Earlier News and Events: January through December 2007
The most recent news of 2007, from December, is listed first.
December 2007
• Death of the Reverend Robert Stone Baker
The Reverend Robert Stone Baker died on Tuesday, December 25, 2007, at the Kimball Medical Center, Lakewood, New Jersey.
Born May 27, 1925, in Boston, Massachusetts, he was the son of Robert and Helen Baker. He received his B.A. from Brown University in 1949 and an M.A. from Seton Hall University in 1970.
He was ordained a deacon on December 21, 1951, by the Right Reverend James P. De Wolfe and a priest on June 1, 1952, also by Bishop De Wolfe, for the Diocese of Long Island.
He began his ordained ministry as Curate at St. Andrew’s Church in Williston Park, New York, 1952-1956. He was then Rector of the Church of the Messiah and Incarnation, Brooklyn, New York, 1956-1964; Chaplain, St. George’s Anglican Church, Venice, Italy, 1964; Acting Rector of St. George’s-by-the-River, Rumson, 1964-1965; and Priest Associate at St. James’, Long Branch, 2001 until his death. He was received into this Diocese in 1969.
He served on several Committees of the Diocese of New Jersey, including the Interfaith Commission, from 1964 to 1976.
A Mass of the Resurrection was celebrated on Friday, December 28th. Burial will be private.
Biographical material provided by Woolley Funeral Home and the Archives of the Diocese of New Jersey.
• Death of the Reverend Canon James Lawrence Moore
The Reverend Canon James Lawrence Moore died suddenly on December 14, 2007, at his home in Southampton, New Jersey.
Born May 6, 1937, in Camden, New Jersey, he was the son of Lawrence F. and Mae L. (Gibson) Moore. He was a graduate of Rutgers University in 1960 and the Philadelphia Divinity School with a M.Div. in 1963.
He was made Deacon on April 27, 1963, by the Right Reverend Alfred L. Banyard, and Priest on November 2, 1963, also by Bishop Banyard. He married Auderie G. Boushell on June 2, 1962, and was the father of three children.
His ordained ministry began as Curate and then Associate Rector of Grace Church, Merchantville, from 1963 to 1967. He became rector of St. Peter’s, Medford, and served there from 1967 to 2002, when he retired from the active ministry. He was made Canon of Lay Ministry by the Right Reverend Albert W. Van Duzer. For many years he was in charge of St. John’s, Avalon, a summer chapel. Most recently he was serving as an interim at Christ Church, Collingswood.
Visitation will be at St. Peter’s on Tuesday evening, December 18, from 7 to 9 o’clock and on Wednesday morning, December 19, from 9:45 to 10:30. The Holy Eucharist and Committal will be held on Wednesday morning, December 19, at 11 o’clock at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Medford, New Jersey. The celebrant will be the Reverend Canon Donald Muller.
In lieu of flowers donations made be made to St. Peter’s, Medford and Christ Church, Collingswood.
Biographical material provided by the Archives of the Diocese of New Jersey.
November 2007
• Death of the Reverend Gareth Conley Holford
The Reverend Gareth Conley Holford died on Tuesday, November 13, 2007 in Saint Francis Hospital near Okmulgee, Oklahoma.
Born May 31, 1929, in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, he was the son of Charles E. and Helen (Gordon) Holford. He was a graduate of Central State College of Ohio in 1966.
Following a career in haberdashery, he went to the General Theological Seminary where he graduated with a Masters in Divinity in 1969. He was ordained Deacon by the Rt. Rev. Chilton Powell of the Diocese of Oklahoma on April 9, 1969, and Priest on October 25, 1969, by the Rt. Rev. Alfred L. Banyard, Bishop of the Diocese of New Jersey.
He began his ordained ministry as Curate at St. Peter’s, Freehold, where he served from 1969-1972. He became Rector of St. Stephen’s, Riverside, New Jersey, in 1972 and served there until his retirement in 1994, when he returned to his childhood home. He served as assistant Priest at Good Shepherd, Sapulpa, and was later affiliated with the Church of the Resurrection (Anglican) in Jenks, Oklahoma.
A Mass of Christian Burial for Fr. Holford will be celebrated at the Church of the Resurrection (Anglican), in Jenks, Oklahoma, at 1 p.m. on Monday, November 19th. The celebrant will be the Rev. Don Lawrence. A viewing will be held Sunday, November 18th, from 1-6 p.m. at the McClendon-Winters Funeral Home in Okmulgee.
Biographical material provided by the Archives of the Diocese of New Jersey.
August 2007
• Appointment of Bishop Sylvestre Romero as Assisting Bishop in New Jersey
August 2, 2007
Dear Friends in Christ,
I have the honor to announce that, acting with the concurrence of a majority of the members of the Standing Committee, I have appointed the Rt. Rev. Sylvestre D. Romero Assisting Bishop in the Diocese of New Jersey, effective October 1, 2007.
Bishop Romero and his wife, Eva, will come to us from the Diocese of El Camino Real in California, where he has served as Interim Bishop for three years. He was consecrated in Belize (the former British Honduras) in 1993 and served as Diocesan Bishop there for eleven years. Prior to his consecration he served as Hispanic Missioner in El Camino Real and as a parish priest in Guatemala, where he met Eva. They have been married nearly 40 years and have four adult children and three grandchildren. 
Bishop Romero’s ministry will be that of a bishop. He will share with me in the full schedule of visitations, confirmations, receptions and reaffirmations; of ordinations, institutions and in the pastoral care of the clergy and their families. In addition, he will have a leadership role in expanding the mission of the Diocese, working with the Board of Missions and among Hispanic populations and other cultures. He will consult with vestries and work to develop and strengthen our ordained and lay leaders. He will also undertake other duties as may evolve as we pray and work together as colleagues in the shepherding of the Diocese.
This large jurisdiction requires and deserves more than one bishop. I am grateful that many of you have been praying with me for assistance in this office and ministry. Bishop Romero and I both see God’s hand at work in this call. He is a faithful, experienced and godly bishop, with deep devotion to our Lord and eagerness to build up the Church and help us to grow. I believe that God has answered our prayers.
Please pray for Bishop and Mrs. Romero as they prepare to move to New Jersey. And pray that, by the grace of God, we may go “Right Onward” in mission and ministry, in the name Jesus Christ, our most gracious Lord.
Faithfully yours in Christ,
The Right Reverend George Edward Councell
XI Bishop of New Jersey
• Bishop Councell's letter to the diocese about his health
August 1, 2007
Dear Friends in Christ,
Today — as I have every day for nearly four years — I woke up and felt grateful for God’s call to serve as the Bishop of New Jersey. I am glad that our Lord has bound us together to share in Christ’s mission. I give thanks for your love, your prayers, and for your many expressions of care and support. God is good, all the time.
Recently, more and more of you have expressed your concern for my health. In response to many inquiries, I am writing to inform you that I have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a progressive disorder that affects nerve cells in the part of the brain controlling movement, muscle control, and balance. Although it may be eventually disabling, the disease often progresses slowly and most people enjoy many years of productive living after they receive a diagnosis.
In my case, the disease is, indeed, progressing very slowly. My symptoms are mild; e.g., a tremor in my right hand and some slowness and stiffness in movement. I’m happy to report that medication is helping to control those symptoms. There is every reason to expect that I can continue in this ministry as long as I wish to serve. I have every intention to do just that, by the grace of our God and with the help of your prayers.
Keep praying. Of your goodness, please remember my wife Ruth and our family
in your prayers as well. I pray that this announcement and my condition will not distract us from the vision that we have developed or the work that our Lord is calling us to do to put feet on that vision. As Paul wrote to the Church in Corinth, Therefore, since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart (II Cor. 4:1).
All the time, God is good.
Right Onward!
Faithfully yours in Christ,
The Right Reverend George Edward Councell
XI Bishop of New Jersey
April 2007
• Recent deaths of priests of the Diocese of New Jersey
The Reverend Christopher Thomas Connell, formerly of this diocese, died April 23, 2007, in Miami, Oklahoma.
He was born July 25, 1946, in New York City, son of Martin and Vivienne Connell. Ordained deacon and priest in the Diocese of New York in 1974, he married Susan Green in September of the same year. They have two children.
He was an associate at St. Luke’s, Metuchen, chaplain of St. Mary Hall–Doane Academy, and rector of St. Mark’s, Hammonton before becoming rector of St. Raphael’s, Brick, from 1981 to 1988. He then became canonically resident in the Diocese of Long Island where he was rector of All Saints Church, Great Neck, New York from 1999 to 2002. Numismatics and writing about coins were one of his passions and he contributed many articles to numismatic publications.
The Reverend Susan Clare Connell has long been associated with the Sisters of St. Gregory and was its first Superior. She is currently rector of All Saints Church of Miami, Oklahoma.
Memorials may be sent to the Memorial Fund of All Saints Church, 225 B Street NW, Miami, Oklahoma, 74354.
Biographical material courtesy of the Archives of the Diocese of New Jersey
The Reverend Canon Edward Daley died on Saturday, April 14, 2007, in Moorestown, New Jersey. Son of Robert and Deborah (Elliot) Daley he was born in Philadelphia, January 12, 1916. He graduated from Carroll College of Wisconsin with a Bachelor of Arts degree and from Nashotah House in 1945 with a Bachelor of Divinity degree. He was ordained to the Diaconate in June of 1944 by the Rt. Rev. Oliver J. Hart, bishop of the Diocese of Pennsylvania, and to the Priesthood in February of 1945, also by Bishop Hart. He was married to Margaret Jones Van Loon on January 22, 1949. Their children are Sylvia Iannucci, Deborah Rogerino, Edward Daley, and Cynthia Griffin.
His ministry began in 1945 as vicar of St. Andrew’s, Manayunk, Pennsylvania, in 1945, and then as vicar and rector of St. Stephen’s, Wissahickon, Pennsylvania, from 1945-1951. He came to New Jersey in 1951 as rector of St. Matthias’, Trenton. In 1962, Canon Daley became the Director and then Administrator of the Evergreens Home for the Aged in Moorestown until his retirement in 1982. He was made an Honorary Canon of Trinity Cathedral in 1963 and Nashotah House bestowed on him an Honorary Doctor of Divinity in 1975.
There will be a viewing at the Stevenson-Brown Funeral Home in Merchantville on Friday, April 20th from 2 to 4 PM and on Saturday, April 21st at St. Uriel’s Church, Sea Girt, from 11 AM to 12:45 PM, following which a Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated at 1 PM. In lieu of flowers donations in his name may be made to the Bishop Parson’s Scholarship Fund at Nashotah House.
Biographical material courtesy of the Archives of the Diocese of New Jersey
The Reverend Willard Perry Winterrowd died on April 9, 2007 in Piscataway, New Jersey.
Born on July 24, 1938, in Shreveport, Louisiana, he was the son of William Perry and Ruth Winterrowd and the twin brother of William Jerry Winterrowd. He graduated from Centenary College in 1959 and in 1963 from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary with a Masters in Divinity.
He was ordained Deacon on June 15, 1963 by the Rt. Rev. Iveson B. Noland and Priest on April 1, 1964, by the Rt. Rev Girault Mc. Jones of the Diocese of Louisiana. On June 29, 1968, Perry and Nancy Cassil Reynard were married and they had two sons, Kent and Michael.
He began his ministry as Priest in Charge of Trinity Church, Cheneyville and Holy Comforter, Lecompte, Louisiana, from 1963 to 1965. He then served as Assistant Rector of Trinity Church, Moorestown, New Jersey. In 1969 he became rector of St. Bartholomew’s Church, Cherry Hill. The Rt. Rev. G.P. Mellick Belshaw appointed him to the post of Archdeacon of the Diocese in 1990.
In 1995 he became the Assistant to the Bishop of the Diocese of Ohio with the task of Congregational Development, a post he served until 1999 when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. He returned to New Jersey and retired at their home in Yardley, Pennsylvania.
A Requiem Eucharist will be celebrated at St. Matthew’s Church, Pennington, on Saturday, April 14, 2007, at 11 am.
Biographical material courtesy of the Archives of the Diocese of New Jersey
The Reverend John Granville Bryant entered into rest on Easter Day, April 8, 2007.
The son of John Granville and Colleen Bryant, he was born in Lawnside, New Jersey, April 13, 1944. He was a graduate of Golden Gate University, San Francisco, California, and earned a Masters in Education from Rutgers University in 1975. He attended the General Theological Seminary, graduating with a Masters of Divinity degree in 1985. He was made a Deacon in Trinity Cathedral, Trenton, New Jersey, on June 1, 1985 by the Rt. Rev. G.P. Mellick Belshaw, IX Bishop of the Diocese of New Jersey, and ordained to the priesthood by the Rt. Rev. E. Otis Charles in St. Augustine’s Church, Camden, New Jersey, on January 1, 1986.
Father Bryant served his entire active ministry as Vicar of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Pleasantville, New Jersey, where his dedicated attention to the congregation drew many accolades from the membership. Plagued by declining health, Fr. Bryant recently retired.
A Vigil will be held on Friday, April 13th, beginning at 7 pm in St. Mary’s Church, Pleasantville. A Burial Mass on Saturday, April 14th at 10 am, will be celebrated at St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church, Broadway and Royden Street, Camden.
Biographical material courtesy of the Archives of the Diocese of New Jersey
March 2007
• 223rd Convention of the Diocese of New Jersey
A full overview of diocesan convention, with election results, will be in 2 Times a Month for the second week of March. Below you can find the resolutions passed by convention and a press release from Episcopal News Service.
Resolutions passed at the 2007 Convention of the Diocese of New Jersey
The following resolutions were passed at the 2007 Convention of the Diocese of New Jersey. The Final Report of the Committee on Resolutions contains Statements in Support of the proposed resolutions as well as the text of General Convention Resolutions referred to, which are useful to understand the proposals but are not part of the resolutions as passed.
Various amendments were proposed on the floor of Convention, none of which passed.
The following texts are subject to correction by the Committee on Validation of the Minutes, as provided in Canon 6 of the Diocese of New Jersey.
RESOLUTION 2007-1: Subject: Restorative Justice
Be It Resolved, That the Diocese of New Jersey adhere to Resolution A127 (Restorative Justice) and Resolution A123 (Slavery and Racial Reconciliation) of the 75th General Convention of The Episcopal Church in 2006, which asks dioceses to "conduct truth and reconciliation processes in regard to other histories and legacies of racial discrimination and oppression that may be applicable in their geographic area, while not diminishing the strong call to focus on the history and legacy of slavery" and to give a "progress report" to the Anti-Racism Committee of the Executive Council (A127); and be it
Further resolved, That the Bishop of this Diocese in consultation with the diocesan Anti-Racism Commission appoint a committee, as may seem appropriate to them, which shall be known as the Taskforce on Restorative Justice to research, to document, and to provide the written reports as required by Resolutions A123 and A127, said reports to trace the historical involvement of this Diocese and geographical area in the institution of slavery and the economic benefits realized due to that involvement; and be it
Further resolved, That preparation of the reports should include at least one public forum and that copies of a progress report be made publicly available by the 2008 Convention of the Diocese; and be it
Further resolved, That these reports detail post-slavery issues of discrimination and societal privilege due to the legacy of slavery in this Diocese and this geographical area; and be it
Further resolved, That the diocesan progress report, having been reviewed by the diocesan Anti-Racism Commission and presented at the Diocesan Convention of 2008, then be submitted to the Executive Council of the Church as directed by Resolution A127.
RESOLUTION 2007-2: Subject: Expression of Gratitude and Regret
Be it Resolved, That this 223rd Annual Convention of the Diocese of New Jersey acknowledge deep respect and gratitude to the Deputies to the 75th General Convention of The Episcopal Church who prayerfully struggled in conscience with their vote on Resolution B033 (On Election of Bishops); and be it
Further resolved, That the Diocese of New Jersey, mindful of our baptismal covenant to "strive for justice and peace among all peoples and respect the dignity of every human being," express deep regret for the pain and anguish suffered by our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters, their families, and friends, because of the adoption of Resolution B033; and be it
Further resolved, That the people of the Diocese of New Jersey continue to offer forgiveness to each other and to others in the world-wide Anglican Communion as we seek to enter into deeper levels of communion with one another.
RESOLUTION 2007-3:
Subject: Support of Clergy
Be it Resolved, That all active clergy in the Diocese of New Jersey be encouraged to participate regularly in an ongoing colleague support group, and to secure a spiritual director for regular meetings.
Press release from Episcopal News Service
[Episcopal News Service] After a lengthy debate which drew over a dozen speakers plus the introduction and subsequent defeat of two amendments, the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey approved a resolution at its Convention March 3 that "expresses its deepest regret for the pain and anguish suffered by our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters, their families, and friends, due to the adoption of [General Convention] Resolution B033." The resolution also called to "offer forgiveness to each other and to others in the world-wide Anglican Communion as we seek to enter into deeper levels of communion with one another."
The day prior, in his address to the 223rd Convention, Bishop George Councell reaffirmed his support for gays and lesbians, and discussed his policy on a new New Jersey same-gender civil union law.
He told the Convention that his support of the New Jersey law "is consistent with the Episcopal Church's long-standing commitment to support equal protection (Resolution 1994-C019) under the law for homosexual persons."
"I encourage clergy and congregations to offer their pastoral support to such couples, which may include prayers of celebration and thanksgiving for the grace and holiness of their unions," he said.
However, Councell will not allow clergy to sign New Jersey civil-union licenses because of the lack of authorization from General Convention.
And he said that he would not authorize any public liturgies for the blessing of same-sex unions. "We do not at the present time have a consensus about the biblical and theological rationale for such unions in The Episcopal Church or in the Communion," he said. "While I favor the continuing study that could form the foundation for the development of such rites, I will not act alone to authorize them. I do not believe that any one bishop or diocese should authorize that which has not been authorized by the governing body from which they derive their authority."
Pointing to the juxtaposition of the February 20 New York Times front page which featured both a report on the recent Primates meeting in Tanzania and a photo of a license application for same-sex civil unions in New Jersey, Councell noted it "speaks volumes about the tensions in which we find ourselves in this Church at this moment."
The bishop declared, "We are called to minister in New Jersey. New Jersey is not Tanzania, New Jersey is not Nigeria; New Jersey is not any of the 29 countries on the African continent where homosexuality is a criminal offense. We minister in a radically different context. In our churches are many gay and lesbian people who are living in faithful, committed unions who are asking for our acceptance, our support and our prayers. We have said that the Episcopal Church welcomes them and welcomes all. Gay and lesbian Christians are our brothers and sisters in Christ and our partners in mission and ministry, in work and worship, in fellowship and service."
More ENS coverage of New Jersey civil-unions law is available here.
In other actions, the Convention approved without discussion the final 2007 budget at $3.9 million and the preliminary 2008 budget at $4.7 million.
The Convention adopted and endorsed the report of the Right Onward Visioning Committee, based on a multi-year process that included 350 clergy interviews and listening sessions – including one in Spanish – conducted throughout the diocese to provide a framework for the future mission of the diocese. Five vision initiatives were proposed: community and resource renewal; liturgical renewal; spiritual renewal; mission renewal; and growth through welcoming and inclusion. The next steps in this visioning process are to create a vision action committee, ensure that all diocesan entities adopt the vision in their programs, and for Diocesan Council to prepare structures and budget to enable this process.
The Convention viewed "Traces of the Trade," a movie currently in final production that chronicles the slave trading history in this country. It was previewed at General Convention 2006.
In a related move, a resolution was approved calling for a Task Force on Restorative Justice, in line with Resolutions A123 and A127 from the 75th General Convention.
The Diocese of New Jersey comprises about 55,000 Episcopalians worshipping in 159 congregations in the lower two-thirds of the state of New Jersey.