Our apologies, the previous version of this week's Midweek Missive failed to include a working link to the Member Profile Project. Please refer to this version of the Midweek Missive.

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 35 SEPTEMBER 19, 2019

15th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 20) SCRIPTURE READINGS Amos 8:4-7 Psalm 113 1 Timothy 2:1-7 Luke 16:1-13 8:00AM SERVICE Preacher: Dean Ryan Celebrant: Dean Ryan 10:00AM SERVICE (BAPTISM) Ushers: William Patterson Lector: Janie Fisher EM: Jeni-Ann Kren Preacher: Dean Ryan Celebrant: Dean Ryan

FOOD BANK 2nd-4th Wednesdays @ 2:30PM THE COTTAGE SHOP Wednesdays 12:30PM - 4:30PM 1st-3rd Sat. @ 9:00AM-1:00PM CHOIR REHEARSAL Thursdays @ 6:30PM FOOD BANK: TJ FOOD DISTRIBUTION Sundays after 10AM Service (White Room) YOUTH EVENT- ZOO TRIP SAT. SEPT. 28 @ 12:30PM-3:30PM Meet at Cathedral FOOD BANK STEERING COMMITTEE WED. OCT. 2 @ 2:00PM-4:00PM White Room 140TH CELEBRATION SUN. OCT. 6 @ 11:30AM-1:30PM Zoe Eden CENTRAL DEANERY MEETING SAT. OCT. 12 @ 10:00AM-12:00PM Fireside Room THE BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS SUN. OCT. 13 @ 10:00AM Cathedral Lawn

Through the “Member Profile Project,” St. James is seeking to create our membership database and Cathedral directory. This is one of the most important endeavors of our Cathedral’s resurrection! Our community, our Cathedral family, is the most important asset of St. James. The Cathedral’s membership database is an extension of our Cathedral family—it is a vital resource tool that establishes, maintains, and deepens our sacred connections with one another.

We need everyone to participate!!! We have set a goal of 100% participation by our members by the end of October 2019. When you fill out a Member Profile, you are not just sharing information, you are building up the Cathedral of St. James and strengthening that sacred bond that draws us together as a community of faith. The easiest and most effective way to submit your information is to fill-out the Member Profile Form through the Cathedral’s website. (See button below.)  However, if you don’t have access to an internet-enabled device or you are not a techie, we have another way you can fill-out your member profile. Each Sunday, 8:45AM – 9:45AM until the end of October, a member of the St. James team will make themselves available in the Fireside Room. They will assist you with filling out the form. The process should only take about five minutes. If you can, please try to bring a list of key dates—birth, baptism, confirmation, and marriage for those in your family profile. A hard copy version of the form can be made available by request—please speak to the Dean. We are asking each family to fill-out one form. We are not requiring many form-fields, but we do hope each form will be filled out with as much information as possible—the more information we receive strengthens our database and thus our ministries. On average, a profile form can be filled out online in about 5-7 minutes.  The membership database will improve our ability to cultivate and strengthen pastoral relationships, manage the ministries of the Cathedral, support the vital work of our Newcomer ministry, and enhance our communication abilities. The Cathedral Directory will play a vital role in connecting our members and supporting the ministries of the church. Protecting your privacy and information is a top priority to St. James. We have partnered with JotForm, the leading data form site on the internet, to securely obtain your member profile data. At the conclusion of the Member Profile Project, the data will be moved to our Church Management Software, Elexio by Ministry Brands. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us by email or by phone (559) 439-5011.

FILL OUT YOUR MEMBER PROFILE

Link issue has been corrected. Our apologies.

CHAPTER NOMINATIONS Forms available. Due by September 30th!

The Nominating Committee is seeking individuals interested in serving on Chapter for a three-year term. Four Chapter positions will be selected this year. Nomination forms can be downloaded online and are available at the entrance of the Chapel and the Cathedral. Nomination forms are due by Monday, September 30th. Members of the Cathedral Congregation can nominate someone or themselves for consideration. As a member of the Cathedral’s governance body, Chapter Members are charged with shaping St. James’ vision for the future. Those called to serve on Chapter are expected to attend monthly meetings, actively participate in the life and leadership of the congregation, and prayerfully share their gifts and talents for the betterment of the whole Cathedral community. “It is crucial that we have four new members of Chapter who are eager to serve and excited about the future of the Cathedral,” said Dean Ryan. “Chapter members, current and future, will need to be engaged, collaborative, and prophetic as we continue to resurrect St. James Cathedral and serve the people of the Central Valley and the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin.” A final election ballot slate will be published in October in the Midweek Missive and Sunday’s Gold Sheet. As the Cathedral of the Diocese of San Joaquin, Chapter Members are elected by Diocese Convention. Following a confirming vote by the Diocesan Convention, persons elected to Chapter will assume office at the annual meeting of the Cathedral congregation (January 2020). If you have questions or want additional information, please speak to Dean Ryan, the Deacons, and/or any member of Chapter.

DOWNLOAD CHAPTER NOMINATION FORM

Within the Episcopal Church, laity assist the clergy during the celebration of Holy Eucharist, administering the elements (the wine or the bread). Eucharistic Ministers are vital members of the St. James worship team. Have you ever thought about serving as a Eucharistic Minister? We are seeking to grow this ministry at St. James. No previous experience is required. We are hoping to grow the group to about 6-8 Eucharistic Ministers who would serve on a rotating basis during Sundays. Eucharistic Minister are needed for both the 8:00AM and 10:00AM services! On Wednesday, October 16th, the Dean and the Deacons will host an introductory training workshop for new and continuing Eucharistic Ministers. The evening will begin at 6:00PM with dinner (provided by St. James). The training workshop will begin at 6:30PM and conclude 8:30PM.  Those interested in attending the Eucharistic Minister Training Workshop, please register below. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to speak to your Cathedral Clergy.

REGISTER FOR EM WORKSHOP

ST. JAMES IS TURNING 140! Come celebrate 140 years of ministry at St. James. This event is being presented by the Preservation Society for our community. Come eat delicious food, look at curated displays, and enjoy your Cathedral family! There will be a special kid’s area with activities just for them, opportunities to celebrate the future of our Cathedral, and more!  Sunday, October 6th 11:30AM-1:30PM in Zoe Eden Hall Please RSVP by Wednesday September 25th or speak to Pete Cabbiness or Kourinthia Burton.

CLICK HERE TO RSVP FOR 140TH LUNCHEON

2019 FRESNO/CLOVIS CROP HUNGER WALK Join the St. James Team on Sunday, October 20th!

CROP Hunger Walk - With four weeks to go before the CROP Hunger Walk, Team St. James has over 20 Walkers signed up. This year many of the Walkers have a donation envelope and are collecting sponsorships individually. If you are not able to Walk with us, please consider a sponsorship, either directly to a Walker (make check out to CWS/CROP) or donations may be made online to TEAM St. James@ CropHungerWalk-Fresno Ca Let's flight hunger together! Location: First Congregational Church of Fresno, 2131 N Van Ness Blvd., Fresno, CA Sign In Time: 1:30PM Walk Time: 2:30PM

Come join the St. James Episcopal Cathedral Youth Group on their adventure to the Fresno Chaffee Zoo!  Anyone Junior High or High School Age will gain free admission with the youth group. Parents and other non-youth visitors are welcome to pay the admission fee and enjoy the zoo with us.    We’ll meet at St. James Episcopal Cathedral at 12:30PM and carpool over to Roeding Park together. If you need to make other arrangements or simply wish to RSVP for this event please email at  sjyouth@stjamesfresno.org​ please make the subject: “Zoo RSVP." Please keep in mind, if you do decide to spend the day with us you can stick with the group but cannot take your child away from the group during the set time. We want our youth to experience the zoo as a group and learn together. Thank you.

FOOD BANK COLLECTION Pasta Sauce

The St. James Food Bank needs our assistance to stock the shelves! For the next couple of weeks, we are asking the Cathedral Congregation to bring on Sundays jars of the PASTA SAUCE for the Food Bank. A cart will be located at the entrance of the Chapel and the Cathedral for the collection. Thank you for your continued support of the St. James Food Bank!

IN HONOR OF ST. JAMES' 140TH ANNIVERSARY AND THE UPCOMING CELEBRATION THIS FALL, THE PRESERVATION COMMITTEE IS OFFERING ARTICLES IN THE "MIDWEEK MISSIVE" HIGHLIGHTING THE HISTORY OF THE CATHEDRAL.

SAINT JAMES: NO LONGER PRO-CATHEDRAL by Emily Niblick

One hundred and forty years ago, the Reverend D. O Kelly came to Fresno and decided that this fledgling town would be a good place for an Episcopal church. So he gathered a small group of men who had attended one of his occasional services and together they formed a plan for a church offering regular Sunday services. From the first meeting in Mr. Tupper’s Law Office, to a hall above the Magnolia Saloon, and eventually building a church facility, Saint James Episcopal was born. As we have looked at this history of Saint James over the last few weeks, we have discovered that this at first small congregation would, despite financial problems, grow into a successful and important part of Fresno church life. One of the most important moments in that life occurred when it became an actual, designated Cathedral.   After 31 years had passed since the formation of Saint James, the churches of the San Joaquin Valley felt that they deserved to be separated from the jurisdiction of the Diocese of California, which was headquartered in San Francisco. Consequently, the General Convention, at their meeting in Cincinnati in 1910, granted the San Joaquin Episcopal churches their autonomy, labeling them a Missionary District. When that happened, the new bishop, Louis Sanford, chose Fresno to be his home and seat of operations, choosing Saint James as his headquarters. Since Saint James would be the bishop’s seat, he labeled our church as a Pro-Cathedral, sort of a Cathedral in training. The Rector’s position became that of the Dean, and the vestry of Saint James became the chapter. This worked for about twelve years, until the Pro-Cathedral grew, not only in numbers but in influence in the Valley, and the bishop began to consider that perhaps the Cathedral had outgrown its designation. By 1923 Bishop Sanford was letting his feelings be known. But it was also known that becoming a Cathedral without the “Pro” attached to it would be a major change in the life of Saint James Episcopal. For one thing, the church property would now belong not to the parish, but to the diocese in the name of the bishop himself. The first and perhaps most important thing to do was to draw up a constitution for the Cathedral. Every clause in that document would be important, but the most important were the exchange of ownership and how the governing body of the church would be made up. Bishop Sanford was progressive in his thinking concerning this. First, he wrote into the constitution that the parish of Saint James would not be just the cathedral itself, or the immediate area around the cathedral, but would encompass the whole city. The city which also had, at the time, one other Episcopal church and others envisioned.   To prevent those churches from feeling swallowed up by the Cathedral, he proposed that the Chapter be reorganized. As a cathedral, the Chapter would be composed of three ex-officio members: the bishop, the dean, and the chancellor. The committee itself would be composed of twelve in all, including five clergy from the parish churches and the rest lay members of the churches, clergy and members to be elected. In the December 15, 1924 issue of the Diocesan Bulletin (headlined as “the Cathedral Plan Number”) all sides are heard from. Reports from the District committee were very positive. The report from the Chapter members of Saint James asked for a number of amendments, but stressed support of the general plan. Bishop Sanford himself wrote an article stressing the role of the Cathedral—the bishop’s church, to which he has the right to govern and to make decisions for the Cathedral. He explains that when he visits other churches, it is at the invitation of the rector. In the Cathedral, his seat, he is in charge. When one considers he was proposing that the other church or churches to be would be in the parish of Saint James, that changes the relationship. All continued on schedule, however, and the Diocesan Bulletin of June 12, 1925 (headlined “Cathedral Day”) details the festivities surrounding the erection of Saint James Cathedral held on the previous June 2nd, Whitsun Tuesday. Under the heading, “The Cathedral”, the first sentence reads “The Cathedral of Saint James is now achieved.” With two hundred people in attendance, the bishop commented that it was the largest number of people he had ever seen in a church on a weekday! Numerous clergy and officials had been invited to participate, as could be seen in the description of the procession which opened the service at 10:30 am.  The procession was formed in the basement, then moved outside and lined up all the way beyond the church property line. About one hundred people formed the procession. As the service began, the choir (which was composed of choir members of the churches of the diocese) sang “Christ Is Made The Firm Foundation” without accompaniment while walking in the door, up the right aisle, across the front, down the left aisle and then up the middle aisle. When all were seated (after three more hymns), Dean McDonald spoke, explaining why all were there, and requesting the findings of the various committees which had studied the impending change. Mr. George Osborn, the former owner of the Fresno Herald and recent purchaser of the Republican, read the minutes of the vestry meeting and the Saint James parish meeting which had approved, followed by the secretary of the Convocation who read their minutes concerning the question; both then handed the minutes to Bishop Sanford. Then Mr. C. H. Miller, the Senior Warden and Treasurer of the vestry, presented the deeds to the properties which Saint James had held to the hands of the bishop. Kneeling, everyone sang “Come Holy Spirit, Heavenly Dove” followed by prayer led by the bishop. The Chancellor of the diocese then stood and read the proclamation announcing that Saint James was now officially a Cathedral. Communion was then celebrated, followed by the sermon preached by the Bishop of the Diocese of California, the Rt. Reverend E.L. Parsons.   After the service the ladies of the Saint James Guild served lunch in the parish hall as well as outside on the church lawn. That afternoon, the chapter met for its first meeting, and the Deanery had its first meeting in the cathedral. Two hundred members of the diocese as well as dignitaries from other dioceses and local leaders such as the Mayor of Fresno gathered for a banquet around 6:30 that evening at the Hotel Fresno. Among the speakers were bishops Sanford and Parsons, Dean McDonald, the president of the local ministerial association and others. When it was all over, Bishop Sanford, reflecting on what would be one of many great achievements of his career, said “it was a very fine day.” Indeed.

CHOIR REHEARSALS RESUME Choir have resumed rehearsing on Thursday evenings, 6:30PM-8:00PM, in the Chapel. If you are interested in joining Choir, please come to rehearsal. For more information, please contact Sherah.

BIBLE STUDY- THE BOOK OF REVELATION The mid-week Bible Study has returned. The study is led by Emily Niblick and meets weekly on Wednesdays, 10:00AM to 11:00AM, in the Conference Room.

MEN'S GROUP The next breakfast gathering is scheduled for Saturday, October 5th, 7:30AM at Yosemite Falls Cafe (across from the Cathedral).

BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS COMMITTEE The next meeting will be Saturday, October 5th, at 9:00AM in the Conference Room.

CENTRAL DEANERY MEETING The Cathedral is hosting the Central Deanery Meeting in the Fireside Room on October 12, 10:00AM-12:00PM. It is a great opportunity to come and represent the Cathedral to the Diocese, meet members of the laity and clergy throughout the Valley, and get more information on the upcoming Diocesan Convention October 25-26.

Discussions of same-sex spouse exclusion from Lambeth The Episcopal Church’s House of Bishops gathered here on Sept. 17 to begin a four-day meeting where the question of the Lambeth Conference 2020 loomed from the outset, both as a point of punctuation in Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s opening sermon and as the scheduled topic of discussion for the first afternoon.

Presiding Bishop's sermon at opening Eucharist at HOB "Remember, the nonviolent movement seeks justice and reconciliation ­– not victory. When we go to Lambeth, remember, walk and talk in the manner of love; for God is love. When you vote, pray daily to be used by God that all men and women might be free. Sacrifice personal wishes that all my truly be free."

First female Māori bishop ordained in New Zealand More than 1,000 people joined in the celebrations for the ordination of Bishop Waitohiariki Quayle as bishop of Te Upoko o Te Ika, who became the first Māori woman to be ordained a bishop in the church of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Call for removal of Bishop's name from ICE office building Bishop Henry Whipple is kind of a big deal in Minnesota.Today, his name graces the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building just east of the airport in Minneapolis – a rare honor for an Episcopal bishop, but one that local Episcopal leaders now say runs counter to Whipple’s legacy. They want his name removed.

Episcopal hospital affiliates with regional health care network PIH Health, a Whittier, California-based nonprofit health care network, and Good Samaritan Hospital, Los Angeles, announced Sept. 5 that they have signed an affiliation agreement that will align the two mission-driven health care organizations.

Archbishop of Canterbury visits site of Indian massacre Learning from the past is essential to prevent further atrocities like the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, the archbishop of Canterbury said after his visit to the memorial site in India this week.

If you have any feedback, comments, or questions for the Midweek Missive Editors, please email us . Submissions to the Midweek Missive are welcomed and must be submitted to midweek@stjamesfresno.org by Tuesday at noon.

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