Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

Dear Friends,

This issue (and our previous one) celebrate the incredible leadership and ministry from ECF Fellows. Since 1964, the Episcopal Church Foundation has supported over 200 scholars and ministry leaders throughout The Episcopal Church, fostering innovation in theological formation and ministerial leadership in challenging times.

In Center for Chinese Congregations in LA and Beyond, Thomas Ni shares the work of Li Tim-Oi Center, where he serves as Executive Director, which explores creative ways to develop and invigorate Chinese ministry. The center specializes in lay leadership training courses to raise up lay and ordained leaders for Chinese congregations in the Episcopal Church. This article is available in English and Spanish.

Is lying wrong? In Truth, Lies, and Ethics: A Theological Journey, Stewart Clem, a theological ethicist by training, presents his studies and thinking on Thomas Aquinas’s writing on truthfulness, truth as a moral virtue and what understanding truthfulness through this lens implies for our life as Christians.

In Flight Adjustments in a Changing Church, Jesse Zink describes his vocation in theological education and his work at as principal of Montreal Diocesan Theological College, sharing how this challenging, exhausting and yet delightful calling is akin to flying the Millennium Falcon through the world of theological education today.

ECF is in the process of reimagining our historic Fellowship Partner’s Program and particularly the academic Fellows track, which is currently on pause. In The Role of Scholarship in the Episcopal Church, Sally Benton tells us about the process of listening and learning as ECF staff prepare recommendations and plan for the academic track’s relaunch.

Becoming the Baptized Body

ECF Fellow Dr. Sarah Jean Barton has written a book, Becoming the Baptized Body, which is available for pre-order now at Baylor University Press. Becoming the Baptized Body explores how the real-world experiences of disabled Christians enrich and expand received Christian theological traditions and illustrates avenues for vibrant participation and formation for all believers. With a methodological commitment to inclusive research and a focus on ecclesial practice, Barton brings theologians of disability, biblical accounts of baptism, baptismal liturgies, and theological voices from across the ecumenical spectrum in conversation with Christians shaped by intellectual disability. Read more here.

To learn more about ECF and our programs, please visit our website.

Faithfully,

Charis Bhagianathan
Editor, ECF Vital Practices