Religion ing national churches. - The global consensus is clearly conservative. A 1998 conference of all Anglican bishops declared gay prac- tices “incompatible with Scripture” and opposed gay ordinations and same-sex blessings in a 526-70 vote ' with 45 abstentions. Interpretations? meanwhile, have championed traditional teaching. Nigeria’s Archbishop Peter Akinola said the Americans have broken up the There’s talk that Monday’s — Trinity School Wagner (Regal Books, $13.99). Since then, dozens of inventories have emerged, most of them variations on Wagner’s : but adapted to the theology moral actions.” for Ministry, fears that the trickle of fellow conservatives quitting the Episcopal Church will become a stream unless there’s strong international action. Largest branches Problems? Anglican Communion by creating a “new religion.” And Uganda’s Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi said the Episcopal Church has separated itself from “the vast majority” of Christendom “heretical and im- next U.S. Episcopal conven- that have formally protested tion is held, 2007 (Canada’s synod) and 2008 (Anglican bishops’ world conference). Pronouncements ahead Episcopal competing have offered concepts of the Anglican heritage. clergy What Anglican tradition of living in tension and diversity of thought” should be maintained. : The group commission ommend also said the shouldn’t penalties actions voted and against gay same-sex bless- ings. According to 45 liberal U.S. clergy. and lay activists, “the Church include a clear majority — perhaps as much as threefourths — of the world’s active Anglicans. Only last week Australia’s Anglican Church Tension good? rec- against the Episcopal Church because it was only mandated to discern how to hold Anglicans together “in spite of our expressed differences.” One signer, the Rev. Dan Webster, (communications director for the Utah Diocese, said “the extreme religious right” in America has gifts to be used for the spiri- tual benefit of the community. Spiritual inventories | first blossomed in the early 1980s with the publication of “Your Nigeria and Uganda are Anglicanism’s two largest various interpretations. branches outside England. The implications will play Conservatives claim those out through 2006, when the - two churches and others of the report departure might sion propose? the commis- . Given the broad _international ire, the Rev. Ian Douglas of Episcopal Divinity School in Massachusetts thinks a mere wrist slap against the Americans is unlikely. Likely criticism But he also doubts the Episcopal Church will be simply “thrown out” of the Anglican Communion or that Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams — the faith’s spiritual leader — and other leaders would supplant And Episcopal without help from leaders such as Akinola, “down the road there will be no room in this church for those who believe as Angli- cans have always believed,” says editor David Kalvelage of The Living Church, an in- dependent Episcopal weekly that opposed Robinson as a bishop. The commission sent its report to Williams after its final meeting last month. The document is being released during meetings of standing committees that manage affairs of the “pri- mates,” the 38 heads of Anglican branches, and the An- glican Consultative Council, an advisory body of bishops, priests and lay delegates. Participants include Akinola and the man he sharply criticized for leading Robinson’s consecration, U.S. Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold. All leaders will meet to debate next steps in February Te the Episcopal Church’s bishops will hold a special session in January to mull the report. | Spiritual Gifts Can Help Your Church Grow” by C. Peter or emphases of a particular denomination or church. (A Google search for “spiritual gift inventory” yields versions from the United Methodist Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and dozens of independent evangelical ministries. A workshop next weekend at St. Ann Catholic Parish in Coppell will offer a Catholic version. ) Questions the They’d then design” the like to “custom church around the gifts of its membership. “It’s a bottom-up approach,” said Steve Harr, another member of Hope Lutheran. “Instead of starting with a task and then trying to figure out who we can rope into doing it, we start by understanding what our gifts are. “It’s really just a matter of searching for the things that people are ‘passionate about, and going from there.” This approach, he said, has led to more participation, reduced turnover and increased volunteer satisfaction. Top talents that makes a difference,” she said. — The Rey, Andrew Kulp, founder of Building Church Ministries in Auburn, Ala., said the popularity of the inventories reflects a broader embracingof spiritual gifts. At various times in. history, he said, laypeople have de-emphasized the _ search for their own spiritual gifts, relegating service within the worship community to profes- sional clergy. : In the early 20th century, he said, the rise of Pentecos- talism brought an emphasis on gifts of the spirit, including speaking in tongues. But this caused many conservative Christians to shy away from spiritual gifts. More recently, Kulp said, evangelicals have taken a renewed interest in the subject. Harr, an attorney, took the test and discovered that administration was his strongest gift. He recalled how, as First step a child, he was the one who advocates organized his friends for school assignments, such as science projects. Now he’s using his administrative skills to help “reengineer” the church’s organizational structure around members’ gifts. inventories caution that the tool should not be viewed as a quick route to easy answers. It’s a first step in an ongoing discernment process that involves prayer and experimentation. The inventories generally consist of several dozen multiple-choice questions. The answers are scored, and the final tally is supposed to pinpoint which spiritual gifts are strongest in an individual. “It’s basically a way of After an initial meeting to finding out: What piece of launch the effort, he said, he God’s heart do you think he’s came home so excited that placed in your heart? What he worked at his computer couldn’t you leave this life late into the night, feverishly without doing?” said the Rev. mapping out a plan. Brett Snowden, a pastor and That’s the beauty of knowadjunct professor at Hartford ‘Ing one’s spiritual gifts, he Seminary in Hartford, Conn. said. “The work of the church Wendy Berthelsen, an ac-. stops becoming work. You tive lay leader and wife of the feel called to do it.” pastor at Hope Lutheran, deDickson _ said knowing signed her own spiritual gifts members’ gifts helps churchinventory. | es slot busy volunteers into She said it’s transforming work they will enjoy and find the congregation. meaningful. “As a result, people in our “People have so little time, —e in congregation to take the test. 4D from Anglicanism’s custom of national autonomy. The Rev. Paul Zahl, new president of Pennsylvania’s through report will run 80 pages. If it follows Anglican custom there will be language to assuage both sides that allows but no proposed From everyone _-. Communion’s 38 self-govern- leaders, couraging they want to know their volunteer work will be in a place i. structure.” | Conservative 4D church are very energized to serve the Lord,” she said. The Berthelsens are en- ae From tives in the American Anglican Council and Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes. He expects “some kind of severe criticism and rebuke” Gifts a international association of churches into “a monolithic the Episcopal Church and recognize only the conserva- t ops in an attempt to turn an Even the most of | enthusiastic spiritual gifts Barbara Sanders, a member of St. Ann in Coppell, Texas, discovered the inventory at a workshop a few years ago in Colorado Springs, Colo. She was so moved by the experience that she decided to bring the program to her church. She said spiritual gifts represent much more than just areas of aptitude or interest. “As you advance in the spiritual life, your gifts be- come supernaturally empowered,” she said. “That’s what happened saints.” in the lives of the aa teamed up with foreign bish- ham CO Anglican Standard-Examiner SAN AI cama 6D Saturday, October 16, 2004