Cleveland, Ohio, May 27, 2011 -- Six prominent women of faith will be honored for their contributions to church and society on June 9, 2011, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in Cleveland's Trinity Episcopal Cathedral.
Invitations to the reception, one of several local events sponsored by the National Council of Churches Circles of Names campaign, were issued by former National Council of Churches general secretary, the Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell, honorary chair of the event; and by the Rev. Ann Tiemeyer, director of the NCC's program for women's ministries.
The Circles of Names Campaign is a project of the NCC to create a circle of support for women's ministries by asking a thousand persons to give $100 in the name of a woman who helped shape their faith. In so doing, the campaign will lift up the stories of a thousand women as sources of inspiration and empowerment of the churches' witness for gender justice.
In addition to scores of mentoring women who will be named to the circle as a part of the Cleveland reception, six special mentors from the area will be honored:
The Hon. Jane Campbell, former mayor of Cleveland and chief of staff to Senator Mary Landrieu (D-La.); Bishop Judy Craig, United Methodist Church; Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (Northeast Ohio); Edith Guffey, associate general minister, United Church of Christ; the Very Rev. Tracey Lind, Dean, Trinity Episcopal Cathedral; and the Rev. Georgina Thornton, pastor Grace African Methodist Episcopal Church, Warren, Ohio.
The Circles of Names campaign seeks to build a foundation towards long-term sustainability of women's ministries and gender justice in the National Council of Churches, the 37 member communions of the NCC, and its ecumenical partners.
Persons planning on attending the gathering should RSVP before June 9 to the Rev. Deborah DeWinter at 212-870-2513 or ddewinter@ncccusa.org.
Participants will be invited to give or pledge $100 in the name of a woman who was or is important in his or her faith. It is also possible to pool resources in order to jointly name a woman to the Circles of Names Campaign.
The names will be added to the ever-growing circle of names (see http://circlesofnames.org/who-has-been-named/). incorporated in a work of art commissioned for the campaign, and listed on a plaque in the NCC offices in The Interchurch Center.
In the letter of invitation by Campbell and Tiemeyer, the crucial role of the Circles campaign was described:
"The future of Women's Ministries and gender justice work is at stake in many of our denominations as they grapple with the impact of the economic recession," they wrote. "History is repeating itself: women's desks, commissions, and programs are being severely reduced or eliminated. Women's Ministries at the National Council of Churches USA benefits all 37 member communions, and provides resources to galvanize collective energy and commitment for the ministry of gender justice across a broad constituency."
In addition to Campbell, the members of the Cleveland Circles of Names steering committee are: the Rev. Rebecca J. Tollefson, the Rev. Loey Powell, the Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson, Elaine Hopkins, Mary Ann Fischer, Dr. Marguerite Doctor, and the Rev. Laura Strietelmeier.
The members of the leadership circle are the Rev. Peg Chemberlin, the Rev. Dr. Cheryl Dudley, the Rev. Dr. Kathryn Jans, Alison Killeen, Jean Martensen, Lillian Oats, Jacqueline Ogega, the Rev. Loey Powell, Deaconess Joanne Reich, Kim Robey, Djamillah Samad, and Inez Torres Davis.