The first Clergy Morning called by Bishop Melissa Skelton was scheduled for 10am – 12:30 in the Parish Hall of St. Matthias and St. Luke, Wednesday, March 19th, 2014.
At 8:30am, Bishop Melissa assisted by Synod Staff set up 65 chairs in two groups of 30+ facing across in anticipation of that many attendees, but many more clergy both retired and active from around the diocese arrived on that rainy morning. In fact more than 100 attended the Clergy Morning.The Bishop opened the morning with worship. The Gospel read by the Reverend Louie Engnan of St. Michael’s, Surrey was the Parable of the Sower, Matthew 13: 1-23 and this set the tone perfectly for the morning gathering.
In a “shared homily” (a homily begun in this case by the Bishop and then contributed to by others) the group explored the following:
• Parish ministry is all of those things, rocky, thorny, and rich.
• The casting the seed was experienced as clergy offered communion to all who were at the Consecration and Installation, March 1st.
• Meadows and trees in this part of the world were not planted by anyone and are nourished and sustained by the gift of water.
• Nature—compost and the earth itself generates heat. We need to be good stewards of the heat that is generated.
• The seed we sow gives light beyond its location, it is broad in reach.
• Each of the places in the parable--rocky, thorny, smooth—are rich in blessings.
• When I grew up we had to plow before planting. A fresh vision, and fresh mission will “plow” the soil for us and allow the seed to germinate.
• It is very easy to veer off and plant something less, the seed we are to plant is Jesus Christ.
• It is during the dying off phase where new seedlings can spring and that is true of organizations where the old is dying off and the new begins to flourish.
Following worship, Bishop Melissa asked that the clergy turn their chairs and face the presentation area. After being informed that there were 103 clergy present (four more arrived later) Bishop Melissa said “103, well this is the most that we will ever have at a clergy gathering” which produced sustained laughter and some applause.
Bishop Melissa then outlined how the learning and sharing would take place: Sheets were passed out with questions. The answers given are for Bishop Melissa’s information but the data gathered may be shared. The clergy were given the option of putting their names on the sheets or remaining anonymous. These were the four questions:
1. What’s on your mind and heart as we start this work together?
2. At this time what do you most need from me as your Bishop. You are the leaders of the diocese you are the people who most affect the outcome?
3. What 2 or 3 things should be the focus of diocesan energy?
4. What questions do you have of me? You can ask anything? It can be of a personal nature, it can be regarding a position that the Bishop may have on any issue? Anything?
After 10 minutes of filling out the sheets, the Bishop asked the clergy to form groups of two or three and respond to the questions. The room erupted into several dozen enthusiastic discussions.
Following the small group discussions there was a time for the plenary to respond. While the responses were given the Reverend Marnie Peterson and the Reverend Eileen Nurse recorded the responses on flipchart paper.
This was followed by a fifteen minute break. During the break the Bishop reviewed the questions/issues collected in the plenary session and after the break addressed some of the topics generated. Some of her comments were:
• “For me, our task is not so much “branding” as it is rediscovering our deep identity and communicating it anew to ourselves and others.”
• “I very much want to help this diocese become a learning diocese”
• “I like experiments, I like learning as we go”
• “I want to be pastorally involved with you. If you are going to have surgery, chemotherapy, pregnant , you are going to adopt, I want to be there”
• “If something happens to you or your parish (a flood), I want to know about it. I check my emails and find ways to be in touch with you.”
• “The purpose of the parish is to gather people in to prepare them for the work of compassion, justice, peace, reconciliation in the world”
• “I’m all about membership growth—that grows out of who we are, not out of who we aren’t.”
• “My energy is about resourcing parishes to be all that they can be”
• “Three things to keep you healthy in your role as clergy leading congregations: a therapist, a spiritual director and someone who can be a resource on organizational issues.”
• “I’m not going to get on a lot of “boards” in that, that’s not the work I’ve been called to do. From what I understand we have seven years together and we have a lot of work to do.”
Images: Top, Bishop Melissa presents an overview of the flow the Morning Prayer liturgy. Upper right, the Reverend Father Louie Engnan of St. Michael’s, Surrey reads the Gospel. Middle left, The Reverend Fr. Mark Greenaway-Robbins, Incumbent of St, James’ speaks with the Reverend Jeremy Clark-King, Incumbent of St, Mary’s, Kerrisdale and the Venerable Dr. Ellen Clark-King, Archdeacon of Burrard and Cathedral Vicar. Lower Right and homepage, The clergy of the diocese in small group discussions.