Baptismal Theology

APLM continues to play a leading role promoting and strengthening baptismal ministry in the church. The 2009 General Convention of the Episcopal Church in Anaheim unanimously passed a resolution mandating a second baptismal consultation to produce a wide variety of resources that will be brought to the 2012 General Convention for action. The first consultation was co-convened by Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and APLM in 2007 to shape the agenda that was subsequently endorsed by General Convention. The following outcomes will be offered in 2012:

• Theological reflection on the vision of baptismal community and ministry expressed in the Book of Common Prayer (TEC) and the Book of Alternative Services (Canada)

• Strategies and resources supportive of Christian formation in light of this vision

• Educational resources to foster Episcopal identity and the development of rites to celebrate "becoming Episcopalian"

• Training programs and rites for certifying leadership positions in the Episcopal Church

• Proposed revisions to canon law (TEC) to conform the canons to the baptismal theology of The Book of Common Prayer, removing obstacles to full baptismal ministry.

The members of the baptismal consultation were appointed in 2007 by the Presiding Bishop and APLM. They represent the diverse voices needed at the table for this project to succeed. These include bishops, theologians, liturgists, Christian educators, parish clergy, canon lawyers and justice advocates:
 
Neil Alexander, Henry Parsley, Joe Burnett, Wayne Smith, Wilfrido Ramos-Orench, Joe Doss, Ruth Meyers, Louis Weil, Jim Turrell, Lee Mitchell, Bill Petersen, Byron Rushing (co-convenor), Linda Grenz, John Westerhoff, Sharon Pearson, Ruth-Ann Collins, Marilyn Haskell, Ginger Paul, Hisako Beasley, Sally Johnson, Devon Anderson, Clay Morris, Georgia Beardsley, Michael Merriman, Stephanie Spellers, John Johnson, and Robert Brooks.
 

The baptismal consultation will meet in April, 2010, at Holy Cross Parish in Shreveport, LA, to prepare its materials for the church and its report to General Convention.

APLM welcomes and appreciates further donations in support of the Consultation and our ongoing efforts.

APLM Colloquium
A Priestly Offering: Intercessory Prayer in Christian Worship
The second Associated Parishes for Liturgy and Mission Colloquium took place on November 12, 2009, at Church Divinity School of the Pacific, Berkeley, CA. Featured speaker the Rev. Dr. Ruth Meyers spoke on the topic “A Priestly Offering: Intercessory Prayer in Christian Worship.” After a formal response by Dr. John Klentos, lively Q-and-A and conversation ensued. Click play to watch a video of the presentation online:

 

In July 2009, Dr. Meyers began serving as Hodges-Haynes Professor of Liturgics at Church Divinity School of the Pacific, after 14 years on the faculty of Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, Evanston, Illinois. Her publications include Continuing the Reformation: Re-Visioning Baptism in the Episcopal Church, Gleanings: Essays on Expansive Language with Prayers for Various Occasions (edited with Phoebe Pettingell), and numerous articles and book reviews. She was recently elected chair of the Episcopal Church’s Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music. A past president of North American Academy of Liturgy, Dr. Meyers has also served on the Steering Committee of the International Anglican Liturgical Consultation, in which she continues to be an active participant. Her current research focuses on the relationship of liturgy and mission.

Respondent John Klentos is Associate Professor of Eastern Orthodox Christian Studies, Patriarch Athenagoras Orthodox Institute, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, California. Dr. Klentos, a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, has published several articles on Orthodox worship and theology. His research interests include the history of Byzantine liturgy and Orthodox Christian theology.

 

At the inaugural APLM Colloquium in November 2008, the Rev. Dr. Paul Bradshaw spoke on the topic “The Liturgical Movement: Gains and Losses.” The video of that first colloquium is embedded above. Dr. Bradshaw has taught at the University of Notre Dame since 1985 and is acknowledged as one of the foremost liturgical scholars not only in the Anglican Communion, but throughout the Christian world. He has also published extensively on the subject of Christian liturgy, having written or edited more than 20 books and over 90 essays or articles. His major books include Daily Prayer in the Early Church, The Search for the Origins of Christian Worship, and Eucharistic Origins.

Inculturation of Liturgy
The most recent APLM Council was held May 6-11, 2009 at the Mexican American Cultural Center in San Antonio. One major focus of this meeting was inculturation with The Rev. James "Jake" Empereur, S.J. as a presenter. Jake is vicar and liturgist at the San Fernando Cathedral in San Antonio, Texas. He was for many years a professor of systematic and liturgical theology at the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley and the Graduate Theological Union.