who have volunteered to work on specific tasks. Our geography is different as well as our worship style, size of church and past experience in diocesan programs. We all don’t sound like Rhode Islanders and certainly don’t share the same snack-food preferences. We represent all of Rhode Island and, as such, will effectively be able to welcome a new bishop into our midst and work to make the pathway straight for her or him. We have even found that it is not difficult to drive over one or two or three bridges to get to a meeting – or travel as effectively from west to east as we usually do from north to south!

Sure, it might be more efficient and easier to accept a new assigned leader or one chosen by a small group of selected and knowing individuals. But that is not the Episcopal Way — as the Rev. Casey Shobe described in his musings a couple of months ago. We are not searching for a CEO to work for and manage the diocese; just as St Luke’s is not looking for a new priest who will take over, solve all problems and move us into the future.

As we watch and wait this Advent, we sit still and listen and pray. Necessary specific tasks will be done, the Search & Nomination Committee will become more intensely involved with its work, and the Transition Committee will anticipate and plan for the fruits of its labor.

One of the blessings of the long search and transition process is the gift of time – time to develop our listening skills, time for everyone to have a chance to be heard. As we listen to others, we learn more about the diocese and also about ourselves. Soon we will learn more about our cast of candidates. It is rare in this hurried world that we have the time to listen to each other, ask real questions and share the voice of the Spirit moving among us. This process for both the parish and diocese is truly worthwhile, and the groundwork we lay down through our discussion and deliberation will build a strong future for us all.

Snapshot of our Bishop Candidates

The application period for candidates to be considered for the 13th Bishop of Rhode Island is over, and the Search & Nomination Committee is very pleased!
“We have attracted a wide range of very talented priests,” says Lora MacFall, chair of the Search & Nomination Committee. “From reading their application materials, it’s clear that they see the Diocese of Rhode Island as an exciting possibility for the next phase of their ministry. Everyone in the diocese should be encouraged by the response we have received in our search. Please continue to pray for the committee as it continues its work.”

In all, 40 individuals have completed the application process. Here’s a quick snapshot of the pool of candidates:

Geography: Four New England states are represented (Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine and Connecticut) as well as 14 others and the District of Columbia. Locations stretch from New England to Arizona and California and from Idaho and Utah to Georgia and Florida.
Age: From the early 40s to the early 60s, most in their 50s
Gender: The group includes 31 men and eight women.
Current positions: Parish rectors and senior associates, cathedral deans and canon pastors (associates), senior diocesan staff members and a seminary professor
Education: Candidates have master’s degrees and doctoral degrees from 14 seminaries.

The Latest e-RISEN, 12/2/11

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Bishop Search: Candidate Reviews & Event Planning

Taken from the Bishop Search Process Blog at www.episcopalrisearch.org . Visit their site to learn more about the Bishop Search in RI

[11/30/11] November was a busy month for members of the Search & Nomination Committee and Transition Committee. Members of the Search & Nomination Committee began reading hundreds of documents submitted by the 40 candidates for Bishop of Rhode Island. Candidate files now include a nomination form, application form, answers to four essay questions, Office of Transition Ministry form, resume, autobiography, consent form and letters from three references.

The committee is holding multiple meetings in early December, where they will together begin prayerful discussions of each candidate’s strengths, skills and experiences to determine which individuals best match the priorities outlined in the Diocesan Profile. Based on those discussions, committee members will interview selected candidates using computer-to-computer video technology (Skype).

“Committee members are excited about the quality of talent and experience we are seeing,” says Lora MacFall, chair of the Search & Nomination Committee. “We know it will be a difficult task to reduce the number of individuals being considered and discern which candidates to visit early in 2012, but we also know that the presence of the Holy Spirit in our process will help us.”

Meanwhile, the Transition Committee is making additional progress on planning details of the walkabout with the final candidates next May and finalizing a site for the consecration service in November 2012. Committee members interviewed four priests and laypeople in Rhode Island who have experienced walkabouts in other dioceses. They also conducted an exercise to “imagine” their hopes for the consecration service and then started identifying details that will need to be planned to achieve that imagined outcome.

“The committee clearly wanted to find a single venue big enough for everyone who wants to be there and hopes to announce that location in the next few weeks,” says Cathy Iacobucci, Transition Committee chair. “We also want to have a webcast available for those who can’t be with us, and then make that webcast available through the diocesan website afterward.”

As Christmas and the end of 2011 approach, committee members will continue work on those events as well as the June 2 electing convention and a celebration of Bishop Wolf’s ministry that will occur in late April.

Bishop Wolf's 2011 Convention Address Video

The Latest eRISEN- 11/23/2011

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Bishop Search: Election Site Announced as Nominations are Processed

Progress is accelerating in the search for the 13th bishop of Rhode Island.

The Transition Committee has arranged to hold the special Diocesan Convention to elect the next bishop at St. Luke’s, East Greenwich, on Saturday, June 2, 2012. Registration for the convention will begin at 8 a.m., followed by Eucharist at 9 a.m. Balloting will take place in the church beginning at 10:30 a.m. If necessary, additional ballots will follow until a candidate achieves the required majorities in both the lay and clerical orders. Bishop Wolf convenes and chairs the electing convention. More details will be communicated closer to the event.

Cathy Iacobucci, chair of the Transition Committee, says the committee also is making good progress in selecting a site for the ordination service for the 13th Bishop of Rhode Island, which will take place Nov. 17, 2012.

While the Transition Committee is finalizing site details, the Search & Nomination Committee is preparing to begin considering potential candidates for bishop.

“I am very encouraged by the quality and quantity of nominations,” says Lora MacFall, chair of the Search & Nomination Committee. “We received more than 40 nominations, from all over the country — including our diocese. We don’t know if all of those individuals will complete the application process and ultimately be considered by the committee, but so far it appears to be a very strong group. We have received a diverse group of names — men and women, from many locations, with various kinds of experience, etc. Now we await their materials and continue to pray that we discern what God has in mind for our diocese.”

Once the committee received a nomination, that triggered an e-mail response confirming receipt and requesting that the individual who was nominated complete and return several specific items:

• Application Form, with complete contact information and answers to four short-essay questions developed by the committee.
• Up-to-date curriculum vitae or resume.
• Names and contact information for three references: one member of the clergy of the Episcopal Church, one lay member of the Episcopal Church and any other individual who is not a spouse, relative, under the nominee’s direct supervision or nominator. The committee will contact those references and ask for specific comments.
• Up-to-date Office of Transition Ministry (OTM) form — multipage form from the national church that details an individual’s work history, compensation expectations, additional reference information and answers to nine short-essay questions.
• Signed Consent and Authorization form to confirm that individual’s interest and to obtain consents and releases concerning actions or events that may develop during the nomination and election process.
• A 500-word autobiographical statement.

As those materials come in, they are being posted on a secure, online site so that committee members can confidentially review them and prepare for discussions at meetings in late November. The outcome of those discussions will determine who will be selected for the first round of interviews, which will be conducted using Skype computer-to-computer video technology.

The Church at Occupy Providence

By The. Rev. Edmund Harris, Epiphany East Providence

Since Occupy Wall St. began, Episcopalians have wondered what the Church’s role should be in the movement. Where would Jesus be? Some, such as the “Protest Chaplains” in New York and Boston, have embraced the chance to get involved. Others have watched the protests unfold with curiosity, while attending to church business as usual: trying to grow the church by getting people to come inside the doors.

There is an ironic sign floating around the Internet that blesses this time-tested way of being church: “Occupy the Pews of Your Episcopal Church,” it proclaims. I can’t deny: this is clever marketing. But it isn’t Christian. Not only does it contradict the message of the Occupy movement, but the Gospels as well.

When did the Son of Man, who sent his disciples out in pairs with nothing but the clothes on their backs, tell his followers to “occupy the courts of the Temple?” The church is distracted these days by dwindling numbers, aging buildings, and strategies to get people to come inside to encounter Jesus rather than recognizing that Jesus is already present with the people on the streets. What if, instead, the church came out of the buildings and occupied the streets?

Last Sunday at 4 p.m. a group of laypeople and clergy from the Diocese of Rhode Island took church out the doors to hold “The Church at Occupy Providence.” With less than twenty-four hours’ notice, we gathered with the people occupying Burnside Park, preached the Gospel, shared in Christ’s Body and Blood, and experienced Christ’s presence in one another. It was a powerful witness, and there were different reactions to us.

Most expressed gratitude for church outside the walls. Some were surprised to see us there. “Is that a costume?” one woman asked me, pointing to my clerical collar. “I didn’t know churches supported things like this,” another person said. Others expressed righteous anger. “Where’ve you been?” one organizer asked me. “You’re the first group of Christians to set foot in this place. Meanwhile, we’ve been feeding hungry people and demanding justice for everyone. Aren’t these the things churches are supposed to care about?”

In the Gospel proclaimed during the service, Jesus spoke about the commandments to love

God, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Jesus especially calls us to love our most vulnerable neighbors, the ones those of us with privilege easily overlook: those who suffer at the hands of the powerful, our sisters and brothers who have lost their homes to foreclosure, those who live and die without access to adequate health care, those who are “undocumented.”

I believe that the Church desperately needs the Occupy movement at this tender moment in

its life, and that the Holy Spirit may be working through it to call the church to something new. Like the prophets, the Occupy movement may draw the church out of its complacency, and remind us that the church too is a movement, not only an institution. We are a body, not only a building with pews. If we listen to voices of Occupy, we may indeed hear Jesus speaking to us, reminding us of the work he calls us to prioritize, and to love him in the people he called us to serve first.

So, how can you or your congregation get involved?

1. Be Present. Step out of your comfort zone. March and hold a placard if you wish, or sit with folks and listen to their stories. Attend a General Assembly meeting. Don’t proselytize, but do show up! The Occupy movement is fundamentally about being present in order to affect social change.
2. Worship. As long as Burnside Park is occupied, we will gather every Sunday at 4 p.m. for joyful, hope-filled worship, preaching shared by all, and the breaking of bread. Jesus will be present, and we hope you will too.
3. Feed. Now is the time to share your grandma’s lentil soup recipe! Occupy Providence feeds anyone who shows up—folks who call the streets home, folks who can’t afford a meal alongside those who can. To learn how to help, visit the Occupy Providence webpage, and check out the list of “working groups.”
4. If you can't support us in person, be present on The Church at Occupy Providence facebook page
5. Talk about Occupy Providence with your congregations, families, and friends. It will offend some and galvanize others. Good! Many people are curious. Some are wary, or ambivalent. Tell why you think it important and invite them to become a part.

Bishop Search: Reflections and Impressions

Today’s post is another in a series of reflections and impressions from members of the Search & Nomination Committee and Transition Committee. This post is from the Rev. Casey Shobe, rector of St. Peter’s by-the-Sea in Narragansett and a member of the Transition Committee.

One of my favorite questions to ask participants in newcomer classes is “what does the word ‘Episcopal’ mean? Actually, it’s a question that I like to ask people who aren’t newcomers, too, because most don’t know the answer. Episcopal comes from the Greek word episcopos, meaning “bishop.” We are called the Episcopal Church because we are organized and guided by bishops. Bishops are how we trace our history to the apostles. Bishops are who we entrust to preserve the teaching of Christ through the Church. Bishops are the ones who confirm the faith of new Christians, and ordain new priests and deacons to serve our churches and communities. We are the Episcopal Church because bishops are fundamentally important to who we are and what we’re about.

That little lesson in etymology is important as we search for our new bishop because it reminds us of our identity. In many conversations recently, I have heard people wonder why we need bishops at all. Couldn’t we just have a part-time bishop? Or borrow a bishop from some neighboring diocese whenever “we need one”? Or yoke our bishop to a church to do double-duty and save us some money? I’ve also heard people describe the way that only the churches know what’s good for them, that they are the true deposits of the faith.
We are not a congregational church. We are the Episcopal Church. We are organized and guided by bishops. Our churches do not exist as islands unto themselves, but are held together because of their relationship with our bishop. I do not welcome the bishop to St. Peter’s as a guest; I welcome her to her church. Whoever we elect will not be some sort of institutional CEO, but will be a symbol and instrument of our entire community and the faith we share.


This is humbling to consider, both from our perspective, and from the perspective of whomever we call to this role. But the good news is that we are not electing a savior. Whatever happens in our churches, whatever struggles we face as a diocese, we follow a Lord who reigns supreme, who conquered death, and who even now is working with us to make all things new.

RISEN Magazine Fall 2011, "The Convention Issue"

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The Latest eRISEN: October 17, 2011

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This Weekend: S. Sudanese Bishop Abraham Yel Nhial to visit RI Parishes

The Rt. Rev. Abraham Yel Nhial, Bishop of the Diocese of Aweil and Abuei in the South Sudan, will be visiting a few Rhode Island Parishes this weekend, October 21-23, 2011.

Bishop Nhial is the author of Lost Boy No More, A True Story of Survival and Salvation  with DiAnn Mills.


“As a nine year old child, Abraham found himself orphaned as civil war in his homeland of Sudan ravaged his entire village because they refused to embrace Islam. His journey is one of a perilous walk, along with 35,000 lost boys of Sudan, who fled to Ethiopia. Abraham and others like him made it to the border, but hard times were not over as he endured the refugee camps of Ethiopia. Abraham becomes a lost boy no more when he discovers real salvation through Jesus Christ.” From the back cover: Lost Boy No More A true story of survival and salvation by Abraham Nhial and DiAnn Mills

You are invited to meet and greet him at one of the following gatherings:

Grace Episcopal Church
When: Friday October 21, 2011 6:00pm
Where: 175 Mathewson Street Providence, RI 02903
Description: Come to Meet Bishop Abraham, Reception with light refreshments in Grace Church followed by a brief presentation by Bishop Abraham

St. Mary’s Episcopal Church
When: Saturday October 22, 2011 7:30pm
Where: 325 East Main Road Portsmouth, Rhode Island 02871
Description: Brief Presentation and Conversation with Bishop Abraham

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
When: Sunday October 23, 2011 9:30 am Holy Eucharist Followed by Educational Forum
Where: 55 Main Street, Wickford, RI 02852
Description: Bishop Abraham will preach at the 9:30 service and offer a brief presentation and the opportunity for conversation at the educational forum.

2011-12 Discernment Program Intro

The Commission on Ministry in the Diocese of Rhode Island offers an in-depth discernment process for all who are seeking to explore their baptismal vocation, all who want to discern a call to either Lay Ministry or Ordained Ministry in the Episcopal Church.

It is a ten month program consisting of monthly meetings on topics such as the mystery of prayer, adventures in awareness, framing the question, and the faces of ministry. The program is designed to help participants discern what God is calling them to at this time in their life. With the support of participants' parishes and priests, they will be led through a structured program that will teach them the tools of discernment. This process is also a requirement for all who may be called to Ordained Ministry.

The Introductory Session of this year’s process will be held on Saturday, November 19, 2011 from 9:30 to 11:30 am at the Diocesan Annex next to the Diocesan office building, 275 North Main Street in Providence. Anyone who is interested in the Discernment Process is invited to attend this session, along with the people who will support the discerner spiritually during their journey; his/her spouse or partner and the Rector or Senior Warden. To ensure that we can offer the discernment program this year at least four persons must register at this session for the 2011-2012 program. All interested are asked to respond to: The Rev. Alcide Barnaby, Jr. by Friday, November 4, 2011

Outline of Discernment Process in the Diocese of RI

• Introductory Session Saturday, November 19, 2011:
• One Saturday a month December 2011 – June 2012
• The process builds using many spiritual and self-reflective tools for discernment. Participants will be asked to read some books, including Listening Hearts, by Susanne Farnham and Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer along with reprints of articles and materials that will be distributed at various sessions.
• Participants will prepare a spiritual autobiography and put together a Discernment Team. (A Discernment Team is in no way an evaluation measure; it is meant to provide a deep safe place and people with whom a discerner can explore concerns that may come up in the process of Discernment.)
• Summer 2012 – Discernment continues
• Participants are asked to spend the months of July and August exploring. They may want to visit churches other and different from their own and reflect on the experience. They may want to meet with a priest, deacon and/or lay minister and have conversation about vocation and call, as well as the practical aspects of the various callings and ministries.
• At the end of the summer each discerner is asked to write a reflection paper on this experience.
• September 2012
• A closing dinner is a way for the participants in the Discernment Process to reflect on the Process with their spouses / partners, rectors and the members of the Commission on Ministry.

Bishop Search: Diocesan Profile is Up and Nominations Open

The profile in the search for the 13th Bishop of Rhode Island is complete and posted below as well as at http://www.episcopalrisearch.org/profile .

The Search & Nomination Committee, chaired by Lora MacFall, a member at St. Andrew's in Little Compton, used survey responses from laity and clergy throughout the diocese as well as input from a series of listening sessions to develop the profile. The document outlines the diocese's strengths, challenges, and hopes for the future as well as specific strengths and skills the committee will look for in candidates to become our next bishop.

Nominations are open now through October 28. Interested individuals may nominate themselves or others as candidates. On our website here you'll find an e-Nomination Form and a PDF version for downloading and printing.

The Diocese of Rhode Island will elect its next bishop at a special convention June 2, 2012. The ordination service for the 13th Bishop of Rhode Island will occur November 17, 2012.

The Latest eRISEN - September 28th 2011

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Bishop Search: Reflections and Impressions for September

Today’s post is another in a series of reflections and impressions from members of the Search & Nomination Committee and Transition Committee. This post is from the Rev. Bob Brooks, a retired priest in the diocese and a member of the Search & Nomination Committee.

I’ve served on several search and calling committees over the years. There’s always a distinct and logical set of tasks and steps the group must accomplish, but in this particular search there is also an interesting and important process going on at the same time that’s more subtle and less obvious. That process is informed and empowered by the Spirit, forming and shaping the group, informing and guiding our work.

We’re fortunate to have a group of chaplains from the Bethany House of Prayer in Massachusetts working with us. Their ministry with and for us is sacramental. They provide a quiet and prayerful context for each of our meetings. They encourage us to pause, to reflect, and to be attentive and aware of ourselves and of God’s presence with us. To me, the work we do with our chaplains makes serving on this committee a powerful and joyful experience. I am convinced that the outcome of our work will be immeasurably improved as a result.

Diocesan 9/11 Memorial Evensong at Grace Church

Grace Church in Providence will host a diocese-wide service observing the tenth anniversary of 9/11 at 5 p.m. on Sunday September 11, with a special Evensong led by the Right Reverend Geralyn Wolf, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island.

The commemoration service will be enhanced with the beauty and choral music of the traditional evensong service; the Reverend Canon Jonathan Huyck, rector of Grace Church, will preach.

The public is invited to join this service of meditation and worship and to share the fellowship at the reception that will follow. Grace Church is located in downtown Providence at the corner of Westminster and Mathewson Streets. http://gracechurchprovidence.org/

The Latest eRISEN- August 31st 2011

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Hurricane Irene Readiness

Diocese of RI,

Here is the latest impact timetable that I have been able to locate for Hurricane Irene;

Projections change, and impact for us is still a couple of days away, so please stay up to date; The Weather Channel has good resources. For local information the channel 10 weather center has coverage.

The Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency has issued an advisory which is attached in pdf format and can also be found on the web at http://www.riema.ri.gov/documents/Irene%20preparedness.pdf

In addition to the direct effects of the storm, heavy rains on already saturated ground and the effect of the storm surge on tidal estuaries will likely cause flooding in low-lying areas away from the coast. Those who intend to shelter in place should prepare for the possibility of widespread power outages that could potentially last several days. Those who might need to evacuate might consider keeping a full tank of gas and early evacuation.
Additional preparations are discussed in this advisory document.
As of yet, there has been no indication if or when a state of emergency will be declared or whether there will any mandatory evacuation. The best we can all do is stay informed and use prudent judgment as to weekend activities based on developments.

Other online resources;

PDFs of official evacuation routes
RI Emergency Management home page

For those congregations insured by Church Insurance, I have been in contact with them and they are ready to receive any claims that might arise via the normal claims number, 800-223-5706 or 800-223-5705. Other congregations should be in touch with their particular insurance carrier before the weekend.
The Diocesan office will be closed on Monday and will reopen on Tuesday assuming that conditions allow.
I can be reached by cell if needed, 241-5080

Mr. Tylan Creason
Canon for Program and Administration
The Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island
275 North Main Street
Providence RI 02903
http://www.episcopalri.org/
401.274.4500 x242

Search & Nomination Committee prepares profile; Transition Committee invites your help

The committees that are managing the transition process to identify, elect and welcome our next bishop are busily working.

In August, the Search & Nomination Committee (see list below) is conducting listening sessions around the diocese to supplement information gathered in the committee’s survey process.

In September, the committee plans to post the Diocesan Profile (www.episcopalrisearch.org). The profile will help potential candidates have a better understanding of the size and nature of the Episcopal Church in Rhode Island. The profile also will specify the skills, characteristics and background we are seeking in our next bishop.

“We are collecting information and looking at other diocesan profiles to come up with the best approach for our document,” says Lora MacFall, chair. “Our profile will contain information about our parishes and clergy, our history, financial trends, our strengths and the challenges we face, what it’s like to live in Rhode Island and, of course, what we seek in a bishop.”

Once the profile is available, the committee will begin accepting both self-nominations and nominations submitted on behalf of candidates.

After reviewing the nominations, the committee will conduct initial interviews using computer-based video technology (Skype). The current schedule calls for these interviews to be completed by the end of the year so that teams can visit candidates in their home parishes early in 2012.

While the Search & Nomination Committee has been working on the profile, the Transition Committee (see list) also has been busy — and is seeking additional help.

Planning is under way and will continue for more than a year for several major diocesan events. The Transition Committee will host meetings, parties, tours and liturgies, all requiring an abundance of hospitality:

• Walkabout (May 2012). The finalist candidates will visit locations around the diocese to meet with members of our congregations.

• Electing Convention (June 2012). Delegates elect the 13th Bishop of Rhode Island.

• Celebration of Bishop Wolf and her ministry with us (September 2012). This is an opportunity to thank Bishop Wolf for her ministry with us and wish her well as she prepares to retire.

• Ordination of the 13th Bishop of Rhode Island (November 2012). The Most Rev. Dr. Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, presides at a festive Eucharist and consecrates our new bishop.

“If you are an energetic person with an interest in serving the diocese and would like more information please contact me at transition@episcopalrisearch.org,” says Cathy Iacobucci, chair. “I will work with you to match you with a subcommittee that best suits your interests and your available time.

“On behalf of both committees, Lora and I ask all Episcopalians in the diocese join us in praying that the Spirit guide us in this process,” Iacobucci said. “And please pray that God will send us the leader we need.”

Bishop Search Process: Reflections and Impressions

Today’s post is another in a series of reflections and impressions from members of the Search & Nomination Committee and Transition Committee.

Reflections and Impressions 2
By Cathy G. Iacobucci, chair of the Transition Committee:

O LORD of hosts, *
happy are they who put their trust in you!

Psalm 84: 12
You know how it plays out; someone taps you on the shoulder just as you take a seat in the pew and says “We are looking for people (you!) to serve (labor!) on the such and such committee.” “Oh and by the way, I think you would make a great chairperson.” And so it was when I was asked to apply for a position on the Transition Committee.

Much to my surprise I replied “yes” immediately and then wondered throughout the entire worship service — why? Why did I answer yes and why did I say it without any hesitation?...click here for the full story & more updates at http://www.episcopalrisearch.org/

The Latest eRISEN events Newsletter- July 28th 2011

You can view the latest issue of eRISEN, our biweekly email events calendar, at the link below:

eRISEN July 28th 2011 issue

Want to subscribe to the eRISEN mailing list? Want to submit your event? Just visit eRISEN our website

Bishop Search Survey Deadline Extended. Participate now!

Posted at http://www.episcopalrisearch.org/  by dseifert

DEADLINE EXTENDED UNTIL AUGUST 7TH
The Diocese of Rhode Island is looking for a new bishop, and we need your help! The Search & Nomination Committee invites your input through a diocesan-wide survey. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey by... 
  
Read more and/or take the survey over on the Search Process Blog 
 

ECC Camper Featured on Channel 10!

Austin Hynes came to ECC's Summer camp for the first time this year, and had a blast! He attended on an Adoption RI campership, and afterwards was interviewed by Channel 10's program "Tuesday's Child". Check out this video to hear what he had to say. (He's the one in the baseball cap talking about work projects)

Diocesan Council Approves Funding for Bishop Transition, at No Additional Cost to Parishes

By Dave Seifert, Diocesan Council

At its June meeting, Rhode Island’s Diocesan Council approved funding for a budget to cover expenses related to the nomination and election of the 13th Bishop of Rhode Island. “We are pleased that we have been able to fund this important process without asking our congregations for any additional money,” said the Rev. James Bocchino, vice president of Diocesan Council.

Council budgeted $175,000 for the process, based on this diocese’s experience in the last election as well as the experience of other dioceses that have recently conducted searches. The 2011 diocesan operating budget includes $10,000 for the election process, and an additional $25,000 is in the proposed 2012 diocesan operating budget, but this left a need for approximately $140,000.

Parishes were assessed a share of the cost in Rhode Island’s previous search but Council decided that the remaining $140,000 will not come from the churches. Bocchino explains “We know that many of our congregations face financial challenges. Through their annual apportionment payments, they are contributing to the $35,000 that will be funded from the 2011 and 2012 operating budgets.”

The $140,000 will come instead from a fund that was established to assist with deductible amounts under our former insurance program. Under the current insurance program the fund is no longer needed. As of this summer no further obligations exist, and the Diocesan Council has the authority to designate a new use for the fund.

The Diocesan Council decided that using this fund to avoid assessing parishes is a valuable investment in the future of the Episcopal Church in Rhode Island.

Search Process: Reflections and Impressions

Today’s post is the first of a series of reflections and impressions from members of the Search & Nomination Committee and Transition Committee. Keep an eye on the Bishop Search blog for future installments in this series, and Don't forget to fill out your Search Process Survey before July 31st to make sure your voice is heard in this process!


Reflections and Impressions Part 1
By Lora McFall, Search & Nomination Committee Chair

When asked if I would be interested in serving on the Search & Nomination Committee for the 13th Bishop of Rhode Island, I was flattered and amazed. Several people spoke to me about it and then one mentioned that I needed to fill out an application as soon as possible. As I read the application and thought about the questions, I began to realize that this was something I was interested in doing. That feeling grew, and I have come to learn that I feel quite passionate about it – the importance of this search and its process. That said, one begins to realize what a monumental task is in front of us...

click here for the full story on http://www.episcopalrisearch.org/

VIDEO: Bishop Wolf Opens the Senate with Prayer Today 7/14/11

Follow the link below to watch a C-SPAN video of Bishop Wolf's opening prayer for the Senate this AM. After her prayer Senator Whitehouse and Reed have a few words to say about her ministry with the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island, and what we do for this state.

Watch and see. http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/300518-1

Share Your Ideas Through Bishop Search Survey

Posted on July 7, 2011 at http://www.episcopalrisearch.org/  by dseifert

The Diocese of Rhode Island is looking for a new bishop, and we need your help! The Search & Nomination Committee invites your input through a diocesan-wide survey. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey by July 31...
 
Read more and/or take the survey over on the Search Process Blog
 

Another Projo Article: Bishop Wolf Calls For prayer for the Sudan

Bishop Wolf heads to D.C. to solicit support for South Sudan

By Richard C. Dujardin, Providence Journal Staff Writer
PROVIDENCE — With South Sudan set to become an independent nation Saturday, Rhode Island Episcopal Bishop Geralyn Wolf will go to Washington in coming days to advocate for a renewed effort by the United States to secure peace and security in the troubled region...
 
To read the full PROJO story including Bishop Wolf's call for prayer click here

Bishop Wolf to lead Senate in prayer, advocate for South Sudan

9:12 PM Thu, Jul 07, 2011
PROJO: Richard C. Dujardin

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- With South Sudan set to become an independent nation Saturday, Rhode Island Episcopal Bishop Geralyn Wolf plans to go to Washington next week to advocate for a renewed effort by the United States to secure peace and security in the troubled region...

read the full article at the Projo

An Opportunity for Ministry Revitalization Training

On July 6th at 5 o’clock Eastern time, ministry redevelopers from around the Episcopal Church will come together in a videoconference, online. They will spend 90 minutes rolling out a new coaching initiative for Intentional Redevelopers across the Episcopal Church. All ministry leaders (lay and ordained) who would be blessed to have this support should join in. (For more information or to join in click here: http://bit.ly/jAGh8l )

Several preeminent redevelopers have banded together to demonstrate what works in turning congregations around, in real time. This Community of Practice would like to connect with the intentional redevelopers across the church and share the learnings, directly.

The initiative is called “missio:engage” and the goal (stage one) is to assist communities of faith in the process of re-rooting their ministries in the communities they are called to serve, with enough critical mass “back home” that this initiative is sustainable and avoids “burnout.” This is part of a Community of Practice that is committed to learning publicly in the service of the Episcopal Church at large.

How will it work?

Over a period of sixty days, Tom Brackett will work with a team of coaches to train a core group of leaders in each participant parish. Each member of the team will be dedicated to this ministry, alone. Over the following two years, that core group will learn how to offer radical welcome to newcomers in their community, move visitors from being newcomers to fully-formed leaders, reconnect with the realities emerging in the communities they are called to serve and offer relevant outreach that offers God’s grace in ways meaningful to their communities. By the end of the two year period, each of the members of the group will have identified, trained and nurtured their replacement.

The Measurable outcomes:

• Transformed and outwardly-turned faith community.

• Multiple streams of newcomers and visitors from the surrounding communities.

• A developed and refined process of incorporation leading to a Strengths-based approach to ministry formation for all.

• Core leadership development on multiple levels.

• critical mass necessary to engage in sustainable missional ministries.

• A real-time, on the ground reconnection (or “re-rooting”) in the ministry context.

The Assumptions:

• This is a covenanted two year ministry adventure. It is specifically focused on the systematic redevelopment of parish ministries that have struggled with decline.

• Each site has a Team of five, led by lay leader. This team does not include the Rector.

• Each team member can expect to spend about four hrs/week on this ministry.

• Each site will enter into a covenant with each other, with their Vestry/Bishop’s Committee, with their Rector/PiC as well as with Reverend Tom Brackett to learn together and practice what has been proven to work in this venture.

• Each site will also share their learnings and discoveries with the church at large via a dedicated website. There will be many others joining us in this venture. They will not have entered into these covenants but they will learn simultaneously with us and from these ministry case studies.

• Each site pays the expenses on their end. The cost of participating in this coaching initiative is born by my portion of the Episcopal Church Center’s budget .

For more information or to join in click here: http://bit.ly/jAGh8l

Prayers for the Bishop Search and Transition Process

Here are a few prayers written by the Rev. Jennifer Phillips to focus and guide us all through the search process. Check out the prayers page of  www.episcopalrisearch.org for more as the process progresses

For the Search & Nomination Committee and Transition Committee

God our Wisdom and Light:
you alone have power to bring blessing out of all our choices
and to use all our actions for the building up of your reign;
be with us as we take council for the future,
turn our hearts always toward the common good,
guide us in raising up and welcoming new leadership for our diocese
and help us to discern the presence of Christ in our midst always,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God living and true. Amen.

Prayer for the Calling of a Bishop for Rhode Island

Gracious God who sets the seas in their bounds and gives life to all your creatures,
who continually renews the face of the earth and is faithful to your covenant from generation to generation:
Lift up and guide the people of the Diocese of Rhode Island as we seek the next bishop to lead us;
renew our strength in the baptismal ministries to which you call us;
watch over and inspire the work of the committees entrusted with this task;
and, by the power of your Spirit, draw your people always toward the vision of your holy reign;
we pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen.

Brief bidding for the Prayers of the People

I ask your prayers for all those who labor to seek the next bishop for our diocese; and that in this discernment process, we all may be strengthened in our discipleship in Christ, who has given us the ministry of reconciliation and in whom alone we rest our hope …

Prayer for the work of a the Search & Nomination Committee

God our Wisdom:
may we listen for and hear your voice among the many voices;
may we choose prudently, imagine boldly, and pray continually;
may we be strengthened by our companionship with one another,
and by your presence along the way;
and, trusting always in your goodness and mercy,
seek in all things to give you honor and glory,
for you are one God in Trinity of Persons and Unity of Being,
to the ages of ages. Amen.

The Latest eRISEN events newsletter- June 17th 2011

You can view the latest issue of eRISEN, our biweekly email events calendar, at the link below:

eRISEN June 17th 2011 issue

Want to subscribe to the eRISEN mailing list? Want to submit your event? Just visit eRISEN our website

The latest RISEN Magazine "Transitions: Looking Forward"

The latest issue of RISEN, "Transitions: Looking Forward" has been printed and mailed so keep an eye on your mailboxes. Can't wait? you can view it in a fun e-book gadget at the bottom of this page or on our website

RISEN Magazine is The Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island's award winning News and special interest magazine.  Each issue of RISEN centers on a timely theme and features articles that aim to inform, enlighten and inspire. It is published quarterly and has a circulation of around 9,000 with an estimated readership of 23,000.

Don't see the ebook loading below? Read RISEN on our website instead

Bishop Search Process: Committees are now in Place

For more updates visit http://www.episcopalrisearch.org/

The Search & Nomination Committee and Transition Committee now are in place for the process to elect the next bishop of Rhode Island. The committees began their work June 3-4 at a retreat hosted by St. Mary’s, Portsmouth. Click here to read about how the retreat went.

Lora MacFall, a member of St. Andrews-by-the-Sea in Little Compton, will chair the Search & Nomination Committee, which will develop a profile to describe our diocese, solicit nominations for bishop, screen nominees and then present final names to the electing convention.

Cathy Iacobucci, a member of Grace Church in Providence, will chair the Transition Committee, which will ensure that we celebrate the ministry of our current bishop, plan our new bishop’s ordination celebration and arrange a warm welcome for our new bishop to begin the next chapter of our ministry together.

The Standing Committee and Diocesan Council will commission the committees at the June 3-4 retreat. The committees will begin their work with the help of a consultant, Judy Stark. Judy has consulted in three other bishop search processes and co-chaired the Bishop Coadjutor Search Committee for the Diocese of Southwest Florida. She has served three terms on the Diocesan Council and has been elected as a deputy to the 2012 General Convention.

Additionally, the Rev. Mary Johnstone and Julia Slayton, executive director of Bethany House of Prayer, located in Arlington, Mass., will serve as a chaplain team to help guide the committees through the search, election, and consecration process.

Other lay members of the Search & Nomination Committee are Steve Bucci, St. Peters-by-the-Sea, Narragansett; John Gilmartin, Trinity, Newport; Mary Hafey, St. Thomas, Alton; Leon Sibielski, Ascension, Cranston; Ellen Vadney, Emmanuel, Newport; and Bill Warburton, St. Paul’s, Wickford. An additional member will be named later.

Clergy members of the Search & Nomination Committee are the Rev. John Alexander, St. Stephen’s, Providence; the Rev. Robert Brooks, retired; the Rev. Deacon Buck Close, St. George’s, Central Falls; the Rev. Canon Jonathan Huyck, Grace Church, Providence; the Rev. Mercedes Julian, Ascension, Cranston; the Rev. Pam Mott, St. Mary’s, Portsmouth; the Rev. Sandra Haines-Murdocco, retired; the Rev. Ann Marie Richards, Trinity, Newport; and the Rev. Melody Shobe.

Other lay members of the Transition Committee are Linda Mendonca, Emmanuel, Cumberland; Bill Plumb, Trinity, Cranston; and Grace Swinski, St. Paul’s, Pawtucket.

Clergy serving on the Transition Committee are the Rev. Deacon Dorothy (Ricky) Brightman, St. Luke’s, East Greenwich; the Rev. James Frink, retired; the Rev. Deacon John Higginbotham, St. Luke’s, East Greenwich; the Rev. Casey Shobe, St. Peter’s by-the-Sea, Narragansett; and the Rev. Veronica Tierney, St. George’s School, Middletown.

The Latest eRISEN- June 1st 2011

You can view the latest issue of eRISEN, our biweekly email events calendar, at the link below:

eRISEN June 1st 2011 issue

Want to subscribe to the eRISEN mailing list? Want to submit your event? Just visit eRISEN our website

RI Priest Named New Executive Director of Forward Movement

The Rev. Scott Gunn will lead Forward Movement Publications in its mission to “reinvigorate the life of the church.”

Gunn, a priest of the Diocese of Rhode Island, has been named by the Board of Directors and Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori as the new executive director of Forward Movement, the publisher of Forward Day by Day meditations as well as books and pamphlets about spirituality and The Episcopal Church. He begins his ministry with the Cincinnati-based Forward Movement in late July.

“Our church is at a critical and thrilling point as we seek to find our way forward in the 21st century,” said Gunn. “Forward Movement is positioned well to be a leader in proclaiming the Gospel that is at our core.”

With a worldwide circulation of more than 300,000 subscribers, Forward Day by Day will continue to play a central role at Forward Movement. At the same time, Gunn will lead the agency in the exploration of new content—and new methods of delivery—both to support current readers and to attract new audiences.

“We will continue to offer our dedicated readers the materials which nourish them, while expanding our audience through new kinds of content delivered in new ways,” Gunn said. Active both on the local and church-wide level, Gunn served two congregations in the Diocese of Rhode Island as well as in leadership positions on Diocesan Council and as deputy to the 2009 General Convention. He is a member of Episcopal Communicators and the Episcopal News Service Advisory Committee and an active blogger (http://www.sevenwholedays.org/).

Prior to his ordination, he worked for several technology and communication companies, including the Atlantic Monthly and the MIT Media Lab. He also holds degrees from Brown University and Yale Divinity School.

“We welcome Fr. Gunn as he joins the work of leading Forward Movement into the next chapter of its ministry,” said Jefferts Schori.
As Gunn takes the helm of the 76-year-old institution, he is looking to current subscribers and prospective readers to dream with him about how Forward Movement can better “tell the story of God’s work among us in way that our world can hear the Gospel.” Send him your ideas and dreams—for content and for new ways to deliver these stories E-mail him at sgunn@forwarddaybyday.com . To learn more about Forward Movement and its work, visit http://www.forwardmovement.org/ .

Six Aquidneck churches work together in New Orleans on Habitat for Humanity mission trip

In April Emmanuel Church sponsored its fifth mission trip to the Gulf Coast since Hurricane Katrina, collaborating with the Aquidneck Island church community to send seventeen volunteers to New Orleans. Six Churches participated in this ministry together; Channing Memorial, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, St. Barnabas Roman Catholic, St. Columba’s Episcopal, St. Mary’s Episcopal and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

The Aquidneck group worked for Habitat for Humanity, who has coordinated over 100,000 volunteers since the storm, helping more than 400 families. Volunteers left the comforts of Rhode Island behind to work with others from across North America to bring hope to the people in New Orleans.

After almost six years, many people are still suffering from the effects of Katrina. Neighborhoods are still boarded up. Lives are still torn apart, but in the midst of it volunteers found people full of hope.

Volunteers participated in various projects. They put clapboard on a house for a New Orleans family of six, helped Episcopal Community Services sheetrock a home for a woman who has lived in a FEMA trailer for four years now, and worked for the Latino Farmers Cooperative as well as New Orleans Mission.

Each member of the group returned home with new friends from the Aquidneck church community and a feeling that is difficult to explain. What each member knows is that someday they will return to New Orleans. The need is so great.
___

Celebration of the Volunteers Return- Sunday May 15, 2011 at 10 AM  The Episcopal service will include southern spiritual music and some members of the mission group will talk about their life-changing experiences.

Story Sharing & Slideshow- Sunday May 22, 2011 at 4 PM at People’s Café. Member of the group would like to share their stories of compassion, of giving, and of receiving with the Newport Community.

Donations of canned goods and non-perishable food items will be collected on May 15th and May 22nd to be donated to the Salvation Army, Newport food pantry. Services and events are free and open to the public. For more information call 401-847-0675.

State of the Congregations Follow Up Resources and Letter from Bishop Wolf

May 6, 2011

Dear Friends,

Thanks to those who were with us at the "State of the Congregations" meeting last Saturday. There were over 115 people there from more than 30 congregations. The presentation made by the Rev. David Lucey on behalf of the Program and Budget Committee was frank and clear; if we are to thrive as a diocese, each church must take an unvarnished look at its current reality, figure how it can best utilize its assets – financial, physical and human – in order to further God’s kingdom.

In addition, we need to talk to our neighboring churches and find effective ways to collaborate in such a way that the Gospel mandates are creatively fulfilled and needs are met in the local communities. This may lead to mergers, partnerships, shared ministry or other ideas that you generate.

We left the meeting committing to three things.

1. Each church will complete the form from Alban Institute and have conversation with their leaders and congregation about the financial future.
2. Each Deanery will meet within the next month inviting leaders –both clergy and lay – from each church to discuss what each church is currently doing and begin conversation about how groups of congregations can work together to enhance ministry, share resources and save money
3. Another meeting will be held in the fall to report back how the work has progressed.

If you were not at Saturday’s meeting, I ask you to view the material we distributed at Saturday’s meeting including Fr. Lucey’s PowerPoint presentation, 2009 Parochial Report Statistics, and the Congregation Budget Self-Test so that you can be part of this important dialogue.

Faithfully Yours,
Geralyn Wolf

Lookout, Your Church May be Flocked

Photo: Joey.Parsons 

Your church may soon be flocked by plastic flamingos, courtesy of the Rhode Island delegates to the Episcopal Youth Event (EYE) of 2011.

The Episcopal Youth Event is a gathering of high schoolers and their advocates from throughout the Episcopal Church, to inspire and empower youth as Christian apostles. It is a triennial event and this summer's meeting will be taking place at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Our delegates are a diverse group of high school students from various Episcopal parishes throughout Rhode Island, who have been selected for their leadership abilities and deep faith.

Together with a flock of plastic flamingoes they are trying to raise as much funding as possible to help cover the costs of the trip.

If you happen to be flocked, the general cost to remove the flamingos is $25.

For an additional:

• $10 they will remove them in 24 hours
• $25 you can choose their next destination, but play nice please.
• $15 insures that they will not return

**If you don’t want your church to be flocked at all you always can donate $50 to the EYE delegation in advance**

Contact Catherine (401) 258-9249 or Kate (401) 862-0142 with your requests. The youth of RI are thankful for all your donations!