Loading...Addressing the Convention of the Diocese of Kentucky on Saturday (Feb. 27), Bishop Ted Gulick claimed the bishop's primary role of over-seer of the diocese as he has in the past, reflecting on the achievements and challenges of the prior year, but this year he did not offer his vision for the future.
Giving his final annual convention address in Kentucky, he spoke from the perspective of a bishop preparing to retire in six months and wanting to "get you ready for the tremendous trust and responsibility you will exercise in June at the electing convention."
Following Morning Prayer, Gulick delivered the 34-minute address from the pulpit at Grace Episcopal Church in Paducah, this year's convention host.
The bishop shared what he has seen and learned about the diocese, outlining what he described as "extraordinary moments in my ministry among you" and proudly explaining how the people and ministries of these "moments" offered "glimpses into the nature of this diocese" that will be "turned over" to a new overseer and pastor in a few months. Alluding to scholar and author Diana Butler Bass's identification of successful churches as "practicing congregations," Gulick said he has found that the Diocese of Kentucky is a "practicing diocese" that values its youth and young adults, its senior members and "outpost ministry.
Following the formal address, Gulick then abandoned the pulpit to share with those gathered the significant statistics gleaned from the parochial reports submitted by the churches and to recognize specific congregations' achievements. The good news, he said, is that 22 of the 36 congregations grew last year, average Sunday attendance grew, and, he added, "one of my favorite factoids that I have been digesting for the past 48 hours: baptisms beat burials 156 to 119."
Challenging the good news, he noted 13 congregations declined in membership and one remained the same. "Our loss of members through attrition and death was 159, slightly more than we grew." The parishes that lost the most members, he said, were those that are in transition because of clergy leadership changes. He noted, therefore, that the diocese is not in "free fall" and is faring slightly better other parts of the church.
With a nod to the winter Olympics that were underway in Vancouver, Canada, he concluded the report by awarding paper "medals" for church growth: a "bronze" medal went to St. Francis in the Fields Church, Harrods Creek; the "silver" was given to St. Luke's Church in Anchorage; and the "gold" was earned by Resurrection, which the bishop said "grew more than any other church in the Diocese of Kentucky." He also recognized Grace Episcopal Church in Hopkinsville for having the highest number of adult baptisms, which earned Grace, he joked, the "Joe Smith Medal," named after the rector of St. Luke's Church, which had received that honor in the past.
"I wanted to have fun with the statistics because the truth of the matter is, our story is very complex," Gulick said, concluding on a serious note. "Some of our parishes are growing in areas where you wouldn't think that could happen, and others that are prime for growth are not achieving what you would expect, so there is tremendous analysis that is to be done."
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