Washington, D.C., Cathedral Dean Samuel T. Lloyd III has released the following statement in response to the earthquake in Japan and resulting tsunamis.
Our hearts and our prayers reach out to all those who have lost their lives or have been affected by the terrible earthquake in Japan and the tsunamis that accompanied it, as well as for the people at risk in Hawaii and the American West Coast. This globally unfolding disaster reminds us again that we are all connected, no matter our distance, with bonds that must strengthen when buildings and infrastructure pass away.
As we watch the power and mystery of the ocean do its worst, we are comforted by the conviction that God is at work bringing strength, hope, and courage to those who have been afflicted.
The Washington National Cathedral community welcomes all those who seek to gather for spiritual strength at this time of questioning and fear.
.
3/11/11
Message about Japan from the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia
Diocese of Olympia, Special Edition
Prayers for Japan
March 10, 2011
Dear Ones,
By now, you all have heard of the devastating earthquake off the coast of Japan, some in this diocese may even be seeing evidence of it in rising water.
We pray for all the people of Japan, and all those who will be affected by the path of the subsequent wave.
I know there are those who have family directly affected and we pray for them as they eagerly await word.
I received the following, early this morning from the Presiding Bishop's Office:
"We ask your prayers for the people of Japan and surrounding areas in the Pacific Rim following the earlier earthquake and tsunami. I have been in touch with Archbishop Nathaniel Uematsu of the Nippon So Ko Kai, who was in meetings in Kyoto during the time of the earthquake and is now in Osaka trying to communicate with the areas most affected by the devastation. He asks for prayers for Bishop John Kato and the people of the Diocese of Tohoku, which has been hit hardest.
Our office continues to be in touch with Episcopal Relief & Development, as well as with Lambeth Palace. Your prayers and support are deeply appreciated, for Japan, as well as for all those in the Pacific Rim under a tsunami alert."
My Lambeth Conference group had a large portion of the Japanese bishops as part of it. They were amazingly gracious and I thought immediately of them when I first heard of the quake last night.
As I hear of ways to respond I will offer them. As of this time I do not have any such information.
Blessings,
+Greg
The Right Reverend Gregory Rickel
Diocese of Olympia
.
Prayers for Japan
March 10, 2011
Dear Ones,
By now, you all have heard of the devastating earthquake off the coast of Japan, some in this diocese may even be seeing evidence of it in rising water.
We pray for all the people of Japan, and all those who will be affected by the path of the subsequent wave.
I know there are those who have family directly affected and we pray for them as they eagerly await word.
I received the following, early this morning from the Presiding Bishop's Office:
"We ask your prayers for the people of Japan and surrounding areas in the Pacific Rim following the earlier earthquake and tsunami. I have been in touch with Archbishop Nathaniel Uematsu of the Nippon So Ko Kai, who was in meetings in Kyoto during the time of the earthquake and is now in Osaka trying to communicate with the areas most affected by the devastation. He asks for prayers for Bishop John Kato and the people of the Diocese of Tohoku, which has been hit hardest.
Our office continues to be in touch with Episcopal Relief & Development, as well as with Lambeth Palace. Your prayers and support are deeply appreciated, for Japan, as well as for all those in the Pacific Rim under a tsunami alert."
My Lambeth Conference group had a large portion of the Japanese bishops as part of it. They were amazingly gracious and I thought immediately of them when I first heard of the quake last night.
As I hear of ways to respond I will offer them. As of this time I do not have any such information.
Blessings,
+Greg
The Right Reverend Gregory Rickel
Diocese of Olympia
.
Canadian Anglican Primate responds to disaster in Japan
March 11, 2011 - What follows is the text of a letter from Archbishop Fred Hiltz, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, to his colleague, Archbishop Nathaniel Makoto Uematsu, Primate of the Nippon Sei Ko Kai.
Dear Nathaniel,
I write on behalf of your brothers and sisters in Christ in the Anglican Church of Canada.
We are so saddened by the terrible news of today's 8.9 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that have crushed or swept so many people to their deaths and caused such widespread destruction. As we follow the news we recognize your very real fears of after-shocks and further tsunamis.
We assure you of our sympathy and of our prayers for all who have died and those who mourn their loss, for all who are injured and those who tend them, for all who frantically wait word of their loved ones.
We hold before God all those who are engaged in the relief efforts as well as you and all who are ministering to the needs of a stricken, grieving nation.
In the compassion of Christ,
I am,
Sincerely yours,
Fred J. Hiltz
Archbishop and Primate
Anglican Church of Canada
Anglican Church of Canada
.
3/2/11
Bishop Richard L. Shimpfky died on February 28
Bishop Shimpfky served as rector of Christ Church, Ridgewood, NJ, from 1977 to 1990 before his election as Bishop of El Camino Real in California. He graduated from Virginia Theological Seminary and was deaconed in June 1970 and ordained priest in June 1971.
While in the Diocese of Newark, during his time in Ridgewood, he served as member and chair of the Standing Committee, Christian Education Commission, and the Commission on Ministry.
In the Diocese of Long Island, Bishop Shimpfky served at St. George's Church in Flushing, NY.
Most recently he served as Bishop-in-residence to Christ Church, Short Hills, NJ, from December 2009 until November 2010.
Survivors include his wife of 45 years, Jamel, his children Allison, Joshua and Trevor and grandchildren Hannah and Grace.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 12 at 11:00 a.m. at Christ Church, Ridgewood, with Bishop Mark Beckwith of the Diocese of Newark officiating.
For directions please visit:
Notes of condolence may be sent to:
Mrs. Jamel Shimpfky
42 Kira Lane
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
[Episcopal News Service] The Rt. Rev. Richard Lester Shimpfky was remembered March 1 as an ardent supporter of Episcopal Asiamerican and Latino ministries, and for his spiritual leadership and humility.
Shimpfky, 70, served as the second bishop of the Diocese of El Camino Real from 1990 to 2004, and most recently was bishop-in-residence at Christ Episcopal Church in Short Hills in the Diocese of Newark. He died Feb. 28 with his wife of 45 years, Jamel Kassim Shimpfky, and other family members gathered around him, according to an email from the Newark diocese.
"The people of Episcopal Diocese of El Camino Real give thanks to God for the life and work of Bishop Shimpfky as their second bishop. While we are saddened by his death, we rejoice that he is now at peace," Bishop Mary Gray-Reeves said in a statement emailed to ENS. "We will honor Richard's life with a memorial service at Trinity Cathedral in San Jose at a later date.
"Several members of the diocese will attend his services in Ridgewood, New Jersey," Gray-Reeves added.
"As a former Asian missioner of the Diocese of El Camino Real, I will miss Richard as a bishop, a pastor and a personal friend," said the Rev. Winfred Vergara, missioner for Episcopal Asiamerica ministries for the Episcopal Church.
"It was during his episcopacy that the diocesan ethnic ministries flourished," Vergara said in a March 1 email to Episcopal News Service. "We traveled together in China and shared many joys and challenges in the ministry," Vergara wrote. "When he retired as diocesan bishop and humbly served as interim rector of St. George Episcopal Church in Flushing, NY, he became a well-loved spiritual leader of its Chinese congregation, one of the largest Asian congregations in the Episcopal Church. Bishop Shimpfky is a devoted supporter of the Episcopal Asiamerica Ministry; his constant encouragement, humble example and wise counsel will be greatly missed."
The Rev. Dr. Paul Xie, St. George's Chinese missioner, agreed. "Since Bishop Shimpfky came here in February 2005, the Chinese congregation has been growing, and also the Latino congregation," he said in a telephone interview from his Flushing, NY, office. Shimpfky left the parish in Nov. 2010, Xie said.
Shimpfky was born Oct. 18, 1940 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Thelma Louise and Henry Lester Shimpfky. He graduated in 1963 with a bachelor's degree from the University of Colorado. He was awarded both master of divinity (1970) and doctor of divinity (1991) degrees from the Virginia Theological Seminary.
He was ordained a deacon on June 20, 1970 and a priest June 1, 1971 by Philip Alan Smith, bishop suffragan of Virginia, and served several congregations in Virginia and New Jersey prior to his 1990 consecration as Bishop of El Camino Real.
He was assistant rector at St. Peter's, Arlington (1970-1972,) and rector of All Saints, Alexandria from 1972 to 1977 before moving to Christ Church in Ridgewood, where he served 15 years as rector.
He was also active on diocesan and provincial levels, serving as Province VIII president from 1994 to 2004 and as vice president from 1992 to 1994.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by three children, Allison, Joshua and Trevor, and two grandchildren.
2/28/11
St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church shares a congregation photo
The parish, shown on an Easter Sunday, is served
by the Rev. Dr. Winfred (Fred) Vergara..
by the Rev. Dr. Winfred (Fred) Vergara..
2/16/11
Episcopal Church, China to explore ways to partner in seminary education
By Lynette Wilson, February 16, 2011
[Episcopal News Service] One of the leaders of the post-denominational Protestant churches in China recently met with the presiding bishop and others in the Episcopal Church to explore the possibility of future seminary education partnerships and exchanges, and to ask for support for an upcoming Bible exhibition.
"We came here to renew friendship with Episcopal Church and explore possibilities where we can cooperate in the future," said Elder Fu Xianwei, chairman of the National Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement, following a Feb. 9 meeting with Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori at the Episcopal Church Center in New York.
"We talked about theological education and also we're going to have a Bible ministry exhibition. The hope is that it can be supported by the presiding bishop and the Episcopal Church," he added, as translated from Mandarin Chinese by the Rev. Lin Manhong, interim dean of Nanjing Union Theological Seminary, the national seminary of the China Christian Council.
"Mutual learning between seminaries of the Episcopal Church and those in China would be immensely helpful as we seek to root the gospel in differing contexts," said Jefferts Schori in an e-mail following the visit. "We have a long relationship, with significant history given the work of Roland Allen in China in the 1890s and early 1900s. The work of developing contextual theologies would also be greatly assisted by dialogue and exchange."
The Three-Self Patriotic Movement, or TSPM, is the patriotic Christian organization in China; along with the Chinese Christian Council (CCC), it forms the official, government-sanctioned Protestant church in China. ("Three-self" stands for, self-governing, self-supporting and self-propagating.)
Kinnamon hosted a luncheon Feb.7 for the delegation, which in addition to Xianwei and Manhong, included the Rev. Zhang Keyun, president of Jiangsu Provincial Christian Council; Xiao Hong, deputy director of the Foreign Affairs Department of the State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA), a Chinese government agency; and Xu Wenzhen, secretary of SARA's Foreign Affairs Department. The group was accompanied by the Rev. Peter Koon, general secretary of the Anglican Province of Hong Kong.
In the 1950s, TSPM began to embrace Christianity as an indigenous religion and all Protestant worship became non-denominational. The CCC was formed in 1980.
Since 1979, when during a meeting at the White House President Jimmy Carter pressed then Chinese Vice-Premier Deng Xiaoping on religious freedom, Christianity began its nondenominational resurgence in China, said Peter Ng, the Episcopal Church's officer for Asia and the Pacific.
This is the first time the Chinese Protestant Christian leadership has publically asked for educational exchanges, said Ng.
"They don't want outside assistance; he [Xianwei] is talking about exchange. That means that they have opened the door for denominations to partner with the church," said Ng.
The Chinese Christian population is estimated between 18 to 20 million people, officially, not counting Christians worshipping unofficially in house churches.
Over the years, explained Kwok Pui-lan, professor of Christian theology and spirituality at the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, seminaries have sent younger faculty members to the United States and Canada for advanced training.
"Now they want to develop a more advanced program inside China because the need is so great," she said, noting the rapid increase in enrollment. "They want to raise up pastors and faculty with more advanced knowledge."
EDS plans to run a study seminar and visit churches and seminaries in China in 2012, added Pui-lan.
There are now 21 Protestant seminaries in China, Ng said. During the visit to the Church Center, Xianwei also met with the Rev. Canon Don Thompson, general secretary of the Colleges and Universities of the Anglican Communion.
When asked what educational exchange looks like in post-denominational China, Xianwei responded: "We believe that almost every faculty member has his or her own denominational background, theological perspective based on certain denominational traditions. So those professors from Episcopal or Methodist or other churches, carry their own traditions and bring more perspectives to our students that help to broaden and enrich their theological horizons in their theological thinking so we will help our students to do theological reflection."
TSPM and CCC are planning a Bible exhibition in the United States similar to the one that took place in 2006. In New York, the exhibit was hosted by the Diocese of New York and held at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine.
Xianwei also invited Jefferts Schori to the rededication of Holy Trinity Church, a former Anglican cathedral in Shanghai, to be held sometime in June.
Holy Trinity was completed in 1869, with help from the Episcopal Church. The government took over the building during the Cultural Revolution and at one time was used as a state-run movie theater.
The former cathedral was returned to CCC and TSPM, which began restoring it to its original design, including putting every pew back in place, Ng said.
[Episcopal News Service] One of the leaders of the post-denominational Protestant churches in China recently met with the presiding bishop and others in the Episcopal Church to explore the possibility of future seminary education partnerships and exchanges, and to ask for support for an upcoming Bible exhibition.
"We came here to renew friendship with Episcopal Church and explore possibilities where we can cooperate in the future," said Elder Fu Xianwei, chairman of the National Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement, following a Feb. 9 meeting with Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori at the Episcopal Church Center in New York.
"We talked about theological education and also we're going to have a Bible ministry exhibition. The hope is that it can be supported by the presiding bishop and the Episcopal Church," he added, as translated from Mandarin Chinese by the Rev. Lin Manhong, interim dean of Nanjing Union Theological Seminary, the national seminary of the China Christian Council.
"Mutual learning between seminaries of the Episcopal Church and those in China would be immensely helpful as we seek to root the gospel in differing contexts," said Jefferts Schori in an e-mail following the visit. "We have a long relationship, with significant history given the work of Roland Allen in China in the 1890s and early 1900s. The work of developing contextual theologies would also be greatly assisted by dialogue and exchange."
The Three-Self Patriotic Movement, or TSPM, is the patriotic Christian organization in China; along with the Chinese Christian Council (CCC), it forms the official, government-sanctioned Protestant church in China. ("Three-self" stands for, self-governing, self-supporting and self-propagating.)
An English missionary, Allen fled China during the Boxer Rebellion, the proto-nationalist movement in opposition to Western imperialism and Christianity that took place in China from 1898-1901. In the 1950s, when Chinese Communists moved to suppress religion and foreign missionaries left China at a time when there were about 700,000 Christians.
"China was the largest of the mission fields for the western churches until the time of the revolution. And at that time ties were severed with the western church in favor of the three-self movement," said the Rev. Michael Kinnamon, the general secretary of the National Council of Churches, adding that TSPM and CCC are partners with the NCC and the World Council of Churches. Kinnamon hosted a luncheon Feb.7 for the delegation, which in addition to Xianwei and Manhong, included the Rev. Zhang Keyun, president of Jiangsu Provincial Christian Council; Xiao Hong, deputy director of the Foreign Affairs Department of the State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA), a Chinese government agency; and Xu Wenzhen, secretary of SARA's Foreign Affairs Department. The group was accompanied by the Rev. Peter Koon, general secretary of the Anglican Province of Hong Kong.
In the 1950s, TSPM began to embrace Christianity as an indigenous religion and all Protestant worship became non-denominational. The CCC was formed in 1980.
Since 1979, when during a meeting at the White House President Jimmy Carter pressed then Chinese Vice-Premier Deng Xiaoping on religious freedom, Christianity began its nondenominational resurgence in China, said Peter Ng, the Episcopal Church's officer for Asia and the Pacific.
This is the first time the Chinese Protestant Christian leadership has publically asked for educational exchanges, said Ng.
"They don't want outside assistance; he [Xianwei] is talking about exchange. That means that they have opened the door for denominations to partner with the church," said Ng.
The Chinese Christian population is estimated between 18 to 20 million people, officially, not counting Christians worshipping unofficially in house churches.
Over the years, explained Kwok Pui-lan, professor of Christian theology and spirituality at the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, seminaries have sent younger faculty members to the United States and Canada for advanced training.
"Now they want to develop a more advanced program inside China because the need is so great," she said, noting the rapid increase in enrollment. "They want to raise up pastors and faculty with more advanced knowledge."
EDS plans to run a study seminar and visit churches and seminaries in China in 2012, added Pui-lan.
There are now 21 Protestant seminaries in China, Ng said. During the visit to the Church Center, Xianwei also met with the Rev. Canon Don Thompson, general secretary of the Colleges and Universities of the Anglican Communion.
When asked what educational exchange looks like in post-denominational China, Xianwei responded: "We believe that almost every faculty member has his or her own denominational background, theological perspective based on certain denominational traditions. So those professors from Episcopal or Methodist or other churches, carry their own traditions and bring more perspectives to our students that help to broaden and enrich their theological horizons in their theological thinking so we will help our students to do theological reflection."
TSPM and CCC are planning a Bible exhibition in the United States similar to the one that took place in 2006. In New York, the exhibit was hosted by the Diocese of New York and held at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine.
Xianwei also invited Jefferts Schori to the rededication of Holy Trinity Church, a former Anglican cathedral in Shanghai, to be held sometime in June.
Holy Trinity was completed in 1869, with help from the Episcopal Church. The government took over the building during the Cultural Revolution and at one time was used as a state-run movie theater.
The former cathedral was returned to CCC and TSPM, which began restoring it to its original design, including putting every pew back in place, Ng said.
"When I visited China in 2007, reconstruction had just begun. The floor had been removed, most walls had been dismantled and scaffolding was everywhere," Jefferts Schori said. "I understand that it is nearly ready to reopen as a worship center, and hope that the Episcopal Church can be represented at its rededication. While Christianity may have gone underground for a season in China, it has emerged as a great crop of blooming branches, well connected to the true vine of Jesus. We give thanks for the power of the Spirit in the Chinese context, the presiding bishop said."
The delegation also met with the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries, Church World Service, Diocese of New York Bishop Mark S. Sisk and visited New York Theological Seminary. The delegation came to the United States by invitation of the Rev. Billy Graham, whom they visited in Washington, D.C.
-- Lynette Wilson is an editor/reporter of Episcopal News Service.
2/7/11
Learning English in China
A February 7 advertisement by HSBC, which describes itself as "The world's local bank," says:
Five times more
people are learning
English in China
than there are
people in England.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)