Good Friday offering – an 89 year tradition
A message from Bishop Hollingsworth and Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori.
Dear Congregations of the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio:
I write to alert you to the 89th year which the Episcopal Church has responded to assist churches in Jerusalem and the Middle East thru designating its Good Friday offering to the church in the Holy Land. Our most recent guest, the Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has sent a letter to each of our congregations asking for their continued support of this offering which has helped our brothers and sisters of Jerusalem over the years.
The Good Friday offering, the Presiding Bishop writes, “offers us the opportunity to join in deepening the bond we have with the churches and people in the land of the Holy One.”
Funds collected on Good Friday are gathered and distributed to the Dioceses of Jerusalem and Cyprus and the Gulf, all members of the Anglican Communion.
Among the many projects assisted by past Good Friday offerings are: Diocese of Jerusalem’s St. Peter’s Elderly Home for Christian seniors, St. Andrew’s Clinic for diabetes, educational scholarships, and St. Andrew’s Housing Projects for young Christian couples; and in the diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf, the many medical ministries of Ras Morbat Clinic based at Christ Church in Aden, Yemen, such as a clinic for mothers and babies, eye care, a vocational school, and ministry to seafarers.
What follows is a copy of the letter sent to you (if you would like a copy to include in your service sheets or newsletter, as well as more information as to how to educate your congregations about the Good Friday offering : www.episcopalchurch.org/gfo and http://www.episcopalchurch.org/110049_126699_ENG_HTM.htm.
I do hope you find the information helpful, and please let me know if I may be of any assistance.
The Rev. Mark K.J. Robinson
Canon for Mission
Diocese of Ohio
2230 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44115-2499
(o) 216.774.0474
mrobinson@dohio.org
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The Episcopal Church
Office of Public Affairs
Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop writes to congregations
about Good Friday offering for Jerusalem and Middle East
An 89 year tradition
Epiphany 2011
For the Congregations of the Episcopal Church
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:
For almost a century, the Good Friday Offering has been a source of support, love, and hope for our brothers and sisters in the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East. This year’s 89th Good Friday Offering offers us the opportunity to join in deepening the bond we have with the churches and people in the land of the Holy One. I have been deeply moved by the stories of pain that conflict and division bring to the lives of every person in that Province of the Anglican Communion.
The Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East was founded in 1841 with the purpose of forging friendships with the ancient churches and serving the expatriate communities in the area. The people of the Church continue to witness to the hope and love of God in times of conflict and times of peace. Since 1922, members of the Episcopal Church have given thanks for the extraordinary work, commitment, and relationships through their generous giving to the Good Friday Offering, which supports the mission and ministries of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East. This offering expresses our own commitment to seek and serve Christ in all persons and to walk with the church of the Middle East as they continue to work toward justice, reconciliation, and peace. Through our prayers for and support of these churches we are helping to realize God’s vision of shalom.
More information on this offering is available online at www.episcopalchurch.org/gfo. There you can find additional resources about the work happening on the ground in the Middle East and access the Good Friday Offering bulletin insert.
Again, please join with me in giving thanks for the work of the Good Friday Offering by generously sharing the gifts we have been given with our sisters and brothers throughout the Middle East. I remain
Your servant in Christ,
The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori
Presiding Bishop and Primate
The Episcopal Church