SUPPORTING OUR COMPANION DIOCESES
RENK DIOCESE
Clergy and staff have been faithfully working without salaries in 2005. The need for planting new parishes in this time of peace is great. It offers an opportunity throughout the Diocese of Chicago to rebuild a new foundation on holy ground, on “scorched earth”, in support of spreading the Gospel in Renk Diocese. Fr. Joseph Garang Atem, Principal of Renk Bible College and Companion Coordinator for Renk, reports that many of the clergy are losing their homes, because without salaries they can’t pay the rent. A three-year commitment to a parish provides a means of clergy support and resources for development so urgently needed in this time of peace. Contact Jackie Kraus, COGM Renk Liaison, for further information.
Current Church-to-Church Partnerships with Renk:
All Saints' Episcopal Church, Chicago with St. Peter Parish, North Geiger
Christ Episcopal Church, Winnetka with St. Michael Parish, Paloch
Church of Our Saviour Episcopal Church, Elmhurst
with St. Mark Parish, Jelhak
Emmanuel Episcopal Church, La Grange with St. John Parish, Melut
Grace Episcopal Church, Galena with Glory Parish, Renk Town
St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, Glen Ellyn
with St. Barnaba Parish, Maban
St. Charles Episcopal Church, St. Charles with St. Barnaba Parish, Geiger
St. Lawrence Episcopal Church, Libertyville with St. Bartholomew, Thiongrial
St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Evanston with St. Andrew, Wadakona
St. Michael's Barrington has had a Covenant of Relationship with Renk Diocese since 1998, leading to support of Renk Bible College
Churches in Discernment:
St. James Cathedral with St. Matthew Cathedral, Renk Town
Grace, Freeport with parish to be determined
Relationships Take Many Forms:
Visitations from Chicago: 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006.
Representatives of St. Michael's visited Renk in 1998, 2001 and 2006.
Representatives of St. Barnabas, All Saints', Church of Our Saviour, Elmhurst and Grace, Galena visited Renk in 2005.
Partnership churches commit to three-year relationships, involving financial and prayer support. Financial support comes from a line item in the budget as well as from a variety of fundraisers.
Communication is difficult, but attempts are made to become acquainted by email greetings.
Visiting teams take gifts to partners and partners parishes send gifts back.
Father Al Johnson and Jackie Kraus of St. Michael's, Barrington were installed as Honorary Canons of St. Matthew's Cathedral in 2006.
Bishop Daniel Deng Bul and Father Joseph Garang Atem visited Chicago in Fall of 2006.
Instructions for Transfer of Funds to Renk Diocese:
Send checks made out to St. Michael's Episcopal Church to St. Michael’s at 647 Dundee Ave., Barrington, IL 60010, with the desired designation in the memo. Include a 3 percent wiring fee. Because of United States sanctions against the Government of Sudan, a system for wiring is used to direct funds to Renk Diocese for humanitarian needs. The fee does not go to St. Michael's, but to the wiring agent. Contact Jackie Kraus, COGM Renk Liaison, for further information.
SOUTHEAST MEXICO
Support Southeast Mexico by short-term and long-term projects, fundraising ideas and hands-on ideas: Contact Aimée Delevett, COGM Southeast Mexico Liaison, for further information.
Getting Started:
Gather a group of 3-5 people and take a few days to travel the Diocese of Southeast Mexico. Bishop Benito and his staff will offer you generous hospitality as you get to know the people and parishes of the diocese.
Short-term Projects:
Take pictures of each kid in a Sunday School class. Have each child write her/his name and age next to each picture along with a brief description of their family (including pets). Encourage the kids to include a special message of greeting. Send the poster to Bishop Benito’s office for him to deliver to a congregation in his diocese.
Collect school supplies for the children in Southeast Mexico. Package and ship them to Bishop Benito’s office for him to deliver to a congregation in his diocese.
Collect clothing for kids and adults (all sizes needed). Ship them to Bishop Benito’s office for him to distribute as needed. Remember: Southeast Mexico is subtropical. Only warm weather clothing is needed there, including light jackets.
Collect, package and ship Spanish-language Prayer Books, Hymnals and other religious books to Bishop Benito’s office.
Long-term Projects:
Of course any of the medium-term ideas suggested above can become long-range projects. Although it might seem that time is the only difference, in truth the greatest difference is depth. When relationships become longer term, new companionship opportunities arise. For example:
Form a small mission trip group including teens and adults. Visit your Southeast Mexico companion church. Stay in their community. Spend time with them.
Make a project-specific trip to your Southeast Mexico companion church. Help them with a building improvement project. Work with them in the style of Habitat for Humanity. In advance of your trip, do a fundraiser to enable your companion church to purchase the necessary building materials.
Adopt a priest (perhaps at your Southeast Mexico companion parish). Help finance their transportation or living expenses. Work through the office of Bishop Benito to subsidize a priest’s compensation. Transportation is one of a Southeast Mexican priest’s biggest challenges. Through a major fundraiser, a serviceable car can be purchased in Mexico, for around $5,000. An ongoing subsidy could help keep that car on the road for several years.
Fundraising Ideas:
Subsidize a priest. Most priests on Southeast Mexico serve more than one congregation. They need financial support to pay for bus transportation, purchase prepaid cell phone cards and buy everyday needs for their families. Suggested amount: $200.
Subsidize a congregation. There are two or three congregations that are desperate for basic repairs and supplies. Any amount of money will help. Purchase a laptop computer or digital camera for a priest or a congregation in Southeast Mexico.
Help a congregation improve its facilities. For example, there is almost no indoor plumbing in the churches in Southeast Mexico. For around $1,000, a clean, new outhouse can be constructed, replacing an old and worn out facility or perhaps even providing one where there has been none.
Help finance a propane-powered oven and corn mill for the women of the Diocese of Southeast Mexico. This newly initiated project, called Bringing the Good News through Bread and Tortillas, is an economic development project for Anglican women with children who have no other economic sustenance. The ovens and corn mills are installed in parishes and shared by women in the community. Suggested donation: $850 for a bread oven, $870 for a corn mill.
Adopt a Southeast Mexican seminarian. Recently, Bishop Benito said that there are two young persons interested in attending seminary, but unable to due to its high cost.
Hands-On Ideas:
Form a congregation-to-congregation companionship. Bring the diocesan companionship home to your own church! Then, by communicating with your church companion, you can learn of their greatest needs, hopes and dreams
Collect unused (old but presentable) priest’s vestments, excess sacred vessels (chalices, ciboria, lavabo bowls, linens) and ship them to a needy congregation in Southeast Mexico.
Collect Spanish language prayer books, hymnals and other liturgical materials.