Joint 2010 EPGM-GEMN Conference - June 9-12, 2010
A major diocesan mission companionship in Africa, mission's parallel with mutuality in marriage, the challenge of mission in post-earthquake Haiti, the gift of mission networking, possibilities for mission education - these topics represented the wide range of Episcopal mission thinking highlighted at the joint annual conference of the Episcopal Partnership for Global Mission (EPGM) and the Global Episcopal Mission Network held at Virginia Seminary in Alexandria, June 9-11.
And those were just the plenary sessions attended by the 65 mission activists from around the church. Eight colloquia further enriched the practical, motivational and theological offerings of the conference. The gathering marked the 20th anniversary of the networking movement that began with the founding in 1990 of the Episcopal Council for Global Mission, which in 2000 became EPGM. Read the full report from Titus Presler, noted missiologist, on his blog Titus on Mission.
Photos from the conference may be found here.
Young Adult Service Corps volunteer, Andrew Thompson, wins prestigous Edinburgh 2010 youth writing contest
[Episcopal News Service] Andy Thompson, an Episcopalian from West Hartford, Connecticut, and former Young Adult Service Corps volunteer serving in 2007-8 in El Salvador, has been selected as the winner of the youth writing contest for Edinburgh 2010, a major ecumenical mission conference held June 2-6 in the Scottish capital. His prize -- a sponsored trip to the conference. The full ENS story is here.
After returning from the conference, Andy reports that, "The Edinburgh 2010 World Mission Conference is a powerful example of how much mission has changed in the hundred years since the 1910 conference. It is also a clear reminder of how little progress we've made.
The changes were clear; a cursory glance around the conference revealed a far different group from the one assembled a hundred years ago. Organizers made a sincere effort to include delegates from groups that had been included only marginally, or not at all, in the first conference: Roman Catholics and Orthodox, indigenous groups, participants from the global south, women, and young people. Worship was designed to be as inclusive and creative as possible (and indeed, under the leadership of the Iona Community's John Bell, worship was one of the highlights of the experience). Imbalances and abuses of power that have too often characterized missionary activities were acknowledged and lamented. These advances all call for celebration. Read his full account here.
Learn more about the Edinburgh 2010 conference here .
Episcopal News Service Highlights EPGM's New Social Networking Site
On Febrary 2, the Epsicopal News Service (ENS) online announced EPGM's new social networking aspect of the recently redesigned website, providing a platform for mission enthusiasts to connect with one another. Read the complete story from ENS here. To join the conversation about mission, go to the EPGM network sign up page to create an account , and log in. All who are interested in outreach and global mission are welcome to join in this exciting dialogue, regardless of membership in EPGM.
Episcopal Life highlights Young Adult Service Corps
Episcopal Life, the Episcopal Church's monthly newspaper, highlights the church's Young Adult Service Corps (YASC) in an extensive front-page story by Lynette Wilson in the November issue. The article includes insights from a number of YASC missionaries from diverse parts of the church and serving in diverse parts of the world, all illustrated generously with photographs. Check out the November paper issue, or view online. To learn more about YASC, visit the young adult page on the EPGM site.
EPGM Steering Committee considers networking future in mission
The future of networking among Episcopal mission organizations was center stage in the Oct. 25-28 meeting of the steering committee of the Episcopal Partnership for Global Mission (EPGM), the network of about 27 congregations, independent agencies, dioceses, and Episcopal Church Center units.
Meeting at St. Matthew's Church, Evanston, Illinois, the group found ground for encouragement in the quality of the annual conference it held last May with the Global Episcopal Mission Network (GEMN) in Burlingame, California, interest expressed by many at General Convention in July, and responses to EPGM's new interactive website.
Planning proceeded for the 2010 annual conference and membership meeting, again to be held together with GEMN, on the theme of mission education, to be convened at Virginia Seminary in Alexandria, June 9-12, 2010. Continuing collaboration with GEMN, forms the background of conversations going forward about other ways in which the two networks can more closely combine and integrate their visions and activities to stimulate the Episcopal Church's faithfulness to God's mission.