National & World News
Bishops Working for a Just World to lobby for health-care reform
By Lynette Wilson
[Episcopal News Service] A group of Episcopal bishops is traveling to Washington, D.C., the week of September 14 to lobby on Capitol Hill in support of health-care reform.
The group, "Bishops Working for a Just World," seeks universal heath-care coverage and solutions to domestic and global poverty and the environmental crisis. Bishops make annual trips to the nation's capital to advocate for specific legislation or changes to legislation.
"The issues that we lobby are the issues voted on by General Convention," said Diocese of Newark Bishop Mark Beckwith.
The Office of Government Relations (OGR), based in Washington, D.C., organized the trip and prepared the bishops for meetings with elected officials and administrators. Created by Executive Council in 1979, OGR's mandate is to lobby Congress and the president in response to legislation passed at General Convention.
July's General Convention passed several health-care-related resolutions (C071, D048 and D088) in support of universal access to quality and affordable health care in the United States and called on Congress to pass comprehensive health-care reform this year. Resolution D048 urged passage of federal legislation establishing a "single payer" universal health care program.
Seven Episcopal bishops urge covenant endorsement at all church levels
By Mary Frances Schjonberg
[Episcopal News Service] Seven Episcopal Church bishops who met September 1 with Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams say that dioceses and congregations ought to endorse the proposed Anglican covenant, either in its current partial draft form or when a text becomes final.
The call came in a September 7 statement which also urged the church's General Convention to adopt an Anglican covenant when it next meets in 2012.
Bishops Mark Lawrence of South Carolina, Gary Lillibridge of West Texas, Edward Little of Northern Indiana, Bill Love of Albany, Bruce MacPherson of Western Louisiana, Michael Smith of North Dakota and James Stanton of Dallas met with Williams at Lambeth Palace in London.
The bishops said in their statement that they discussed their concerns in light of some of the actions taken at the July meeting of General Convention and the subsequent episcopal nominations of people "whose manner of life presents a challenge to the wider church and will lead to further strains on communion," in the words of Resolution B033, passed by the General Convention in 2006.
The complete article is here.
Episcopal Relief & Development Prepares for Flu Season
In the face of
an international H1N1 flu pandemic and the approach of the regular
influenza season, Episcopal Relief & Development is continuing to
monitor the public health situation.
According to Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a new study estimates that the recent outbreak of H1N1 (also known as swine flu) infected more than one million Americans, including 800,000 in New York City.
“Although national and local health officials will take the lead in responding to a pandemic, faith-based and community-based organizations will also have an important role,” said Abagail Nelson, Episcopal Relief & Development’s Senior Vice President for Programs.
“Through our national church networks, we can help ensure that those affected by a health emergency will receive the physical, emotional, and spiritual support they need.”On June 11, the World Health Organization stated that a worldwide H1N1 pandemic is underway. WHO estimates that due to lack of immunity against the new virus, one-third of the global population will become infected with H1N1—far higher than the typical seasonal flu infection rate of 5% to 20%.
Episcopal Relief & Development is maintaining regular contact with national and local public health officials. “Our U.S. disaster relief staff are staying up to date on the public health situation and we are poised to respond,” Nelson said.
“We also are connected with other emergency response agencies through the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters. This collaboration will enable us to most effectively serve Episcopalians and other communities in the face of a pandemic.”
Information on preparing for potential H1N1 and other influenza outbreaks is available on the Episcopal Relief & Development website. The site links to examples of preparedness plans and provides resources that can help faith-based and other organizations continue operating effectively and provide support to communities affected by a health crisis.
For more information, visit www.er-d.org/PlanningforPandemicInfluenza/.To support Episcopal Relief & Development’s domestic disaster programs, please make an online donation to the Disaster Response Fund at https://www.er-d.org/donate-select.php, or call 1-800-334-7626, ext. 5129. Gifts can also be mailed to Episcopal Relief & Development, P.O. Box 7058, Merrifield, VA 22116-7058.