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Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Celebrated pastor and theologian Frederick Buechner once said, “Turn around and believe that the good news that we are loved is better than we ever dared hope, and that to believe in that good news, to live out of it and toward it, to be in love with that good news, is of all glad things in this world the gladdest thing of all.”
Our vocation as followers of Jesus is both a tremendous responsibility and an awesome blessing. We are called to be stewards of God’s Good News by living from a place of gratitude and investing ourselves in the holy work of embodying this love to all people everywhere. Each year, we receive a church-wide parochial report for every diocese. I am in awe of the continued generosity of the Diocese of Western North Carolina.
While the following data points may be different from your particular parish context, as a whole diocese:
- Average Sunday attendance grew 12.6% between 2022-2023
- Average household pledges grew from 3.6% in 2021-2022 to 5.2% in 2023.
I continue to be humbled by the generosity and vitality I witness from all congregations across this diocese. There is no doubt in my mind that the Holy Spirit is profoundly inspiring our collective ministry and mission in Western North Carolina and beyond.
As your bishop, I remain committed to responsible stewardship of the funds entrusted to us and conserving resources in the proposed 2025 budget. Above all, the vision for 2025 is to not only continue to thoughtfully manage expenses but also strategically expand the good work we are already doing in our existing mission areas, including: our children and family ministries; our college and young adult ministries; Latino ministries; Iona School for Ministry; Building Beloved Community initiatives; and our Curacy initiative to bring our recent seminary graduates back to the Diocese.
I invite your attention to two particular areas in our proposed 2025 budget. First, we are directing new resources to expand our ministry in congregational development and vitality. We are building a partnership with the College for Congregational Development and discerning lay and clergy leaders to participate in their two-year training. Likewise, we are in the planning phases of offering workshops in 2025.
Second, we are expanding our commitment to providing resources in the area of lifelong formation for all ages. This would include both workshops and online resources. It would also include one mission area that is particularly important to me, enhancing our diocesan Towel Ministry. As many of you know, this ministry is what first brought me to Western North Carolina, and it had a profound impact on my life, as well as the lives of numerous youth and adults.
Founded in 1993, Towel Ministry is a recognized Jubilee Site in The Episcopal Church, and provides housing improvements, repairs, and maintenance for elderly or disabled folks. Starting out as a summer teen camp, Towel Ministry is a way for people of all ages to put the gospel into a hands-on ministry. Towel Ministry has been a vital example of the way we embody the love of Jesus in action. My hope is that we are able to enhance our summer 2025 Towel Ministry and eventually identify additional locations to connect even more youth with communities in need.
Finally, as in past years, any additional revenue will be shifted into grant areas. This is especially true for supporting Justice and Outreach grants which have traditionally been based on Human Hurt and Hope annual income distribution; now that HHH funds have been completely expended, we are supporting this budget line item out of operations.
I believe that the journey of faith with Jesus is an adventure into God’s bold, wildly imaginative, joyful, and merciful mission of redemption and reconciliation. In the year ahead, we will continue participate in courageous ministry that is both a reflection of God’s mission and Christ’s love for neighbor and stranger alike. I invite you to consider your giving thoughtfully and prayerfully to the Diocese in 2025. You may find the link to the online pledge form here.
Thank you and your congregation for all you do to serve Christ. I celebrate our shared ministry and look forward to what we will do together to build up the Kingdom of God.
Blessings,
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