{e} Connections | July 5, 2022 |
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Diocese, Deputies Contribute to General Convention Agenda |
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At the unusual General Convention that begins Friday in Baltimore, none of the ten resolutions submitted by the Diocese of Southern Ohio or its deputies will come to the floor. But that does not mean that the diocese’s priorities will not be well represented in the convention’s agenda and the church’s work between now and the 81st General Convention in 2024.
Title IV Canon Revision
Among the diocese’s most significant contributions to the convention’s legislative process are seven resolutions that seek to revise the Episcopal Church’s Title IV disciplinary process for clergy. Three of the resolutions were proposed by Deputy Lynn Carter-Edmands, who served as canon to the ordinary on the bishop’s staff before her retirement; three by Deputy Lissa Barker of St. Patrick’s, Dublin; and two by Deputy Jason Prati of All Saints, New Albany.
“As humans, we strive to live out our Baptismal Covenant and often fail to completely achieve this goal,” Carter-Edmands wrote in a preface to her resolutions. “Experience has shown that the Title IV procedures for dealing with the issue of clergy misconduct are not always followed and that there is a lack of wholeness even when the procedures are followed. The canons require greater clarity and direction in these matters.”
In particular, she writes, the Title IV canons assume guilt on the part of the respondent, which is the canonical term for the person being accused of misconduct, “and the proceedings themselves leave little room for considering consequences of false accusations.” The resolutions proposed by the deputies from Southern Ohio are intended to “amend the canons to assist us in providing guidelines that are consistent with the Way of Love, the guidance of scripture, and being a blessing to all involved in a Title IV misconduct matter,” she said.
All of the resolutions proposed by Carter-Edmands, Barker, and Prati have been referred to the Standing Committee on Structure, Governance, Constitution and Canons for its work in the next two years. Bishop Sean Rowe, the chair of the House of Bishops legislative committee on Title IV Disciplinary Canons, says this is because the committee knew that this shortened convention would not be the time to attempt wholesale revision of the Title IV canons.
“We have six people already working on Title IV, and we want to put these resolutions into the moving stream,” Rowe, who is also vice chair of the standing commission that will receive the resolutions, said. “We are taking them seriously and are grateful to Lynn and her colleagues for their informed perspective and work on Title IV.”
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Next Church Foundation Grant deadline July 15 |
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The Church Foundation, an elected body of the diocese, awards grants to congregations primarily for one-time capital projects and/or emergency assistance for facility improvements. The trustees also are the title holders and have oversight of diocesan properties.
Applications for Church Foundation grants must be submitted four (4) weeks prior to each quarterly meeting for review to be considered. The next quarterly meeting of the Trustees is August 12, therefore applications must be received by July 15 for consideration.
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Be aware of fraudulent emails |
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We have once again received notice that members around the diocese have been receiving emails that purport to be from Bishop Smith, asking for a favor. We have also heard of some folks receiving emails allegedly from Ukraine that ask for financial assistance and bank account information.
Since these emails are generated from outside our system, there is not much we can do to stop them. Sadly, scammers seem to enjoy targeting religious institutions, having a mindset that churchgoers will be more willing to "help." It is more important than ever to be diligent about what you click on.
First, check the sender's email address, not just the name in the "From" line. If an email from Bishop Smith is not being sent from wsmith@diosohio.org, it is likely fraudulent and you should delete it immediately. Second, remember that Bishop Smith or any member of his staff will never ask for favors from congregants or ask anyone to buy gift cards via an email. Finally, keep in mind that reputable charitable organizations will never ask you for your bank account information in an email.
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Forms, policies, and other information for congregational management can be found on the resources hub on the diocesan website.
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CoCL grants can help with new initiatives |
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Planning programs, new initiatives or new ways to be Christ in your community? Budget tight, yet you feel called by the Holy Spirit to this new _____________ (fill in the blank)? Could you use some seed money to get this idea off the ground? The Commission on Congregational Life (CoCL) may be able to help!
The application for CoCL Grants can be found here. If you have questions about your idea or the application process please contact Fr. Seth Wymer, Chair of CoCL at rector@stjohnlancaster.org.
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Annual reporting deadlines |
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Below are upcoming annual reporting deadlines for congregations in the Diocese of Southern Ohio.
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Diocesan Ministries & Initiatives |
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For more information about seasonal opportunities as well as ongoing opportunities such as Education for Ministry, Safe Church Training and Anti-Racism Training, visit the Formation page on the diocesan website and subscribe to the Diocese of Southern Ohio Formation newsletter.
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Who Is Your Neighbor? Ordinary Time Zine for families now available!
We are delighted to offer a new zine that we hope will guide you through the summer season and the liturgical season of Ordinary Time. We offer this to all who are interested, for families, groups, individuals, the theologically curious and budding theologians, and parishes. We invite you to follow along with us this summer.
You can view the zine here, or download it here. You can also listen to new episodes of the Forming podcast that go along with the zine here.
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If your congregation would like to have news or an event notice published in the newsletter, email Julie Murray.
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Updates from Christ Church Cathedral |
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Cathedral Choir Audition Information
Do you love to sing? Then consider auditioning for a position in the Christ Church Cathedral Choir. As a cathedral chorister, you will sing at weekly Sunday morning services, monthly Evensong services, and other major liturgical observances in the church year. The cathedral also maintains a roster of substitute choristers. Positions are open for paid and volunteer choristers, as well as substitute choristers.
The cathedral holds choir auditions at the end of July every year, as well as other times by arrangement with the director of music. Those interested in auditioning for the 2022-23 season can learn more oneline and complete an application. For more information or to schedule an audition time, contact Stephan Casurella, Director of Music, at 513.842.2065.
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Bishop Smith's visitations |
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Missioner for Black Ministries, Diocese of Southern Ohio
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Director, Transfiguration Spirituality Center
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Chaplain and Spiritual Services Lead (part-time), Episcopal Retirement Services
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Parish Administrator (part-time) St. Andrew's Pickerington
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Nursery Caregiver, Christ Church, Glendale
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Youth Minister, St. Barnabas, Montgomery
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Intentional Interim Priest, Indian Hill Church
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Communications Associate (part-time), Trinity, Hamilton
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Nursery Supervisor, La Iglesia Episcopal del Espíritu Santo
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Administrative Assistant, Holy Trinity, Oxford
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Priest-in-Charge (part-time), St. Philip's, Columbus
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The {e} Connections newsletter is published each Tuesday. Please send submissions to communication@diosohio.org by noon on the Monday before publication.
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The Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio
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