A Message from the Bishop - December 2021
Dear Friends,
Our recent annual Diocesan Synod was such an encouraging experience, especially as we were able to gather after a COVID-induced Synod on Zoom last year.
On Friday afternoon, we held our annual pre-Synod workshop, this year focusing on healthy clergy and congregations and the great harm done by abusive leaders. Our keynote speaker was Diane Langberg, a therapist and author of Redeeming Power: Understanding Authority and Abuse in the Church. It drew the largest attendance ever for a pre-Synod workshop and I would encourage you to listen to the talks by Diane and our Canon for Church Planting, Tuck Bartholomew (links below).
The Synod itself…
was blessed by wonderful worship and rich, challenging sermons by the Revs. Sam Ferguson (Friday evening) and Sharon Gustafson (Saturday morning);
heard my report on the Diocese and on my planned retirement;
heard a panel discuss the details of the process leading to the election of my successor next October and his consecration as our new Bishop on February 18, 2023;
heard encouraging reports on our church planting work from Tuck Bartholomew and leaders from Redeemer Anglican Church in Richmond, Christ Church Vienna, and Church of the Resurrection, Baltimore.
approved Corpus Christi Anglican Church in Franconia/Springfield, VA as a mission church;
approved Church of the Ascension in Kearneysville, WV moving from mission status to being a congregation of our Diocese;
approved Christ Church, Accokeek, MD as a congregation (Christ Church separated from The Episcopal Diocese of Washington last spring);
had lunchtime presentations by our Chancellor, Scott Ward, on handling misconduct; Tuck Bartholomew on how our churches can partner in church planting; a team sharing about Camp Booyah, a highly-acclaimed Anglican summer camp; and a team introducing next year’s New Wineskins Missions Conference.
heard the Rev. Mary Hays, Canon for Clergy and Congregational Care, share about her work, particularly in assisting in transitions and times of conflict;
heard a presentation from Treasurer Gary French, in which he reported on the blessing of our healthy diocesan finances and on the 2022 budget, which was adopted unanimously.
elected new members of the Standing Committee: the Revs. Scott Bailey and Robbie Pruitt, Rob Thomsen and Bassem Youssef to three-year terms; and Kevin Marshall to a one-year term. Note: by Canon, I am able to appoint annually one lay person and one member of the clergy to a one-year term. I have appointed John Palafoutas and the Rev. Amy Rowe.
elected new members of the Constitution and Canons Committee: Andrew Oravetz and David Shaw.
On our diocesan website, you’ll find video and audio recordings of the sermons, presentations, reports, and lunchtime sessions. I hope you’ll bookmark the page and return to it again and again to listen in on the wonderful array of resources you’ll find there. In addition, all the Synod materials distributed in advance are also posted.
Our great thanks to all those who helped to lead our Synod, to all who participated, to the gracious team from The Falls Church Anglican for hosting us, and to our amazing diocesan staff team, who made it such an encouraging experience for us all. Please mark your calendars for next year’s Electing Synod on October 15, 2022, when we will choose our next Bishop, and our Annual Synod on November 18-19, 2022.
We have so much to be thankful for as a Diocese. I hope you’ll join in praising God for his provision, and for his goodness and grace in blessing us to be part of such a Church. To God be the glory!
Faithfully yours in Christ,
The Rt. Rev. John A. M. Guernsey