The Rev. Dr. Ellen Barrett (Sr. Helena OSB), Class of 1975, and The Rev. Canon Milton Cole-Duvall, Class of 1982

During this time of pronounced change for General Seminary, the church, and the world, the Alumni Executive Committee is pleased to announce that two recipients of the 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award: The Rev. Dr. Ellen Barrett (Sr. Helena OSB), Class of 1975, and the Rev. Canon Milton Cole-Duvall, Class of 1982. Raised up during the tumultuous change and challenge of the late 20th century, Barrett and Cole-Duvall lived into General Seminary’s mission: they were leaders of the church in a changing world. Through quiet, yet brave ministries they modelled faithful Christian charity while personally confronting the often-unjust structures of church and society, never wavering in their commitment to radical welcome, social justice, and inclusive “beloved community”. The Alumni Executive Committee is humbled to lift up Barrett and Cole-Duvall for embodying the qualities of servant leadership through lifelong ministries bearing effective and prophetic witness to the full humanity of all persons, who are all loved by God. The award will be bestowed at the Memorial Eucharist during the next Alumni Gathering, currently scheduled for October 24 and 25, 2023.

The Rev. Dr. Ellen Barrett, Class of 1975, was the first openly LGBTQ+ person to be ordained in the Anglican Communion in 1977, having been ‘out’ since she was 17. She participated in the earliest marches for LGBTQ+ rights in New York and San Francisco and belonged to the Gay Liberation Front, the Gay Activists Alliance, and the Daughters of Bilitis (the first lesbian rights group in the US), as well as being a member of the NYU Gay Student group while attending graduate school there in the early 1970s. She was an early member of Integrity when it was founded by Louie Crew, and its first co-President. "I only gave up on it,” she explains, “during the last mess that betrayed everything Louie and the rest of us worked for when some egos smothered it."

In 1975 Barrett was ordained deacon at St. Peter's Church, Chelsea, New York City with little public notice, but her ordination to the priesthood in 1977 by Bishop Paul Moore at the Church of the Holy Apostles made headlines world-wide. Bishop Moore was aware of her sexual orientation and did not feel it should prohibit her from ordination. He was strongly convinced that her commitment to a vocation far outweighed her commitment to the "gay movement" (or any other interests). Press reports ranged from the inaccurate to the offensive. While she got some positive reaction there was a wave of hate that continued for several years.

In her conversation, writing, and preaching, Barrett still reminds folk "that rights won can be taken away” as recent Court rulings and general trends in both the US and UK have shown. Through speaking engagements and publications for universities and church groups throughout the US and Canada as well as in Glasgow, Barrett has been active in ecumenical dialogues as well as earnest and faithful about being Gay and Christian. She faced discrimination and bias all along the way for example when although granted a license to officiate in another diocese, the vestry stipulated that she should never be allowed to work around children. During her first 11 years as a priest, she was never paid. Thereafter, if she was paid at all it was a part-time portion of diocesan minimum. The exception was a two-year contract from the Diocese of NY to try to reconcile a historically English-speaking church with almost no congregation to welcoming and including Hispanics, of whom more than 200 were baptized & confirmed during her 8-month tenure when she resigned in favor of the Spanish Missioner who was called to that community.

Barrett married her beloved, Sister Alison Joy Whybrow, on July 18, 2013, at St. James in Fordham, Bronx, NY. A member of the Companions of St. Luke, OSB from 2008-2018 she was Solemn Professed in 2013 and in 2018 co-founded Companions of Our Lady and Saint Mungo. They moved to the UK in 2014 and where Barrett served the Parish Church of Saint Peter & Saint Paul, Olney, Buckinghamshire UK, but given the Church of England's stance toward gay married clergy, they relocated to Glasgow in 2017 and transferred their monastic Stability to the Bishop of Glasgow & Galloway, Scottish Episcopal Church in 2018. Until Covid hit, she was active at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Glasgow, but poor health and mobility issues have led her to her stepping back from parish work in recent years. "It would have been so easy to throw in the towel and ask to be laicized,” Barrett wrote recently, “but I firmly believe that God means me to continue as a priest and a monastic. Persecution, poverty, ill health, depression, and PTSD have not (by the grace of God) made me give up my ‘first avowed intent/to be a pilgrim’."

Over nearly fifty years in ministry, Barrett served numerous parishes including Trinity Church, Easton, PA, St. John’s Church, Union City, NJ, St. James Church, Upper Montclair, NJ, Church of the Mediator, Bronx, NY, St. Andrew & Holy Communion, South Orange, NJ, Bergen Episcopal Area Ministry (BEAM), St. Ignatius of Antioch, New York City, St. John’s in the Village, New York City, St. Luke in the Fields, New York City, and St. Mark’s, Berkeley, CA. Her liturgical, pastoral and programmatic ministries include oversight of bi-lingual (Spanish-English) afterschool program Puerta Abierta, retreat and guest ministries, interfaith dialogue, spiritual direction, hospital & home visitation, facilitating transitions from English to Spanish-speaking congregations, Interim Ministry, AIDS ministry, and numerous Liturgy Task Groups. Diocesan, Churchwide and programmatic ministries include serving on the Diocese of Newark Ecclesiastical Trial Court as member and later Presiding Judge, Constitution & Canons (2002), Provincial Synod (1999), Department of Missions (1998), and Diocese of New York Committee on Canons (1989-1997), Diocesan Committee on Alcohol & Drug Dependency (1989-1992), Diocesan Episcopal AIDS Committee (1988-1989), and as NY Diocesan Archivist(1981-1983). She has taught at Drew University, Union Theological Seminary, Fordham University, New York Theological Seminary, Wesleyan University, Manhattan College, Saint Catherine’s Indian School, Santa Fe, New Mexico, as well as guest classes and workshops at General.

Barrett’s writing and published work includes Validity & Regularity: a Historical Perspective (precedents for Philadelphia 11) Anglican Theological Review (1976); Gay People & Moral Theology (with Louie Crew 1978); Legal Homophobia and the Christian Church, Hastings Law Journal (1979);  From the Zeal of Seven Women: The Evolution and Monastic Ideals of the Gilbertine Order, 1131-1202 (New York University PhD dissertation 1986); The Gilbertines and the Nunneries of the North: A New Polity for a New Frontier (Fordham University Medieval History Conference 1986); Scandal Averted; Vengeance Obtained: The Case of the Nun of Watton (7th Berkshire Conference on Women in History 1987); and Lunatics, Witches, and Heretics (Institute on Religion in an Age of Science, Star Island Conference 1990).

During a time when so many in the Church refused to accept her priesthood or personhood Barrett modeled the depth and power of Christ's love, leading the way for women, gays and lesbians, and people from other marginalized groups to follow the call of Christ to serve God and all God's people. As a result of her witness, and in no small part because of her ministry, teaching, proclamation, and service, The Episcopal Church has grown in faith, love, and courage.

The Rev. Canon H. Milton Cole-Duvall, Class of 1982, as both citizen and priest has led a life of witness, service, advocacy, and pastoral care – from Portsmouth, Virginia; to Nzara and Yambio, South Sudan "he went, he saw, he served – he made a difference" with simple acts of kindness and support as a servant of the Lord and disciple of the Gospel.

Howard Milton Cole grew up in the mid-20th century South knowing enslaved people landed three blocks from his family home in Hampton, Virginia. As a young Christian he bore witness to the denigration of African Americans both inside and outside the sacred space of the church. His journey in social justice advocacy began in high school debating Loving vs. Virginia. At the College of William and Mary he refused to rush a fraternity in solidarity with African American students who were not allowed to participate. He Marched on Washington in 1963, and after "Bloody Sunday", he drove all night to join the protestors at the Edmund Pettus Bridge and march from Selma to Montgomery.

When Vietnam fell, Cole saw the refugee crisis. A single man with a five-bedroom house, he went to his church and motioned that if the church sponsored a family, and he would provide the housing. When the motion lost by one vote, Cole sponsored the family himself. When he made his way to General in 1979, he left them the house.

It was during the 70s that Cole found the Episcopal church, felt called to Holy Orders, and achieved diocesan sponsorship. While attending General Seminary he joined the anti-apartheid movement and went to Albany where he was a primary speaker in protest of the United States playing the all-white South African “Springbok" soccer team. When Dean Fenhagen invited the senior class to meet a visiting bishop from South Africa Cole remembers arriving late due to co-op work. Desmond Tutu waved and encouraged him to "come, come there is room for you to sit at my feet..." Several years later he made his way to Washington to volunteer for "Trans-Africa” leading to his arrest outside the South African Embassy. Hearing in court "the people of the United States of America vs. Howard Milton Cole, Jr.," he said "Hell, I have made some people angry in my day – but never the whole country!"

One of his first interviews after ordination was for the post of Chaplain at the St. Peter and St. Paul's Cathedral School for Girls. He posed one question during the interview- "Why aren't you interviewing a woman...?" The committee stopped, called the search off, dismissed Cole and one other finalist, and eventually called a woman.

His first post was as curate at Trinity Church in Portsmouth, Virginia, assigned to the well-endowed Colonial church of the 1760's by its former rector, now Bishop of Southern Virginia, the Rt. Rev. C. Charles Vache. While serving the Diocese, Cole called attention to the exclusion of women in the title of their newspaper "The Jamestown Churchman", offering a resolution changing the name to "The Jamestown Church". The issue brought heated debate at diocesan convention where those gathered to speak “No” were mostly elderly white men, while those for “Yes” were women, young white men, and people of color. The resolution passed by one vote – one more “No” vote would have forced the Bishop to break a tie. When asked how he would have voted Bishop Vache responded, "I would have voted with Milton."

As the clergy person assigned to Outreach and New Visitor Visitation, Cole was charged with contacting visitors the week after their first visit. Although common practice was for the priest to visit their home, out of respect for the potential church member’s time and privacy, Cole invited them to join him at a local coffee shop. This led to a high rate of returnees, and Trinity grew. Cole preached and modeled Outreach like nothing the church had ever seen. From refugees to the AIDS-HIV crisis, to feeding the hungry, it was an era of invigorated ministry at Trinity Portsmouth.

During Cole's years of service at Trinity he was charged with World Mission and a lifelong desire to serve overseas was realized. Presiding Bishop John Allin sent him to visit and report on the Vietnamese awaiting sponsorship in Hong Kong, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia, where his commitment to supporting refugees grew. Not only did the church sponsor refugees, Cole sponsored many on his own: a Bulgarian family of three, a Hungarian family fleeing anti-Semitism, a South African gentleman fleeing prosecution for possessing writings of Nelson Mandela, and a Jewish doctor from the USSR. He also engaged with World Mission through the Episcopal Church Center, charged with sending parishioners and volunteers from the national church, along with supplies to support schools and teachers. Through this engagement, Cole accepted a call to serve at St. Andrews by the Philippine Sea in Agat, Guam, where there were four mission churches and a school, and four priests at cross purposes with each other. He assumed the role of vicar at one of the worship sites, was appointed Bishop's Warden for one school and Bishop's Deputy for all worship sites. When Global Mission officer (and GTS alum) Bill Wipfler came to visit after a year of service Cole said, “Bill this is the most difficult task I have ever assumed." Wipfler said, "Milton I understand. You have done more in a year to bring order, stability, and financial accountability than we ever imagined. You have done the job; come back to the USA if you like." Instead, Cole not only completed his three-year term, he stayed an additional year and a half, ministering on island while also setting up the St. Andrews by the Sea Medical Mission. He later answered the call from Presiding Bishop Edmond Browning, to be his Appointed Missionary to Guam and served with distinction as noted by Resolution of the Executive Council.

As chair of the Peace and Justice Commission in 1998 Cole travelled with Bp. Vache to Lambeth and then on to Moscow for the 1,000-year celebration of Christianity. As was customary, people would gift him with money when he traveled overseas, and Cole would give the money to a place of worship in need. With anti-Semitism rampant in Communist Russia, Cole worshipped at and secretly delivered $800 to the lone surviving synagogue in Moscow.

After his time overseas, Cole accepted an interim appointment on the outer banks of North Carolina, followed by a call to St. Paul’s, Elkins Park, PA, where he served for three years as rector of and worked to bring more intentional integration to the parish. While in the Diocese of Pennsylvania he met and married the Rev. Mary Duvall. Starting a family, they decided to merge their last names, and H. Milton Cole-Duvall decided to take the role of the stay-at-home parent, following, and assisting Mary Cole-Duvall’s parish journey. This took them first to Christ Church, Wilmington, Delaware, and then on to St. Timothy’s in West Des Moines, Iowa, from where they both recently retired.

At the Iowa Diocesan Convention in 2008, Cole-Duvall met Samuel Enosa Peni, a young son of Africa studying at Wartburg Seminary in Dubuque and looking for a practicum site. Cole-Duvall suggested his wife's church. St. Timothy's would become Peni’s new American home and the Cole-Duvall’s became close friends as Peni went on to become the Archbishop of Western Equatoria Internal Province and Bishop of Yambio. The bond formed has continued to this day, with many trips to Africa in support of now Archbishop Peni, whose leadership now includes Yambio, the Diocese of South Sudan, and the new Diocese of Nzara.

Archbishop Peni credits Cole-Duvall with bringing life transforming ideas and financial assistance to his people from St. Timothy’s, the Diocese and people of Iowa, and grants from UTO. The buildings and services the Cole-Duvall’s have supported include: a Bishop's Residence, Diocesan Office, a Health Clinic with Medical Dispensary, Birthing Clinic and Training Center for traditional birth attendants and community health promoters, a Youth Empowerment Center, an Empowerment of Women through Microfinance Center, and expansion of a primary school meeting under a mango tree to a six-building complex of elementary and secondary schools educating over 2500 students. Peni notes that “prior to my consecration in 2010 none of these buildings existed; Milton was instrumental in the construction of each.” Cole-Duvall and his family have also supported Peni and his Dioceses in boundless other ways, from the purchase of bicycles so the clergy of Nzara did not have to walk 25 to 95 miles to meet parishioners and attend church gatherings; to the acquisition of basic necessities (soap, salt, eyeglasses, dozens upon dozens of pencils, pens, notebooks and reams of paper, new hymnals); to continued assistance with the planning of building projects and the creation of much needed new water-pumping stations; to aiding in the migration of children from war-torn areas into the safety of Peni’s diocese.

While many of his generation have grown weary protesting white supremacy, Cole-Duvall has not. A restorative justice program was created at St. Timothy’s to mentor African American youth at greater risk of incarceration. After Charlottesville he made his way to Washington to participate in the clergy assembly. He got in touch with the Superintendent of Schools in his hometown to push the renaming of the Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis schools. He pushed for Virginia city leaders and several parishes to remove Civil War monuments from their grounds, offering cash to help defray the costs. In the face of little positive response Cole-Duvall said "believe me, as I well know it takes a lot of energy, effort and prayers to change society - I know well whether it is racism, gender bias, sexual orientation or identification. But if the church and church leaders cannot speak out – then who?”

Armed with the qualities of authenticity and enthusiasm, a belief in possibilities, a drive to take advantage of every opportunity to preach and live out the Gospel, and a devotion to work with others to improve the world, Cole-Duvall has led a life of quiet ministries connected by simple acts of kindness that have been of huge impact and changed lives from West De Moines to Nzara.

Honors he has received along the way include "Good Samaritan Award” (Catholic Family Services, Portsmouth, VA 1987); Millennium of Christianity in Russia Brotherhood Award (Russian Orthodox Church, Moscow, 1988); "Guam Governor's Outstanding Citizen Award" (Agana, Guam 1990); "Outstanding Leadership Award: St. John the Divine Episcopal School” Episcopal Church in Micronesia (Agat, Guam 1992); “Outstanding Citizen Jefferson Award” (American Institute for Public Service, Delaware, 2002); "Peace Maker Among Us Award" (Pacem In Terris, Wilmington, DE 2003); "State of Delaware Citizenship Award” (Dover, DE, 2003); “Des Moines Register Iowa Star Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Community” (Des Moines, IA 2014); “Character Counts in Iowa” (Robert Ray Center, Drake University, Des Moines, IA 2014); "West Des Moines Community Schools’ Service Appreciation Award" (West Des Moines, IA 2015); American Red Cross "Heroes of the Heartland: Ordinary People – Extraordinary Acts Award" (Iowa American Red Cross, Des Moines, IA 2017); "West Des Moines, Iowa Citizen of the Year." (Chamber of Commerce, West Des Moines, IA 2019); “Juneteenth Citizen of the Year” (Iowa, 2022); “Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Leadership Award” (West Des Moines, IA 2023)