Episcopal Press and News
MISSISSIPPI: Council hears bishop call for 'church of invitation'
Episcopal News Service. February 11, 2007 [021107-02]
Lauren Wilkes Auttonberry, Director of communications for the Diocese of Mississippi
"One Church: Inviting," was the theme of the 180th annual Council of the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi, held February 2-4 at the Vicksburg Convention Center.
More than 800 clergy, delegates and visitors gathered for the three-day celebration and business meeting. Nearly 1,200 attended Sunday's closing Eucharist at the convention center.
The Council had a bittersweet start: Bishop Duncan Gray, III was unable to attend due to the illness and death of his mother-in-law. In his place, the Rev. Sylvia Czarnetzky, associate rector of Chapel of the Cross, Madison, Mississippi, and president of the Standing Committee, presided.
Gray's annual address was presented to the opening worship service of council on Friday evening by video.
"Two years ago we claimed and blessed a vision for our life together. We boldly proclaimed that we are 'One Church in Mission: Inviting, Transforming, Reconciling.' That vision guided us into the Tent Meeting, provided direction in our response to Hurricane Katrina and is the guiding principle in [our] ongoing work," Gray said.
"This Council's theme asks us to explore what it means to be a church of invitation. You will spend some time both hearing, and sharing our own stories of faith ... the telling of faith stories has been the means by which the gospel has always spread. If we are to be a church that does not merely welcome, but invites the world in, we must learn to share the claim of Jesus Christ on our lives and the movement of the Holy Spirit within and through our very imperfect responses. Through four faith stories and a shared exercise among table groups we will get a taste of what an inviting church might look and feel like."
Other highlights from the Council meeting included:
- an address about interim eucharistic sharing by Bishop Hope Morgan Ward of the United Methodist Conference of Mississippi;
- a report on the year's activities in Hurricane Katrina recovery, including the debut of a video titled, "A New Wind," which will be shared with the larger church (copies are available from the diocese through Catherine Johns, 601-948-5954 or catherine.johns@ecunet.org);
- a report on the 75th General Convention, and Mississippi's deputies' role in committees;
- the sharing of "Faith Stories" by four convention participants, modeled on the same activities from Convention;
- adoption of a balanced budget totaling just under $2.6 million;
- adoption of a resolution expressing disagreement with the Episcopal Church Executive Council's affiliation with the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice;
- adoption of a resolution establishing anti-racism training twice each year in the diocese and requiring church leaders to be trained;
- a sermon at the council's closing Eucharist by the Bishop Coadjutor-elect of the Diocese of Virginia, the Very Rev. Shannon Johnston, rector of All Saints', Tupelo, Mississippi.
The Sunday Eucharist was offered in memory of Jean Whittlesey, mother of Kathy Gray. Whittlesey died in Tacoma Park, Maryland, on February 3.
Transcripts of Bishop Gray's address and of Johnston's sermon will be available here as they are made available from the diocesan office.
Final versions of all council documents, including election results will be published in the March issue of The Mississippi Episcopalian, and will also be posted online as they are available.