May 26, 2011
Help for tornado victims
People across the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas have the opportunity to help victims of the area’s recent tornadoes in a variety of ways.
Special collection set for Sunday, May 29. Bishop Dean Wolfe has asked that every congregation in the diocese take a special collection this Sunday,May 29, to aid victims through Episcopal Relief and Development’s U.S. Disaster Relief Fund.
Each church is asked to send one check to the diocese, with “Tornado Relief” on the memo line, after Sunday’s collection is totaled. Send checks to Episcopal Diocese of Kansas, Tornado Relief, 835 SW Polk St., Topeka, KS 66612.
You can read Bishop Wolfe’s entire letter to the diocese about this need at
Items needed in Joplin. Two collection points within the diocese have been set up for supplies that arein critical need in Joplin, which was hit by the deadliest tornado in decades on May 22. Joplin is located in southwest Missouri, just across the Kansas-Missouri border, 13 miles east of Galena.
According to the Diocese of West Missouri, the items most needed at this time are:
- Diapers of all sizes
- Baby items, such as pacifiers
- Clothing for children up to age 2
- Batteries of all sizes
- Flashlights
- Undergarments for all ages
- Hand-operated can openers
Collection points in the diocese are:
- St. Aidan’s, 14301 S. Blackbob Road, Olathe, this Saturday, May 28, and Sunday, May 29, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- St. Paul’s, 613 Elm, Coffeyville, from now until Sunday evening, May 29. Please use the north door under the canopy; collection boxes are in the second room on the right.
A variety of Kansas City-area churches on the Missouri side also are receiving donations; the list of them, with the times they are open, is on the West Missouri website at
St. Thomas, Overland Park, already has delivered a shipment of supplies to Joplin.
Worship services in Joplin this weekend. St. Philip’s Church, 706 South Byers Avenue in Joplin,was undamaged by the tornado and will be the site of two services this weekend to which people in the diocese are invited:
- Sunday, May 29 at 10:30 a.m. West Missouri Bishop Martin Field will be the celebrant.
- Monday, May 30, 6 p.m., an inter-faith service that will include Bishop Field, Bishop Wolfe and ELCA Bishop Gerald Mansholt, among others.
Database of volunteers being developed. The Diocese of West Missouri is creating a database of people and congregations interested in volunteering in Joplin, once that opportunity becomes available. More information is on their website at
Four deacons to be ordained on June 11
Four people will be ordained in a service set for Saturday, June 11 at 10:30 a.m. at Grace Cathedral in Topeka.
Oliver Bunker from Grace, Chanute, and Elizabeth Drumm from St. Michael and All Angels, Mission, will be ordained as deacons.
Peter Doddema and Patrick Funston, both of whom just graduated from Virginia Theological Seminary, will be ordained as transitional deacons, on their way to ordination as priests.Doddema was sponsored by Trinity, Lawrence, and Funston bySt. Michael and All Angels, Mission.
Bishop Dean Wolfe has said he expects all active deacons and priests in the diocese to be present for the service and vested (red stoles) and walk in the procession. Attendance is optional but appreciated for retired clergy.
A reception honoring the newly ordained will take place in the cathedral’s Great Hall after the service.
Registration now is open for MissionPalooza
Youth who will be in grades 9-12 this fall now can register for MissionPalooza, the diocese’s urban mission program taking place in Kansas City July 18-24 that trains teens to put theirfaith into action.
For five days youth come together in community, mission, fellowship and worship. Students spend their days heeding Christ’s call to feed the hungry, visit the sick and comfort those in need.
St. Paul’s Church, located at 40th and Main in Kansas City, Mo., will host the event and provide housing for participants.
Registrations and more detailsare on the diocesan website at
Do you have extra prayer books? Send them to MegaCamp!
From Youth Missioner Chad Senuta:
Does your parish have old prayer books that have been lovingly used and need a new home? We are seeking prayer books for MegaCamp.
We currently have about 100 copies of the Book of Common Prayer for campers and staff, but we will have about 250 campers and staff at MegaCamp this summer!
If you have extra prayer books you could donate, contact me at or (913) 362-1470.
Vocationers’ retreat weekend deadline is June 1
Has the thought of ordination ever crossed your mind? Are you curious about what a call as a deacon or priest might mean? Are you discerning such a call in your life right now?
If so, you are invited to attend a Vocationers’ Weekend June 24-25 at the BethanyPlaceConferenceCenter in Topeka, sponsored by the Commission on Ministry.
It will begin at 5 p.m. on Friday and end about 4 p.m. Saturday. Meals during those times will be provided.
A registration form is available on the diocesan website at It must be completed and returned by June 1 to Canon to the Ordinary the Rev. Craig Loya at .
Housing will be at the Capitol Plaza Hotel, at 17th Street and Topeka Blvd., at a special rate of $84 per room. The cost of the hotel is the responsibility of those attending the weekend, but it is the only cost involved. Reservations must be made by June 1 by calling the hotel at (785) 431-7200. Please use the group name “The Episcopal Diocese of Kansas.”
Some scholarship assistance to help with housing costs is available.
Questions about the retreat may be addressed to Michele Moss at or (785) 235-9255 or (800) 473-3563.
July 8 is the deadline for Convention nominees, amendments and resolutions
The diocesan office has announced that the deadline will be July 8 for nominations for offices to be elected at this year’s Diocesan Convention, as well as proposed debatable resolutions or amendments to the constitution or canons of the diocese. By the July 8 date these items must be submitted to the chair of the committee overseeing that area.
The following offices will be elected at this year’s convention:
- An at-large, lay member of the Council of Trustees, for a three-year term;
- An at-large, clergy member of the Council of Trustees, for a three-year term; and
- Three lay members of a new diocesan Disciplinary Board, to fill one-year unexpired terms.
More information about the offices to be selected, as well as the form to be used for making all nominations, is available on the diocesan website at
Nominations to these offices, as well as proposed debatable resolutions or proposed amendments to the diocesan constitution or canons, should be sent before the deadline to the chair of the respective committee:
Nominations: the Rev. Betty Glover, ; (620) 221-4252
Debatable resolutions: the Rev. Shawn Streepy; ; (913) 631-8548
Constitution and canons: Frank Taylor; ; (913) 782-2350
NOTE: Diocesan Convention takes place Sept. 23-24 in Topeka. Registration materials will be sent out in June.
Reception planned for new ESS director
Episcopal Social Services in Wichita will host a wine and cheese reception for Dr. Barbara Andres, the agency’s new executive director, on Thursday, June 16 from 4-6 p.m. at the ESS offices, 1005 E. 2nd St. North in Wichita. The public is invited to attend.
Clergy news
The Rev. C. Earl Mahon has been named priest-in-charge at St. John’s, Wichita, beginning July 15. He has been the rector at St. Matthew’s, Edinburg, Texas, since 2006. He and his wife, Shannon, have two children: Trevor, 12, and Mikayla, 9.
The Rev. Kelly Demo has been appointed by Bishop Wolfe as Missioner for Ecumenical Relations for the diocese.
Anniversaries of ordinations
Congratulations go to these people as they celebrate the anniversaries of their ordination in the next two weeks:
May 26: Archdeacon Monte Giddings, St. Michael and All Angels, Mission (12 years)
May 29: The Rev. Bill Horn, ELCA, St. James’, Wichita (45 years)
June 1: The Rev. Art Rathbun, St. Mark’s, Blue Rapids and St. Paul’s, Marysville (47 years); the Rev. Rob Baldwin, Trinity, Lawrence (9 years)
June 3: Deacon Jesse Milan, St. Martin’s, Edwardsville (5 years); Deacon Steve Segebrecht, Trinity, Lawrence (5 years)
June 5: The Rev. Kathi Babcock, Epiphany, Independence (1 year); the Rev. Sue Oldfather, non-parochial (1 year)
June 6: The Rev. Shawn Streepy, Grace, Chanute (2 years)
June 8: The Rev. Machrina Blasdell, licensed (26 years); the Rev. Ashley Null, non-parochial, Diocese of Western Kansas (25 years)
June 9: The Very Rev. Michael Munro, St. Paul’s, Leavenworth (27 years); the Rev. George Pejakovich, ELCA, Grace Cathedral, Topeka (33 years)
Diocesan office will be closed on Monday
The diocesan office will be closed on Monday, May 30, in observance of Memorial Day. The office will reopen on Tuesday, May 31, with normal hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Next DioLog
The next edition of DioLogwill be sent to subscribers on Thursday, June 9. Information to be included should be sent to Melodie Woerman, diocesan director of communications, at , no later than Tuesday, June 7.
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