The Record - Summer 2014

VOL. 6, ISSUE 2 • SUMMER 2014

Keeper ofthe Archives

Page 10

2 The Record Summer 2014 Episcopal Diocese of Michigan

Bishop GibbsIt was a joyous day at the newly-rebuilt St. Paul’s, Brighton. This is the sermon delivered by Bishop Gibbs. Page 3

Photostory: St. Paul’s, BrightonPage 4-5

Diocesan NewsPage 6

Looking Back, Looking AheadFor five years, a group has been closely monitoring all aspects of bullying.Page 7

Here, There, EverywhereJoin us, as we follow the summer experienced by our intrepid missioner for youth and young adults. Page 8

Cover Story: The ArchivistThe organized collection of information that comprises the diocesan archive at the Bentley Library in Ann Arbor is remarkable. Meet the man who oversaw the collection for many years.Page 10

Sign of the TimesThe historic marker erected at Trinity Church, Monroe tells only part of a storied past dating back to 1831.Page 12

The Deal with DeaconsThe Rev. Deacon Tim Spannaus gives a detailed explanation about the role of deacons in our church.Page 14

Diocesan PicnicThe fourth-annual Bishop’s Diocesan Picnic (hosted by Emrich Retreat Center, Brighton) was another fun gathering. Page 16

Whitaker SchedulePage 17

Book ReviewPage 18

The Final WordPage 19

The Record is a quarterly magazine for theEpiscopal Diocese of Michigan.Vol. 6, Issue 2 Summer 2014

Episcopal Diocese of MichiganEpiscopal Church Center

4800 Woodward Ave.Detroit, MI 48201-1399

(313) 832-4400 • Toll Free (866) 545-6424

Submissions: [email protected]

The Rt. ReverendWendell N. Gibbs Jr.Bishop of the Diocese

[email protected]

James GettelCanon for

Congregational [email protected]

Canon Jo Ann HardyDiocesan Administrator

[email protected]

Sue McCuneExecutive Assistant Office of the Bishop

[email protected]

Beth RowleyAssistant for Program

and Administration [email protected]

Rick Schulte

Diocesan Communications

Editor, The Record [email protected]

The Reverend Michelle Meech

Ministry [email protected]

The Reverend Eric Williams

Director of Whitaker Institute

[email protected]

Eric TravisMissioner for Youth and

Young Adults [email protected]

Mark Miliotto

Director of Finance [email protected]

Kara Chapman

[email protected]

Knena CauseyWhitaker Institute

[email protected]

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Record Summer 2014Episcopal Diocese of Michigan 3

This is the sermon delivered by Bishop Gibbs at the June 21 dedi-cation and consecration of the re-built St. Paul’s, Brighton.

I have to start with ‘wow!’ A dream long in coming. But you know, I have to tell you I was a little worried. Actually, I’m still worried. But it’s not about the money. That will come and is coming. You will pay your bills and you’re going to do what you need to do. And this building will be full.

This is an amazing piece of faith that has come to pass. When I first visited St. Paul’s many, many years ago and saw the old building, I thought, ‘Oh, wow.’ I remember standing in that little corner trying to figure out what was the best way to preach.

It was a difficult space, because our faith and our call to share that faith is about relationship. In that space, it was very was difficult, at least by eyesight, for everyone to be in relationship with each other. I suspect for me that’s one of the things I love most about this space. How we are sitting out there, worshiping together around God’s altar, we can be in relationship with each other, because we can see each other. And we can see each other across God’s table. And we can see each other with the light of the world around us, and we can be the witnesses we are called to be without wondering who’s on the side of that wall.

But I think that’s where my worry comes from. My worry is that we will fall in love so much with this building that we will want to stay in the building. You know there’s a movie out there that had something to do with a baseball diamond. It was called ‘Field of Dreams.’ And the line

BISHOP WENDELL GIBBS JR.

A good church is one that is about ‘relationship’

that too many of our churches and church people seem to have adopted from that movie – which may have worked for the movie but doesn’t work for the church – is, ‘If we build it, they will come.’ Hogwash! We don’t build this for them to come. It is a sign, is a symbol, it is a place where we can gather to worship our God. To be fed by God’s sacraments, and then go out into the world and share what we know. Yes, I do hope many will come here, but we didn’t build it for that. I get in trouble all the time for say-ing our job is not about making Episcopalians, our job is about making Christians. If some of them become Episcopalians in the meantime, great. That’s gravy. But the point of what we do is to share the difference that Jesus is made in our hearts, in our lives,

explaining to people why it is we come here. Hopefully, from that story and from that sharing and from that witness, they will go and find Jesus, wherever it is they have to go to find him. And who knows. It might be here. But it could also be over at St. Mary Magdalen.

You see, our faith is about rela-tionship. None of this would have been possible if not for many, many, many relationships. I give amazing thanks to the people of St. Mary Magdalen, to Fr. Dave (Howell, pastor of St. Mary Mag-dalen), for welcoming this com-munity for almost a year to wor-ship in their space.

In a time and in a place in our country where relationships between various churches and denominations are on rocky ground, this was a sign and sym-

bol, not just to Episcopalians and Roman Catholics in this area, but to Christians everywhere and to people seeking Christ that we can love one another in the midst of our differences. There is more that unites us than divides us. There has to be. Or we make our God too small.

This is about relationship. This is a place that we have now that can help build relationships. We place a cornerstone to help build relationship. One of the cor-nerstones of this congregation is now the relationship with its neighbors, its friends at St. Mary Magdalen.

For those of you who do not know, for those of you not from St. Paul’s, Brighton, there is a lit-tle room over in the old building that is now the chapel. You know the name of it? St. Mary Magda-len Chapel. Is that awesome?

…You will (be around). St. Paul’s will. This beacon of light and hope will be here. Because of your faith, because of your dedication and because of your relationship with each other, with Jesus and with your community.

When I first came to this dio-cese, I started asking two ques-tions. I have to ask it again today because I think St. Paul’s knows the answer. The questions I’ve been asking for 14 years are ‘why are you here?’ and ‘who would miss you if you were gone?’ You answered it.

You’re not here for yourselves. You’re here for them. Out there. And they would miss you if you weren’t here. Live into that. Live into it. Because God truly loves you. And so do I. God bless you.

Bishop Gibbs, speaking at St. Paul’s, Brighton.


ST. PAUL’S BRIGHTON

Since its inception in 1880, St. Paul’s, Brighton has undergone several transformations. The third was a massive renovation beginning last fall. Rather than invest money in the many improvements that needed to be done to all aspects of the building, the best choice was to tear down to bare studs and rebuild.

One of the keys to the project was creating a new worship space – elimi-nating an L-shaped space (created by an earlier renovation) and creat-ing a flexible, open space. Last fall, demolition began on portions of the building, including office and classroom space. While much of the building was gutted, St. Paul’s was able to exist with nearby temporary office space and the use of a chapel at St. Mary Magdalen’s, a nearby Roman Catholic church.

Construction funding came through several sources, including a grant from the Diocesan Council of the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan. The Collaborative Inc. served as architects, with Rand Construction Engi-neering working as contractor. Studio Thornridge-Christine Reinhard assisted with liturgical design.

No place likehome


ST. PAUL’S BRIGHTON


NEWS

Saturday, Sept. 6 EpiscopaloozaTrinity, Belleville10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 20 Diocesan CouncilSt. Paul’s, Brighton10 a.m.- 2 p.m.

Diocesan Calendar

Times, dates and location subject to change.

Tuesday, Sept. 30 Deans MeetingDiocesan Center

Saturday, Oct. 4 Deacons DayCathedral Church of St. Paul, Detroit9 a.m.-4 p.m.

The Rev. Ian Reed Twiss of Holy Faith, Saline

OrdinationsThe Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Detroit hosted the ordination of four deacons and one priest on June 14. Glenn Morrison (left) and Linda Shafer were ordained deacons, along with Nikki Seger and Ken-neth Rasnick. Juan Perez (center, with Bishop Gibbs) was ordained as a priest. The Rev. Phil Dinwiddie (rector of St. James, Grosse Ile) delivered the sermon.

New director namedfor Whitaker Institute

The Rev. Eric Williams has been named director of Whita-ker Institute. His first day on the job was Monday, July 7. He will continue to serve as interim rec-tor at Trinity Church, Belleville while the church continues its search for a new rector.

“This is the third diocese I’ve worked in as a priest,” Williams said. “I’ve really been impressed by the level of talent in the Dio-cese of Michigan, both lay lead-ers and clergy.”

Williams replaces the Rev. Mi-chelle Meech, who will continue her work as ministry developer for the diocese. She served as provi-sional director for Whitaker for more than a year.

“I want to say how grateful I am to Michelle Meech for the phenom-enal job she’s done,” he said. “Not only has she kept Whitaker going, but she has made some significant improvements.”

Prior to coming to the Diocese of Michigan, was rector of St. Luke’s, Jamestown (located in the Diocese of Western New York).

His wife is the Rev. Susan Anslow Williams, rector at St. Stephen’s, Troy. They have two daughters.

Diocesan Council recommends parish status

for Holy Faith, Saline

The Rev. Eric Williams Diocesan Council voted unanimously in support of the recommen-dation that Holy Faith Church, Saline, be admitted and recognized as a parish of the diocese of Michigan. A vote for ratification will be called for at October’s annual Diocesan Convention.

In 2004, Faith Lutheran (a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America) and Holy Cross Episcopal formed a combined Episcopal-Lutheran congregation, Holy Faith. This took place after discussion of sharing pastors and combining congregations. Holy Faith is one of a handful of churches in the diocese (and nationwide) combining both faiths.

Oct. 10-12 New Beginnings #10


BULLYING

By the Rev. Chuck SwinehartBullying has long been a prob-

lem for people with disabilities and people with various sexual orientations and gender identi-ties. In June 2009, representa-tives of the diocesan Disability Awareness Committee and Oa-sis Ministries met to determine what issue we might work on together and what would be the best course of action. We were aware that various types of bully-ing pervade our society. We de-cided to do whatever we could to help all members of the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan family and others become more aware of and responsive to the pervasive and detrimental effects of bullying.

Through a resolution passed overwhelmingly at the 2010 Di-ocesan Convention, we encour-aged support for legislation in Michigan, adopted in 2011, re-quiring school districts to adopt and implement anti-bullying pol-icies. We’ve supported congrega-tions in their efforts to engage their local school districts in this work.

The Alliance to Abolish Bully-ing (AAB) is the name we’ve used since early 2011 for our bullying efforts. Much has been written about AAB in the Weekly Con-nection online newsletter and in The Record magazine. In 2011, Disability Awareness developed a bullying section for the web-

Alliance to Abolish Bullying enters fifth year of addressing issues

site www.da-edomi.org, and editor Rick Schulte’s columns have resulted in numerous hits on our website and in follow-up contacts. Eric Travis, Missioner for Youth and Young Adults, has been an important member of our group as a representative for Bishop Gibbs.

Various types, ways and forms of bullying have snowballed dur-ing these last five years. As noted in the 2011 movie, Bully, “Thir-

teen million American kids will be bullied in various places, in various ways (at school, on the bus, on streets, online, via cell phones or computers, in homes, etc.), making it the most com-mon form of violence young peo-ple face in this country.”

During this time, the AAB has had exhibits at conventions and conducted pre-convention work-shops. It has given presentations at ministry fairs, to deaneries,

to clergy and individual con-gregations and to miscellaneous contacts where we have sought to bring greater awareness of bullying and its harmful effects. Last year we sent a letter to each congregation, which included 10 sample publications and a “Bless-ing for Those Who Are Bullied.” This year, the Alliance plans to send two booklets – “What’s Up with Bullying” and “What’s Up with Cyberbullying”— to congre-gations with church schools.

In 2012, the General Conven-tion of the Episcopal Church ad-opted a church-wide Response to Bullying resolution. Several congregations, including St. George’s, Milford, have adopted this resolution for local action. St. George’s also sponsored a work-shop on bullying in early 2014 and has scheduled another for this fall on cyberbullying.

The AAB is open to all church-es and any person wishing to join us in preventing bullying of any type. AAB has an e-mail list, which is used to send selected articles to anyone interested. We would be glad to add your name. We also make presentations to congregations, and we would be glad to make one for yours.

Chuck Swinehart ([email protected]) is co-chair for the Alliance to Abolish Bullying, along with Jim Toy ([email protected]).

Along with the Alliance to Abolish Bullying, there are other resources available, such as this image from a stopbullying.gov campaign on texting and bullying.

nobullying.com

This is an online forum geared toward preventing cyber-bullying through educa-tion, advice and counseling. It’s a good source for gathering bullying facts and statistics; it also touches on workplace bullying.

freewebs.com/matteplingA website in honor of Matt Epling, who committed suicide after being bullied relentlessly. This is a valuable aid for anyone in Michigan interested in anti-bullying legislation and how to achieve it. Other valuable, helpful information is included.

www.bullypolice.org

Bully Police is an all-volunteer organization that monitors various states’ bullying legislation efforts. Michigan moved from an ‘F’ grade for its lack of anti-bullying legislation to an ‘A++’ for its passage of “Matt’s Safe School Law” in 2011.

Share Your StoryWere you ever bullied? Are you still being bullied or do you witness bullying? Or do you admit to being a bully? We want to hear your story and help tell it, in the interest of helping others. Contact us at [email protected].


YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS

It was a busy summer for Eric Travis, missioner for youth and young adults. This year, he was busy with several activities that kept him on the road for practically the entire month of July. Here’s a look at where Eric visited, and some brief thoughts on each event.

At the Episcopal Youth Event 2014 in Philadelphia.

Where in the world is

Eric Travis?A hectic July was worth the effort

Every three years, young people from the Episcopal Church gather for a national event. Although there was great worship (including a stirring sermon from Bishop Michael Currie and an opportunity to meet Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori), visiting the urban churches of Philadelphia – especially the historic Church of the Advocate – were enlightening experiences.

“Greetings from Philadelphia. Having a great time. How cool is it to be here with 1,100 high schoolers and adults, learning about mission, experiencing great music, wonderful workshops and meeting new friends?”

Episcopal YouthEventLocation: PhiladelphiaDates: July 9-13


YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS

“They said we could change the world one week at a time. I think what was changed in this week of great service was me.”

Immediately following EYE14 was the annual week-long camp. Along with the usual camp activities were opportunities for worship and study.

“Having a great time at camp. Learning new songs, enjoying the smell of wet clothes and campfire. And watching young people experience God in new ways, and meeting people that may become their best friends.”

Around 125 young people attended the musical event, which included some unco-operative weather. So instead of outdoor cookouts, a grand party at the camp lodge led to lots of food and even more ca-maraderie.

“Music, rain, kids. I wonder if this was what Woodstock was like. The best thing about this, though, was God was definitely here.”

Mission: PossibleLocation: All Saints, PontiacDates: July 28-Aug. 1

Twenty three young people and nine adults impacted the neighborhood in and around Pontiac, per-forming a wide-range of tasks. Painting and fixing-up homes, delivering items of need, staging an enormous food distribution event were among the efforts packed into a few days.

Camp MichiLuCaLocation: Fairview, MichiganDates: July 6-11, July 13-18

Bass Lake Music FestivalLocation: Fairview, MichiganDates: July 25-28


COVER STORY

By Rick SchulteIt began with a photo.A cool photo, I will admit. It

was so distinctive – a group of well-dressed African-Americans, obviously wearing their Sunday best, standing in front of St. Mat-thew’s Episcopal Church in 1920s Detroit – it was chosen to be part of a photostory projected on the big screen at last year’s Diocesan Convention.

So distinctive, that it possessed several people to comment on it afterward.

“Where did that photo come from?” a convention delegate quipped. “I’ve never seen any-thing like it. We must have some kind of archive, right?”

Some kind of archive, indeed. It’s an archive which, for many years, was overseen by Leon-ard Coombs. Serving as archi-vist for the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan, Coombs recently an-nounced his retirement from the Bentley Historical Library at the University of Michigan, where he’s worked since 1981.

That photo was a small sam-pling of some of the amazing items held at Bentley. He previ-ously sent me several items upon request, taking the time to for-ward me a link to a sampling of various photos.

I clicked on the first link, open-ing a photo file. It led to one amazing photo after another. It was an electronic treasure trove, a historical marvel. I was blown away.

I had to meet Len Coombs.

The Bentley ExperienceThe Bentley Library has some

pretty strict rules. You want to view an item? No problem. Be

The archivistThe careful preservation of the history of our diocese

ready to offer up your driver’s license and to fill out some pa-perwork. It’s not like browsing the shelves at your local public library. And make sure you use the white gloves they offer you; it maintains the integrity of the ar-chive’s contents.

I met Coombs, and he led me back to his office. It was tidy and well-organized, exactly what you would expect from an archivist.

Coombs explained how he was in charge of the Michigan historical collections in recent years, over-seeing various other collections before that.

Included in the Michigan col-lection was that of the Diocese of Michigan.

“This library has had an inter-est in documenting religious his-tory since the 1930s, so we have relationships with a lot of reli-

gious organizations.”It began collecting items of

note from various church organi-zations, individual churches and individual people. The relation-ship with our diocese began in the 1940s, but wasn’t truly for-malized until the 60s. The Epis-copal collection came from the diocesan office, bishops, clergy, churches and lay people.

“We really have great collec-tions documenting the Episcopal Church in Michigan,” Coombs said. “The whole mentality of the church has a kind of historical view. The tradition, development and connection with the past, the ways bishops are connected with their predecessors, priests with their bishops and congregations, relationships with the churches that founded them – the Episco-pal Church is easier than many other organizations.”

Coombs offered to lead me to the collection. I couldn’t say ‘yes’ fast enough, not really knowing what to expect.

The door opened to a large, cli-mate-controlled area. It was more like a small warehouse, with an endless row of shelves that stored all sorts of stuff. Organized, but definitely packed.

“We don’t archive each parish or mission in the diocese. There’s just not enough room,” Coombs said. “We also have archives for the Diocese of Western Michi-gan. For individual parishes, we have some of the major parishes like the Cathedral Church of St. Paul.”

Interested in convention jour-nals? The Bentley has them. All 179 of them. Standing Commit-tee reports go back to the 1830s. In the case of the Cathedral –

Leonard Coombs looks through a record book from the diocesan archives in the Bentley Library.


which has always done a wonder-ful job of documenting its own history – you can go back and read over vestry reports and reg-ister information from the 1820s.

Items are stored in various boxes, numbered to represent various items and topics. All in a rather organized fashion. Yes, the word ‘organized’ comes up quite often. It’s the DNA of an archive, especially one of this size.

Organization comes with the territory. And just because some-thing is old, faded by time or cov-ered with dust, age alone does not automatically make it an archive-worthy item.

“We have a lot of students working here. For some of them, the feel of the power of history comes with them. For others, it’s just a job. Getting them to under-stand the power of these things is important,” Coombs said. “You have to sort through 100 boxes of something, get rid of duplicates and find a way to make sense of it. But the people who are going to use it in the future will find it wondrous. So that’s why you have to take great care and time going through everything.”

What Constitutes History?So yes, preserving history can

be a daunting task. Collecting items and storing them? That’s

good. And the idea of someday getting around to doing some-thing with all kinds of old stuff…Well, there’s a fine line between items of historical value and things that may get a good long look at a rummage sale.

“Worrying about the history is something most people do when there’s a fire or flood, or someone is moving and is retiring and they have to deal with cleaning out an office,” Coombs said. “Someone has to deal with their collection. And it’s not part of the day-to-day work. Sometimes, it’s like swim-ming against the stream, getting people to think about their col-lection back there.”

What do archivists look for when they gather items? With

our diocesan collection, for in-stance, items such as convention journals have real value.

“It’s a good collection. Reli-gious collections get used for a lot of different kinds of research. In a way, we’re doing a favor for or-ganizations because we preserve their records, but we accept their collections because we think they will be use by historians and re-searchers.”

In other words, a future re-searcher will have some items of real value. Some older items re-ally don’t have that value.

Future researchers will be pleased to discover all the work put in by Coombs. The organiza-tion and care taken with every-thing relating to the history of the

diocese has resulting in an amaz-ing collection. So good is the collection that, obviously, it was never merely a job for Coombs. It was a labor of love.

So now that it’s time to retire, now what? What will Coombs do with his free time? Fans of his-tory in Arizona will be pleased to learn how he plans on spending his winter months.

“I’m looking forward to find-ing a good volunteer job at a his-torical group in Tucson,” Coombs said.

“In a way, we’re doing a favor for organizations because we preserve their records, but we accept their collections because we think they will be use by historians and researchers.”

About the BentleyHistorical Library Interested in learning more about the history of the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan? That, and thousands of other topics may be researched through the University of Michigan’s Bentley Historical Library. Go online to www.bentley.umich.edu to find the library’s search engine.You may also inquire about view-ing the library’s archives by calling (734) 764-3482.

A faded image from St. Matthew’s, Detroit shows the congregation gathered for a photo with its Sunday school group.


HISTORY

By Jim JohnsonTrinity Episcopal Church,

Monroe was founded in 1831. By 1832, funds had been raised to build a wooden frame church on Loranger Square in the cen-ter of town. In the early years, the congregation was small and saw a number of different rec-tors, at times conducting services with no rector at all. Only a few records exist from this early pe-riod, but they do give an insight to future success of the parish. In 1846, then-exiting Rector Wil-liam Hunter wrote in describing Trinity: “Its condition is highly prosperous and there is ample material in Monroe for building up a large, strong church.”

During the Civil War, various members were active in sup-porting the war effort; among them Mrs. Manning, Humphrey, Noble, Clark, Smith and Norman in the form of the Grey Sock So-ciety. The group organized sock-knitting drives, fundraisers and coordinated relief supply collec-tions.

The current building at the corner of W. Third and Monroe Streets literally rose from the ash-es. The original church, built in 1832, stood a few blocks from the current site. In the early hours of March 18, 1868, a fire broke out in the back of the Strong Hotel and quickly spread to the sur-rounding buildings including, Trinity. Sadly, the fire destroyed the building that had just com-pleted extensive improvements.

As described in the church his-tory first published in 1881, “The improvements were all made, a fine organ installed, a sweet-toned bell hung and all was in readiness for resuming services

New marker signifies history of Trinity, Monroe

in that temple, when on that fate-ful night, all of this property was destroyed by fire.”

To add even more drama to an already drama-filled story, wit-nesses describe the amazing act of Herbert Stoddard, a member of the congregation, and a man of fairly slight build, who sin-glehandedly carried the marble baptismal font from the burning building as if it weighed noth-ing. Few other items were saved. The font and a few other surviv-ing objects can be seen in the church today. While the church was burning, the tower in which the bell hung, became weakened, swayed and then tolled. Those standing nearby remarked upon the pathos of the bell’s tolling its own funeral dirge.

Before the fire had died away, actions were being taken to make plans to erect another church building – but this time, of stone.

On the very night of the fire, even before the charred ruins had fully cooled, several young women of the congregation gathered ashes and placed them in little bags, sold at a profit of more than $100 to establish the rebuilding fund.

Committees were formed – and starting with the $4,800 in insurance money, the current lot was secured. Architect Gordon Lloyd of Detroit was hired, and building began later that spring, the cornerstone being laid June 24, 1868. On a sad note, two sis-ters, Carolene and Mary Patchin who had been invited to Monroe from Cleveland to witness the laying of the cornerstone were lost aboard the “Morning Star” in a tragic shipwreck on Lake Erie. Their memorial windows can now be seen in the narthex of the church.

By the fall of 1869, the build-ing was nearing completion and

ready to begin hosting services. Articles published in the local Monroe papers that fall provid-ed detailed descriptions of the interior of the new church, its decoration and its fine stained glass windows. In one article, the windows are so specifically described, it is easy to determine nearly all of the existing windows are original (1868-69). Many of them are directly attributed to George L. Burns of Buffalo. Burns was an early producer of stained glass and Trinity appears to be one of his last commissions, which represent the last surviv-ing examples of his work. The Monroe Monitor described them as “beautiful and tasty.”

Other described details of the interior include the beauti-fully groined ceiling colored in delicate shades of a night sky with hundreds of gilded stars by Monroe painters Kirchmaier & Schwingschlegel, plus a beauti-ful cross hanging above the altar from which gas lights are sus-pended to be used on important Church occasions. The painted ceiling and gas-lit cross are no longer present, but the original windows are. More than $13,000 was spent in the construction of the church.

Once fully consecrated in 1871, the congregation thrived and steadily grew. Though always very active from the very begin-ning in church affairs, the women of the altar guild was not formally organized until 1882. They re-main very active today, The Trin-ity Guild, along with the Episco-pal Church Women, represent a continuous thread of parish and community service reaching back more than 180 years.

Members of the congregation unveil the new historical marker located just outside of Trinity, Monroe. The church has been in Monroe for more than 180 years.


HISTORY

In 1885, extensive repairs and improvements (with funds raised by the guild and the congrega-tion) were made to the building; a new slate roof, bell (the one currently in the tower) and new coal furnace were installed, as was carpeting and new pew cush-ions. In 1898, ending a long pro-cess, the stone parish hall/chapel and rectory were added.

The rectory located on W. Third Street, adjacent to the church, is one of the few remain-ing limestone residences in Mon-roe. Trinity’s rectory changed locations throughout the 19th century, starting first at the cor-ner of Island and O’Brien Streets (the house still stands), a log house purchased from Francis Navarre that stood in front of the current Sawyer House and at 56 Scott Street.

The turn of the 20th century saw continued prosperity despite challenges provided by Mother Nature. The great flood of March 1908 saw the Raisin River reach all the way to the steps of Trinity, and in July 1910, lightning struck the church tower and burned the roof of the steeple right down to the stone line, leaving only bits of charred roof framing and a few clinging shingles. Quick repairs must have taken place because on Sept. 18 that same year, the new Smith Memorial Windows (com-missioned by Tiffany Studios) were dedicated.

With the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the Trinity Guild did a great deal of sewing and knitting, preparing boxes of clothing for relief in Europe. Beginning in 1918 with the U.S. entry into the war, Monroe Street became one of the direct routes of the Army supply trucks, soon becoming a very busy trucking route in support of the war effort. Trucks ran past the church day and night. Very quickly, the ever-resourceful women of the Trinity Guild opened an impromptu res-taurant in the Parish Hall making use of their new kitchen. They

served hot meals, for a nominal fee, around the clock. The money raised allowed them to electrify the church and undertake anoth-er renovation in early 1920.

Trinity remained strong throughout the Depression years, starting ideas for further expan-sion and improvements in 1941. Among the more radical ideas was the demolition of the stone rectory to gain the land needed for a new building. The start of WWII shelved all the plans and it would not be until the early 1950s that new plans for large-scale improvements would re-sume. The fundraising campaign ended in mid-1955, and the new parish hall construction began in the spring of 1956. It was com-pleted that fall. The building, with its slick mid-century mod-ern design, complimenting the 19th century gothic church, to-day enjoys renewed favor as retro post-war style architecture has gained new appreciation.

Since then, Trinity has seen its ups and downs. Further extensive improvement and restoration projects have taken place over the years, among them the replace-ment of the slate roof in 1986, a testament to the dedication of the congregation. Our numbers are fewer now, but the present state of Trinity is a true testament to the dedication of the congregation to preserve this beautiful building. Trinity is not a preserved static museum, but rather a living en-tity where all parts of its long his-tory, including the here and now, co-exist in harmony, each gen-eration leaving their mark. This historical marker can now share with the entire community what we here at Trinity have known for generations, the important his-tory preserved here.

Jim Johnson is a member of Trinity Church, Monroe and chairman of the church’s Social Marker Committee.

The celebration at Trinity included a musical performance. You can still get a feel for the age of the church, which includes stained-glass windows recognizing a shipwreck on Lake Erie.


DEACONS

By the Rev. Deacon Timothy Spannaus

We read in the book of Acts as follows:

And the twelve called together the whole community of the dis-ciples and said, “It is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables. Therefore, friends, select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task, while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word.” What they said pleased the whole community, and they chose Ste-phen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Par-menas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. They had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. (Acts 6:2-6)

We understand this text as tell-ing us about the first deacons. The phrase, “wait on tables” is one translation of the word dia-konein, from which we get our English word, deacon. Another translation of the word, in this context, is to keep accounts. In other places the word is used to mean to serve as a representa-tive or emissary in place of the apostles.

Even though the Acts passage refers to selecting seven men, women were deacons in the early church as well. Phoebe in Ro-mans is a deacon. As late as the 14th century there are records of women deacons, then reappear-ing in the 19th century as dea-conesses

So what exactly is a deacon? We have four orders of minis-

try in the church, the baptized, including all of us, and then those of us set aside in holy orders, dea-cons, priests and bishops.

Historically, deacons are men-tioned in Acts and the Epistles.

So what exactly is a deacon?

The Rev. Deacon Timothy Spannaus, at St. John’s, Royal Oak.

There was a bishop or overseer at each church, but there weren’t a lot of churches. Deacons assisted the bishop, by taking the conse-crated bread and wine from the church to homes where Chris-tians gathered. Later the order of priests emerged, with a priest at each church. Beginning in about the fourth century, the role of permanent or vocational deacons declined, in the western church, in favor of priests. That decline was over a long period of time, noting that there were a few voca-tional deacons as late as the 14th century. What survived was the transitional deacon – a step on the way to ordination as a priest.

Vocational deacons, or per-manent deacons, are called to be deacons, not priests. We didn’t drop out on the way to the priest-hood. As deacons, we still assist bishops. While most of us serve in parishes, we report to the Bish-op. When the Bishop visits, there isn’t much for the priest to do.

The order of deacons was re-

stored, beginning in Germany in the 19th century and among Catholics and Episcopalians in the late 20th century.

The visible role of deacons is in the liturgy. We read the Gospel, prepare the table for the Eucha-rist, and dismiss the people at the end of the service. In addition, deacons may begin the Creed and the Prayers of the People and the Confession. In the absence of a priest or bishop, we lead wor-ship, including weddings and funerals, with some exceptions – we do not pronounce the Ab-solution, the Blessing, nor can we celebrate the Eucharist. So when we confess sins, as a deacon I do not forgive your sins, but I pray for our forgiveness.

The less visible, but more im-portant, ministry is our role in caring for the poor, the ill and the powerless. That’s a traditional role for deacons, serving in out-reach ministries. We stand be-tween the world and the church, with one foot in each, interpret-

ing the church to the world and the world to the church. Most deacons are bi-vocational, that is, we serve in the church as dea-cons and have a job in the world. I teach at Wayne State University as a full time job. By combin-ing my calling to teach with the ministry as a deacon I find my-self enabling others to carry out ministry, by teaching, discerning, and encouraging others as well as ministering to others myself.

We take our direction from this passage from Luke:

When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his cus-tom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the cap-tives and recovery of sight to the blind,to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the at-tendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:16-21)

Let those words echo in your ears: Bring good news to the poor; proclaim release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. All of us are charged with these directives. To a deacon, we hear these as a lifetime commit-ment. We willingly take on the responsibility and privilege of serving the world and the church.

And it’s not just that we feed the poor and minister to the sick and the powerless. We do those things. We minister to those in-


DEACONSdividuals who come to us. But we also have to bring about chang-es to the systems that bring so many to our doors seeking food and help. Why do we have more people every year coming to St. John’s Open Hands Food Pantry? We are grateful for the support of Christ Church Cranbrook and others for all the contributions that allow us to feed so many.

It’s better to allow people the dignity and freedom to earn enough so they can provide for themselves, Something is wrong when people can work full time and still not earn enough to lift themselves out of poverty.

A hundred years ago, Henry Ford understood that it was good for his auto business to pay people more than the prevailing wage. He instituted the $5 day, about double what his competi-tors paid. The result was reduced employee turnover and his em-ployees could now afford to buy

what they made. Increasing pay was good for the company, the employees and the economy. What can we do to remove the causes of poverty and homeless-ness?

That’s the question for all of us, and specifically for deacons. A couple of years ago, a Deacon’s Resolution came before General convention and many diocesan conventions. It was simple.

Resolved, that the 77th Gen-eral Convention of the Episcopal Church call upon its members to

begin every meeting in calendar year 2013, whether at the parish, diocesan or church-wide level and no matter what the purpose, with this agenda item: “How will what we are doing here affect or involve people living in poverty?”

Many dioceses adopted it. Many parishes did as well. The idea was simple: To keep the poor before us, not just as people we care for, but as participants in our life as church. “How will what we are doing here affect or involve people living in poverty?”

The Deacon’s Resolution comes from the heart of the diaconate, but also for all of us as the bap-tized.

If you find yourself wondering if you have a call to be a deacon, I urge you to talk with (your) rec-tor or another priest or deacon, or with me. There is a need in the church for more deacons and it is a very fulfilling ministry. The path to the diaconate begins with Exploring Your Spiritual Journey, a one-year program to help peo-ple discern their call to ministry. You may find that you are called to be an active, committed lay minister, or called to be a priest or deacon. May God bless you on your journey of faith.

The Rev. Deacon Timothy Spannaus of St. John’s, Royal Oak delivered this in a sermon recently at Christ Church Cranbrook, Bloomfield Hills.

“The less visible, but more important, ministry is our role in caring for the poor, the ill and the powerless.

That’s a traditional role for deacons, serving in outreach ministries. We stand between the world and the church,

with one foot in each, interpreting the church to the world and the world to the church.”


DIOCESAN PICNIC

Fun in the sun

A perfect day greeted guests to the fourth-annual Bishop’s Diocesan Picnic, hosted by the Emrich Retreat Center, Brighton. Games and great food were enjoyed by all, as was the chance for friends from all ends of the diocese to meet.


SeptemberExploring Your Spiritual JourneyEmrich Retreat Center,7380 Teahen Rd, BrightonBeginning retreat: September 5-6, 2014 Registration Deadline: September 1, 2014

Academy for Vocational LeadershipA formation program for vocational deacons and total ministry support teamsColombiere Retreat Center, ClarkstonFirst Retreat: September 12-14, 2014

Eliminating RacismSept. 13, 2014 9:00 am –5:30 pmSt. Mark’s Episcopal Church,134 Division Ave North,Grand Rapids, MI 49503Registration Deadline: September 10, 2014

Safeguarding God’s Children/God’s PeopleSt. Patrick’s, 1434 E. 13 Mile Rd,Madison HeightsClass: September 13, 2014Registration Deadline: September 10, 2014

Whitaker Saturday Series: Year of the BibleColombiere Retreat Center, ClarkstonFirst Class: September 13, 2014Registration Deadline: September 3, 2014Register for each class separately, or for the whole series and save 33%.

Small-size Church, Full-size Music!A workshop for choirs, musicians, liturgists and clergy in small-to-mid-size churchesSt. Stephen’s, 5500 N Adams Rd, Troy, MI 48098 (248) 641-8080Workshop: September 20, 201412:30 – 5:30 p.m.Registration Deadline: September 17, 2014

Preaching Licensure CourseSt. Clare’s Episcopal Church, Ann ArborFirst Class: September 30, 2014Registration Deadline: September 24, 2014

WHAT CAN WHITAKER DO FOR YOU?View full descriptions of these courses from the 2014-15 program schedule at

www.edomi.org/whitakerinstitute

OctoberWhitaker Saturday Series:The Persian PeriodColombiere Retreat Center, ClarkstonSecond Class: October 4, 2014Registration Deadline: September 24, 2014

Safeguarding God’s Children/God’s PeopleSt. Michael’s & All Angels, Cambridge JunctionClass: October 18, 2014Registration Deadline: October 15, 2014

NovemberWorship Leader Licensure CourseSt. Paul’s Church, BrightonFirst Class: November 1, 2014Registration Deadline: October 22, 2014

Whitaker Saturday Series: Deuteronomic HistoryColombiere Retreat Center, ClarkstonThird Class: November 1, 2014Registration Deadline: October 22, 2014

Safeguarding God’s Children/God’s PeopleSt. Michael’s & All Angels, Cambridge JunctionClass: November 15, 2014Registration Deadline: November 12, 2014

DecemberWhitaker Saturday Series: Prophetic LiteratureColombiere Retreat Center, ClarkstonFourth Class: December 6, 2014Registration Deadline: November 26, 2014You can register for each class separately, or for the whole series and save 33%!

JanuaryWhitaker Saturday Series: Responses to HellenismColombiere Retreat Center, ClarkstonFifth Class: January 24, 2015Registration Deadline: January 14, 2015

Safeguarding God’s Children/God’s PeopleCathedral of St. Paul, DetroitClass: January 24, 2015Registration Deadline: January 21, 2015

FebruaryWhitaker Saturday Series: PentateuchColombiere Retreat Center, ClarkstonSixth Class: February 14, 2015Registration Deadline: February 4, 2015

Safeguarding God’s Children/God’s PeopleChrist Church, DearbornClass: February 21, 2015Registration Deadline: February 18, 2015

MarchWhitaker Saturday Series: The Roman PeriodColombiere Retreat Center, ClarkstonSeventh Class: March 21, 2015Registration Deadline: March 11, 2015

Safeguarding God’s Children/God’s PeopleSt. Paul’s, BrightonClass: March 21, 2015Registration Deadline: March 18

AprilWhitaker Saturday Series: Matthew and Luke/ActsColombiere Retreat Center, ClarkstonEighth Class: April 25, 2015Registration Deadline: April 15, 2015

Safeguarding God’s Children/God’s PeopleSt. Michael’s & All Angels, Lincoln ParkClass: April 25, 2015Registration Deadline: April 22, 2015

MayWhitaker Saturday Series: John and PaulColombiere Retreat Center, ClarkstonNinth Class: May 16, 2015Registration Deadline: May 6, 2015

Safeguarding God’s Children/God’s PeopleAll Saints, PontiacClass: May 9, 2015Registration Deadline: May 6, 2015

JuneWhitaker Saturday Series: Paul and the CanonColombiere Retreat Center, ClarkstonLast Class: June 6, 2015Registration Deadline: May 27, 2015


various difficulties and demands, Miles becomes more determined to recognize the people who come for groceries and community are “…all people who, like me, had come to get fed and stayed to help out. Who, like me, took that bread and got changed.” I wonder how many readers cheer when Miles admits, “I was lousy at obe-dience.” Sometimes a person’s secret turns out to be an admis-sion of bossiness or manipulative behavior. Miles owns up to both traits in this memoir. Sometimes the secret is more frightening. A pantry volunteer brings Sara a .357 Magnum revolver with the

BOOK REVIEW

Dawn McDuffie

Last winter, I had the chance to attend a presentation where four women spoke of their spiritual jour-neys and of the books they wrote as a result. All four were com-pelling speakers, but Sara Miles had a story that forced me to buy her book as soon as I returned home. The book be-gins with her first communion, not the scenario a reader would anticipate. As a new resident of San Francisco, Miles wants to see Saint Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church. It was famous for con-temporary icons and a circular floor plan. However, since the congregation flows around the central altar and gives commu-nion to each other, Miles finds herself taking the bread and wine and discovering, “The mysterious sacrament turned out to be not a symbolic wafer at all but actual food – indeed, the bread of life.” Or, as she said in her presenta-tion, she knew Jesus was real and alive.

Miles’ earlier life had revolved around food in many forms. She

‘Take This Bread’ a reminderof the hunger we experience

says of her restaurant work in New York, “As with everything else I’d learned – as with the religion I would come to practice – I absorbed cooking through my body.” The chapters on her years of political reporting in revolution-torn ar-eas of the world don’t

focus on the dangers she faced but on the kindness of the people she met. Looking back after be-coming a Christian, Miles says, “I had no idea then that I was hun-gry for communion.”

The unexpected result of that first communion is a deep hunger to experience “supper with God” again and again. A second unex-pected result is Miles’ conviction that Saint Gregory’s should start a food pantry and supply grocer-ies to anyone willing to come to the church. Miles believes feed-ing people as Jesus instructed his disciples is another form of com-munion, a liturgy of generosity and sharing.

As the Food Pantry at Saint Gregory’s becomes a reality and then becomes complicated with

firing pin removed. She gives it to Sara, because both of them be-lieve the church is a safe place to get rid of sin. The volunteer has realized killing her abusive boy-friend isn’t the only option. In fact, it is a temptation to create more pain in an already painful life.

I love Miles’ ability to look straight at truth. Some days her feet hurt and the volunteers are cranky. Many of the people who come for groceries will continue to be haunted by problems of ad-diction and broken relationships. And yet, in the sharing of food in the volunteers’ lunch and in the groceries shared around the altar, Miles sees boundaries dissolve. In the final paragraph, she looks around and sees current friends Homer, Martha, Paul and Steve. In her imagination she sees her brother, David, and her father and mother, some living, some not. “We’re eating together. The door opens. It is never over.”

Freelance reviewer Dawn McDuffie is a member of the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Detroit.

Welcome The Rev. Beth Taylor is formally introduced as the new rector at St. John’s, Royal Oak, during a celebration in May. She previously served on the staff of Christ Church Cranbrook, Bloomfield Hills.


THE FINAL WORD

Rick Schulte

Whew! What a busy couple of months this has been.

Water shutoffs in Detroit. Un-accompanied minors seeking ref-uge in our country. I could go on forever.

No matter where you stand on these issues, it’s hard to dis-pute this has been quite a stretch, when you speak on issues of so-cial justice.

(And that’s not even talking about global events. Gaza and the Middle East. An ebola outbreak in Africa. The Malaysia Airlines attack. But for sake of conversa-tion, we will stay within our bor-ders for now).

Everyone can agree on the ba-sic premise of most of these is-sues.

Water? Yes, it is an essential part of life. It may seem like a giv-en where we live; elsewhere in the world, gathering clean water is so vital, it’s a large part of the daily routine. Where the disagreement comes from is how entitled is everyone to water that is treated and made safe for human con-sumption.

I attended a recent rally in De-troit, protesting the collection methods (water shutoffs) used by the city’s water department. In an ongoing effort to deal with Detroit’s bankruptcy, delinquent residential customers were get-ting their water cut. That’s one way to get your attention, I sup-pose.

So I attended the rally to re-port on it for the Episcopal News Service. And I asked questions. Some of the answers I got sur-prised me.

Why are you here?“Everyone has a right to water,”

said Gloria, a protester who said she was a lifelong Detroit resi-dent. “It’s a basic human right and even the United Nations says this

Issues of social justicewill always need to be addressed

is wrong. I’m here to tell the city I demand water for everyone.”

Even those who can’t pay?

“Especially them.”Did you see the

story that said more people are delinquent on their water bills than are delinquent on cable TV service in Detroit? What do you say to that?

At this point, Gloria looked confused, only saying, “But it’s water.” And her friend – I didn’t bother getting his name, because he appeared to be less than cor-dial – jumped in.

“You people are just looking for the bad in everything. Why don’t you write about how this is a ba-sic human right? Folks shouldn’t have to pay for this.”

At this point, I could see any insightful discourse was out of the question. I wasn’t there to de-bate. However, I found it curious many of the others I spoke with

couldn’t answer the questions, other than water is a “human right.”

It is. I agree with that. I do understand it’s a struggle to pri-oritize bills for people with limited resourc-es. The issue is this: Should the debate be “make water free to

all” (which isn’t the view of most, but trust me, there were enough angry people who expressed that to me at the rally) or should it be about finding the reasons why people are unable to pay all their bills?

That’s simplifying the issue, but hopefully you get my point: Everything is not cut and dried. The same goes for the issue of unaccompanied minors. Most of these children are from Guate-mala, Honduras and El Salvador. Because they are from a country not bordering the United States, these children are held for a

screening process for up to 72 hours, then either moved on for resettlement or returned to their home country.

The reason for this? To prevent child trafficking and exploitation. This is another point that all can agree upon – obviously, no one is in favor of child trafficking.

The arguments go back and forth – why do we open our bor-ders to all people, why are they so desperate to leave their country, why should we pay for this, how can we not try to help, why help others when our own people are in need. You get the idea.

So as these and other issues come up, it’s important to note there are layers of issues when it comes to social justice. Doing the right thing means different things to different people. That will nev-er change, as will the need to ad-dress issues of social justice.

Rick Schulte is editor for The Record and is director of commu-nications for the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan.

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