Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Weekly Witness for 16 Jun 2009



In Memory of Brooke Bushong

The Rev. Brooke Bushong, a vocational deacon in the Diocese of New York, passed away on Saturday, June 13th. She was a long-time member of Integrity/New York and the first female president of the chapter. During her administration Integrity/New York grew to over 300 members. Brooke also volunteered for Integrity during several General Conventions.

A celebration of Brooke's life on will be held on Saturday June 20th, 10 a.m., at St. Clement's Episcopal Church, 423 West 46th St., New York, NY 11036. The Rt. Rev. Mark Sisk, Bishop of New York, will preside and the Rev. Dr. Mitties DeChamplain, Rector of St. Clement's, will preach. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Brooke's name to St. Clement's.

Condolences may be sent to Brook's partner, Patti O'Kane, at okbirder@msn.com.

Provincial Synod Presentations End Strong

The last two provincial synod presentations about LGBT issues during General Convention took place in the first half of June. In Province 4, former president Bruce Garner spoke to about 50 bishops and deputies at Kanuga Conference Center. In Province 6, Acting Executive Director John Clinton Bradley conversed with 30 bishops bishops and deputies in Minneapolis.

DURING THESE FINAL WEEKS BEFORE CONVENTION, IT IS VITAL THAT YOUR BISHOPS AND DEPUTIES HEAR YOUR OPINION. Ask them to move the Episcopal Church beyond B033 and forward on marriage equality. Visit http://www.integrityusa.org/all/ for more info.

The Ripple

A Flash version of Integrity's General Convention 2009 graphic novel--as well as the original PDF version--can be viewed at http://www.integrityusa.org/TheRipple/. It reviews some of the key milestone in the history of the Episcopal Church when our understanding of God's inclusive love has expanded.

A paper copy of the "comic book" will be mailed to all bishops and deputies next week. Copies will also be given away at Integrity's booth in Anaheim.

New Facebook Page Just In Time For General Convention

We are officially less than one month away until the 76th General Convention is upon us. Stay connected by becoming a fan of Integrity USA on Facebook [http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rochester-NY/Integrity-USA/115526484127].

By becoming a fan, you can get updates as they happen from the convention, watch IntegriTV--a daily feature TV show during convention, and so much more. By adding it to your News Feed (check your news feed options at the bottom of your home page by clicking 'edit options') you can keep up with the news just like status updates. You'll see feature stories from the blog, daily highlights, discussion and photos, all in one place.

Our current Facebook group page [http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2228025090] will remain up for now, but we will be focusing most of our attention towards the fan page, so please consider becoming a fan today!

Susan Russell Now On Twitter

If you use http://twitter.com/, you can now follow @revsusanrussell for tweets during General Convention!

Unblogged News

Des Moines Register
Gay marriage law's impact on Iowans subtle, yet powerful
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20090614/NEWS/906140353/1001

Concord Monitor
Clergy draw lines on gay marriage
http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090606/FRONTPAGE/906060331/1037/NEWS04

The Associated Press
Gay bishop rejoices in NH's gay marriage vote
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jfIlqXz4tbtDtv21NXrBSaB_WZ9wD98K28V81
Episcopal News Service
All Saints, Pasadena, clergy opt out of civil marriages until gay couples can legally wed
http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81803_109093_ENG_HTM.htm

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