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The Bishop’s Address
33rd Convention of the Diocese of San Diego
February 10, 2007

 

 

 

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

I.

Friends, I am a dreamer. Others may look out and see setbacks and despair. I look upon the horizon and see hope and possibility. Jesus made promises to us as his followers and asks us to make promises in return. Jesus promised to be with us even to the end of the age. We make the promises in our baptismal covenant.

I believe in Jesus and in the promises that he made to us. And because of this, all things are indeed possible through him who is the way, the truth and the life. How can we not trust God who in Jesus conquers all our fears, even our fear of death?
With division as part of our church life, it is easy to succumb to our fears and hear my optimism as rooted in naiveté. The only thing we have to fear is a failure of our creativity, will, and faith. And even this fear, Jesus dissolves. For Jesus does not give up on disciples, even when he is abandoned and denied by them. Instead they are the apostles through whom he builds the church.

Let us not settle for a church that takes the easy road and divides in the face of disagreement. Let us believe the promiser and together seek new ways to be one in Christ—even when it seems as if this body of Christ is rent asunder in ways that cannot be mended.

As your bishop, I wear at least three hats; three mitres you might say. I am called to maintain the order and discipline of the church. I am called to be an agent of reconciliation. And I am called to be visionary leader and move us as a united diocese in mission. I live into these three roles on behalf of the entire community, keenly aware that they are exercised in dynamic tension.

We know about the division that has been experienced in this Diocese and of the nine congregations that have had splits of one level or another, with clergy and people leaving the Episcopal Church. These events and the wider disruption in the Anglican Communion are the context in which I exercise this three-fold ministry on your behalf in tension. Let me say, on the front end, that we should avoid judging the character and motives of those who have departed our Church—even as we may take exception to their actions. Let us remember that their perspective must be valued and that they take exception to the direction of the church. Bearing a gentleness of attitude will serve us well as we seek to find a way to reach out across divides to find new ways to be the Episcopal Church, and a church that is tireless repairing, reuniting, and renewing the body of Christ.

Since the Episcopal Church was formed out of another time of confusion and conflict in 1789, we have been governed by an elegant order embodied in our constitution and canons. Within that polity, the Episcopal Church was able to grow as our nation grew. It was able to proclaim and live out the gospel in an ever changing environment. And it was able to stay connected to forbearers in the Church of England and take the decisive role in creating the Anglican Communion. It is into this ordered church with its rich worship and spirituality that we all made our home. As we look for creative ways to promote unity in our Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion, it is essential that we make every effort to assure that our actions conform this rich heritage to our Episcopal Church’s constitution and canons. And in the diocese, we likewise must be consistent with our diocesan constitution and canons. All of these assumptions about how we are the Church flow from these living documents and are gifts of our predecessors who were stewards of the church before us.

At this time, the order and discipline of the church is being seriously strained. The notion that a parish of this diocese or any diocese can withdraw from this Diocese, the Episcopal Church, and the oversight of the diocesan bishop is one that I and other diocesan leaders must vigorously resist. To do otherwise is a failure to do what you called me to do. Yet, it is in fulfilling this responsibility that I feel great tension between that role and my role as reconciler. As we are all aware, groups of former Episcopalians claim ownership of properties that are by trust a part of the Episcopal Church. There is an active debate about these properties which is necessarily shifting to civil courts.

Even as we avail ourselves of these regrettable civil remedies, we must continually ask ourselves is there a better way. Because we believe the promiser, we must ask how Jesus would expect us to act. So, even as I endeavor to maintain the order, even through civil litigation, I must ask this question. Jesus through parable directed us that, if there is one lost sheep, we leave the ninety-nine to seek the lost one. And so as we press ahead to maintain the church’s order, I feel compelled to open a new way forward, a way that could render these vexing questions of law and separation moot, a way forward that can bind us together and possibly our fragile Anglican fellowship. Like all offers of unity, it is costly to all, but it is always in sacrifice and humility that the grace and love of Jesus are found.

As a dreamer and a believer in the promiser, let me paint a picture of a future diocesan convention of this diocese. Imagine a future convention where we are all present again. Yet we are joined together with those clergy and laity who have left and have returned—breaking the bread of Eucharist and discussing weighty matters of theology. We are together as a church, struggling to understand and work together. We are all together for two reasons, two simple reasons: because Jesus would have us be one and because of a simple proposal. And because we have decided to meet and talk.

Let us come back together. Let us be creative about who we are as the Episcopal Church and as a part of the Anglican Communion. Let us actually talk about a way to be together rather than ways of being divided. In earlier drafts of this address, I tested ideas and initiatives with some of you and my fellow bishops. These earlier ideas were praised and criticized. This exercise taught me about how difficult it is to try to repair our church.

Last year, the Amish taught us once again the lessons of forgiveness and community after a senseless school shooting. Older children traded their lives for younger siblings. The family of the murderer was cared for by the community victimized. If children can sacrifice their own lives for others and parents can forgive their children’s killer and minister to his family, why cannot we forgive each others limited vision and human failings and return to each other?

I believe that those who have left are faithful Christians and people of conscience. So are those who have remained. My simple proposal is that we actually sit down and talk, and here’s the challenge, listen, about a way to be one church with two perspectives. Let us come to that meeting with ideas about how to be the church together. At last year’s Convention, I offered the ministrations of the Rt. Rev. Jeffery Steenson, Bishop of the Rio Grande and a bishop of the Anglican Communion Network, to work with congregations in this diocese. Two have accepted that offer and Bishop Steenson will be visiting one next weekend. That option remains on the table. Perhaps, these congregations that have split could be repaired by a yet unspoken, creative idea. Perhaps, we could use the provisions of Delegated Episcopal Pastoral Oversight, approved by the House of Bishops. We will only know and understand what can be done by attempting this reconciliation. Those who have already left have nothing to lose from an attempt at reconciliation. But what could happen is that we could potentially find a creative and novel way to be an Episcopal Diocese.

Some may wonder why anyone should even consider this offer. The fundamental reason is that it is what Jesus would want us to do and that is in unity that we will completely live out the mission of the church. It is a way to live into true Christian humility. It will require us to bear each other’s pain—to understand the depths of hurt and reach out in healing. Reuniting the church will give our gospel enormous credibility. Likewise the continued schism will simply weaken our ability to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus. In living the gospel, perhaps we will be better teachers of it. Why should they consider this? Because it never hurts to talk, and because it may just repair the church and advance the gospel. And because it is what Jesus would have us to do.

Through a cooperative solution in which we value each other, we can become and remain one, in communion, united in mission. We could be collaborative rather than in conflict as bishops and people across the communion. Just think of the missional energy that can be freed by freeing ourselves from our preoccupation of self and self-righteousness.

In just a few days, the Primates of the Anglican Communion will gather in Tanzania. Could it be that this Diocese of San Diego could offer something so simple and so reasonable that it could bring us to a place of true affection and collaboration? It is dream that I have. It may be just a dream. But I believe that dreams come true when we pursue them. And I believe in Jesus who made promises and keeps his promises.

 

II.
Maintaining the order of the church and working on reconciliation is ample tension and challenge, but like with Paul and his congregations we must not stay stuck on these things. Together we must be visionary leaders. And so I have other dreams and so do you. As we look at our future as a diocese, as we recognize our challenges of this year and elements of uncertainty, but we can also see a future that is bright for our diocese. And rest assured this is not some sort of sugar-coating. We have made real progress. Our budget committee has once again presented to the convention a balanced budget. Despite changes in church membership, we had a slight operating surplus. We have closed on the sale of Bressi Ranch, which after liquidating most of our diocesan debt leaves us with $3,500,000 of which $1,000,000 will be held in reserve for Holy Cross, Carlsbad. The other funds will be invested for future mission development. As you know, we have $750,000 in a restricted fund for a new church plant in the Coachella Valley as well as 20 acres which we own, free and clear. I am pleased that we have installed the Rev. Mark Byers, as our mission planter. The new church, which will be called the Church of the Apostles, our Episcopal Church in East Valley, likely will launch in December.

In July, as General Convention ended, I wrote a pastoral letter to the diocese in which I issued a call to mission. Specifically, I urged us to continue to grow into the community of Good News. Permit me to read from that letter,
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
Purpose through service in the name of Jesus.

I gave you three actions to consider pursuing to live into this community of Good News: bring one person to the ministry of the Episcopal Church, develop life-long Christian Formation programs, and reach out and change the lives of children. Indeed, many of you have fully engaged that call and sense the winds of the Spirit are bringing new people to our churches.

Many of you have told me of the joy of taking the risk and bringing someone new to your congregation. It begins by telling the story of Jesus in your life and saying the words of Phillip to Nathaniel, “Come and See.” Others have heard the call to greater formation in new and creative ways. For example, at St. Barnabas in Borrego Springs, the community has partnered with Hospice and brought volunteer training across the mountains so that that caring ministry can be given to those making their final journey. And at St. Matthew’s in National City where the confirmation class did community service in addition to writing out their own individual statements of faith. You sense the growth. And the people of the diocese are making a difference in the lives of children. Ask the thirty-five children who live at Dorcas House, a foster home in Tijuana which serves those whose parents are incarcerated. And there is the St. Peter’s, Del Mar, youth trip to Katrina ravaged Mississippi. Our servant ministry is immense: the AIDS service at Trinity, Escondido, and our ministry to inmates at Donovan Correctional Center, feeding programs at St. David’s, St. James, La Jolla, All Saints’, Vista— I could go on and on. You are living into being a community of Good News.

 

III.
What is happening across our diocese and in our congregations and ministries is Holy work in which we discern God’s calling and act on that calling. We live into who we are supposed to be as a part of the body of Christ. It is dreams coming true.
Building on this initial vision, our Strategic Planning Committee has been working for a year to come to a clear sense of mission and vision and the goals that we will pursue as a community. Guided by Shannon Hueter of this Cathedral and the Rev. Lark Diaz of St. Peter’s, Del Mar, this remarkable committee represents thirteen congregations and several ministries of our diocese. It speaks the languages of our diocese just as you heard in our worship this morning and reflects the diversity of who we are. Through questionnaires, small group meetings, and various consultations they have been listening to you and through you to the voice of God so that we all can hear the direction that God would have us take.

You see it is not just me dreaming. It is our shared dream and vision. Rather than tell you of this dream and the strategic plan that they have written, let us hear from them:

Shannon Hueter:
Good Afternoon, I am Shannon Hueter, co-chair of the Strategic Planning Committee and member of the Cathedral. Central to our work is an understanding of our core values:

We believe:
Christian faith is central and gives meaning to everything
Relationships are a means through which we know God
Collective wisdom enriches us
Creative tension helps us grow
Listening deeply and responding with love to everyone is pivotal to our life in Christ
We participate in the Reign of God through Personal action within our communal faith
Mutual responsibility and accountability is critical to our spiritual health
Our proposed Strategic Plan begins with a preamble which sets the theological context for our ministry:

Mac Nibbs:
Throughout scripture, the people of God are in movement and changing. In every instance, God provides sufficient leadership and planning. Whether it is Noah preparing the flood, Moses leading the Israelites toward the Promised Land, or Jesus preparing his disciples for their ministry, the people of God discern leaders and develop plans for their work.

Deborah Lewallen
We live in an extraordinary age of mission in which the Church has an opportunity and responsibility to bring the gospel to those who do not know Christ or the love that he brings into the world. In our Baptismal Covenant, we accept a Christ-given ministry of reconciliation and transformation. To live into this ministry more fully, we must be clear on our mission and have a vision of where we are going and what we are to become as a people of God. Our mission and vision lead us to focus on covenant-based goals that are obtainable and measurable. With the grace of God, we will be faithful to this Strategic Plan and advance the kingdom-building work that God has given us to do in the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego.

Lark Diaz
I am Lark Diaz, associate rector of St. Peter’s, Del Mar. It has been my privilege to co-chair the Strategic Planning Committee. Mindful of our values and with this theological understanding of our plan, we offer this as the mission statement of our diocese:

Our Mission is to share the love
of Jesus Christ
through our words and actions,
and to reconcile all people to
God and each other.
Our vision follows from our mission statement. Just as our mission statement clarifies our purpose, our vision suggests the general direction of our journey:
We are an open, diverse community of
celebration and hope recognizing God in everyone, inviting all to a spiritually rich,
life-changing journey of faith
by practicing service, study, prayer,
care, and advocacy.

Shannon Hueter:
Guided by this mission and vision and ordered by our baptismal covenant, we developed five broad goals for the diocese. They are actions for us to pursue, rooted in our baptismal faith. Each congregation and person in the diocese can have a hand in reaching these goals:

Bill Zettinger:
In our baptismal covenant, we promise:
We will continue in the Apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers. Goal one is to:

Provide every minister - lay, deacon, priest and bishop - with dynamic, unceasing Christian Education.

 

Emily Velez-Confer:

In our baptismal covenant, we promise:
We will resist evil, and whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord. And so goal two is to:

Develop all ministers to be messengers of hope, purpose, and reconciliation, as disciples of Christ

 

Hahn Tran:

In our baptismal covenant, we promise:
We will proclaim by word and example the Good news of Jesus Christ. And so goal three is to:

Share the Good News through Mission and build up the Church

 

Chris Christopher:

In our baptismal covenant, we promise:

We will seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself. Our fourth goal is to:

Foster strong, complementary, and nurturing relationships among congregations, with the Diocese, and in the community

 

Robert May:

And finally, we promise:
We will strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being. And so our fifth and last goal is to:

Become a community of justice and peace through advocacy and service in Jesus' name

 

Lark Diaz:

As we move into the resolution process at the conclusion of the bishop’s address, our committee will provide you this plan for your endorsement through resolution of convention. It is not cast in stone. If you think it should be changed or amended, we are eager for your participation. After all, we serve you in this work and it is your plan.

I hope that you will join me in thanking the strategic planning committee.

 

IV.
I trust that you felt hope and possibility rise as Shannon, Lark, and the members of the strategic planning committee presented their work and ask you to join them in making it our work. In the years ahead, this plan will be our guide for our shared ministry as a diocese. You might find it providing your congregation direction in the ministries that you pursue.

In the months ahead, I will be working with Diocesan Council, Corporation, the Standing Committee, our clergy and lay leaders in each congregation and ministry of the diocese to assure that our diocesan commission structure is staffed to implement this plan. We need to do this so that these broad goals can lead to specific objectives. In our future Conventions, we will return to these goals and assess our progress.
And now, I must close because I think we have two or three resolutions to pass. I would like to ask you to hold in your mind three images of this Convention which are really emblematic of who we are: our workshops, our Eucharist, and our business session to follow. We learn, we break bread, and we strive and contend with each other on important matters to find what is true and what is best. At our best, there is humility in all that we do. We know we must grow and so we go to workshops. We know we are not complete without God and each other and so we join together in Eucharist. And we know that we need each others truth and so we debate and listen.
In a sense, I end where I began in dreams of what lies ahead. I have a dream of a future of possibility and promise. I have this dream because I believe in Jesus the promiser. And because of that belief, I make promises to you in our baptismal covenant. Let us dream always and dream together. Let us gaze upon the horizon as we move in the direction of our mission and vision. As we work together to affirm our baptismal covenant through five common goals, we will work with Jesus and we will participate in the kingdom breaking into the world.

I am a dreamer; I suspect we all are. As the Archbishop of Capetown said at the Third Annual Conference on Afro-Anglicanism,

Our identity lies not in our suffering, but in our redemption. We are not prisoners of our past. We are God’s free children of grace on whom he pours his Spirit. United in him, we can dream dreams of peace and prosperity.

 

In the end, we dream of Jesus and his kingdom. Let us dream; let us live into to those dreams so that they come true.