fbpx
42.9 F
Spokane
Saturday, November 9, 2024
spot_img
HomeNewsPacific Northwest Region of the Ecumenical Catholic Community elects Altepeter as bishop

Pacific Northwest Region of the Ecumenical Catholic Community elects Altepeter as bishop

Date:

Related stories

Peperzak Middle School gifts Holocaust survivor & namesake a sapling from Anne Frank’s tree for 101st birthday

Peperzak Middle School will soon receive an Anne Frank tree saplings to be planted on the campus this spring. The school surprised its namesake and local Holocaust survivor, Carla Olman Peperzak, with the news on her 101st birthday celebration at the school on Thursday.

FāVS Religion News Roundup: Nov. 8

Read how a Federal court allowed Yakima's Union Gospel Mission to use sexuality as a hiring criterion, why two Whitworth students and one professor will attend international climate conference and more in this week's FāVS News Roundup.

Spokane pastor’s Gonzaga exhibit explores the flag’s shifting meaning through photography

Explore Gonzaga University's Urban Art Center's exhibit 'The Pledge of Allegiance' showcasing Reverend Gen Heywood's compelling photos and snippets of the pledge.

Trump Wins The Presidency For A Second Time: 5 Things We Learned About Faith Voters

This news article discusses the results of the 2024 U.S. presidential election, in which Donald Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris to become the 47th president. The article covers key takeaways from the election, including Trump's strong performance with Catholic voters, the Republican Party's regaining control of the Senate, the failure of a Florida abortion measure, and the mixed results on school choice initiatives.

Native candidates hope to broaden reach in Washington state

Learn about the Indigenous influence in Washington state politics. Find out how WA Native candidates today are making a difference in areas like health care, education and clean energy.

Our Sponsors

spot_img
spot_img

[todaysdate]

By Gabry Tyson

Rev. Tom Altepeter
Rev. Tom Altepeter

For the first time in its 11-year history, The Pacific Northwest Region of the Ecumenical Catholic Community (ECC) has elected a bishop

The Rev. Tom Altepeter of St. Clare Ecumenical Catholic Community, a church he once described as a “a homeless shelter for homeless Catholics,” was selected as the first bishop-elect for the region on Sept. 28 and will be the sixth regional bishop in the ECC.

Unlike bishops in the Roman Catholic Church, whose role is to implement all decisions made in Rome, bishops within the ECC work directly with the congregation to solve issues at the local level.

“It is the vision and intention of the ECC to function in a non-hierarchical manner, with decisions made by the people who will be most immediately impacted by the consequences of the decision,” Altepeter wrote in a manuscript about the bishop’s role in the Ecumenical Catholic Communion.

The ECC instead implements a servant-leader model in which the laity, priests and bishops all have a say in the decision-making process.

Altepeter’s new responsibilities will include covering six communities across Washington, Oregon and Idaho. He says his primary goal is to establish more Ecumenical Catholic Communities in the region. 

“It’s a big responsibility that I’ve never done before and that can be uncomfortable,” Altepeter said. “But I feel I am more than willing to do what I need to do.”

Jim Murphy, a representative for St. Clare on the Regional Discernment Committee, shares Altepeter’s desire for growth within the ECC.

“The reality is we’re a small church, but I believe we are really offering an opportunity for people to be Catholic who feel alienated in one way or another from the Roman Church,” Murphy said. “Having a bishop will greatly facilitate the process of welcoming people and whole communities into our communion.”

Despite the recognition for growth, not everyone supported the idea of selecting a bishop when it was first introduced.

“Not everybody was happy. Most of the community comes from a Roman Catholic background,” Murphy said.  “’Bishop’ and ‘dioceses’ are loaded words and, for the most part, negative. So, there were concerns about this.”

Terri McKenzie, member of St. Clare since August 2012, was always supportive of the idea.

“I recognized the need for us to be connected beyond ourselves, and that’s critical, so the decision to be a part of a dioceses made absolute logical sense to me,” McKenzie said.

Despite conflicting opinions about the need for a bishop, the community was able to find common ground in his election through open discussion.

Linda Kobe-Smith, a two-year member of St. Clare, said everyone in the community had the opportunity to voice their concerns. They were able to come to a consensus because everyone in the community felt as if they had been heard, she said.

Altepeter originally planned on becoming a Roman Catholic priest, but he took issue with celibacy. He left the seminary and pursued a Ph.D. in psychology at St. Louis University. Altepeter found the Ecumenical Catholic Community a better fit for him than Roman Catholicism because of the community’s openness toward the LGBTQ community and ordination of both women and married men, he said.

Many people believe his background in psychology will provide him the necessary tools for his new role as bishop.

“He has the skills of someone in that profession. He listens very well and makes sure he understands people. He’s very careful about communication with people and really understands how people are different,” said Presiding Bishop Frank Krebs of Sts. Clare and Francis.

Altepeter will be ordained Jan. 23 in Spokane.

Gabry Tyson
Gabry Tysonhttp://carefullyconstructedchaos.wordpress.com/author/gmtyv2/
Gabry Tyson is currently a student at the University of Missouri pursuing three degrees in journalism, international studies and religious studies. The Pennsylvania native hopes to one-day work for a non-profit with an international focus, preferably aimed at combating human trafficking. She has a keen interest on human rights issues and enjoys blogging, baking and traveling. Tyson plans to travel the world but until then, she interns for SpokaneFAVS.

Our Sponsors

spot_img
spot_img
spot_img
0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x