The Seventh Sunday Of Easter
Annual Spong Lecture Series Presents: The Philadelphia Eleven
Guest of Honor: The. Rev. Nancy H. Wittig
Saturday, May 18th
3:00PM
The St. Peter’s Annual Spong Lecture Series had its beginnings in the lectures of Bishop Spong during his tenure as bishop. In 2011, he and his wife Christine started an endowment for a lecture series. The purpose of the lectureship is to bring to St. Peter’s, its larger community and to the Diocese of Newark, world class theologians, biblical scholars, church historians or liturgists, who could assist in bringing people of diverse faith traditions into relevant dialogue that would be informed by rigorous scholarship. The lectureship is not for propagandizing the faithful, but for challenging those who find the God they meet in church not big enough to be the God of the life they live or the world of their experience.
Each year since, St. Peter’s has drawn in renowned speakers who enlighten and inspire with their depth of knowledge and passion for their subjects. With an impressive roster including, Ms. Karen Armstrong (2001),Elaine Pagels (2013), James Cone (2014), Dr. Amy- Jill Levine (2017) and Bishop Michael Curry (2020), we have been blessed with some of the best.
This year, we will be holding a screening of The Philadelphia Eleven. In 1974, a group of women and their supporters organized their ordination as Episcopal priests in an act of civil disobedience, and challenged the very essence of patriarchy within Christendom. This documentary film tells their story.
Additionally, one of the “eleven” The Rev. Nancy Wittig will be here with us to be part of a panel discussion. Not only was Nancy part of the Philadelphia 11, but she was also curate here at St. Peter’s in 1974. She will be joined by The Rev. Diana Wilcox, Rector of Christ Church in Bloomfield & Glen Ridge and by the Rev. Danielle Baker, current member of St. Peter’s and Priest-in-charge at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Morris Plains.
We hope that you will join us to learn about this historical movement in the Episcopal Church.
For more information on this event and to RSVP, please click here.
