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The Rev. Patty Downing, chair of the Joint Budget Committee, leads her committee in an initial assessment of the budgeting process for the 2025-27 cycle. Photo: David Paulsen/Episcopal News Service

[Episcopal News Service – Linthicum Heights, Maryland] Halfway through the second day of their three-day meeting here, the members of The Episcopal Church’s Joint Budget Committee acknowledged a breakthrough: They had closed a final $1.5 million gap between the church’s projected expenses and income for 2025-27 and had produced a balanced budget.

The process, however, was far from over. Next, the committee will seek approval for its plan from Executive Council at the end of January. Council can either accept or alter it, and then it will be presented to the 81st General Convention for final adoption when it convenes in June in Louisville, Kentucky.

The $143 million draft plan, which the committee endorsed in a final vote on Jan. 9, would not increase the amount of money the church draws annually from the returns on its $167 million unrestricted investment portfolio. At least one member of Executive Council has argued for using more of the investment returns to support the church’s mission and ministry priorities.

The committee’s draft also would maintain the church’s current 15% assessment rate on diocesan income. The assessments are the largest revenue source, 64%, of the churchwide budget. Some dioceses are expected to ask General Convention to cut the rate to as low as 10%, which the committee estimates would create a $12 million shortfall in the three-year budget.

Changes to either income line could dramatically alter the church’s financial conditions as it prepares to welcome a new presiding bishop, who is due to be elected at General Convention in June and begin a nine-year term in November. Executive Council previously set aside more than $2 million for the new presiding bishop, including to pursue “strategic adaptive realignment of our institutional structures” and “an audit of current Episcopal Church staff.”

The Joint Budget Committee incorporated that potential realignment in its draft budget plan, which calls for the new presiding bishop to oversee additional cost reductions totaling nearly $3.7 million through a staff restructuring meant to “resize” or “right-size” churchwide operations. The presiding bishop will have flexibility on the timing and form of those reductions over the next three years; church leaders expect retirements and attrition to account for much of the reduction.

For now, the draft plan counts 140 full-time equivalent staff positions that will be funded by the churchwide budget.

The Joint Budget Committee is organized as a committee of Executive Council, the church’s governing body between meetings of General Convention. The committee’s members are appointed by the presiding bishop and House of Deputies president, with Executive Council’s approval.

A mix of bishops, other clergy and lay leaders from eight of The Episcopal Church’s nine provinces – 13 total voting members – serve on the Joint Budget Committee. It is chaired by the Rev. Patty Downing, a priest in the Diocese of Delaware. Some committee members, like Downing, also serve on Executive Council.

This is the committee’s first time overseeing the development of a triennial budget under a new streamlined process that was adopted in 2022 by the 80th General Convention. It held four listening sessions in November and December before finalizing its budget draft during the in-person meeting Jan. 8-10 at the Maritime Conference Center in suburban Baltimore.

“It’s been very gratifying to see how many people have engaged in our listening sessions,” Downing told Episcopal News Service during a break in their meeting. The new process allows one entity to shepherd the budget from start to finish, though Downing said there remains much uncertainty around the committee’s role through General Convention and afterward.

The presiding bishop nominees won’t be announced until the spring, Downing noted, and “there’s a lot of time between now and General Convention” for mission and ministry discussions that could have budget implications. After approving a draft plan and presenting it to Executive Council, the committee will have no authority to make changes before it is presented to General Convention – though Executive Council may make its own changes. This is different from past cycles, when a committee of General Convention had more time to update the draft.

A final online hearing, or listening session, is scheduled for May 22, and an in-person session will be held in Louisville on June 22.

After the 81st General Convention, the Joint Budget Committee will be empowered to adjust the adopted 2025-27 budget in response to General Convention resolutions that call for additional spending. The committee will determine which measures will and will not be funded from a limited pool of money set aside for those resolutions. The committee’s in-person meeting to conduct that work has been scheduled for September.

After that, the cycle will start over with the creation of a new Joint Budget Committee, which will begin drafting a 2028-30 plan.

“God help the next budget committee,” Maine Bishop Thomas Brown said at one point, during a discussion of the revision process.

“That’s what we said the last time,” replied the Rev. Mike Ehmer, a committee member from the Diocese of Northwest Texas. Ehmer chaired the former Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget & Finance that developed the 2023-24 budget plan.

At this week’s in-person meeting, the Joint Budget Committee focused much of its time on the final steps of balancing its budget proposal. Members conferred with various department heads to identify specific budget lines where a combination of spending cuts and revenue increases would eliminate the $1.5 million shortfall that remained at the start of the week.

The committee, for example, trimmed one line related to racial reconciliation initiatives by $20,000 a year after learning that funding in other lines was sufficient. Adjustments to the legal budget related to outside counsel and travel would save an additional $30,000 a year. Another expense, related to the church’s asset map, was reduced by $15,000 a year, and the committee accepted a departmental suggestion to lower the requested amount for church planting from $564,000 a year to $500,000, keeping it in line with past funding levels.

House of Deputies President Julia Ayala Harris, who spoke to the committee on Jan. 9 by Zoom, offered to reduce her office’s budget request by nearly $100,000 over the three years, reflecting savings in communications and meetings with her Council of Advice.

The committee also finalized an estimate for funding the newly created Episcopal Coalition for Racial Equity and Justice. It is due to receive $2.3 million in 2025-27, equivalent to 10% of the church’s budgeted draw on its unrestricted investment funds.

Executive Council previously approved $300,000 for 2023-24 to help launch the coalition, intended as a voluntary network of dioceses, parishes, church institutions and individuals dedicated to improving the church’s uneven track record of prioritizing racial reconciliation and healing.

The largest final adjustment to the draft budget was an increase in rental revenue. One floor of The Episcopal Church’s office building in New York has been vacant since the Haitian consulate moved out in 2022. An early version of the 2025-27 budget plan included no revenue from that space, so the committee added $500,000 each in 2026 and 2027 in anticipation that a new tenant might be found.

– David Paulsen is a senior reporter and editor for Episcopal News Service. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.

[World Council of Churches] The 10th edition of the Symposium on the Role of Religion and Faith-based Organizations in International Affairs will take place online on Jan. 23 and will explore the theme “Human Rights and Dignity: Toward a Just, Peaceable, and Inclusive Future.” 

The symposium was founded a decade ago by faith-based partners, and aims to foster dialogue on the intricate interplay between religion and international affairs. World Council of Churches general secretary the Rev. Jerry Pillay will speak during the opening high-level segment.

The symposium is sponsored by the World Council of Churches, ACT Alliance, General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church, Islamic Relief, Religions for Peace, Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Soka Gakkai International and United Religions Initiative. It takes place in partnership with U.N. Women, United Nations Population Fund, the U.N. Office on the Prevention of Genocide and the U.N. Inter-agency Task Force on Religion and Development.

Read the entire article here.

[Episcopal News Service] Presiding Bishop Michael Curry has been moved from intensive care to a regular hospital room, where he will continue his recovery, according to a Jan. 9 Office of Public Affairs press release. 

Curry underwent surgery on Jan. 6 to treat a reoccurrence of the subdural hematoma, or brain bleed, he experienced in early December 2023.

Doctors initially diagnosed the brain bleed in December after he fell while visiting Syracuse, New York. After that incident, he was admitted to a hospital near his home in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Dec. 3 and underwent surgery on Dec. 4.

Earlier this year, on Sept. 20, the presiding bishop underwent surgery to remove an adrenal gland and a non-cancerous attached mass following treatment earlier for episodes of internal bleeding.

Curry, at 70, is wrapping up the final year of his nine-year term as presiding bishop. He suffered a subdural hematoma at least once before, in the first month of his tenure. A subdural hematoma is usually caused by a head injury strong enough to burst blood vessels, which can then cause pooled blood to push on the brain.

Episcopalians are asked to hold Curry, his family and his medical team in their prayers.

A crew of seafarers sit and stand aboard their ship docked at the Port of Baltimore in Maryland. Photo: Maggie Schorr

[Episcopal News Service] For the Rev. Joshua Messick, executive director of the Baltimore International Seafarers’ Center, a typical work day consists of going inside bulk carriers docked at the Maryland port to offer seafarers welcome gifts to pass on to their families, local information, transportation and spiritual counseling.

“We’re really trying to make a welcoming space for seafarers to come and see different faces outside of their regular floating four walls and be able to relax,” Messick told Episcopal News Service. “They can come to the center, which we’ve newly renovated, and have some refreshments and be somewhere different for a bit. We provide good quality internet here for them to call their families.”

Seafarers’ time ashore is “very limited” before they need to depart for their next destination. If a seafarer who’s cleared to leave the ship requests to run errands, Messick and his small team operating near Fort McHenry will offer transportation to wherever they ask to go, usually a nearby shopping mall for entertainment to keep them preoccupied during voyages and gifts to send their family, or a grocery store for provisions. Sometimes, the seafarers simply request to order food from McDonald’s.

“Seafarers go unseen and underappreciated most of the time, so my job is to do what I can for them and to help shed light on their work, their industry and what they do for us every day,” Messick said. “We can’t live our lives without the work that they do, so what I do is I serve the people that move the world.”

The Baltimore International Seafarers’ Center is an independent nonprofit organization supported by the Diocese of Maryland. It mostly consists of volunteers and two part-time employees. Messick is the only full-time employee. The center is also affiliated with the Mission to Seafarers, a Christian welfare organization that provides practical, mental and spiritual support to seafarers, who can spend between four and 11 months on ships before going on a short leave.

The Rev. Joshua Messick, executive director of the Baltimore International Seafarers’ Center in Maryland, takes a selfie with a seafarer and his family. Photo: Joshua Messick

More than 80% of international trade goods are carried by sea, according to a maritime transport review compiled by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. The cargo ships supply manufactured goods, food, medicine, raw materials and energy resources. Out of the estimated 1,892,720 seafarers across the world who operate on about 74,000 ships, as many as 50,000 of them pass through the Port of Baltimore every year. A vessel’s voyage can take up to 45 days before docking ashore.

“We can’t live without seafarers. Without seafarers, there is no merchandise; there would be nothing on the shelves to buy. So, yes, they matter, and what they’re going through matters,” Messick said. “It can be a dangerous job, and if we don’t think about them, then we’re really taking a lot for granted.”

For Messick, caring for the physical and wellbeing of seafarers is crucial. Seafarers — mostly men and sometimes women from the Philippines, China, India, Russia and Ukraine — are subject to abuse by senior officers.  

Seafarers often ask Messick for spiritual guidance and support. Because they face long workdays, prolonged isolation and piracy attacks, seafarers are susceptible to mental health issues. Suicide on board is not uncommon. 

“Seafarers are at the mercy of ship owners and their captains, and if they’re on a ship that’s not good, they can really be taken advantage of and face human rights violations,” Messick said. “Labor violations are common, so I always do mental health checks and look for red flags when I’m on board.”

Sometimes, Messick will offer the Eucharist seafarers’ request.

Messick said his job is about seeing Christ in seafarers, who come from different social and economic backgrounds in their home countries. When he’s not directly helping seafarers docked in Baltimore, Messick travels to conferences in different countries to advocate for seafarer rights.

“What I try to do is not just bring Christ to the seafarers, but to see where Christ is already and how he’s at work in the lives of these people,” he said.

-Shireen Korkzan is a reporter and assistant editor for Episcopal News Service. She can be reached at skorkzan@episcopalchurch.org.

[World Council of Churches] World Council of Churches general secretary the Rev. Jerry Pillay extended warm greetings to the participants and hosts of the Taizé Youth Gathering in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

“You meet at a time of particular pain for Europe—and indeed the world,” wrote Pillay. “All the more reason, then, to come together in faith. The world needs you, your youth and vision, your truth-telling and readiness to embrace life and serve humanity.”

In these days of challenge, someone must stand up for hope, Pillay reflected. “Let it be you! God desires it, Christ inspires it, and the Spirit enables it,” he said. “We at the World Council of Churches join your pilgrimage to our own. We will walk together. We will pray together. We will work together for justice, peace, and reconciliation.”

Read the entire article here.

The Joint Budget Committee meets Jan. 8 at the Maritime Conference Center in Linthicum Heights, Maryland, to finalize its draft of the 2025-27 budget plan. Photo: David Paulsen/Episcopal News Service

[Episcopal News Service – Linthicum Heights, Maryland] Members of a churchwide budget committee began their three-day meeting here Jan. 8 focused largely on the mix of income sources that will help them balance a $145 million three-year draft budget plan for The Episcopal Church.

The Joint Budget Committee is for the first time overseeing the development of a triennial budget under a new streamlined process that was adopted in 2022 by the 80th General Convention. The committee, meeting Jan. 8-10 at the Maritime Conference Center in suburban Baltimore, expects to vote this week on its draft budget plan. Later this month, it will recommend the draft to Executive Council for approval; council then will forward it to the 81st General Convention for final adoption in June.

The committee’s most pressing challenge is to address what stood, as of Jan. 8, as an estimated three-year total income shortfall of more than $1.5 million. That still-fluctuating gap between budgeted expenses and revenues was created partly by the decision not to seek a budgetary contribution of up to $1.5 million from Episcopal Relief & Development for its use of church staff and office space.

The church also is likely to increase its grant to the Episcopal Church in Navajoland by at least $225,000 over the 2025-27 triennium to cover health insurance costs for the area mission’s staff, who had been without insurance until the start of this month. Executive Council approved emergency funds to pay for the insurance.

“I believe it a matter of absolute justice. We must do this if we are going to be a beloved community,” said San Diego Bishop Susan Brown Snook, a committee member who also serves as vice chair of the Task Force to Advise the Church on Denominational Health Plans.

The Joint Budget Committee also is wrestling with uncertainty over diocesan assessments, which generate a majority of the income in the churchwide budget – $93.6 million in the 2025-27 draft, or 64%. Some dioceses are advocating reducing the assessment rate from the current 15% to as low as 10%, which could create a significant income gap if the move is endorsed by the 81st General Convention. For now, the Joint Budget Committee is poised to recommend keeping the rate at 15%.

In a separate discussion, committee members generally favored maintaining the church’s 5% annual draw on investments to support the churchwide budget. At least one member of Executive Council, the church’s governing body between meetings of General Convention, has pressed the Joint Budget Committee to increase the draw, arguing that leaving the 5% draw unchanged, which is seen as a more conservative fiscal approach, would mean less money to spend on the church’s priorities.

Bill Fleener, a budget committee member from the Diocese of Western Michigan, spoke forcefully against raising the draw. “I don’t think it’s responsible for us to change the number,” he said in the morning session Jan. 8.

A mix of bishops, other clergy and lay leaders from eight of the The Episcopal Church’s nine provinces – 13 total voting members – serve on the Joint Budget Committee. It is chaired by the Rev. Patty Downing, a priest in the Diocese of Delaware. Some committee members, like Downing, also serve on Executive Council.

Part of the Joint Budget Committee’s task this week is to review the feedback it received at four online hearings – three open to the public and a fourth with Executive Council members.

Downing began the discussion Jan. 8 by reading a summary the spending priorities participants had identified in their hearing testimony. Those priorities included racial reconciliation efforts, creation care initiatives, campus and youth ministries, mental health care trainings and increased financial support for the two historically Black colleges with Episcopal roots.

In past budget cycles, the Finance Committee of Executive Council had produced a first draft of the triennial budget and presented it to a committee of General Convention known as Program, Budget and Finance. Church leaders at the last General Convention concluded that the former process was unnecessarily cumbersome. Instead, the Joint Budget Committee now shepherds the budget from start to finish.

After the 81st General Convention adopts the 2025-27 budget, the committee will convene again to discuss adjustments based on approved resolutions that call for additional spending.

– David Paulsen is a senior reporter and editor for Episcopal News Service. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.

[Diocese of Arkansas] The Rt. Rev. John Toga Wea Harmon was ordained and consecrated as the 14th bishop of the Diocese of Arkansas on Jan. 6 at a service held at the Episcopal Collegiate School in Little Rock. Harmon is the first Episcopal bishop of Liberian descent in the United States. (The Episcopal Church and the Episcopal Church of Liberia have a long history.)

The Rt. Rev. John Toga Wea Harmon was ordained and consecrated as the 14th bishop of the Diocese of Arkansas on Jan. 6 at a service held at the Episcopal Collegiate School in Little Rock. Harmon is the first Episcopal bishop of Liberian descent in the United States. Photo:  Diocese of Arkansas

“I want to give thanks to God for this moment, for the people of Arkansas, for the parishes that have nourished me,” Harmon told the congregation. “And for my parents, who are no longer here. They were my first teachers.”

More than 1,000 people attended the service in person. Texas Bishop Suffragan Jeff Fisher was the chief consecrator. Joining Fisher as co-consecrators were Virginia Assistant Bishop Gayle Harris; Missouri Bishop Deon Johnson; outgoing Arkansas Bishop Larry Benfield; Washington Bishop Mariann Budde; West Tennessee Bishop Phoebe Roaf; and the Rev. Becca Middeke-Conlin, bishop of the Arkansas-Oklahoma Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Retired Central Pennsylvania Bishop Nathan Baxter preached. More than 15 other bishops and 120 priests and deacons also attended.

Harmon was elected bishop of Arkansas during an electing convention on Aug. 19, 2023, at Trinity Cathedral in Little Rock. He most recently was the rector of Trinity Church in Washington, D.C. He and his wife, Keeva, have been married for 30 years. They are the parents of Joshua, Jarena and Justin. Harmon was born in Liberia.

When he was ordained as bishop, Harmon was wearing a special cross. “The cross is a replica of my great-grandmother’s cross,” Harmon said, with some extra symbolism added – a star for Epiphany, a seashell, a traditional head ring used for carrying heavy burdens. “My mother gave it to me, and I wear it under my vestments.”

The service was livestreamed via the Episcopal Collegiate School’s YouTube channel.

Harmon was seated as bishop on Jan. 7 at Little Rock’s Trinity Cathedral, where he also preached.

“All that we are called to be and do in this world is about Jesus Christ,” Harmon said during his sermon. “We’ve got real work to do. It is the work of compassion; it is the work of love. Showing the face of Christ to everyone we meet.”

Harmon is also the principal visionary and co-founder of the Episcopal Service Corps, a network of young adult service programs nationwide. He also founded the Trinity Development Corporation to help empower underserved people to achieve self-sufficiency through counseling, education and better access to adequate health care.

“My commitment to justice, transformation and walking with those who feel and have been oppressed has taught me that people want to be heard and listened to,” Harmon said. “By encouraging collaboration with those who differ from us and by creating sacred spaces for difficult and life-giving conversations, we encourage and help people engage in the critical and necessary work of respecting the dignity of all people.”

[Religion News Service] After pushback by some bishops in Africa, Poland and elsewhere, the Vatican on Jan. 4 defended the recent move by Pope Francis to allow blessings for same-sex couples, insisting there is nothing “heretical” involved.

In a five-page statement, the Holy See’s office to safeguard doctrinal orthodoxy expressed understanding that some bishops’ conferences need more time for “pastoral reflection” on the pontiff’s formal approval for such blessings.

But “there is no room to distance ourselves doctrinally” from the Declaration about the blessings “or to consider it heretical, contrary to the Tradition of the Church or blasphemous,” said the statement by the office, formally called the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.

The new rule of blessings came last month in the form of a declaration, an important Catholic church document.

Some bishops immediately said they wouldn’t implement the new policy.

“Prudence and attention to the ecclesial context and to the local culture could allow for different methods of application” of the new blessings rule, “but not a total or definitive denial of this path that it proposed to priests,” Thursday’s statement said.

Still, the orthodoxy watchdog office on Thursday acknowledged that in situations where “there are laws that condemn the mere act of declaring oneself as a homosexual with prison and in some cases with torture and even death, it goes without saying that a blessing would be imprudent.” It added: ”It is clear that the Bishops do not wish to expose homosexual persons to violence.”

However, the statement called it “vital” that these bishops conferences “do not support a doctrine different from that of the Declaration signed by the pope.”

Thursday’s statement took pains to stress the Vatican’s position that “remains firm on the traditional doctrine of the Church about marriage, not allowing any type of liturgical rite or blessing similar to a liturgical rite that can create confusion.”

The pontiff’s approval reversed a 2021 policy by the Vatican’s doctrine office which barred such blessings on the grounds that God “does not and cannot bless sin.”

The Vatican holds that gay people must be treated with dignity and respect, but that gay sex is “intrinsically disordered.” Catholic teaching says that marriage is a lifelong union between a man and woman, is part of God’s plan and is intended for the sake of creating new life.

Zambia’s bishops conference said same-sex couple blessings were “not for implementation in Zambia.” The bishops conference of Malawi said “blessings of any kind” for “same-sex unions of any kind” would not be permitted.

In Zambia, gay sex is punishable by between 15 years and life in prison and the law puts it in the same section as bestiality. Malawi’s laws call for up to 14 years in prison for homosexual sex, with the option of corporal punishment for those convicted.

Zambian bishops said there should be “further reflection” on the blessings and cited the country’s laws against homosexuality and its “cultural heritage” that rejects same-sex relationships as reasons for its decision.

Francis in his papacy has made a decade-long effort to make the church a more welcoming place for the LGBTQ+ community. But his approach continues to spark resistance among traditionalist and conservative Catholic leaders.

Thursday’s statement stressed that the Vatican was allowing “short and simple pastoral blessings.”

“This non-ritualized form of blessing, with the simplicity and brevity of its form, does not intend to justify anything that is not morally acceptable,” the dicastery’s statement said.

The statement was signed off by Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, an Argentine prelate who is a theological adviser to Francis.

It concluded by saying that in some places, some “catechesis will be necessary that can help everyone to understand that these types of blessings are not an endorsement of the life led by those who request them” nor an “absolution, as these gestures are far from being a sacrament or a rite.”

[Episcopal News Service] Presiding Bishop Michael Curry underwent surgery on Jan. 6 to treat a reoccurrence of the subdural hematoma he experienced in early December 2023. The surgery was successful, and updates on his condition will be provided as they become available, according to an Office of Public Affairs press release.

Earlier on the morning of Jan. 6, a separate release said he’d been re-hospitalized.

Curry was last admitted to a hospital near his home in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Dec. 3 and underwent surgery on Dec. 4. He fell while visiting Syracuse, New York, and doctor’s diagnosed a subdural hematoma, or brain bleed, that then required surgery. At the time, his surgeon was happy with progress.

He spoke of his health issues and thanked the church for its prayers and support in his annual Christmas message. Episcopalians are asked to continue to pray for Curry, his family and his medical team.

Earlier this year, on Sept. 20, the presiding bishop underwent surgery to remove an adrenal gland and a non-cancerous attached mass following treatment earlier for episodes of internal bleeding.

Curry, at 70, is wrapping up the final year of his nine-year term as presiding bishop. He suffered a subdural hematoma at least once before, in the first month of his tenure. A subdural hematoma is usually caused by a head injury strong enough to burst blood vessels, which can then cause pooled blood to push on the brain.

Catherine Meeks, founder and executive director of the Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing, speaks at her retirement celebration on Jan. 4, 2024, at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo: Screenshot

[Episcopal News Service] Nearly 200 Episcopalians gathered Jan. 4 in person at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta, Georgia, and online to honor Catherine Meeks, founder and executive director of the Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing. The gathering was a celebration of Meeks’ dedication to dismantling racism in the Atlanta metropolitan area and churchwide for more than four decades.

Dozens of speakers, lay and ordained, shared anecdotes about their experiences working with Meeks over the years, expressing their love and respect for her, both professionally and personally. 

“I’m particularly grateful for Catherine’s gift of sharing,” Atlanta Bishop Robert C. Wright said during his opening remarks. “This has been real serious and hard work, and she has known the sharp edges of systemic racism and to stay engaged in the conversation in a positive light. Having had that experience is really phenomenal and deserves a celebration.”

Meeks officially retired on Dec. 31. A successor hasn’t yet been named. 

Meeks has engaged in racial justice work her entire adult life, beginning when she was an undergraduate student at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. After earning a Ph.D. from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, Meeks spent 25 years working at Mercer University in Macon as an assistant dean of women, instructor and assistant professor. While employed at Mercer University, Meeks led the city’s youth violence prevention task for two years. She then went on to work at Wesleyan College, also in Macon, for nine years until she retired from academia in 2008.

Episcopalians celebrate the Feast Day of Absalom Jones on Feb. 13.

Early retirement, however, didn’t stop Meeks from continuing racial justice work. She went on to lead the Diocese of Atlanta’s racial reconciliation commission before founding the Absalom Jones Center in 2017. Named after Absalom Jones, the first Black priest in The Episcopal Church and a prominent abolitionist in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the center serves as a way for Episcopalians to engage in racial justice work through educational resources, including workshops and a virtual library with media on racial healing. The center also offers travel opportunities to historical sites related to racial justice.

“As a lay woman of color leader in The Episcopal Church, [Meeks] has really set the tone for what might be possible for those of us who very astutely and stubbornly resist a call to any kind of ordained ministry, and the sort of notion that one must be ordained in order to make changes within the church or to lead significant ministries within the church. Dr. Meeks has done that in really profound ways,” said Heidi Kim, chair of The Episcopal Church in Minnesota’s racial justice and healing commission. “I am so honored to call her teacher, mentor, sister, friend.”

Despite retiring from the Absalom Jones Center, Meeks said during the celebration that she still plans to continue racial justice work, albeit at a reduced capacity.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about retirement sabbatical stuff,” said Meeks’ older son, Mbye Meeks. “I know she’ll be on to the next step. We’re happy to see what that’s going to be. The work never stops.”

The celebration concluded with in-person attendees making a champagne toast in Meeks’ honor.

“The world belongs to all of us. Some of us have to be more grounded perhaps than others. But every one of us is responsible for helping to heal the planet, and we can start with ourselves by allowing as much light as possible to shine … so that our own path is a little brighter,” Meeks told the crowd after the toast.

“God bless you and keep you brave, and keep you faithful, and keep you safe, and keep you humble, and keep you understanding that God is the only center of the universe,” she said. “The rest of us are circling and need to be careful that we don’t confuse ourselves with the source of light.”

-Shireen Korkzan is a reporter and assistant editor for Episcopal News Service. She can be reached at skorkzan@episcopalchurch.org.

[Scottish Episcopal Church] In a joint statement released Jan. 5, the Most Rev. Mark Strange, primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, joined other Christian leaders and leaders of development agencies Christian Aid, CAFOD and Tearfund to say that “the human cost of failing to take action now is too big and too damaging to ignore.”

Signatories are calling on political leaders to set out clear plans to eradicate extreme poverty and halve overall poverty by 2030, in the United Kingdom and globally, noting that poverty is “a consequence of political choices and priorities” and with a General Election on the horizon, “this year must mark the beginning of the end for poverty.”

Strange said, “The message I get from churches across Scotland is that poverty, and the worst effects of poverty, are on the rise in our communities and around the world.  Many members of the Scottish Episcopal Church are involved in work to tackle poverty at home and abroad, as are many of our ecumenical, interfaith and secular partners.  We cannot do all we need to do to address this crisis of poverty without political support from all governments. In a nation as wealthy as the U.K., poverty is a political choice. I am joining this call for political action because Jesus’ words are clear: ‘I was hungry, and you gave me food, I was thirsty, and you gave me drink’ is not an abstract concept – it is central to our faith.”

Read the entire article here.

[Episcopal News Service] The former outreach director at an Episcopal church in the Diocese of Ohio is due in court Jan. 8 on child pornography charges, Ohio Bishop Anne Jolly said in a Jan. 5 message to the diocese.

Kelcie Dugger, who has resigned from her position at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Cleveland, also led a theater camp at the diocese’s Bellwether Farm in summer 2023, Jolly said. Dugger was arrested and indicted on Dec. 21 but didn’t notify St. Luke’s leadership until Jan. 2.

“Based on our own preliminary investigation and the information we have received from the Ohio Task Force for Internet Crimes Against Children, we have no reason to believe that any children in our diocese have been harmed or exposed to inappropriate behavior or images,” Jolly said. “While leading camp at Bellwether, Kelcie was never alone with children or youth, and all safe church policies and practices were followed. She did not stay in camper cabins.”

She encouraged anyone with information or concerns to email the diocese’s Title IV intake officers or contact local police.

“I hope that as this situation unfolds, you will join me in praying for children and youth everywhere who have been abused and exploited, and for an end to the unspeakable actions that cause their suffering,” Jolly said.

St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Gulfport, Mississippi, hosts a Christmas tree bonfire for Epiphany each year on a beach near where the former church building stood until it was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Photo: St. Mark’s Episcopal Church

[Episcopal News Service] The Christian holy day Epiphany, on Jan. 6, is also known as the “Feast of Lights,” and some Episcopal congregations celebrate this feast quite literally, by burning Christmas trees and greens in recognition of Jesus as a light to the world.

“If you’ve ever seen Christmas trees burn … they go up in a tremendous blaze,” the Rev. Hillary Raining told Episcopal News Service in describing the annual Epiphany bonfire at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, where she is rector.

A similar blaze is planned at All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Russellville, Arkansas. The fire, a mix of Christmas trees and ordinary firewood, will be followed by a short liturgy and blessing of kits of chalk that attendees can use to mark their front doors with the initials of the Magi, another beloved Epiphany tradition.

“It’s something that allows us again to remind folks that the church is in the world and not just in the church building,” the Rev. Mercedes Clements, rector at All Saints’, told ENS.

And at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Gulfport, Mississippi, the congregation will continue a local Epiphany tradition dating back more than 50 years when it hosts a Christmas tree bonfire on a nearby beach. The Epiphany bonfire has taken on greater meaning to the St. Mark’s congregation in the years since Hurricane Katrina destroyed the former church in 2005.

“We celebrate in prayers of hope and gratefulness for the New Year, then enjoy hot chocolate and the first King Cakes of the year,” the church says on its website.

The light from a Christmas tree fire invokes symbolism partly rooted in Epiphany’s origins as an alternative to pagan festivals that were held on the winter solstice – the darkest day of the year. Also known as Three Kings Day, Epiphany traditionally commemorates the day the Magi were introduced to the infant Jesus. Light also is a familiar motif in contemporary lectionary readings for Epiphany, such as Isaiah 60:1-6: “Arise, shine; for your light has come.”

Some of the clergy interviewed by ENS emphasized that the purpose is not to demonize darkness but to celebrate Jesus’ earthly role.

“It is not a good-bad binary. Darkness is not the representation of bad or evil. It’s just a contrast,” said the Very Rev. Steven Thomason, dean of St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral in Seattle, Washington. “The spiritual journey includes both, and can honor both.”

St. Mark’s will hold its Epiphany festivities after sundown Jan. 5, starting with Holy Eucharist in the cathedral. Worshippers then will proceed out to the parking lot, where Advent wreaths and other Christmas greens will be burned in a fire pit. Dozens usually attend, sipping hot chocolate and apple cider around a modest blaze.

“It’s still a nice fire to warm by and to have the brightness of the light,” Thomason said. “It’s a great source of joy for folks in the middle of winter.”

At All Saints’, the church in Arkansas, the bonfire is scheduled for the evening Jan. 6. Clements will lead an adaptation of Evening Prayer as worshipers gather outdoors around the burning trees. The church is located on a wooded property, so the congregation will keep the blaze small for safety, Clements said, while still “bringing some light into the darkness, and reminding us that Jesus does that in our lives.”

Raining, the rector at St. Christopher’s in suburban Philadelphia, noted that Christmas tree burns have ancient roots in Twelfth Night celebrations, which marked the end of the Christmas season. And though burning trees may not seem like the most environmentally friendly practice, Raining said it is preferable to leaving trees on the curb for disposal in a landfill. Also, the ashes from the fire will be used to fertilize the grounds of the church.

St. Christopher’s will host its Christmas tree bonfire in the evening Jan. 7, with the public invited to bring trees and greens from home. Past bonfires have been community events, attracting some residents who don’t normally attend the church. The church also invites the local fire department, both as a safety precaution and so Raining can bless the fire truck.

“We really consider this part of our pastoring the community,” Raining said. “There’s something about gathering in what in the Northern Hemisphere are the darkest of nights and being able to talk about Jesus.”

Attendees also are encouraged to identify things they wish to let go of in the new year and write them on slips of paper. The slips then are tossed into the fire and sent up, like prayers.

– David Paulsen is a senior reporter and editor for Episcopal News Service. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.

The Rev. J.J. Bernal (right, in purple), leads a December service of Holy Eucharist in the parish hall of St. Stephen’s, Douglas, Arizona. It was the first time the congregation was able to worship on its property since a May 22 fire destroyed the church building. Photo: Diocese of Arizona

[Episcopal News Service] Members of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Douglas, Arizona, were able to worship on their property in December for the first time since a May 22 arson fire destroyed the church building.

A service of Holy Eucharist, led by the Rev. J.J. Bernal, St. Stephen’s vicar, took place in the refurbished parish hall, which is the only remaining parish structure. “The first Sunday in Advent was a joyous occasion,” Bernal told the Arizona Episcopalian magazine. “All of us rejoiced in the season and its blessings.”

Since last June, church services had been taking place at nearby Grace Methodist Church.

Bernal, who began leading the congregation in October, used his own communion set for the service. Other liturgical items, including crosses, candles and altar linens, had been provided by other diocesan churches or though the office of Arizona Bishop Jennifer Reddall.

The city of Douglas, a local contractor and various utilities “went out of their way to help us get back” onto church property, Bernal said. He and church members also are beginning to discuss necessary first steps toward rebuilding the church.

In October, two hate crime charges were added to two counts of arson filed against Eric Ridenour, who was accused of setting the fires that destroyed St. Stephen’s and the neighboring First Presbyterian Church in Douglas, a town of about 16,000 people located on the U.S.-Mexican border.

A grand jury alleged that Ridenour “intentionally started the fires in both churches because of his hostility toward their progressive doctrines, particularly their practice of having women and members of the LGBTQ community serve as church leaders.”

At the Climate Change Summit held on Sept. 16, 2023, at St. Paul’s Commons, Steve Slaten, junior warden at All Saints’ Church in Riverside, California, shares some dos and don’ts of installing solar panels, advice drawn from his congregation’s experience. Photo: Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles

[Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles] When completed, the approximately 60- x 30-foot steel pergola at All Saints Church in Riverside, California, will resemble a shade structure or patio cover. It will shield church members from the sun’s rays while solar panels on top collect power from those rays, leading to elimination of the parish’s monthly electric bill and possibly even turning a profit.

“We have this list of things we think God is calling us to do … just looking at all the different ways we can care for creation,” said the Rev. Kelli Grace Kurtz, rector of All Saints.

The church, a participant in the Dr. Lucy Jones Center for Science and Society program to increase post-disaster community resiliency in faith-based institutions, has been tackling that list in the interest of clean energy. Their efforts included removing an old gas stove in the kitchen, beginning a solar panel project and “a next big chapter would be installing electric vehicle charging stations and putting in LED lights,” Kurtz said.

“We got rid of the stove, capped off the gas lines and we’ve gone to a fully electric kitchen. The next big thing became obvious – that solar energy was something we needed to challenge ourselves to do, and it’s a challenge, a complicated process, much more than putting solar panels on your home.”

The congregation, including junior warden Steve Slaten, received a crash course in understanding Riverside Public Utilities, kilowattage and capacity and making sure the system envisioned would allow for the church’s energy needs and even possibly turn a profit. They also developed creative strategies to fund the $257,000.00 project.

Almost immediately, it became apparent that traditional rooftop solar panels wouldn’t work for the historic mission-style church’s tile roof. Initially organized as a mission in 1884, All Saints, located at the edge of the city’s historic district, was one of the first churches in downtown Riverside.

“The roof is old classic Spanish style. It was problematic putting those kinds of panels on that type of roof,” Slaten said. In addition to aesthetic appeal, issues of structural integrity could increase project costs. “You’d have to almost completely re-roof,” he said.

By taking “one step of courage” at a time, All Saints’ has moved forward in faith, Kurtz said.

“We kept praying about it and talking about it and preaching,” Kurtz said. “We did a Lenten study about what God says about our role as stewards of creation. And we started talking to solar companies. Through all of that we came up with the idea of building a pergola over our southern lawn.”

They’ve learned a lot, said Slaten, who is a member of the diocesan Bishop’s Commission on Creation Care and is willing to share those learnings with others.

A step at a time since 2020, the church connected with Opulent Power Solutions, a company that understood their unique needs and is now “drawing up the plans to submit to the city for approval,” according to Slaten, who has shepherded the project from its inception.

“It has been a two-year process of talking about it, figuring it out, praying on it, envisioning it, answering questions and concerns, making appeals and asking for members of the congregation to have a stake in the game,” Kurtz said. “This is a legacy project. We want the grandchildren of the children in our Sunday school to come back on campus as adults and say, ‘My grandparents were a part of making sure this church stayed, and that Riverside was a little cleaner. They participated in restoring creation and the climate in this part of the world.

“This is every bit as important in today’s world to do this kind of project as it was 75 years ago when people were courageous enough to build churches and install beautiful stained-glass windows.”

All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Riverside, California. Photo: Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles

According to Slaten’s calculations, the stand-alone shade structure with solar panels will receive 100% exposure to the southern sun and should generate enough energy to not only pay the church’s monthly electric bill of about $1,500.00, but also generate overage that will be purchased by the Riverside utility company. The exact amount of return will depend on the amount of overage.

“We’ll be generating clean energy that will be used by others in the community,” he said. “As climate change progresses and we’re warmer for longer periods of time, we won’t outgrow our system. The energy we consume will be self-generating.”

Francie Johnson, former senior warden, said the cost savings potentially “frees up the money we’d normally be spending on utilities to put towards our programming in the community.”

The project will make All Saints “the leader of churches in city of Riverside who have made this commitment. It’s really exciting. We’ll be at the forefront of churches in city of Riverside to convert to 100% solar,” she said.

“The hard work and exhaustive research that Steve did to get to this point has become a good playbook for other churches and they have been in touch with him about how to wade through language and jargon and the different rules involved with federal rebates.”

Plans were formed during the pandemic, Johnson said, and “the silver lining was that we have a good, streamlined process to pass on to other institutions. We’re excited about doing this.”

Funds were raised through a capital campaign and the congregation aims to take advantage of the federal Inflation Reduction Act, which took effect Jan. 1, 2023, and gave nonprofits a minimum of 30% direct pay on the cost of overall solar projects, Slaten said. Churches in Los Angeles County that meet the regulations could gain as much as 70% return on the cost of the project from the federal government, he said.

All Saints’ capital campaign included several $25,000.00 and one $50,000.00 no-interest loans from members, added Johnson, a member since 1993. “Quite a few members have pledged also and already funded their pledges. Now we’re just waiting for the city to approve our permitting. Once we get that green light, we will be able to begin construction.”

“We could be plugged in at the end of March, but we just don’t know,” Kurtz said. She added that the financial savings are important but “if that is the only reason you’re doing this, you’re going to be frustrated. It’s a much longer-term investment.

“The spirituality of all of this is, we are called to be stewards of creation, to do what we can in a tangible way that models for the rest of the community what should be done.

“Once we understood this was a call as part of our faithful journey, that made all the difference. But you have to be determined; it’s a complicated process. You can’t do it alone.”

Participation in the Dr. Lucy Jones program “has been very helpful. It offered us a holistic commitment to the project, that it is good for the environment.”

Slaten agreed. “The journey has been very rewarding, and very frustrating. But now that we’re at the point we are, that we are ready to go, there is such a sense of thankfulness. I feel thankful and grateful that I happened to be in this place at this time at this location when it all came together. It’s felt like a redirected purpose. I feel incredibly lucky to have been here.”

-Pat McCaughan is a correspondent for The Episcopal News

[Church of England] The archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. Justin Welby, and the archbishop of York, the Most Rev. Stephen Cottrell, have established four new commissions that will consider aspects of life in England today and the role that the Church of England has to play.

The new commissions are Families and Households, Reimagining Care, Racial Justice, and Housing, Church and Community.

Details of each commissions’ work, and more information, is available here.

Common Grounds is a ministry of St. James Episcopal Church in Taos, New Mexico. Its Youth Advisory Council makes most of the ministry’s decisions, including its newly renovated cafe facility, with oversight from the adults on its Board of Allies. Photo: Courtesy of Jill Cline

[Episcopal News Service] Common Grounds Cafe, a 2,700-square-foot multipurpose facility nearing completion in Taos, New Mexico, will be made for young people like Haroula Maillis.

She was 16 in 2021 when she first learned about St. James Episcopal Church‘s youth-led Common Grounds ministry and began attending peer support group meetings at the church. “It was just a safe place to kind of share what you were going through and share how your life is going,” Maillis, now 18, told Episcopal News Service.

Young people supporting other young people has been central to the success of Common Grounds’ ministry for years, since it formed as part of the community’s response to a rash of Taos-area teen suicides in 2016. Common Grounds has expanded beyond the church’s peer support group to include a food truck run by teens and young adults, and their plan all along was to eventually open a cafe, both as a safe gathering place for young people and as a facility that would offer a range of activities and social services.

Maillis, who was homeless for about a year after graduating high school, now serves on Common Grounds’ Youth Advisory Council, which makes most of the youth ministry’s decisions with oversight from the adults on its Board of Allies. She and others involved in the cafe project are finishing site renovations and planning for a possible opening in January.

Taos is a town of about 6,500 in northern New Mexico, near the Colorado state line. Young people there “have nowhere to go after school,” Maillis said. “I’m very excited [for the cafe] because I know it will be a wonderful resource.”

The cafe’s pending opening comes after years of planning, fundraising, property acquisition, permit applications, working with contractors and formalizing the cafe’s operation plan and policies. At each step, the teens and young adults who would benefit from the cafe have taken the lead.

“We really wanted it to be a youth-focused project and community center for them,” Sydney Cline, 21, told ENS.

As a member of St. James Episcopal Church, Cline has been involved in the ministry’s development nearly from the start, since she was 14. Now she is preparing to begin a new role as program coordinator, one of the cafe’s three paid staff members. St. James also has launched a search for a program director, the top employee overseeing Common Grounds’ ministries.

The youth cafe concept has come a long way from its origins in a discussion among teens from Taos’ two high schools. In response to alarm in the community over the 2016 teen suicides, the schools invited students to a weekend retreat promoting social-emotional intelligence, and the young people who attended identified the need for a safe space for teens in town to hang out with each other.

That plea initially inspired St. James to begin hosting its peer support group, and “what began just as a gathering place for them to talk about the frustrations of life grew from there,” the Rev. Mike Olsen, St. James’ priest-in-charge, told ENS.

Some participants were members of St. James, but many had no other connection to the church. In addition to attending the peer support group, they set their sights on opening a cafe and community center that would be available to all teens and young adults, with special attention to the challenges facing the significant number of unhoused youths in Taos.

“I told them that if they were serious in wanting to do that, I would be an adult ally and help make it happen,” the Rev. Jill Cline, Sydney Cline’s mother, told ENS. Before she was ordained a priest in 2022, she began advising the teens on their cafe project as St. James’ youth minister. The project also received early support and encouragement from leaders with the Diocese of the Rio Grande, she said.

High school juniors and seniors began planning for the cafe in 2017, identifying the project’s goals and initially estimating it would take about five years to complete. The biggest hurdle was finding a suitable location, and the project took a big step forward when the Kit Carson Electric Cooperative agreed to allow Common Grounds to take over a vacant building that previously had been used as a pediatric clinic. The cafe would pay a nominal annual fee for its use.

In the ensuing years, a core group of about 15 young adults has worked on the Common Grounds Cafe project. Some would age out and be replaced by younger volunteers. Over time, their vision sharpened and widened to include renovated bathrooms, showers, a laundry facility, a music room, an art room, a multimedia room, a food pantry and free clothes closet, meeting space, classroom space, a study room and a room for counselors to meet clients that would have a discreet separate entrance.

Jeremy Castillo, 20, in an interview with ENS, emphasized the accommodations for counseling, given the cafe’s origins as a response to the local mental health crisis. As a member of the Common Grounds Youth Council, Castillo has been involved with the ministry for about a year. He started working in the Common Grounds food truck that visits community events throughout the year.

Now he is looking forward to the opening of the cafe in a permanent location. “We’re a tiny town in New Mexico. There isn’t much to do,” he said. A youth cafe “would have made a big difference in my life had it been around when I was younger, when I really needed the support.”

By March 2020, Common Grounds had raised about half of the $200,000 estimated cost of renovating the building. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, slowing progress on the project. Under pandemic restrictions, the youth ministry continued with peer group meetings when possible, often in parks. Planning and fundraising for the cafe also continued, and in December 2022, Common Grounds received final permit approvals from the state and town to begin renovations.

In preparation for the opening, the Youth Council has discussed the best way to manage the cafe, operate the building and maintain a balanced budget. The cafe will be only open to people ages 14 to 24, and it will have a mix of paid staff and approved adult volunteers, with job descriptions drafted by the young organizers.

Common Grounds will continue to be managed as a ministry of St. James, but under the Youth Council’s leadership and with additional support from St. James’ community partner, the DreamTree Project, which offers emergency shelter for unhoused youth.

With those renovations nearly complete, Jill Cline said she thinks the success of Common Grounds sends a positive message “about how these teens take care of each other.” It also indicates “how much they need the support.”

– David Paulsen is a senior reporter and editor for Episcopal News Service. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.

The Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia attracted media attention after humorously declaring that mayonnaise on pepperoni rolls is an “abomination in the eyes of the Lord” in a viral Dec. 27, 2023, Facebook post. The post was made in response to ESPN commentators spreading Duke’s mayonnaise on pepperoni rolls, West Virginia’s official state food, during the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte, North Carolina, where West Virginia University defeated the University of North Carolina. Duke’s Mayonnaise is Duke’s Mayo Bowl’s official sponsor. Photo: Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia/Screenshot

[Episcopal News Service] Episcopalians have made headlines over the past week by sharing food-related opinions and facts.

Last week, West Virginia University’s football team defeated the University of North Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. During the game, ESPN commentators spread Duke’s mayonnaise, the bowl game’s official sponsor, on various foods to promote the brand, including pepperoni rolls, West Virginia’s official state food.

“Putting mayonnaise on the pepperoni roll is a horrible thing to do because you don’t put anything on them. The pepperoni roll is perfect as is,” the Rev. Chad Slater, the Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia’s canon to the ordinary, told Episcopal News Service on Jan. 3. “No true West Virginian would ever put anything on their pepperoni roll.”

Slater said that on Dec. 27, while watching the game, he and his colleague, the Rev. Jordan Trumble, canon for communications and congregational development, were discussing over text message how “disgusting” it was to see someone add mayonnaise on top of pepperoni rolls. The two native West Virginians decided to post a joke about it on the diocese’s official Facebook page:

“It’s come to our attention that during tonight’s Duke’s Mayo Bowl, in which WVU competed and won, sports commentators were seen putting Duke’s Mayo on pepperoni rolls. Let it be known that putting mayo on pepperoni rolls is an abomination in the eyes of the Lord. Those who perpetrate this heinous act have committed a mortal sin which can only be forgiven by special dispensation from the clergy of West Virginia. Clergy are permitted to withhold absolution until proper contrition is made—either by burning a couch or making a pilgrimage to the Mothman statue.

“This applies only to those who have put mayo on pepperoni rolls. The use of Miracle Whip is unforgivable.”

The Facebook post went viral. It’s not only been shared almost 13,000 times, but also attracted attention by news media throughout West Virginia, North Carolina and other states.

As of midday Jan. 3, 952 people from across the country had commented on the post, many of whom were native West Virginians agreeing with the statement. Other comments came from people expressing their appreciation for the diocese sharing a sense of humor.

“[The post] really did strike a cultural chord. It’s refreshing, I think, to a lot of people, especially those that may have been harmed by church or religion, to see that The Episcopal Church has a sense of humor,” Slater said. “I don’t think anybody’s coming to our churches because of a funny Facebook post, but I think it does help lay the groundwork for parishioners and clergy who are inviting people to come to church to show that they have a positive attitude towards the church.”

Pepperoni rolls — white bread stuffed with pepperoni and sometimes cheese — were created in the early 20th century as a convenient cold lunch for Italian American coal miners in north-central West Virginia. Today, the beloved rolls are considered a staple comfort food in the state, with recipes varying by region. Unlike Totino’s frozen pizza rolls, classic pepperoni rolls aren’t typically cooked with marinara and don’t need to be reheated.

On Jan. 1, five days after Slater and Trumble posted the Diocese of West Virginia’s viral pepperoni roll post, Texas Bishop C. Andrew Doyle also attracted attention from regional news media for his open letter to The New York Times, educating the editorial staff on why it was incorrect to use the clue “Tex-Mex condiment” for the answer “taco sauce” in its Dec. 29, 2023, crossword puzzle.

“Condiments for Tex-Mex tacos may include guacamole, sour cream, and grilled vegetables, lettuce, onion, tomatoes, chiles and SALSA. There is indeed an enchilada sauce or gravy in Tex-Mex dishes, but that is different,” Doyle wrote in his letter. “I know that Taco Bell does indeed pass out ‘taco sauce’ packets which are labeled as such. Taco Bell, I remind you, was founded by Glenn Bell in California. (It is important to note it is fake history to believe Glenn Bell also created hard-shell tacos. These were first created in Mexico and made their way to Texas and California.)

“Therefore, I suggest the appropriate hint for the puzzle for Friday should be: ‘Cali-Mex (or Mexicali) condiment.’ If the desired answer is to be: ‘Taco Sauce.’ If the answer you want is ‘salsa,’ then the hint needs to be Tex-Mex condiment. For neither is salsa created by Taco Bell or from California.”

Doyle told ENS in a text message that even though people have told him his letter is “silly” and that “there are better things to do,” it’s important to point out the significance of cultural cuisines and their complex histories, Tex-Mex in this case.

“There are many ways we gloss over a rich history which now is all over the U.S. because the diversity of Texas is a precursor to changes in the U.S.,” Doyle said. The state offers “an amazing smorgasbord of food,” he said, “but we must remember there are people’s stories behind that food, and long histories which are part of a rapidly changing culture — and I hope church. If we can appreciate Tex-Mex and Calimex (see history and articles by Gustavo Arellano) and the stories behind that food, maybe we can sit at a taco truck, break bread and get a little closer to diversity, migration and immigration with dignity.”

Doyle also received many positive comments in agreement from readers on his Facebook and Blogspot pages, where the open letter was published.

Slater said any positive attention where The Episcopal Church stands is good, whether serious or through humor. One day after posting the pepperoni roll rant, Trumble added a new post on Facebook welcoming new followers.

“While we aren’t always quite that funny, we do believe that God delights in a good sense of humor,” the post says. “If that’s how you found us, we’re glad you’re here. Come for the jokes, stay for the Jesus!”

-Shireen Korkzan is a reporter and assistant editor for Episcopal News Service. She can be reached at skorkzan@episcopalchurch.org.

[Church of England] Church of England cathedrals and churches were among nearly 5,000 religious buildings to receive a share of up to $53 million in U.K. government funding aimed at helping with the conservation of listed places of worship. The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme gives grants covering the value added tax on repairs to listed buildings used as places of worship.

Beneficiaries of the scheme over the last year included Leicester Cathedral, which received more than $750,000 for restoration work, including renewing the cathedral’s heating, lighting and electrics, and creating a heritage learning center for visitors.

Chichester Cathedral, dating from the 11th century, received more than $240,000 for its roof and lighting projects, with cash from the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme also supporting organ repair and maintenance, new fire and intruder alarms, and support for other major projects.

The 12th-century Collegiate Church of St Mary in Warwick was granted more than $175,000 to repair its ancient tower, including work on the clocks and faces. Funding also supported the maintenance of electric and heating systems as well as new security and alarm systems.

Read the entire article here.