Over the next six weeks, members of the DCOH leadership team will write reflections of gratitude on six areas of ministry we have been given over the past twelve years, four years as a PEARUSA Network and eight years as the Diocese of Christ Our Hope. At the end of each reflection, we will pivot to look toward how that same ministry will be lived out in the next season of our life. We have much to celebrate, and much to anticipate! We could have easily picked any number from a dozen or more ministries. We could have had dozens of leaders write the stories. But we think you’ll agree that these particular ministries paint a broad-stroke picture of how the Lord has blessed us. We hope you will rejoice with us, and we hope you will look ahead with us. To God be the glory, great things he has done! Great things he will do!
One of the central ministries of the diocese, and specifically of our bishops, is Episcopal Visits. As our overseers and shepherds, traveling to our local churches to care for our clergy and laity is a primary responsibility and privilege for our bishops. Article II of our diocesan Constitution states that “the fundamental agency of mission is the local congregation,” and as such it has always been a high priority for our bishops to dedicate the time and energy needed to ensure the diocese is supporting its congregations well. Episcopal Visits (EVs) are one of the primary means through which this happens. By spending time meeting and sharing meals with the Rector (or Vicar, lead Church Planter, etc), assisting clergy, lay leaders, and congregations, over the course of a weekend, the bishops are able, by God’s grace, to teach, preach, counsel, pray with, encourage, and guide the people of God in our diocese. In addition, the bishops are also blessed by the love, prayers, and support they receive from our churches.
Without a doubt, one of the highlights of EVs have been confirmations and ordinations. Our bishops have a high view of both and dedicate significant time to preparation and prayer for those on whom they will lay hands. They consider it a joy and a privilege to have been called to this great ministry, and they relish the opportunities to be used by God in these ways. Both confirmations and ordinations are services that uniquely blend solemnity, reverence, beauty, and joy, all centered around the calling of Christ on each individual to participate in the work of his Kingdom. By the grace of God, a consistent feature of confirmations and ordinations in our diocese over the years has been the powerful presence and outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Thanks be to God!
EVs are no easy task for our bishops, involving a significant amount of sacrifice on their part. But they consistently offer themselves to this ministry with joy and gratitude, and with great expectation for how the Lord will work during their visit. One enduring memory for me is the seemingly countless times over the years that Bp. Steve returned from a visit, and upon my inquiring how the visit went, he would respond with some version of the following. “It was really great! Amazing! I’m exhausted! But it was so good…”
As we prepare to turn this new page in our life as a diocese, Episcopal Visits will continue to be a high priority for the ministry of our bishops. However, over the years God has blessed us with significant growth. In 12 years we have grown from a fledgling network of 19 churches in our PEARUSA days to a diocese of 27 congregations, 6 missions, 8 church plants, 3 launch teams, and more potential works on the way (that’s over 44 works!). In addition, the Lord has opened up the way for us to be a temporary canonical and missional home for congregations in the Great Plains area of our country to develop into their own diocese over time.
This tremendous growth is to be celebrated, but it also necessitates adapting our systems and strategies for mission and ministry. Therefore, beginning in 2025 each church’s official Episcopal Visit will have a predetermined date (weekend of the particular month) that will remain the same year to year, and the focus of these visits will be on confirmations. Ordinations will occur at centralized times and locations, such as Deanery Retreats and a few other dates as determined by the bishop. However, the bulk of what happens during EVs will remain the same (meetings with clergy, lay leaders, confirmands, shared meals, etc).
We give thanks to God for his faithfulness to us and the great blessings with which he has blessed us as a diocese. And we look forward with great joy and anticipation at the unfolding of our good Father’s plans for us.
In Christ,
Canon Ben Bowman
Canon to the Ordinary
