For millions of Christians worldwide, receiving the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, also known as Communion or the Mass, is central to their faith practice. This sacrament of Christ's Last Supper, a shared meal of bread and wine, is a sacred time of spiritual nourishment for the faithful of my denomination, the Episcopal Church, and many others, perhaps most notably the Orthodox and Roman Catholic branches of the Christian faith.

Some caveats. Firstly, models are based on assumptions. Thus, they are unlikely to capture a given church's membership dynamics fully. Usually, though, they are close enough. Secondly, models make forecasts, not predictions. There are always random events that prevent an accurate description of the church's numerical future. Also, the data is rarely that accurate or consistent. However, the forecasts can help churches examine their policies to enhance growth or combat decline.

Margaret Zacharias, his widow, was dismissed as a defendant in the action, according to the order signed last week by senior Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.

"Assisting bishops serve at the invitation of the ecclesiastical authority -- in this case, bishops inviting other bishops," the three bishops wrote in an email to their dioceses. "Through preaching, teaching and presiding, we look forward to exercising our ministry in ways that will allow us to get to know each other's dioceses, learn more about The Episcopal Church across our region, and discern how we might learn to collaborate with one another for the sake of God's mission."