Loading...It is a joy to be with you for the second time now meeting in convention, to gather as the people of God to renew our commitment to Jesus Christ and the mission he gave his Church to preach the Gospel to all people. ...
Convention Address Saturday at Morning Prayer
The Rt. Rev. Terry A. White, Eighth Bishop of Kentucky
Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Louisville
It is a joy to be with you for the second time now meeting in convention, to gather as the people of God to renew our commitment to Jesus Christ and the mission he gave his Church to preach the Gospel to all people.
Before I go any further, I wish to remind this gathering, that since our last convention, some thing has changed. On September 25, my one-year full replacement warranty expired. (You can only get a partial refund if you choose to return me to the new bishop warehouse.)
Yet, the fact that we have been together for one year, one month, and 18 days means our relationship has lasted over five times longer that Kim Kardashian’s latest marriage. Of course, our relationship has been five times more glamorous!
Our liturgy last evening fed us with the Bread of Life and the Cup of Salvation, and the readings from Holy Scripture placed before us the gospel truth that greatness in God’s realm is found in servanthood, and in baptism we commit to the priority to seek and serve Christ in the poor. Our theme during this time together is the Fruits of Compassion, and in this address I wish to keep this theme before us. Ben Badgett’s ordination as a deacon on his journey to the priesthood is yet another reminder of Christ’s call to serve up compassion in worship and in work. The work we do in caring for others must more clearly proclaim that we serve because Jesus commanded us to.
This morning’s readings are for the Eucharist appointed for the feast of Charles Simeon. The prophet Isaiah proclaims that God is our salvation, and Thomas Merton’s setting of the canticle affirms the Lord our sure defense against all that would distract us from proclaiming the mighty works of God. The letter to the Romans exhorts us, as the people of this diocese, to commit to sharing the good news of God in Christ in such a clear and powerful way that those beyond the household of faith are compelled to seek out the source of the joy and grace and healing and forgiveness that motivates us.
Charles Simeon. Two hundred years ago university students in England were required to attend chapel and at least once a year to receive the Holy Communion. This requirement led the student Simeon to repent and turn to God, what he termed the beginning of his spiritual journey, which led him to seek Holy Orders. After ordination he was appointed chaplain at Cambridge, where he served for 55 years until his death on this date in 1836. It is impossible to estimate the number of lives he touched, the seeds planted, the vocations to love and serve God he fostered.
Henry Martyn, inspired by Simeon, abandoned his intention of going into law and instead devoted his life and talents to preaching the Gospel in India and Persia. William Wilberforce, also led in part by Simeon's ministry of teaching and example, devoted his life to the abolition of slavery throughout the British Empire. Simeon's enthusiasm and zeal brought him much ridicule and abuse, which he bore uncomplainingly. Though he himself remained in one place, his influence extended through the Anglican world.
Let us note the budget before us today reduces some financial assistance to our three chaplaincies because our overall income is down. Let us note that reduction and the reason for it very seriously and consider that parish relationships might boost those programs.
The Gospel is one that may be too well known. Jesus asks Peter, Do you love me? And he asks us as individuals and as the portion of the body of Christ known as the Diocese of Kentucky: Do you love me? Then feed my lambs, tend and feed my sheep.
The call to compassion means to feed and tend. Compassion is at the heart of mission, and the heart of parish work, and in this diocesan community.
Biblical scholars disagree as to whether the single use of lambs versus the two times “sheep” is mentioned is significant, as in feed my lambs (the young) and tend and feed the sheep as well (the mature or adult disciples.) On the one hand, the community of faith includes all, but on the other, being mindful of our commitment and ministry to and with all ages takes different forms and thus requires intentional effort.
Those who attended my workshop yesterday heard me say that the desire to be servants is strong in our congregations. The challenge is how to re-form our present structures and mind-set so that few financial resources don’t rob us of spirit and enthusiasm. My rewrite of scripture is that the harvest is plentiful, but the funds are few!
So let me share the following initiatives, which I pray will help us all in the important work of seeking God’s path in the midst of changing circumstances, a path that will help us discover how to be more effective in feeding, tending, and proclaiming.
- Foundations of Faith
Our department of Christian formation is undergoing transition. This community has been blessed by the leadership of Callie Hausman and Debbi Rodahaffer. They are stepping down, and we owe them our thanks for their creative ministry. They will continue to support diocesan ministry in various ways. Katherine Doyle has accepted my appointment to that position, and has further accepted the challenge to design a program on Foundations in Faith for those seeking to make a commitment to Christ. This is especially needed in congregations who do not currently have such a program and or the personnel to lead. This program could also be implemented in our deaneries, allowing for participants to join with others in the area. Finally, it might also help standardize the content of what is being offered those new to the faith and this tradition. You will hear more in the coming months.
Do you love me? Feed and tend my people. We know it takes money to carry out certain ministries, and to provide for administration that supports ministry in the diocese. And where there is money, there is anxiety and stress because no matter how much we have, we have no trouble seeing that, if we had more, we could do more. In various places and settings in this country and around the world, people are calling for change. The Occupy London camp on the steps of St. Paul’s Cathedral created a poignant setting for the church’s place in this current struggle. Jesus said a lot about how to use money and possessions to faithfully serve God.
- New Canon for Funding Ministry.
In our diocese, how money is gathered from each congregation for our common ministry is set forth in canon. It is time to openly discuss this canon. I call this convention and our congregations to engage in intentional conversation and study about money and mission so that at next November’s convention we can pass a new canon on how to fund our common mission. Our deanery system will provide the settings for the clergy and lay leaders of each congregation to engage this important stewardship and mission issue. A new canon will need to be adopted that will set forth how each congregation participates in this work.
The current canon has been something of a blessing and curse. It has challenged some congregations to see the importance of supporting ministries throughout our diocese even as the local needs are great. Yet this canon has also created a certain amount of suspicion and division and even hostility. These are not fruits of the Spirit. Thus, this canon is not working on at least two levels.
For a new canon to be created, every congregation must participate, and everyone must listen as well as talk. We may well end up with several proposed canons. The timeline is this: discussion from next week to the end of June. Proposed canon or canons need to be submitted by the published deadline to allow for more discussion leading up to voting a new canon.
I respectfully request that two items be considered in the proposal.
1) There be no wording along the lines of “or at the discretion of the bishop.” This canon will be more effective if it is designed for us to be responsible to each other, and not be designed with various levels of enforcement coming from the bishop’s office.
2) Whatever canon is passed I hope will have a required time to be revisited, and I again respectfully, would suggest no longer than every five years.
The success of such a canon requires lay and ordained leaders to buy into its goals and requirements. This canon I pray will be designed to enable the feeding and tending of the Lord’s sheep in this diocese.
- All Saints Camp and Conference Center.
First, our thanks to Jim Wade for the tremendous job he did stepping into the breach at All Saints. Jim, you have our heartfelt thanks and appreciation.
All Saints is important to the mission and ministry of this diocese, and this is the perfect time to solidify its ministry and future mission. To that end, I announced to Trustees and Council that I have appointed Canon Joan Smith to chair a task force that will present a business plan to Trustees and Council at their April meeting. This task force will include people who bring business/finance, forestry, spiritual formation, hospitality, land management/stewardship, and promotion/publicity talents to the task who also have an appreciation for All Saints' contribution to diocesan ministry.
- Tools for Congregational Vitality
Tending and feeding, that we might bear the fruits of compassion, requires fresh ideas and new approaches. I would like to announce some upcoming opportunities in 2012 to support congregational vitality.
- In February, prior to Lent, I will invite the diocesan clergy to a mid-week silent retreat, beginning on a Tuesday evening and ending a noon on Thursday. No program, no leader, no addresses. Morning and Evening prayer, compline, and Eucharist. Silence much of the time, with fellowship at start and finish. And free time to pray, read, walk the grounds, sleep, or play Angry Birds. This will become an annual event. Post annual meeting for most, pre-Lent, a time to refresh.
- March 2 and 3, Priest Tom Ehrich will come to Louisville to engage us in Turnaround Strategies for congregations. Tom is the founder Morningwalk Media, which includes an emphasis on Church Wellness. Some of you know his writings from his blog and syndicated newspaper column. What will be unique about this workshop is that it will have a lab component, where participants can take best practices and create an action plan to apply them in your congregation. Additionally, Tom is willing to continue working with 3 or 4 congregations via conference calls to continue this work. More details will be worked out when I meet with Tom next month, and information will then be sent out with more details. Most of the cost of this workshop is being underwritten, and Tom’s appearance is a cooperative effort between St. Matthew’s Church and the Diocese of Kentucky. The lab component is very exciting.
- Financial stewardship. April 26, for the clergy, Bishop Jim Mathes of the Diocese of San Diego is coming to share his experience and thoughts on retooling and refreshing approaches to parish financial stewardship and giving. Bishop Mathes has a proven record of assisting leaders and congregations in increasing giving to ministry and mission. Later that same day Bishop Jim will address Trustees and Council at their regular meeting about financial stewardship as it relates to diocesan mission and support. April 26 is that date.
- On the desktop and black board though without a set date are plans for introducing Appreciative Inquiry to congregations. This style of leadership has been used throughout our Church and other traditions, and very much follows the approach found in many areas of business and education. A foundational premise is that any group tends to move in the direction of the questions it asks. Thus, if we ask positive questions leading to action, we tend to get positive results. And the opposite is true too. Several of our priests and lay leaders have some experience with this program, and it could become a useful resource in many of our congregations. This would likely take place in the second half of the year, though this is still in planning stages.
- Two other resources I look forward to seeing resumed are the Brennan Lectures and a regular financial stewardship conference or workshop for those in each congregation charged with leading that ministry.
The approach we need to commit to wholeheartedly is using diocesan funds to provide tools for congregational vitality. The more resources and tools that can be provided, the quicker we have congregations able to move to sustaining local ministry without the need of diocesan funds.
- Re-forming and Re-tooling Church Structures
Bishop Stacy Sauls resigned as bishop of Lexington in order to become COO of the Episcopal Church. Bishop Sauls has long advocated for a reform of the larger church structure, and at the September House of Bishops meeting shared some thoughts in small group sessions followed a presented to the full house. Many of the points and suggestions raised in the report, which is online, are not new, but he has summarized them in one place.
The larger point is this: the Episcopal Church was reorganized decades ago along a corporate model that has borne much fruit. But for some time now, that structure has been found wanting. What is need now is more support of local ministry at both the parish and diocesan levels. Bishop Sauls’ summary includes the suggestion of making diocesan giving to TEC equal to 1% of congregation income, which appears to translate to about 13% of diocesan income, I am told.
While we are not entertaining a resolution on re-forming the Church’s structure, communicating with your deputies to GC is very important. Canon Amy Coultas is the deputation chair. Please let her and the other deputies know how you feel about this. I will certainly work toward such re-forming.
And that re-tooling of structure is what I believe we have embarked on here in our diocese. The discussion about the funding canon mentioned earlier will need to include creating a commonly held understanding of the size and work of the bishop’s staff.
Additionally, Dean Bourlakas and I have begun conversations about using Diocesan House space in a different way that could lead to reducing our costs while also supporting the Cathedral’s mission. The rent paid helps fund cathedral ministry, thus, finding a tenant to take our current space would be a key component before moving our offices.
Retooling for more effective ministry, right-sizing as needed, and reallocating resources where they can be more effective. Some things happen quickly – the sprints I mentioned in February, and some are more like marathons that take time. But we have much good will in our diocesan family, and the more we build trust and confidence, the more we will feed and tend Christ’s sheep.
- Conclusion
Something I say at about every visitation and will likely always say at every convention and every diocesan gathering: if only this pectoral cross had audio and video. The stories I hear are inspiring. Some ministries are large, some are small, and what they all have in common is that Christ touches people, seeds of transformation are planted, the body of Christ is strengthened, and the fruits of compassion are harvested and tasted.
Beloved, I have re-written this ending no fewer than five times, because each time, after hearing someone tell me what the Episcopal Church has done for them, I want to share it with you. And I get to hear some such story just about every day.
On this feast of Charles Simeon, I want to tell you about Bob. He entered college having given up on organized religion. He was struggling to find meaning for his life, and even struggled with whether pressing on was worth it. He found one of our chaplaincies. He tested the community, even perhaps pushed to see when he would be asked to leave. Instead, he was invited back week after week. He was baptized and later confirmed. And he is sharing the Gospel with others he knows are also struggling to find a community that seeks Christ in others.
And then there is Judy. Divorced at a young age, she was told she had failed God and had no longer a place in the church of her youth. After her baptism she asked me, “Bishop, why don’t more people know about this church? So many people are like me. Hurting and unwelcome.”
Feed God’s people with compassion. Tend God’s people and lead them to places where compassion can be shared. Our many communities in this Commonwealth need us. Proclaim that in God is salvation. Fill the hungry with good things. And may we embrace the Paschal Mystery, dying and rising to fresh work quickened by the Holy Spirit.
Rise up ye saints of God, be done with lesser things! Give heart and soul and mind and strength to serve the King of Kings.
It is a blessing to be the Bishop of Kentucky!
