Episcopal Urban Caucus Marks 30th Anniversary
Jeff Walton
March 3, 2010
This is part of a series of three articles about the 2010 Episcopal Urban Caucus Assembly. For coverage of the Episcopal Peace Fellowship luncheon and non-union contractor controversy at the Episcopal Church Center, click here. For coverage of events surrounding the anti-violence theme, click here.
Concerned about decline in their churches and neighborhoods but hopeful about the future, a small but influential caucus of clergy and laity from urban Episcopal parishes met in Chicago February 24-27.
The Episcopal Urban Caucus (EUC), founded in 1980, commemorated its 30th year of advocacy in the denomination. Consisting of about 130 members, the caucus exercises an outsized pull in the church, promoting liberal politics and, occasionally, revisionist theology. The caucus has a long and successful record of submitting resolutions at General Convention, in partnership with the larger progressive umbrella group called the Consultation. In 2009, almost every political resolution introduced by the group was adopted.
Urban Struggles
Meeting under the theme “Anti-violence: Keeping our Kids Alive,” the caucus focused much of its assembly on gun violence and the challenges of urban ministry. The Rev. Susan Russell of the Diocese of Los Angeles described the afflictions as “a multiplicity of interlocking oppressions.”
In response to an invitation by Episcopal Network for Economic Justice Coordinator Martha Gardner, several caucus members took brief turns speaking to the assembly about how churches in the city were surviving.
Caucus members spoke of “too many dioceses” closing parish churches, with the Detroit-area Diocese of Michigan singled out for folding five congregations.
One young vicar shared her story of recently taking over the leadership of St. Luke’s Church in Baltimore, a 900-seat church with 21 congregants. The vicar shared that the church was attempting to redevelop itself in order to serve the large number of children in the neighborhood.
The struggle to maintain buildings with large expenses was shared by several caucus members. One noted that “churches in the city learned to live without money long ago,” by making ends meet through volunteers and donated supplies.
Another discussed involvement with the Living Stones Partnership, a group within the denomination that encourages the formation of volunteer-led ministry teams. The partnership originated in rural areas but now sees its mission needed in cities.
“The last thing we need to do is close churches in the city,” the caucus member said.
Other caucus members noted efforts to combat racism and homelessness. Two caucus members highlighted efforts to minister to homosexual populations in urban areas.
EUC Coordinator Nell Braxton Gibson shared EUC’s work with the Harvey Milk School in New York City, a public high school for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students. Aside from the assembly itself, the largest portion of the caucus budget goes towards funding the Harvey Milk coordinator position.
Braxton Gibson met with the school principal in order to ascertain how Episcopal churches could assist students. Following budget cuts in the New York City public school system, administrators suggested an arts enrichment program. Braxton Gibson then reached out to three nearby Episcopal parishes who were able to offer volunteers to teach photography, music appreciation, and theater arts.
The EUC had to be vetted before a partnership could begin. According to Braxton Gibson, a large number of individuals in the New York area have expressed interest in volunteering at the Harvey Milk School, but the school exercises caution because motives for the interest in homosexual youth are not always clear.
Music appreciation classes were taught by Jeannine Otis, a member of the national church’s Liturgy and Music Commission as well as Director of Music at St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery. At the end of each semester, the acting and music classes have performances.
“One young woman got up and read poetry, and two others who are transgendered got up and did a poetry reading to rap music to what it’s like to be a transgendered teen,” Braxton Gibson recounted. “Just about everyone was in tears when they finished.”
Themes of Justice
Many caucus workshops and activities were framed as justice issues: social justice, economic justice and ecological justice (including climate justice).
One workshop focused on environmental efforts was titled “Coming Home: Healing the Rift between Economics and Environment.” Led by Michael Schut, Associate Program Officer for Economic & Environmental Affairs with the denomination’s advocacy center, the workshop was conducted with Veronica Kyle of the Chicago-based Faith in Place ministry.
“We don’t necessarily have sustainable practices or educate our congregants on these,” Kyle said, describing a need for more environmental advocacy in churches. Kyle outlined nine steps for individuals to advancing environmental care within their parishes. She argued that much could be done on the grassroots level, but that there was also a need to get involved on the policy level.
“Having green tips in the bulletin is an act of worship,” Kyle said.
Kyle suggested that the issue be phrased as about congregation and community care, “not polar bears and glaciers.”
“If you focus on those, they will always be ‘over there’,” Kyle said.
Kyle also said that environmental sustainability requires sacrifice.
“If we’re going to talk about eco-justice, we’re going to have to talk about how we live.”
“If we’re going to reduce this [carbon emissions] by 80 percent by 2050, we’ve got to leave a legacy of environmental integrity,” Kyle argued, referring to changes in how people eat, shower, and live overall.
“We are addicted to cheap,” Kyle surmised, encouraging the purchase of organic foods over conventionally grown sources. “Every day is a struggle or choice.”
The difficulty of always enacting environmentally friendly practices was humorously illustrated early in the workshop, as participants were served bottled water provided by hotel staff. Earlier in the year, the Consultation had supported the passage of resolution A045 at General Convention, discouraging the use of bottled water.
Outgoing Message
At the conclusion of the assembly, caucus members adopted four resolutions.
Resolution 2010-1 reaffirmed the caucus commitment to the participation and presence of youth, asking the board to allocate money for travel and registration costs of youth and young adult members. Throughout the conference, participants noted the event was heavily populated by retirees and had a smaller youth presence.
Resolution 2010-2 called for support of the Episcopal Services Corps, Resolution 2010-3 called for support of the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment, and Resolution 2010-4 called for the reinstatement of union cleaning workers at the Episcopal Church Center.
At the conclusion of the assembly, EUC President John L. Rabb, suffragan bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, shared that the 2011 EUC assembly will be held in the reorganized Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh, hosted by provisional Bishop Kenneth Price. Each year, according to Rabb, the EUC seeks to move the assembly to a different region of the country. The Pittsburgh assembly will be the first EUC assembly in the Northeast since the Newark assembly in 2005.
"We wanted to support these efforts of the diocese to reorganize," Rabb said, adding that EUC's board of directors is "anxious to support the work they are doing."
The Very Rev. George Werner, former President of the House of Deputies, has been named as the local site coordinator.
“They were very enthusiastic about having us,” Rabb said.