ECC Report Winter 2018

Official News of the
Ecumenical Catholic Communion

Issue: #49

Winter 2018

Horseshoe Falls in Niagara Falls, Ontario, photo by Aaron Lynett, Canadian Press

My friends, do not lose heart. We were made for these times. I have heard from so many recently who are deeply and properly bewildered. They are concerned about the state of affairs in our world now. Ours is a time of almost daily astonishment and often righteous rage over the latest degradations of what matters most to civilized, visionary people.

You are right in your assessments. The lustre and hubris some have aspired to while endorsing acts so heinous against children, elders, everyday people, the poor, the unguarded, the helpless, is breathtaking. Yet, I urge you, ask you, gentle you, to please not spend your spirit dry by bewailing these difficult times. Especially do not lose hope. Most particularly because, the fact is that we were made for these times. Yes. For years, we have been learning, practicing, been in training for and just waiting to meet on this exact plain of engagement.

by Clarissa Pinkola Estes

News from Office of Presiding Bishop

Presiding Bishop Report from Bishop Francis Krebs

ECC Report Winter 2018

Greetings, sisters and brothers!

I am so looking forward to the ordination/consecration of Reverend Denise Donato as a bishop in the ECC! She will be assisting me in serving those regions where I am the "ordinary" (local bishop). We will gather in Rochester, NY, on Friday, February 9th, for this sacred event. I am grateful to Denise for being willing to serve in this way. We just spent several days together thinking through how we will collaborate with each other in the months ahead. Now is time to focus on this sacramental event, where we will pray together for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on our sister for the sake of the church that has chosen her.

At the last meeting of the Governing Board of the National Council of Churches, the NCC member communions committed ourselves to a broad initiative aimed at ending racism in the United States. The kick off event will be a march on the Washington Mall on Wednesday, April 4th. I would encourage everyone who can possibly make it to consider coming. Racial Injustice is a concern for those of us who profess gospel values and lament the racial disparities found in every sector of our society. Deacon Joan Crawford, B and John Phelps, from Guardian Angels in Tempe AZ, and I attended the Conference of National Black Churches in Memphis in December where racial justice continues to be the theme and particularly how it affects ecumenism. I appointed Joan and John and B and Suzanne Schloemann of Sts. Clare & Francis in St. Louis, to a committee to oversee the ECC response to this NCC effort. Please contact Deacon Joan Crawford with your interest (email her at ecumenicalhope@gmail.com
). Thanks. I hope to see you there.
- For more information check out www.rally2endracism.org and notice the ECC symbol at the bottom of the page with other members of the NCC.
This month I participated in two Mary Magdalene Society fundraising events in Orange, CA, and in St. Louis, MO. Since September of 2015 we have raised over $100,000, which was first directed toward our ECC budgetary deficit, but which is now being directed at programs for youth and younger clergy interested in the ECC. We will hopefully have more to report in our next edition of the Report.

In November I had a very good meeting I thought with ECC leaders in Colorado around the issue of calling a bishop for that region. It was a very constructive conversation I felt, and I'm looking forward to further dialogue.

All of us are continuing to plan for Synod 2018 in September in Phoenix, where we will celebrate the Communion's 15th Anniversary! Now is the time to be electing delegates so that they can be well versed about the issues (particularly the proposed revised constitution) well in advance of the Synod. Please plan to come; and may I ask that you make room in your imagination and your budget for at least one younger person to attend from your community so that we are planting seeds for the "Next Generation ECC."

Those regions, beyond our two dioceses, that are desiring to have a Chrism Mass this year, please contact me through Jennifer Reyes Lay at opbadministrator@ecumenical-catholic-communion.org to get those scheduled. Bishop Denise and I will do what we can to be present in your communities.

Your brother,

+Francis

Advent and Christmas Memories....

Humanly speaking, we could understand and interpret the Sermon on the Mount in a thousand different ways. Jesus knows only one possibility: simple surrender and obedience, not interpreting it or applying it, but doing and obeying it. That is the only way to hear his word. He does not mean that it is to be discussed as an ideal; he really means for us to get on with it.

The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer

ECC 2018 Community Information Surveys

Since it is the start of a new year, surveys have been distributed to all ECC communities to make sure your information is accurate and up to date in our national database. Included in this survey are a few important items to help us prepare for Synod 2018: the number of registered members of your community, the names and contact information of your delegates, and your anticipated tithe for 2018 so we can draft an accurate budget for the next two years. These surveys were sent to HOP and HOL delegates, and only 1 survey is needed per community. Please make sure you are filling these out and return them by February 16, 2018 to Jennifer Reyes Lay at opbadministrator@ecumenical-catholic-communion.org or mail them to the ECC at 483 E Lockwood Ave. Ste. 3, St. Louis, MO 63119. Thank you for your prompt attention to this!

Synod 2018 Updates and Call for Tables

Thank you to everyone who submitted suggestions for workshops at the 2018 Synod. Workshop slots have now been filled and approved by the Leadership Council, so we will not be accepting any more nominations. There will be one dinner during Synod where we plan to have discussion tables, so if you have a topic you would like to discuss that is not covered by one of the workshops, you can always lead a dinner table topic discussion!

We are also still looking for communities interested in having a table display. This is a great way to share the wonderful projects and stories of your community with others in the ECC! There will be a designated time during Synod for each table to share a few minutes and then an open time for attendees to explore all the table displays. Maybe something your community has done will spark the imagination of another ECC community, and in this way we can spread the joy and love of God with our collaboration, creativity, and passion. If you are interested in having a table display please contact Jennifer Reyes Lay at opbadministrator@ecumenical-catholic-communion.org.

2018 Women's March

Women's March Around the World!

R eport from the ECC Finance Committee

December 2017

The Committee met on December 11, 2017, to review the 3rd Quarter financial reports. Overall the progress toward the financial goals for 2017 are being met with income running behind but this negative being offset by lower than expected expenses. As of December 6, 85% of the projected tithes had been received, and the OPB is optimistic about the remaining tithes coming during the next few weeks.

The special appeal that was announced in November is hoped will meet the goal of $11,000, but the results of that appeal are not known at this point. It was noted that the 2018 budget calls for a $13,000 appeal. The Committee feels that it will be important to make that appeal much earlier in the year.

The Committee discussed the format of the report, and the Treasurer, Susan Hunt, will be working on reformatting the data to separate out restricted and unrestricted fund income and expenses. This should be make it easier to track the operating expenses against unrestricted income.

The committee also discussed a proposal on the investment of some of the restricted funds to yield higher long term income for them. Some further discussions on this are necessary.

News from House of Pastors

HOP Report Winter 2018

In our Jan. 19, 2018 HOP Meeting, the HOP Steering Committee reviewed updates on the 2018 Synod, and we plan to have the Registration and Synod website open by mid-February.

We discussed the plan of the Constitutional Commission to send out two to four Articles at a time once a month beginning in January. That way people can discuss in manageable chunks.

We discussed the upcoming consecration of Rev. Denise Donato as Auxiliary Bishop. Both Fr. Mike Bober and I will attend as representatives of the Leadership Council and the HOP. It was expressed that we should make certain to get adequate media coverage of the event.

As we near the Synod, it is important to have clergy discern whether they feel called to stand for election to be the HOP Vice President. Remember it is a four year commitment - two as Vice President and two as President.

Blessings to all,

Rev. Kate Lehman, OSB

President of the HOP

News from House of Laity

HOL REPORT WINTER 2018

Hello and Happy New Year!

As we begin this new year with all its hopes and promises it is important for us to look back with appreciation and gratefulness. I know I'm forever grateful for the ECC and the many wonderful things it has offered me personally but also what it offers to the world at large. Let us not forget the amazing work we are doing, we have an inclusive & affirming church and that's AMAZING! It offers hope and joy to countless people who have been turned away, been made to feel unwelcome, or feel shamed for who they are. Let us not forget that to continue this wonderful ECC church we need "workers", volunteers who will continue to push forth our mission and vision. We are looking for HOL delegates who would be willing to serve on a couple of committees:

1. HOL Steering Committee. This meets monthly with every third month a joint meeting with the HOP. We monitor the business of the ECC as it relates to the HOL, review financial reports and recommend actions, and generally carry on the business of the HOL between Synods. We have a chair, a vice-chair, and a secretary and we have four other members. We will need to replace the vice-chair (who becomes chair) at the Synod, so we need people willing to run for that. The time commitment is about an hour a month with sometimes some to-do stuff between meetings.

2. HOL Finance Committee. This group meets quarterly or more frequently when necessary. It monitors the finances of the ECC and reports and makes recommendations to the Steering Committee. The committee also includes the ECC Treasurer, who provides valuable insights and information about all the financial matters, and the ECC Administrator, who runs the office and manages the financial processes. The committee drafts the proposed two-year budget that will be acted upon at the Synod.

Please prayerfully consider offering your time and talents to our wonderful communion. As always feel free to reach out to me or Tom Wilding with any questions, suggestions or concerns. We look forward to hearing from you!

Peace, Therese Michalski Gabriel

HOL Chair

ECC Celebrates Ordinations

Congratulations to Deacon Trish Vanni, ordained on December 2, 2017 as a transitional deacon. Trish has been gathering together a new ECC community in formation in the Twin Cities, Minnesota and also serves on the OPB's Theological Advisory Committee.

A note from the editor: Notice several of the images used in this edition are from prayerandpolitiks.org . This is a wonderful resource. Check it out! Sign up for the weekly "Sign of the Times". ~ Rev. Sue Ringler

Click here for a wonderful homily on #metoo from Rev. Mike Bober

From the Presiding Bishop Nominating Committee - Floor Nominations for Presiding Bishop end

on February 6, 2018

breathe in God's love, breathe out peace.
breathe in God's peace, breathe out tolerance.
breathe in God's tolerance, breathe out understanding.
breathe in God's understanding, breathe out compassion.
breathe in God's compassion, breathe out solidarity.
breathe in God's solidarity, breathe out justice.
breathe in God's justice, breathe out wisdom.
breathe in God's wisdom, breathe out vision.
breathe in God's vision, breathe out love.

By Father Teri Shackelford Harroun

2017 Donations

If you (as an individual or family) made a donation to the Ecumenical Catholic Communion during 2017, you should have received by now a contribution statement for your tax filing information. Thank you so much for your generous support! If you made a donation and did not receive a letter, please contact the Office of Presiding Bishop: opbadministrator@ecumenical-catholic-communion.org.

Contacting the Administrative Office

483 E Lockwood Ave., Ste. 3, St. Louis, MO 63119

Office: 314-918-2767

Bishop Francis Krebs:

bishop.francis@ecumenical-catholic-communion.org

Jenn Reyes Lay:

OPBAdministrator@ecumenical-catholic-communion.org

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