Ten years from now, when we look back at this year’s Annual Council, I predict that what we will most remember is that the Presiding Bishop was with us and that we worked on the Millennium Development Goals.

 

We are fortunate to be graced by the presence of Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, especially so early in her term of office. The Presiding Bishop’s vitality and wisdom and faith and leadership are a gift to the Episcopal Church from the Holy Spirit. We are honored to have her among us in this diocese.

 

The Presiding Bishop has announced that a focus of her tenure is the Millennium Development Goals. The target of the Millennium Development Goals is to eradicate abject poverty—trying to live on less than a dollar a day. Few if any Americans have to live on that little. This goal focuses us on mission in the world’s poorest countries.

 

The goal of eradicating abject poverty is achievable. As the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Southwestern Virginia, we are working on doing our part. For example, we have helped to build the Marc Nikkel School in Sudan, and we sponsor students there. Focusing on outreach in general and working on the Millennium Development Goals in particular lives out the promises we make at baptism to love our neighbors as ourselves and to strive for justice and peace. Working on these goals takes our minds off of our own problems and focuses us on the needs of others, actions that will never to fail to lift our eyes, our spirits, and our hearts.

 

I sense a new vitality in the diocese. Reflecting on the results of the Mutual Ministry Review Questionnaires, studying the Long Range Plan, seeing the increased giving to the diocese by parishes and individuals, and from my experience going about the diocese as your bishop, I feel a sense of renewed energy.

 

I first noticed this energy during the Spring Convocation meetings. People were engaged in the presentation of the programs of the diocese. The most frequent remark I heard after each meeting was, “So that’s what we’re doing! Well, that makes sense.”

 

We are experiencing an influx of new clergy leaders in our diocese. To get a feel for the scale of the change over the last two years, consider Fresh Start, a program for clergy new to the diocese or in new situations within the diocese. Currently our Fresh Start program has 14 clergy, representing approximately 28% of our diocese’s parochial clergy. I note, too, that our two largest churches—St. John’s, Roanoke, and St. John’s, Lynchburg—are thriving under new clergy leadership.

 

Our diocesan youth program is flourishing under the leadership of Aimee Bostwick. A year ago, Aimee inherited a strong youth program. She has expanded that program both in numbers of young persons involved and in depth of spirituality. A couple of months ago I joined a group of our youth for “Mass on the Mountain,” a climb part way up Mt. Rogers near Abingdon. We ascended while the weather was cold, dense, and drizzling, with a stiff breeze. As we descended, the sun was out, the day was clear. We stopped part way down to celebrate the Eucharist in the cathedral of God’s creation. I was deeply moved to share this profound spiritual experience with our young people and their adult leaders. The lives of our young people are changed, their spiritual formation enhanced, through participation in our diocesan youth program. Their faith is strengthened and deepened. I believe we have, without a doubt, one of the best diocesan youth programs in The Episcopal Church. You can be proud and excited about where this program is leading our diocese.

 

I am impressed by the vitality of our small congregations. Their can-do attitude shows, for example, in Pearisburg, where Christ Church, with a tiny congregation, has a lively, Spirit-filled Godly Play program. Or consider how two other tiny congregations—St. John’s, Glasgow, and St. Thomas, Bedford County—are working together under the leadership of recent seminary graduate the Rev. Becky Crites, creating renewed energy.

All over our diocese I see evidence of commitment to mission. The outpouring of donations to Stop Hunger Now, the Youth at Council outreach project, reflects a spirit of generosity and “hands-on” commitment to mission. In addition, the people of our diocese have expressed their willingness to commit financially to mission. For example, at last night’s banquet we presented the proceeds from the 2007 St. Nicholas Appeal—over $35,000—to a representative of the Episcopal Church of Sudan. During 2007 individual donors and parish groups have contributed over $34,000 for the work of the Marc Nikkel School in Sudan, plus an additional $27,000 for other projects in Sudan, again demonstrating that the people of our diocese feel a deep connection to our sisters and brothers in that struggling part of the world.

 

This generosity is reflected in a new financial stability following two very tough years. We began 2007 needing almost $86,000 to balance the budget. We ended with a surplus of $15,000. Part of this good news comes from very careful spending and increased volunteer hours. Additional good news came with generous individual gifts and gifts from parishes. Several parishes sent money over and above their pledges. Let me note specifically gifts from St. Thomas’, Abingdon, and St. John’s, Waynesboro. These two congregations received bequests this year, and they shared with the diocese from the bounty they had received. I, and indeed the whole diocese, most gratefully appreciate these acts of generosity for our common life. You can see another indication of the improved financial health of our diocese by reading “Notes on Voluntary Proportionate Giving.” There you will see that many parishes have increased their pledges to the diocese over the amount they gave last year and that most have met or exceeded—sometimes substantially—the minimum funding goals approved by Council last year.

 

This year’s Council considered a new Long Range Plan that has grown out of the Mutual Ministry Review. Among a number of new goals, there is a call for me to be more present throughout the diocese, participating more actively in the mission and ministry of our parishes. As one person said, “Bishop, we want to see you more and hear more of what’s on your mind.” I am more than happy to accommodate. I welcome invitations to share in your parish lives.

 

The Long Range Plan calls for a strengthening of the role of convocations as vehicles to enhance our common life. We have already begun this process by introducing Spring Convocation meetings. Also, the role of convocational deans is being clarified and expanded. A particular emphasis is on discovering how the diocesan staff and I can respond to and serve you better. I look forward to my regular meetings with the deans to build up our life together.

 

Let me change now to a different though related subject. We have not had a capital campaign in the diocese since Building for Christ in the latter years of Bishop Light’s tenure. That campaign continued into the first years of my time as your bishop. You may remember that Building for Christ accomplished three goals:

 

Refurbishing and expanding Evans House (aided by a generous gift for that specific purpose from a foundation that asked to remain anonymous);

Raising money for Phoebe Needles Center that resulted in the building of Webb Lodge, a bunkhouse for the youth; and McCauley Hall, a dining hall and multipurpose building;

Establishing an outreach endowment fund, the income from which is used to give away money for mission projects, half within the diocese and half outside the diocese.

 

We all can be grateful that Bishop Light’s vision and imagination led the diocese through that campaign.

 

The time has come for another campaign to strengthen our life together, to build on and enhance the common life of our diocese.

 

Reading the results of the Mutual Ministry Review I see that we value outreach. We value hospitality, especially at Evans House. We value our youth. And we value communication and interaction.

 

My vision for this campaign is first that the first 10.7%, off the top, will be given away to mission, with at least .7% specifically devoted to the Millennium Development Goals.

 

We need to finish the first floor to expand our meeting space. The Bishop Light Room is a wonderful meeting room, but it is too small, for example, for our Clergy Day meetings. We have Wardens’ Days and Treasurers’ Days, but we cannot join those groups together at Evans House for a broader “Parish Leaders’ Day” because the space is too small. When we finish the first floor, complete with a larger kitchen and bathrooms, we will expand our ministries of hospitality in the diocese.

 

To strengthen our hospitality at Evans House, we need an elevator on the parking lot side of the building. Some of you may remember the late Alan McLean, a priest in this diocese for a few brief years. He was a Vietnam Veteran with two artificial legs. I remember watching him painfully struggle up the back stairs of Evans House. If we are to be about hospitality, we need an elevator.

 

Where do the youth fit in? Our Youth Ministry Team meets regularly at Evans House. They fill the main floor. They overflow the main floor. With the first floor completed, with the addition of showers, we will have a perfect setting for our youth to meet as they plan diocesan and convocational youth activities.

 

We need to increase communication and interaction by providing for teleconferencing at Evans House. The Long Range Plan calls for this specific technology upgrade to help bind us together as a diocese which is spread out over a wide area and to enable us to meet more often without the need for people to drive long distances. While teleconferencing won’t eliminate meetings, it will enable people to get together electronically when face-to-face meetings are too much of a burden.

 

We need to build our endowments to strengthen future ministry. Imagine if we had generous endowments to expand our ministries to and with college students and young adults, to begin diocesan ministries with senior citizens, to establish new congregations, or to endow a staff position to coordinate small church, prison, and hospital ministries. Imagine.

 

Finally, a diocesan capital campaign can be a time to challenge congregations to consider their own capital needs. This might be the time to finally settle down and raise the money for that new roof or repair the stained glass windows or build an endowment to help secure the future of your congregation or to raise money for a Habitat for Humanity House or to build a school in one of the impoverished countries of the world. Imagine. Just imagine what you can do and what we can do together.

 

Many details remain to be worked out, for example the cost of finishing the first floor of Evans House and what amount to set as the total goal for the campaign.

 

2009 will be the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Diocese of Southwestern Virginia. The 89th Council—this Council—will be remembered for the presence of our Presiding Bishop and our active support of the Millennium Development Goals. I would like the 90th Council—next year’s Council—to be the official launching of our capital campaign to support our vision of future ministry, as we celebrate 90 years of our common life as a diocese.

 

In conclusion my friends in Christ, this is a beautiful diocese with a strong sense of mission and hospitality. We are a diocese of faithful people, committed to strengthening our relationships in order to do the work God is calling us to do. It remains a singular honor to be your bishop.

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