May 6, 2005
By Dan Webster and Jan Nunley

Nearly 120 communications professionals in Episcopal Church ministries met at the Salt Lake City Center Hilton April 27-30, coming from every province of the Episcopal Church USA – including El Salvador and Panama – to learn and share under the theme "Communicating in Real Time: Yesterday...Today...Tomorrow." The annual meeting is designed to help members improve themselves as well as network with one another regarding new ideas. There are more than 250 members of the organization.

The Cathedral Church of St. Mark was filled for the opening Eucharist April 27, at which Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold was the preacher and concelebrated with Utah Bishop Carolyn Tanner Irish. Laurie Wozniak, president of Episcopal Communicators and communications officer for the Diocese of Western New York, offered opening comments and welcomed the gathering to Salt Lake City.

Taking as his text Acts 15:1-6 and John 15:1-8, Griswold observed that the book of Acts "begins with a major communication moment." He referred to the Holy Spirit's empowering the apostles to be heard "in the language of every nation under heaven." He told the communicators "boldness is a particular resurrection virtue" and described bold communication as "plain, direct, convincing, confident speech." And he warned them of becoming "technicians of the sacred."

The Holy Spirit is always "pushing and prodding" and always uses "unlikely and inappropriate people," he said.

The reading from Acts discusses the controversy in the early church about circumcision. There were first century followers of Jesus who insisted Gentiles had to be circumcised – as were all Jewish males – in order to be a member of the early church. It was a question of "who's in and who's out," said Griswold. "It caused tension," he said, and it "was all caused by the Holy Spirit. That's something we need to be cognizant of."

"It was catastrophic for the early church," he said. "You think we've got problems?" he asked rhetorically to many laughs in the cathedral. Looking at how the apostles struggled with the circumcision controversy "shows us how we might struggle today."

"It was not easy for the apostolic community," he said, "and it is not easy for us."

Today we approach one another with "our battlements in place," he said. "Today everyone is thoroughly defended." Coming together in that way, he said, there is no way to see Christ in the other person.

Griswold urged those attending to "encounter Christ with a new undefended heart" and to "receive that truth, share that truth and live that truth."

Bishop Irish presented Griswold with a gift in gratitude for his leadership and courage at this time in the church.

The Salt Lake Men's Choir offered the choral prelude as well as Offertory and Communion anthems at the service. The offering of $1,642.28 was split between Episcopal Relief and Development and scholarships for Episcopal Communicators.

Griswold also spoke to the group as one of several plenary speakers. Justus Waimiri, former communication director for the Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa who attended last year's conference at Kanuga, offered a plenary session called "Inside Africa." Another plenary offered perspectives from a panel of Episcopalians in their twenties. And Sean McConnell, communication director of the Diocese of California, spoke to the group about "Stealth Evangelism through New and Traditional Media."

Also addressing the group were staff members of the Office of Communication, including director Robert Williams.

Fifteen workshops were offered on topics such as crisis communications, editorial boards, writing, photography, graphic design, information systems, creation spirituality, and sharpening websites. Among the most popular activities was a field trip to the Joseph Smith Building and LDS Conference Center. Public relations executives from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) shared their philosophy on media crisis management, advertising and use of satellite and website technologies.

Attendees also heard from several Utahns. The Rev. Dave Bailey served as chaplain to the gathering and led a workshop on creation-centered spirituality. The Rev. Fred Quinn shared a history of the church in the mountain West and a session on "Keeping the Story Alive." The Rev. Lee Shaw spoke on "What Mormons Believe."

"One theme throughout all the conversations and presentations was collaboration: what can we all do together, with each other, for each other, developing and sharing best practices and resources," said Ed Cimafonte, web producer/designer for the Office of Communication. "The Church Center could greatly facilitate these collaborative efforts, and through strategic initiatives and innovative programs provide some of the much-needed and requested resources." Cimafonte has developed soon-to-be-unveiled online "collaboration spaces" as a tool to facilitate the process of bringing local and national communicators together on projects such as the National Ad Collaborative.

In other events at the conference...

* Janet Kawamoto of the Diocese of Los Angeles and Peter Strimer of the Diocese of Olympia were elected to the Board of Directors for three-year terms.

* Barbara Braver of the Office of the Presiding Bishop was honored at the opening dinner with the Janette Pierce Award.

* The Rev. Richard Anderson, one of the 11 founders of Episcopal Communicators, treated participants to stories about "The History and Mystery of Episcopal Communicators."

* The Thursday night Polly Bond Awards [http://www.episcopalchurch.org/3577_61809_ENG_HTM.htm] were presented by past president Carol Barnwell from the Diocese of Texas.

* The closing Eucharist was celebrated in the Native American tradition. Richard Mendez and Suzanne Duffield, assisted by members of their congregations, offered healing and "smudging," the use of burning sage as incense for cleansing, purification, and protection.

Members of Episcopal Communicators are parish newsletter editors, diocesan newspaper editors or website managers, seminary publications editors, national magazine or newspaper writers and editors. Next year's meeting is planned for April 19-22 in Sarasota, Florida.

Episcopal News Service
The Rev. Dan Webster is communications director for the Diocese of Utah. The Rev. Jan Nunley is deputy for communication for the Episcopal Church.