Dear Courageous Disciples,

December 2022 through February 2023, the Building Bridges Steering Committee, the group charged with facilitating the discernment process about the future mission and structures of our dioceses, hosted a series of ten listening sessions, both online and in-person at various locations across both dioceses. We learned a lot of valuable information from the comments that you shared about your priorities, what you value about your faith communities, and what issues you believe we need to address as we discern whether or not to pursue juncture (the canonical term for our potential merger).

The Building Bridges Steering Committee tasked our Intentional Internal Conversations sub team to dig into the notes from those sessions and determine if there are any particular themes emerging from your responses to the questions. Some overarching takeaways are:

• Many of the things you want to see happening are already taking place or are in the works–but you may not be aware of them at the local congregational level.
• There is a strong desire to work together and the new bi-diocesan “collaboratives” instituted this spring will provide a structure for much of that collaboration.
• Collaboration to promote lay leadership of congregations and ministries is also a high priority. Our new congregational prayer partner project is an extension of this priority as well as our renewed investment in formation for congregational development!
• Prioritizing ministry to people in the first third of life is critical–and we continue to find ways to engage this demographic and learn about what is important to them.
• We need to continue to work on ensuring that information from the diocesan leadership gets to people in our congregations–and that what is happening in our congregations gets back to diocesan leadership and other congregations; we have much to learn from each other.
• Although Creation Care did not surface in as many comments, that topic is gaining more and more traction–and as we continue to collaborate in Holy Hikes and engage together in the ministry of Plainsong Farm and the Order of Naucratius–we may want to dig more deeply into how we collaborate around this area.
• The Episcopal Church’s identity around LGBTQ+ inclusion is helping us to grow, and, with that understanding, we can engage people and have a bigger presence in our local communities.
• Formation of lay people and clergy is highly important, and we need to find new ways to form us as disciples. We recently took a step forward on a common understanding of formation for holy orders.
• Finding new, authentic ways to worship is also crucial.
• Regarding justice issues, people like that the dioceses (and the Episcopal Church) stand for something, such as the joint work we did with other faith leaders on addressing gun violence and our work on LGBTQ+ inclusion and safety.
• Continuing our work on racial reconciliation and healing for past injustices was also emphasized.
• Finally, there was much concern about how juncture would impact the relationships between the bishop and the local congregations, as well as concern about overworking the staff, although staff have noted that their workload is more manageable with increased collaboration between diocesan leadership bodies.

The Building Bridges team used the themes emerging out of these sessions and from previous listening sessions to develop new mission and vision statements that we can use through this season of practice and to live into as dioceses, whether operating together, separately or something in-between:

These mission and vision statements were presented to and affirmed during a joint meeting of our Diocesan Councils, Standing Committees, and staffs earlier this year.

The three priorities listed under the mission (collaborative communities, innovative ministries, and courageous disciples) will be the basis for goal-setting as the collaboration between the two dioceses continues and will serve as the theme of our upcoming Fourth Joint Diocesan Convention, taking place in Saginaw, October 28-29, 2023.

Thank you for your prayers and your participation in this discernment! We look forward to sharing more with you as convention approaches and invite you to share generously with others in your congregation.

Yours in Christ,

The Internal Conversations Sub-Team
The Building Bridges Steering Committee

The Rev. Janet Gockerman – St. Mark’s, Grand Rapids
Janet Huff-Worvie – St. John the Baptist, Otter Lake
The Rev. Beckett Leclaire – St. John’s, Dryden
Ellen McVey – St. John’s, Midland
Allie Miller – Holy Family, Midland

Support from:
Katie Forsyth – Bi-Diocesan Staff
Katie Ong – Building Bridges Consultant

Earlier this spring, Bishop Singh sat down with the two archdeacons serving Eastern and Western Michigan: the Vens. Linda Crane and Beth Drew. Together, they consider the role of the deacon in our church and in the world, reflect on the ministry happening in Eastern and Western Michigan, and discuss a strengthened diaconate in our dioceses through our Season of Practice.

While watching this long-form video (around 20 minutes) as an individual or in a small group, we invite you to respond to similar questions:

• How do you feel your call to serve God and the world?
• What have you learned about ministry from deacons in the church?
• How have you seen deacons call the church into more proximate, more compassionate ministry in the neighborhood?

• An Introduction with Bishop Singh –  Facebook  YouTube
• A Conversation with our Bi-Diocesan Staff Members –  Facebook  YouTube
• A Conversation with our Regional Canons –  Facebook  YouTube
• A Conversation with our Standing Committee Presidents –  Facebook  YouTube

Take a step in exploring how God may be calling you

Have you ever felt a nagging deep inside, wondering about whether you may be called to ordained ministry? Have you been fighting that feeling? Have others in your life told you you should consider becoming a deacon or priest? Are you interested in exploring a call to ordained ministry?

Then this is the weekend for you.

The Episcopal Dioceses of Eastern and Western Michigan, in collaboration with the Academy for Vocational Leadership and the Iona Collaborative from the Seminary of the Southwest, is extending an invitation to come together for a weekend of discernment. This event is a first step into considering formal discernment for Holy Orders and is open to all.

Our retreat, which will include both time in plenary and discussion, gathers at 5:30pm for dinner on Friday, August 11th and concludes following lunch on Sunday, August 13th.

Questions about this event? Please contact the Rev. Canon Tracie Little, Canon for the Southern Collaborative and Adult Formation, at 810-300-9177 or tlittle@eastmich.org.

DATE & LOCATION

August 11-13, 2023
Arrival: Friday, 5:30pm
Departure: Sunday, about 1pm

St. Francis Retreat Center
703 E. Main Street
Dewitt, MI 48820
www.stfrancis.ws

REGISTRATION

Participants are asked to cover the cost of their room, $98. All other costs and materials are covered by the dioceses.

Please register for the Discernment Weekend by July 31st.

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

As your Standing Committee Presidents, we write to share information about a sensitive situation taking place in our dioceses, with our bishop provisional.

Several months ago, the bishop shared with the Standing Committees that, after learning about his new relationship, his sons had reached out to the Presiding Bishop expressing hurt around the dissolution of the previous marriage and some internal family dynamics. We were aware that the Presiding Bishop’s Office was going to be in touch with the boys and his ex-wife to respond pastorally. In the last week, this situation has escalated as his sons have shared their concerns more broadly.

We feel that Bishop Prince has been transparent with us in raising this awareness and in seeking appropriate next steps with our churchwide processes. We invite you to read the message below from Bishop Singh. We welcome the next steps that are to be taken and look forward to a resolution.

Our dioceses are resilient partners; focused on mission! We are grateful to serve.

Yours in Christ,

Dear Friends,

As I wrote on Friday, after two and half years post-divorce, I have moved into a new relationship. Unfortunately, this has created a hurt-filled and harmful reaction within my family, now in a public way. Over last week and weekend, my sons have published letters with some serious allegations against me, posting that letter to social media and sending it directly by email to several of our congregations.

First, I want you to know that I am deeply embarrassed and this has been extremely painful. Divorce is messy and mine was no exception. While we separated amicably at that time, it was not without years of spousal conflict and not without some time spent in family therapy. It has not been a simple process since. I have spent quite a bit of time attempting to rebuild the bonds of trust between sons and father since splitting from my former spouse.

Recognizing that one of the areas they feel harmed is the lack of privacy afforded to a family when one parent is a bishop, I am conscious of striking a balance between protecting what privacy can yet be afforded to them and to us, and with responding to these allegations transparently and fully for the dioceses I have been called to serve; dioceses that have a recent experience of trauma related to bishop misconduct. I recognize this dynamic is at play here, and I am deeply, deeply sorry for it.

With the Standing Committee Presidents and Chancellor Fleener, I have been in conversation with the Presiding Bishop’s Office over the last week related to this particular effort and for several months previous, when this was first understood to be a family conflict. With some new clarity and for appropriate and necessary transparency, I want to address a few points in the letter and update you on what’s next for me and for us.

• Over the past few months, I have invited my sons to dive into these sensitive family matters in a therapeutic setting. My older son was willing to do one session before requesting to discontinue due to his tinnitus. My younger son said he was not ready to do this work. I have been in solo therapy on and off since 2003 and continue to meet regularly with my therapist as well as with two spiritual directors – this is advice I give to all clergy.
• In response to these allegations, I have encouraged the Presiding Bishop’s Office to officially open a Title IV investigation, a process to determine the veracity of the points and to determine appropriate actions. There should be no sense that these concerns are casually dismissed. The Presiding Bishop will appoint a separate intake officer to facilitate this process. From my vantage point, an official Title IV process is the appropriate way to clear these painful allegations. As part of this, I have offered to submit myself for comprehensive psychological and alcohol evaluation by a clinical professional. By taking my sons’ concerns seriously, I hope that this will keep open the possibility of reconciliation.
• The Presiding Bishop’s Office has not called for a suspension or restriction on ministry. I will, however, take a week’s break to do the clinical evaluation, and will go on a reflective retreat during the week of July 4th. I will miss attending the Episcopal Youth Event with our remarkable young leaders and am grateful for our youth director’s blessing to take this time.
• I will continue to be in conversation with the Presiding Bishop and our diocesan leaders to keep them apprised of this process and to check in along the way. It is my firm belief and hope that the investigation will determine that I have not broken my vows to the church and my adherence to the canons.

Again, Eastern and Western Michigan, I am sorry. I am sorry for the impact this has on our dioceses. I am here to serve Christ in this church, not to distract. I am so encouraged and hope-filled for our dioceses and for our ministry together. Amazing things are happening. Our formation – spiritually, vocationally, developmentally – amongst all orders is in focus. Our collaborations are growing and deepening in mission-oriented, relational ways. Our leaders are growing in their confidence and expertise, strengthening our church to welcome, invite, and lead in all corners.

I am grateful for you. Know that you are in my prayers every day. I ask that you keep me in yours.

Please contact info@eastmich.org or info@edwm.org with any questions or concerns. Your questions will either be addressed directly or pointed toward the appropriate party.

May the peace of God, which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of God’s Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Rt. Rev. Prince G. Singh

Bishop Provisional
The Episcopal Dioceses of Eastern and Western Michigan