MY FRIENDS IN CHRIST, ON THIS OCCASION I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF ADDRESSING YOU AS YOUR BISHOP IN THE TENTH YEAR OF THIS EPISCOPATE, IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.  AMEN.

As we gather in the lingering shadows of the horrifically evil events of September 11, 2001, we are reminded that there is no real temporal security.  True security can be found only in God through His Son Jesus Christ.  If you are like me, you have been shaken to the core by the confrontation of that kind of gross, demented, human wickedness.  We continue to hold in our thoughts and special prayers all the victims and their families as well as those involved in all the phases of relief as it relates to this disaster.  We pray for President Bush and all those in authority around the world who have the difficult task of responding responsibly to this catastrophe.  We thank God for their good leadership and untiring patience that is of vital assistance in the formalization of an appropriate and effective action against world terrorism in both the near and distant future.  In addition, we pray for the military and others who will be on the cutting edge of implementing anti-terrorist action and, thereby, will be required to put themselves in harm’s way.

I have noted with interest and wish to share with you that last Tuesday, three weeks to the day after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the Archbishop of Canterbury, in the presence of an ecumenical gathering of Church leaders, issued from Lambeth Palace a joint, open invitation to pray on October 5, 2001, for peace, justice and reconciliation in the aftermath of the September 11^th atrocities.  Archbishop Carey said, “Our response as human beings to such uncertainly may take many forms.  But as Christians we believe that prayer, and the simple but demanding act of laying our hopes and fears before God, is a vital part of that response.”  In the spirit of that invitation, I invite you now to keep a moment of silence in order to pray for the dead and those who mourn, and to lay before God, Himself, our compassion for all those affected directly or indirectly, our hope for the future and a renewed commitment to serving the purposes of God’s Kingdom.

Let us pray.  (Silence)

Almighty God, we are mindful of being blessed by living in a country that values Your eternal principles of freedom, justice and peace.  We give You thanks for all those who work to promote and preserve these foundation stones of every true community.  Protect, guide and strengthen those who put themselves in harm’s way so that true liberty may be the light of reality in a world too often darkened by tyranny.  Give comfort and hope to those who mourn, and grant to them and to us a sure and certain hope of eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Now, on behalf of our gracious hosts, the Springfield clergy and congregations of Christ Church and St. Luke’s, I welcome you as we assemble to do the work of the One Hundred Twenty-fourth Regular Synod of the Diocese of Springfield.  Our theme, taken from St. Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians in the 5^th chapter at the 20^th verse, is: “We are Ambassadors for Christ.”  I’m please to extend a special welcome to our keynote speaker, the Rev. Colenzo Hubbard, who is here with his wife, Debra.  Fr. Hubbard is the Executive Director of the Emmanuel Episcopal Center, an urban outreach ministry of the Diocese of West Tennessee in Memphis.  He will address us this afternoon at 3:45 P.M., in addition to being the preacher at Morning Prayer tomorrow at 8:30 A.M. in this room.

Another special guest with us is Mrs. Linda Huntington.  She is the Administrative Coordinator of the American Anglican Council.  At my invitation, she has come from Washington, D.C., to host the American Anglican Council informational table at our Synod.  The American Anglican Council has the strong endorsement of the Archbishop of Canterbury as “a place to stand” for every Episcopalian who desires to hold fast the historic Christian faith once delivered to the saints.  It is a network of individuals, parishes, specialized ministries and Episcopal bishops who affirm Biblical authority and Anglican orthodoxy within the Episcopal Church.

The purpose of the AAC is to be an instrument of God to:

1)      Fulfill the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19-20 (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, teaching them to obey everything (Jesus has) commanded…);

2)      Proclaim the Biblical orthodox Christian faith; and

3)      Transform the Episcopal Church from within.  I am pleased to be a member, myself, and I invite every member of this Diocese to give serious consideration to becoming a member.

My immediate responsibility now is to report to you on the state of the Church.  That task always seems daunting to me.  It is daunting because I am aware of the human tendency to be too optimistic on the one hand, viewing things through rose colored glasses, or, on the other, too pessimistic as a result of an acute understanding of those things we allow to hinder our work for God’s Kingdom.  Please know I truly desire to practice Anglican via media, particularly in this case.  What follows is my honest, considered opinion.  If, in any area, I am off the mark, I pray you will assist me to become more aligned with reality.

The first and most helpful understanding in all of this for me is that this is God’s world, the Church is the Body of Christ and He is the author and sustainer of the ministry to which we are called.  You and I have the privilege to labor in some small but important ways in His vineyard along with every baptized person.  We are members one of another and sustained in community by the power of the Holy Spirit.   This underscores the reality of applied theology articulated by St. Paul in the 4^th chapter of his Epistle to the Philippians: “(We) are able to do all things through Christ who strengthens (us)” (Phil 4:13).

As members one of another, it is appropriate for me to recognize and welcome those who have joined our ordained ministry family since our last synod.  I would ask them to stand as I call their names.  The Rev. C. Christian Pierce, and his wife, Julie Ann, came to us from the Diocese of Nebraska.  He cannot stand as he is not here.  He currently is serving in the United States Army as a Chaplain on peacekeeping duty in Kosovo.  He is schedule to return to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, in December.  Please keep him and his family in your special prayers.  The Rev. Anthony B. Holder and his wife, Judith, are here.  They came to us from the Diocese of Barbados, and he is the Vicar of St. Michael’s Church, O’Fallon.  The Rev. E. Eugene Hall and his wife, Reba, came to us from the Diocese of Southeast Florida, and he is serving as Assisting Priest at Emmanuel Memorial Church, Champaign.  The Rev. David E. Taylor and his wife, Angie, came to us from the Diocese of Quincy, and he is the Rector of St. Barnabas’ Church, Havana.  The Rev. Donald R. Brown and his wife, Gerry, came to us from the Diocese of Arkansas.  He is the Rector of St. John’s Church, Decatur.  Additionally, Mr. Charles Walthall, a postulant for holy orders, having graduated from Virginia Theological Seminary in May, has established his permanent residency in southern Illinois, and he is serving as an Assisting Lay Missioner in the Hale Deanery Team Ministry.  We are encouraged by the presence of all these people even as we are strengthened by their faith and commitment.

Also, I am pleased to extend a special welcome to the Rev. Von Watson and his wife, Hartley.  Fr. Watson is the Rector of St. David’s, Christ Church, Barbados.  Fr. and Mrs. Watson are here as guests of their companion parish in this Diocese, the Chapel of St. John the Divine, Champaign, and the Rev. and Mrs. Timothy Hallett.

During this past twelve months, letters dimissory were issued by me for the Rev. Lawrence J. LeSeure to the Diocese of New York, the Rev. Isaac I. Ihiasota to the Diocese of Northern Indiana, and the Rev. Robert R. Van Deusen to the Diocese of Chicago.  We pray God’s grace for them in their respective calls that have taken them from of the Diocese of Springfield to new work.

If I now were to name all the people who have assisted in our shared ministry in significant ways, I fear we would miss both the Ordination/Eucharist and dinner tonight.  Nevertheless, I feel compelled to name one person who has served his parish and this Diocese very faithfully for all the ten years I’ve been in residence here, and, I am told, many years before that.  That person is Mr. Vince Cooling.  Vince is not here tonight, but we want him to accept our sincere appreciation for his very helpful ministry among us at St. John’s Church, Decatur, and on the Finance Committee of the Diocese.

There are two (2) clerical members of this Synod absent this year, and I bid your prayers for them both.  The Rev. Alan Herbst, Rector of Emmanuel Memorial Church, Champaign, is seriously ill and his doctors have ordered six weeks of bed rest for him.  We pray that he will be restored to the fullness of health.  The Rev. James Cravens has been recalled to active duty with the United States Navy Chaplain Corps and is scheduled to report this afternoon to NOB NORFOLK, Virginia, for processing.  We pray God’s special blessing and protection on him and his family who remain resident in Lincoln.

The most difficult duty I was called to do over the last year was celebrating and preaching on August 11, 2001, at the last scheduled service of Grace Church (provisional mission), Greenville.  That congregation had come to have just two though very faithful families.  They decided with my concurrence, to close the mission, at least for the time being.  One family has associated with St. Paul’s Church, Carlinville, and the other has associated with St. Anne’s, Caseyville.  With an aspirant for Holy Orders in one family and a postulant in the other, it was felt this difficult action would be the most appropriate way to proceed, as they both would receive better preparation for future ministry.

On the one hand, I accept the responsibility for the closure of Grace Church, Greenville, and I believe it to be a personal and professional failure of my ministry.  On the other, I will not accept this as a permanent arrangement, praying that a congregation will reorganize there in the not too distant future, if not in my episcopacy, please God in the next.

This is the second congregation to close during my tenure.  The provisional mission in Sparta closed, I think, within two years of my arrival in 1992.

As serious and as difficult as that is, what concerns me more are the congregations in danger of closing.  In my assessment, we could lose several more within a matter of the next few months or years.  If this is to be prevented, we will need to recommit ourselves as followers of Christ within an interdependent faith community.  Congregationalism must be identified for what it is and avoided.

As members one of another, I would have us, as we are gathered here, affirm that what is truly good for a congregation must be truly good for the Diocese, and what is truly good for the Diocese must be truly good for our congregations.  I would have us affirm that when one congregation is having difficulty, each of us is affected in a negative way.  And I would have us affirm that we are critical resources for one another in ministry.  This emphasis must be maintained in order that we continue to be a redemptive and mutually supportive community in Christ.

The biggest challenge facing us continues to be identifying and attracting competent clergy leadership to join us in ministry here in central and southern Illinois.  Though Christ the King, Normal, has voted to called the Rev. Dr. Desmond Francis to be their Rector and are working on the details to affect his coming, clergy vacancies exist in St. Andrew’s Church, Carbondale, the yoked congregations of St. Paul’s Church, Carlinville and St. Peter’s Church, Chesterfield, the Team Ministry we have been attempting to establish in the Eastern Deanery.  The latter has been particularly difficult.  I have escorted five (5) clergy candidates to the region since last December so they might better consider the potential of that ministry, without success.  But I refuse to give up.  Instead, I continue to be open to any direction God may be leading us while praying that He will send us faithful priests and pastors to lead that ministry.

In the face of all our challenges, I commend again to every person in this Diocese the Episcopal Vision Statement and Goals I presented last year at the one hundred twenty-third Regular Synod held in Champaign on October 6^th and 7^th.  I believe that Vision Statement and Goals contains the essential elements for a vital Christian community capable of doing faithful and effective ministry.  You will find a copy of that document in your Synod folder.

Last year I asked every clergy person functioning in the Diocese of Springfield to be faithful in participating in core diocesan gatherings.  I believed than and I believe now that to do so greatly assists the Diocese in becoming the kind of close knit community required to facilitate the growth of faith within ourselves and others.

Those gatherings were and are enumerated as follows:

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.  It is evident to me that the clergy of this Diocese are making a concerted effort to be faithful in this manner matter, and it has a powerful effect.

A priest, new to our Diocese, has recently written: “Thank you…for the Celebration of New Ministry.  For me it was a grand affair.  I was amazed at the number of diocesan clergy who came…” I believe it is paramount that we continue to amazed each other at all levels with this kind of commitment and support for each other’s ministry.

An important milestone in our ministry as a diocese was achieved last summer.  The first class made up of eight (8) members completed the two (2) year Springfield School for Ministry course.  I congratulate them along with Fr. Kip Ashmore, the school’s director, and the many people who served as faculty instructors.  Faith education plays an important role in the life and mission of every diocese, and our School for Ministry cannot but help to positively impact our life and mission.

As I read the various diocesan committees’ reports to Synod, I found myself inspired by the various important and helpful ministries we are doing.  I thank God for this significant witness and I commend all whose faith and commitment make these ministries a reality.

A mid-rash on Genesis points out: "God prefers your deeds to your ancestors' virtues."  Being Episcopalian isn’t nearly as important as allowing God to work through us as Christians.  We are not here simply to give purpose to someone else’s ministry. Being part of something good does not automatically make us good.  God calls every baptized person into ministry, and what we do with our own lives is a measure of our faithfulness and our stewardship.

The theme of this Synod, placed in its fuller scriptural context, reads: “…If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!  All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.  So, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making His appeal through us…” (II Cor. 5:17-20b).

Everyone in this room has a leadership role in the ministry of the Diocese of Springfield.  Lao Tsu, an ancient religious philosophy and founder of Taoism has said that the best leaders are the ones whose very existence the people do not notice.  The second best leaders are the ones the people honor and praise.  The third best leaders, they are the ones the people fear.  All the other leaders the people hate.  When the best leader’s work is done, the people say, “We did it ourselves.”  That is the kind of leadership I desire most to model.

It was Archdeacon Moore who reminded me the other day of another significant principle governing interpersonal relationships if not leadership, articulated by an American ancestor of Lao -tzu living in Mississippi named Bubba-tzu.  Or maybe it was Sue’s brother, Bubba.  In any case, Bubba is purported to have said, “Never slap a man who’s chewing tobacco!”

Far be it for me to leave you with that thought.  Here’s something I think will be much more helpful.  In the coming year, let us heed more and more the advice of St. Augustine of Hippo when he said, “Pray as though everything depended on God.  Work as though everything depended upon (us).”