| The Bishop's Convention Address | | Print | |
| Written by Laurie Wozniak |
| Friday, 30 October 2009 21:59 |
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Bishop Garrison's 2009 Convention Address from Laurie Wozniak on Vimeo. The Rt. Rev. J. Michael Garrison’s address to the 172nd Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of WNY on Friday, October 30, acknowledged challenges and highlighted both encouraging work that is being done. One of the challenges the diocese faces concerns decisions regarding the future of church property located at Brighton & Fries Roads in Tonawanda. Since the original congregation to inhabit the facilities decided to leave the Episcopal Church late last year, a new community called Holy Apostles has been meeting there. The diocese, however, can no longer provide sufficient financial support to sustain this congregation at this site. Bishop Garrison announced that the diocesan trustees have called for the immediate formation of a task force to develop a plan for the use of the building. The Bishop spoke of the ongoing work of the diocesan Clergy Collegiality, Communication, Congregational Vitality and Mission & Leadership teams, which were formed by the convention two years ago as a result of the diocese’s strategic planning process. In the spring of 2010, the Communication Team and the Mission & Leadership team will each sponsor day-long, diocesan-wide events. On March 20th, the Communication will bring Fr. Matthew Moretz, widely know for his work in church communication, especially on YouTube, to keynote their conference. On May 15, the Mission & Leadership Team will sponsor a day to celebrate mission, headlined by the Rev. Titus Pressler, a leader in Episcopal Global Mission. Looking to the future, Bishop Garrison stated, “We need to discover God’s call and plan for us as individuals and as communities.” He then commended a new study of Episcopal Church identity entitled “Around One Table” to all congregations, noting that a link to the study can be found on the diocesan website. In conclusion, the bishop reminded all of the diocese’s vision and mission statements: “Our Vision is that we are ‘A communion of congregations in which Christ is known, hearts and minds are inspired and where God’s work is reflected in our daily lives.’ “We see our Mission as this: ‘To foster deeply connected congregations that are visible and inclusive places of worship; that promote growth and outreach; and that make us instruments of transformation in Western New York.’” Download complete text of the Bishop's 2009 Convention Address. |
| Last Updated on Wednesday, 04 November 2009 10:02 |