Seeking the Holy Spirits guidance in finding

and preparing for our next bishop. Together.

Table of Contents
A Prayer for the Calling of a Bishop Coadjutor Welcome 2 3

The Process
The Ministry of the Bishop Coadjutor Whom We Seek Who We Are Who We Are: Past Who We Are: Present Diocesan Leaders and Structure Gods Mission and the Ministries of the Diocese If You Ask Us Who We Are Our Finances Membership of Committees

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8

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23 25 31 34 37

1 Bishop Coadjutor Search 2013-2014

a Prayer for the Calling of a Bishop Coadjutor

Almighty God, giver of every good gift: We thank you for the gift of your Son, Jesus Christ, and for the witness of your

whole church in his name. We thank you

for your Holy Spirit, empowering us for ministry. So guide the hearts and minds of all those who shall choose a bishop in this diocese and those who will respond to the call, that we may receive a faithful pastor who will care for your people. May our discernment transform our spirits and draw us closer to you, Almighty God. Amen.

Photograph by Kristin Myers Harvey

Dios omnipotente, dador de todo buen don, te damos gracias por la bendicin de tu Hijo Jesucristo y por el testimonio de toda tu iglesia en su nombre. Te damos gracias por tu Santo Espritu que nos otorga el poder para realizar el

ministerio. Te pedimos que gues los corazones y las mentes de las personas
que han de elegir al prximo obispo u obispa para esta dicesis y tambin a aquellas personas que van a responder al llamado de Dios, para que de esa manera recibamos a ese pastor o pastora que cuide a tu pueblo. Que nuestro discernimiento transforme nuestro espritu y nos acerque a ti, Dios omnipotente. Amn.

The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts 2

Welcome

elcome! On behalf of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, we welcome you and thank you for your interest in our process of electing a bishop coadjutor. Whether you open this profile out of curiosity, because you feel called to consider applying for the position, or because you are considering nominating a potential applicant, we are grateful for your inquiry. Participating in the process of building this profile has offered us a rich opportunity to learn more about the current joys, desires, and needs in our diocese. This profile offers a snapshot of who we are in the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts. Like any snapshot, it cannot convey all that we are, that we hope for, or that we do. If you are a potential applicant for this position, we are grateful for your prayerful consideration of answering Gods call to join us as bishop coadjutor of our diocese. We hope that this profile will aid you in your discernment process. We believe that God already knows who will be our bishop coadjutor. Through your faithfulness and willingness to walk this path of discernment, the Spirits choice will become manifest. We pray that our shared journey will be filled with Christs presence and that we will all come to a deeper understanding of Gods will for us. Welcome to our process, and may God bless all of us in the path we are walking, together.

The Discernment Committee for the Election of a Bishop Coadjutor Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts August 5, 2013

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The Process
timeline AT A GLANCE
After our current Bishop, the Right Rev. M. Thomas Shaw, SSJE (The Society of St. John the Evangelist), called in January 2013 for the election of a bishop coadjutor for the Diocese of Massachusetts, the Standing Committee was charged with the responsibility of naming two committees: one for the discernment of a slate of applicants for the election of the bishop coadjutor (henceforward the Discernment Committee) and a second committee to manage the transition of a new bishop coadjutor (henceforward the Transition Committee).

The Discernment Committee opened the application process on August 5. Third-party nominations of candidates must be received no later than August 26. (Candidates need not be nominated to apply.) All candidates must submit their application materials no later than September 23.
The Standing Committee had a process that included naming people who members of the Standing Committee thought might effectively serve as chairs and vice chairs of those two committees. The Standing Committee approached these people to gauge their interest and willingness. The committee solicited written answers to questions and conducted telephone

2013 June Survey/deanery listening groups were completed, compile findings and share with Profile Committee. July Complete profile and develop nomination and screening instruments. August 5 Post online profile and announce that the nomination and application period is open. Candidates need not be nominated to apply. August 26 Nomination period ends. September 23 Application period ends. November 7-9 Retreat for 8-10 selected candidates with committee members. November-December Interviews will be conducted with candidates at their locations. 2014 January Announce slate of candidates. March 16 22 The Transition Committee will coordinate walkabouts and plan for electing convention. Walkabouts involve candidates traveling through the diocese to meet us. April 5 Electing convention. September 13 Consecration of the Bishop Coadjutor of the Diocese of Massachusetts. The Presiding Bishop will be in attendance. Site to be determined.
The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts 4

and in-person interviews, which led to the chairs and vice chairs being called. Those chairs, once selected, worked with the Standing Committee to finalize the Discernment Committee and the Transition Committee. Each deanery had been asked to submit a list of people, lay and ordained, who were interested in serving on these two committees. All but one deanery submitted a list of names. The Standing Committee, in consultation with both chairs and vice-chairs, selected committees that they felt represented a diverse set of gifts and strengths likely to be helpful in each process, drawing from the pool of names offered by the deaneries and their own knowledge of thoughtful emerging leaders in the diocese. The chairs and vice chairs contacted the selected individuals to make certain they would indeed accept the assignment, and the committees then were named publicly by the diocese.

Grace Church in Salem

All three committees met in retreat on April 27, 2013, and, in conjunction with the consultant to this process, Ms. Suzanne Foucault, established the outlines of the discernment, election, consecration, and transition processes. The presence of prayer underlying this process has been the foundation of all our work. The Discernment Committee began its work with a series of listening sessions across the diocese. These listening sessions were opportunities for members of the diocese to provide input to the Discernment Committee, as well as to listen to one anothers views. The listening sessions included: separate sessions for the laity of each deanery, the clergy of the diocese (in three regional groupings), the Hispanic and Chinese congregations of the diocese (in Spanish and Cantonese, respectively), the diocesan staff, and senior diocesan

5 Bishop Coadjutor Search 2013-2014

leadership at the diocesan and cathedral offices. In addition, those not able to attend a session were invited to provide the same information via electronic or paper input form. The findings of the listening sessions, coupled with other documents from the diocese and the Episcopal Church, were used to prepare this profile of the Diocese of Massachusetts, including its recent history, and the capacities, skills, knowledge, and attributes we seek in our bishop coadjutor. Beginning August 5, 2013, the Discernment Committee solicits applications from and nominations for individuals who discern a call to this ministry. Nominations must be received by 5:00 pm on Monday, August 26, 2013, and applications must be received by 5:00 pm on Monday, September 23, 2013. A nomination is not required for application to the process. In addition to contact information, the application requests answers to a variety of essay questions, as well as other corroborating materials. From the submitted applications, the Discernment Committee will read, pray, and reflect on what has been offered in order to discern which applicants to invite to participate in telephone interviews. Simultaneous to conducting telephone interviews, the Discernment Committee will begin the process of talking with references for the applicants. After this series of conversations with applicants and their references, the Discernment Committee will identify eight to ten applicants in whom we perceive the call to this

A lector reads at Christ Church in Needham Photograph by Thomas Gaitley

The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts 6

ministry being in alignment with the dioceses current needs and desires. These applicants will be invited for an intensive retreat from November 7 9, 2013, where the entire Discernment Committee will meet with them and engage in a series of conversations, interviews, exercises, and reflection. Those applicants will be with the committee for two days and then depart. The committee will continue to meet for the remainder of the weekend and reflect on what they have seen and heard. From the participants in this retreat, the Discernment Committee will select a smaller pool of applicants. Members of the Discernment Committee will undertake visitations to the parishes or current ministry contexts of these applicants, further interviews, and other screening methods. We will then arrive at a list of four to five applicants, as per the mandate of the Standing Committee, and present them by mid-January, 2014.

At that point, the Standing Committee will announce the slate and also open the process for admission to the slate by petition. All petitioners will be expected to answer the same questions and provide all the same material as those who were nominated or applied to the process and be screened in a manner determined by the Standing Committee.
Walkabouts of the entire slate of applicants will be held throughout the diocese in mid-March, tentatively between March 16 and 22, 2014. Dur ing walkabouts, meetings with congregations throughout the diocese at a variety of parishes, missions, and other diocesan sites will be conducted. The special convention to elect the bishop coadjutor will then be held April 5, 2014.

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The Ministry of the Bishop Coadjutor

The bishop coadjutor will serve with our diocesan bishop, the Right Rev. M. Thomas Shaw, SSJE, until the time of Bishop Shaws retirement, the date of which has not been determined. The bishop coadjutor will then become the bishop diocesan. Serving the diocese since 2003 as bishop suffragan is the Right Rev. Gayle E. Harris. The episcopal ministry the bishops will share is one of service and support to the people of the
Christ Church, Andover

diocese in their ministries and in their deepening conversion in Jesus Christ through baptism. The bishops seek to carry out their service through a ministry of formation and teaching; preserving and encouraging community in parishes, missions, and chaplaincies; and connecting individuals and congregations to the wider church and world. Their commitment to being present in congregations during regular Saturday and Sunday visitations is of primary importance.
The diocesan bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts serves as chief pastor of the spiritual life of the Episcopal Church in eastern Massachusetts, its 183

The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts 8

congregations and people, both clergy and lay. As shepherd of the diocese, the bishop serves as the spiritual leader and teacher in creating community and nurturing the faith of the body of Christ.

Together with the people of the diocese, the bishop envisions, plans, develops, and is responsible for the overall strategy of the diocese to maximize the apostolic work of leading, supervising, and uniting the church.
The diocesan bishop also serves as the president of the Corporation of the Protestant Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts and is responsible for the overall temporal organization and management of the Diocese, one of the largest in terms of baptized membership in the country. The bishop is a member of the House of Bishops and will participate in General Conventions. Historically, the Bishop of Massachusetts has been a respected participant in the Lambeth Conferences. The Diocese of Massachusetts, through its mission work, is a large contributor to those in need throughout the world. Thus, the Bishop of Massachusetts has a significant role in the Episcopal Church and the larger Anglican Communion.
First Communion at St. Luke/ San Lucas in Chelsea

St. Francis Statue Photograph by Kristin Myers Harvey

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Whom We Seek
Given the importance of the role of bishop coadjutor, we prayerfully reached out to clergy, laity, and staff in our diocese for input about the characteristics and traits they would like to see in their next bishop. Over the course of one month, we conducted fourteen lay listening sessions, three clergy listening sessions, and two focus groups for staff members. In order to reach those who were unable to attend a listening session, input could also be provided electronically and via mail. In addition, the Discernment Committee had many discussions to identify key attributes of an effective bishop coadjutor who is to become bishop diocesan. Through this process, several themes emerged, which are described below.

Bishop as Prophet and Witness in the World We hope to be challenged to honor our sense of mission and outreach beyond church walls by someone who will be a prophetic visionary and will help us to live out Christs mission in the world. Our bishop coadjutor will articulate and embody an experience of God in a way that leads us more deeply into our mission. Life within our diocesan community is rich with varied viewpoints. We seek someone who will have and continue to develop a shared vision in the diocese that includes a wide range of voices. Our diocese has a rich history of advocating for all people to be fully included in society and our Christian community. Our bishop coadjutor will be someone who is committed to the work of social justice and to articulating those positions to the greater community.

Bishop as Pastor One of the principal roles of the bishop coadjutor is to be a pastor and a shepherd. We seek someone who expresses care and compassion for both the clergy and laity with humility and a disposition to listen to the concerns of all. Our bishop coadjutor will be someone who can relate to all people, personally and corporately.

We believe that a Christ-centered life is integral to the ministry of bishop. Our bishop coadjutor will have a prayer discipline and spiritual presence and will be able to convey that spirituality and share it with others.

The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts 10

Bishop as Church Leader The Diocese of Massachusetts has 183 congregations, which are spread out over 5500 square miles and are diverse in terms of size, resources, and demographics. At times, some congregations feel disconnected from the life of the diocese. We are looking for someone who will help congregations feel partnered with each other and with the diocese. Our individual and collective congregations are a critically important aspect of the diocese and are essential to our continuing invitation to people to join the body of Christ. We are seeking a bishop who has a deep appreciation and knowledge of the joys and challenges of parish ministry and will apply this knowledge in supporting congregations and clergy in their work. Our bishop will possess the leadership expertise necessary to assist in spiritual growth while accelerating or redirecting diocesan aspirations. In addition to a large number of congregations, our diocese includes a number of diocesan-wide programs and staff. Our bishop coadjutor will be someone who takes a systemic and collaborative approach to administration and is a skilled manager of people and resources.

Above: The newest member is blessed at the Blessing of the Children at Christ Church/ Iglesia San Juan in Hyde Park. Left: Celebration of the Day of the Dead at St. Luke/San Lucas in Chelsea

Bishop as Nexus In order to maintain a sense of connectedness and belonging in a large Diocese, we seek someone who values communication, uses multiple methods of communication, and has a familiarity with a variety of uses of twenty-first-century technology. Massachusetts is a culturally and linguistically diverse state. We seek someone who has an appreciation for multicultural diversity and who is comfortable communicating with people in a culturally responsive manner. Knowledge of another language is preferred.

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Who we are: Past

The Diocese of Massachusetts officially dates from September 8, 1784, when delegates from a few struggling parishes around Boston met with brethren from Rhode Island in the first convention of the Episcopal Church since the Revolutionary War. The Episcopal Church in Massachusetts has always carried with it a spirit of congregational independence, gifted to us by the Puritan foundation of the Commonwealth. It took a great sense of mission to build a Diocese out of a handful of eighteenth-century parishes, but the spirit matched the purpose. Under the nineteenth-century leadership of Bishops Griswold, Eastburn, Paddock, and Brooks, the Church in Massachusetts entered the nineteenthcentury as the second largest Episcopal Diocese in the country. Along with this expansion in numbers was commensurate growth in the work and missionary program of the episcopate. During the 25 years from 1860 to 1885, 89 new parishes and missions were organized, bringing the number to 164. By the 1880s, diocesan-wide solicitations had succeeded in freeing the bishop from a reliance on a parish income. The diocese continued to expand rapidly. The radical and accelerated pace of social and economic change in the late nineteenth century gave enormous opportunity for mission. The church responded to the plight of homeless mothers, orphans, immigrants, and the sick and elderly through agencies

Christ Church in Cambridge

The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts 12

like the Episcopal City Mission, the Church Home Society, St. Lukes Home, and St. Monicas Home. As early as the 1860s, women within the Church had become well organized and were assuming responsibility for a large part of the Churchs missionary work. The Dakota League of Massachusetts (later the Womens Auxiliary) became the Episcopal Church Women. The Girls Friendly Society was founded by Elizabeth Edson in 1879, in Lowell, as a missionary service assisting women who were being enlisted into the new industrial work force. By 1900, the activities and responsibilities threatened to become unwieldy. Inheriting this large collection of very independent parishes, agencies, and administrative units, Bishop William Lawrence undertook the task of molding the administrative and missionary work of the diocese to fit a modernized world of advancing technology, metropolitan centers, and increasing social pressures for the first time creating five geographic sub-units called Archdeaconries the precursor to todays 12 deaneries. He later advocated the establishment of the new Diocese of Western Massachusetts from two of these Archdeaconries. The newly compacted eastern Diocese of Massachusetts was unified in a common mission and around a physical and symbolic center. The vision for a Cathedral Church where renewal, St. Pauls Cathedral, Boston study, and interdependence could be forged for parish, agency, and bishop was brought to fruition in 1912. St. Paul s Cathedral in Boston was commissioned to be the Peoples Church. For some years, the diocesan offices were located on Beacon Hill, across Boston Common from the cathedral. In 1987, the former diocesan office space on Beacon Hill was sold and the cathedral and its adjacent buildings were renovated. The diocesan offices

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were moved to the new facilities on Tremont Street, still across from the Common, under the leadership of Bishop John Coburn. In 1988, the new facilities were dedicated as our Diocesan Center for Mission around The Lords Table.

The diocese has a long tradition of public witness. Bishops from William Lawrence, Anson Stokes, John Burgess, John Coburn, David Johnson, Barbara Harris, Thomas Shaw, Roy Bud Cederholm, to Gayle Harris have supported an emerging ecumenical movement and through it provided leadership and awareness to the issues of their day. These issues included a variety of gifts of Christian witness in the world: opposition to war, advocacy of civil rights for all, a concern for the problems of urban areas, opposition to the death penalty, advocacy and inclusion of persons with HIV/AIDS and their families

Bishop Barbara C. Harris speaks at an event entitled How Diversity Transforms the Culture of Leadership

and partners, and reform of public education. They also exercised leadership within the denomination on issues such as the ordination of women, world mission, economic equality, and anti-racism. In 2000, our current bishop, the Right Rev. M. Thomas Shaw, SSJE, 15th Bishop of Massachusetts, spent a month in Washington, DC, as a congressional intern, exploring the churchs role in public life. With the leadership of Bishop Shaw, the diocese continues to bring the churchs witness to legislative actions at the state and national levels on a range of economic and social justice issues, including criminal justice reform, urban violence, quality education for inner-city youth, equal rights for transgendered people, and marriage equality.

The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts 14

Photograph by Kristin Myers Harvey

Historically, people of African descent and others have been part of the story of Christian witness in the Diocese of Massachusetts. Out of this context has emerged Seven "Historically Black Churches'' and historic bishops, including the Right Rev. John M. Burgess and the Right Rev. Barbara C. Harris, and many other leaders, including our current Bishop Suffragan, the Right Rev. Gayle Harris. These churches represent the fruit of the African Diaspora including the Caribbean. Also representative of the emerging diversity of peoples are people from Latin America, Haiti, Asia, Brazil and the African Continent. They add to the whole church in sharing the gifts of their ministry. Style of worship varies considerably within the diocese. The peculiar religious setting of Calvinist Massachusetts, together with the influence of Anglo-Catholicism brought in part by the monastic communities Society of St. John the Evangelist, the Society of St. Margaret, and the Order of St. Anne made this diocese a natural home for what became known as broad churchmanship, or the tolerance for diversity of belief with a basic unity of worship. Today, there are a variety of liturgical practices in the diocese, with services celebrated in a many languages, such as Cantonese, Spanish, Haitian Creole, Luganda, and Dinka. The diocese is also known for some auspicious firsts. In 1970, the Right Rev. John M. Burgess was installed as the dioceses twelfth bishop, thus becoming the first African-American diocesan bishop in the Episcopal Church. In 1989, the consecration of the Right Rev. Barbara C. Harris as the first woman to be elected a bishop in the Anglican Communion marked an historic event in the Diocese of Massachusetts and the Anglican Communion.
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Who we are: Present

The State and Our Uniqueness
The Diocese of Massachusetts is among the largest in the Episcopal Church in terms of membership, with 64,640 baptized members. (Source: Episcopal Church Annual 2011). The diocese covers the eastern third of Massachusetts, stretching from the New Hampshire border in the north, to the Cape and Islands in the south, and extending as far west as the border of Worcester County. The diocesan area includes the counties of Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Norfolk, Middlesex, Plymouth, and Suffolk, and the town of Southborough in Worcester County.

The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts 16

This area is the most densely populated of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, with a censusestimated population of 4,253,894 inhabitants by April of 2011, which is roughly 65 percent of the total population of the Commonwealth (6,547,629). During the last decade, the region has experienced an increase in the number of immigrants from diverse areas of the world. Recent census data shows that the number of immigrants living in Massachusetts has increased over 15% from 2000 to 2005. The biggest influxes are Latin Americans from both Central American and South American. Among South Americans, the largest groups to increase appeared to be Brazilians. (Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for the United States, Regions, States, and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2009. United States Census Bureau.) Hispanics are now the second largest minority in the State, comprising 10.1 percent of the population and reaching heavy concentrations in our Diocese (17.4 percent in Essex County and 20.8 percent in Suffolk County, according to the US Census). Significant

Photograph by Matt Conti

17 Bishop Coadjutor Search 2013-2014

numbers of people from Africa, the Middle East, and China are contributing to the growth in diversity in the Commonwealth. The greater Boston area is known for its schools and hospitals. Students from around the world come to the many institutions of higher learning, of which there are 103 in Massachusetts. Our hospitals are internationally renowned for their excellent treatment of patients and for their research work. These strengths have led as well to growth in the areas biotechnology industry. According to the 2013 Directory of the Diocese, there are 183 congregations in the Diocese of Massachusetts: 159 parishes; 8 missions; 6 summer chapels; 5 campus chaplaincies; and 5 with special congregation status. These congregations are grouped into 12 deaneries, whose boundaries are drawn according to the natural watersheds of eastern Massachusetts. Each deanery elects two representatives to serve on the Diocesan Council. Each also has a liaison on the diocesan staff. Deans are priests appointed by the bishops to enhance pastoral care and communication among the clergy of their respective deaneries. (Source: http:// www.diomass.org/inside/governance/deaneries) The Right Rev. M. Thomas Shaw, SSJE is the current bishop of the diocese. Elected, ordained, and consecrated a bishop in 1994, he succeeded the late Right Rev. David E. Johnson as bishop in 1995. He is assisted by the Right Rev. Gayle Elizabeth Harris, Bishop Suffragan, elected in 2002 and ordained and consecrated in 2003. Retired bishops suffragan, the Right Rev. Bud

Christ Church/Iglesia San Juan, Hyde Park

Parishioners prepare a meal for Monday Lunch Program

The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts 18

Cederholm and the Right Rev. Barbara C. Harris, also assist with special projects and needs. Diocesan Structure In 2008 the current organizational structure for diocesan operations was introduced. The structure has five functional areas and a diocesan leadership team, with the canon to the ordinary as the chief of staff. The five areas are: administrative services; congregational resources and training; episcopal and diocesan support; deaneries, congregations, and clergy; and strategic ministries. The diocesan staff, in place to serve and support congregations, numbers about 25 on-site members. The office buildings of the Cathedral Church of St. Paul at 138 Tremont Street in downtown Boston are the primary office space of the diocesan staff. This space is shared with approximately 30 other people from the staffs of the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Episcopal City Mission, the Trustees of Donations, and the Church Home Society, and with the deacons and volunteers with dedicated diocesan responsibilities. An additional cadre of approximately 15 campus ministers, mission vicars, and other off-site program staff are included in the roster. The heart of the staff week is a Wednesday chapel service followed by an all-staff meeting. A fall staff day and spring staff retreat are annual occasions for development and support.

Photograph by Kristin Myers Harvey

Affiliated Institutions and Organizations

Include:

Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Center Church Home Society Episcopal City Mission Trustees of Donations Common Cathedral of Ecclesia Ministries Religious Orders: Order of St. Anne-Bethany; Society of St. John the Evangelist; Society of St. Margaret Schools: Epiphany School, Boston and Esperanza Academy (tuitionfree) and Brooks School, Groton School and St. Marks School (prep schools)

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Other diocesan personnel and strategic ministry programs include the Life Together/ Micah internships program, the deacon for Global Mission Partnerships, project director for Global Mission, the missioner for Hispanic Congregations, missioner for African Ministries and the deacon for Disaster Preparedness and Response office. The diocese is home to three monastic communities, the Order of St. Anne, the Society of St. Margaret, and the Society of St. John the Evangelist. Bethany House of Prayer provides spiritual direction, workshops, and retreats. Episcopal Divinity School, an institution independent of the Diocese of Massachusetts, is one of our valued sources of theological education and expertise. Some Recent Events: Our Together Now fundraising campaign, publicly launched in November 2011, reached its $20-million goal as of June 2013 and is funding an array of initiatives (see p. 35 for further details).
The Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Center is one of the ministries supported by the campaign

St. Pauls Cathedral: before and after

In October 2012, our Cathedral Church of St. Paul celebrated its 100th anniversary as the cathedral church of the Diocese of Massachusetts and a house of prayer for all people. In May 2013 the cathedral installed a significant piece of public art, a nautilus sculpture, in its longempty pediment. The pediment project is the first part of more extensive renovations planned for the cathedral church. Future renovations will

The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts 20

include replacing the box pews with kneeler chairs around a central altar; a glass-walled entrance and chapel area that will make the indoor life of the church more visible and inviting; skylights to bring in natural light; energyefficiency improvements to the heating system; and a new elevator to improve accessibility.

In November 2012, the Diocesan Convention launched a major antiviolence initiative in memory of Jorge Fuentes, a 19-year-old leader in the dioceses youth programs at St. Stephens Church and St. Marys Church in Boston, who was murdered outside his home in September 2012. The Jorge Fuentes Antiviolence Task Force and its developing B-PEACE for Jorge Campaign is focused on helping end violence through youth programs; support for parents and families; jobs for teens and young adults; partnerships with under-resourced public schools; and gun reform advocacy. In May 2013, 650 Episcopalians from 55 parishes across the diocese made a witness against gun violence in the Mothers Day Walk for Peace in Bostons Dorchester neighborhood.

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We continue to grow in ordained vocations. In 2013, this diocese saw the ordinations of three deacons, four transitional deacons, and five priests, and the reception of one priest from the Roman Catholic Church. There are now 2 serving bishops with five retired bishops in residence in the diocese, 576 priests, of whom 228 are retired, and 37 deacons, of whom 4 are retired, in the diocese.

Top: St Marys Outdoor Food Pantry in Dorchester Bottom: Jennifer spends time with children in Haiti

The 2012 Diocesan Convention took up issues of bank divestment, criminal justice reform, and disaster preparedness. Continuing the dioceses long tradition of public witness and activism on social justice issues, the bishops and members of the diocese have participated recently in public advocacy on issues that include marriage equality, immigration reform, transgender equal rights, gun reform, and climate change/environmental stewardship.

515 people were confirmed or received at six confirmation services held in the spring of 2013 at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul.
Photograph by Thomas Gaitley

The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts 22

Diocesan Leaders and Structure

The Right Rev. M. Thomas Shaw, SSJE, Bishop Diocesan

The Right Rev. Gayle Harris, Bishop Suffragan

The Diocese of Massachusetts is governed, as one would expect, by the Diocesan Convention and, between annual conventions, by the Diocesan Council. The Standing Committee is charged with specific canonical duties, especially regarding ordination and the election process for a new bishop. Diocesan operations are organized and staffed along the following lines: The diocesan bishop is assisted by a suffragan bishop and by a canon to the ordinary.

The Office for Congregations and Clergy is headed by the canon for congregations, assisted by a director of transition ministries and a director of congregational resources and training. These three ordained leaders are assisted by various support staff and administrators.
The Canon for Ordained Vocations works with the Commission on Ministry in the selection of persons for ordained ministry and oversees their formation.

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The Offices for Development, for Communication, for Human Resources, and the Office of the Treasurer assist and support the functions of the diocese in their respective areas. The cathedral is staffed by a dean, a canon pastor, and an associate minister, as well as staff who support the liturgical, administrative, meeting and hospitality functions provided by the cathedral and the offices for the diocese. The canon for Asiamerican ministries is part of the Cathedral staff. Two archdeacons were appointed in March of 2011 to assist with the formation and deployment of deacons. They support and direct the educational program for the diaconate (currently supporting deacons education in this and several other dioceses in the region), as well as issues of deployment and ministry for the deacons throughout the diocese.

The Easter Service is celebrated at Christ Church in Needham

St. Marks Church in Foxboro

The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts 24

Gods Mission and the Ministries of the Diocese

The Diocese of Massachusetts engages Gods work in the world locally, nationally, and internationally through its congregations and the ministry and partnerships that take us beyond church walls. This is a diocese deeply committed to living out our faith in Jesus Christ and seeking to participate in Gods mission in the world. Equipping congregations for ministry and mission A major part of the ministry of the Diocese of Massachusetts comes through its 183 congregations. We take seriously the mission of supporting our congregations through financial resources and ongoing education and training opportunities.

Our Mission
As members of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts we believe God in Christ is working everywhere in the world to heal, to reconcile, to love every person and all of creation into wholeness. Through the life, cross and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, the power of sin and death has been broken; life and hope is the new reality. It is our mission to join God's transforming mission. We will form our children, our young people and our adult members, through prayer, worship and Scripture, to become followers of Christ, that we might discern where God is carrying out this mission in our world. And we will send our people to serve with Christ, inviting everyone and all of creation to share in the just reign of God.

In 2013, diocesan grant programs are channeling $270,000 to congregations to support the development and expansion of congregationally-based programs. These include, among others, Congregational Development Grants, which allow congregations to strengthen current programs and try new ones. Grants have been used for innovative adult education programs, ministry workshops for new members, and expanding youth ministries. The Creation Care Initiative helps provide leadership, education, and support for parishes

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to care for the gift of Gods creation. The Initiative provides Simple Acts Grants of $500 to $1,000 each and Green Improvement Grants and Loans of up to $15,000. These grants have been used, for example, to improve the energy efficiency of church -owned buildings. The diocese supports mission parishes in strategic communities where opportunities for growth and special service seem particularly important, including the Spanishand Cantonese-language congregations, and the urban population surrounding St. Stephens in Bostons South End. Funding is intentionally offered to the five Hispanic/Latino Ministries supporting their work in education, formation, liturgy, and diocesan-wide events. In 2011, a Missioner for Hispanic/Latino Ministries was appointed to coordinate and empower these ministries. The diocese also supports The Crossing, a ministry at the cathedral church and a community in the tradition of the emergent church. Members of the Crossing are committed to the practice of radical welcome and the raising up of young adults as leaders in the church and in the work of building a more just society. At the diocesan level, one of the ways that the staff assists congregations is through the Congregational Development team.

This work includes the Diocesan Resource Center, with a full-time staff member, who connects lay leaders and clergy with resources to deepen their ministry, especially church school curricula and programs for lifelong formation. This team is also responsible for assisting in clergy transitions and major changes in congregational structure. They plan congregational resource and training workshops such as the annual Spring Learning Event, Fall Resource Day, Anti-Racism training, Eucharistic Visitors training, and Safe Church training.

Latinas from several parishes gather at a weekend Spiritual Retreat

The ministry of the congregational consultants and coaches helps empower congregations with particular needs or concerns. These teams, mostly lay leaders, offer expertise in areas of finance, building management, leadership, governance, and stewardship.

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Forming our children, young people, adult members, and clergy The Office of Youth Ministries offers fellowship gatherings and retreats for youth in middle and high school as well as pre-confirmation retreats for parishes in the diocese. These events are coordinated jointly by diocesan staff and the young people who make up the Diocesan Youth Council. The office also coordinates the Youth Leadership Academy, helping teens develop and practice leadership skills, which are important to their ministries now and for the future. The Life Together Program brings 28 young adults, ages 21-35, into intentional community for vocational discernment, leadership development, and social service. Life Together provides training and experiPhotograph by Chris Foglia ence in leadership and social change, placing young adults in churches and mission-based non-profit organizations. In 2012 the program launched two significant expansions. The first, Life TogetherSouth Coast, based in Fall River and New Bedford, focuses on immigrant advocacy, youth leadership development, and issues of economic justice. The second, The Esperanza Academy Teaching Fellowship, in conjunction with AmeriCorps, provides four teachers to the tuition-free middle school for girls in Lawrence. The Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Center, located in Greenfield, New Hampshire, is loved by many in the diocese. The camp has a particular mission of Christian formation for youth and their leaders and for bringing together the diverse people and congregations that make up the diocese. Campers return year after year and many later return as counselors. The camp and year-round conference facilities, open to non-profit

Children play at the Barbara C. Harris Camp

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educational and religious institutions, are located in a beautiful setting in woods and lakeside, calling all who visit to an appreciation of the wonders of Gods creation. An important part of the character of Eastern Massachusetts is the number and quality of its institutions of higher learning. The diocese supports campus ministries at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston University, Boston College, Northeastern University, Harvard University, and Tufts University.

are offered for continuing formation, transitions, and retirement. Some of these notable programs include education and sabbatical grants, Fresh Start for new and transitioning priests, the Pre-Lenten retreat, the annual spring three-day Clergy Conference, Fall Clergy Day, and a support network for retired clergy.

Bishop Bud greets guests at his retirement reception

The Episcopal Chaplaincy at Harvard

Clergy are supported through the many stages of their vocational life. In particular, the diocese guides postulants and candidates through their process from discernment to ordination. Other programs

The diocese looks to continue and expand the ministry of deacons in Massachusetts. The diocese has a deacon formation process that is open to diaconal candidates and postulants here and from other dioceses in New England, with participation from Connecticut, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. The diocese currently has 33 deacons active in congregational and diocesan ministries that continually call our attention to the poor, the weak, the sick and the lonely beyond the four walls of our church. Two of the deacons serve as archdeacons.

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Inviting everyone to share in the just reign of God The people of the Diocese of Massachusetts are reaching out in their local communities and beyond to respond to those in need and to build a more just society. Many of our local churches offer afterschool and summer programs to the children in their communities. 2013 is the 14th summer for the B -SAFE (Bishop s Summer Academic and Fun Enrichment) Program, which annually employs 125 teen counselors and provides more than 600 elementary and middle school children with nutritious meals, academic support, and fun. Many parishes throughout the diocese partner with B-SAFE to help provide, food, recreational and educational opportunities, and logistical support. Following the death of B-SAFE graduate and teen counselor Jorge Fuentes in 2012, efforts to end gun violence have become a focus of diocesan advocacy and organizing activities. In particular, the diocese launched the B -PEACE for Jorge Fuentes Campaign (Bishop s action steps toward peace; Program for youth; Employment for teens and young adults; Academic excellence in public schools; Communities for families; and End to gun violence) and invited all congregations to participate in one of the B-PEACE objectives. The Urban Resident Program places newly-ordained clergy (three in 2013) in city parishes for three years. With the guidance of an experienced mentor, each resident develops skills and gains experience in the challenges of urban ministry, while expanding the ministries of the parishes they serve. St. Pauls Cathedral serves as a model for working with people facing homelessness. St. Pauls MANNA (Many Angels Needed Now

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and Always) Community hosts several programs with the homeless of Boston. A weekly lunch brings parishioners from throughout the diocese into the city to share in ministry with and to those living on the streets. In turn, the homeless community offers ministries including Christian contemplative prayer to groups like Life Together. In relationship with the diocese, The Leadership Development Initiative trains congregations in community organizing practices to be prayerful and prophetic leaders in their communities and to fight for social change. Diocesan Sending Serving, House of Mercy, Mission Tithe Matching and Mission Tithe Council grants support congregations in developing and expanding their outreach and mission work. The diocese as a whole also engages in these efforts through such programs as Jubilee Ministries, which in the past St. Stephens in Lynn served those suffering with and from the devastating effects of the AIDS epidemic in Africa and is currently discerning how it will minister in Africa in the future. The Committee on Palestine and Israel provides education, coordinates advocacy, and offers pilgrimages in conjunction with the Diocese of Jerusalem. As part of the Together Now Campaign, the diocese has committed ten percent of the $20 million raised for mission work outside the diocese.
St. Andrews in Framingham St. Nick visits Grace Church in Salem

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If you ask us who we are...

The new bishop coadjutor will be welcomed into the diocese by a people facing the challenges of change with the blessing of resources, both spiritual and physical, and ready together, to bring Gods church into the future.

Witnessing to the world

We articulate our Christian values as public witnesses to the broader communities religious and secular to which we belong. We pursue social justice work that advocates the inclusion of every person as a full member in our society and the Christian community.

Christian formation

We offer a range of programs that engage youth and young adults and give them opportunities to engage in formation and leadership activities. We seek to expand opportunities for adult formation and education. We pride ourselves on active lay leadership and are committed to the development and support of future lay leaders.

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Offering a wide range of programs to do the work of Christ

We embrace a mission of local and global outreach. Several diocesan-level ministries focus on the needs of inner-city youth. We envision the development of new and existing ministries to better support the needs of our aging populations. We are mindful of our role as stewards of Gods creation. Diocesan Green Improvement Grants support congregations in this ministry. We seek to expand our environmental ministries in coming years. We struggle to maintain a balance between resources directed to diocesan programs and those directed to parishes, as well as finding a balance between urban ministries and those serving communities outside of Boston.

Envisioning the Church of tomorrow

We strive to proclaim the Gospel in word and deed, to demonstrate Christianity's ongoing relevance for the world and, and to continue inviting people to join the body of Christ. We wrestle with the challenges that the use of part-time clergy by smaller parishes has created for continued growth and sustainability. We seek creative ways to work together and with the diocese to become more financially secure and to continue to be present for future generations.

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Appreciating our multicultural and diverse diocese

We value the diversity of our diocese. At the same time, we sometimes struggle to be fully inclusive of social, theological, and liturgical diversity on a range of issues. We strive to live with one another in Christ, despite the tension of these differences, and to work toward common goals. In a diocese with congregations that are diverse in terms of geography, socioeconomic status, and culture, we sometimes feel disconnected from each other. We seek to create a community that engages each congregation equally and connects individuals and congregations with each other and the diocese.

Photograph by Kristin Myers Harvey

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Our Finances
Our 2013 budget reflects our diocesan mission to join in God s transforming mission in the world. It is a guide for the work that God is calling us to do and a comprehensive vision to meet the needs both within and outside our diocese. Convention unanimously approved a diocesan budget for 2013 of $6.3 million in core revenue and expenses and $1.7 million in supplemental revenue and expenses. The primary difference between core and supplemental is the source of revenue with core revenue coming from parish assessments, contributions in lieu of assessment, predicted dividend and investment income, and spending policy draws from trusts and endowments and the supplemental budget funded by development efforts, bishops discretionary fund grants and extraordinary draws on unrestricted endowments. The 2013 budget, as presented, is a balanced budget, as required by diocesan canon. The accompanying charts show the total funding sources and roughly where the money is being spent.

2013 budget AT A GLANCE

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Between 2006 and 2012, fourteen congregations have closed their doors, making $4.5 million available from liquidation of the assets of these closed congregations. In order to reinvest in the long-term viability and vitality of our life together, Diocesan Council set aside half of these net proceeds ($2.25 million) to establish a Fund for Congregational Vitality. This endowment fund is used for aid in the form of clergy salaries, internships, and building repair. The remaining half of the net proceeds has been made available for distribution by council, for special needs and projects as needed between conventions.

Together Now campaign

In 2011 our diocese launched an ambitious, comprehensive funding campaign that reached its $20 million goal in June 2013. The Together Now campaign grew out of a vision that God is calling us forward as a diocesan community, and this campaign is providing the means to answer Gods call in some very specific ways. The primary initiatives of this campaign include:

Epiphany Pumpkin Patch in Walpole

$2 million for mission outside of the diocese; $2 million for caring for Gods creation through green grants and loans to further sustainability initiatives; $4.5 million to empower our congregations to respond effectively to their changing communities so they might continue as beacons of Christs light to the people of eastern Massachusetts across boundaries of race and class, generation, and language; $7.5 million for raising up a new generation in faith and service through the Life Together young adult internship program and Hub ministries, and the Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Center; $4 million for the transformation of our cathedral.

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We are proud that one of our key fundraising components is the use of collaborative capital campaigns in partnership with dozens of individual congregations. These collaborative campaigns raised approximately $12 million in funds for individual parishes to use in their local contexts of mission and ministry, as well as donating a portion of their resources to the broader diocesan campaign. Together Now offers a powerful picture of our diocese renewing itself and its mission. It enables the diocese to continue nurturing new generations in the love and knowledge of God and then sending them out in mission, not merely for the sake of growth in numbers or perpetuating traditions, but because the world needs what God has given us to offer now. For more information Please visit our diocesan website, at www.diomass.org.

Photograph credits: top right, bottom left, and bottom right by Julie Shea

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Membership of Committees
The Discernment Committee Dr. David Urion, St. Annes-in-the-Fields Church, Lincoln (Chair) The Rev. Laurel Deery, Grace Church, Salem (vice-chair) Mr. John Anderson, St. Jamess Church, Groveland The Rev. Johanna Barrett, Trinity Church, Topsfield Mr. William Boyce, Grace Church, New Bedford The Rev. Lynn Campbell, Christ Church, Needham The Rev. Dr. Libby Gibson, St. Marys Church, Barnstable Ms. Michele Griffin-McGregor, St. Andrews Church, Framingham The Rev. Edgar Gutierrez-Duarte, St. Lukes/San Lucas Church, Chelsea The Rev. Eric Hillegas, St. Chrysostoms Church, Quincy The Rev. Michael Hodges, St. Pauls Church, Dedham Dr. Alexandra Killewald, Christ Church, Waltham Mr. Ryan McDonnell, Christ Church, South Hamilton Ms. Mary Beth Mills-Curran, St. Jamess Church, Cambridge The Rev. Ema Rosero-Nordalm, St. Stephens Church, Boston Ms. Julie Shea, St. Johns Church, Winthrop The Ven. Geoffrey Smith, Parish of St. John the Evangelist, Hingham The Transition Committee The Rev. Deacon Julian Fredie, Chair Ms. Angela McConney Scheepers, Vice Chair Ms. Libby Chafe The Rev. Karen Coleman The Rev. Jon Eden The Rev. Dr. Lisa Fortuna The Rev. Alan Hesse Ms. Claudette Hunt The Rev. Adam Linton The Rev. Kit Lonergan Mr. Peter Lucey Ms. Bessie Lyman The Rev. Jeff Mello Ms. Beverly Merz Mr. Jeffrey Mills Ms. Vicky Provost Mr. David Sullivan The Rev. Diane Wong The Standing Committee The Rev. Zenetta Armstrong, President Mr. David Bergquist, Vice President The Rev. Marya DeCarlen The Hon. Judith Dilday The Rev. Amy McCreath The Rev. Mark McKone-Sweet Prof. Bianca Silvestrini James Wagner, Esq. Note: This membership will change after the Diocesan Convention of 2013. At that time the President and Vice President will end their terms, two new members will be elected at Convention, and the Standing Committee will then elect new leadership

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