April 26, 2012
Six to be ordained as deacons on June 2
Bishop Dean Wolfe will ordain six people to the diaconate in a service on Saturday, June 2 at 10:30 a.m. at Grace Cathedral, Topeka. A reception will follow the service.
Ordained as deacons will be Peg Flynn of St. John’s, Wichita; Sandy Horton-Smith of St. Paul’s, Manhattan; and Rex Matney of Church of the Covenant, Junction City.
Ordained as transitional deacons will be David Jenkins of St. David’s, Topeka; David Lynch of St. Michael and All Angels in Mission; and Adrianna Shaw of St. Paul’s, Leavenworth.
Because this is one of two diocesan ordination services conducted each year, Bishop Wolfe has said he expects all active clergy 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.
Ben Varnum to be ordained to the priesthood on May 9: The Rev. Benedict Varnum will be ordained to the priesthood on Wednesday, May 9 at 7 p.m. at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, 12251 Antioch Rd, Overland Park, where he serves as assistant rector. Varnum will be ordained by Bishop Dean Wolfe on behalf of Bishop Lee of the Diocese of Chicago, where he was ordained to the transitional diaconate.All are invited to attend; clergy should vest in red stoles.
Small church summit deadline extended to April 30
If you haven’t yet signed up for the Small Church Summit on May 5, the deadline to register has been extended until 4:30 p.m. on Monday, April 30.
The cost to attend is $15, which will include lunch. To register, send the name, congregation, phone and email address for each person attending to Michele Moss at . Please indicate whether a registration check will be sent ahead of time or brought to the event.
The diocesan Congregational Development Commission has planned the summit for Saturday, May 5 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. Margaret’s, 5700 W. 6th St., Lawrence. While designed for leaders of small congregations, people in parishes of all sizes are welcome and invited to attend.
Discussion will center on the needs and concerns of local communities, and the day also will include sharing ideas and success stories.
Questions about the event may be directed to CDC members the Rev. Art Rathbun, ; the Rev. Juli Sifers, ; or the Rev. Philip Hubbard, .
Wichita-area high school seniors are invited to May 3 barbecue
All high school seniors who will be attending a Kansas college or university in the fall are invited for barbecue, worship, music and fellowship on Thursday, May 3 from 6:30-8 p.m. at St. Stephen’s, 7404 East Killarney Place.
The event is being sponsored by the Episcopal Campus Ministry of Wichita to help incoming college students learn more about Episcopal campus ministry programs on Kansas campuses.
The evening will begin with a contemporary service and concert featuring the group “Heaven’s Gate” and will follow with a meal.
MegaCamp registration priority deadline is May 7
Are kids in your parish heading to MegaCamp June 3-9? If so, they’ll want to send in their registration by the May 7 priority deadline to avoid a $15 per camper late fee.
Campers in grades 3-12 will gather for one big week of camp at Camp Wood YMCA near Elmdale. This will be a week of mega fun, faith development and friendship.
Questions? Contact Interim Youth Missioner Michael Funston at . For more information about MegaCamp, go to
> Additional camp staff still needed: Interim Youth Missioner Michael Funston still needs staff members for MegaCamp:
- One male counselor for senior high campers;
- Two male and one female counselors for junior high campers;
- Two male counselors for elementary campers; and
- One nurse to serve elementary campers.
If interested in any of these positions, contact Funston at
Diocesan campus ministry program seeks applicants for paid K-State intern position
Do you know young adults interested in opportunities to further their vocational discernment while exercising their gifts for ministry with other young adults?Encourage them to consider serving as one of our campus ministry interns. We’re now seeking applicants for the intern position based at the K-State Canterbury House for the 2012-2013 academic year.
A position description and application can be found on the campus ministry website,
For more information, email the Rev. Michael S. Bell at .
May 24 Tocher speaker will discuss those who are ‘spiritual but not religious’
This year’s Tocher Lecture has been set for May 24 and will feature Dr. Marva Dawn, noted theologian and author who will explore how the church can reach those who describe themselves as “spiritual but not religious.” Estimates put that category at about 20 percent of the population and nearly half of those who are unchurched.
Dawn will give a public lecture at 7 p.m. at St. James’, 3750 E. Douglas, Wichita, entitled, “Proclaiming in Word and Deed: Reaching Those Who are Spiritual But Not Religious.” There is no charge to attend.
She also will participate in a seminar for clergy that afternoon focusing on the proclamation of the church in today’s world. Pre-registration is required for that event.
Dawn is the Teaching Fellow in Spiritual Theology at Regent University in Vancouver, British Columbia. She also is the author of more than 20 books and has spoken extensively throughout North America and the world.
The Tocher Lecture Series is sponsored by the Kansas School for Ministry.
More information about either event is available from KSM coordinator the Rev. Andrew Grosso at or (913) 367-3171.
Anti-racism training to be offered June 9
The Episcopal Diocese of Kansas will offer an anti-racism training workshop on Saturday, June 9 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at St. David’s, 17th and Gage in Topeka. The cost to attend is $20 per person and will include lunch, morning and afternoon refreshments, and all materials. Facilitator for the training will be the Rev. Susan Terry, diocesan campus missioner.
General Convention has mandated that all lay and ordained leaders, including clergy, professional staff and people elected or appointed to committees or boards within the diocese, undergo anti-racism training.
Vocationers’ weekend is set for June 22-23
The diocesan Commission on Ministry will host a weekend gathering for anyone who is considering or has considered a call to ordained ministry.
It is set for June 22-23 and will run from dinner on Friday through mid-afternoon on Saturday at Grace Cathedral in Topeka.
The deadline to register is June 1; a registration form and an information flyer are online at
Overnight accommodations will be at the Capitol Plaza Hotel at a discounted rate.
For more information contact the Rev. Art Rathbun at or the Rev. Tom Wilson at .
More youth news
MissionPalooza: July 16-22 for youth in grades 9-12, atSt. Paul's,Kansas City,Mo. MissionPalooza trains teens to put theirfaith into action. For five days youth come together in community, mission, fellowship and worship. Students spend their days in theurban mission field heeding Christ’s call to feed the hungry, visit the sick and comfort those in need.
Registrations and more detailsare online at
Happening #87 rector application now is available: If you currently are a high school junior or you know of a high school junior who has been involved in Happening and possesses good leadership and organizational skills, we hope you will consider applying to be a rector of the next Happening.
Happening #87 will take placeNov. 16-18 at Good Shepherd, Wichita. Applications for rector are due May 31, and interviews will begin during MegaCamp. Forms are online at
Good Shepherd, Wichita, seeks part-time parish secretary
Good Shepherd Episcopal Church is seeking a part-time parish secretary. This position serves as a support in the organizational functions of Good Shepherd’s congregation as well as assisting the Rector in the administrative operations of the church office. Please apply in person at 8021 W. 21st Street N., Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Applicants should bring with them a resume and list of references.
Questions may be directed to the rector, the Rev. Andrew O’Connor, at (316) 721-8096 or .
Episcopal Church webcasts to explore General Convention, mission
This year’s General Convention will be the topic of a live webcast on Wednesday, May 9 at noon Central time. The webcast, originating from Indianapolis, the site of this year’s General Convention, can be accessed live or on demand at
Participants will be Presiding Bishop. Katharine Jefferts Schori; President of the House of Deputies Bonnie Anderson; Executive Officer and Secretary of the General Convention, the Rev. Gregory Straub; and Bishop Catherine Waynick of the Diocese of Indianapolis, the host diocese.
Questions will be accepted via email .
> Mission to be discussed by Desmond Tutu, PB: Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori will conduct a conversation about mission with Archbishop Desmond Tutu in a live webcast on Saturday,May 19 at 2:30 p.m. Central time.
The live webcast willbe available at also can be viewed on demand afterward.Hosted by Washington National Cathedral, the event will be moderated by David Crabtree, news anchor at WRAL-TV in North Carolina and an ordained deacon.Framing the conversation on the Anglican Five Marks of Mission, the questions to be explored are: “What does Mission mean to me;” and “What does mission look like in the world.”
Kansas Ecumenical Ministries seeks planning input
Kansas Ecumenical Ministries is in a renewal process and is hosting a strategic planning retreat for anyone in the state who is interested. It is set for Friday, Aug. 10 at 6 p.m. through Saturday, Aug. 11 at 4 p.m. at West Heights United Methodist Church, 745 N. Westlink in Wichita. The cost to attend is $15 per person and includes three meals.
Participants willinclude Ammon Ripple from the National Council of Churches, exploring how the organization matters to all Kansans and the state’s Christian community; and Dr. Dale Jones, primary data collector for the 2010 U.S. Religion Census with the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies, looking at demographics and trends in Kansas Christianity.
See for flyers, registration and logistical information. Email or call (785) 274-9440 for more information.
Clergy news
The Rev. Kay Dagg, interim priest at St. Martin’s, Edwardsville, is recovering after surgery April 25 at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., to remove a rare but benign tumor from her upper jaw. She will be in the hospital about a week and will return to the hospital this summer for the final stage of the procedure. Notes may be sent to her at 1427 SW Macvicar Ave., Topeka, KS 66604.
Deacon Oliver Bunker’s father, Charles Thummel, died on April 24 in Thayer at age 79. A visitation will be tonight at 6:30 p.m. at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, 424 South Central in Chanute. The funeral will take place at that church on Friday, April 27 at 10 a.m. Notes of condolence may be sent to Bunker at 417 N. Grant, Chanute, KS 66720. He serves as deacon in the Southeast Convocation.May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace and rise in glory.
Anniversaries of ordinations
Congratulations go to these people as they celebrate the anniversaries of their ordination in the next two weeks:
April29: The Rev. Susan Sawyer, St. Paul’s, Clay Center (26 years); the Rev. James Graner, retired, Diocese of Western Kansas (45 years)
April 30: The Rev. Ron Peak, retired (32 years); Deacon Jim John, retired (30 years)
May 2: The Rev. Conrad McNeer, retired (48 years)
May 3: The Rev. Craig Loya, diocesan Canon to the Ordinary (9 years)
May 4: The Rev. Don Davidson, St. David’s, Topeka (27 years)
May 5: The Rev. Grant Clowers, non-parochial (28 years)
May 9: The Rev. Dennis Zimmerman, St. Cornelius, Dodge City and St. Augustine’s, Meade, Diocese of Western Kansas (15 years)
Next DioLog
The next edition of DioLog will be sent to subscribers on Thursday, May 10. Information to be included should be sent to Melodie Woerman, diocesan director of communications, at , no later than Tuesday, May 8.
DioLog is a publication of the Office of Communications of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas.
Parishes are free to excerpt anything printed in DioLog; attributionthat material is reprinted fromDioLogis appreciated. Feel free to copy this and make it available to parishioners in whatever way is most useful.