The Very Rev. David du Plantier, Dean of Christ Church Cathedral in New Orleans, visited the ECW plenary along with Bishop Duncan Gray of the Diocese of Mississippi and Bishop Charles Jenkins of the Diocese of Louisiana. Their central message was this: "Thank you for your constant and relentless focus on mission and ministry, not just since Hurricane Katrina but since your founding."
Bonnie Anderson, president of the House of Deputies, echoed that when she spoke to the ECW delegates earlier this week: "The ECW are unfailingly a group that keeps your eye on the prize - the world as it should be, the way God made it. Thank you for reminding us that we are a part of something that passes all understanding."
We all have a place in this beloved Church of ours, and I do believe that, yes, in ways seen and unseen we, the Episcopal Church Women, are most directly about mission.
Here's just one example. Every Triennial the National ECW Board works to make sure ECW connect with and address the needs of the underserved residents of the area where Triennial/General Convention is being held. This year the "Community Connection" gift recipient is Project Dignity, based in Garden Grove, California. Project Dignity works with perhaps the most misunderstood of all the homeless: people, un- and under employed, living in low-income residential motels. Currently they're working with 500 families spread among 23 motels best described as fleabags. And given the state of the economy, the numbers are rising.
A table set-up in a corner of our meeting hall in the convention center was the collection point for donations to Project Dignity, which has 1 1/2 staff people and operates on a shoestring budget. In less than a week the large table was overflowing with towels, washcloths, socks, personal hygiene and grooming items, and school supplies. Cash donations for things like bus passes came to $1,201, and there hundreds of dollars more in giftcards for meals and such. On Thursday it was all boxed up and ready for pick-up and distribution.
Many, many thanks to those members of North Carolina's diocesan ECW board who made contributions to this effort. I was proud to add those donations on your behalf.
The theme of this Triennial was grace. One definition we received was, "grace is love at work." Episcopal Church Women wanted to make sure we didn't just take from our hosts but that we gave back, leaving Orange County, California a little better than we found it.
There was grace.