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Prayer for a Pandemic
May we who are merely inconvenienced remember those whose lives are at stake.
May we who have no risk factors remember those most vulnerable.
May we who have the luxury of working from home
remember those who must choose between preserving their health or making their rent.
May we who have the flexibility to care for our children when their schools close
remember those that have no options.
May we who have to cancel our trips remember those who have no safe place to go.
May we who are losing our margin money in the tumult of the economic market
remember those who have no margin at all.
May we who settle in for a quarantine at home remember those who have no home.
As fear grips our country, let us choose love during this time when we cannot physically wrap our arms around each other, let us yet find ways to be the loving embrace of God to our neighbor.
Amen.
(from interfaith Hospitality Network, Cincinnati)
May we who are merely inconvenienced remember those whose lives are at stake.
May we who have no risk factors remember those most vulnerable.
May we who have the luxury of working from home
remember those who must choose between preserving their health or making their rent.
May we who have the flexibility to care for our children when their schools close
remember those that have no options.
May we who have to cancel our trips remember those who have no safe place to go.
May we who are losing our margin money in the tumult of the economic market
remember those who have no margin at all.
May we who settle in for a quarantine at home remember those who have no home.
As fear grips our country, let us choose love during this time when we cannot physically wrap our arms around each other, let us yet find ways to be the loving embrace of God to our neighbor.
Amen.
(from interfaith Hospitality Network, Cincinnati)
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Trinity Episcopal Church response to the Pandemic -Per the Pastoral Directive of the Episcopal Bishops of Michigan, we have suspended services in our church building until further notice. For the month of August, we will be having outdoor services. -Friday Bible Study is suspended until further notice. Our church is also currently closed to all groups utilizing it for various services/meetings and outreach. 
WORSHIP BULLETIN:
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For the month of August, Fr. Brian Chace will be conducting our worship service in the pavilion @ Tolfree Wellness Park, beginning at 10:30 a.m. Please bring your own chair. Per the Episcopal Diocese of Eastern Michigan, masks must be worn and social distancing practiced. We look forward to seeing you there! If you are unable to attend in person, please follow our service on Facebook Live. 
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Throughout this season of our public health crisis,
clergy from the diocese will lead Morning Prayer
each Sunday at 10:30 a.m.
Click here:
DIOCESE FACEBOOK PAGE
Throughout this season of our public health crisis,
clergy from the diocese will lead Morning Prayer
each Sunday at 10:30 a.m.
Click here:
DIOCESE FACEBOOK PAGE
Washington National Cathedral is currently holding daily services. Check their website for information.
Click the link below:
WASHINGTON NATIONAL
Click the link below:
WASHINGTON NATIONAL
UPDATES
Saturday, June 20, 2020
Dear Trinity Church Family--
This is another in our series of updates from your Senior Warden and Priest in
Charge. We hope this communication finds all of you doing well.
Our Vestry held an in-person meeting (outdoors, with social distancing) on Friday, June
19 at the home of Luke and Martha. It was nice to break-away from the virtual “Zoom
meeting” format that we followed for the past few months. The Vestry plans to
reconvene meeting in-person again on Friday, July 17 at 10:00 a.m. Any member of
our parish may attend this meeting if they so desire.
If you are not aware, you should know that our Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Whayne M.
Hougland, Jr., has been suspended for a year. We’ve included two letters with this
update: one from the Standing Committees of the Dioceses of Eastern and Western
Michigan explaining the situation, as well as one from Whayne Hougland responding
to his suspension.
In addition, the Episcopal Diocese of Eastern and Western Michigan have announced
that the four Episcopal Dioceses in Michigan will transition to Phase II of the joint plan
to reopen our church buildings on Monday, June 29. Phase II allows limited use of
church buildings, including worship, but with strict limitations, such as six-foot physical
separation, mandatory mask-wearing, no singing, no passing of the peace, no coffee
hour, no handshaking, hugging, or any other form of touch, and bread-only
communion.
We want you to know that our Vestry has voted to not open our church at all until
Phase III. We want to keep all of us as safe as possible. This also includes restricting
access to the church for outside group usage. The only group currently permitted to
use the church is the Ogemaw County Christian Fellowship (OCCF) Food Pantry. The
joint plan for reopening is clear that congregations are not required to reopen at any
time, but should only reopen when they feel it is safe.
The Food Pantry continues to provide food to the community at our location via the
drive-through and pick-up model. The community continues to demonstrate support
with money, food offerings, and outstanding volunteer help. Until further notice, the
plan is to continue using this delivery model every Wednesday from 9:00 a.m. – 11:00
a.m. Please continue to share this information with those that you know that are in
need.
The recent death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis has stirred
strong emotions in our country. The resulting social unrest in our communities from
coast to coast that has both spurred and accompanied the Black Lives Matter
movement has gripped our nation now for weeks. Please continue to pray for social
justice and the indwelling of God’s peace in our country and across the world.
Father Brian will be on vacation the last week of June and the first week of
July. Trinity’s virtual Sunday worship services will not be held Sunday, June 28 and
Sunday, July 5. You will be redirected to other possible on-line worship services that
will be listed on our webpage and Trinity’s Facebook page. The website link is at the
top of this stationary. We continue to post the Sunday worship bulletins for download
on our website.
The Vestry is looking at holding a Sunday outdoor worship service sometime in
July. We are in the process of investigating the use of a local pavilion. We are
interested in receiving your thoughts on this unique worship idea. Your comments can
be forwarded to either one of us. Please be looking for the announcement regarding
this event in the next week or so.
Trinity subscribes to three Christian daily devotional pamphlets: publications known
at Forward Day-By-Day, Our Daily Bread, and The Upper Room. These are normally
found in the “tract rack” inside Cooper Hall, but we will be happy to mail them directly
to you if you would like a copy. If you do, please contact either one of us or leave a
message on Trinity’s answering machine to get on the mailing list.
A BIG “thank you” to those who continue to fulfill their pledges and make donations
during this time.
Until our next update—stay healthy, and enjoy the summer weather in northern
Michigan!
Fr. Brian Chace, Priest in Charge Luke Stefanovsky, Senior Warden
989.619.1890 989.621.5382
Letter from the Standing Committee:
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Today, we were notified of an accord reached between the Presiding Bishop, the Most
Rev. Michael Curry, and our bishop, the Rt. Rev. Whayne M. Hougland, Jr., as part of a
Title IV disciplinary action.
Bishop Hougland, in a meeting with the Bishop for Pastoral Development, the Rt. Rev.
Todd Ousley, disclosed that he had made “serious mistakes” and admitted his
participation in an extramarital affair. The other person involved is not Episcopalian and
is not a member of the staff of either diocese. No state or federal laws have been
broken.
Under the Canons of the Episcopal Church, an accord is a written resolution to the
disciplinary process, which is negotiated by and agreed to by both parties.
The accord places Bishop Hougland on suspension for a minimum of one year. During
that time, he will be required to undertake personal steps to be accountable to the
Church and emotionally healthy for himself, his family, and his dioceses, in accordance
with the Canons, which state:
The Church and each diocese shall support their members in their life in Christ and
seek to resolve conflicts by promoting healing, repentance, forgiveness, restitution,
justice, amendment of life and reconciliation among all involved or affected. - Canon
IV.1
It is the hope of the Presiding Bishop’s office, our Standing Committees, and Bishop
Hougland, that this time is one of healing and reconciliation. At the conclusion of the
suspension, the Standing Committees and Bishop Hougland will decide whether to
continue the relationship with Whayne as our bishop.
The Standing Committees have met and are in the process of working out the details
of the one-year leave, including a plan for maintaining the daily operations of the
dioceses. Specifics will be available next week. At this time, we expect to hold the
ecclesiastical authority of our respective dioceses and will work with our neighboring
bishops to conduct the duties that only a bishop can conduct, including ordinations
and confirmations. We also are committed to affirming the vote taken last Fall to
explore mutual relationship between our dioceses for 3-5 years, by making decisions
together as much as is possible and appropriate, maintaining our now-regular joint
meetings of Standing Committees and staffs, as well as continuing all other ongoing
and potential ministry collaborations.
We ask that you not be in contact Bishop Hougland directly. Any notes may be
forwarded to him through Canon Bill Spaid, wspaid@edwm.org, or may be mailed to
the Western Michigan diocesan office.
Know that we are praying for you, the people of Eastern and Western Michigan, and
we ask your prayers for your elected leadership, as well as for your diocesan staffs,
Bishop Whayne and Dana, and for each other.
Yours in Christ,
The Standing Committees of the Episcopal Dioceses of Eastern and Western Michigan
Letter from Wayne Hougland:
To the Clergy and People of the Episcopal Dioceses of Eastern and Western Michigan,
I will not have the ability to personally speak to you individually or as a group, but I appreciate the
opportunity for you all to hear from me. I have not honored my ordination vows or my wedding vows
nor have I honored the faith and trust you set in me. I have much personal work to do to be healthier
and rebuild my relationships.
I apologize to the people of these dioceses for betraying my sacred oath to be a wholesome example
for the entire flock of the Church.
I apologize to the staff of the dioceses for abandoning you to pick up the pieces of my error.
I apologize to the clergy for my gross lapse of moral judgement, thereby damaging our sacred
relationship under orders and weakening our moral authority.
I apologize to the Presiding Bishop and the members of the House of Bishops for not living up to the
standards of behavior and conduct expected for Bishops and for damaging our credibility and
respectability as moral leaders in society at large.
I apologize to the other party and her family for disrespecting their relationship.
And most of all, I apologize to Dana, our daughters and our extended families for my betrayal of
their gracious abiding love.
I do not yet fully understand why I behaved in this manner, but I alone am responsible for my actions
and the discipline that the Presiding Bishop and I have agreed to. Over the next year, I will carefully
and fully examine what I need to do to be the person you and I expect me to be. During this time, I
will be repentant, take the steps I need to amend my life, and request forgiveness from those I have
wronged. I am thankful for the grace of the Holy Spirit and the promise of forgiveness for those who
are truly repentant. I will do the work.
Thank you, Presiding Bishop for your pastoral care and for your hard discipline, I need them both.
Thank you, Standing Committees for your leadership in this difficult time and for your graciousness
to me in this difficult moment.
Thank you for your continued prayers and ongoing support and concern for Dana and our family.
Humbly,
Whayne M. Hougland, Jr
Saturday, June 20, 2020
Dear Trinity Church Family--
This is another in our series of updates from your Senior Warden and Priest in
Charge. We hope this communication finds all of you doing well.
Our Vestry held an in-person meeting (outdoors, with social distancing) on Friday, June
19 at the home of Luke and Martha. It was nice to break-away from the virtual “Zoom
meeting” format that we followed for the past few months. The Vestry plans to
reconvene meeting in-person again on Friday, July 17 at 10:00 a.m. Any member of
our parish may attend this meeting if they so desire.
If you are not aware, you should know that our Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Whayne M.
Hougland, Jr., has been suspended for a year. We’ve included two letters with this
update: one from the Standing Committees of the Dioceses of Eastern and Western
Michigan explaining the situation, as well as one from Whayne Hougland responding
to his suspension.
In addition, the Episcopal Diocese of Eastern and Western Michigan have announced
that the four Episcopal Dioceses in Michigan will transition to Phase II of the joint plan
to reopen our church buildings on Monday, June 29. Phase II allows limited use of
church buildings, including worship, but with strict limitations, such as six-foot physical
separation, mandatory mask-wearing, no singing, no passing of the peace, no coffee
hour, no handshaking, hugging, or any other form of touch, and bread-only
communion.
We want you to know that our Vestry has voted to not open our church at all until
Phase III. We want to keep all of us as safe as possible. This also includes restricting
access to the church for outside group usage. The only group currently permitted to
use the church is the Ogemaw County Christian Fellowship (OCCF) Food Pantry. The
joint plan for reopening is clear that congregations are not required to reopen at any
time, but should only reopen when they feel it is safe.
The Food Pantry continues to provide food to the community at our location via the
drive-through and pick-up model. The community continues to demonstrate support
with money, food offerings, and outstanding volunteer help. Until further notice, the
plan is to continue using this delivery model every Wednesday from 9:00 a.m. – 11:00
a.m. Please continue to share this information with those that you know that are in
need.
The recent death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis has stirred
strong emotions in our country. The resulting social unrest in our communities from
coast to coast that has both spurred and accompanied the Black Lives Matter
movement has gripped our nation now for weeks. Please continue to pray for social
justice and the indwelling of God’s peace in our country and across the world.
Father Brian will be on vacation the last week of June and the first week of
July. Trinity’s virtual Sunday worship services will not be held Sunday, June 28 and
Sunday, July 5. You will be redirected to other possible on-line worship services that
will be listed on our webpage and Trinity’s Facebook page. The website link is at the
top of this stationary. We continue to post the Sunday worship bulletins for download
on our website.
The Vestry is looking at holding a Sunday outdoor worship service sometime in
July. We are in the process of investigating the use of a local pavilion. We are
interested in receiving your thoughts on this unique worship idea. Your comments can
be forwarded to either one of us. Please be looking for the announcement regarding
this event in the next week or so.
Trinity subscribes to three Christian daily devotional pamphlets: publications known
at Forward Day-By-Day, Our Daily Bread, and The Upper Room. These are normally
found in the “tract rack” inside Cooper Hall, but we will be happy to mail them directly
to you if you would like a copy. If you do, please contact either one of us or leave a
message on Trinity’s answering machine to get on the mailing list.
A BIG “thank you” to those who continue to fulfill their pledges and make donations
during this time.
Until our next update—stay healthy, and enjoy the summer weather in northern
Michigan!
Fr. Brian Chace, Priest in Charge Luke Stefanovsky, Senior Warden
989.619.1890 989.621.5382
Letter from the Standing Committee:
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Today, we were notified of an accord reached between the Presiding Bishop, the Most
Rev. Michael Curry, and our bishop, the Rt. Rev. Whayne M. Hougland, Jr., as part of a
Title IV disciplinary action.
Bishop Hougland, in a meeting with the Bishop for Pastoral Development, the Rt. Rev.
Todd Ousley, disclosed that he had made “serious mistakes” and admitted his
participation in an extramarital affair. The other person involved is not Episcopalian and
is not a member of the staff of either diocese. No state or federal laws have been
broken.
Under the Canons of the Episcopal Church, an accord is a written resolution to the
disciplinary process, which is negotiated by and agreed to by both parties.
The accord places Bishop Hougland on suspension for a minimum of one year. During
that time, he will be required to undertake personal steps to be accountable to the
Church and emotionally healthy for himself, his family, and his dioceses, in accordance
with the Canons, which state:
The Church and each diocese shall support their members in their life in Christ and
seek to resolve conflicts by promoting healing, repentance, forgiveness, restitution,
justice, amendment of life and reconciliation among all involved or affected. - Canon
IV.1
It is the hope of the Presiding Bishop’s office, our Standing Committees, and Bishop
Hougland, that this time is one of healing and reconciliation. At the conclusion of the
suspension, the Standing Committees and Bishop Hougland will decide whether to
continue the relationship with Whayne as our bishop.
The Standing Committees have met and are in the process of working out the details
of the one-year leave, including a plan for maintaining the daily operations of the
dioceses. Specifics will be available next week. At this time, we expect to hold the
ecclesiastical authority of our respective dioceses and will work with our neighboring
bishops to conduct the duties that only a bishop can conduct, including ordinations
and confirmations. We also are committed to affirming the vote taken last Fall to
explore mutual relationship between our dioceses for 3-5 years, by making decisions
together as much as is possible and appropriate, maintaining our now-regular joint
meetings of Standing Committees and staffs, as well as continuing all other ongoing
and potential ministry collaborations.
We ask that you not be in contact Bishop Hougland directly. Any notes may be
forwarded to him through Canon Bill Spaid, wspaid@edwm.org, or may be mailed to
the Western Michigan diocesan office.
Know that we are praying for you, the people of Eastern and Western Michigan, and
we ask your prayers for your elected leadership, as well as for your diocesan staffs,
Bishop Whayne and Dana, and for each other.
Yours in Christ,
The Standing Committees of the Episcopal Dioceses of Eastern and Western Michigan
Letter from Wayne Hougland:
To the Clergy and People of the Episcopal Dioceses of Eastern and Western Michigan,
I will not have the ability to personally speak to you individually or as a group, but I appreciate the
opportunity for you all to hear from me. I have not honored my ordination vows or my wedding vows
nor have I honored the faith and trust you set in me. I have much personal work to do to be healthier
and rebuild my relationships.
I apologize to the people of these dioceses for betraying my sacred oath to be a wholesome example
for the entire flock of the Church.
I apologize to the staff of the dioceses for abandoning you to pick up the pieces of my error.
I apologize to the clergy for my gross lapse of moral judgement, thereby damaging our sacred
relationship under orders and weakening our moral authority.
I apologize to the Presiding Bishop and the members of the House of Bishops for not living up to the
standards of behavior and conduct expected for Bishops and for damaging our credibility and
respectability as moral leaders in society at large.
I apologize to the other party and her family for disrespecting their relationship.
And most of all, I apologize to Dana, our daughters and our extended families for my betrayal of
their gracious abiding love.
I do not yet fully understand why I behaved in this manner, but I alone am responsible for my actions
and the discipline that the Presiding Bishop and I have agreed to. Over the next year, I will carefully
and fully examine what I need to do to be the person you and I expect me to be. During this time, I
will be repentant, take the steps I need to amend my life, and request forgiveness from those I have
wronged. I am thankful for the grace of the Holy Spirit and the promise of forgiveness for those who
are truly repentant. I will do the work.
Thank you, Presiding Bishop for your pastoral care and for your hard discipline, I need them both.
Thank you, Standing Committees for your leadership in this difficult time and for your graciousness
to me in this difficult moment.
Thank you for your continued prayers and ongoing support and concern for Dana and our family.
Humbly,
Whayne M. Hougland, Jr
We extend a special welcome to those who are single, married, divorced, widowed, straight, gay, confused, well-heeled or down-at-heel. We especially welcome wailing babies and excited toddlers. We welcome you whether you can sing like Pavarotti or just growl quietly to yourself. You’re welcome here if you’re just browsing, just woken up or just got out of prison. We don’t care if you’re more Christian than the Archbishop of Canterbury or haven’t been to church since Christmas 10 or 20 years ago. We extend a special welcome to those who are over 60 but not grown up yet and to teenagers who are growing up too fast. We welcome keep-fit moms, football dads, starving artists, tree huggers, latte sippers, vegetarians, junk-food eaters. We welcome those who are in recovery or still addicted. We welcome you if you’re having problems, are down in the dumps or don’t like organized religion. We’re not that keen on it either. We offer welcome to those who think the Earth is flat, work too hard, don’t work, can’t spell, or are here because Granny is visiting and wanted to come to church. We welcome those who are inked, pierced, both or neither. We offer a special welcome to those who could use a prayer right now, had religion shoved down their throats as kids or got lost looking for the Historical Society museum and wound up here by mistake.We welcome pilgrims, tourists, seekers, doubters and you.
From a sign posted at Coventry Cathedral in England,
context edited slightly for
Trinity Episcopal Church, West Branch, Michigan