December 16, 2005

From Bishop Wolfe

Editor’s note: This letter was sent today by the bishop to all clergy and senior wardens in the diocese in response to information being disseminated by the Anglican Communion Network.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I was disappointed to learn a letter was mailed this week to Senior Wardens in the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas from D.O. Smart, a former deacon in this diocese. Smart was deposed on November 1, 2005, for breaking his ordination vows, and while the letter he wrote looks official (with a seal, signed by a “dean” on behalf of an Anglican “convocation”) neither Smart nor the Anglican Communion Network is affiliated with or has any authority within the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas or the Episcopal Church, USA. The letter was mailed in plain envelopes marked “Personal,” and the clergy in charge of these parishes were not afforded the courtesy of a copy.

The apparent purpose of this letter, which contains a number of falsehoods, is to drive a wedge between the laity and the clergy and to encourage faithful Christians to leave the doctrine and discipline of the Episcopal Church. This negative mail campaign is in clear violation of the spirit of the agreement reached between Christ Church and the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas when the congregation left the Episcopal Church earlier this year. At that time we said in a joint statement, “The diocese and parish have attempted to conduct the entire process with respect for one another’s beliefs and opinions. While these issues have caused great pain for many people, the agreement allows us to move forward on separate paths in our ministries.” Apparently Smart no longer feels bound by this agreement.

Smart predicts the Episcopal Church will “fail to sufficiently respond to the conditions of the Windsor Report.” However, Bishop John Paterson, Chairman of the Anglican Consultative Council, states that the Episcopal Church has been “exemplary” in adhering to the recommendations of this report. Ironically, the only violations of the Windsor Report in our diocese occurred when bishops outside their own jurisdictions officiated at irregular services at Christ Church, Overland Park, including the one in which Smart was ordained a priest in the Diocese of Kampala in the Church of Uganda.

I would observe there is a certain desperation underlying this type of mailing. Smart has offered to provide information about a church to which he no longer belongs. I believe we are better prepared to provide such information. Accordingly, if any clergy person, warden or communicant in this diocese would like information about the Windsor Report or the issues to be addressed at the 2006 General Convention, please contact me or any of our General Convention deputies, and we would be happy to meet with you.

It is becoming clear that the objective of the Anglican Communion Network is to create schism in the Episcopal Church. As your bishop, I have promised to guard the “faith, unity and discipline of the Church,” and I intend to keep that vow.

In Christ,

+Dean

The Right Reverend Dean E. Wolfe

Ninth Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas

Churches may benefit from donations under the Katrina Relief Act

Under the temporary rules put into place by the Katrina Emergency Tax Relief Act (KETRA), taxpayers are allowed to deduct charitable cash donations made between Aug. 28 and Dec. 31, 2005, to qualified charities at up to 100 percent of their adjusted gross income.

The enhanced tax deduction can be applied on donations made within the specified period to any qualified not-for-profit organization, not just those specifically involved in hurricane relief efforts. In crafting the legislation, Congress decided that a key goal of KETRA was to ensure that charities in general don’t suffer from a downturn in giving, as many did following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Under the old rules, which generally limited deductions for cash gifts to charities each year to 50 percent of a taxpayer’s adjusted gross income, churches and charities might have been faced with a shortfall in receipts as tax considerations forced people to curb their giving at year’s end.

Please list Christmas services on parish web sites

Does your parish have a web site? If so, the times of your Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services should be on your web site, clearly visible and easily accessible from your main page.

Please make it easy for visitors to find when your services will be – and members will be using web sites to confirm service times, too.

You’ll also want to start adding this information to your answering machine or voicemail message. Then be certain to remove both web and phone references after Christmas Day.

Parochial reports being mailed mext week

Next week each parish should receive its 2005 parochial report. Included in the parochial report packet will be

• the 2005 parochial report
• the supplement to the Episcopal Church parochial report
• each parish’s apportionment amount for 2006
• a  diocesan Directory and Information Sheet
• a Certificate of Appointment of Lay Delegates and Alternates
• a 2005 Continuing Education Annual Report

The required forms (Directory and Information Sheet, Certificate of Appointment of Lay Delegates and Alternates and Continuing Education Annual Report) are due Feb. 13.

Parochial reports are due by March 1, and it is very important that they be returned by that deadline. The diocesan budget process is being moved up, and it is important that the parochial reports be completed on time. Without information contained in the parochial reports it is not possible to complete the budget on time.

For questions, contact Comptroller Jay Currie at 785-235-9255 or jcurrie@episcopal-ks.org .

Apportionment payments due by Dec. 30

Please make sure your parish’s 2005 apportionment payments are in to the diocesan office before Dec. 30.  If you have any questions about your 2005 apportionment or how much of your 2005 apportionment has been paid, please contact Comptroller Jay Currie at 785-235-9255 or jcurrie@episcopal-ks.org.

New web site launched for national church

A new web site for the national church was unveiled this week. Access remains at www.episcopalchurch.org but with increased ease of navigation and a more user-friendly format.

If you encounter difficulties with the site, please pass that information on to diocesan Director of Communications Melodie Woerman, mwoerman@episcopal-ks.org, and she will route it to the person who can help fix it.

Miqra set for Jan. 14-16; registration deadline is Jan. 4

Youth from across the diocese will gather at Grace Cathedral, Topeka for the annual Miqra weekend. Teens in grades 7 through 12 will take turns reading the entire Bible aloud and will participate in workshops and group discussions to learn more about the Bible.

Registration will begin at 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 14, and the event will finish about 10:30 a.m. on Jan. 16.

Registration forms have been mailed to all parishes and also are available on the “Youth” section of the diocesan web site at www.episcopal-ks.org/youth/miqra. For more information contact Youth Coordinator Chad Senuta at csenuta@episcopal-ks.org or 913-362-1470.

Note: the deadline for registrations to attend Miqra is Jan. 4.

Earnings limit for retired clergy raised for 2006

The Church Pension Fund has changed its rules on the amount of money retired clergy can earn from church sources. For 2006, the cap on earnings for retired clergy will increase to $30,000. Retirees do not need to fill out an application in order to serve and receive compensation below that amount.

If this new limit will apply to you, please make a request in writing to Canon to the Ordinary Jo Ann Ford as soon as possible.

Requests from clergy children for scholarship aid due Jan. 6

Jan. 6 is the deadline for clergy children to apply for a Father Young Fund grant for the spring semester. All students interested in receiving an award from the Father Young Fund should send a letter addressed to Bishop Wolfe stating who they are (their relationship to a clergy person in the diocese); where they are attending school; their year in school; and what they plan to study.

Questions about this fund should be directed to the bishop’s executive assistant, Jeanne Atha, at jatha@episcopal-ks.org.

Deadline for youth intern applications is Jan. 31

Undergraduate college students within the Diocese of Kansas with an interest in youth ministry are invited to apply for the 2006 summer youth ministry internship. Begun in 2005, the internship offers a stipend in exchange for the opportunity to learn how to develop and lead youth programs within the church.

Interested students must complete an application form, which has been mailed to all parishes but also is available on the youth web site at www.episcopal-ks.org/youth.  References also are required.

The deadline for applications is Jan. 31, 2006. Questions about the internship should be directed to diocesan Youth Coordinator Chad Senuta at csenuta@episcopal-ks.org or 913-362-1470.

Save the date – Pathways to Ministry Conference

High school sophomores, juniors and seniors who are interested in exploring the possibility of ordination to the priesthood in the Episcopal Church are invited to apply for the 7th annual Pathways to Ministry conference, April 21-23, 2006. The event is sponsored by St. Michael and All Angels, Dallas, Texas, and the keynote speaker will be Bishop Dean Wolfe.

Registration material and more information are available at www.saintmichael.org/pathways.

Kansas City conference to explore faith-based and community initiatives

The White House, in conjunction with a number of federal agencies, is sponsoring a workshop to help faith-based and community organizations learn more about the government’s Faith-Based and Community Initiative. The event will be Thursday, Jan. 12, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Kansas City Convention Center, 301 W. 13th St., Kansas City, Mo.

The workshop is geared toward representatives from social service groups that have a track record of applying for government funding, especially those that have not yet won grants.

The conference is free, but advance registration is required. The deadline to register is Jan. 6. Registration materials and more information is available online at www.fbci.gov.

Global mission meeting set for next June

The Global Episcopal Mission Network has announced its annual Mission Educational Institute will take place next June in conjunction with a special program in involve youth in world missions. The theme is “A Time to Heal: Mission on a Broken World.”

Both events will take place June 8-9, just a few days prior to the start of General Convention. Meetings will be at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, not far from the Convention site in Columbus.

The president of GEM is the Rev. Bill Wood, rector of St. John’s, Wichita. He may be contacted for further information at williamjwood@hotmail.com.

Grand Ultreya on Jan. 7 for all who have attended Cursillo

A Grand Ultreya (or gathering) for anyone in the Dioceses of Kansas and West Missouri who has attended Cursillo will take place Saturday, Jan. 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral in Kansas City, Mo. Lunch will be provided.

For more information contact Linda England at lindamarieengland@msn.com or Susan Miles at smiles@kansas.net.

Cursillo is a weekend experience of spiritual renewal for adults. The next Cursillo weekend is scheduled for Feb. 23-26 in Independence, Mo.

Anniversaries of ordinations

Congratulations go to those celebrating the anniversaries of their ordination in the coming two weeks:

Dec. 16: The Rev. Neil Macintosh, retired

Dec. 17: The Rev. Tom Knorr, non-parochial

Dec. 18: The Rev. Jim D’Wolf, retired

Dec. 19: The Rev. Ruth McAleer, St. Michael’s, Mission; the Rev. Wayne Pontious, retired; Deacon Suzanne Layne, St. Matthew’s, Newton

Dec. 20: The Rev. Benjamin Harrison, retired

Dec. 21: The Rev. David Barclay, retired; the Rev. Merrill Broach, retired; the Rev. Frank Cohoon, retired; the Rev. Gary Gooch, retired; the Rev. Richard McCandless, retired; the Rev. Randall McQuin, non-parochial; the Rev. James Mitchell, St. Alban’s, Wichita; the Rev. George Spratt, retired; the Rev. Robert Terrill, St. Thomas, Overland Park

Dec. 22: Deacon Deborah Burns, St. Martin’s, Edwardsville

Dec. 27: The Rev. Frederick Robertson, retired

Dec. 29: Deacon Chrystle Whitaker, St. Alban’s, Wichita

Dec. 30: The Rev. Tom Miles, St. Paul’s, Manhattan

Next DioLog

Because of the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, the next edition of DioLog will be sent to subscribers on Friday, Jan. 6, 2006.

Information to be included should be sent to Melodie Woerman, diocesan director of communications, at mwoerman@episcopal-ks.org, no later than Wednesday, Jan. 4.