Mission House Staff: Serving the Diocese
Deployment: In a Standing Committee Update several weeks ago we wrote, “It is our goal to appoint a new Canon to the Ordinary to support our diocesan mission and ministry in this interim period. We intend to work with Diocesan Council to find the funding for this critical position.” However, it has become clear to the Standing Committee that the temporary hiring freeze adopted by Diocesan Council in March is necessary in light of Fair-Share shortfall, and we commend Council for its fiscal responsibility.
In this time of transition, many leaders are volunteering their services to the Diocese. The Revs. Donna Ross and Jim Thomas are now volunteering as Deployment Officers, and we thank the people of St. Andrew’s, Saratoga and St. Paul’s, Cambria for their willingness to share their clergy with the Diocese of El Camino Real. This past week Donna Ross and Jim Thomas worked on deployment issues: congregations searching for clergy leaders and clergy searching for new positions. If your congregation is entering into, or already in, the search process, we ask you to contact us so we can meet with you and help you plan for the future.
Confirmations: We continue to hope that an Assisting Bishop will be with us in the fall. In the meantime, a number of congregations have candidates ready for confirmation this spring. This past week Ms. Susan Altig, Administrative Assistant, arranged for bishops to visit these congregations. As a result, several regional confirmations are planned for the next three months. We are grateful to the many congregations who are able to be flexible during this time of transition.
Connecting with other dioceses: The Rev. Brian Nordwick, Diocesan Administrator, attended two conferences, and returned with enthusiasm and energy gained from the contacts he made and the support that was extended to the Diocese of El Camino Real during this time of transition. Brian writes,
Last week, I had the opportunity and joy to represent El Camino Real at the 5th National Deployment Conference - followed by CODE (Conference of Diocesan Executives) - both had around 100+ participants with most dioceses represented. As a new kid on the block, it was a great opportunity for me to meet many people who share like job responsibilities and learn better how to do my job and serve the people of the Diocese. Attendees included both ordained and lay Deployment Officers, Canons to the Ordinary, Diocesan Administrators, Financial Officers, Mission and Congregational Development staff, et. al. - from around the country. I intentionally sought out participants from the West Coast and the National Church Pension/Medical Trust office, and made many contacts that are willing to help and assist in any way they can. The overwhelming response to my reaching out was that we are not alone in our transition. Many participants told me their stories of transition that in many ways were like what we are presently going through in El Camino Real. The end result for each of them was very positive - and that should give all of us a message of hope. There are a lot of good people praying for a successful transition, and supporting us from all around the country.
Around deployment, I learned about the network of help that is available to our diocese from both the National Deployment office and from the individual diocesan deployment officers. Everyone was very open to offer assistance in any way they could. I had lunch with Pam Ramsden - who used to do deployment years ago here in El Camino Real. She is now interim in charge of the National Deployment Office. She has offered to personal help us in any way she can. As a surprise and honor, I got to serve as Deacon for the closing Eucharist for the Deployment Conference with the Bishop of Nevada (Katharine Jefferts Schori) as celebrant.
At the CODE meeting, the main topic was, "Communicating, Caring, and Serving in a World of Differences." The bottom line was learning about how to repair broken relationships in the family/church, and how to stay out of compromising or destructive situations. Other workshops I attended included styles of communication - how to relate to people - and how dioceses need to adapt to our changing church. The resources offered me by presenters and others are more than I can list, but one of the best came from the Church Pension Fund to hook me up with a seasoned diocesan administrator as a coach and mentor. I will take them up on that.
Looking Ahead ....
May 13 Standing Committee Meeting
The next regular Standing Committee meeting will be on Thursday, May 13, at Mission House in Seaside. Any interested member of the diocese is welcome to join the first part of the meeting, which begins at 10:00 a.m. We invite you to share in the Eucharist with us, and to bring your questions and suggestions to the discussion time after the Eucharist.
At this meeting we will also welcome retired Bishop Richard Millard, who has agreed to serve as Standing Committee Chaplain. Bishop Millard, the retired Bishop of Europe and former Suffragan Bishop of the Diocese of California, will provide spiritual counsel and advice to the members of the Standing Committee during the transition period.
May 22 Lay Conference
All lay members of the diocese are invited to the Lay Conference, which begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 22, at St. Stephen’s, San Jose. The lay members of the Standing Committee will review our recent diocesan history, offer an assessment of where we are now, and give a broad overview of financial issues. Conference facilitators will then break participants into small groups to discuss their hopes for the future. Reports from the small groups will be summarized and presented to the clergy at their Conference the following week. Call Mission House by May 10 to make your lunch reservation.
May 24 Clergy Conference
All clergy of the diocese are invited to the Clergy Conference, which begins at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, May 24 at the St. Francis Retreat Center in San Juan Bautista. Spouses and partners are invited for the day on May 25; they will meet separately from the clergy on Tuesday morning with one of the facilitators from the lay conference and will report their vision and concerns for the future that afternoon. The conference leaders write, "While we cannot move ahead without acknowledging our past and present, we will not be spending the conference wallowing in hurt or assessing blame. The direction of our work will be to get to where we need to get in order to move ahead; that may involve some painful moments, but the pain is not our focus. The goal is to take steps towards building the kind of diocese we want and need." Send your reservation form to Mission House as soon as possible.
