[Episcopal News Service] In an opinion piece originally published July 3 in Religion News Service, Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe reflected on The Episcopal Church’s history as it has emerged as an institutional leader in “resisting” the Trump Administration’s “overreach and recklessness” since President Donald Trump took office in January. Rowe’s op-ed follows. It is shaping up to be a complicated Independence Day for The Episcopal Church. We were once the church of the Founding Fathers and presidents—34 of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence were members of what became our church after the Revolution, and 11 presidents, including George Washington, have professed our faith. Today, however, we are known less for the powerful people in our pews than for our resistance to the rising tide of authoritarianism and Christian nationalism emanating from Washington, D.C. When religious institutions like ours enjoy easy coexistence with earthly power, our traditions and inherited systems can become useless for interpreting what is happening around us. But our recent reckoning with the federal government has allowed us to see clearly the ease with which the Protestant tradition of patriotism can lead Christians to regard our faith more as a tool of dominion than a promise of liberation. We have had an eventful few months. In February, we joined a coalition of interfaith partners to sue the federal government on the grounds that the threat of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in houses of worship is a violation of our religious freedom. In May, we ended our four-decade participation in the federal refugee resettlement program over the current administration’s demand that we resettle white Afrikaners designated as refugees. We are now assessing how to respond to the travel ban, which prevents us from gathering and worshipping freely with the people of our churches in Venezuela, Haiti and Cuba, and may limit entry for our members in several other of the 22 countries and territories where The Episcopal Church is found. These challenges to our ability to practice our faith have strained the comfortable intermingling of church and state that our institution has enjoyed for nearly 250 years. The reckoning, if we are honest, is long overdue. Every July 4, our prayer book reminds us of our failure to stand against the enslavement of Black Americans with a prayer for Independence Day claiming that “the founders of this country won liberty for themselves and for us.” But not all of us. The Episcopal Church did not make a moral stand against slavery, and some of our eminent leaders were pillars of the transatlantic slave trade. Our church ran residential schools for Indigenous children at which they were denied their culture and God-given humanity. And in the mid-20th century, our foreign missions aligned with U.S. foreign policy in Asia and the Pacific, and in Central America and the Caribbean. The history of the church in Nazi Germany is a cautionary tale about how Christians can falter in perilous times. Some Christians in that time and place sided with the Reich based on their theological tradition of nationalism and loyalty to the state. Others, who came to be called the Confessing Church, became determined that they needed to oppose the government’s interference in religion. They resisted the Nazi regime — some, like Lutheran theologian and pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, to the death. But the Confessing Church’s resistance was not primarily based in resistance to the Nazis’ deadly and dehumanizing antisemitism, but rather in its belief in the autonomy of the institutional church and its resulting desire to block state interference in church affairs. The last six months has heightened my understanding of that impulse, and I do not intend to diminish the witness of the Confessing Church — especially that of Bonhoeffer, who was brutally executed by the Nazi regime less than a month before the end of the war in Europe. Its history, however, teaches us that when we are awash in propaganda, even our resistance can be bound by its definitions and incline us to see the world in the same categories — foreigner and neighbor, cisgender and transgender, white and people of color, Christian and Muslim — that we seek to transcend. These historical lessons are urgent. Churches like ours, protected by the First Amendment and practiced in galvanizing people of goodwill, may be some of the last institutions capable of resisting this administration’s overreach and recklessness. To do so faithfully, we must see beyond the limitations of our tradition and respond not in partisan terms, but as Christians who seek to practice our faith fully in a free and fair democracy. We did not seek this predicament, but God calls us to place the most vulnerable and marginalized at the center of our common life, and we must follow that command regardless of the dictates of any political party or earthly power. We are now being faced with a series of choices between the demands of the federal government and the teachings of Jesus, and that is no choice at all. This is not the same kind of patriotism that has guided our church since its founding in 1785, but this July Fourth, it may be the most faithful service we can render — both to the country we love and the God we serve. – The Most Rev. Sean W. Rowe is presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church. The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of Religion News Service.

[Episcopal News Service] The Episcopal Church’s Court of Review has ordered the reversal of the Diocese of Virginia’s discipline of a priest over his refusal to administer Communion – a so-called “Eucharistic fast” that the priest, who is white, said he felt called to as a kind of protest against racial injustice. Under the church’s Title IV disciplinary canons, the Rev. Cayce Ramey faced possible deposition, or removal from the priesthood, for his actions. The churchwide Court of Review, however, has responded to Ramey’s appeal with an opinion this week that largely sides with the priest. It said diocesan leaders erred in their interpretation of church canons, adherence to disciplinary procedures and conclusions. “Our decision does not reflect an endorsement of Ramey’s actions or his theological views,” the Court of Review’s majority opinion said. “At issue here is the church’s responsibility to uphold the standards and procedures that we have collectively affirmed as essential to our life together in the Body of Christ. “Consequential procedural errors occurred here. The hearing panel misinterpreted or misapplied the Canons, engaged in a decision-making process inconsistent with Title IV and made findings that are not supported by substantial evidence when viewed in light of the whole record. These errors substantially prejudiced Ramey.” The opinion and order overruling the diocese was signed by a 10-member majority of the Court of Review, out of the 16 participating in this case. Two members in the majority submitted an additional concurring opinion. The other six members signed a separate opinion saying they dissented in part and would have ruled mostly against Ramey’s appeal. All three opinions are collected in a 37-page document. The Diocese of Virginia, in sharing the news July 2 on its website, quoted a response from Virginia Bishop E. Mark Stevenson calling the Court of Review’s decision “complex and nuanced” and adding it “will take time to fully digest.” “Throughout this matter, Dr. Ramey and I have been in substantial agreement regarding the need to address issues of racial justice and systemic racism in The Episcopal Church and/or the Diocese of Virginia,” Stevenson said. “Confronting racism remains mission critical for me and for the Diocese of Virginia. Each of us must work to secure justice and human dignity and I welcome every member of the Diocese, including Dr. Ramey, to join together in this holy and life-giving work.” Episcopal News Service reached out to Ramey for this story, and he declined to comment at this time, saying he was still processing the outcome. Ramey began his Eucharistic fast in June 2021, while he was rector at All Saints Episcopal Church in Alexandria, also known as Sharon Chapel. He stepped down as rector in December 2022, a month after then-Bishop Suffragan Susan Goff initiated disciplinary proceedings against him. Stevenson also was consecrated in December 2022 and soon after taking office barred Ramey from performing any priestly duties or serving on any diocesan bodies while the disciplinary case proceeds. Ramey has insisted previously that he did not choose to stop being a priest and suggested he was only being punished because church leaders have wrongly accepted the history and legacy of white supremacy as “separate from our faith and our theology.” The Diocese of Virginia, however, argued that Ramey was neglecting his core duties as a priest and disregarding “the doctrine, discipline and worship of the church.” Diocesan leaders said they agreed with Ramey about the problem of racism in the history and structures of the church, but they argued that he had overstepped his authority by refusing after more than three years to end his Eucharistic fast or even say when he might end it. Ramey clarified that his parish never was deprived of the Eucharist, because during his fast, all of All Saints’ worship was conducted with neighboring congregations at joint services involving multiple priests, through a partnership that had deepened with the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, several of the partner congregations have merged. All Saints chose to remain a separate congregation and has since called a new priest who is willing to fully celebrate Holy Eucharist. Under The Episcopal Church’s Title IV clergy disciplinary canons, a diocesan hearing panel ruled in May 2024 mostly in favor of diocesan leaders against Ramey. He appealed to the churchwide Court of Review, a mix of lay and ordained members from all nine of the church’s provinces. Clergy Title IV cases typically end at the diocesan level. The Court of Review was first tasked to receive clergy appeals in 2018 under canonical changes approved by the 79th General Convention. It heard arguments on Ramey’s appeal in November 2024. In its majority decision, the Court of Review ordered reversal of several of the diocesan hearing panel’s actions, including its finding that Ramey had violated his ordination vows. It concluded that neither Goff nor Stevenson had issued a clear pastoral directive telling Ramey to end his Eucharistic fast. The Court of Review’s majority opinion also reversed the hearing panel’s conclusion that Ramey had “habitually neglected the Holy Communion,” one of the core responsibilities of a priest. “The record here is undisputed that Ramey attended and participated in the Eucharist in every way save two: receiving the Holy Communion himself and presiding at the Eucharist,” the Court of Review said. “Ramey regularly participated in the Eucharist by preaching, by proclaiming the Gospel, by baptizing and by giving the dismissal, all functions normally reserved to ordained clergy.” And the Court of Review reversed the hearing panel’s finding that Ramey was guilty of conduct unbecoming a member of the clergy, based on similar evidence. “The hearing panel provided no rationale explaining why this charge should constitute a separate violation, nor did it identify any different conduct that would justify its inclusion,” the order says. The Court of Review’s six-member dissent, however, says it would have upheld part of the hearing panel’s findings, including that Ramey had violated his ordination vows and neglected Holy Communion,

[Episcopal News Service] A small South Dakota congregation whose church was destroyed by fire two years ago is rebuilding this summer – with support from two similarly named congregations on opposite ends of the United States. Holy Innocents Episcopal Church was established in the Rosebud Reservation community of Parmelee in 1890. When the original wood structure succumbed in October 2023 to a fire, likely set by an arsonist, the news caught the attention of two other Holy Innocents congregations, in Lahaina, Hawai‘i, and Atlanta, Georgia. Holy Innocents in Lahaina also was the victim of a catastrophe that year; its church building was destroyed by the August 2023 Maui fire. Leaders of both churches began conversations about their losses. They exchanged artifacts from each church and promised to pray for each other. “Losing a church to fire, especially a historic church that served as an anchor for a community, is especially painful,” the Rev. Lauren Stanley, South Dakota’s canon to the ordinary, said in an online story. Given that both were Indigenous congregations, it was natural that they “reached out to each other in our grief,” she said. At the time, Zollie Stone Moran, senior warden at the church in Parmelee, expressed her congregation’s desire to rebuild: “As a community, we will get it done.” Holy Innocents in Lahaina also plans to rebuild. Like many Maui institutions devastated by the 2023 fire, it has benefited from the generous outpouring of donations to assist local relief efforts. The congregation anticipates a long path toward rebuilding in the coming years. In the meantime, it has been worshipping temporarily in a United Methodist church. The rebuilding project in South Dakota has taken time as well. Since the fire, the congregation and diocese have secured insurance payments from Church Insurance Corp., along with donations from across the United States and as far away as England. The congregation also has a supportive fundraising partner in Holy Innocents Episcopal Church in Atlanta. “We reached out because there are precious few Holy Innocents’ Episcopal churches” in the United States, the Rev. Bill Murray, rector of Holy Innocents in Atlanta, said in the diocese’s article about the project. “To see two locations that share the name burn in the same year was eye opening.” Parmelee is located west of the city of Mission in the northwest corner of the Rosebud Indian Reservation, about a half hour from the Nebraska state line. The church there was established 135 years ago when the area reportedly was a ration station for the Sicangu, the ancestors of today’s Rosebud Sioux. The congregation, ranging from about five to 25 worshippers on Sundays, has hired a contractor for its rebuilding project, and in May, the foundation was poured for the new church in Parmelee. Last month, a steel pole barn kit arrived, and the contractor began assembling it to form the church’s structure, next to an existing guild hall that was not destroyed by the fire. Based on the current timeline, the congregation hopes to celebrate the new church building on Aug. 22 with a consecration ceremony. “For seven generations Holy Innocents has stood on this hill, and we’re going to have it for seven more,” Stanley 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] The Episcopal Church in Navajoland is calling for prayers as a wildfire that sparked June 28 on the Navajo Nation in northeastern Arizona continues to burn. The wildfire, called the Oak Ridge Fire, has so far burned 10,623 acres and is 6% contained. “Our church remains open for prayer and emotional support by those impacted by the fire,” the communications office for the Farmington, New Mexico-based diocese wrote in a July 1 update on Navajoland’s website. “We invite anyone in need of comfort or connection to join us in prayer.” The Navajo Nation is the largest Native American tribe by both land and tribal enrollment. With the exception of Colorado, its reservation occupies a large portion of the Four Corners region, including portions of northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico and southeastern Utah. The cause of the Oak Ridge Fire, which ignited 8 miles southwest of Window Rock, Navajo Nation’s capital, is unknown, though officials have confirmed that it was human-caused, possibly by wood haulers. Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren declared a state of emergency on June 29. So far, 300-500 people, including some Episcopalians in the diocese, have evacuated their homes, and 508 firefighters are on the ground. “We also want to express our sincere gratitude to the firefighters and first responders who work tirelessly around the clock to keep our communities safe,” the update said. Navajo Nation Animal is also sheltering pets and livestock. Some Navajoland Episcopalians’ sheep camps have been affected by the fire, according to the update. Good Shepherd Mission, an Episcopal church in Fort Defiance, Arizona, 6.7 miles north of Window Rock, is closest to the wildfire. Shelters in Fort Defiance and Ganado are providing food, water and emotional support services to evacuees. The Episcopal Church in Navajoland’s website will post updates as more information becomes available.

[Episcopal News Service] Indigenous Episcopalians in South Dakota, inspired by Navajo Episcopalians’ recent creation of their own missionary diocese, are taking steps to explore the possibilities and challenges of forming their dozens of South Dakota congregations into an independent diocese. On June 28, at an annual Indigenous gathering known as the Niobrara Convocation, members voted to begin researching the concept. Indigenous leaders, with the backing of South Dakota Bishop Jonathan Folts, plan to form an exploratory committee with two members from each of the diocese’s eight mission areas that serve Native American reservations in the state. The goal, as it was for the missionary diocese known as Navajoland, would be to achieve greater self-determination, including the calling of their own bishop. Like Navajoland, Indigenous Episcopalians with deep roots in the Dakotas have ties to The Episcopal Church dating back generations. At the same time, church leaders acknowledge that the two contexts are very different, and they caution that any such successful effort in South Dakota would first require a major investment of time, research, deliberation and preparation. “There’s been talk of it off and on through the years and what that would look like,” Warren Hawk, the outgoing Niobrara itancan, or convocation chair, told Episcopal News Service this week. The first step, approved last weekend, was “just to take a look at it.” Hawk had raised the idea with Folts earlier last week while they were attending a meeting of Executive Council, of which both are members. Executive Council is The Episcopal Church’s governing body between meetings of General Convention. Executive Council had just voted to accept the constitution for the newly created Missionary Diocese of Navajoland. The new missionary diocese includes congregations in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah that formerly were part of a mission area created by The Episcopal Church in 1977 to serve Navajo Nation communities. During Executive Council’s discussions, Hawk mentioned there had been “whispers” in South Dakota for many years about whether Indigenous congregations there also should pursue self-determination, but no formal steps had been taken toward forming a new diocese. Folts invited Hawk to draft an exploratory proposal for presentation at the 153rd annual Niobrara Convocation, held June 26-29 in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, and hosted by the Cheyenne River Episcopal Mission. Folts told ENS that in his June 28 speech to Niobrara attendees he encouraged them to engage with the idea, and “let’s start turning this into open conversation and dialogue.” Navajo Episcopalians had worked long and hard to achieve missionary diocese status, which has been celebrated churchwide. Doing the same in South Dakota wouldn’t be easy, Folts said, but he sensed many Episcopalians in his diocese had a passion for trying. “Let this year be a year of research and conversation,” he said. The Diocese of South Dakota has more than 50 Indigenous congregations spread across its eight mission areas: Cheyenne River, Mni Sose, Pine Ridge, Rosebud East, Rosebud West, Santee Yankton, Sisseton and Standing Rock. Those mission areas and congregations form the core of the Niobrara Convocation, also known as the Niobrara Deanery. The convocation and the Diocese of South Dakota have roots in the Missionary District of Niobrara, founded by the church in 1871 in the Dakota Territory. In 1883, Niobrara was incorporated into the Missionary District of South Dakota, which became the Diocese of South Dakota in 1971. (South Dakota achieved statehood in 1889.) Niobrara has continued to serve as a unifying convocation, primarily for Episcopalians of Lakota, Dakota and Nakota heritage, also known collectively as the Sioux, Oceti Sakowin or people of the Seven Council Fires. Typically hosted by a different South Dakota church each year, Niobrara’s annual June gatherings also bring together some members from outside the Diocese of South Dakota. Potential challenges to elevating Niobrara to a missionary diocese include canonical requirements, administrative structure, financial viability and clergy deployment, as well as the question of whether and how to accommodate members outside South Dakota. Folts also said that if the research and discernment process eventually produced a formal proposal to separate Niobrara from the Diocese of South Dakota, the plan likely would need the approval of a large majority of both the Niobrara congregations and those remaining in the South Dakota diocese. Navajoland, by contrast, did not need direct approval from the dioceses of Arizona, Rio Grande or Utah, because it already was established separately as a churchwide mission whose bishop had been appointed by the House of Bishops. The Episcopal Church’s 81st General Convention authorized Navajoland to form a missionary diocese in 2024, and its creation was finalized last month by Executive Council’s vote. Despite the challenges in South Dakota, Hawk said he and other Niobrara members are excited to study the concept. “It’s really just to look into the possibilities of it,” Hawk told ENS. “I’m hopeful that it would happen, but there’s a lot to consider, the organizational aspect of it, how it would proceed, capabilities.” Whatever the outcome, he thinks the conversations will spark renewed interest in planning for The Episcopal Church’s future in South Dakota’s Indigenous communities. “All of this is in essence to encourage a lot of our church membership to get back involved with our mission churches,” he said. – David Paulsen is a senior reporter and editor for Episcopal News Service based in Wisconsin. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.