Steve Hart ~ WNY Episcopal Peace Fellowship

Launched via a table at the 2006 Diocesan Convention, the WNY Chapter of the Episcopal Peace Fellowship has grown from four to 40 members. About a dozen attend meetings held every six weeks. The ease of recruiting new members is a sign of how deeply people in our diocese desire a more peaceful world.

Over the past year, the chapter has crafted a mission statement and a chapter brochure, selected officers, engaged in theological discussions internally, sponsored several showings of the film Iraq For Sale as an educational service within the diocese, operated a table at the 2007 Diocesan Convention and started developing connections with deaneries and parishes.

The chapter also proposed a resolution on first use of nuclear weapons to the 2007 Diocesan Convention that passed nearly unanimously. The main arguments came from people who wanted a more radical statement condemning all use of nuclear weapons. Bishop Garrison has sent out letters to all U.S. senators and representatives in WNY (See January 2007 Church Acts), putting the convention’s position before them. He will also lead an EPF delegation to discuss the issues personally with Rep. Brian Higgins. We expect to continue the dialogue with Rep. Higgins over the coming months and years.

The process behind the resolution is as important as its adoption was. Chapter members attended all the pre-convention deanery meetings, presenting the resolution, explaining the reasoning behind it and answering questions. A major premise of the resolution is that the United States never had a national debate about the ethics of nuclear weapons before using them at Hiroshima and Nagasaki and that such a debate should happen now, before our government uses them again. Going out to deaneries was a way to start that debate. Having discussions with Rep. Higgins will be another way. This same kind of process needs to happen on many additional peace issues to help our nation move toward a way of relating to other nations that is compatible with Christian ethics.

On January 11, the clergy of the Central Erie Deanery sent an open letter to OutBuffalo, an online gay newsletter. The text of that letters follows:

"We leaders of Episcopal congregations in Buffalo want to offer our apology and ask forgiveness from the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender community. For centuries the institutional church and organized religion have slandered, tortured, disenfranchised and sometimes murdered members of the community. We ask forgiveness for using our Sacred Scriptures to wrongly justify hatred, bigotry, prejudice and violence against those of different affectional orientation and gender identification, both in the past and, unfortunately, still today.

"As leaders of congregations, some of us openly gay and lesbian, we are humbled and vow to use our influence to change not only our religions but our laws that seek to marginalize the LGBT community. If you would like to seek an organized religion, we would urge you to attend as many different denominations and spiritual paths as you can. There are several that will welcome you. If you wish to seek an Episcopal Church, those of us listed below promise a welcoming and loving community for you, and/or your partner and your children."

The churches of the Central Erie Deanery are:

• Episcopal Church of the Ascension, 16 Linwood Avenue, Buffalo
• Ephphatha Church of the Deaf, 96 Jewett Parkway, Buffalo
• Church of the Good Shepherd, 96 Jewett Parkway, Buffalo
• St. John's Grace Episcopal Church, 51 Colonial Circle, Buffalo
• St. Paul's Cathedral, 128 Pearl St., Buffalo
• St. Philip's Episcopal Church, 18 Sussex, Buffalo
• Trinity Episcopal Church, 371 Delaware Avene, Buffalo

St. Peter's-Eggertsville will offer the next installment in its year-long series on Sat. 1/19.

The event begins with Evensong at 5:30 pm followed by a bring your own brown bag dinner. Afterwards the featured presentation will run until approx. 8:00 PM. This month's speaker is Audrey Mang from the Center on Non-Violence. Her interactive topic will be "Non-Violence in the Modern World". Everyone is welcome.

Please direct any questions to Deacon Tom Tripp at 839-5868, or Pastor Barbara Price at 832-9764.