Theology for All - Expands Learning Across the Diocese
It’s a Thursday night, and twenty people have gathered on Zoom to discuss theology and ethics. Participants – mostly lay people – join from across New Hampshire. The conversation is lively, thoughtful, and often punctuated by laughter.
This is the Seminar in Theology and Ethics, part of a new initiative from the Diocese of New Hampshire’s School for Ministry (SFM): Theology for All – a series of courses open to anyone seeking a deeper understanding of Christian faith and practice.
Led by the Rev. Joe Pagano, one of the Deans of the School for Ministry, the 10-week course reflects an intentional broadening of the SFM’s mission. For the past five years, the School has focused primarily on training those preparing for ordination or lay preaching certification. Theology for All expands that work – creating space for anyone in the Diocese who is curious, engaged, and eager to grow.
Participants say the experience is already making a meaningful impact.
“As a result of the class, I’ve found myself looking at familiar things in a different way,” said Karla Tolomeo of Church of the Good Shepherd. “It’s enriching how I understand both Christian ethics and my role in the church community.”
Others note how the course is shaping their experience of worship.
“Last Sunday’s Eucharistic prayer took on extra meaning,” said Ray Morton-Ewbank of Church of the Transfiguration in Derry, “recalling our recent discussion and seeing how it connects to our shared spiritual story.”
For some, the course offers a chance to re-engage with theological study after many years.
“The class has been enormously stimulating,” said the Rev. John McCausland, a retired priest who worships with St. Andrew’s in Hopkinton. “It’s been hard to keep up with academic theology since seminary, and this fills a real gap. The readings and discussion are just what I need.”
Participants are even joining from beyond the Diocese.
“I’m grateful to be part of this learning adventure,” said Gary Yacono, a deacon in formation from the Diocese of Newark. “It’s been informative, engaging, and a pleasure to connect with people from New Hampshire.”
For Dr. Pagano, the course affirms something important: that serious theological engagement is not limited to specialists.
“We are reading works by two of today’s leading theologians,” he said, “and our experience shows that we can read serious theology, seriously. It’s not just for ‘experts,’ and it doesn’t need to be simplified. People can learn together and grow together.”
That spirit of shared learning is at the heart of Theology for All – and it’s just beginning.
In the words of Karla Tolomeo, “Since the class, I have found myself looking at familiar things in a different way, enriching how I view both Christian ethics and my role in the church community. Joe is an extremely knowledgeable and organized facilitator who presents thoughtful questions for discussion based on the readings.”
For those who have taken part so far, the impact is clear: deeper understanding, renewed engagement, and a stronger connection to faith, worship, and one another. The next Theology For All course, What on Earth Should I Do? Useful Pastoral Care Techniques for Lay People, begins June 1. Find out more here.
Photo: the Rev. Joe Pagano teaching.
Micah 6 Commission: A Year of Building Relationships for Local Justice
When the Most Reverend Michael Curry, 27th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, travelled to Portsmouth, New Hampshire last February to speak along with Bishop Rob at the Black Heritage Trail of NH’s celebrated “Tea Talk,” it was a perfect example of the power of the Micah 6 initiative and how it brings people and organizations together in the name of social justice. The event was held in a synagogue, was open to all, and drew a large audience who were thirsty for wisdom and encouragement. The Bishops didn’t disappoint. Their vastly different experiences growing up, their bond of friendship, and their shared faith made for interesting conversation, storytelling and ways to further racial justice. The crowd was mesmerized. This is one example of how the Micah 6 Commission – just one year into its existence – is shaping how the Episcopal Church of NH is taking action with partner organizations.
Now just one year since its formation in April 2025, the Micah 6 Commission is making strides. The Commission was formed as a way to streamline and empower parishes to take action against racism, economic inequity, and environmental degradation. The work is guided by the principles of Micah 6:8, which emphasizes the importance of doing justice, being kind, and walking humbly with God.
“Micah 6 is a guiding call for how we live our faith and baptismal covenant,” says Commission Chair Derek Scalia. “Our world is hurting, and people are yearning for points of light and relief. Through this work, we seek to embody the call to do justice.”
Created to combine our local efforts around reconciliation, earth care, educational equity, and reparations, Micah 6 has found a sibling in the Global Missions Committee, which focuses on international social justice work, while Micah 6 focuses on New Hampshire organizations already doing critical justice work.Rather than creating new programs, Micah 6 focuses on building relationships with these current initiatives. These partnerships reflect shared learning, mutual respect, and a commitment to long-term impact. Among its early collaborations:
Supporting Black Heritage Trail of NH “Tea Talks,” fostering dialogue on race and history
Partnering with the NH Fair Funding Project to advocate for equitable education
Advancing environmental stewardship through the New England Episcopal Path to Creation Justice initiative
John Rowntree, parish treasurer at Good Shepherd Church in Nashua, urges Episcopalians to consider joining churches in Claremont, Keene and Londonderry that are currently participating in the New England Episcopal Path to Creation Justice , a program which provides support and tools to parishes committed to addressing the climate crisis. Rowntree says the Micah 6 Commission contributed a three-year grant to support them. Says Rowntree, “We have done multiple projects to reduce our 148-year-old church’s carbon footprint, including insulation, improving our historic church windows, changing lightbulbs and implementing 35 solar panels. It feels really good to make a difference and helps us be strong financial stewards because we have reduced our energy costs.”
The Commission is made up of 12 members in addition to Bishop Rob. The Commission meets monthly and has held two major planning sessions over the last year.
It has also helped distribute $85,000 in Coit House funds, administered through the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, to support a wide range of community organizations – from childcare centers and summer camps to youth programs and family services.
At its core, the Micah 6 Commission is grounded in the belief that justice work begins in relationships.
“We are not here to solve every problem,” Commission leaders note. “We are here to listen, to accompany, and to support the work already unfolding in our communities.”
This relational approach is already strengthening parish life across the Diocese. By sharing stories, connecting congregations to opportunities, and deepening engagement, the Commission is helping Episcopalians live out their call to justice in tangible ways.
As the Commission enters its second year, it is building a more intentional structure to sustain and grow this work: strengthening communication, aligning resources, and supporting parishioners in integrating justice, mercy, and humility into every aspect of ministry.
Ultimately, the Micah 6 Commission is an invitation: to listen more deeply, to partner more intentionally, and to participate more fully in the work of healing and justice across New Hampshire. Commission members believe that justice takes root most fully when nurtured in parish communities that pray, learn, and serve together. They are committed to ensuring that the wisdom gained becomes a resource for congregations seeking to deepen their own ministries of justice. These faithful committee members believe that sharing stories and opportunities strengthens parish life and inspires local action rooted in the Gospel.
To share your stories of social justice work at your church or to find out more about Micah 6 please email Derek Scalia at dnascalia@gmail.com.
Top - Micah 6 Committee members at a planning meeting; bottom left - solar panels on the roof of the Good Shepherd complex in Nashua; bottom right - Tea Talk with Most Rev. Michael Curry, in Portsmouth.
North Country COVID Memorial Created
Several parishioners from All Saints’ Littleton, and students and faculty from White Mountain School in nearby Bethlehem have created a memorial for Americans who've died of COVID. Each made with love and prayer, over 500 origami stars (one for every thousand Americans who have died) was created.
Several parishioners from All Saints’ Littleton, and students and faculty from White Mountain School in nearby Bethlehem have created a memorial for Americans who've died of COVID. Each made with love and prayer, over 500 origami stars (one for every thousand Americans who have died) was created.
On the one year anniversary of New Hampshire proclaiming a state of emergency (March 13), the group of volunteers hung the stars in the window of a local bakery with a sign in memoriam that was donated by a local copy shop.
Several stars were also created and donated by students from the local high school. The memorial project was a full community endeavor — a way to process and sit with this very difficult year, and remember those we've lost.
Photo: (L to R) Deborah Davison, Questa Anderson, and Barbara Buckley are All Saint’s parishioners who helped with the installation.
$40,000 Grant Awarded to Youth Theatre Group at Christ Church Exeter
Christ Church, Exeter, is excited to announce that its youth theatre program, The Pine Street Players at Christ Church, has been awarded $40,000 by the Empowering Youth Program — a part of New Hampshire’s Invest in the Future Fund.
Christ Church, Exeter, is excited to announce that its youth theatre program, The Pine Street Players at Christ Church, has been awarded $40,000 by the Empowering Youth Program — a part of New Hampshire’s Invest in the Future Fund.
The funding is designed to expand opportunities for New Hampshire’s children who, after months of remote learning and canceled summer programming due ti COVID, may be experiencing the adverse effects of social isolation.
Through the art of theatre, The Pine Street Players fosters emotional intelligence and communication abilities, encourages a strong awareness of self and others, and increases the self-discipline and self-confidence of their performers.
Throughout the pandemic, the Pine Street Players, led by Artistic Director Lexi Meunier, has continued to offer theatre activities to the young people it serves. Moving to online workshops, safe and socially distanced in-person programming, and performances streamed online, The Pine Street Players continues to give New Hampshire children and teens opportunities to exercise their creativity and to build social relationships.
The funds provided by the grant will help Christ Church host and support the Pine Street Players, an important ministry that reaches children and teens from Christ Church and many young people from the larger community as well.
To learn more about the Pine Street Players, visit https://www.pinestreetplayerscc.com/
All Saints’ Littleton, Launches Academic Support Program for Local Schools
All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Littleton, NH, is introducing an Academic Support Program for students at the local high school and middle school, tapping into the talents, knowledge, and skills of volunteers from the congregation. The Rev. Kathy Boss, Curate of All Saints' is leading the effort, which has already attracted several volunteers.
All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Littleton, NH, is introducing an Academic Support Program for students at the local high school and middle school, tapping into the talents, knowledge, and skills of volunteers from the congregation. The Rev. Kathy Boss, Curate of All Saints' is leading the effort, which has already attracted several volunteers.
The impetus for the program is the state's widening education gap -- increasing gaps in local school funding levels, student achievement, and available resources during COVID, such as access to technology for remote learning. Also, in creating "Our Kids" Commission in 2016, New Hampshire's Bishop Rob challenged all “...to find and serve the Child Jesus in our communities by helping congregations move away from asking how can we get more young people from our community in the doors of our church to asking, how can we go out the doors of our church to serve the needs of young people in our communities?” All Saints’ Academic Support Program seeks to answer that call.
The program, which is free to students, will recruit, train, and pair academic volunteers with students in grades 7-12. Students will meet with their academic support volunteers 2-4 times per month, for 30-45 minute sessions. Work may focus on student organizational skills, academic progress, projects and assignments, learning standards, and encouragement and support, depending on the needs of the student.
The thoughtfully designed program will provide training, a background check, and academic mentoring structures and frameworks to prepare volunteers, offer ongoing support, and deliver a robust academic program for local students.
To view a 15-minute introductory video created by Rev. Kathy for the All Saints' program, click on this link:
https://www.loom.com/share/bfc3074e7cb4483a845f015f6039e366
With the support of the schools' principals, the program will begin at Littleton High School and Daisy Bronson Middle School. Program flyers will be sent to guidance counselors to distribute to families. In addition, the program will be promoted on the schools' Facebook pages to reach families.
If you are interested in learning more, and how you might develop a similar program in your community, contact the Rev. Kathy Boss at kboss.allsts@gmail.com.
In the News: Bishop Rob writes a “My Turn” Opinion Column in Concord Monitor
In the News: Bishop Rob writes a “My Turn” opinion column about New Hampshire education funding and proposed legislation in the Concord Monitor. Read it here.
In the News: Bishop Rob writes a “My Turn” opinion column about New Hampshire education funding and proposed legislation in the Concord Monitor. Read it here.
https://www.concordmonitor.com/Voucher-bill-38781024
In the News: St. Andrew's New London Youth Group Creates Memorial for COVID Victims
Watch WMUR’s story about a Prayer Flag Memorial created by the Youth Group at St. Andrew’s New London.
Watch WMUR’s story about a Prayer Flag Memorial created by the Youth Group at St. Andrew’s New London. On February 6, 2021, the Youth Group at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in New London opened a Memorial Prayer Flag display to honor the over 1,000 lives lost to COVID-19 in N.H. The display is set up adjacent to the church’s prayer labyrinth, allowing visitors to contemplate and remember as they walk among the hundreds of flags — each one lovingly sewn and decorated as a memorial to those who have died, those who cared for them, and those who grieve.
N.E. Episcopal Bishops Respond with One Voice to President’s “Cynical” Photo-Op
New England Episcopal bishops respond with one voice to President’s “cynical” photo-op by calling out “the abomination of continued oppression of and violence against people of color in this nation”
What President Trump did in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square on the evening of June 1 was disgraceful and morally repugnant.
New England Episcopal bishops respond with one voice to President’s “cynical” photo-op by calling out “the abomination of continued oppression of and violence against people of color in this nation”
What President Trump did in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square on the evening of June 1 was disgraceful and morally repugnant. Displaying a Bible from which he did not quote, using as a mere backdrop an Episcopal church where he did not pray, and – more callously – ordering law enforcement to clear, with force and tear gas, a path through demonstrators who had gathered in peace, President Trump distorted for his own purposes the cherished symbols of our faith to condone and stoke yet more violence.
His tactic was obvious. Simply by holding aloft an unopened Bible he presumed to claim Christian endorsement and imply that of The Episcopal Church. Far more disturbingly, he seemed to be affecting the authority of the God and Savior we worship and serve, in order to support his own authority and to wield enhanced use of military force in a perverted attempt to restore peace to our nation.
His actions did nothing to mend the torn social fabric of our nation. Instead, they were a blatant attempt to drive a wedge between the people of this nation, and even between people of faith. No matter where we may stand on the partisan spectrum, we, as Christian leaders called to proclaim a God of love, find his actions repugnant. Jesus taught us to love our enemies, to seek healing over division, and make peace in the midst of violence.
Our church may rightly feel outraged and insulted by having the symbols of our faith used as a set prop in a cynical political drama. The real abomination before us, however, is the continued oppression of and violence against people of color in this nation. Let us reserve and focus the energies of our indignation to serve our Lord Jesus Christ’s higher purpose: to extend love and mercy and justice for all, and especially for those whose life, liberty, and very humanity is threatened by the persistent sin of systemic racism and the contagion of white supremacy.
The Rt. Rev. Laura J. Ahrens, Bishop Suffragan, Connecticut
The Rt. Rev. Ian T. Douglas, Bishop Diocesan, Connecticut
The Rt. Rev. Thomas James Brown, Bishop Diocesan, Maine
The Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates, Bishop Diocesan, Massachusetts
The Rt. Rev. Gayle E. Harris, Bishop Suffragan, Massachusetts
The Rt. Rev. A. Robert Hirschfeld, Bishop Diocesan, New Hampshire
The Rt. Rev. W. Nicholas Knisely, Bishop Diocesan, Rhode Island
The Rt. Rev. Shannon MacVean-Brown, Bishop Diocesan, Vermont
The Rt. Rev. Douglas J. Fisher, Bishop Diocesan, Western Massachusetts
Province I of The Episcopal Church comprises the seven Episcopal dioceses of New England.
Statement from the Episcopal Bishops of New England on the Disestablishment of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe
The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, the People of the First Light, have lived in what is now known as southeastern New England for 12,000 years. 400 years ago they sheltered the pilgrims in need of refuge and care. After giving that precious gift of hospitality, the Mashpee Wampanoag endured and overcame generations of persecution, oppression and marginalization. Today they are threatened with having their reservation lands taken out of trust and being disestablished by the United States government in their own homeland.
The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, the People of the First Light, have lived in what is now known as southeastern New England for 12,000 years. 400 years ago they sheltered the pilgrims in need of refuge and care. After giving that precious gift of hospitality, the Mashpee Wampanoag endured and overcame generations of persecution, oppression and marginalization. Today they are threatened with having their reservation lands taken out of trust and being disestablished by the United States government in their own homeland.
As Christians, we are called by Christ to love our neighbors as ourselves and to grow as a community rooted in love. As Episcopalians, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, The Most Rev. Michael Curry, has called us to work towards a beloved community of racial healing, reconciliation and justice. In this season of Easter in which we celebrate Christ’s Resurrection, we celebrate the Creator’s power of resurrection, justice and love over the powers of death, oppression and empire. In that spirit, we cannot and must not ignore what is happening to the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe today.
On March 27, 2020, Chairman Cedric Cromwell/Qaqeemasq wrote: “At 4:00 pm today -- on the very day that the United States has reached a record 100,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and our Tribe is desperately struggling with responding to this devastating pandemic -- the Bureau of Indian Affairs informed me that the Secretary of the Interior has ordered that our reservation be disestablished and that our land be taken out of trust. Not since the termination era of the mid-twentieth century has a Secretary taken action to disestablish a reservation… It begs the question, what is driving our federal trustee's crusade against our reservation?” Vice Chairwoman Jesse Little Doe Baird spoke in a statement on March 29th, 2020 about the injustice of removing land out of trust for the tribe and putting tribal housing, language and school programs in dire risk. She called for the public to reach out and support the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe by contacting the Senate and the Secretary of the Interior.
The Episcopal Church has renounced the Doctrine of Discovery and expressed solidarity with indigenous peoples. https://www.episcopalarchives.org/cgi-bin/acts/acts_resolution.pl?resolution=2012-A131 At the same time, we acknowledge that we have made our own mistakes in the past, rooted in colonization, selfishness and prejudice in mistreating the Wampanoag people and the many indigenous peoples of this land. In the Gospels (Mark 2:17), Jesus Christ called his followers to metanoia - that is to repentance- to a change in direction and in our way of life which is lived towards God. In this way we must be connected with and supportive of the Wampanoag and the indigenous peoples of this land. In solidarity with the Mashpee Wampanoag people, we call on the United States Department of the Interior and the political leaders of this land to honor and respect the reservation lands of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe.
Responding to the Mashpee Wampanoag call for support and advocating with the tribe, we ask you to consider taking any or all of the actions listed below.
The Episcopal Bishops of New England:
The Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates, Massachusetts
The Rt. Rev. Gayle E. Harris, Massachusetts
The Rt. Rev. Carol J. Gallagher, Massachusetts
The Rt. Rev. Ian T. Douglas, Connecticut
The Rt. Rev. Laura J. Ahrens, Connecticut
The Rt. Rev. W. Nicholas Knisely, Rhode Island
The Rt. Rev. Douglas J. Fisher, Western Massachusetts
The Rt. Rev. Shannon MacVean-Brown, Vermont
The Rt. Rev. Thomas J. Brown, Maine
The Rt. Rev. A. Robert Hirschfeld, New Hampshire
On May 15, 2019 the Mashpee Wampanoag Reservation Reaffirmation Act HR312 was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. The U.S. Senate is yet to take up the HR312 legislation.
CALL YOUR SENATORS
ASK: Please protect the Mashpee Reservation by passing HR 312
WRITE TO SENATE INDIAN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN HOEVEN AND RANKING MEMBER UDALL
ADDRESS:
The Honorable John Hoeven
Chairman Senate Indian Affairs Committee
The Honorable Tom Udall
Ranking Member Senate Indian Affairs Committee
838 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
CONTACT THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR TO EXPRESS YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE MASHPEE WAMPANOAG TRIBE
https://www.doi.gov/contact-us?fbclid=IwAR1rkMvrE3YWwuk3sMjwiWF1O2G_tGGgoGF-1p2akZyAj1hPyGdUVnDfpoE
SIGN THE PETITION
To learn more about the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and what is at stake, you can watch this video:
https://vimeo.com/293866929
To learn more about the Episcopal Church and the Doctrine of Discovery, you can see the resources on this page: https://episcopalchurch.org/library/topics/doctrine-discovery
Episcopal Church of NH Supports Berlin Kids’ Hockey Program with Our Kids Commission Grant
St. Barnabas Berlin, NH, recently received a grant from the Our Kids Commission of the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire in the amount of $3,500 in support of the Berlin Recreation Hockey Development Program.
In 2016, Bishop Rob Hirschfeld convened Our Kids Commission to lead the church in learning about, and addressing, the opportunity gap facing low-income and vulnerable children in New Hampshire.
St. Barnabas Berlin, NH, recently received a grant from the Our Kids Commission of the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire in the amount of $3,500 in support of the Berlin Recreation Hockey Development Program.
In 2016, Bishop Rob Hirschfeld convened Our Kids Commission to lead the church in learning about, and addressing, the opportunity gap facing low-income and vulnerable children in New Hampshire. The Commission was charged “…to find and serve the Child Jesus in our communities by helping congregations move away from asking ‘how can we get more young people from our community in the doors of our church?’ to ‘how can we go out the doors of our church to serve the needs of young people in our communities?’”
When an article appeared in Berlin’s newspaper announcing the hockey program, it reported that the cost would be $200 per child, excluding equipment. This cost also meant that it excluded many children.
St. Barnabas recognized this program as an opportunity to join with many others in Berlin who care about their youth, including Terry Letarte, Director of the Berlin Recreation Department, Mike Chabot of Gorham Hardware and Sports Center, Tammy Fauteux, Principal of Hillside Elementary School, and many volunteer hockey coaches and parents who have been going out of their way to make sure that every child who wishes has the opportunity to get on the ice and be part of a team.
Funds from the Our Kids Commission grant have been used to purchase the equipment necessary to outfit the children — typically totaling upwards of $250 per child for used equipment. The hockey gear will stay in the program and be used again for many years. The remaining funds will go to the Berlin Recreation Department to offset the $200 per child registration fee for kids in need.
“This has been a great learning experience for our church community,” said the Rector of St. Barnabas, the Rev. Betsy Hess. “We need to act on our faith, for our own sake as well as those we serve. When we connect with others, we connect more closely with God. When a church, a city, a local business, and a school work together to support our youth, great things can happen.”
Episcopal Church of New Hampshire Launches New School for Ministry
Recognizing the changing needs of the state's congregations and evolving trends in vocations for ministry, the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire has announced it is creating a School for Ministry. Its curriculum and educational design will focus on the local and regional formation of priests and licensed lay ministers.
Recognizing the changing needs of the state's congregations and evolving trends in vocations for ministry, the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire has announced it is creating a School for Ministry. Its curriculum and educational design will focus on the local and regional formation of priests and licensed lay ministers. The School for Ministry's teaching model will combine online, internet-based learning with monthly, weekend in-person classes and student meetings. The in-person portion of the program will be held at Trinity Episcopal Church in Tilton, NH.
The Rev. Kelly Sundberg Seaman, of Rumney, NH, has been appointed the School's Dean by Bishop A. Robert Hirschfeld. She began her duties December 1 and will lead in the development and launch of the School. Classes will begin in 2020.
The School for Ministry grows out of new realities for the church, the priesthood, and spiritual leadership. "Churches are increasingly moving to a 'bi-vocational' model for ministry," said Tina Pickering, Canon for Ministry Development in the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire. "This model involves the entire congregation, and even the larger community, in ministry rather than the traditional top-down approach of ministry exclusively through a full-time priest."
"In a bi-vocational setting the priest typically has a paid job and professional career outside the church. In addition, the bi-vocational model calls for lay leaders to play a larger role in leadership, service, and pastoral care within the congregation."
Life circumstances for local and bi-vocational candidates for the priesthood, as well as people called to become licensed lay ministers, often make it unrealistic to attend an out-of-state seminary or school of theology on a full time basis. "We saw that creating a New Hampshire-based school to meet the need in Northern New England was critical," added Pickering.
The Rev. Kelly Sundberg Seaman was ordained to the priesthood in December of 2015 and currently serves at Holy Spirit Episcopal Church in Plymouth, NH and St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Ashland, NH - roles she will continue to maintain. She also served as Episcopal Chaplain to Plymouth State University.
A university teacher and public affairs officer prior to answering the call to the priesthood, the Rev. Sundberg Seaman said, "Every strand of who I've been over the years is coming together as Dean of the School for Ministry. The bi-vocational trend is important for the Church to recognize. It's also important to realize that sometimes it's impossible for someone to put their life on hold and attend a distant seminary or theological school full-time. The School for Ministry will address a vital need."
"The enthusiastic response to the proposal that we create a School for Ministry in New Hampshire to train ordained and lay leaders has confirmed for me that this is a moment for the Holy Spirit," said Bishop A. Robert Hirschfeld. "Likewise, I am certain that the Rev. Kelly Sundberg Seaman is just the right choice as we establish the School. Her many gifts, including teaching, vigilance, leadership, and her pastor's heart, will help create a School for the Church of the present, and for the Church of the future."
The School for Ministry will deliver its classes using a low residency, flipped-classroom framework. Students will meet face-to-face one weekend per month at Trinity Episcopal Church in Tilton, NH. In between, students read, view videos, follow online study guides, and complete assignments on their own - and based on their individual schedules. The Rev. Sundberg Seaman also attended a low-residency program to prepare for the priesthood - offered by the Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkley, CA.
Much of the content of the curriculum will be available to the School for Ministry through the Diocese of New Hampshire's partnership with the Iona Collaborative, a ministry of the Seminary of the Southwest that includes 24 dioceses throughout the Episcopal Church. The Collaborative is dedicated to providing theological education for individuals who cannot, or chose not to, attend a conventional residential seminary.
"As part of the Iona Collaborative network, the School for Ministry will offer tremendous opportunities for learning, worship, experimentation, and development, added Sundberg Seaman. "From the start, we're building the School with locally and regionally-based and bi-vocational callings in mind. I'm very excited because the low-residency model is a great way to educate and train priests."
The Rev. Sundberg Seaman's initial priorities include preparing Trinity Episcopal Church's space for monthly in-person student learning, working with the Episcopal Church's various discernment processes to develop enrollment, and creating plans for the long-term financial sustainability of the School.
The School's curriculum will offer three general areas of study - Bible, church history, and theology and ethics - and will be flexible to meet student needs. According to Sundberg Seaman, in spring of 2020 the School for Ministry is planning to offer a "taster course" or two - a sample of what's to come with special, tuition-free class offerings. A full launch of the School of Ministry is planned for fall of 2020.
Bearing Witness at the Border in El Paso
Less than one week before the August 3 killing spree at Walmart in El Paso, I participated in a “Moral Monday” vigil at the border, coordinated by Rev. Dr. William Barber and several local organizations. I arrived in El Paso on Sunday, July 28, answering a clarion call to witness at the border.
By The Rev. Canon Gail Avery, Canon for Transition and Community Engagement
THREE MASS SHOOTINGS IN A WEEK — Gilroy California, El Paso Texas, and Dayton Ohio. In our culture of hate and violence, how does one follow Jesus?
Less than one week before the August 3 killing spree at Walmart in El Paso, I participated in a “Moral Monday” vigil at the border, coordinated by Rev. Dr. William Barber and several local organizations.
I arrived in El Paso on Sunday, July 28, answering a clarion call to witness at the border. My sense of urgency to visit the border between the US and Mexico had been growing since being waved through a Border Patrol checkpoint in North Woodstock, NH two years ago. A white woman driving alone, I was literally waved through the checkpoint, with no stopping. I couldn’t help but wonder, what if I had been traveling with my daughter-in-law (who is Salvadoran) or my two beautiful biracial grandchildren? I suspect that if I had been, we would have been noticed. We would have been stopped and asked to answer many questions.
VIGIL AT THE BORDER
At a mass gathering the night before the vigil, we heard from a number of faith leaders. The message of Inman Omar Sulelman was particularly powerful. He said we need to be listening to our holy texts. The Quran says “We are called to welcome those who migrate to us.” In the Hebrew Bible there are 36 passages that speak of welcoming the alien in our midst. “Our faiths are on trial,” he said. “So is our nation and our humanity.”
Who do we want to be as a country? And how can we get there, together? Inman Sulelman concluded by saying that we need to SHOW UP, STAND UP, and VOTE UP.
Monday morning, over 500 people from across the United States, including Steve Ekerberg, a parishioner of St. Steven’s Pittsfield and Candidate for Holy Orders to the Diaconate, and I took part in the vigil.
Approaching a US detention center and speaking through a small call box, clergy asked permission to enter the detention center to offer pastoral care to our people. Clergy’s request to visit with those detained was denied. Anticipating this, the organizers of the vigil had crossed the border into Juarez, Mexico earlier to visit migrant families living in a nearby refugee camp. What they saw and heard was horrific as well as illuminating.
In our US detention centers, children as young as four years old are cutting themselves (often understood as a coping mechanism for people under extreme emotional distress) and shoe laces are being removed from people’s sneakers to prevent strangulation. Men in the El Paso detention center are participating in a hunger strike to protest human rights violations and the poor living conditions.
A congressman later told me that while conditions aren’t great in Mexico, they are far better than what’s being provided in the United States. When asked why the difference, a Mexican authority said, ‘In your country you fear immigrants. We don’t. We’re happy to have them.” I also learned that the US Government is not providing any aid or support. We are depositing the people we’re deporting into Mexico and expecting Mexico to care for them. Independent shelters and faith communities are an integral part of that care since immigrants in Mexico are not looked upon as criminals.
Ready to do my part, I also attended a non-violent civil disobedience training offered by the vigil organizers. I was willing to show up and stand up — not necessarily to be arrested, but to arrest the injustices that our nation is committing. Arm bands were handed out — green for those who chose to witness and yellow for those prepared to participate in civil disobedience. Using a black sharpie, I even wrote the number for jail support on my arm.
At the last moment, before embarking on our vigil, we were instructed to take off our armbands. The shooting in Gilroy had happened the night before and there were concerns about counter-protestors. Fear was even building that our civil disobedience would be looked upon as possible treason, carrying a 5-year minimum jail sentence.
But in taking off the armband, I could feel something change in the room…it felt like we were unified — truly and finally one. One against the injustice and inhumane treatment of God’s creation. This is not a question of political right or left, but of following Jesus on the path of right versus wrong.
MURDER IN EL PASO
I returned safely to New Hampshire four days before the mass shooting. The Custom Border Patrol detention center where Steve Ekerberg and I gathered with hundreds of others was just 2.3 miles from the Walmart where Patrick Crusius, a 21-year-old white male, had openly fired upon “Hispanics,” citing genocide as a pathway to sustainability. Our hotel was only 2.2 miles away.
After the President’s speech declaring that hatred has no place in America, I noticed words cascading down the right side of my computer screen. The black ribbons of words were chats coming from the YouTube feed I was watching. I was appalled and saddened by the hate that the chats were spewing. Most were blaming the “democRats” for the violence and hate in our country.
The vitriolic rhetoric was uncannily similar to the anti-immigrant manifesto that the mass-shooter in El Paso had posted minutes before firing into the crowds at a Walmart, killing 22 people and wounding 26 others. The 4-page document said that politicians from both parties were to blame for the United States “rotting from the inside out” and that “the heavy Hispanic population will make us a democratic strong hold.” He concluded, “If we can get rid of enough people [the Hispanics] then our way of life can be more sustainable.”
Clearly, this attack was a response to what the shooter called “The Hispanic Invasion of Texas.” If carried out fully, my son, his wife, and their two biracial children — an Air Force family stationed in San Antonio, two hours away from the shooter’s home — would have been targeted. My daughter-in-law’s entire family lives in Houston, fleeing El Salvador in the 1980s after being targeted there. They are now US citizens, but would have been a target as well — again. Today, if they approached our border seeking political asylum, our nation would tell them — GO HOME.
BACK HOME: PRAYER AND ACTION
A week later, back home, I attended another vigil: the Interfaith Prayer Vigil and Jericho Walk for Immigrant Justice.
This is a regular vigil that occurs bi-monthly at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office located at the Norris Cotton Building in Manchester. We gather on days that immigration cases are being heard. We begin in prayer and song, and then walk seven times around the building praying for the walls of injustice to come tumbling down.
That day, the vigil was attended by more people than usual. I believe each of us is seeking hope and justice — hope and justice that I’m convinced more than ever can only be found together, which our closing song expresses so well:
Rise as One
by Aaron Fowler
We will march as one
We will stand as one
We will rise as one (repeat)
REFRAIN
We will rise as one. We will rise as one
Working hand in hand, we will rise as one.
We will dance…sing…, REFRAIN
We will laugh….cry…., REFRAIN
We will fight…..win…, REFRAIN
May our country find inner strength to be one, and work hand-in-hand in taking care of each other, including those who migrate to us.