Bishop Nominee Neal Michell+ Address to the Diocese of Dallas

I have been hunting for pre-walkabout material on the nominees for the next bishop of Upper South Carolina. This is something everyone should do in order to know these guys better. I came across an address to the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas by the Rev. Canon Dr. Neal Michell given on 10/16/2009. I will excerpt some of it, but for those wanting the full text, here is a link.

He starts with a picture of himself and the diocese,

"I stand before you as one of the most hopeful and hope-filled people in the Diocese of Dallas.
Take a moment and look around you. As you look around you will see why I am so hopeful. What you will see are leaders. This room is full of some of the best leaders in the Episcopal Church. I wish you could spend a week with me. If you could, you would spend time as I do with some of the best leaders of our diocese. You make me hopeful for our future.
If you were to spend a week with me, you would talk to a number of clergy from other dioceses, many wanting to come serve in the Diocese of Dallas. Every week I get a call from one or more priests who want to come here because they have heard of all the exciting things going on and what a positive place for ministry it is. We are truly spoiled here in the Diocese of Dallas because this is such a positive, innovative, and supportive diocese to be a part of."

Okay, I don't want any anonymous comments suggesting I move to Dallas (find out why at the bottom).

Later on, Michell+ touches on something else of interest to us in SC. Our diocese has been working to create Spanish language ministries and he notes the progress being made in the Diocese of Dallas. Experience with these congregations and the Spanish liturgy is a plus. Interestingly, they have an active Kenyan and Tanzanian congregation as well as a Korean congregation in the mix.

"• Funding Fr. Noe Mendez on a full-time basis at Holy Nativity, Plano
• St. Mary’s, Irving – Fr. JJ Bernal – from about 75 on a Sunday to about 300 in the Hispanic service; parish called him as rector
o Several families have been added to the non-Hispanic congregation
• St. Luke’s, Dallas – Aquilino Lara, a graduate of Instituto Teológico San Mateo had about 15-20 on a Sunday when he came to assist there less than a year ago; they
now are drawing 75 people per Sunday.
New Hope Church – Korean, meets at St. Andrew’s, Farmers Branch
• Fr. Augustine Lee – they have about thirty in that congregation, and they have a young man that is interested in pursuing holy orders.
Trinity, Dallas, on Hillcrest has over 150 Kenyans worshiping there weekly. They have recently added a worship service targeting Tanzanians. They are currently ministering to about 65 persons.
Ascension, Dallas, is sponsoring their first Sudanese Aspirant for Holy Orders – he is attending Seminary of the Southwest in Austin. He is one of the Lost Boys of Sudan."

And how diversified and improved is their discernment process?

"• We currently have 21 people in the discernment process.
• Nine are scheduled to graduate this coming spring.
o Five are under the age of thirty
o Seven are under the age of forty
o Four are pursuing the Diaconate
o 19 the priesthood
o 7 are women; 14 are men
• In addition, we have four candidates in the Titus Project for rural areas"

Hopefully they are more organized than our process.
Later in the Strategic Planning section he addresses my concern,

"• We have made streamlined the discernment process. As I mentioned above, over half of those in the discernment process are under the age of forty. Those in the discernment process will tell you that our discernment process is more supportive and less adversarial than it has seemed to be in years past."

And speaking of the strategic plan,

"• We have continued to plant churches. We have planted five churches and several new communities of faith, targeting Latinos, young adults, Koreans, and African Immigrants. Approximately ten percent of our average Sunday attendance is traceable to these new communities of faith.
• We are have increased the number of people going on short-term mission trips.
• We have been more intentionally involved in more and more local outreach. We are leaders in the City of Dallas Justice Revival.
• We are revising the way we do communications.
• All Saints Camp continues to be a place where leaders are developed and people deepened in their relationship with Christ.
Have we accomplished the goals we set for ourselves? No. Are more passionate about the gospel as a diocese? Yes. Have we made great strides? Yes. We are a remarkably different diocese than we were nearly nine years ago when we first embarked on our Strategic Plan. We are more mission oriented, more evangelistic, more strategic at every level."

and towards the finish,

"We have not been ritually stringent. Some prefer 'smells and bells,' others use guitars and drums. But the overarching character of our diocese is that we have a passion for the gospel and the apostolic faith, and the unity of the Church is of paramount importance. Apostolic faith and Catholic Unity. "

He appears to be committed to unity, and as Canon of the Ordinary, he has experience with the work of the diocese.

I have one reservation however, and that is, will he hold it against me that I can't stand the Dallas Cowboys?

Stewardship, Burwell+ Style.

This past Sunday we at ECOOS listened to a skit put on by the stewardship committee. ECOOS stewardship campaigns are generally low key and only sometimes come off as desperate pleading. On occasion, we might hear a word from the pulpit about tithing, but it is generally all handed over to the stewardship and finance committees to discuss such matters. During the stewardship committee's skit, I chanced to wonder what was going on in the churches of the various nominees for bishop of Upper South Carolina. Given that each has only a one in six chance of being elected bishop this go round, I suspected that it would be business as usual in those churches. Later, as I relieved myself after coffee hour, imagine my horror as a gnarled, blotched, ancient hand reached under the stall door, pushing an envelope towards my feet.

I whispered, "Deep Pew, is that you?"

I heard no response except for the sound of the door closing. Opening the envelope, I found that Deep had obviously been to church at Holy Cross Sullivan's Island and documented John Burwell's sermon on stewardship. I knew there was some cross pollinization between the two dioceses of South Carolina, but I never guessed that Deep Pew buzzed between here and Sullivan's Island. Thanks Pew, that saved me the trouble of searching through and listening to the recorded sermons on-line (which would have been a little awkward at the time).

Here are some highlights from a sermon given by John Burwell+ on 10/25/2009. He starts off with,

"This morning, Let’s talk about expectations, and impossibilities, and the power of God!
Look with me again at our middle lesson – From the Book of Hebrews, chapter 13. I want to call you attention to verse 6:
'So we say with confidence, The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?!' Have you seen this verse before? Recently? Anybody looked closely at the pledge card in your possession this morning? (That’s right, it’s on the pledge card!)
Do you know why that verse is printed on our pledge cards? It has to do with expectations, impossibilities, and the power of God."

After an exposition on Exodus, we get to where the Israelites are trapped between the Egyptian army and the Red Sea,

"With the calm confidence that only comes from a life surrendered to the Lord, Moses told the Israelites, 'Fear Not!' It’s verse 13. You see it? Middle of the page. Left hand side. Moses says, 'Do not be afraid!'"

Is he actually asking people to read from their Bibles?

"He says 'Stand firm. The Lord will fight your battles, you need only to stay out of his way!'
The only way to become free of fear is to know that God is with us. To know that HE is in charge of all our impossibilities!"

A bit further on,

"What seemed to human eyes to be a cul-de-sac of impossibility wasn't. God still had one more move to make. And the parting of the Sea became a metaphor of what God can do with impossibilities!!"

And towards the end,

"Now, what has this to do with you? In particular, what does MOSES and the Red Sea have to do with the pledge cards you now have in front of you this morning?
Well, God has led you here, to this place and time - Just like God led the Israelites out to the Red Sea. And today – this morning - I'm asking you to place your faith in God's almighty power.
I’m not just asking you to put a dollar amount on the pledge card. I’m asking you to consider what God can do with impossibilities!!
I’m asking you to tithe!

The last time we heard that at ECOOS was about $100,000 ago.

Today is Stewardship Sunday. Today is the day to fill out that Stewardship card and hand it in and make a pledge to God that shows that you trust Him.
...We’re talking this morning about expectations, and impossibilities, and the power of God! All throughout the Bible – in both the Old and the New Testament – the tithe is God’s expectation of his people.
Not because it’s easy to give that much - but because He wants you to trust Him.
Most of us today look at pledging 10% of our income as an impossibility! ...God’s expectation is a tithe, and the majority of us don’t even pledge, so let me tell you I understand if tithing sounds like an impossibility to you!"

He is playing the "T" card, but tying it in with scripture and his theme, clever...

"Hear now the good news!
That Same God, who did the impossible in opening the sea, is the Lord who came and lived among us. All the power of God dwelt in Jesus Christ!! And that Same Power is available to us today through his constant, ever-present, living presence! Make no mistake - Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever! The same love that blessed Israel long ago, has liberated us from the bondage of guilt and sin and self-doubt and condemnation!
Stack up the impossible against that! Go ahead!!!"

"Hmmm...I really should listen to more of those recorded sermons on-line," I thought.

Is the stewardship campaign being conducted at Holy Cross Sullivan's Island really any different from the campaign going on in your church? If so, in what way? If different, does John Burwell's approach work for you?

In fact, I need to find more sermon material from the other nominees too. It would be fun to compare their stewardship sermons. In the absence of any reports from the field, I guess I shall have to keep on digging. After all, there are only six weeks to go before the election.

Oh Deep Pew, where are you?

Go Saints Go!

My old High School team was nicknamed the Saints (after St. Martin). We had rather simple cheers, like "Go Saints Go," and "Block that Kick." The only time we ever had a band was when we bought a bunch of kazoos and played "When the Saints go marchin in." If only we had Satchmo, for just one game, I am sure we would have come out on top more often. I can just picture the crowd in the bleachers, singing this song, stomping their feet, and clapping us on to victory.



Today at ECOOS we celebrated All Saints Day and the Commemoration of the Dead. Fr. Foss delivered the sermon, not from the pulpit, but from the center aisle of the nave. He did a good job of sticking to the Gospel story of Lazarus, although I was a bit skeptical about his use of the term "soul mates" to describe Jesus' relationship to Lazarus' family. I guess it was because our Governor recently used those words to describe an altogether different type of relationship that my mind wandered into no-no land.

Wanting to learn more about the Saints, as well as how we relate to the deceased, I browsed the web a little. As a result, I find myself recommending Father Dean A. Einerson's post for All Saint's Day at A North Woods Anglican. Let me tease you with a sample:

"Ever since the first century there are those who have tried turn the Gospel into myth, into an engaging story to teach timeless truths. There is a great advantage to that approach because it means that then the Gospel is just another tale, just another story, and it will have no more claim on how anyone lives his or her life than any other myth or, for that matter, any other movie. And that is what makes All Saints’ Day important."

and,

"In the Epistle to the Hebrews we read these words: 'Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.' (12:1) The image here is of a stadium filled with all those who have gone before us, cheering us on as we too run our race."

Read it all.

I often kick myself for being so focused on playing the game that I forget about the cheering crowd. Athletes might call that focus, or "being in 'the zone.'"

Might it not be better for us to step out of "the zone" that we find ourselves in, and instead, pay heed to the great cloud of witnesses in the bleachers cheering us on? I want to be on their team!

Let's see, how did that old fight song go?

"Oh when the Saints go marching in,
Oh when the Saints go marching in,
Oh yes I want to be in that number,
When the Saints go marching in.


Oh when the Saints refuse to lose,
Oh when the Saints refuse to lose,
Oh yes I want to be in that number,
When the Saints refuse to lose.

Oh when the score begins to rise,
Oh when the score begins to rise,
Oh yes I want to be in that number,
When the score begins to rise."

Updating Petition Nominee Linder+

Since my last post, the search committee has updated nominee Philip Linder's information to include the answers that he provided to the search committee before he withdrew from the process.
I am still trying to find time to review those pages.

In addition, questions have arisen regarding one part of his C.V. where he stated that "Trinity gives 25% of her budget to outreach." No, I am not questioning the use of the gender specific, "her" to refer to Trinity Cathedral because that might draw me back into the "Divine Feminine" argument again. I am just left wondering about those numbers. In our parish, 25% of our budget going to outreach would necessitate spending $125,000 out our $500,000 total, whereas the budget calls for just $8,000 for mission and outreach. So how can Trinity Cathedral spend 25%, or $711,325 for mission and outreach out of her budget of $2,845,300?

This is where I kick myself for not taking that creative accounting class in college.

Dubious, I went to the Cathedral's web pages and found a budget statement from February, 2009 attached to their vestry minutes (scroll to the bottom 25% of .pdf file). On page 3 of the budget you should find the "Analysis of Revenues and Expenses." This shows $145,275 budgeted for "Total Outreach" which calculates to 5.1% of the total budget. This leaves $566,050 of some other budget items that would have to be re-considered to be part of outreach in order to bring us up to my earlier calculated total of $711,325. So I tried to be creative and took the "Education and Christian Formation" line and added the "Basketball" line, the "Music" line, and "Pastoral Care" line, together, and was able to come up with an additional $93,736. I am still far short, so I added in "Diocesan Support" which brings me up to $594,242 which is close enough to allow me to drop the "Basketball" and "Pastoral Care."

If I can just submit my request to the rev. Linder for an additional 25% of time, I just might get finished reading his answers to the search committee's questions.

Oh well, we are electing a bishop and not an accountant.

Comparing the Nominees 2: The Three to Watch

As I start this next post, I am considering Rob Eaton+'s suggestion about questions for the nominees during the walkabouts, but that is fodder for a post of its own.

Currently, I am faced with the difficult problem of differentiating between the next three. John Burwell+, Neal Michell+, and Stockton Williams+. They all appear to be theologically conservative based on their responses to the question of how to handle a rector who asks to perform a same sex blessing, and this distinguishes them from the others. All three are from outside the diocese (as is our current bishop +Henderson).

In alphabetical order:

1. John Burwell+

Things I liked:

a. His 2 minute video: He is comfortable in front of the camera and microphone which his background in broadcasting may have given him an edge.

b. A solid record of church growth. Rather than battle the ever changing links, I will give you the link to the research pages of the Episcopal church. Church attendance has more than doubled over the past 10 years, and this is a remarkable phenomenon that a wise diocese would want to study.

c. He mentions the "E" word.

"My vision would not be primarily about evangelism, outreach, pastoral care or missionary work – it would be about developing the parishes and missions within the Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina so that they would be more effective at evangelism, outreach, pastoral care and missionary work."

d. He has roots in Rock Hill.

e. Audio sermons are available.

f. Windsor compliant.

Potential Downsides:

a. He is currently in the Diocese of South Carolina which might alarm "liberal" clergy and delegates. I have heard mutterings of prejudice against "that diocese," and I shall have to keep my ears alert to any questions at the walkabouts pertaining to his votes on resolutions of the diocese.

b. His video style has caused at least one liberal to whisper in my ear, "We might become Baptists."

c. I don't yet have typed sermons which I can review much quicker than the audios.

2. Neal Michell+

Things I liked:

a. Experience with conflict resolution.

b. Willingness to study the Anglican Covenant and issues of sexuality with clergy.

c. Includes the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches amongst our ecumenical partners.

d. Has served his time as Canon of the Ordinary.

e. Has been nominated before.

f. Windsor compliant.

Potential Downsides:

a. A sermon library for review. I found a "Recent Sermons" page from St. Luke's in Dallas that had some older sermons, but has not been updated for 2 years, and I could not get the sermons to pop up.

b. Since he is serving as Canon of the Ordinary, he does not have a current "growth and development" curve to study.

c. I need to know how the diocese under his leadership will respond to innovations in the resolutions of the General Convention of the Episcopal church.

d. Proposes to let the clergy review with their congregations the discussions of sexuality and the Anglican Covenant. Certain parishes will not get a fair discussion, and certain clergy may not be up to the task.

e. Has to become better known.

3. Stockton Williams:

What I liked:

a. Sense of humor. This is apparent in his video.

b. His faith story struck me as the most intimate.

c. In his faith story, he uses the "J" word.

d. "High energy." Sounds eager to spread the Good News.

e. Helped "found the Communion Partner Rectors."

f. Has been in a bishop search process before.

g. Windsor compliant, supports the Anaheim Statement (which +Henderson signed)

Potential Downsides:

a. Parish growth chart through 2008 needs explaining.

b. Sense of humor may come off as less than "Your Grace" like.

c. I hear he is better in person, and many will not get a personal look at him.

d. Who ever heard of Kerrville, Texas? (This from someone who lives in Rock Hill, SC)

e. I don't have a good sermon library to review.

I am finding myself looking closer at their potential to turn around a diocese that appears to be in decline. I have expressed earlier that we in Upper South Carolina cannot continue on with business as usual and hope to spread the Good News of Christ crucified and resurrected to the unchurched. It is from these three that I am looking for leadership into a new way of "being church."

Unfortunately, many in Upper South Carolina are blissfully uninformed of the state of the church. They have been fed the "All is Well" line for way too long. How will these people react to an "outsider" who might shake things up, who might bring in conservative clergy, and who might not do things the way we are used to doing?

In my previous post, I mentioned some things that interest me: church growth, and winning souls for Christ. This is where I have to use a hot-button term, "evangelism." When I say the word evangelism, I mean to keep it simple: spreading the Gospel message. This should be a simple task, yet our own failed "Decade of Evangelism" in this diocese is sufficient evidence that we are doing it wrong, if we are doing it at all. Of course, the blissfully uniformed pewsitters might be perfectly content with punching the clock each Sunday, and might become alarmed by changes in what they perceive to be "their church." Indeed, I myself have a penchant for a "high church" style, and will be the first to complain about tambourines and guitars, but Evangelism "done right" should lead to the other two things, winning souls, and growth.

These three men give me hope. Now to choose between them...

Comparing the Upper South Carolina Bishop Nominees 1: The Reappraiser/Revisionist Question

In comparing the six nominees presented thus far, I believe that I need to first provide a definition (my own version).

Reappraiser: An individual who interprets scripture to fit a particular (usually novel and non-traditional) goal (usually social or political). This interpretation of scripture includes the freedom to ignore, or to consider unreliable or of historical interest only, those passages that might weaken their arguments. Also referred to as "Liberal."

Close kin is the "Revisionist" which according to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary comes from "revisionism:"

"1 : a movement in revolutionary Marxian socialism favoring an evolutionary rather than a revolutionary spirit
2 : advocacy of revision (as of a doctrine or policy or in historical analysis)"

Some consider the term "revisionist" to be derogatory, true revisionists consider it to be an honor, "Heroes of the Revolution" in their realm.

Their method of Biblical interpretation is the fundamental problem with the Episcopal church today. It allows for a re-writing of scripture to suit whatever cultural change is in the wind. I believe it was former Bishop Bennison who said something to the effect of, "the church wrote the Bible and could therefore re-write it." (I quoted David Virtue's article.) Ultimately this leads to a weakening of doctrine, and a weakening of the Body of Christ.

It is my belief that those who support the ordination of openly gay, divorced men and their elevation to bishop can only get there by the reappraiser/revisionist method.

Likewise, those who would support the Church creating a liturgy for the blessing of same sex sexual relationships can only get there by the reappraiser/revisionist method.

This is not to say that reappraisers/revisionists are bad people, but they do make bad bishops.

I refer to p 517 of the 1979 BCP and the examination of the candidate:
The Examination

"All now sit, except the bishop-elect, who stands facing the bishops. The Presiding Bishop addresses the bishop-elect

My brother, the people have chosen you and have affirmed their trust in you by acclaiming your election. A bishop in God's holy Church is called to be one with the apostles in proclaiming Christ's resurrection and interpreting the Gospel, and to testify to Christ's sovereignty as Lord of lords and King of kings.

You are called to guard the faith, unity, and discipline of the Church; to celebrate and to provide for the administration of the sacraments of the New Covenant; to ordain priests and deacons and to join in ordaining bishops; and to be in all things a faithful pastor and wholesome example for the entire flock of Christ.

With your fellow bishops you will share in the leadership of the Church throughout the world. Your heritage is the faith of patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and martyrs, and those of every generation who have looked to God in hope. Your joy will be to follow him who came, not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Are you persuaded that God has called you to the office of bishop?"

You will immediately notice that we have a problem when a reappraiser Presiding Bishop presumes to examine the reappraising candidate with these words. The reappraiser has broken from the teachings of the Apostles and their interpretation of the Gospels. The reappraiser has broken free from the heritage of the patriarchs, prophets, Apostles, and blessed martyrs. The reappraiser, having advanced into modernity, can look at those ancients as relics of history, and he can pick and choose from them as he pleases.

So comparisons should be made as to whether or not a candidate is a reappraiser.

After studying the nominees on this blog last week (scroll through the older posts if you missed them), it is clear to me that the following men clearly fall in the reappraiser camp.

Reappraiser 1. W. Andrew Waldo+ Trinity Episcopal Church Excelsior, Minnesota
He lands on this list by virtue of his statement that his "old friend and mentor" is Bishop Gene Robinson, and his sermon that was quoted in my previous post in which he said:

"I would say that we need to 'read, mark, learn and inwardly digest' scripture well and often enough to know the difference between biblical texts that convey essential, enduring truths, and biblical texts that are decidedly rooted in and have deep meaning only for a culture that is no longer in existence. In other words, some scripture texts are more important than others. Hardly anyone would, for example, suggest that the Song of Solomon is as important as Genesis or that Paul’s Letter to Philemon is as important as any of the four Gospels."

Likewise his responses to the question of same sex blessings:

"The answer here must follow from what I’ve said above: that because our Church is not of one mind on this issue we cannot act unilaterally, and I would not therefore sanction such blessings in the Diocese until we have, through General Convention, reached a decision. Even if/when that time comes, I believe that a priest and the congregation he or she serves should have the pastoral freedom to address such changes constructively over time."

No mention of scripture. He has thrown that out in typical reappraiser style and instead of referring back to what should be his guide, he will do what the infinitely wise General Convention decides.

His acceptance of communion of the unbaptized at his parish is an indicator of his acceptance of the revisionism of tradition.

Reappraiser 2. Philip Linder+ Trinity Episcopal Cathedral Columbia, South Carolina
Without a doubt Linder has succumbed to the reappraisers siren song. As my earlier post comments, he supports the ordination of openly homosexual persons in defiance of all tradition and scripture. In addition to his having "had a hand in crafting the controversial resolution D025," we saw earlier in 2006 in an article he wrote in "The State" newspaper,

"What is at stake here is the very soul of the Episcopal Church and Anglicanism. Our Anglican theology and heritage has held for centuries against radical liberalism or radical conservatism, maintaining that God’s truth is to be ultimately found in the tension of those extremes, and not in the extremes themselves. Today, human sexuality has become the front where those seeking to undermine Anglican identity for their definition of truth are waging the battle.

The extreme conservatives claim it is about biblical truth and homosexuality. Yet is it not also
about the role and place of women in the church? How have these same conservatives reconciled biblical literalism with passages on divorce, tithing and working against the unity of Christ’s church?

On the other side, the extreme liberals keep pushing the envelope of human sexuality further. It is now not just about gays and lesbians, it is also about bisexuals and transgender persons. Are they asking the church to argue that God creates people as bisexuals as well as of the incorrect sex?

True Anglicanism holds to the authority of scripture, tradition and reason."

I think he believes he is a moderate, but his actions at GC 2009 put him squarely in the "radical liberal" camp.

Reappraiser 3. David F.O. Thompson+ St. Bartholomew's Church North Augusta, South Carolina.
I believe he is also a reappraiser, on the basis of his responses to the search committee regarding same sex blessings:

"...we in Upper SC should follow"

...the lead of the General Convention.

" ...With regard to sexual orientation my personal opinion is this. Based upon my understanding of scientific and psychological evidence and upon personal experience, I do not believe that anyone chooses his/her sexuality. I believe that eventually a same gender blessing will be passed by the General Convention and that the Diocese will have to deal with this reality..."

This response was crafted to try to hide his liberal views but exposes an indecisiveness by deferring to the uncannily brilliant GC of TEC.


Bottom line:
None of these three nominees are suitable to be a bishop based on the reappraiser/revisionist question.

The problem is, that people will see them as "nice" men, and not see the potential for harm from their unsure foundation.

As a result of their reappraiser status, they would take our church away from the traditional understanding of what the Bible advises us to look for in a leader of the church, and away from traditional understanding of marriage. They may sound like they mean well, but their leadership, or lack thereof, will invariably cause our diocesse to walk apart from Biblical truths and the rest of the Anglican Communion. None of these nominees are compatible with our profile as a diocese, where the overwhelming majority of people favor compliance with the Windsor process.

My next question is whether or not I should waste any more ink on them. I was wanting to delve into questions of evangelism, church growth, and winning souls for Christ, but I do not think these three nominees are capable of doing anything other than continuing the current ways of "being church" that have led to the decline of the Episcopal church in Upper South Carolina, Minnesota, and the United States.

I should probably move on to the more qualified candidates: Burwell+, Michell+, and Williams+.

Whatcha think?

Le Serment Pour Dimanche. 25 Octobre

Today at ECOOS we hosted Fr. Fritz LaFontant along with daughter Marie Flore Chipps and Bossuet Sainvilus all from Haiti. Fr. LaFontnat delivered the sermon in French which was translated as he proceeded to discuss the Gospel story of the healing of Bartimaeus, the blind man outside of Jericho. (Mark 10:46-52)

It was fun to listen to the Gospel in French although that could distract people from Fr. LaFontant's method. He stayed within the confines of the message of the lesson and did not wander. We heard of faith and of Jesus' power. A rare treat for us.

In speaking with him, he and his group are always eager to invite people to come to Cange and learn more about their mission and find out where they can contribute. Currently they are working to upgrade their water supply and sanitation, but there are countless other needs there and in the surrounding villages.

Visit Partners in Health for information on this and other opportunities.

_________________(Original Church in Cange)____________