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Dear Friends in Christ,
In the Gospel of Luke, we find the story of two men walking a long and weary road from Jerusalem to Emmaus. It is on this very journey, full of heartbreak and challenge, that they encounter the One they were looking for—the risen Christ. Like those disciples who were on the road, we might also find ourselves worried and dismayed by many things, while simultaneously looking yearning to encounter the presence of Christ among us. Together, we have discovered that despite the traumatic upheaval we experienced last year from Hurricane Helene, Christ was and is always present with us. Truly, God is not elsewhere; God is with us.
Through it all, we have continued to be stewards of God’s Good News by living from a place of gratitude and investing in the faithful and holy work of embodying Jesus’ love to all people everywhere. I am in awe of the ongoing generosity of the Diocese of Western North Carolina, especially in our shared response to rebuild after Helene. As a diocese, we are equally grateful for the giving of the greater Episcopal Church community, whose funds continue to support recovery and relief for parishes and households across the diocese. Likewise, though statistics vary from parish to parish, I am encouraged that across our diocese, congregations are experiencing growth in both attendance and household giving.
Even with these many blessings, we continue to navigate an uncertain market and financial trends. I anticipate a break-even from our investment funds.
As your bishop, I remain committed to the responsible stewardship of funds entrusted to us in the proposed 2026 budget. The leadership of the diocese has created a budget that is reasonable, sustainable, and faithful to our mission. Moreover, the vision for 2026 is to strategically enhance current ministries across our diocese, such as Congregational Vitality and the Blue Ridge Service Corps, to name a few.
Through our Congregational Development initiative, we are inviting more individuals to participate in the College for Congregational Development. Our first class of participants graduated in the summer of 2025. The second class entered the program in August 2025 and will graduate in the summer of 2026. In May 2025, we hosted a Congregational Development Day and welcomed two dozen participants to learn strategies for parish health and vitality. We are excited to continue building a diocesan team to support churches as they discern their mission.
Likewise, the Blue Ridge Service Corps—an intentional young adult community of action and spirituality whose mission is to love God, self, and others through service and justice—has seen steady, continued growth over the past two program years, from four corps members to six.
Finally, as has been my practice during my tenure as bishop, any unexpected increases in giving will fund grants to continue supporting the mission and work that our parishes do in promoting justice and peace.
May we continue this journey together, faithfully keeping our eyes open for the unexpected ways we may encounter Christ in our lives and ministries. Like the men who encountered Jesus on the road to Emmaus, may our hearts also “burn within us” and give us the strength and boldness to keep walking with Jesus. Holy work must continue wherever and whenever we go. I invite you to consider your giving thoughtfully and prayerfully to the Diocese in 2026. You may find the link to the online pledge form here.
Thank you, and thank your congregation, for all you do to serve Christ. I celebrate our shared ministry, and I look forward to what we will do together to build up the Kingdom of God.
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