2016 Convention Address
To the laity and clergy assembled for the 189th Convention of the Diocese of Kentucky
A bishop is to work day and night in the ministry of reconciliation, says the prayer book. Thus, in an effort to be faithful to my vocation, following my joke about the Chicago Cubs last night, and as a life-long, devoted St. Louis Cardinals’ baseball fan, I say: Congratulations to all Cubs fans.
“You will be my witnesses,” Jesus says in our reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
In his address to the Diocesan Convention of 1963, Bishop Marmion said:
“Our Lord gave us the great commission: ‘Go into all the world and preach the Gospel.’ His concern was for the least of God’s children, and He said: ‘Inasmuch as you have done it to one of the least of these my brothers, you have done it to me.’ We have, I’m afraid, given the impression that only the ‘best people’ are welcome in the Church. At least this is the image the world outside has of us. We need desperately to correct that image.
The world is faced with tremendous social issues from which I do not believe the Church can stand aside. If our Lord is Saviour of the world, He must be Saviour of all men and women. The Church must be interested in all people. You and I must be the Church – the outreach of our Lord’s ministry to all sorts and conditions of men and women. We dare not be a religious club….
It may be painful to face up to some of the issues of our day, and to bring to bear upon them the Christian spirit. Nevertheless, the rights of all people must be recognized. To deny any person his rights is to deny that he is child of God, equally precious in God’s sight with everyone else. We may disagree as to how Christian convictions and principles are to be applied, but that they must be applied, even at a sacrifice to ourselves, CANNOT be denied. The Church must speak out on social issues.
One of the greatest social issues of today, crying out to heaven for a Christian solution, is the racial problem. Indeed some people consider it to be the Church’s greatest problem. It has many overtones and undertones. It is a political, economic, and social issue, but above all it is a religious issue. It challenges the faith we proclaim and the prayers we pray. It will not be solved finally until it is solved in a Christian way. It calls for men and women to not just take a stand, but who, by their lives and actions and the influence they wield, work toward a nation which, under God, provides liberty and justice for all...
..the solution of this problem calls for Christian courage and forbearance and love. If we let the Holy Spirit guide us, we shall be able to stand as God’s servants to do His will. We need cooperation among races under the guidance of our Lord to secure for all an equal opportunity in every phase of life. The working out of this issue cannot wait.
…We must see all men and women as brothers and sisters in Christ. At the foot of the Cross, the ground is level.”
(The Fifth Bishop of Kentucky, Bishop Marmion, in his convention address in 1963. Diocesan journal, 1963 p 54-5.)
“At the foot of the Cross, the ground is level.” My heart was stirred by those words.
You are my witnesses, that the ground is level at the foot of the Cross.
We are Jesus’ witnesses by virtue of our Baptism, and thus witnessing to the grace and love and forgiveness of sins found at the foot of the Cross is central to being a disciple.
We have been washed in the blood of the Lamb, and every sort of division is washed in that sacred blood, too. God has made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and our lives as individual followers of Christ, and together as a congregation, as a diocese, as Church and as the Anglican Communion, is to be soaked in that fountain of unmerited Grace and unending forgiveness and sacrificial love. At the foot of the Cross, the ground is level.
Hear these words from our Presiding Bishop’s video, “The Jesus Movement: Loving, Liberating, and Life-Giving.”
Two clearly stated priorities for this Church following the last General Convention are evangelism, and racial justice and reconciliation. Proclaiming the Good News of God Jesus Christ, leads to transformation of lives and thus of society. Twisted paths made straights, mountain of obstacles brought low and valleys of despair and sin filled with grace and hope.
Around our Diocese, in numerous places, such work is ongoing, from one-on-one relationship building to joining in community efforts to bridge divides that lead to understanding, and working together to benefit the lives of all people.
I was moved and challenged by Chandra Irvin’s plenary session yesterday, and learned much from her about relating ethically and spiritually with one another across our diverse cultures. She said that active listening is a skill to be used in all of life. I am also grateful to the Rev. Whit Stodgill for sharing some her family’s story
In early March (3&4) the Brennan Lectures will continue this theme of racial reconciliation. Katrina Browne, director of documentary “Traces of the Trade,” will be with us. You will find a flyer about that event here, and information will be shared electronically.
As directed by last year’s convention, The Diocesan Task Force for Racial Reconciliation will be making a report later today, available here.
I am inspired and not surprised by the overwhelmingly positive response of people in our congregations who want to participate in this work. Such awareness and understanding is needed so badly today. The work follows the Lord’s own life and teachings, and is consistent with our proclamation of the Creeds and the promises of the Baptismal Covenant. The Spirit will sure lead us to new and important ministry.
Let me now share of some particular ministry and work.
Mission partnerships
Last May, lay leaders for 11 congregations accepted my invitation to consider how we can strengthen our witness to Christ by imagining new ways of collaborating, partnering, and cooperating in mission together. We spent most of a Saturday discus how we could partner and pool resources to provide sacramental ministry, administrative oversight, and support leadership in congregational development.
Now let me pause to say, with 11 congregations gathered, that represented almost one third of the diocese, which indicates the scope of this missional summit.
A key part of this day-long activity was for congregational leaders to talk with one another, and together, begin to dream and plan about sharing a priest, working together on aspects of mission, and supported by the bishop’s office, begin to formulate concrete plans. This was NOT a gathering for the Bishop to say, “Here’s what is going to happen.” The congregations formed three self-determined groups, and within weeks began to meet in person or via conference calls.
To date, Holy Trinity, Brandenburg, and Christ Episcopal Church/Christ Lutheran Chapel in Elizabethtown have entered into a letter of agreement with the Rev. Roger Walker to serve in a 1/3 time capacity in each congregation.
In a second instance, conversations between St. Alban’s and St. Paul’s are exploring possibilities for joint ministry.
And in a third instance, an urban partnership in Louisville involving four congregations (Calvary, Christ Church Cathedral, Our Merciful Savior, and St. George’s Church) is leading to plans to unite in order to expand various aspects of ministry. Additionally, two other partnerships are in the early stages of coming together for discernment.
These three partnerships are geared toward supporting administrative oversight by a priest, providing regular sacramental and pastoral presence, thus allowing lay leadership to focus more on mission and ministry and lessen anxiety.
All Saints Center property
At last year’s convention I committed us to intentional discernment about the property that is home to All Saints Episcopal Center, All Saints Camp and Retreat Center 160 acres outside of Leitchfield. That discernment involved members of Trustees and Council and the All Saints Board. I met with the deans of our deaneries, and with clergy, and with the budget committee, and attended all three listening sessions held by the deaneries for laity and clergy to hear how the immediate future of All Saints Center figured into the proposed budget and our financial assessment formula that set the congregational assessment at 13% along with an option, hope, or suggestion to give at 15% (or more which one congregation has again committed to for 2017.) Some members of the diocese wrote to the All Saints Board and to me expressing their thoughts.
Last month, Trustees and Council voted not to sell the property at this time, and included in the 2017 budget that you will vote on today money for a full time director to live in the director’s cabin. The full time director will be responsible for staffing, addressing maintenance and capital issues, communicating with the Board and Trustees and Council, and for purposes of organization is hired by me as All Saints Center is a ministry of our Diocese. See The All Saints report here.
The director will have among her or his immediate tasks arriving at the actual cost of an individual staying over night, and like wise, look at food and other costs that must be figured into the cost of summer camp, when vestries and bishop’s committees holding retreats there, and other groups renting the Inn. Without a full time director, those costs have not been adequately calculated for any group, Episcopalians and non-Episcopalians, to rent the facilities.
All Saints Center is not looking to make a profit on Episcopalians using the facility. This is right, and also acknowledges that a portion of each congregation’s assessment helps provide the ministry of All Saints’ Center. Thus, having a solid understanding of the cost of an individual to spend the night, be it in the Inn, or at camp or at youth gatherings when the lower camp is utilized, or on retreat, is crucial to getting our finances in order so that we can care for the facility and grounds, catch up with deferred maintenance in a systematic way, and grow our work there.
Thus, once a director gets a handle on actual costs, adjustments will need to be made in fees for use of the facilities. We will need to all share the cost of maintaining this property, and I am calling on all those who shared strong comments asking that the property not be sold to help generate income.
I ask the clergy and laity who have gifts to lead a weekday or weekend workshop or retreat to offer those gifts. I am fully committed to this work. We all need be committed to the work, and put that commitment into at least one tangible expression. DONATE to the ASC general fund, or to the endowment fund, which is a small fund to create annual interest income, or respond to requests to provide a summer camp scholarship.
EXPANDED YOUTH MINISTRY
Another outcome of our discernment concerning All Saints Center was to hear of hopes for expanded youth ministry, and such hopes were most strongly by the members of our Diocesan Youth Council. They voiced a clear desire to expand Diocesan Youth Ministry beyond what happens at All Saints Center. The many suggestions they made, point to three important goods:
1) continuing formation in life in Christ and discipleship led by the Holy Spirit;
2) building community, and including in the diocesan community those youth who do not attend summer camp; and
3) events that tie formation in Christ to outreach and mission opportunities, within the Commonwealth and beyond.
Thus, one event to build community will be what the Youth Council wants to call The Bishop’s Ball to be held January 21, 2017, hosted here by Christ Church Cathedral. Details to be announced.
Preliminary work has also begun on a mission experience to be held during the summer. So that we can engage this expanded youth ministry throughout the diocese I have designated the offering from last’s night Eucharist for this work, and you will find a basket or bowl or something similar in the center of your on your table today, and I invite you to make to make a contribution. Further, with the endorsement of Trustees and Council, I will be sending out a Bishop’s Appeal letter to all members of the diocese to support this work. My office will be contacting all congregations for a current mailing list to update our data base, and I thank you all for your cooperation.
Delegated Episcopal Pastoral Oversight
At last year’s convention I shared with you that I had approached the leadership of St. Francis in the Fields, Harrod’s Creek, about the canonical option of DEPO, Delegated Episcopal Pastoral Oversight, in an effort to address issues that had grown over the years. It was my hope that DEPO would provide a way to strengthen relationships, to live into reconciliation and move forward together to engage in common ministry and mission. Such authentic work requires prayer and discernment and careful preparation.
At the end of September a DEPO agreement was reached between the Rector and Vestry of St. Francis in the Fields, the Right Reverend Gregory Brewer, Bishop of Central Florida, and myself. Bishop Brewer agreed to participate at my invitation, and St. Francis welcomed his participation. This initial agreement looks forward to a three-year period of commitment, even as the agreement acknowledges that DEPO is offered by me as Diocesan, and will be reviewed annually and as needed. (There are two copies of the agreement per table.) You can read the particular elements of the agreement here.
Borrowing language from yesterday’s plenary workshop, the preface of the agreement states that we have entered into a covenant, this is not a contract or series of transactions. It is about relationships and trust.