As you may know, I grew up in the Episcopal Church, as did my mother. I feel fortunate to have been born into the church that suits me best, and, I believe, is a faithful expression of the Christian faith. Over the years I have explored and studied other denominations and other faiths. By and large, I am grateful for the various denominations and expressions of Christianity. Brian McLaren wrote a fantastic book, “A Generous Orthodoxy,” in which he speaks to what each denomination does best. I appreciate McLaren’s notion that we ought to honor and learn from one another’s strengths.

One strength of the Episcopal denomination is our connection to other Episcopal Churches within our Diocese, our national church, and the worldwide Anglican Community. Day by day, we may experience this mostly through our local parish, although the connectedness informs much of what we do. The Diocese, and the Bishop as our leader, can help shape what is possible.

I’m grateful for Bishop Susan and the clarity of vision with which she has been leading us. At convention, she spoke about the importance of the strategic plan to inform her work and how it has guided us the past five years. We spent time discussing and sharing to help prepare for the next strategic plan. I’m including a message from The Rev. Gwynn Lynch, our Canon to the Ordinary, below. I hope you will participate by completing the survey!

Blessings,
Fr. Paul