wfn.org | ACNS3605 Reconciliation Ministry inaugurated by Episcopal

["Anglican Communion News Service" <acnslist@anglicancommunion.org>]

ACNS 3605     |     USA     |	  6 OCTOBER 2003 

Reconciliation Ministry inaugurated by Episcopal Divinity School

[ACNS source: Episcopal Divinity School] Episcopal Divinity School
announces the inauguration of a major new ministry for reconciliation
within the church, "Good News: A Congregational Resource for
Reconciliation." In the aftermath of controversy and confusion following
the decision of the General Convention to endorse the election of the
first openly gay bishop in the Anglican Communion, the seminary has
responded with a program designed to bring people on "both sides of the
argument" together in mutual respect with a shared hope for healing and
peace.
"Good News" is a model for small group conversation within any parish
built on the gospel of Jesus Christ. The content for the dialogues comes
from the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The process is
simple and accessible. Guided by a covenant which honors persons of all
opinions, "Good News" seeks to fulfil three goals: (a) to promote a fair
and respectful dialogue among persons who hold different opinions, (b)
to offer a context of reflection on the shared values of the gospel, and
(c) to encourage a process of reconciliation within the life of the
community.

Participants receive a booklet written by EDS's President and Dean, the
Rt Revd Steven Charleston, which guides them through a prayer-centered
experience in how Christians can (and indeed must) stay together even
when the differences between them seem irreconcilable. These booklets
can be purchased from the seminary and then reproduced by the parish
making the "Good News" ministry affordable for any congregation.

As Bishop Charleston writes in the introduction, "Good News" is not
about trying to resolve the debates on human sexuality, but about
helping the Christian community find reconciliation. "At the end of that
path," he writes, "people may still disagree, but they will have found
the peace of Christ which is at the heart of community.... To use Good
News, no one is asked to give up his or her own opinions. They are only
asked to enter into a shared journey with others to search for
reconciliation...they are asked to take the path to peace, even if it
means only taking a few steps at a time."

Those steps are built on the three central visions of the seminary's own
mission: Justice, Compassion, and Reconciliation. "Good News" walks
participants through these three viewpoints on the gospel, shifting the
focus away from the usual repetitive cycle of arguments on fixed
positions and placing it on the call to discipleship every Christian
hears when Jesus says "come, follow me". "Good News" helps communities
discover that they can find reconciliation without resolving all of
their disagreements. Parishes can experience compassion rather than
conflict. They can embrace the peace of Christ, calming fear with the
forgiveness of Jesus.

While "Good News" may be especially timely and supportive for
communities struggling with the issues surrounding the last general
Convention, it is equally helpful for any congregational conflict. It is
a flexible model that can be carried out over a one day retreat, or,
divided into separate sessions over three days. It is intentionally
created to be an adaptable, welcoming, and yet challenging resource for
any congregation to use in its own ministry of healing and Christian
education.

"In a time when people were being called to take sides," said Bishop
Charleston, "EDS decided to stand with Christ in the crossfire. Our
mission is one of reconciliation and that is what the church needs now
more than partisan politics."

For further information, please contact:

Nancy Davidge
99 Brattle Street
Cambridge
MA 02138
USA

Tel: +1 617-868-3450 x 302 
Email: ndavidge@episdivschool.edu
www.episdivschool.edu

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