| The East Tennessee Episcopalian December 2000 |
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| A Message
From the Bishop
Exciting things are happening in East Tennessee! In particular, we are developing new initiatives in mission and additional plans for expanded missionary efforts in our diocese and beyond. Also, I call your attention to the vision and hope for a diocesan camp and conference center, considered elsewhere in this newsletter. There are many, many other examples of exciting - and faithful - responses to the Gospel's call to us, but these diocesan emphases are certainly two very significant ones. We in the Episcopal Church work best and most effectively when we cooperate with each other…when many congregations cooperate in one common effort. That is an essential aspect of our particular identity. It defines an important part of who we are. Theologically, our diocesan unity enables avenues of grace beyond ourselves - giving and receiving gifts that transcend our immediately local concerns. So it is with calls to diocesan mission and with the vision of a camp and conference center, among others. One essential means of cooperation is the annual diocesan financial asking from each congregation. I have always considered such pledges from local churches to the diocese to be part of the congregation's outreach ministry. Because of who we are as Episcopalians, this asking represents a primary obligation, it seems to me. As I used to tell congregations where I served as rector, "You can be an Episcopal Church without Christian education or any other program. You can even be an Episcopal Church without a rector. But you cannot be an Episcopal Church without the diocese!" Priorities for the 2001 diocesan budget are these: to raise mission clergy salaries beyond the cost-of-living increases they have received in recent years, to raise diocesan staff salaries to the average level of comparable positions throughout Province IV (the Southeast), and to fund new mission opportunities within the diocese. (Developing our camp and conference center will surely be a priority, but those costs will require capital funding.) Therefore, those three particular priorities will be met by acceptance of diocesan askings … and those are the areas in jeopardy if any church does not accept its asking. I told the clergy at our recent annual Conference that I expect them to lead our congregations in East Tennessee to the point of accepting the diocesan asking on a yearly basis. I am quite serious about that obligation for our priests in this regard. Also, the lay people reading this letter should find out if your parish or mission has accepted its asking. You need to know that your church is fully cooperating in the work of the diocese. Remember who you are, as Episcopalians. It might be interesting for you to know that twice in two years now the Bishop and Council has adjusted - downward - the diocesan askings. The first adjustment responded to concerns of our larger churches whose entire asking had previously been figured at a higher rate. That rate is now graduated at several points, consistent with what the smaller churches pay at various levels of church income. Secondly, this year Bishop and Council adjusted the askings of churches who had experienced rapid growth in resources. Requests from those churches now are modified by averaging income over several years rather than by assigning a percentage of only the past year. Bishop and Council has acted in good faith - and at my request - in hopes that all our churches will participate fully in the life and ministry of East Tennessee by accepting their asking. Therefore, again, remember who you are. Do everything you can to involve yourself and your local congregation fully in the efforts of the Church in East Tennessee. Finally, in this season of Advent - in which we live in expectation of God's working in the world and through us - anticipate miracles as we respond to the wonderful opportunities that our Lord has placed in our hands! Faithfully
yours, |
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Dear
Friends,
