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[Episcopal News Service] An Episcopal church in Michigan was featured on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” for a humorous segment about a very serious issue: gun violence. Desi Lydic, a correspondent on the satirical news show, interviewed the Rev. Chris Yaw, rector of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Southfield, about the congregation’s efforts to dispose of relinquished guns in the state. The church has organized eight gun buyback and disposal events across the Detroit area in the past three years, resulting in the destruction of 650 firearms. “There are millions of unwanted guns in the possession of reluctant owners all across the U.S. posing unknown health risks to individuals and communities,” Yaw said in a March 7 news release, “And every weapon we help take out of circulation has the potential to avert a tragedy.” On the show, Lydic interviewed Yaw while seated in a pew of his church. “How does a priest get involved with getting guns off the streets?” she asked. “In America, it’s a lot easier to get a gun than to get rid of a gun,” Yaw said, adding that it takes more than “thoughts and prayers.” Video of the full segment is available here. (Warning, some profane language.) St. David’s gun buybacks started with an event offering $5,000 worth of gift cards in exchange for the firearms. It was so successful that the line of cars was two miles long, Yaw said, and they ran out of gift cards in 20 minutes. When asked what kind of gift cards, Yaw said they were mostly to Target. “Target?!” Lydic responded, with an expression of mock shock. The segment ends with Yaw bringing Lydic to a workshop where the firearms are sawed in half before disposal. St. David’s has partnered with the Oakland County Board of Commissioners, the University of Michigan’s Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention, the Southfield Police Department and others in its gun buyback efforts. It is also part of a statewide effort led by faith leaders, including from Michigan’s three Episcopal dioceses, to raise awareness of gun violence and to advocate for policy changes to improve gun safety. In January 2025, they celebrated the passage of the state’s newest gun safety law, requiring police to completely destroy all guns turned in during community buyback events. Gun safety has been a growing issue of concern in Michigan in recent years, especially after deadly mass shootings at Oxford High School in Oxford Township in 2021 and at Michigan State University in East Lansing in 2023. On average, 1,421 Michiganders die annually from gun violence, and the nationwide average is more than 45,000 , according to data compiled by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Episcopalians can learn more about the church’s gun safety legislation dating to 1976 here. – David Paulsen is a senior reporter and editor for Episcopal News Service based in Wisconsin. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.

[Episcopal News Service] Ten states; 1,560 miles. Eleven parishes and a seminary student; 14 adult volunteers and a baby. Total time: two weeks. That’s what it took for a team of Episcopalians to transport a baptismal font, a processional cross and an altar cross from Fryeburg, Maine, to their new permanent home in McCalla, Alabama. “Every single volunteer was a total stranger to each other before the relay. …Now we’ve really become friends,” Melissa Headrick Bailey, a member of the bishop’s committee for Riverside Episcopal Church, the Diocese of Alabama’s newest church plant, told Episcopal News Service. Bailey is a parishioner of St. Mary’s-on-the Highlands Episcopal Church in Birmingham. Riverside was named after the “river of life,” which is mentioned throughout Scripture, including Revelation 22. In January 2024, Bailey reached out to Episcopalians on Facebook, a public group with close to 86,000 members, asking to purchase sacramental items, furniture and other supplies from churches that no longer needed them. Many people nationwide responded, including the Rev. Sinclair “Skippy” Ender, rector of Christ Episcopal Church in North Conway, New Hampshire. Ender had been storing a baptismal font, a processional cross and an altar cross in his home for a few years, waiting to find the perfect new home for them. “I answered the Facebook post, and they asked how much I wanted for the font, and I said, ‘Oh, I don’t want anything. I just want it used for the glory of God,’” Ender, a resident of Fryeburg, Maine, which is just across the state line, told ENS. Ender, a U.S. Navy veteran, said he obtained the baptismal font and other church supplies from the Episcopal Church of Saints Matthew and Barnabas in Hallowell, Maine, when it closed in 2021. He planned to use the items at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, where he was a command chaplain at the time. However, shortly after obtaining the baptismal font, which dates to 1888, the naval shipyard received a donated ship bell from a decommissioned destroyer and began using it for baptisms instead. In several military branches worldwide, including the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard, upside-down ship bells traditionally serve as baptismal fonts. The custom dates back centuries to the British Royal Navy. “The antique font Fr. Skippy gave us is lovely, and it’s also very small and perfect for us,” the Rev. Geoff Evans, pastor of Riverside and the Diocese of Alabama’s canon to the ordinary, told ENS. “Everything has been serendipitous; providential, even.” The altar cross was originally used at St. Katherine’s Episcopal School for Girls in Bettendorf, Iowa, before it became a secular, coeducational college preparatory school decades ago. The cross had been stored in the undercroft of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Davenport since then. The damaged altar cross was about to be thrown away before Ender, who was a priest at the cathedral between 2018 and 2020, climbed into the dumpster to salvage the cross and restore it. Around that time, the Very Rev. John Hall, dean emeritus of Trinity, gave the processional cross and other sacramental items to Ender, which he used while enlisted in the Navy. Ender initially offered to pay to ship the sacramental items to Riverside, but the shipping fee was much higher than he could afford. Bailey reached out to Episcopalians on Facebook again asking if anyone living along the route between Fryeburg and McCalla would be willing to help drive part of the way to the next driver until the items reached their destination. Many people offered to help, and after some careful logistics planning and regular communications, 11 volunteers were selected to be a part of the “font relay.” Facebook users were able to read the relay’s progress by following the hashtag #FontRelay and the Episcopalians on Facebook group. The relay: Feb 3: Ender drove 222 miles from Fryeburg to Springfield, Massachusetts. That same day, Leslie Williams, a parishioner of St. Andrew’s Church, Northford, Connecticut, picked up the sacramental items and drove 83 miles from Springfield to Danbury, Connecticut. Feb 6: Williams drove an additional 35 miles from Danbury to New Haven, Connecticut. That same day, Nancy Pierson and Diane Goodman, parishioners of St. John’s Church Episcopal Church in Larchmont, New York, drove 82 miles from New Haven to Secaucus, New Jersey. Feb 9: Vivian Roston, a parishioner of St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church in New York City, drove 239 miles from Secaucus to Hagerstown, Maryland. That same day, Kyle, Lauren and William Munroe, parishioners of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Auburn, Alabama – temporarily residing in Alexandria, Virginia, while Kyle Munroe attends Virginia Theological Seminary – drove 133 miles from Hagerstown to Staunton, Virginia. Feb. 10: Susan Palmer, senior warden of Trinity Episcopal Church in Staunton, drove 225 miles from Staunton to Bristol, Tennessee. That same day, Candace Armstrong, music director St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Knoxville, Tennessee, drove 115 miles from Bristol to Knoxville.  Feb 13: Maryjo Latham, a parishioner of St. James Episcopal Church in Knoxville, drove 111 miles from Knoxville to Chattanooga, Tennessee. That same day, Ola Williams and Cathy Struntz, parishioners of the Church of the Resurrection in Rainbow City, Alabama, drove 110 miles from Chattanooga to Gadsden, Alabama. Feb. 14: Williams and Struntz drive 58 miles from Gadsden to Trussville, Alabama. That same day, Lane Oden, who’s not a member of a church, drove 11 miles from Trussville to Irondale, Alabama. Feb. 15: Oden drove 11 miles from Irondale to Homewood, Alabama. That same day, Bailey drove 16 miles from Homewood to Helena, Alabama, then 15 more miles to McCalla. To document the journey, Ender purchased a notebook for drivers to record their traveling details and reflections. “We are grateful to be on this journey with y’all. It is nice to think about all of these items going to their new home in our home state and diocese of Alabama,” Kyle, Lauren and William Munroe wrote in the notebook. “We hope these items help

[Episcopal News Service] Saint Augustine’s University, the historically Black college with Episcopal roots in Raleigh, North Carolina, has been dealt another setback in its ongoing fight for survival after its accrediting agency denied the school’s latest appeal. The accrediting agency, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, or SACSCOC, is in the process of removing Saint Augustine’s as a member institution for failing to meet accreditation standards related to its finances. Saint Augustine’s appealed a December 2024 decision by SACSCOC, but the agency’s appeals committee recently ruled against Saint Augustine’s, according to a March 6 news release from the school. Saint Augustine’s has at least one more option, a 90-day arbitration process, as it attempts to remain an accredited university. Loss of accreditation could threaten the school’s viability despite university leaders’ insistence that they have secured the funding needed to continue operating. “We have made substantial progress and are confident that our strengthened financial position and governance will ensure a positive outcome,” Board of Trustees Chairman Brian Boulware said in the news release. “SAU is resilient, and we are resolute in our commitment to academic excellence.” The release also emphasizes that the university’s failed appeal does not mean it is closing. Accreditation will remain active during the 90-day arbitration, meaning that all students who graduate in May 2025 will receive degrees from an accredited institution. The university “remains dedicated to providing high-quality education and student support services as it evaluates all available pathways forward,” according to the news release, which adds that the university expects to close later this month on an agreement with unnamed partners for $70 million in “sustainability focused funding at competitive market rates and terms.” Saint Augustine’s and the much smaller Voorhees College in Denmark, South Carolina, are the two remaining historically Black higher education institutions with Episcopal roots. The pair of colleges has received several million dollars from The Episcopal Church in recent years while also accepting the church’s guidance on administrative and fundraising matters. Saint Augustine’s history dates to 1867, when it was established by Episcopalians in the Diocese of North Carolina. Though still rooted in the Episcopal tradition, it now operates as an independent institution. Under federal guidelines, colleges and universities seek accreditation by an approved governmental or nongovernmental agency like SACSCOC to ensure they meet “acceptable levels of quality,” according to the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation, for example, is a minimum standard typically verified by managers when assessing graduates for potential employment. An academic institution that fails to retain accreditation also could be disqualified from federal grants and student aid programs, potentially jeopardizing the school’s ability to remain open. – David Paulsen is a senior reporter and editor for Episcopal News Service based in Wisconsin. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.

[Diocese of Los Angeles] Members of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Pomona, California, launched a ministry to help dress young girls around the world and revitalized community in their own backyard. On a recent Saturday, about a dozen women and men in the church’s Sophia room were busily laying out patterns, cutting, stitching and ironing vibrant animal print and flowered materials to make sleeveless dresses to send to Dress A Girl Around the World. “When we have finished 100 dresses, we send them off to be distributed,” said Jo Ann Newton, St. Paul’s senior warden. Newton inspired the ministry, which began in June 2024. “Dress A Girl” is a campaign of Hope for Women International, a Christian nonprofit women’s empowerment organization. The sleeveless, zipper-less, buttonless dresses, made to specification, bear the organization’s labels which, Newton hopes, could help prevent young girls from becoming victims of human trafficking. “Young girls in need have always been near and dear to my heart. Many people in this country don’t realize there are children without clothes,” she said, affirming the organization’s mission to raising awareness of human trafficking while distributing the dresses. Newton shared her vision with Sandra Martinez-Moore, chair of the church’s chapter of the Daughters of the King, an international order of women of Episcopal and other denominations who dedicate themselves to a life of prayer and service. Martinez-Moore embraced the ministry, and it has continued to expand. The women – and a few men – gather on the first Saturday of each month to sew, using donated materials and machines. They also work at home, according to Martinez-Moore. She said she was there with her mother, Anna Toledo, who makes about 14 dresses each week. “The wonderful thing is, the men in the church were excited by what we were doing, so they formed a men’s ministry,” Newton said. “They wanted to work alongside us in some way and in December, we had a joint project.” By Christmas, members were making stockings for the children attending a preschool renting space on their campus. The men’s ministry purchased small toys to put in the stockings “and we had a party for the children,” Newton said. “We’d never had a relationship with the preschool before. Now, the men’s ministry is activated, and they are planning other things for this year.” Extra stockings were taken to a nearby shelter; now the church is planning an Easter outreach to the shelter as well. Enthusiasm has continued to build. Another plan in the works is to create a quilted reversible bag and other fundraisers to celebrate St. Paul’s 150th anniversary in 2026. “We are planning a year’s worth of activities,” said Patricia Hernandez, who attends the monthly gatherings. “People come and do what they can.” Dress A Girl has “brought new life” to the parish which, like some 40 other churches in the Diocese of Los Angeles, has been without permanent clergy. St. Paul’s had both lay and supply clergy leadership, but until recently had seemed to be floundering, according to Hernandez. Now, there is hope, and there are plans for the future. “We are still going to be here,” Hernandez said. “I joined the church because of this ministry,” said Diana Bermudez, a teacher and new vestry member, who brought along a friend March 1 to help with the sewing. “I like to make a difference, and this has already made one. Coming to the sewing ministry was, for me, a calling.” Bill Laws, St. Paul’s administrator, said he needed a lot of “hand-holding” while learning to make bias tape to finish the neckline and armholes of the dress he was working on. The dresses are an A-line pattern with front, back, side panels and no fastenings, and made of cotton, with pockets. Sizes range from toddlers up to 12 or 14, according to Louise Barbee. “Once buttons or zippers are lost or broken, the garment isn’t usable anymore” so the dresses slip on easily over the head, she said. Bolts of donated material fill a nearby closet where the machines and other accessories are stored between gatherings. Bright-colored dresses are on hangers, and laughter fills the room as the members gather. The ministry has also attracted people from the local community, said Martinez-Moore, adding, “We want to see Dress A Girl in every church in the diocese.”

[Episcopal News Service] Inside St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church in River Hills, Wisconsin, a short walk down a flight of stairs gets you to a small but inviting basement room with plain gray walls and black rafters. Professional-grade spotlights hang from a grid above, and risers spaced around the edges of the room can be configured to accommodate up to 100 fans of local theater. While Sunday mornings in the nave at St. Christopher’s are still about preaching the Gospel, the congregation has expanded its reach into the community by reimaging this former storage space and developing a partnership with Acacia Theatre Company, a 45-year-old theater troupe that is rooted in the Christian tradition. “Everyone who hears there’s a theater in the basement, they walk in and go, ‘Oh, this is kind of nice!” Janet Peterson, Acacia’s artistic director, told Episcopal News Service. “I love it. I think it works really well for the size of theater that we are.” Episcopalians have gathered for nearly 70 years to worship at St. Christopher’s in River Hills, a bucolic northern Milwaukee suburb. Acacia has rented the basement theater at St. Christopher’s for its productions since 2019, staging several shows a year in this unique, intimate space, now named the Norvell Commons. Acacia’s shows, such as the Jane Austin-inspired “Christmas at Pemberley” last December and “A Sleep of Prisoners” opening March 7, draw theater fans from around the region, some of whom are new to The Episcopal Church. Members of St. Christopher’s also often attend the shows and have welcomed this transformation of what had been a little-used room on the church’s campus. “It brings people from a wide variety of interests, which we love,” the Rev. Geoffrey Ward, St. Christopher’s rector, said in an ENS interview. “We really believe that a multiple-entry-point and multiple-generational approach to things is what leads us to congregational vitality.” St. Christopher’s had some key ingredients in forming a successful partnership with Acacia, starting with Ward’s educational background. He has a bachelor’s degree in theater and a master’s degree in children’s theater education. Ordained a priest in 2009, Ward began serving at St. Christopher’s in 2017, and before long, he was engaging with leaders in the local theater community while assessing the church’s facilities for possible new uses. The church, built in the late 1950s, had undergone an expansion in 2006 to add facilities for church administration and fellowship. The space under that addition, however, had been left unfinished and became a kind of congregational junk room, Ward said, sometimes referred to as “the cave.” “We decided this is not the optimum use of this space,” he said. He thought it seemed ideal for a theater. At the same time, Acadia had been producing shows at a series of different locations in the region, none quite perfect for its smaller productions and modest but loyal audiences. Peterson connected with Ward through a mutual acquaintance, who happened to be working on props for Acacia, and they agreed that the basement at St. Christopher’s could be turned into a fitting new home for the theater company. Acacia, named for a tree that symbolizes stability and resistance, describes itself as “an independent, non-profit, interdenominational Christian theatre company.” It was founded to integrate art and faith, and though its productions are not overly didactic, they typically develop themes that align with Christian teachings. The theme of the 2024-25 season, for example, is “Making Peace,” based on the Bible verse from Matthew 5:9: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Acacia has “a really solid reputation” in the local theater community, Ward said, so bringing the troupe on board to use the basement at St. Christopher’s helped solidify the congregation’s efforts to turn it into Norvell Commons, named for a former rector. The project cost about $150,000, raised from a mix of sources, including the church’s endowment, grants and church member contributions. Acacia also pays a building use fee for its productions. Much of the development cost was for the theater’s state-of-the-art technology, from the lighting to movable seating. “Everything is flexible and changeable,” Ward said. The theater also provides opportunities for church-based events, such as movie nights. Part of the budget covered a 12-foot screen, a high-quality projector and surround sound. The congregation also has hosted speakers and is looking for other community groups interested in renting the space. Acacia began staging its productions there in fall 2019, but that first season soon was halted early the next year by the initial outbreaks of COVID-19. The church and the theater have since put pandemic restrictions on gathering behind them, and both are looking forward to increasing use of the theater at Norvell Commons. “I haven’t figured out how to do a musical in there, but I’m OK with that,” Peterson said. Instead, Acacia’s productions are more actor-focused, with the audience close to the action on three sides. “I like that you could reach out and touch the person in the first row,” she said. – David Paulsen is a senior reporter and editor for Episcopal News Service based in Wisconsin. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.

[Episcopal News Service] Churches across The Episcopal Church marked Ash Wednesday with services and the imposition of ashes in churches, parks, online, on city streets and other locations. Some churches and clergy offered “Ashes to Go,” in which ashes are available for people on-the-go to receive in various locations beyond church buildings. The practice of placing ashes – made from burning the prior year’s Palm Sunday fronds – in the sign of the cross on the foreheads of worshippers is to remind them of their mortality and serves as a mark of penitence. It also gives the day its name. The Book of Common Prayer makes the imposition of ashes optional, although most Episcopal churches offer it. The ashes are imposed with the words, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a 40-day period in which Christians engage in penitence and often acts of self-denial, including fasting, suggested by Christ’s 40 days in the desert. Among the earliest Christians, it was the time when people who wanted to join the church were prepared for Baptism, which would take place at Easter. Here are some places across The Episcopal Church where Ash Wednesday was observed, as noted on social media. St. Paul’s Within the Walls in Rome offered a service online. Puerto Rico Bishop Rafael Morales and other clergy of the Diocese of Puerto Rico took ashes to drivers and pedestrians on the streets of Rio Piedras. Clergy from St. John’s, Tallahassee, Florida, offered ashes at the State Capitol, also in Tallahassee.   View on Threads   New York Bishop Matthew Hyde imposes ashes at New York City’s Grand Central Station. A variety of other churches also offered Ashes to Go in their communities. — Melodie Woerman is an Episcopal News Service freelance reporter based in Kansas.