Change of seasons signals transitions, new programs
by the Right Reverent Thomas Clark Ely, Bishop of Vermont
Mountain Echo
September 2006

I’m writing this column for the Mountain Echo in mid-August, just before I begin three weeks of vacation. You are probably reading it sometime around Labor Day. In most church settings, this change of season from the end of summer to the beginning of autumn brings with it an increase in parish and diocesan activity as a new “program year” begins. It also marks a time of transition for many aspects of life in New England, including agriculture, tourism, and education. As we anticipate and make our way into these transitions, I call to your attention the following ten items, all of which will be part of our life and ministry as the Diocese of Vermont in the year ahead.

1. Final preparations are on track for Diocesan Convention to be held at the Cathedral October 27-28, 2006. This means reports are being written, arrangements are being worked out, Ministry Fair Days and Convention workshops are being designed, Convention resolutions are being prepared, nominations for diocesan leadership positions are being received, the latest version of the diocesan budget is being printed, and all of this information, along with registration material, is being sent to clergy and lay delegates. This year’s Convention features a celebration of the ministry of our diocesan Cathedral, and our special guest will be the Very Reverend David duPlantier, Dean of the Cathedral in New Orleans, Louisiana.

2. The Diocesan Assessment Task Force will bring its final recommendations to Diocesan Council on September 9. This hard working Task Force has looked at the history of our system of support for diocesan mission and ministry, the patterns and practices of other dioceses, and the pros and cons of various models and methods for a fair and equitable sharing in the financial support of our diocesan budget by congregations. The current assessment formula was established twenty years ago, and there has been no change in the rates since 1992. The Task Force invited conversation with all the congregations of the diocese and thirty-four responded. The Task Force took on the challenging responsibility of presenting a plan that is simple and fair, avoids the “bracket creep” that is part of the current system, avoids large year to year increases for congregations, maintains diocesan mission and ministry programs, and is based on available and audited data.

3. Developing a Comprehensive Financial Stewardship Strategy is a key component of The Diocesan Strategic Plan for Growth and Ministry. Consultant Bob Uerz has been working with Diocesan Council, congregations and diocesan leaders to develop this plan and to determine our readiness and capacity to hire a development minister to assist congregations and the diocese in the areas of annual stewardship, planned giving and capital fund raising campaigns. Council has approved the recommendations emerging from this consultation and is in the process of determining the best way to fund this new ministry position, which it hopes to have in place by July 2007.

4. The Campus and Young Adult Ministry Task Force is now in place to help implement the recommendations of the recently completed report, Campus and Young Adult Ministry: The Next Generation: Episcopal Ministry with Young Adults and College Students. Adopted by Diocesan Council, this exciting initiative anticipates a much more active diocesan ministry among college students and faculty, as well as young adults not in college, throughout our diocese. The full report is on the diocesan web site.

5. Evangelism is another key area of Diocesan Council concern. A diocesan team will attend an upcoming Start Up! Start Over! Conference, sponsored by the Office of Congregational Development from The Episcopal Church Center in New York. This team will bring back to Council a proposal for increasing our awareness, knowledge and engagement in the church’s ministry of Evangelism. Those interested in working with Diocesan Council in this area of ministry should contact Lynn Bates at the Diocesan Office.

6. I am working with a local organizational development consultant to evaluate, imagine, and reconfigure the Diocesan Ministry Support Team, in order to best serve the present and emerging needs of our diocese. The Diocesan Ministry Support Team is fully engaged and committed to this process, the results of which I will share at the 2006 Diocesan Convention. I anticipate some shifting of responsibilities, some changes in the way we carry out our ministries and perhaps some adjustments within the organizational structure of the diocese as we seek to make best use of the gifts and skills of diocesan personnel.

7. The Ministry Developers and members of the Commission on Ministry have been working with Linda Grenz of LeaderResources to complete work on a roadmap process to assist congregations in the development Local Ministry Support Teams. There is good energy around this and a strong commitment to creating a process that is Vermont-oriented, respectful of local initiative, context and culture, and is congruent with the ministry canons of the Episcopal Church. Financial assistance for this work, along with several other related ministry development projects is coming from the Pastoral Excellence Project and our partnership with the Episcopal Divinity School.

8. We will “Wade in the Water” this September when we welcome Dr. Frederica Harris Thompsett from Episcopal Divinity School to our diocese for two presentations on Baptismal Ministry. Wade in the Water will focus our attention on the growing awareness and commitment to Baptismal Living and Ministry that is deeply rooted in our Anglican history, theology and liturgy. Dr. Thompsett will join us for Clergy Day on September 19th and for a diocesan-wide workshop on Saturday, September 23rd from 10-3 at Christ Church, Montpelier (see Page D).

9. The 175th anniversary of the Diocese of Vermont and the 1832 election of John Henry Hopkins as Bishop is just around the corner. I am in the process of calling together a special committee to help us plan and celebrate this important anniversary. We will begin the 18-month celebration in June 2007 and conclude at Diocesan Convention in 2008. Stay tuned for more details!

10. Finally, plans for my upcoming sabbatical (December 2006 through March 2007) are continuing to go well. The Sabbatical Planning Team is preparing material to send to all clergy and congregations. The various components of my sabbatical, focusing on global mission, are continuing to take shape. My recent participation in the Global Mission Event, co-sponsored by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Episcopal Church was very engaging and stimulating. It continues to be my hope that during my sabbatical the congregations of our diocese will deepen their connections to global mission, through education and action.

Please keep all these important components of our diocesan life and ministry in your prayers as the seasons change and we orient ourselves anew to God’s unfolding future.

Faithfully,
+Thomas

P.S. On Sunday August 13th Ann and I went to see the movie, An Inconvenient Truth. Please go and see this movie and then take action to help save the planet.