National Council of the Brotherhood of St. Andrew holds annual meeting

Submitted by Dick Hooper, Province IV Representative from the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast
Parishioner, Christ Church Pensacola

The National Council of the Brotherhood of St. Andrew met at Pittsburgh near the National Office of the Brotherhood in Ambridge on June 23-25, 2011.  With 42 council members in attendance from all over the US, Dick Hooper, Province IV and representative from the Central Gulf Coast, outlined on June 23 a plan entitled How to Get Your Mojo Back. In it he explained a proposal to mentor not only Brothers, but interested parishioners through out the Episcopal Church, in a leadership plan to increase membership in both chapters and in parishes.  Hooper pointed out that only one million men in 113 million in the US are actively involved in church so the harvest is indeed plentiful.  He hastened to add that the plan, based on Man in the Mirror, No Man Left Behind concept is based not on making workers, but on making disciples.

“So often,” he said, we concentrate on activities and no on personal contact;” instead, the brotherhood chapters need to focus on relationships based on Jesus’ commandment of love.

Dick Hooper gives talk at National Brotherhood of St. Andrew meeting

The National Council also pledged support for the Gulf Coast Assembly to raise funds to build Hurricane proof dwellings in Haiti through the egis of Lazarain Homes, a Christian based construction company, which builds such homes in the third world.  Bishop Duncan had agreed at the Gulf Coast Assembly in June to sponsor such a project.

Tom Cottrell, President of Province II vicep suggested the path forward for this project was for the Brotherhood establish a National Training Center which would promote regional training seminars.  Jeff Butcher, newly elected Vice president of Communications, suggested ways to establish new chapters, and organize the regional assemblies and strengthen provincial support as adjuncts to this project.  He challenged the participants to be the premier organization ministering to men in the Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion.

National Senior Vice President, Julian Korti, reported on the continued efforts of the brotherhood to support schools and orphanages in Uganda and Rwanda.  National President, Robert Dennis of Brooklyn NY, reported on the international chapters outside the Americas, and  Sam Gill, Provincial Representative  for the Caribbean, reported on the growth of brotherhood Chapters in the Caribbean.  With 2 in Jamaica, 3 in the West Indies and 8 in Guyana.  Moreover, two bishops in that province are Brothers Andrew.

The brotherhood also heard about initiatives in scouting through the leadership of Barry Rought of Humble Tx and of Franklin Malone, of Washington DC, national Vice President in charge of Junior Brotherhood Chapters of his efforts to mentor youth in the inner cities.

As a pledge to their mission to recruit, equip, and motivate disciples to carry out the Great Commission, council members participated in a liturgy at the closing of the meeting June 25 written by Father Jeff Krantz of Westbury NY who is National Study Coordinator.    At that time he commissioned all council members as Kingdom Builders “to lead others into a deeper knowledge of the Heavenly Father.”

The National Council of the Brotherhood of St. Andrew was formed in 1883.  More information can be found on the national  website.