This Week from Bishop Wayne Wright: 2010
- Other Years: 2009 | 2008 | 2007
- A short biography
- Bishop's letter to clergy interested in Delaware
- Bishop's 2009 Address to Annual Convention
- Clergy Calendar for 2009-2010
- Committees, Councils and Appointees
- Episcopal Bishops of Delaware: A list with short histories.
March 3, 2010:
Bishop Martin Shaw and his wife, Elspeth, will be our guests for the upcoming Diocesan Convention. Their visit will be the culmination of our companion relationship with the Diocese of Argyll and The Isles. We began this relationship in the fall of 2001. In fact Bishop Douglas Cameron and his wife, Pat, almost did not make it over from Scotland for their first visit to Delaware because of travel restrictions following the September 11th terrorist attacks.
Much has happened through these years. Groups from Delaware have traveled to Scotland. Parishes have established links of friendships. A memorable highlight of the relationship was the joint clergy conference on the Island of Iona in 2003. These have also been years in which Anglican Communion relationships have often headlined the news. Our friendship with the Scottish Episcopal Church and with the Diocese of Argyll & The Isles has been a constant blessing. Welcoming Elspeth and Martin Shaw to our Diocesan Convention will be a present reminder of this good gift.
Clergy have received invitations to the Renewal of Ordination Vows on Tuesday of Holy Week. All are welcome to attend. Be sure to R.S.V.P. to Cynde Bimbi.
Faithfully, Wayne Wright, Bishop of Delaware
February 24, 2010: Convention, Renewal of Vows
We are only a few weeks away from the 2010 Diocesan Convention. Preparations are well underway for what should be another good convention. The theme for this year’s convention is “That We All May Be One.” The convention speaker will be Martin Shaw, the recently retired bishop of our companion diocese Argyll and The Isles. Bishop Shaw will be the celebrant for the Convention Eucharist. We will be using the Scottish Prayer Book liturgy for this service. We look forward to welcoming Martin and his wife Elspeth back to Delaware
We are excited that St. Peter’s, Lewes, will be our host for the convention. They have been done much to welcome us to Lewes and to share the story of their parish and its ministry. There is a special page on their parish website about the convention and things to do in the Lewes area. You may want to have a look and share the link with others:
http://www.seekerslewes.com/DC-Main.html
Don’t forget that there is an orientation for new delegates on the Friday afternoon of convention from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. I hope that you will encourage your newly elected delegates to attend. This is a special opportunity for them to learn about our diocese and the convention.
This week clergy received invitations to the Renewal of Ordination Vows on Tuesday of Holy Week. I hope they will share the invitation with members of their congregations. All are welcome to attend. Be sure to R.S.V.P. to Cynde Bimbi.
This coming Sunday I will be visiting St. Mark’s Church, Millsboro.
Faithfully, Wayne Wright, Bishop of Delaware
February 17, 2010: Lent
“And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.”
--Mark 1:12.
I have always been fascinated by this Gospel passage that our Lectionary associates with the beginning of Lent. What a year for being driven around it has been. Snowstorms of historic proportions have carried all of us into unexpected places leaving a wake of cancelled events, changed plans, and delayed accomplishments. This can be trying in the best of circumstances, but even more challenging as the demanding season of Lent begins.
In such times I am reminded of Tilden Edwards’ book Living Simply Through the Day: Spiritual Survival in a Complex Age. It was recommended to me many years ago by a friend. “How can we live out of the simple, holy spaciousness that is always there in our midst? How can we allow simple purity of heart, so that we with Jesus see life in God, instead of seeing it neck deep in clutter,” he asks? In our case we might rather say living “buried under piles of snow.”
Holy simplicity, Edwards writes, requires from us three vital attitudes: firm commitment, deep acceptance, and pure confidence. Commitment springs from the heartfelt desire for God and our openness to God’s presence in our lives. Acceptance is our humble recognition that we are dependent upon so many things that we cannot change or control. Confidence is our belief that a loving God will never give us more than we can bear.
The snow will surely melt before Easter. But, in the meantime I will be praying for a holy season of Lent – for each of us a time of simply being with God.
Photo from the PhotoPrayer series by Danny Schweers.
It is still possible to participate in the fund to help earthquake victims in Haiti. All gifts we receive will be forwarded directly to Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD) to be used for relief work in Haiti. The first $5,000 received will be matched. Exceeding that goal will be a blessing. Everyone who makes a gift can be sure that what they contribute will go toward a very worthwhile and needed project.
If you would like to be part of this appeal, please send a check to:
The Bishop's Discretionary Fund
Diocese of Delaware
2020 N. Tatnall St.
Wilmington, DE 19802
Make sure that your checked is marked "ERD/Haiti."
Faithfully, Wayne Wright, Bishop of Delaware
February 10, 2010: Snow, Publicity, Haiti
The snow this winter has been amazing. It has disrupted schedules and travel. Because many storms coming over the weekend, some congregations have had to cancel Sunday worship – in some cases more than once. We hope that the worst is now past.
Even with weather problems, the churches’ ministry continues in so many ways. I am especially grateful for all who support ministries to feed hungry people and to care for the homeless. This winter reminds us just how important these ministries can be.
Click here to read the announcement from the Episcopal Churches’ Office of Communication that describes several important new initiatives being sponsored to help “get the word out” about our church. New electronic and print publications will make it easier for all of us to stay connected and informed. You may want to share this information with members of your congregations.
Last Wednesday 35 wardens and vestry members from around the diocese gathered at St. Anne’s, Middletown for our first-ever Winter Warden’s Meeting. Mark Sullivan led a discussion about strengthening vestry leadership. I continue to be impressed by the faith and commitment of our congregational leaders. It was good event. [The Rev.
Kim Capwell, Immanuel Church,
Highlands, Wilmington, has written an article for the March, 2010 issue of our newspaper, the Delaware Communion, which will soon appear on this website as well.]
I will be away from the office until Ash Wednesday. I will be attending a Church Pension Fund Board meeting and then taking a few days off.
Faithfully, Wayne Wright, Bishop of Delaware
3 February 2010: Haiti Relief, Clergy Conference
I am very impressed by the outpouring of care and concern among Delaware Episcopalians for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti.
Remember that the Episcopal Church Office of Communication has set up a special website. It has much up-to-date information on the current situation and the role and ministry of the Episcopal Church in Haiti.
http://www.episcopalchurch.org/haiti.php
Thanks to the diocesan Clergy Life Committee and to Cynde Bimbi on the bishop’s staff for all they did to make the Winter Clergy Conference such a good event. Click here to read a summary of the post-conference evaluations in PDF format. It gives a good sense of the spirit and the quality of the gathering. We enjoyed welcoming Eric Law back to our diocese. He is an effective teacher and advocate for Christian hospitality, inclusion, and gracious community building.
Don’t forget the upcoming Clergy Life Events:
Renewal of Ordination Vows
Tuesday of Holy Week, March 30
Cathedral Church of St. John
The Rev. Frank Wade, presenterDiocesan Clergy Day
Tuesday, May 18
St. Anne’s, Middletown
Faithfully, Wayne Wright, Bishop of Delaware
January 21, 2010: Haiti Earthquake
The images and news reports from Haiti continue to tell the story of distress, suffering and loss. Now more than ever, it is time for us to show our compassion and concern for our brothers and sisters in Haiti.
Here are some ways to share information and to encourage others to help make a difference. The Episcopal Church Office of Communication has set up a special website. It has much up-to-date information on the current situation and the role and ministry of the Episcopal Church in Haiti.
http://www.episcopalchurch.org/haiti.php
Yesterday the Episcopal News Service published a good summary article. Below is the link. You may want to reprint and share it.
http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_118611_ENG_HTM.htm
Here are some facts about the Episcopal Church in Haiti. The Episcopal Diocese of Haiti is part of The Episcopal Church. There are currently over 83,000 Episcopalians in Haiti. There are 115 congregations and 200 schools with over 6,000 students. Their Bishop Zache Duracin is unharmed. We understand that his wife suffered an injury to her foot. The Episcopal Church in Haiti has lost its cathedral, a convent, Holy Trinity Complex for ministry, College St. Pierre, and a Jubilee Center. The Episcopal Church’s three missionaries who were in Haiti are all accounted for - Mallory Holding, Jude Harmon, and Oge Beauvoir, who is the dean of the Theological Seminary, along with his wife Serette. Jeanne Kirby Coladonnato’s grandson John was in Haiti when the earthquake happened. He was there on a mission trip sponsored by George Mason Univ. Jeanne has received emails from him. He and the others on the trip are safe and doing well. This is a blessing.
Click here for further information about the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti website.
The Episcopal Sisters of St. Margaret have an active mission and convent in Haiti. We understand that the sisters were unharmed but that their facilities were heavily damaged. Here is a link to their website: http://www.ssmbos.com/Pages/Haiti.html
As we offer our good intentions and prayers, the most important thing we can do right now is to support the emergency relief work being carried out by Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD). Contributions to ERD make this possible. Episcopal Relief & Development has disbursed emergency funding to the Diocese of Haiti to help meet critical needs such as food, water and shelter for those affected. Rob Radtke, President of ERD has written an article about how ERD responds to situations like this. I have reprinted it below.
Donations can be made to Episcopal Relief & Development by calling 800-334-7626 ext 5129. It is also possible to make gifts online: https://www.er-d.org/donate-select.php
Thank you for your leadership and generous response to the suffering in Haiti.
Faithfully, Wayne Wright, Bishop of Delaware
Haiti: The Three “Rs” of Responding to Disasters: Rescue, Relief, Recovery
by Rob Radtke, President of Episcopal Relief & Development
Right now, we are in the “Rescue” phase. All hands are on deck to save lives and property. This phase involves finding and treating the immediate medical needs of survivors and stabilizing ongoing hazards, such as shifting buildings. As such, it is best left to the heavy lifters - government and military search and rescue teams. These groups also have heavy equipment that can clear roads and debris, as well as large specialized operations with mass distribution systems that have pre-positioned warehouses. The “Rescue” phase typically lasts a week, but with the extraordinary logistical hurdles being faced in Haiti, it may take longer.
The next phase is the “Relief” phase, where the focus is on creating temporary safe and sanitary conditions. As I saw in Katrina, the church is often one of the first places people go to seek assistance and shelter. We have already heard that in rural and outlying areas around the earthquake zone, existing clinics are seeing patients who have been able to get out of Port-au-Prince. Some of these clinics are expanding patient care to schools and church buildings. The “Relief” phase typically lasts a few months.
Finally, we get to the third and final phase: “Recovery.” During recovery the emphasis shifts to restoring services, rebuilding houses and buildings, and returning, to self-sufficiency. The Diocese of Haiti has a very large and vibrant social infrastructure and we fully expect that Episcopal Relief & Development will be there for the long haul supporting their important and vibrant ministries.
The challenge of the “Recovery” phase is that most of the television cameras have moved on, but the human suffering has grown. It is a chronic state, not a crisis. However, it is the phase that Episcopal Relief & Development and its partners excel at, because we work with churches that are part of the communities and know the needs best and how to meet them. This phase will last years. The unmet needs in a place like Haiti - which already struggles with immense, chronic poverty - will be monumental.
Right now Episcopal Relief & Development is focused on preparing for the “Relief” phase and securing the resources for the “Recovery” phase.
January 14, 2010: Haiti Earthquake
Dear Friends:
A little more than a year ago, hurricanes cruelly ravaged the island nation of Haiti, a country that has suffered so much. Fate once again has turned against the people of Haiti.
We are all heartbroken by the magnitude of the catastrophe caused by this earthquake. The images and news reports are very difficult to watch. The distress, suffering and loss are hard to bear. Now more than ever, it is time for us to show our compassion and concern for the most vulnerable people in the Americas, our brothers and sisters in Haiti.
I am asking every Episcopalian in Delaware and all of our churches to pray for the victims in Haiti. There are countless families who have been affected. Too many are in mourning, or wondering about their loved ones and friends.
Five years ago Delaware Episcopalians displayed remarkable generosity supporting recovery efforts following the tsunami in Asia. The needs today in Haiti may be even greater.
Our Presiding Bishop, Katharine Jefferts Schori, urges each of us to take concrete action in response to the Haitian earthquake. Please consider making a generous contribution to Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD). The gifts we make will go directly to meet the greatest needs in Haiti. My wife, Holly, and I have already made a gift to ERD for Haiti relief work. We hope that you will join us.
Our thoughts are with Haitian families in communities across Delaware. We also pray for police officers, soldiers, missionaries and humanitarian workers as they seek to respond and begin the hard work of rebuilding.
January 13, 2010: New Rector, Two New Priests
Just before Christmas, the Episcopal Church of Sts. Andrew & Matthew called a new rector. We are very pleased to announce that the Rev. David Andrews, Jr. has accepted the call. He plans to begin his new ministry on February 1. He is coming to Delaware from the Diocese of Maine where he has been serving as rector of Trinity Church, Casteen. Click here to learn more about David Andrews.
David's wife, Emily Gibson, is also a priest. For the last several years she has been working in interim ministry. They are both planning to join us for the first evening of our Clergy Conference at Pendle Hill. We look forward to welcoming them to Delaware. Thanks go to the parish leadership at SsAM's and to the clergy who faithfully served the parish during this transition time.
Our prayers for God's blessing are with Jennifer Andrews Weckerly and Dustin Trowbridge as they begin their new ministries as priests. Saturday was a special day for them and for our diocese. Training and preparation for ordination truly is a community ministry. Special thanks go to all those, who in many different ways, support clergy on the path toward ordination.
Thanks also go to Trinity Church, our host on Saturday and to Christ Church Christiana Hundred for all that they did to make the worship so beautiful and the day so memorable.
We look forward to seeing you on Monday afternoon, January 25th - Wednesday, January 27th for the Winter Clergy Conference. Much has been done to prepare. It should be a very good event.
This coming Sunday I will be visiting Christ Church, Delaware City.
Faithfully, Wayne Wright, Bishop of Delaware
January 6, 2010
Happy Feast of the Epiphany! I hope that you all enjoyed a very Merry Christmas. It was a good time for our family. We had an opportunity to see friends and visit with my parents. As always, the opportunity to worship at the prison in Smyrna on Christmas Eve had special meaning. I always enjoy the Christmas Eve Service at the Cathedral.
This coming Saturday, January 9, Jennifer Andrews Weckerly and Dustin Trowbridge will be ordained to the priesthood at Trinity Parish, Wilmington. Celeste Cox will be the preacher. This is a very happy time and the culmination of much preparation and study. I hope that you are planning to be present. Our prayers with be with Jennifer and Dustin as they begin their new ministries.
At the end of this month we will gather for our Winter Clergy Conference (Monday afternoon, Jan. 25th through Wednesday lunchtime Jan. 27th). At your request the Clergy Life Committee has changed the format for this gathering. The Rev. Eric Law, director of the Kaleidoscope Institute in Los Angeles, will be our presenter. The focus will be on building community and collegiality. It is important that all of us are present. For more information contact Brad Hinton, chair of the Clergy Life Committee or Cynde Bimbi: (302) 656-5441.
This comes with my prayers and hopes for many blessings in the New Year.
Faithfully, Wayne Wright, Bishop of Delaware