ECC Moves Forward Economically, A Letter From the Bishop

Dear Brothers & Sisters

The Episcopal Conference Center is one of the four stated mission priorities of the Diocese and the single largest “domestic” line item in our budget (our apportionment to The Episcopal Church being the biggest line item over-all).

In response to current economic challenges and in our commitment to maintain high quality programs, in particular our summer camp program, the staff of ECC has created a new and imaginative way to move forward.

After studying the staffing patterns in other Dioceses, we have decided to make the summer camp and other youth programming a part of the position of Director of Christian Formation. The position and job description are being reworked to reflect these changes. I am delighted that Maryann Kolakowski, Director of Christian Formation, has accepted my invitation to this expanded ministry. This is a model used by several other Dioceses and seems to make great sense in our context as well. This will result in significant financial savings, and deploys existing resources more efficiently and effective

Lance Roberts will continue to have responsibility for the physical plant, grounds, and safety as Facilities Manager, and Joyce Roberts will continue as Resident Manager with responsibility for logistical support of offered programs and non summer bookings. The camp registrar will be a seasonal position.


Yours faithfully,

Geralyn Wolf
Bishop of RI

A New Rector for St. John the Evangelist

The Dicoese of Rhode Island bids welcome to the Rev. R. Trent Fraser, the new Rector of St. John the Evangelist in Newport! Fr. Fraser was instituted as Rector on June 29th 2009 in all the Beauty of Holiness true to the Anglo-Catholic tradition. You can view a slideshow of the glorious event here.

Fr. Fraser's Biography on the website of St. John's states “Fr. Fraser’s ministry as a priest begins and ends at the Altar of God. His sense is that the closer to the Altar a priest is, the stronger the ministry will be.” As a celibate priest Fr. Fraser prefers to live this mission out through a life on parish grounds to be available to meet pastoral and sacramental needs whenever they may arrise.

The Rev'd R. Trent Fraser was ordained priest in 1993. He comes to St John's from the Church of the Redeemer in Southfield, Michigan, where he also served as Rector. During his tenure at Church of the Redeemer, he developed what was once a Sunday-only parish into a full and active community complete with Adult formation opportunities, and the celebration of Daily Mass.

Fr. Fraser has high hopes for the future of St John’s. He is expectant that as a Parish they will be able to deepen their spiritual and sacramental life, and knows that a strong emphasis on education for adults, youth, and children will be important for the continued health of the community. "Liturgical excellence, incarnational teaching, and preaching, can be effective only if there is also a welcoming community" Fr. Frasier has been known to say.

According to the St Johns’ website, Fr. Fraser believes that “The work of the Parish must ultimately rest with the energies of the faithful, and Fr. Fraser is looking forward to being in a Parish that feels as passionately as he does about doing the Lord's work ‘in the beauty of holiness’ and, consequently, seeing the beauty of the Lord in others.”

For more information on the Rev. R. Trent Fraser, visit http://www.saintjohns-newport.org

Calling All Episcopalians: TEC Strategic Planning Committee Wants Your Opinion

The Episcopal Church
Office of Public Affairs


[June 24, 2009] A newly named Strategic Planning Committee has already set to work, announcing that its first step will be to solicit opinions from throughout The Episcopal Church.

The Strategic Planning Committee was established by Executive Council in January 2009 to develop a strategic plan for the Episcopal Church Center and the Executive Council which addresses mission and ministry, growth, finance, challenges and opportunities, issues and concerns, and to map a way to address all these topics.

To do so, the Strategic Planning Committee has developed a survey and, encourages all Episcopalians to complete it. The survey is currently in English; Spanish and French will be available shortly.

Among the areas addressed in the survey are: evangelism; multicultural issues, worship, music, and liturgy; youth and young adults; mission; leadership; congregational development; church administration; stewardship; advocacy and social justice. Additionally, there are a series of options and possible responses to the question: “To achieve your vision of a vital Episcopal Church in 2019, how much effort needs to be given to each of the following paths or strategies?"

To access the survey visit : http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=Wu5I75KPqOhmGku87xaL6A_3d_3d

The survey will also be available to be completed at the Episcopal Church Center booth at General Convention in Anaheim, California July 8-17.

The deadline to complete the survey is July 28, 2009.

Proposed Budget Completed

The proposed narrative budget for 2010-2012 is now available for download. This document will form the basis for discussion at the upcoming Program and Budget area meetings. As a reminder, those meetings are scheduled for:

Wednesday, June 3 at Trinity, North Scituate 7 pm
Tuesday, June 9 at St. Matthew’s, Jamestown 7 pm
Saturday June 13 at the Cathedral, Providence 9 am

St Francis’ Episcopal Church; A New Name for the Coventry Mission

You may recall, in July of last year St Matthias and Christ Church in Coventry merged to become one worshiping body. To signify the church's new joint mission and fellowship, it was suggested that they select a new name together. Bishop Wolf mentioned that a Saint's name might do, and so St Matthias and Christ Church set their Church School to the task of finding the mission's patron Saint.

The kids took to the task with gusto, and after careful consideration of the many different options, they presented a list of 8 names to Bishop Wolf, with “St Francis' Episcopal Church” as their first choice.

The name seems particularly appropriate. As St Francis' self-defines on their website:

"We are a small church, which means that our worship gives a sense of intimacy. We are a community that knows and cares about each other. We are a people who honor, cherish, and celebrate God’s creation, and seek to be good stewards of the earth. We are a group that is committed to deepening our spiritual lives and a people who believe that God calls us to a place of deeper compassion, creativity, and love. Our life together is centered around the Holy Eucharist, with communion services held every Sunday. As a response to our faith in Jesus Christ, we strive to make our parish a place of hope to the despairing, of growth to the spiritually hungry, of healing to those in pain, of comfort to those in need, and a place of empowerment so that we may serve Christ in the world."

It is, therefore, with great pleasure that Bishop Wolf announces she has renamed the Coventry mission “St. Francis' Episcopal Church”, in accordance with their Church School’s request. The name change is effective as of May 1st 2009. St. Francis’ will continue to worship at the site of the former Christ Church, an old English Tudor style structure on rural Peckham Lane, in Coventry. Their website can still be viewed at www.christchurchrocks.org

Parish Administrators Luncheon

From Liz Crawley, Executive Assistant to Bishop Wolf:

The Annual Parish Administrator/Secretaries Luncheon was held at Christ Church, Lincoln, on Wednesday May 20th. The day brought [finally] beautiful sunshine and warmth, both outside and indoors at our gathering. Dianne Papineau and Linda Gorman graciously hosted 28 administrators from around the diocese with a delicious lunch, providing their own homemade salads and desserts, along with sandwiches. We had a first-rate tour of their beautiful church, office facilities and parish hall. Ruth Meteer, our Diocesan Communications Officer, gave a brief presentation on resources for Parish administrators on the Diocesan website, as well as with eRISEN and RISEN magazine. Thank you to all who attended and we look forward to seeing you next year!

Eastertide Confirmation Photo Galleries

The Episcopal Diocese of RI held its annual Eastertide Confirmations at the Cathedral of St John in Providence these past two Saturdays. About 150 people were confirmed or recieved into the Episcopal Church this year! Click on the links below to view a slideshow photogallery for each deanery session.

May 2, 2009 10:00am: Narragansett & West Bay Deaneries

May 2, 2009 2:00pm: Aquidneck & East Bay Deaneries

May 9, 2009 10:00am: Central & Blackstone Deaneries

May 9, 2009 2:00pm: Overflow

Our Standing Commitee's Vote on the Bishop Elect of Northern Michigan

From Fr. Bill Locke,
Standing Committee President

"After a careful review of materials provided by the Diocese of Northern Michigan and their bishop-elect, as well as other commentary from around the church, and after an extensive discussion at their May 12th meeting, the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Rhode Island has voted 5-1 not to consent to the election and consecration of the bishop-elect."

Program & Budget Area Meetings

The Diocesan Program and Budget Committee has the task every three years of drafting a proposed Triennial Budget for the diocese. The committee has been meeting for the past six months and now presents its proposal for review and comment by the diocese. The following area meetings on the budget are scheduled:

Wednesday, June 3 at Trinity, North Scituate 7 pm
Tuesday, June 9 at St. Matthew’s, Jamestown 7 pm
Saturday June 13 at the Cathedral, Providence 9 am

The relevant documents will be posted as they become available. Some hard copies will be available at the meetings.

Swine Flu Preparedness

The newest variation of the Flu, the Swine Flu, has been receiving a remarkable amount of press in the past few days. According to the Associated Press, two days ago President Obama said that the outbreak may be cause for some concern but is not yet cause for alarm. See the full article here. As of today, the World Health Organization (WHO) seems to concur with President Obama. Daily updates on the worldwide situation are posted on the WHO swine flu website, along with other helpful information.

We in the Episcopal Church need to be prepared both for the best and worst case scenario in this, just as we need to be prepared in other threats. If down the road the swine flu does become a cause for alarm, we must be ready to be the face of hope and the force for good that we are called to be. In the spirit of this mission, Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) has collected some informative and helpful resources on the swine flu and what to look out for. To stay informed, follow this link to their comprehensive listings.