Church News
Good Shepherd, York, embraces national, diocesan priority, the MDGs
Our good friends at Good Shepherd, York, write to tell us they have established a line item – 0.7% of the operating budget – in their congregational Statement of Mission in support of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). “This 0.7% contribution will be forwarded to Five Talents International” (www.fivetalents.org), an Anglican initiative that combats poverty in developing countries using micro-enterprise development.
Let’s hear from the rest of you! Send us your MDG news today.
St. Christopher's recognized for Malawi mission & ministry in Spartanburg Herald Journal
Congregation focuses MDG effort on African diocese
[From the Herald Journal story by Kim Kimzey]
The Rev. Alban Katemba's eyes widened when he stepped inside
the gym at St. Christopher's Episcopal Church. Before him
were piles of clothing, toys, books and other items bound
for his native Malawi. "Wonderful. Very, very wonderful,"
the 71-year-old said in his thick accent. "I'm tongue-tied.
Very, very happy, indeed." . . .
St. Christopher's [in Spartanburg] began a collection drive in late February
for orphans and widows in the impoverished and
disease-ravaged African country of Malawi. The Rev. George
Gray, rector of St. Christopher's, said the church has about
300 members and an average Sunday attendance of 180. Yet the relatively small congregation helps support 11
orphanages, including one that cares for children afflicted
with AIDS and various disabilities.
Read it all (and see the photo!).
Good Shepherd, Greer, installs first rector
By Claudia Geagan
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Bishop Henderson with the Rev. Michael Schnatterly (click to enlarge) |
On May 10, the Parish of the Good Shepherd, Greer, celebrated the new ministry of its first rector in 20 years when it installed the Rev. Michael Schnatterly in a service of Holy Eucharist. Established 20 years ago as a mission of the diocese, Good Shepherd was welcomed as a parish at the 84th Diocesan Convention in October 2006. The celebrant was the our bishop, Rt. Rev. Reverend Dorsey F. Henderson, Jr. Lee Ann Inman, Father Schnatterly’s sister-in-law and senior pastor of the Orange Park, Florida, United Methodist Church, delivered the homily.
Inman based her message on the Gospel lesson from John:
Jesus said, “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.”
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To abide, to remain, to dwell, to stay, to endure, to sustain, to continue in a relationship, to put up with, to tolerate, to remain steadfast or faithful to, to keep – to make a home together. As we have a home in Christ in God’s love for us, the Church of the Good Shepherd and Fr. Schnatterly are making a home in their love for each other. Homes are both comforting and challenging. They cannot be just one or the other. There is a great deal of future out there!
And as the church celebrated "Fr. Mike’s" ministry, the children of the parish presented him with gifts of “Joy and Wonder,”and our own joy was (momentarily anyway) complete.
Good Shepherd thanks Bishop Dorsey Henderson, and the Revs. Timothy Dombek, Mike Flanagan, Sally Franklin, Robert Chiles, Mark Clevenger, d ’Rue Hazel, Linda Gosnell, Peter Haas, and Scott Flesher for their presence and participation. We thank also parishioner Yves Grisard-Van Roey for catering the reception afterward, and countless others who have made the church and the celebration a success.
Photo by Trinity Cathedral's Hutchison featured in ECVA exhibition
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"Image and Likeness," the exhibition currently posted
at the Web site of Episcopal Church and the Visual Arts (ECVA),
includes a photo entitled 'Heal Me," by Roger W. Hutchison,
canon for children's ministries at Trinity Cathedral, Columbia.
In the words of exhibition curator
Carole Baker, "Just before Lent ECVA artists were invited to observe Christ’s presence in the world in which we find ourselves. Where might we see Christ as he continues to be present with us through the worship of the Church, our spiritual practices, our daily habits, our homes?"
Hutchison's commentary describes his photograph, which "was
captured late one afternoon as I ended my day with a walk
through Trinity's peaceful graveyard. The shadows on one of the
stones caught my eye. When I reached my hand out to find the
best lighting for a photo, I was caught by the powerful image of
my hand (our hand) reaching up – searching for the source of The
Light. Heal me Jesus ... heal me."
Click here to visit the exhibition.
St. John’s, Columbia, featured in The State newspaper
Our own St. John's, "Shandon," was featured in the "Historic Columbia" section of The State newspaper on May 14.
Situated at the corner of Wheat and Holly streets in Shandon since 1926, St. John’s Episcopal Church is an imposing stone Gothic Revival style structure. Keep reading!