Pastoral Letter
Pastoral Letter
July 02, 2006
Pastoral Letter from the Bishop of San Diego
In the Name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
I write to you just as the 75th General Convention of our church has ended. It has been an extraordinary time when our church made decisions on everything from budgeting to evangelism to social justice. With hundreds of resolutions coming from around the Episcopal Church, it is easy to lose the big picture at this moment in our history. As I reflected in my own prayers, our community prayers, and with friends old and new, I found myself sensing that God is calling our church to a renewed, holy, and spiritually healthier place.
Over the course of the General Convention, I witnessed the missional hopes and plans of our church being subordinated to a conflict. What has happened to me through the days of this Convention is a resolve to stay focused on our mission: to bring all to Christ and to serve in Christ’s name. I did not become your bishop to succumb to conflict; you did not come to this wonderful church to be limited in your spiritual journey. We came to find Jesus Christ and his saving grace. We came for hope, purpose, and meaning.
I am eager to move ahead on our fundamental mission, but I believe that conflict has taken an enormous amount of resources and energy from our church. When clergy and lay leaders are threatening to leave the Episcopal Church, it is difficult to focus on the Church’s missionary effort, and yet missionary work is exactly what I came to San Diego to do.
As we move forward together in the work and ministry of Jesus Christ in this Diocese, I am asking the Standing Committee to respond to all matters pertaining to schism and secessionism. While I will necessarily be involved, it will be as chief pastor and theologian; their responsibility will be fiduciary and legal. My main efforts must be for mission and for ministry.
We live in an extraordinary age of mission, and it is my responsibility to lead that mission. People are hungry for the love of God found in Jesus Christ. We have received the gift of life and we must offer it to others. Of late, our Church has been distracted by issues that, while important, pale in significance to Jesus’ two-fold gospel mandate so clearly expressed in Matthew:
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. Matthew 28: 19-20
Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ Matthew 25: 37b-40
We have been called by God to be the Church in the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego in these first years of the Twentieth-first Century. We have been called to be in conversation and at times in conflict over vexing issues. And we are principally called to be about the ministry of sharing our proclamation of hope, meaning, and purpose.
Therefore, I call on the people of our diocese to renew our discipleship as a COMMUNITY OF GOOD NEWS. The Good News in Christ is what feeds us; it is what the world hungers for. It is the good news of
- Hope through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ
- Meaning through the gift of baptism in the name of Jesus
- Purpose through service in the name of Jesus.
In order to live more fully into this Good News, I call us to strive for three ambitious, yet simple tasks over the course of the next year:
- Every Episcopalian in our diocese will bring one person to full participation in the life and ministry of their congregation. This simple act will lead to real evangelism. We will change lives through the love of Jesus Christ. We will meet hurt with hope. We will also strengthen our faith as we share it and strengthen our congregations for ministry.
- Each congregation will develop effective life-changing ministries for children who are disadvantaged, in poverty, or at risk in other ways. The hope is that this will be a mission of adoption that will focus the servant ministry of our congregations on those who are thirsty, hungry, and naked. By doing this, we will give hope, meaning, and purpose to children who will do the same for their children and for generations to come.
- Each congregation will provide for excellent Christian education and formation programs for all ages. Lifelong formation in the Christian life is essential if we are to become the vibrant, faithful community God calls us to be.
As we grow in our evangelism, education, and service, the Holy Spirit will take us to new and greater ministry. It begins with the simplicity of small steps that change our lives and those whom we encounter. It is all about being the Community of Good News: bringing hope, meaning, and purpose through Jesus Christ.
In order to support this call, plans are already underway to design and present learning opportunities and workshops this fall to assist you in bringing others to full participation in your congregational ministry, to guide you in the development of servant ministries for and with children and to develop opportunities for lifelong learning.
Imagine what will happen in our congregations if we accept this challenge. Our churches will grow by leaps and bounds. Lives will be transformed through a commitment to providing tools for Christian formation. Children will be nurtured and cared for in new ways. The communities we serve will grow stronger and healthier. We will feel the winds of the Holy Spirit move among us. Our tongues will speak words of faith. Our Church will become even more the Church of Pentecost. And when people talk about the Episcopal Church in our Diocese, they will say that it is the Church that shares the hope in Christ, gives meaning to those who come through the waters of baptism, and finds purpose in building up God’s reign particularly as it cares for God’s children. With this, Jesus would be well pleased. Let’s get to work!
Faithfully,
The Rt. Rev. James R. Mathes
Bishop of San Diego