Episcopal Life Daily February 22, 2008
Episcopal Life Online is available at http://www.episcopalchurch.org/elife.
Today's Episcopal Life Daily includes:
* TOP STORY - Seabury-Western Theological Seminary announces major restructuring, discernment * TOP STORY - Episcopal Life Media seeks optimal reporting, staffing structure * DIOCESAN DIGEST - FLORIDA: Tallahassee parish bookkeeper charged with grand theft, money laundering * DIOCESAN DIGEST - GEORGIA: Bishop announces retirement plans * WORLD REPORT - CONGO: Kindu bishop helps open door to democracy * WORLD REPORT - PAKISTAN: Churches see hope in election that shows 'people's will' * WORLD REPORT - PHILIPPINES: Arroyo has waived authority to govern, says Protestant group * TEACHING - Church Publishing Inc. launches new division to serve Christian formation needs of congregations * OPINION - COMMENTARY: Whatever happened to the common good? * ARTS - Contest seeks choral anthems based on works by women * DAYBOOK - February 25, 2008: Today in Scripture, Prayer, History * CATALYST - Episcopal Clerical Directory 2007
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TOP STORIES
Seabury-Western Theological Seminary announces major restructuring, discernment
Chicago-area school to end residential Master of Divinity program, suspend all admissions
By Mary Frances Schjonberg
[Episcopal News Service] Officials of Seabury-Western Theological Seminary (http://www.seabury.edu), saying that the seminary "cannot continue to operate as we have in the past," announced February 20 that the school will stop offering the traditional version of a Master of Divinity degree and would soon develop "a detailed plan for the future operation of Seabury, including a financial plan that brings expenses in line with revenues."
The decision by the Board of Trustees came during its regular February meeting, according to a statement (http://www.seabury.edu/news/b_20080221_Trustees_announcement.php) posted on the Evanston, Illinois-based seminary's website.
"Like many other Episcopal Church institutions, over the past two decades Seabury has both confronted and thought hard about how it can adapt to the challenges and opportunities of the present moment," the statement said. "We believe that the church does not need Seabury in its present form; there are a number of other schools who do what we have traditionally done as well as we do. But we also believe that the church very much needs a seminary animated by and organized around a new vision of theological education -- one that is centered in a vision of Baptism and its implications for the whole church, one which is flexible and adaptive and collaborative in nature."
Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_95159_ENG_HTM.htm
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Episcopal Life Media seeks optimal reporting, staffing structure
[ENS] Episcopal Life Media (ELM) -- the Episcopal Church's integrated system of web, print and broadcast resources serving Episcopalians, seekers and observers -- is working to develop an optimal reporting and staffing structure both long-term and within the budget approved for 2008.
"Achieving an effective balance of online and print media serving the church is our top priority," said ELM director Robert Williams. "This is a unique challenge in the current year when we are working within budgetary limitations, and coverage needs are significant, particularly for this summer's Lambeth Conference in Canterbury."
Consultation with the ELM board of governors and other industry experts to discuss long-range strategy and planning began in December, Williams said, noting that further conversations are scheduled to continue.
Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_95154_ENG_HTM.htm
More Top Stories: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/elife
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DIOCESAN DIGEST
FLORIDA: Tallahassee parish bookkeeper charged with grand theft, money laundering http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81803_95145_ENG_HTM.htm
More Diocesan news: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81803_ENG_HTM.htm
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WORLD REPORT
CONGO: Kindu bishop helps open door to democracy http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81808_95121_ENG_HTM.htm
PAKISTAN: Churches see hope in election that shows 'people's will' http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81808_95146_ENG_HTM.htm
PHILIPPINES: Arroyo has waived authority to govern, says Protestant group http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81808_95148_ENG_HTM.htm
More World news: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81808_ENG_HTM.htm
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TEACHING
Church Publishing Inc. launches new division to serve Christian formation needs of congregations
[Church Publishing] Church Publishing Inc. (CPI) has formed Morehouse Education Resources to encompass CPI's four major curricula lines.
Revitalization and renewal of that company's ability to serve Christian education and formation needs of Christian congregations has been a top priority of Davis Perkins, since becoming publisher of Church Publishing Inc. in the summer of 2007, according to a CPI news release.
Morehouse Education Resources is evidence of the seriousness of that commitment, the release said.
Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/78650_95144_ENG_HTM.htm
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OPINION
COMMENTARY: Whatever happened to the common good?
By Dick Staub
[Religion News Service] So I guess this will be another "confessions of a former talk show host" column.
In the 1990s, soon after the Republicans released their "Contract with America," the Christian Coalition released its "Christian Contract with America." It seemed transparently similar, so when Christian Coalition head Ralph Reed appeared on my show, I asked a simple question.
"Who's doing the theology for the Christian Contract with America?"
Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/80050_95142_ENG_HTM.htm
More Opinion: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/80050_ENG_HTM.htm
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ARTS
Contest seeks choral anthems based on works by women
By Jerry Hames
[Episcopal Life] An international competition for a choral anthem setting that uses the work of women from Voices Found: Women in the Church's Song, a supplement to the Hymnal 1982 of the Episcopal Church, has been launched by the Women's Sacred Music Project.
Inspired by the 12th-century abbess and composer Hildegard of Bingen, the project's mission is to support, develop and perform sacred music by, for and about women at the highest standard of excellence, said Lisa Neufeld Thomas of Philadelphia, president of the organization since its 1996 inception.
"Our vision includes education, performance, composition, promotion and spirituality, all focusing on women. What we are doing now is launching a competition that will promote use of Voices Found," she said. "We ask composers to submit scores for anthems that are based on material found in texts from Voices Found and do a musical setting, or take a hymn text and tune from the book and make an arrangement from it."
Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81827_95124_ENG_HTM.htm
More Arts: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81827_ENG_HTM.htm
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DAYBOOK
On February 25, 2008
* Today in Scripture: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/82457_ENG_HTM.htm * Today in Prayer: Anglican Cycle of Prayer: http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acp/index.cfm * Today in History: On February 25, 1796, Samuel Seabury, first bishop of Episcopal Church in the United States, died.
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CATALYST
Catalyst: "Episcopal Clerical Directory 2007" from Church Publishing, Inc., by Susan T. Erdey, editor, 978 pages, paperback, includes CD-ROM, c. 2007, $90
[Source: Church Publishing, Inc.] The Episcopal Clerical Directory 2007 is the biennial directory of all living clergy in good standing in the Episcopal Church -- more than 18,300 deacons, priests, and bishops. It includes full biographical information and ministry history for each cleric. The fully searchable companion ECD-ROM replicates the clergy biographical information, and also hyperlinks to full information about the more than 7,900 parishes and institutions in which the clergy serve. Clergy entries include email addresses; parish and institution entries on the CD-ROM include email addresses and websites.
To order: Episcopal Books and Resources, online at http://www.episcopalbookstore.org, or call 800-903-5544 -- or visit your local Episcopal bookseller, http://www.episcopalbooksellers.org
More Catalyst: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/83842_ENG_HTM.htm