MY FRIENDS IN CHRIST, ON THIS OCCASION OF THE ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-THIRD REGULAR SYNOD OF THE DIOCESE OF SPRINGFIELD, I HAVE THE DISTINCT PRIVILEGE TO ADDRESS YOU AS YOUR BISHOP IN THE NINTH YEAR OF THIS EPISCOPATE, IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.  AMEN.

On behalf of our gracious and hard working hosts--the Rector, the Vestry and the Parish of Emmanuel Memorial Episcopal Church, Champaign--I welcome you as we assemble to do the work of the One Hundred Twenty-third Regular Synod of the Diocese of Springfield.  I also recognize and welcome those who have been ordained since our last Synod.  I would ask them to stand as I call their names: the Rev. Dr. Michael Hardwick, Deacon in Charge of St. John’s, Centralia, and St. Thomas’, Salem; the Rev. Christine Hopkins, Deacon Assistant at Emmanuel Memorial, Champaign; the Rev. Dr. Mary Milano, Deacon Assisting in St. Andrew’s, Paris; the Rev. Emily Schnabl, Deacon Assistant at St. George’s, Belleville; the Rev. Ann Tofani, Deacon Assistant at St. John the Baptist, Mt. Carmel; and the Rev. Suzanne Wolfenbarger, Deacon Assistant at St. Anne’s, Caseyville.

You probably know the Rev. Todd McDowell also was ordained a deacon, and now, at his request is canonically resident in the Diocese of Southwest Florida, serving as Deacon Associate at Trinity-by-the-Cove, Naples.

This diaconal class was the largest in the history of the Diocese of Springfield.   It is a good and encouraging sign to us even as we experience, along with the rest of the Church, a serious clergy shortage and work to identify and place up to eight clergy to provide leadership for the ten currently vacant cures in our diocese.

I want you to know that, in addition to Todd McDowell, letters dimissory were also issued by me since the last Synod for the Rev. Mark Brown transferring him to the Diocese of Massachusetts, and the Rev. Robert Montiel transferring him to the Diocese of West Tennessee.  We pray for the three of them God’s grace in their respective calls that have taken them out of the Diocese of Springfield.

I now want to extend a special welcome to the Rev. James Leovy, Interim Rector of St. George’s, Belleville, who comes to us with extensive hospital chaplain experience on the west coast, but most recently from the position of Interim Rector at St. John’s Episcopal Church, Detroit, Michigan.  Please stand, Fr. Jim, so we might give you an appropriate welcome.  …  We appreciate your ministry in assisting St. George’s to identify the best possible clergy leadership to continue the excellent ministry of the Rev. Elliot Blackburn, who retired as Rector on June thirtieth last.

As the Synod probably knows, Father Jim is but one of three clergy currently serving in our diocese as a full-time interim.  The other two are the Rev. Gene Stormer at St. John’s, Decatur, and the Rev. Maurice Lee at St. Michael’s, O’Fallon.  I thank God for their good and important ministries, too.

As I assess the State-of-the-Church in the Diocese of Springfield, I recognize our most pressing challenge is to obtain appropriate ordained leadership for ministry in the congregations currently without permanently assigned clergy.  This seems to be an on-going problem for this geographical area.  Even Bishop Chase referenced the issue in his memoirs and that problem prompted him to establish seminaries in both of the now mid-western dioceses over which he had jurisdiction.  He sought to provide ordained leadership by raising-up “sons of the soil” as he called them.  Like him, we need to continue to seek creative solutions to this critical situation.  I want you to know that recently I have been in contact with several clergy who have expressed at least an initial interest in coming to the Diocese of Springfield.  I will continue working to find solutions to our clergy shortage.  I ask each you to be more pro-active in identifying and referring potential candidates to me, even as we pray together that God will bless our efforts to establish the best kind of ministry in this Diocese to the glory of His holy Name.

If you attended a pre-synod deanery meeting last month or any of the other recent forums at which I gave my assessment of General Convention held last July, in Denver, Colorado, you no doubt are aware that my concerns for the Church are not limited to the Diocese of Springfield.  Before proceeding further, I must to tell you the best part of being in Denver for me was observing the positive and effective way in which our deputies to General Convention and our delegates to the Episcopal Church Women’s Triennial Meeting represented the Diocese of Springfield and the Christian faith.  They did it with a depth of integrity and courage unsurpassed by any I saw there.

Now, I really don’t want to get into all the specifics of my concerns about what took place at General Convention and some of what seems to be happening nationally in our Church.  That would take too long and I’m convinced this is not the appropriate forum for that kind of a presentation anyway.  Actually, I personally would rather not talk about it at all, but I believe it would be irresponsible for me not to say something at least briefly in some general terms.

The fact is we are a part of the larger Church known within the Anglican Communion as ECUSA, that is, the Episcopal Church United States of America. Though each diocese has certain sovereign aspects, we are mutual members of Christ’s Body, the Church.  What we do in Springfield impacts ministries in the larger Church, and what others do in the larger Church impacts our ministries.  Too often and in too many places, the larger Church doesn’t seem to act on that understanding.  Rather, there is a tendency simply to do exactly what one would please.  I believe this is a major problem.  Too many dioceses seem to behave in a very parochial manner across a spectrum of issues, which just won’t do.  As St. Paul teaches us, violence is done to the whole if the parts don’t function as a coordinated system.

The thing that disturbed me most about General Convention was what I identified as a particular lack of clarity in sound theological thinking.  In general, when dealing with a variety of subjects, the emphasis appeared to be on personal experiences that then subtly seemed to become the standard.  Other references, including Scripture, Tradition and Reason, might serve to verify and substantiate a person’s experience, but if the references didn’t, that was O.K., too, because the experience was now the standard.  It didn’t really matter if the subject being addressed was direct ordination to the priesthood, full Communion with Lutherans, abolition of handguns in Episcopal households, withdrawing the American military presence from Okinawa or the sexuality issues contained in Resolution D039.

What was being expounded appeared to be, at least to me, more of an elucidation of New Age philosophy, than it was a witness to the principles of the Christian faith once delivered to the saints.  What I heard was quite contrary to what I understand as traditional Anglicanism in which Scripture, Tradition and Reason is the standard.  Against that standard all human experiences are to be properly assessed and evaluated.  To follow the former course rather than the latter is to travel a road on which it is all too easy to become lost.

Next, I was most concerned about the amount of time, energy and attention Resolution D039 dealing with sexuality received, resulting in the approval of seven resolves which received only minimum opposition.  In the House of Bishops there were 19 NO votes, one of which was mine.  What this indicates to me is that ECUSA is content to follow a path, contrary to the overwhelming consensus of the Lambeth Conference in 1998, that appears to conform to this world, rationalizing and embracing immorality, rather than one which promotes transformation in the Holy Spirit, Himself.

As I continue to study the pertinent issues that are part of this complex and emotional subject, I am even more convinced that to follow the two thousand year old, moral, orthodox teaching of our Church is the right thing to do.  I do not accept the proposition that somehow ordination of non-celebrate homosexuals and blessing of same sex relationships is a matter of inclusiveness and justice.  And, as your bishop, I say to you that asserting genital sexual activity outside of the marriage of a man and a woman is morally creditable is an anathema.

Having said that, I hasten to add that how we treat each other in relation to this and every other issue is of paramount importance.  My primary reference here is Jesus’ encounter with the women caught in adultery.  The point of that witness is that we are not to enter into inappropriate judgment of each other on the one hand, or, on the other, to seek some rationalization of behavior that is morally unjustifiable.

Regarding the future and the issues and turmoil the Church will face, I don’t see things getting any easier.  But I don’t see them being any less important, either.  I for one intend to be committed for the duration as God gives me strength and direction to have an appropriate effect on the life and ministry within the Diocese of Springfield and beyond.  I hope each of you and every member of this diocese intend to do the same.  Together we can and will make an important difference, knowing the Church is built only on those who will stand and witness to the Gospel of Truth.

I do believe God wills to use the Diocese of Springfield in significant ways for His Kingdom if we will let Him, and He is preparing us to do us that.  It’s clear to me that God uses the small and the weak, and by that criteria we certainly are eminently qualified.

What is needed in the months ahead is a plan of action that will be measured, appropriate, positive and helpful.  The authorship and implementation of that plan of action is a specific responsibility shared by, but not limited to, Diocesan Synod, Diocesan Council and me.  The necessity of that plan of action is obvious to me, since to do nothing would equate to enabling the pursuit of destructive directions to continue.

But, what we don’t want to happen is to become overly distracted by any of this from our primary mission and ministry.  To that end, I am pleased to share with this Synod, the following Episcopal Vision Statement and Goals for the Diocese of Springfield drafted with the primary assistance of the Bishop’s Advisory Committee comprised of the Venerable William Moore, the Rev. Alan Herbst, Mr. Bob Ellison, and Mr. Richard Milnes.  It reads:

The Diocese of Springfield is a Christian Faith Community.  As a means of continuing to strengthen that Community as her Bishop, Chief Pastor and Shepherd, I am committed to:

1.      Honoring and living into the vows of the Baptismal Covenant so as to be faithful and serve as a wholesome Christian example to all people by:

1.  Believing the Apostle’s, Nicene and Athanasian Creeds;

2. Being instructed by the Catechism in the Book of Common Prayer;

3. Resisting evil in all its forms, and when falling into sin repent and return to the Lord;

4. Proclaiming by word and example the Good News of God in Christ;

5. Seeking to serve Christ in all persons by loving my neighbor as myself; and

6. Striving for justice and peace among all people, and respecting the dignity of every human being; while

2.      Calling all clergy and lay persons in the Diocese of Springfield to stand together in accepting and supporting one another in these basic Christian premises and promises;

3.      Adhering to the highest standards in my personal and professional life by:

1. Being faithful in private and corporate prayer and worship;

2. Preaching the Gospel;

3. Teaching salvation as found in God through Christ Jesus;

4. Being pastoral to all who are in need of that care; and

4.      Asking every member of the Diocese of Springfield to join me in these efforts, proclaiming “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself ” ( 2 Corinthians 5:19);

5.      Sharing the Good News of God in Christ as one beggar who tells another where to find bread and welcoming all in the Name of the Incarnate God of Love (believing this sharing and welcoming, commonly called evangelism, is to be a key motivation in the life of every Christian);

6.      Believing Christian stewardship gains fruition by understanding that “all I am and all I have belongs to God,” and knowing He entrusts me with his creation even as He is calling me to be faithful in my personal giving of time, talent and money, while acknowledging the tithe as the minimum standard of Christian giving; and

7.      Calling upon the people of the Diocese of Springfield to join me in committing themselves to the principles of Christian evangelism and stewardship;

8.      Exercising pastoral and administrative leadership in a manner which will facilitate ministry at every level of diocesan life; and

9.      Working with each congregation in order to promote financial self-sufficiency and to move in the direction of greater mission in spreading the Gospel beyond parochial boundaries.

My current Goals for the Diocese of Springfield are:

1.        Establish and maintain a priest and deacon in every parish and mission church in order to promote the greatest health and effectiveness in the ministry that we do.   I believe this will not only facilitate congregational life, but also motivate increased mission and ministry with a particular focus on more effective evangelism, stewardship, worship, Christian education, pastoral care and social outreach.  I call upon the Commission on Ministry and the Standing Committee to assist with developing a plan to bring this standard of ordained ministry to reality.

2.        Set the One Hundred Twenty-third Synod (October 2000) as a “bench mark” of diocesan membership (i.e. communicants in good standing) using 1999 Parochial Reports.  I call on the Department of Evangelism and Spiritual Enrichment, the Department of General Mission Strategy and the Diocesan Council to assist in the development of a comprehensive plan for spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the communities which make-up the Diocese of Springfield.  I ask the Department of Evangelism and Spiritual Enrichment to report to Synod each year on the plan and any revisions that may have taken place along with the most current number of our communicants in good standing as a means of evaluating the implementation and effectiveness of this plan.

3.        Responsible Christian stewardship is based on an informed response to all that God has given us.  I, therefore, ask the Department of Stewardship to plan and implement diocesan gatherings for the purpose of exploring the various aspects of stewardship, thereby encouraging every member of the Diocese of Springfield to adopt or confirm a commitment to be a responsible Christian steward.  And finally,

4.        Because demographics have been and are changing in Central and Southern Illinois, mission efforts need to be both flexible and innovative if they are to be effective.  I call on the Department of General Mission Strategy to assess the status of our mission churches with the intention of learning how the Diocese of Springfield might better assist these congregations with their ministries.  In addition, I call on the Department of Evangelism and Spiritual Enrichment and the Department of Finance to study what resources are available and would be needed to “plant” new churches in the Diocese of Springfield.  They, then, will report to Diocesan Council in order that recommendations might be presented to a Synod not later than in the fall of 2002.

What I have just shared with you should be viewed not simply as a working document but also as a document in progress that will be appropriately revised as we proceed with our mission and ministry in the future.

Certainly the harvest is plentiful, and though the work is seldom easy, it is a joy and a privilege.  I want you to know I continue to be inspired by the good ministry that is taking place in every corner of the Diocese.  The efforts made are paying rich dividends for the Kingdom of God, and I thank Him for the thousands of souls whose commitment here bears witness to the Gospel of Christ.  Nevertheless, there is much more we could and should be doing, and I pray this vision and these goals will assist, at least in small ways, to responsibly expand our endeavors.

I believe any significant progress in our mission and ministry as a diocese will require a change in how we experience our faith beyond our own parochial boundaries and how the congregations of the Diocese coordinate ministries supporting each other’s work and building on one another’s efforts.  In an attempt to assist with this, I am requesting and will schedule for the regional Deans to meet with me at least four times a year approximately one week before each Diocesan Council meeting.  I am scheduling the first meeting for 2 P.M. on Thursday, November 9, at the Ramada Inn in Effingham, Illinois.  It will follow the Diocesan All Clergy Meeting with the Bishop which convenes at 10 A.M. to consider the subject “Domestic Violence and Appropriate Pastoral Response.”  In addition to this, I am asking every clergy person functioning in the Diocese of Springfield to be faithful in participating in core diocesan gatherings.  I believe that will greatly assist in developing a kind of close knit community required if we would facilitate the growth of faith within ourselves and others.

Those gatherings are enumerated as:

1)      Ordinations;

2)      Celebrations of new ministries;

3)      Diocesan - all clergy meetings with the bishop usually held in Effingham;

4)      The annual Clergy Family Getaway sponsored by the Clergy and Family Wellness Committee;

5)      Pausing to Pray, formally known as the Diocesan School of Prayer;

6)      The Clergy Pre-Lenten Retreat;

7)      The Holy Week Collegial Eucharist at which the bishop and clergy renew ordination vows;

8)      Deanery meetings; and of course

9)      Diocesan synod.

Though some of the above are traditionally well attended, I consider them all critical to our life and ministry together.  If because of a pastoral emergency, personal or family illness or an unavoidable conflict, I am asking to be contacted personally informing me that a clergy person’s participation will not be possible.

Finally, in future Episcopal Homecomings I want to avoid just “popping in and out” on a Sunday.  I want to meet with at least the Vestry or the Bishop’s Committee.  Indeed, interested parishioners would be invited to attend if deemed appropriate.  Those meetings may be scheduled for Saturday or Sunday or at another agreed upon time.  At those meetings I would like to hear and discuss what’s working and what’s not at both the congregational level and at the diocesan level, and how I might be of assistance to you and your ministries.  In addition, I would like to meet with the clergy at least briefly and review the parish and worship service registers.

Now four more quick but I think important things: First, I want to acknowledge and commend everyone who has worked on or supported in any way the Springfield Current.  It has become a topnotch diocesan newspaper under the editorship of Betsy Schroeder who moved to California in July, and under the interim editorship of Margy Smith.  I thank God for these two talented people and the work they have done on behalf of the ministry of this diocese.  And I look forward to a continuation of and improvement on that excellent quality.  Second, I want to acknowledge the continuing, outstanding ministry of Bill and Jacque Moore.  I thank God for them because I know my ministry could not possibly be what it is without their good support, their creative initiative and their friendship.  Third, I acknowledge and thank God for Bill Boyd and his monumental, volunteer service to the diocese as sexton at the Diocesan Center.  The center and its grounds have never looked so good and the results of his work make an important statement that we care about who we are and what we do as a diocese.  In addition, his ministry saves the diocese thousands of dollars a year that can be dedicated to other ministries.  Finally I thank God for each of you and for all you do in Christ’s Name and on behalf of the Diocese of Springfield, and I thank God for all the people in your home congregations who are faithful as well.  You with them are what make this diocese what it is by making God’s love tangible throughout the sixty counties that comprise the Diocese of Springfield.  May God’s richest blessings always be yours.