Special Electing Convention Booklet

A GUIDE FOR THE

Special convention

TO ELECT A BISHOP COADJUTOR IN THE DIOCESE OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA

TABLE OF CONTENTS MEET & GREET / ELECTION INFORMATION 4 5 6

Location Information - Meet & Greet Rules of Order - Meet & Greet Rules to Elect A Bishop

THE CANDIDATES 8

Slate of Candidates Candidate Profiles The Rev. Thomas P. Reeder The Very Rev. Dr. Douglas F. Scharf The Rev. Timothy E. Schenck The Rev. Canon C. John Thompson-Quartey

9 15 20 26

VOTING INFORMATION Online Voting Guide Thank You - Committees

32 34

HOW TO VIEW THE MEET & GREET CANDIDATE Q&A SESSIONS & THE ELECTING CONVENTION

The Meet and Greet Candidate Q&A sessions will be livestreamed on the diocesan Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DioceseofSWFL and on the diocesan website: https://episcopalswfl.org/TV.html The Electing Convention will be livestreamed on the diocesan website: https://episcopalswfl.org/TV.html

3

LOCATIONS–MEET & GREET TAMPA, ST. PETE AND CLEARWATER DEANERIES MARCH 22, 2022 | Registration 5:30 p.m.

THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF ST. PETER 140 4TH ST N, ST. PETERSBURG, FL 33701 HTTPS://WWW.SPCATHEDRAL.ORG Parking instructions: Free parking is available in the St. Petersburg First United Methodist Church parking lot located at 212 3rd Street North, St. Petersburg, 33701.

MANASOTA AND VENICE DEANERIES MARCH 23, 2022 | Registration 5:30 p.m.

CHURCH OF THE REDEEMER 222 S PALM AVE, SARASOTA, FL 34236 HTTPS://WWW.REDEEMERSARASOTA.ORG Parking instructions: Free parking is available in front of Church of the Redeemer on Gulfstream Ave. There is a three-hour parking limit on Gulfstream Ave. from 9 a.m.- 8 p.m., please park after 5 p.m. to be under the three-hour limit. Church of the Redeemer also has a parking lot at the corner of Ringling Blvd. and Palm Ave., catty-corner from the church property, that is available for free parking for the Meet & Greet. Free valet parking will be available at the Palm Ave. entrance.

FT. MYERS AND NAPLES DEANERIES MARCH 24, 2022 | Registration 5:30 p.m.

ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH 9801 BONITA BEACH RD SE, BONITA SPRINGS, FL 34135 HTTPS://WWW.STMARYSBONITA.ORG Parking instructions: Parking is available at St. Mary’s in front of the main entrance and behind the sanctuary between the church and Penny Wise Thrift Shop.

4

RULES OF ORDER–MEET & GREET

T

he Transition Committee has developed a format for the three-day Meet & Greet events that will help people learn as much as possible about each of the candidates. This process should help us to be efficient and fair to the candidates and to those who attend the sessions.

After welcoming remarks, prayers, and general introductions, people will go to one of three rooms. The rooms are color coded and are assigned to you at the registration. Nametags are color coded to the rooms.

Please go to the room you are assigned. You will stay in this room for the entire evening. Each candidate will have a 30-minute Q&A session with each room. The four candidates will rotate through each of the three rooms, one candidates per room per Q&A session. A moderator selected by the Transition Committee will conduct the sessions. The moderator will briefly review the general guidelines at the start of each session.

The candidates will be asked nine predetermined questions, three questions each evening, submitted by congregations and groups within the Diocese of Southwest Florida. The candidates will have approximately 10 minutes to answer each question. Each session will last 30 minutes. Each session will start and end on time.

At the end of the evening, we will convene in the large meeting room for closing prayers. Please continue to pray for our diocese and the candidates.

The sessions will be livestreamed on the diocesan Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ DioceseofSWFL and on the diocesan website at https://episcopalswfl.org/ TV.html

MEET & GREET SCHEDULES MARCH 22 - MARCH 24, 2022 Open to registered delegates only The following is a tentative schedule for each of the Meet & Greet evenings and is subject to change:

TAMPA, ST. PETE AND CLEARWATER DEANERIES | MARCH 22, 2022

5:30 – 6:00 p.m.

6:15 – 6:30 p.m.

6:35 – 7:05 p.m.

7:10 – 7:40 p.m.

7:45 – 8:15 p.m.

8:20 – 8:50 p.m.

8:50 – 9:00 p.m.

Registration and Room Assignments Opening Prayer / Introductions in Main Room First Session (breakout room) Second Session (breakout room) Third Session (breakout room) Fourth Session (breakout room) Closing Prayer/Dismissal (breakout room)

MANASOTA AND VENICE DEANERIES | MARCH 23, 2022

5:30 – 6:00 p.m.

6:15 – 6:30 p.m.

6:35 – 7:05 p.m.

7:10 – 7:40 p.m.

7:45 – 8:15 p.m.

8:20 – 8:50 p.m.

8:50 – 9:00 p.m.

Registration and Room Assignments Opening Prayer / Introductions in Main Room First Session (breakout room) Second Session (breakout room) Third Session (breakout room) Fourth Session (breakout room) Closing Prayer/Dismissal (breakout room)

FT. MYERS AND NAPLES DEANERIES | MARCH 24, 2022

5:30 – 6:00 p.m.

6:15 – 6:30 p.m.

6:35 – 7:05 p.m.

7:10 – 7:40 p.m.

7:45 – 8:15 p.m.

8:20 – 8:50 p.m.

8:50 – 9:00 p.m.

5

Registration and Room Assignments Opening Prayer / Introductions in Main Room First Session (breakout room) Second Session (breakout room) Third Session (breakout room) Fourth Session (breakout room) Closing Prayer/Dismissal (breakout room)

RULES TO ELECT A BISHOP Rules I. Nominations 2.1 Presiding Officer. The Bishop of the Diocese of Southwest Florida shall preside. In the absence of the Bishop or if the Bishop is unable to preside the President of the Standing Committee shall preside.

2.2 Seating. There shall be reserved seating for delegates in the nave of the cathedral. Visitors and observers seating will be in the parish hall. In addition, an alternative sacred place shall be set aside and shall be open for prayer throughout the electing convention.

2.3 Election Material. No material other than the official nominee description brochure prepared by The Standing Committee and the Rules of Order are permitted to be distributed on the convention floor. Any other printed material for distribution must have the prior approval of the Presiding Officer.

2.4 Electronic Devices. All cellular telephones and other electronic communication devices shall be allowed in the cathedral for the sole purpose and use during the electronic balloting.

Each voting member is permitted one electronic device.

However, the Secretary of the Electing Convention is permitted to use whatever equipment is necessary in order to carry out his official responsibilities and duties.

2.5 Election Officials. The Presiding Officer shall appoint such persons as are necessary to carry out responsibilities associated with the election.

2.6 Election Equipment. The recording, computation, and reporting of votes shall be by electronic ballot as determined by the Standing Committee.

Rules II. Ballots and Voting 3 .1 Prayer Before Ballot. Each ballot shall be preceded by an appropriate time of silence and prayer.

3.2 Delegates. Delegates shall serve pursuant to the provisions of Diocesan Canon I. 3.3 Voting. Balloting shall be

SCHEDULE AND AGENDA Schedule Saturday, April 2, 2022 Open to registered delegates only with registration beginning at 8 a.m. at The Cathedral Church of St. Peter St. Petersburg, Florida.

Time of Worship: 10 a.m.

Agenda Call to order and opening prayer Bishop's Address Report of the Credentials Committee Explanation of the Voting Procedure Report from the Nominating Committee Prayer prior to first ballot and all subsequent ballots Time of last ballot of the day (5 p.m.)

Adjournment accomplished in the manner provided by the Standing Committee and announced by the Presiding Officer of the Electing Convention. A bishop coadjutor shall be elected when he shall obtain a majority of votes cast in both lay and clerical orders on the same ballot. Balloting shall continue until an election is attained subject to the provisions of Article 3.4 below.

3.4 Time of Ballot. No ballot shall commence after 5 p.m. on the 2nd day of April, 2022. In the event that an election has not occurred, The Electing Convention shall recess to April 9, 2022, to reconvene at 8 a.m. and continue to vote until a bishop coadjutor has been elected.

Rules III. Withdrawal of Nomination 4.1 Withdrawal of Nomination.

A nominee may withdraw his name in person, in writing, or may give written authorization (proxy) to his designated shepherd/chaplain. A withdrawal received by email shall be deemed made at the time it is received and verified.

Rules IV. Election 6

5.1 Announcement of Election.

After the Supervisor of the voting equipment certifies the result of the election of a bishop coadjutor, the Presiding Officer shall announce the election to the Electing Convention.

The Presiding Officer may then call for a motion to affirm the election by unanimous consent.

5.2 Execution of Testimonial of Election. After the election has concluded, a constitutional majority of the Electing Convention shall sign a Testimonial of Election pursuant to "Title III Canon 11.3 (a) of the national canons: We, whose names are hereunder written, fully sensible of how important it is that the Sacred Order and Office of a Bishop should not be unworthily conferred, and firmly persuaded that it is our duty to bear testimony on this solemn occasion without partiality, do in the presence of the Almighty God, testify that we know of no impediment of account of which The Reverend AB. ought not to

be ordained to the Holy Office. We do, moreover, jointly and severally declare that we believe The Reverend AB. to have been duly and lawfully elected and to be of such sufficiency in learning, of such soundness in faith, and of such godly character as to be able to exercise the Office of a Bishop to the honor of God and the edifying of the Church, and to be a wholesome example to the flock of Christ."

Rules V. Rules of Order 6.1 Standing Rules of Order. If a matter arises which is not addressed by these Rules, the Constitution and Canons of the Diocese of Southwest Florida (2021) shall govern.

6.2 Suspension of Rules. The Convention may suspend or amend these rules by a vote of two-thirds of all delegates voting taken as a whole.

6.3 Roberts Rules of Order. Roberts Rules of Order (most current edition) shall apply. The chancellor shall serve as parliamentarian.

6.4 Election Results. At the conclusion of each ballot, election results shall be announced by the Presiding Officer or his/her designee, posted on a screen in the Cathedral and posted on a web site. However, after an election has been deemed to have taken place the posting shall not be made to the convention and not to the web site until such time as all nominees have been personally contacted and provided with the results.

APPENDIX Diocesan Constitution ARTICLE XVIII Of the Election of a Bishop The election of a Bishop shall be made in an Annual Convention, or in a Special Convention called for that purpose. The vote, by secret ballot, of a majority of the Clergy and of the Lay Members of the Convention, voting separately and concurrently shall be necessary for the election of a Bishop.

SCHEDULE AND AGENDA ELECTION CONVENTION DICOESE OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA APRIL 2, 2022

Registration 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Time of worship 10:00 a.m.

Electing Convention Convenes 11:00 a.m.

Call to order and opening prayer

The Right Reverand Dabney T. Smith

Bishop's Address

The Right Reverand Dabney T. Smith

Appointment of Parlamentarian Mr. Ted Tripp

The Right Reverand Dabney T. Smith

Appointment of Secretary of Convention Ms. Wendy Martucci

The Right Reverand Dabney T. Smith

Report of the Credentials Committee

The Rev. Canon Richard H. Norman

Explanation of the Voting Procedure

The Rev. Canon Richard H. Norman

Report from the Nominating Committee Prayer prior to first Ballot

The Rev. Jessica Babcock and Mr. Trevor Whitley The Rev. Canon Richard H. Norman

First Ballot of the Day Results of first ballot Noon Day Prayers Lunch

The Right Reverand Dabney T. Smith The Rev. Carla McCook 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Prayer prior to all subsequent ballots Time of last ballot of the day Adjournement 7

The Rev. Canon Richard H. Norman 5:00 p.,m.

THE VERY REV. DR. DOUGLAS F. SCHARF

THE REV. THOMAS P. REEDER

SLATE OF CANDIDATES

FOR THE SIXTH BISHOP OF THE DIOCESE OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA

THE REV. CANON C. JOHN THOMPSON-QUARTEY

THE REV. TIMOTHY E. SCHENCK

8

THE REV. THOMAS P. REEDER RECTOR, CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH AND SCHOOL PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA

What is it about the Diocese of Southwest Florida that excites you, challenges you, and draws you to accept our invitation?

AT A GLANCE

T

he Rev. Thomas Reeder is the Fourth Rector of Christ Episcopal Church and School in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL. Christ Church is a corporate-sized parish of approximately 5,000 people where the Rev. Reeder leads a clergy team of nine priests and deacons and a lay staff across the church and school of more than 100 people. The Rev. Reeder oversees a church budget of $4+ million and during the last five years he has led stewardship efforts (annual, capital, and legacy) resulting in $32 million for mission and ministry.

Before that, the Rev. Reeder served as the Rector of Christ Church, Williamsport, a small church in rural Pennsylvania, and as an Associate Rector at St. Mark’s, in Jacksonville, FL. Over the course of his ordained career, the Rev. Reeder served the church in various leadership positions, including as the Vice Chair of the Standing Committee in the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania and as a member of the Diocesan Council in the Diocese of Florida. Additionally, he has led 15 short-term foreign development missions to South Sudan, Uganda, and Cuba. continued on pg. 12

Your diocese is truly crackling with the energy of the Holy Spirit! You are joyfully laboring in the fields of the Lord. You are doing the vital work of evangelism and discipleship. You are reaching out in love to those who are hurting and hungry, and calling people to fall in love with Jesus. In short, you all are living into both the Great Commission and the Greatest Commandment. And anytime God’s people are doing God’s loving work with creativity and joy, I can’t help but be excited!

Most of all, I am overjoyed and excited by the fact that you have recently started two new church plants. The church exists in large part to make more and better disciples of Jesus Christ. When so many dioceses are going backwards, you are moving forward. This is also evidenced by your focus on youth and young-adult formation. The programs offered at DaySpring, especially those for children and youth, seem especially impactful. As well, I note with joy the presence of active campus ministries and a bonafide ministry for 20s & 30s disciples, which will continue to be crucial for growing the diocese. The School for Ministry seems to be doing a yeoman’s job forming adults for Christian ministry. Likewise the diocese’s budding partnership with the Iona Collaboration is exciting and bodes well for the ongoing formation of both clergy and lay people. I love that you have five parishes worshipping in Spanish, a longstanding and solid companion relationship with the DR, not to mention homegrown ministries in Haitian-Creole and Tagalog! To that I say buen trabajo, bon travay, and magaling!

9

Next, I note with joy and excitement that the Diocese of Southwest Florida seems exceedingly strong in essentials.

The programs and structures needed for a diocese to thrive are already in place and running smoothly, and have been for years. Bishop Smith has had a long, successful, steady tenure and is well-liked by both clergy and lay folks. Your profile speaks very favorably about a collegiality among clergy and lay leaders, which is crucial for mission success. Finally, the financial picture is exceptionally sound.

The things that challenge me are the same things that almost every diocese grapples with. Specifically, I see a need to continue and creatively expand: ministries to young adults and young families; outreach to non-English speakers; young vocations; opportunities for female clerics, including women in leadership and in larger churches; online ministries, social media and technology; and new and creative ways to get the gospel to Gen Z and beyond.

As for what draws me to this diocese? First, it seems like the people and clergy, following the bishop’s lead, are all pulling in the same direction, toward love. Most importantly, this diocese is in love with Jesus and wants everyone to know Him, or to know Him better. In short, this diocese is about Jesus’ agape for the world, and our participation in it.

Who wouldn’t want to be part of that?

Congregational Vitality ranked highest in our diocesan-wide survey.

Describe how you orient your attitudes, beliefs and actions toward Congregational Vitality and provide a story that illustrates your experience.

Congregational Vitality starts not with average Sunday attendance, budget, or programs- for-programs-sake but rather with individuals and churches that

are desperately in love with Jesus and His mission of love to the world. Once we have that strong nucleus of ministers-oflove, we fan out in all directions, literally and figuratively, inviting everyone else to that same love. Sometimes one falls in love with Jesus at first sight, at a revival or on retreat. Other times the courtship plays out over a longer time, by steeping in liturgy and song, word and sacrament, prayer, service, and fellowship. Either way, the first step is a genuine, loving invitation.

Once love is operative by baptism, confirmation, or revival, the new soul, guided by spiritual friends, begins to build a faith that is equal parts receivingthe-love-of-Christ, and sharing-thelove-of-Christ with others, all in the context of the church. Now we are on mission with Jesus – Seekers, Neophytes, Disciples, and Leaders! Congregational Vitality starts with Jesus and us, in loving partnership. When we do it well, we receive spiritual strength by the Holy Spirit. And that spiritual strength makes us bold for Jesus, but humble in our approach, having clarity of purpose, but operating in gentleness.

In my parish, we have a robust Bible Study Breakfast that regularly attracts ~75 people. We listen to the Gospel reading for the upcoming Sunday and break into small groups for holy conversation. We come back and share what we discovered, finishing with focused prayer. What is so stunning is this: some are evangelicals, some just shy of atheism. Most are somewhere in between. But they love each other. Dearly. Despite differences.

And every week they are reminded to bring a friend. Because who wouldn’t want to share in this love? Our motto is, “Come for the grits, stay for the love!” It works because they love and invite. We have grown as a church. Those who came into the church by way of the kitchen have moved on to baptism or membership, or both. And the cycle is repeated. To the glory of God. In other words, Vital Congregations “make the main thing, the main thing.”

And the main thing is making more and better disciples for Jesus Christ and his mission of love. In vital congregations the mission is clear.

Vital Congregations are those where every person, young and old, is empowered to discern their individual gifts for ministry. Vital Congregations respect tradition, but do not make idols of history. They offer worship in the beauty of holiness but don’t have sacred cows. They are flexible and gracious.

Importantly, Vital Congregations strive to build and maintain healthy parish dynamics and systems. They are fiscally responsible, practice collaborative leadership and make most decisions by consensus.

Finally, Vital Congregations minister to the marginalized first, not last.

They never stop working for justice and peace. They are both outward-facing and a doorway to the beloved community.

They challenge, form, transform, convict, and strengthen us. They open their doors widely every day.

The ministry of all the baptized (MOAB) is a vital, active part of our diocesan and congregational life. What is your understanding of MOAB? Please share one or two stories from your experiences of MOAB and tell us how you would encourage these ministries in Southwest Florida.

Holy Baptism is the sacrament by which God adopts us as His children. It is profound. It makes us very members of Christ's Body. As such, Holy Baptism is a gift. Baptism confers full initiation in the Church. The water of holy baptism is a sign to the world that we have died with Christ and have been reborn, cleansed of past sins. The oil of chrism is a sign to the world that we have been marked, by the Holy Spirit, as Christ’s own, forever. The completed rite confers both rights and responsibilities. By that same Spirit then, the newly baptized are sent out with all other baptized disciples, to do the work of the Church, the Ministry of All the Baptized. Even baptized children have vocations of love, wonder and inquiry.

We have been blessed to follow the ancient Church in upholding the fourfold ministry of the Laypeople, Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, for the ordering of the common mission of the church. Each 10

order is distinct but shares a common call to “come together week by week for corporate worship; and to work, pray, and give for the spread of the kingdom of God” (BCP, pg. 856). All four orders are founded on Baptism, on Christ’s giving love. Despite vocational differences (principally around sacramental leadership), all four orders represent Christ and his church; a healthy church guards against clericalism, power struggle, or rank hierarchy that may detract from the common mission. The MOAB is a lived missional reality, and when it is lived well, it is grounded and rooted in a spirit of mutual respect, warm friendship, and sacrificial love.

Once, during my transitional diaconate, I was called to the ICU to minister to a sweet parishioner who was close to death. Her husband, a priest, was there. The patient asked for her favorite hymns, and I called our music minister, a layman, to join us with his guitar. The ICU nurse was ever-present and attentive, but admittedly not a church-goer. We prayed and we sang and we cried and we laughed, all five of us, including the nurse, though she didn’t know the words. As the patient got weaker, her husband found it too difficult to offer Extreme Unction for his own wife and with his blessing, I anointed her, not typically the purview of a deacon or layperson. Later, he offered Holy Eucharist and she died shortly thereafter. Before she died, without knowing it at that time, we were a picture of missional MOAB, three out of four orders caring for each other, and reaching out in love to the unbaptized, to the end that Christ might be known.

Order in the church is important, but it does not trump compassion and love. We will always need to find ways to be true to all four of our orders, while also being able to respond in love in the moment, in ways that are creative, graced, and, flexible, because the MOAB is a gift.

What have you found most compelling in Christ’s call to you?

How is this related to your interest in becoming the bishop of our unique diocese?

What has been most compelling in Christ’s call to me is that it is genuine, natural, lovely and true. As long as I can remember, I have felt that God is with me. I felt the call to ordained ministry as a child. I love my vocation because I believe that it comes from Jesus Christ and is animated by the power of the Holy Spirit.

It humbles me every day.

All the way through “the process” and seminary, I read the words of the liturgy for ordination over and over, as a living prayer, and it gave me joy, peace, and humility.

When I was suitably trained, presented by the people, and the Bishop laid hands on me, God made me a Deacon. I prayed the words of the liturgy, “to be modest and humble, strong and constant.” In humility, I asked God to make me one who serves.

Later, when I was suitably trained, presented by the people, and the Bishop and the College of Presbyters laid hands on me, God made me a Priest. I prayed the words of the liturgy, that I might be a “faithful pastor, a patient teacher, and a wise councilor.” In humility, I asked God to make me one who preaches and leads sacramentally. Those words are as profound today as they were nearly 18 years ago.

And now, since the time I sensed a call to the Episcopate, I have been praying the words of the liturgy for the Ordination of a Bishop, as a living prayer, and it gives me joy, peace, and humility.

If it is God’s will, and the people of God agree, my prayer will be that God make me a Bishop. Should that come to pass, my prayer will be from the liturgy, to be the chief pastor, apostle, and guardian of the faith, unity, and discipline of the whole Church. In humility, I will ask God to make me one who gently shepherds, looks over the people, and loves them.

I pray it with deep love for Jesus Christ, an abiding love for the Holy Catholic Church, and an enduring and steadfast love for the people of God. My hope is to be a pastor to pastors.

I love my ordained sisters and brothers desperately. And I know how difficult our vocations can be. I have led a very small church and very large churches, each

was a blessed challenge. The priests and deacons need a very loving shepherd, who will come to them in love, not only for official visits, but to walk with, cry with, and to celebrate with, and most of all, to be present with. I want to go to hospitals with you to visit your people.

I want to be leading with you in your evangelism efforts. Though I don’t yet know how these things may work, my plan is to be out of the office, often. After all, the bishop is a “sent one”, an apostle, bringing people to Jesus in love.

Describe how the pandemic has informed and transformed your ministerial experience within The Episcopal Church. Describe how the pandemic has informed and transformed your vision of the ministry of a bishop. Tell us about how you would live into this vision within our diocese.

Leading a large, complex organization during a worldwide pandemic was easily the most difficult thing that I’ve done in parish ministry.

But it wasn’t just the pandemic, with its sickness, death, and fear, that made it so challenging; it was the concomitant economic worry, the summer of racial tension, the deteriorating and ugly political climate in our country, and the ensuing vaccine wars. Each challenge rubbed off on the other in unhelpful ways. Unclear and sometimes contradictory advice from public health and other officials made the situation more challenging, as did the political diversity of my congregation. I love my diverse parish in which those from every viewpoint are welcomed, and normally I count this diversity as a plus. But sadly, this cocktail of pandemic and political ingredients sometimes brought out the worst out of some folks. In response, I tried always to be loving, clear, gentle and firm.

The good news is, so far, the future looks bright. This is some of what I learned: When people are afraid, leaders need to be strong, be clear, and be hopeful. When I had to make decisions about things like lockdowns, masks, and 11

Holy Communion, my guiding questions, published often, were: “What is the most loving thing to do? How do we protect the most vulnerable among us?” Be decisive.

Solicit advice. And, when you make a mistake, apologize and try again. Be as creative as you can be to get the Gospel to the people. Mission happens despite things like worldwide pandemics. Use as much technology as you can afford. We are an incarnational church and so when we can’t be together “in the flesh,” we need to be creative to reach out to those who are afraid and alone. We called our entire database just to check in with them.

Keep a good sense of humor and don’t take yourself too seriously. Like in every parish, some folks were angry because I was too conservative. We loved them anyway. Other folks were angry because I was too liberal. We loved them anyway.

I tried to communicate love, science, and balance. Early in the pandemic I formed an advisory committee of scientists, doctors, and public health workers (all from my parish) to guide our decisions.

I learned to give people choices in so far as the science allows. Give them wins.

Be in control of parish messaging from the start. Communicate, communicate, and overcommunicate. Cheerlead. Over and over remind them that we are Easter people, people of the resurrection, and that, with God’s help, we will get through this together.

I know that pride is a sin, and so, by way of confession, I am proud of our ongoing response to the pandemic. The same lessons I describe above apply at the diocesan level. At the end of the day, I will love and I will lead. And we don’t have to be afraid, because we are Easter people, forever.

At a Glance - Reeder, cont. from pg. 9

RÉSUMÉ

THE REV. THOMAS P. REEDER He has served on the Board of Directors/Trustees of several nonprofit organizations, both domestically and internationally.

The Rev. Reeder is a native of Fredericksburg, VA. He spent nearly nine years on active duty in the U.S. Navy before discerning a call to ordained ministry. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies (Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa) from the University of California at Davis (2000) and a Master of Divinity from the School of Theology at the University of the South (2003) in Sewanee, TN. The Rev. Reeder and his wife of 31 years, DeeAnn have three adult children, Sophia, Liam, and Duku. His vocational passions are preaching, vision-casting and strategic planning, mission and church growth, and teaching and leading Christian stewardship. His hobbies are running, cooking, gardening, and travel.

See the Rev. Thomas Reeder’s candidate videos here.

EDUCATION 2003 M.Div., The School of Theology, The University of the South, Sewanee, TN 2000 B.A., Religious Studies, The University of California, Davis, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa ORDINATION Priest: 12/07/03 Diocese of Florida (for Diocese of Northern California) Deacon: 06/15/03 Diocese of Northern California PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 2018-present Rector, Christ Episcopal Church, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL Christ Church Ponte Vedra Beach is a corporate/resource-sized parish with ~5,000 members, an average Sunday attendance of ~1,300 at nine Sunday services on two campuses, a staff of four full-time clergy, two part-time clergy, eight assisting clergy, and 32 lay employees, a budget of $4,200,000, a parish pre-school and kindergarten with an enrollment of 250+ children and additional staff of 65, and a Foundation with assets of ~$3,500,000.

Leadership Accomplishments: Building upon my five years’ experience and success as Senior Associate Rector at Christ Church prior to being called to be the Rector (see below), I worked with my clergy team, lay staff, and lay leaders to cast a vision for who Christ Church wants to be and who we serve. With my call to lead this vibrant community of faith, I ushered in a new style of leadership based on collaboration, consensus building, and shared decision making. Through administration of a comprehensive Congregational Assessment Tool and strategic planning, we laid out clear goals for making more and better disciples of Christ. Some of this work is now done en Español as Christ Church, in only a few years, built the largest Spanish language service in the diocese.

By far the greatest challenge of my ministry as Rector of this large and energetic parish has been to shepherd my staff and parishioners through the COVID-19 pandemic.

With near lightning speed we pivoted to meet the changing conditions and to meet the pastoral needs of those affected directly and indirectly by the virus, and all without any substantial advice or guidance from the diocese or national church. Through outdoor and online services, then a slow return to restricted-capacity masked indoor services, to a current return to our full nine in-person Sunday services (with mask guidelines and continued outdoor and online offerings) my goal has been to ensure that the spiritual needs of my congregation are met while simultaneously protecting the most vulnerable in our community. Now that we are back on the church campus under near-normal conditions, we are joyfully filling our worship spaces and our new buildings that were completed during the COVID lockdowns.

As part of our better-future-in-mission, I ushered in enhanced fiscal responsibility and budgetary processes. With the assistance of a faithful vestry, my clergy team, and development staff, and hundreds of donors, we have raised approximately $10 million (out of the stated $14 million) for the Bold Faith for a Bold Future capital campaign.

We have now completed two of the four building phases, including a new preschool building and a new 19,800 sq. ft. Formation and Arts Building, complete with new classrooms, small group areas, and arts and music spaces.

12

NOTES

Congregational Vitality & Outreach: Christ Church Ponte Vedra Beach is in perpetual missional motion, even if some of this motion moved temporarily online during COVID! From Adult and Youth Formation opportunities to “Community Circles” to Arts programs to specialized programs such as “The Lighthouse” (an affirming space for LGBTQ+ teens and parents) and beyond, we provide space, time, resources, and connection for growing in faith in myriad ways. Service to the poor is near and dear to our hearts, with outreach opportunities down the street and around the world. Through our constructing, staffing, and our ongoing support of the Rhoda Martin Early Learning Center in a nearby community, we encourage, through Early Head Start, the development of young children and families who live in poverty or near-poverty. College aged young adults in our community who cannot afford college are supported through our Charitable Foundation, which provides a handful of full scholarships and grants each year. Orphans in Uganda and Bolivia are supported financially and in person, as are our local families in need of housing assistance and other services. Our long-term mission partnership with local NGOs is strengthened by our formal grants application process, through which we ensure proper stewardship of our outreach budget.

Strategy & Stewardship: At the Rector’s request, in tandem with our Parish Lay Executive, I led our parish strategic planning project, which transitioned into a significant capital construction and fundraising project (see above). In addition, after a comprehensive re- tooling of our development department, I led four highly successful annual stewardship campaigns, each in excess of four million dollars. Each campaign resulted in scores of new pledges each year, and the first new legacy gifts in many years.

These successful efforts, alongside sharp budgeting and cost controls, enabled Christ Church to remain missional and lean.

Mission: In the Mission/Outreach/Social Justice areas, I led the complete restructuring of the department, streamlining and focusing granting processes, setting new priorities for parish outreach and justice spending, refocusing efforts to achieve significant increases in parishioner hands-on involvement in outreach and social justice, increased funding for local and international mission partners, and revitalized our moribund Cuba companion parish ministry into one of the most vital ministries of the parish.

2013-2018 Senior Assoc. Rector, Christ Episcopal Church, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL Responsibilities included sharing with the Rector in all aspects of executive parish leadership, including personnel, program, and financial planning and management.

I had specific leadership responsibility for the associate and assisting clergy team of 15 clerics and shared in preaching, teaching, liturgical, and pastoral care duties. My specific ministry portfolios included Stewardship/ Finance/ Development/ Legacy and Mission/ Outreach/ and Social Justice.

2005-2013 Rector, Christ Episcopal Church, Williamsport, PA Christ Church Williamsport was a pastoral-sized parish with 115 members, an average Sunday attendance of 80, a staff of one clergy and three part-time lay people, and an annual budget of $225,000. My first task at Christ Church was to help heal, rebuild, and revitalize a faith community that had collapsed during a prior period of protracted conflict with the previous Rector. All metrics of parish health enjoyed marked increases, including a 25% increase in attendance, a 15% increase in giving, and $750,000+ increase in endowment funds. Program successes include founding a “soup kitchen” ministry in the parish hall and leading six mission trips to Uganda and South Sudan. I also had the privilege of introducing the parish to prison ministry, Spanishlanguage worship for migrant workers, and youth mission retreats.

13

NOTES

2003-2005 Associate Rector, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Jacksonville, FL St. Mark’s was a corporate/resource-sized parish with ~2,500 members, an average Sunday attendance of ~625, a staff of five clergy and ~15 lay people, a parish school serving ~600 students from pre-K through 6th grade, and an annual budget of more than one million dollars. Experience encompassed all of the duties of parish ministry including preaching, worship planning and leadership, pastoral care, crisis ministry, teaching, and administrative and financial/budget planning and management. My primary areas of responsibility were young adults/young families, outreach, mission, and newcomers. While at St. Mark’s I planned and led successful mission trips to Uganda, Sudan, and Cuba, and led our parish outreach efforts at several local ministries focused on care for those people in Jacksonville’s urban center.

1989-1997 Russian Linguist & Intelligence Analyst, U.S. Navy Skills Highlights • Parish Leadership • Genuine love of preaching • Broad liturgical experience and comfort, from low through broad to high; chanting • Stewardship & Legacy giving, including revitalization of static programs • Teaching Adult and Youth education, including Bible, History, Theology, etc.

• Cross-cultural, short-term development missions • Urban outreach and ministry development • Prayer and Spirituality, including Centering Prayer, Lectio Divina, and Spiritual Direction, and helping parishioners cultivate spiritual practices in their lives.

Diocesan/Church Leadership • Council of Trustees (Diocese of Florida; Diocese of Central Pennsylvania) • Standing Committee Vice President (Diocese of Central Pennsylvania) • Transition Committee (for the search for our next Bishop) • School Board Trustee (Christ Church Preschool) • Vice-Chair, Christ Church Charitable Foundation Service to the wider church & community • Board of Directors, Vicar’s Landing, a premier Continuous Care Retirement Community with Independent, Assisted, and Skilled nursing facilities • Board Member, American Friends of the Episcopal Church in South Sudan • Board Member, St. Bartholomew’s Orphanage, Kajo-Keji, South Sudan • Board Member, James V. Brown Library, Williamsport, PA Continuing Education • One-year training program: Spiritual Direction in the Ignatian Tradition, Jesuit Center, Wernersville, PA • African Studies, Canon Beniah Poggo Theological College, Kajo-Keji, South Sudan Honors • 2009 Lilly Foundation Fellow, Clergy Renewal Program, $50,000

14

THE VERY REV. DR. DOUGLAS F. SCHARF RECTOR, GOOD SHEPHERD EPISCOPAL CHURCH, TEQUESTA, FLORIDA

What is it about the Diocese of Southwest Florida that excites you, challenges you, and draws you to accept our invitation?

AT A GLANCE

T

he Very Rev. Dr. Doug Scharf is the Rector of Good Shepherd Episcopal Church and School in Tequesta, FL. Good Shepherd consists of a thriving congregation of more than 500 active members and a vibrant, fully accredited early childhood program and elementary school of 140 students.

After graduating from Virginia Theological Seminary in 2004, the Very Rev. Dr. Scharf served as Associate Rector of Church of the Holy Spirit in Osprey, FL, and then served for more than nine years as Rector of Holy Innocents’ Episcopal Church in Valrico, FL. In 2018, the Very Rev. Dr. Scharf completed a Doctor of Ministry degree at Candler School of Theology at Emory University, with a concentration in Biblical Interpretation and Proclamation.

In addition to parish ministry, the Very Rev. Dr. Scharf has served in various leadership roles within his diocesan communities and the wider Episcopal Church, including Standing Committee President, Convocation Dean, and twotime Deputy to General Convention.

As a congregational leader, the Very Rev. Dr. Scharf has been recognized continued on pg. 18

The Profile of the Diocese of Southwest Florida describes a vibrant community ready to embark on a journey of creative and transformational ministry.

As I reflect on the vision expressed in your Profile, I am excited about your clear commitment to grow more vital and resilient congregations, which will require an openness to adaptive change and innovative solutions. In the face of declining attendance and shrinking budgets, many congregations are seeking new ways to share resources, work collaboratively, and effectively engage their local communities. Your diocesan Profile expresses a desire to implement strategies to support clergy and lay leaders in their efforts “to combine Christian values and traditions with new ideas to develop a wide range of ministries” in their communities and beyond.

One aspect of this ministry that I am particularly drawn to is “attending to the unique needs and desires of youth and young adults.” I am an Episcopal priest today because of a personal, transformational encounter with Jesus that took place during a high school youth event. The formative experiences of community and worship in which I participated as a teenager have remained a source of inspiration and encouragement throughout my priestly ministry.

Consequently, I am deeply committed to the building up of sustainable and vibrant ministries that support and nurture the spiritual formation of our young people.

Over the course of my priestly ministry, I have been involved in youth ministry at the diocesan and deanery levels, and the congregations where I have served have each effectively and sustainably grown 15

their youth and family ministries.

The possibilities for the future of the Diocese of Southwest Florida are myriad. However, in order to accomplish the vision set forth in your Profile, it will be essential to identify, nurture, and train both clergy and lay leaders who are equipped to respond to the rapidly changing cultural realities the church is facing today. The development of transformational leaders is challenging, but essential if we are to build a sustainable future for the Episcopal Church. I am convinced that many of the issues related to congregational vitality are fundamentally issues related to leadership. If the Episcopal Church is serious about making the necessary changes to promote sustainable growth and renewed vision within our denomination, it is imperative that we renew our focus on raising up leaders who reflect the diversity we aspire to embody.

This kind of transformational leadership will require “out of the box” thinking and a deep commitment to follow the movement of God’s Spirit among us. Because only when we are grounded in grace, rooted in love, and empowered by the Spirit are we able to fully live into the vision and mission God has entrusted to us.

Congregational Vitality ranked highest in our diocesan-wide survey.

Describe how you orient your attitudes, beliefs and actions toward Congregational Vitality and provide a story that illustrates your experience.

Congregational vitality is predicated on congregational sustainability. In other words, before a congregation can truly begin to imagine a more hopeful future, it must first be able to maintain and manage a stable present. Congregational stability, both programmatic and financial, is essential,

because an unstable congregational system is often characterized by anxiety, fear, and uncertainty about the future.

Congregational leaders, both lay and ordained, need to be equipped to respond to this anxiety and fear in order to restore hope, renew vision, and reinvigorate mission. Moreover, sustainability that leads to vitality will almost always require adaptive and innovative change – and change leads to loss, which results in grief. Therefore, congregational leaders will need to be equipped and empowered to lead change, while also leading with compassion, grace, and a deep pastoral sensitivity to the spiritual and emotional needs of the congregation.

Beyond the theoretical, there are specific attributes and characteristics that seem to be consistently present in growing and vital congregations.

Intergenerational – Congregations that are intentional about recognizing, celebrating, and incorporating the spiritual gifts of all generations appear to be more spiritually vibrant and engaged. This requires that a congregation be willing to invest in ministry to, with, and for youth and young adults, but it also requires a congregation to purposefully provide opportunities for intergenerational ministry, including worship, fellowship, outreach, and even pastoral care.

Relational – Another characteristic of growing and vital congregations is an intentional focus on the formation of authentic relationships. We are the body of Christ, called to nurture and cultivate meaningful connections, and to support one another on our journey of discipleship.

Missional – Finally, congregations that are focused on something beyond themselves are more likely to be thriving than congregations that are primarily turned inward. To be a missional congregation is more than having an active outreach ministry, although that’s important! A missional congregation is one that cultivates a relationship with the surrounding community and seeks to identify where God’s Spirit is at work in the world about us.

In one congregation I served, there were several ministry groups that met throughout the week for various purposes,

including study, prayer, and outreach.

However, these groups were disconnected, and the coordination of these ministries placed a high demand on the time and energy of our staff and volunteers. So, after much prayer, listening, and planning, we decided to create an entirely new mid-week gathering that would seek to integrate many of these diverse groups.

The mid-week gathering, which drew 80-120 weekly attendees, was based on a simple model, which included a shared meal, informal worship, fellowship, and teaching. The new model successfully incorporated the three characteristics described above. It was intergenerational, bringing together all ages for a shared meal and corporate worship, followed by small group gatherings for children, youth, and adults. It was relational, allowing for meaningful connections and a deepening of relationships not always possible during the busyness of Sunday mornings. It was missional, providing an opportunity for greater engagement with our local community through fellowship and service.

The ministry of all the baptized (MOAB) is a vital, active part of our diocesan and congregational life. What is your understanding of MOAB? Please share one or two stories from your experiences of MOAB and tell us how you would encourage these ministries in Southwest Florida.

The baptismal liturgy of the 1979 The Book of Common Prayer defines baptism as “full initiation by water and Holy Spirit into Christ’s Body the Church” (p. 298). I frequently remind the members of the congregation I serve that baptism is the foundation of who we are and all we do as followers of Jesus. Baptism is not simply a past event, but a present reality that shapes and defines our entire life. Through baptism, we are marked as Christ’s own, empowered for ministry, and endowed with unique spiritual gifts, which are to be activated and used for the building up of the Church. I offer the following examples of the ways I have witnessed the importance of MOAB in my own ministry contexts.

16

Community Food Pantry – The congregation I currently serve has maintained an on-site food pantry for many years. Prior to the pandemic, the food pantry was housed in a storage area connected to our Parish Hall and the recipients of the food were primarily homeless individuals in our local community, many of whom would visit the pantry on a regular basis. When the COVID-19 pandemic turned our world upside-down, our church buildings were closed, including the food pantry. Within just a few weeks, the Chairperson of our Outreach Committee approached me about reopening the food pantry to serve the growing needs of our local community.

In response to this unprecedented crisis, the food pantry was completely reimagined. A new and expanded space was renovated to house the pantry. A drive-thru system was created to safely and efficiently distribute the food. Financial donations were solicited to purchase gifts cards, which would allow families to purchase perishable items not provided by the food pantry. Within a few months, we went from serving about 40 individuals a month to serving 80 families a week.

Donations grew exponentially. The number of volunteers grew at least tenfold.

Local businesses joined in the effort. And the entire ministry was coordinated by a team of dedicated and compassionate lay leaders – the ministry of all the baptized in action!

Leadership Gatherings – In addition to outreach, I have sought to be intentional about training and equipping lay leaders in the congregations I have served. In order to accomplish this goal, I have instituted quarterly gatherings of ministry leaders. The purpose of these gatherings is threefold – community building, training, and communication.

After the very first leadership gathering, we began to see a change in how our ministry leaders related to one another and their respective ministries. This has been one small, but significant step toward building a community of leaders within our congregation – leaders empowered to use their spiritual gifts and fulfill their baptism covenant.

It is this second example that I

believe is most applicable to the role of a Bishop, as one who is called to “encourage and support all baptized people in their gifts and ministries.” If I am called to be a Bishop, I believe part of my responsibility would be to assist in the training and equipping of leaders through intentional formational and educational opportunities.

What have you found most compelling in Christ’s call to you?

How is this related to your interest in becoming the bishop of our unique diocese?

I have been a follower of Jesus and a member of the Episcopal Church since my childhood. Throughout my life I have assumed many roles and responsibilities; however, my identity as a disciple of Jesus remains at the core of who I am.

The experience of Christ’s call in my life cannot be tied to a particular moment or event, but can best be described as a journey. Over the course of this spiritual journey, I have grown in significant ways, but most importantly, I have come to a deeper knowledge of my identity in Christ and the extravagance of God’s grace.

Identity - I think one of the most significant challenges facing many of our parishioners, especially our young people, is a crisis of identity. There is a cacophony of voices vying for our attention, but there is only one voice that defines who we are, and that is the voice of the One who calls us beloved. Just as Jesus at his baptism heard a voice from heaven declaring his identity as God’s beloved, so we are given the same identity at our baptism.

Grace – The identity given to us at baptism is an expression of God’s unconditional and extravagant grace, unearned and undeserved. The experience of grace has profoundly shaped my vocation as a priest and congregational leader. I am keenly aware that all I am and all I have is a gift from God, not of my own making. The longer I seek to faithfully follow Jesus, the more deeply I have come to recognize my need for grace. I know that I am unable to live the Christian life in my own strength, but with God all things are possible!

A bishop is called “to be in all things a faithful pastor and wholesome example

for the entire flock of Christ.” I believe that in order to be a spiritual leader for others, one must be spiritually grounded in the knowledge of one’s own identity as God’s beloved and as a recipient of God’s grace. This is especially true for a bishop, who is given the responsibility of oversight, and who is called to “follow Jesus who called to “nourish God’s people from the riches of God's grace.” With regards to the uniqueness of the Diocese of Southwest Florida, your Profile describes a Bishop who is first and foremost a spiritual leader.

Of course, a Bishop needs to be able to effectively manage resources and provide administrative oversight, but as “chief pastor and teacher,” the Bishop leads by example, always seeking to humbly and faithfully proclaim Christ in both word and deed.

Describe how the pandemic has informed and transformed your ministerial experience within The Episcopal Church. Describe how the pandemic has informed and transformed your vision of the ministry of a bishop. Tell us about how you would live into this vision within our diocese.

The pandemic accelerated and deepened the need for the Episcopal Church to engage technology as an essential part of our mission and ministry.

Prior to the start of the pandemic, the congregation where I serve was discussing the need to offer a live-streaming option for our Sunday services. We were discussing the need to create more video content, since our culture is becoming less reliant on print-based communication. We were discussing the need to increase our social- media presence in order to more effectively communicate with our local community. When the pandemic hit, we immediately had to put our discussions into action. We began live-streaming our services immediately using a make-shift system hastily assembled by our volunteer audio/visual team. We moved most of our small group ministries to Zoom. We began offering daily Morning Prayer through Facebook Live. Our thrift store pivoted to online platforms to continue to generate 17

revenue. And we developed an entirely new virtual church website to simplify access to these resources, and to help facilitate and coordinate an entirely new way of being the church!

For many months, we sustained a vibrant virtual presence, which provided opportunities for our members to stay connected and to remain spiritually grounded amid the pandemic. Attendance at online Bible studies and other fellowship gatherings actually increased during the pandemic. We eventually raised the funds to install a permanent live-streaming system. We also hired a Technology Coordinator and Social Media Marketing Assistant to sustain these new ministry initiatives. However, even though the pandemic has profoundly altered the way we will do ministry in the future, there remains a deep spiritual need to be personally and physically connected to one another as brothers and sisters in Christ.

There also remains a deep and abiding connection to our church buildings as sacred spaces. Many clergy, including myself, watched as tears streamed down the faces of our parishioners when they were finally able to return to our buildings. Moving forward, diocesan and congregational leaders will need to balance these two impulses – the need to engage creatively with technology and the desire to remain physically connected to one another and our sacred spaces.

One of the perennial challenges facing any bishop is the sheer size of the diocesan community. One of the comments quoted in the Profile expressed the desire that the bishop has “a ministry of presence.” And yet, it is often difficult for a bishop to be physically present in every congregation even once a year.

However, through the use of technology, the bishop has the potential to more effectively communicate through video content, social media, and livestreaming technology. The ability of the bishop to be more “present” to the diocese and to more frequently connect with congregational leaders would almost certainly create a more unified diocesan community, and would allow for greater clarity and consistency when it comes to communicating the mission and vision of the diocese.

At a Glance - Scharf, cont. from pg. 15

RÉSUMÉ

THE VERY REV. DR. DOUGLAS F. SCHARF as a gifted preacher, faithful pastor, and capable administrator. He is passionate about developing leaders and growing disciples of Jesus Christ through teaching and spiritual formation.

Through intergenerational ministry and intentional congregational development, he has effectively led the congregations he has served through seasons of transformational change and growth.

In his work in the wider church, the Very Rev. Dr. Scharf has sought to build bridges across differences and is deeply committed to the church’s mission to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ. The Very Rev. Dr. Scharf and his wife, Shannon, have been married for 22 years and have three sons, Clayton, Parker, and Grady. In his spare time, the Very Rev. Dr. Scharf enjoys reading, music, hiking, kayaking, and spending time in the beauty of God’s creation.

See the Very Rev. Dr. Douglas Scharf's candidate videos here.

EDUCATION Emory University, Candler School of Theology, Atlanta, Georgia Doctor of Ministry: May 2018 Concentration: Biblical Interpretation and Proclamation Thesis: A Living Hope: First Peter as a Model for Preaching Eschatology in the 21st Century Virginia Theological Seminary, Alexandria, Virginia Master in Divinity: May 2004 Cum Laude Asbury Methodist Village, Gaithersburg, Maryland Clinical Pastoral Education, Unit 1: Summer 2002 Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, FL Bachelor of Arts, English: June 2001 Cum Laude PARISH EXPERIENCE Good Shepherd Episcopal Church and School ( January 2017 – Present) – Rector • Fostered congregational growth and vitality (2020 ASA 343 – 23% increase since 2017) • Facilitated comprehensive Strategic Planning and Revisioning process • Deepened the relationship and missional partnership between Church and School • Developed and initiated Master Campus Plan for both Church and School • Empowered lay leadership through training, study and formation opportunities • Expanded community partnerships and outreach ministries • Hired additional clergy and lay staff in response to congregational growth • Invested in the intentional development of intergenerational ministries, including the hiring of a full-time Youth and Family Minister • Managed the combined operating budgets of Church and School of $2.5 million and investment funds totaling $1.4 million Holy Innocents’ Episcopal Church (October 2007 - 2016) – Rector • Developed congregational growth strategies resulting in 40% increase in ASA over 5 years • Facilitated capital campaign to renovate main worship space • Facilitated capital campaign to renovate administration building and expand parish hall • Designed and implemented midweek formation and worship opportunities • Expanded staff, including the addition of an Assistant Rector and part-time Youth Minister • Integrated technology in worship and Christian education • Cultivated an increased focus on community engagement through local feeding programs and partnerships with local schools Church of the Holy Spirit, Osprey, FL ( June 2004 – October 2007) – Associate Rector • Developed and implemented ecumenical young adult and college ministry • Assisted with the coordination and leadership of interfaith conferences focused on healing, reconciliation, and congregational renewal • Expanded opportunities for adult education and formation

18

NOTES

VOCATIONAL ASPIRATIONS • • • •

To continue to develop my gifts as a congregational leader through ongoing professional development and personal study To further refine and cultivate my gifts of preaching and teaching To work to create sustainable models of congregational growth and vitality To pursue opportunities for diocesan leadership within the Episcopal Church

LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE • • • • • • • • • • • •

North Palm Beach Deanery, Dean (2020 – Present) Leadership Team for Episcopal Schools, Southeast Florida (2019 – Present) Executive Board, Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida (2018 – Present) Episcopal General Convention, Deputy (2012, 2015) Tampa Deanery, Dean (2013 – 2016) Acting Chair, 47th Diocesan Convention of Southwest Florida (2015) Standing Committee, President (2013 – 2015) Standing Committee, Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida (2009 – 2015) Chairperson, Subcommittee for Church Planting (2008 – 2011) Committee for Congregational Development (2008 – 2011) Diocesan Council, Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida (2005 – 2007) Spiritual Director (Cursillo, Happening, and Kairos ministries)

CONTINUING EDUCATION • • • • • • • • • • •

CEEP Annual Conference – (2019 - 2020) NAES Biannual Conference – (2018, 2020) Sabbatical Leave – Pilgrimage to Rome (2014) Behold the Man – Pilgrimage to the Holy Land (2013) Oxford Summer School – Oxford University ( July 2005) German Language Studies – University of Florida (2006) Professional Study Leave – Duke University (November 2006) Study Area: History of Biblical Interpretation Safeguarding God’s Children: Child Abuse Prevention Training (Last Renewed: 2017) The People Map Basic Training Program: The People Map is a personality system used to determine and understand personality type in order to foster healthy relationships. (2006) Peacemaker Ministries: Biblical Conflict Resolution (2005) Conflict Management Training: Alban Institute (2003)

SKILLS AND PERSONAL QUALITIES • • • •

Preaching, Teaching, and Mentoring Leadership and Administration Congregational Development Pastoral Care and Active Listening

INTERESTS AND HOBBIES • • •

I am committed to a regular pattern of prayer and study, which includes the discipline of praying the Daily Office.

For recreation, I enjoy reading, hiking, kayaking, golf, and music (playing the piano) I also cherish time with my wife, Shannon, to whom I’ve been married for 22 years, and our three sons, Clayton (17), Parker (14), and Grady (10).

19

THE REV. TIMOTHY E. SCHENCK RECTOR, EPISCOPAL PARISH OF ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST, HINGHAM, MASSACHUSSETS

What is it about the Diocese of Southwest Florida that excites you, challenges you, and draws you to accept our invitation?

AT A GLANCE

T

he Rev. Tim Schenck serves as Rector of the Episcopal Parish of St. John the Evangelist in Hingham, MA, on Boston’s South Shore.

A parish priest for 21 years, he has also served parishes in Maryland and New York. Along with a monthly syndicated column, the Rev. Schenck is the author of five books full of humor and faith.

Most recently, he wrote a free resource guide for Episcopal Church Foundation titled Hybrid Church: A Way Forward for Church Leaders. Active on social media, the Rec. Schenck is the creator of the wildly popular online devotion Lent Madness (think 32 saints in an NCAAstyle bracket tournament).

The Rev. Schenck graduated from Tufts University in Medford, MA, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science in 1991, where he also enrolled in Army ROTC. Trained as a tank platoon leader and paratrooper, the Rev. Schenck served in the Army Reserve prior to attending seminary.

He received a Master of Divinity from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in Evanston, IL, in 2000. continued on pg. 23

The deep, soulful desire for congregational vitality -- that’s what both excites and challenges me about the Diocese of Southwest Florida. And I hope it’s what excites and challenges every single Christian in the diocese.

In a word, this is discipleship. It is the way in which we live out our faith in Jesus Christ; the way in which we pick up our cross and follow the one who calls us each by name. We do this not in isolation, but in the midst of a worshiping community, those beautiful, imperfect places where we find and are found by God. I’m also excited about the opportunity to share the good news of the Gospel in creative ways. I sense a spirit of adventure, rooted in the tradition of our faith. And, as I’ve reflected, and prayed, and spoken to my spouse and valued colleagues and mentors about allowing my name to go forward, the lessons learned from pandemic ministry stand at the heart of my desire to walk with you in this process.

The Church has been broken open in some very real ways. We can either pretend nothing’s changed and risk being sidelined by our own inaction, or we can embrace the new directions and patterns of ministry into which we are being drawn. While every context is different and every congregation is unique, now is the time to embrace bold change.

Not by ignoring or abandoning our traditions, but by leaning into them and communicating them in ways that inspire and stir us to action. This moment holds out great opportunity for the Church and I pray we will seize it.

I also hear a desire for an innovative communications strategy which, to 20

me, is simply a fancy way of saying evangelism. When we engage social media in authentic ways, when we share the gospel through technology, when we embrace new ways of doing and being church, we aren’t innovating for innovation’s sake. Rather, we are using modern methods to share the old, old story in new and compelling ways. This also excites and challenges me as I think about congregational vitality through the many ways we connect with God and one another.

Every call I’ve answered in over 20 years of ordained ministry, started with a laugh and an immediate ‘no way.’ Then the Holy Spirit flipped my preconceived notions, and I’ve found myself in fruitful, life-giving situations. Although I now feel called to enter into discernment with the people of the Diocese of Southwest Florida, this process started the same way for me. With an encouraging phone call from a priest of the diocese, a laugh, and a ‘no way.’ And then the Holy Spirit did its thing.

So, I’m excited to enter into this process with you. I look forward to getting to know you, and to sharing my story with you. And I pray that the bishop you call will lead this diocese into nothing less than the transformative power of the risen Christ.

Congregational Vitality ranked highest in our diocesan-wide survey.

Describe how you orient your attitudes, beliefs and actions toward Congregational Vitality and provide a story that illustrates your experience.

At heart, I am a parish priest. In my experience, the Spirit truly does live and move and have its being in the context of congregational life. Indeed, it is in the local worshipping community, that we most often encounter Jesus.

I fully believe that congregations grow, thrive, and remain relevant and vital only when they keep one foot firmly planted within the four walls of the church, and the other beyond its borders.

As communities of faith, we collectively gather to know Jesus, and are collectively sent out to make Jesus known.

At church, we worship together and care for one another and deepen our faith.

But this must be balanced by looking outward, serving the community, and being citizens of the world.

Lean too heavily in one direction, and the church becomes an insular club.

Move too far in the other direction and the church becomes a social service agency with vestments. What leads to congregational transformation is that dynamic interplay between in reach and outreach.

Think about Jesus’ approach.

He didn’t say “Follow me” to a bunch of unsuspecting fishermen and then build a little stone chapel where they could gather every Sunday before going their separate ways. He invited them to follow him into a new relationship with the divine, into a new way of being, into a place of living hope, into a life of transformation – together.

At one level, living a life of faith isn’t rocket science. Love God, love neighbor – that’s it. This is easier said than done, of course, but that’s the heart of it.

Jesus invites us into a relationship with God and one another. When it comes to forming congregations of vitality, it’s all about these two relationships.

In the year before the pandemic, our parish committed to the year-long Sacred Ground program. This film and readingsbased dialogue series on race has been critical to increasing racial understanding and reconciliation in our community, and has moved me to reflect upon my own complicity and complacency.

Co-facilitated by two parishioners (one person of color, one white) with great depth of experience in anti-racism work, we walked this ground with authenticity and intentionality; sometimes hesitantly and haltingly, but always with open if broken hearts.

We continue to face hard truths about race and culture in a world so desperately in need of racial healing. We continue to stumble and make mistakes in this important, but often messy, work. But the Anti-Racism Ministry that emerged out of this program continues to bridge the gap between the church and the world.

There’s no magic formula for congregational vitality. But when individuals grow in their relationship with Jesus, the community is strengthened and renewed. The good news is we already have the tools to do this: prayer, worship, Bible study, formation, service. A bishop’s role is to make these tools accessible, use them with reckless abandon, attend to the pastoral and spiritual needs of the clergy, and encourage everyone to dive into the deep well of relationship with the living God. The ministry of all the baptized (MOAB) is a vital, active part of our diocesan and congregational life. What is your understanding of MOAB? Please share one or two stories from your experiences of MOAB and tell us how you would encourage these ministries in Southwest Florida.

One of my mantras is “don’t let clergy get in the way of ministry.”

That’s not to say clergy are unable to do wonderful, creative ministry. We can and do! But sometimes we forget that one of our primary functions is to equip the saints for ministry.

I find that some of the holiest ministry moments happen when I simply listen, enable, and stand back as the Holy Spirit takes over. This happened recently when a parishioner discovered one of the greatest needs at a local food pantry was menstruation supplies. It never occurred to her that supplies to meet the needs of this basic biological function were not provided by benefits. She also discovered that period poverty – which impacts the ability to stay in school or hold down a job – was rampant in our wider community.

She wanted to do something about it and asked if the church was an 21

appropriate vehicle to initiate such a ministry. My take was that it was a church issue because it was a dignity issue; it was a theological issue because God created human bodies; and it was a social justice issue because equity matters. Thus, Free. (pronounced ‘free, period’) was born and, within months we had provided supplies to thousands in our area. The ministry continues to grow and thrive partly because I was supportive, but mostly because I got out of the way.

Another ministry moment happened when a parishioner, bemoaning the lack of age-appropriate Halloween activities for his young children, asked about the possibility of doing an event at the church. This led to the creation of the Not-So-Spooky Haunted House.

Now in its fifth year, this community event draws thousands of families to the church basement each October. Between displays and crafts and donuts and games, this unique event has brought many parishioners to the church. I call this creative evangelism.

In the ordination service for a bishop, the ordinand is asked, “will you encourage and support all baptized people in their gifts and ministries, nourish them from the riches of God’s grace, pray for them without ceasing, and celebrate with them the sacraments of our redemption?” This gets to the heart of a bishop’s work – to be an encourager for the ministry of all the baptized. And it is an essential piece of effective and faithful ministry.

Finally, I don’t believe a bishop can fully support the ministry of all the baptized without being accessible. The episcopate functions best when the bishop isn’t set apart, but set within the people of God. Physical presence matters.

Given geography and distance, I would use social media, as I have throughout my ministry, as a tool to build relationships with the people and clergy of the diocese when face-to-face ministry is not possible.

My social media presence emphasizes humility, humor, candor and authenticity.

I can only be myself, whether online, in the pulpit, or at coffee hour. But all of this points to the importance of deep connection and ongoing relationship.

What have you found most compelling in Christ’s call to you?

How is this related to your interest in becoming the bishop of our unique diocese?

“Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.” Having grown up in the Episcopal Church, I’ve been sent out into the world with these words for over 50 years. In my own walk with the Lord, I’ve always returned to this charge, to this invitation to “go.” Because in the liturgical dismissal, there is movement.

We are told to go. To go forth. To love, to serve, to bless, to rejoice.

My particular calling is rooted in the call to share the gospel. I do this in a variety of ways from the pulpit, to the books I’ve written, to my monthly column, to social media, to the digital evangelism of the popular online devotion I created known as Lent Madness, to conversations in coffee shops. This is simply how I love and serve the Lord, and these ministries are extensions of my strong belief in the ministry of presence.

As your bishop, I would continue to communicate the gospel and encourage and invite others to share their own faith stories. As the 16th century Spanish saint Teresa of Avila once wrote, “Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks with compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world.

Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”

This is a good reminder that we are, all of us, the Church. It’s not about buildings or institutions or fancy vestments. Ours are the hands and feet and eyes of Jesus himself. And when we are sent forth into the world, we are encouraged to live our lives and root our actions in this very notion. By virtue of baptism into his death and resurrection, we have been commissioned and sent forth by Jesus Christ.

So, my calling is intertwined with your calling, my faith is embedded in your faith, my baptism is connected to your

baptism. There is an interconnectedness that must exist between bishop and people.

What we share, for now, is a passion for the gospel and a desire to make Jesus known in our lives and in the world.

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry reminds us that Jesus came into the world to start a movement, not create an institution. This doesn’t mean we ignore our responsibilities to be faithful stewards of all that God has entrusted to us. Not at all! But it does mean the institution must serve the mission of the Church, not the other way around.

As your bishop I would look forward to serving alongside you to determine the most faithful ways to do just that. And I trust that the collaborative process of prayer and mutual discernment unfolding in Southwest Florida will reveal the person being sent forth to love and serve the Lord in your midst.

Describe how the pandemic has informed and transformed your ministerial experience within The Episcopal Church. Describe how the pandemic has informed and transformed your vision of the ministry of a bishop. Tell us about how you would live into this vision within our diocese.

This pandemic has been incredibly painful for so many. Death, grief, fractured communities, loss of time with loved ones. People are exhausted; clergy are running on fumes; church leaders need space to grieve and heal in order to pastor effectively and faithfully. So, you can’t speak about the pandemic, especially in a state hit so hard by this virus, without first recognizing the deep pain, and offering up our collective sorrow to God. This time has also broken open the church in some new and life-giving ways.

Many of our traditional assumptions were flipped as we literally turned a brick and- mortar institution into a virtual one overnight. Frankly, I never thought I’d be a televangelist. But for 62 straight weeks, that’s basically what I became when we moved away from in-person worship at the parish I serve.

The point is, we collectively adapted, tried new things, and got 22

creative. This spirit of innovation has challenged and transformed the church in ways we are still reckoning with and recognizing, and it was not without cost to the emotional and physical health of many church leaders.

Yet, I see great opportunity embedded within the loss of so much of what we’ve known and the challenges we’ve faced. We’ve now entered an era of hybrid ministry that blends technology with spirituality, and reminds us that our ministry is so much more than gathering in person on a specific day at a specific time in a specific place. I’m increasingly convinced that we must be a Church that welcomes and spiritually nourishes people in whatever way they show up, whether in person or online.

Every context is different, but there are some universal best practices of hybrid ministry that should be shared and encouraged and enabled. As bishop, I would listen and learn and spend time in each place where ministry is happening, and work to empower lay leaders and clergy to share the good news in bold and creative ways. Ultimately, the postpandemic church is rooted in theology, not technology.

Still, the lessons we learned during the pandemic have the potential to bring the diocese together, and I would look forward to further conversations that explore how technology might build community, enable access, and facilitate justice work.

Now that everyone, even my mother(!), has embraced Zoom, why wouldn’t we look for new ways to grow in God, spread the gospel beyond our walls, and reach out to those on the margins?

We have an opportunity to be connected to God and one another in ways that transcend the way we’ve always done things.

The bishop, like the Church itself, must be out in the world, visible, accessible, and standing with and ministering to the diversity and fullness that is the Body of Christ in Southwest Florida. And the bishop, like the Church, cannot merely be a defender of the status quo, but an advocate and leader in shaping and forming the post-pandemic Church in all its to-be-revealed glory.

At a Glance - Schenck, cont. from pg. 20

RÉSUMÉ

THE REV. TIMOTHY E. SCHENCK When not tending to his parish, drinking coffee, desperately seeking material for his In Good Faith column, or blogging at Clergy Confidential, you’ll likely find Tim spending time at the St. John’s Rectory with his wife Bryna and rescue dogs, Cooper and Daisy Duke. They have two sons in their early twenties.

See the Rev. Timothy Schenck's candidate videos here.

MINISTRY STATEMENT I am a preacher, pastor, and evangelist, committed to knowing Jesus in my own life and making him known to others. As a leader, I seek to equip the saints for ministry by praying for them, empowering them, and encouraging them. I believe strongly in taking my faith, but not myself, too seriously.

PARISH EXPERIENCE The Episcopal Parish of St. John the Evangelist, Hingham, Massachusetts Rector: 2009 – present Rector of a vibrant, thriving, program-sized parish on Boston’s South Shore. During my tenure (pre-pandemic), our Average Sunday Attendance increased by 44%, annual giving went up 103%, and we added another full-time priest along with a Sunday School Director and several part-time positions. At a time when such trends were going down locally and nationally, St. John’s continued to grow in ways that included the largest Sunday School in the diocese and a flourishing youth ministry program. During the pandemic, we adapted by live-streaming our services to keep the community connected.

We also conducted a successful $1 million capital campaign and added outreach ministries to help people in need. Ministries added during my tenure include Laundry Love, Free., Not-So-Spooky Haunted House, Sacred Ground, Finance Committee, Green Team, Sunday evening service, Pastoral Response Team, Communications Team.

All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Briarcliff Manor, New York Rector: 2002 – 2009 Spiritual leader of 250-member parish in Westchester County, located 20 miles north of New York City. Broad vision of ministry helped form a joyful parish with congregants committed to Christ and one another. Major accomplishments: Oversaw congregational visioning process resulting in a new parish mission statement; realized a 42% increase in pledging; professionalized office staff and systems; led successful and energizing year-long sesquicentennial celebration; started popular monthly Saturday afternoon family service; initiated thriving Junior Choir ministry; improved parish communications; instituted creative liturgies, while maintaining traditional Sunday morning worship.

Old St. Paul’s Church, Baltimore, Maryland Curate: 2000 – 2002 Fully engaged in the liturgical, pastoral and priestly ministry of this large, historic parish in downtown Baltimore City; specific responsibilities included: oversight of a growing Sunday School program; mentoring lay leadership; directing parish visibility efforts including innovative advertising strategies; staff liaison to Outreach, Newcomer, Christian Education and Hospitality Committees. Initiated a high school youth group and helped plan and implement a popular new Sunday evening contemplative service.

DIGITAL MINISTRY Lent Madness. Created this wildly popular online devotion in 2009, partnering with Forward Movement in 2011. Lent Madness, which teaches people about the lives of saints in a fun, engaging way, reaches thousands of people across the world each weekday of Lent as saints compete to earn the coveted Golden Halo. Lent Madness has nearly 25,000 Facebook followers.

Social Media. I am active on social media and use it to enhance my ministry, reach, and 23

NOTES

accessibility. In addition to managing several church accounts, I have 10,500 followers on Twitter, 5,000 on Facebook, and 1,300 on Instagram.

Hybrid Ministry. In addition to recently authoring a 17-page booklet for the Episcopal Church Foundation titled Hybrid Church: A Way Forward for Church Leaders, I am co-facilitating a program funded by Trinity, Wall Street, called Leaders for Hybrid Futures: A Community of Practice, with a professor from Virginia Theological Seminary.

PUBLICATIONS In addition to over 100 articles published in a variety of religious and secular publications (many as part of my monthly In Good Faith column), I’ve authored five books full of faith and humor. These include: • Holy Grounds: The Surprising Connection Between Coffee and Faith – From Dancing Goats to Satan’s Brew (Fortress Press 2019) • Father Tim’s Church Survival Guide (Morehouse 2015) • Dust Bunnies in the Basket: Finding God in Lent & Easter (Forward Movement 2015) • Dog in the Manger: Finding God in Christmas Chaos (Forward Movement 2013) • What Size Are God’s Shoes: Finding God in Domestic Chaos (Morehouse 2008) CHURCH PRESENTATIONS Over the years, I have presented at a number of church conferences including: • Episcopal Youth Event (multiple times) • Consortium of Endowed Episcopal Parishes (multiple times) • Rooted in Jesus Conference • eFormation Conference at Virginia Theological Seminary • Episcopal Communicators Conference • Clergy Conference Leader, Diocese of Lexington • Diocese of New York Resource Day EDUCATION Seabury Western Theological Seminary, Evanston, Illinois. Master of Divinity, 2000.

• Student Body President.

• Anderson Award for highest student academic achievement.

• Field Prize for best student preacher.

• Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts. BA in Political Science, 1991.

• U.S. Army Reserve Officer Training Corps.

• President, Pi Sigma Alpha, National Political Science Honor Society.

SECULAR EXPERIENCE Political Campaign Consultant, Maryland, California, New York. 1991-1995 Consulted on and managed political campaigns including work on the federal, state and local levels; duties included strategy formation, fundraising, budgeting, volunteer organization, and personnel decisions.

24

NOTES

MILITARY EXPERIENCE United States Army Reserves. Officer: 1991-1997 Served as Public Affairs Officer for the 2122nd Garrison Support Unit in Baltimore, Maryland from 1994-1997. Completed U.S. Army Airborne School, Air Assault School, and the Armor Officer Basic Course. Honorably discharged as First Lieutenant in 1997.

PERSONAL I have been married to Bryna Rogers, Director of Development and Community Relations at Bay State Community Services, since 1995. We have two young adult sons, Benedict and Zachary, in their early 20s, and two rescue dogs named Cooper and Daisy Duke. When not tending to my parish, you can usually find me drinking single origin coffee, spending time with family and friends, rooting for my hapless hometown Baltimore Orioles, writing, and rolling on the floor with our dogs.

25

THE REV. CANON C. JOHN THOMPSON-QUARTEY CANON FOR MINISTRY DEVELOPMENT AND CONGREGATIONAL VITALITY, DIOCESE OF ATLANTA, ATLANTA, GEORGIA

AT A GLANCE

T

he Reverend Canon C. John Thompson-Quartey is Canon for Ministry Development and Congregational Vitality in the Diocese of Atlanta. Prior to arriving in Atlanta, he served as Rector of St. Mary’s bythe-Sea Episcopal Church in Point Pleasant Beach, NJ for nine years.

Before St. Mary’s, he was Chaplain for Pastoral Care and Director of the Community Outreach Program at St. Paul’s School in Concord, NH from 1999 to 2005.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Rutgers University, NJ and a Master of Divinity from the General Theological Seminary, New York. In his current position, he is responsible for inspiring vitality in congregations through parish stewardship support and vestry coaching, vocational discernment and seminarian support, clergy events programming and planning, clergy continuing education support, serving as resource person for the community of Deacons, and supervision of Campus Ministries and Youth Ministries. continued on pg. 29

What is it about the Diocese of Southwest Florida that excites you, challenges you, and draws you to accept our invitation?

What excites me about your invitation is the forward-looking approach to growing your diocese.

Your profile mentions that the people of Southwest Florida are looking for a bishop interested in growing more committed congregations and attending to the unique needs and desires of youth and young adults. This brought to my mind Isaiah’s prophecy of the peaceable kingdom, in which a little child shall lead God’s faithful people into a new future.

[Isaiah 11:6] There is something to be said about the resilience and exuberance which the young can bring into claiming a new future. Often, youth are willing to explore new ways of doing things and running innovative experiments which could lead the church into a creative and exciting future. My experience as an Episcopal boarding school chaplain confirms my confidence in the youth to help shape the future.

The various quotes from your listening sessions reveal to me that the people of Southwest Florida are looking for a partner to further the work that God has already begun in your diocese.

As a fairly “young” diocese, you seem to realize the great opportunity you have from God to write the next chapter of this flourishing diocese with the focus on revitalizing the Church through innovation. It is clear to me that God has blessed Southwest Florida with human and financial resources to expand the work of mission in this specific place and at this specific time. The breadth of outreach ministries across the diocese signals to me that caring for the poor, the hungry and the otherwise vulnerable children of God is a primary focus of this diocese, and that to me is not only 26

admirable, but encouraging.

What challenges me about your invitation is the people of Southwest Florida’s capacity for innovation.

Innovation requires change and modification to an established way of doing things. Yet, it is clear to me that often when people ask for change, they are sometimes not prepared for the loss which comes with change. For this reason, I see a real challenge for the next bishop of Southwest Florida. I am keenly aware that the loss which comes with change can be risky and lead to uncertainty, causing disappointment in the innovative transformation. So, the concern for me as I join you in discerning who your sixth bishop would be how to name the loss and still inspire trust in the system. My current work with fearstricken congregations, moving them from a culture of scarcity to one of abundance inspires me to accept your invitation.

Congregational Vitality ranked highest in our diocesan-wide survey.

Describe how you orient your attitudes, beliefs and actions toward Congregational Vitality and provide a story that illustrates your experience.

My orientation - my north star - is the Ephesians 4 model of equipping the saints for the work of ministry. My attitude and belief toward congregational vitality is equipping congregations with the tools for discerning a vision and their mission in their communities and the necessary skills for innovating. I believe that in every community, God is already at work transforming lives.

What is needed is for the Christian community to partner with God in the work of transformation, both within the congregation and beyond its walls.

Much of the work I have been engaged in for the past seven years is

fostering congregational vitality. When I arrived in my current position some eight years ago, there was not much in place to help small congregations that are struggling. Unfortunately, a good portion of our churches are small and aging, without a clear path for generating vitality. We stood up a team of lay and ordained persons which became the Task Force for Congregational Vitality. With the fourteen-member Task Force, we created a process for generating vitality in our struggling parishes. Within one year, we had a process and a strategic plan to help not only our struggling congregations, but all our congregations that are looking to remain vibrant and vital in their communities.

The capstone project of our strategic plan was the inauguration of the College for Congregational Development, which we accomplished this year, during a pandemic. The church’s work of transforming lives must go on. In the week-long training, the College offered our participating lay and clergy teams new life and energy to spread the good news of Jesus Christ in fresh and exciting ways and to be the church that God has called them to be in the communities they serve.

This has been a regenerative innovation for everyone involved, and the Holy Spirit has rekindled a new fire in the hearts of our congregations. The outgrowth of our work in the past seven years includes the formation of matured Christians who practice their faith beyond Sunday morning. They bring the practice of the Christian faith into their homes, engage passionate lay leaders in collaborative ministries with the clergy, and engage our youth in leading vibrant worship at diocesan gatherings.

The ministry of all the baptized (MOAB) is a vital, active part of our diocesan and congregational life. What is your understanding of MOAB? Please share one or two stories from your experiences of MOAB and tell us how you would encourage these ministries in Southwest Florida.

In his letter to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul writes about the unity of

the Church and God’s call to each of us to claim the grace given to us according to the gift of Jesus Christ. Paul said: “The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.”

[Ephesians 4: 11-12]. My understanding of this passage is that the work of the Church is to build the body of Christ here on earth with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. To accomplish this task, each member of the Church must discern what gifts God has given them. The work of the Church is engaging in total ministry of the faithful and by that, I believe every member of the Church, regardless of age or ability, is endowed with a charism whether extraordinary or simple and humble for building a community of love, forgiveness, and reconciliation. The variety of gifts in Paul’s letter tells me that every member of the Church has something to offer in building up the Church. Discerning what gifts we bring requires prayerful contemplation and trust in the Holy Spirit to reveal to each member what they have to offer for the work of mission. Our baptism initiates us into this community of servant ministry which was begun by Jesus in his earthly ministry.

Our baptismal covenant commends each of us to be the light of Christ in the world, and to display our Christian virtues in every aspect of our lives including our family life, work life and public life. In my current position, I have worked with congregations in assessing their spiritual gifts, and trained vestries to claim their roles as the spiritual hub of the congregation. We have adopted Mutual Ministry as a model of accountability in carrying out our ministries. We have also created a network of Wardens and closed Facebook group for Vestries to allow congregations to continue to share ideas and best practices in our worshiping communities, so that we can learn from each other about ways to deepen the spiritual vitality in our congregations.

Encouraging vestries to see themselves as communities of learning and to grow spiritually has proven to be essential in congregational vitality. This would be one 27

of the initiatives I would encourage in the diocese of Southwest Florida.

What have you found most compelling in Christ’s call to you?

How is this related to your interest in becoming the bishop of our unique diocese?

What I have found most compelling in Christ’s call to me is living a life of prayer in all circumstances.

Jesus never failed to pause whatever he was doing to find a quiet place to pray.

Through prayer, Jesus always sought the wisdom of God to direct his actions. I am a man of prayer, born into a praying family that woke up at 5 am every morning to pray. Henri Nouwen once wrote that: “Prayer is a way of life that allows you to find stillness in the midst of the world where you open your hands to God’s promises and find yourself, your neighbor, and the world.” Having prayer as the motivating force behind my choices, decisions and actions allows me to discern what is pleasing to God. Jesus’ life was also filled with compassion, especially for those who are vulnerable and weak, and this also compels me to be a follower of Christ.

I believe that when Jesus called people into ministry, his invitation was “come and see” what God is already doing in the world. What that says to me is that God is actively engaged in the world which He loves. Because I have given my life to God, I am compelled to take agency with God and partner with the risen Christ in healing a broken world. I believe that Jesus has called me - and for that matter, everyone who has heeded his call - into partnership with God in transforming the world.

Because Jesus enlisted the help of people to help spread the good news, I am compelled to believe that leadership is more about mobilization, motivation, and collaboration than a one-person activity. I am drawn into discernment with the people of Southwest Florida because they have asked for a compassionate voice for those in difficult circumstances, a gentle, innovative, charismatic, forgiving, warm, friendly, and humble bishop. I strive to acquire

these characteristics in my Christian journey, and I trust God to bestow what is lacking on me if I should be called to serve as the sixth bishop of the diocese of Southwest Florida.

Describe how the pandemic has informed and transformed your ministerial experience within The Episcopal Church. Describe how the pandemic has informed and transformed your vision of the ministry of a bishop. Tell us about how you would live into this vision within our diocese.

The pandemic has proven to be a real challenge for the Church, and yet, it has created opportunities to learn together how to re-imagine Church in creative and exciting ways. Being the Church requires bearing witness to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and to live as wholesome examples of Christ’s love and forgiveness. Even the pandemic could not prevent the Church from fulfilling this mission. Throughout history, the Church has been there in pandemics to set up clinics and hospitals to care for the sick and the dying. This pandemic has revealed the resilience of the Church in surprising ways. The Church has found ways to adapt in safe ways, while still carrying out its mission in the world. I have witnessed some congregations expand their outreach ministries by caring for hungry children and aging adults. Since worship is our source of spiritual vitality, I have watched congregations go virtual, making worship accessible to a larger community beyond their membership.

What the pandemic has taught me is that the people of God are resilient, and no matter what barriers we face, we always find a way to carry out our mission. When YHWH asked Moses to go to Pharoah and demand that he releases the people of Israel from slavery, the primary reason was “so that they may worship me.” [Exodus 8:1] Even in the wilderness, the people of Israel were able to worship because that was not only their primary purpose, it also served as their source of motivation. My

vision for a post-pandemic Episcopate is the bishop as chief pastor, continuing to guard the faith, unity and discipline of the Church by being the Chief Motivating Officer.

The immediacy of reaching the faithful in times of crisis has proven to be vital. With the use of technology, a bishop now has platforms for communicating with the faithful through podcasts and other social media and with clergy and lay leaders who are on the front lines through Zoom. Yes, God can certainly use God’s people in a pandemic to reach a much wider audience, and the bishop can be the Lead Inspirer in encouraging the faithful on a regular basis to continue the good work of touching souls and saving lives.

The bishop can continue to teach, lead worship, lead bible study, and provide encouragement and support.

28

At a Glance - Thompson-Quartey, cont. from pg. 26

RÉSUMÉ

He is passionate about Social Justice and Adaptive Leadership. He is married to Jerlyn ( Jeri), and they have three adult daughters. The Rev. Canon Thompson-Quartey enjoys going on long walks with his wife, listening to jazz and classical music, and birdwatching.

EXPERIENCE

See the Rev. Canon Thompson-Quartey's candidate videos here.

THE REV. CANON C. JOHN THOMPSONQUARTEY Diocese of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA Canon for Ministry Development & Congregational Vitality 2014 – Present The Diocese of Atlanta is composed of 113 worshiping communities. The goal of Ministry Development & Congregational Vitality is to enable congregations and ministries to become vital communities of faith and transformation.

Responsibilities • Worked with 45 vestries in leadership development through Vital Teams training.

• Supervise and mentor an average of 6 to 10 persons per year in discernment for ordination.

• Provide clergy support by identifying and inviting biblical scholars and experts in church leadership for four clergy study days per year.

• Supervise 3 Archdeacons and 33 Deacons and mentor persons in discernment for ordination.

• Support Hispanic Missioners and added 2 new Spanish congregations.

• Coordinate work of Stewardship, Global Missions, LGBTQ+ Commissions and the Commission on Ministry.

• Assist bishop diocesan with Sunday Canon visitation of 25 parishes per year.

• Oversaw an annual budget of $1.4M Major Accomplishments • Initiated a robust plan for Congregational Vitality culminating in the inauguration in the diocese of the College for Congregational Development.

• Increased diocesan Stewardship Commission offerings to help a greater number of our smaller parishes.

• Revitalized Campus Ministries and increased student participation from single digits to an average of over 20 students and initiated 3 new Campus Ministries.

• Supervised diocesan Youth Missioner, leading to an increase in youth participation.

St. Mary’s by the Sea, Point Pleasant Beach, NJ Rector 2005-2014 St. Mary’s By the Sea is a program-sized parish in a coastal area with an average Sunday attendance of 200.

• Initiated a youth ministry program and grew youth participation from 0 to 40.

• Led yearly mission trips with over 40 teens and 6 adults to disaster-stricken areas.

• Expanded outreach ministries in the parish from 2 to over 10, leading to the inauguration of a feeding ministry which provided hot meals to 150 each week.

• Trained 7 Stephen Ministers to assist with pastoral care.

• Initiated a Family Promise program to host an average of 5 homeless families every ten weeks.

• Initiated the Order of St. Luke and trained 8 persons to lead weekly healing services before the Holy Eucharist.

• Provided Pastoral Counseling and Spiritual Direction to an average of 3 persons per week.

• Supervised 4 office staff members.

• In collaboration with lay leaders, managed a budget of $400,000.

29

NOTES

St. Paul's School, Concord, NH Chaplain for Pastoral Care, Director of Community Outreach Program 1999-2005 St. Paul’s School is a college preparatory, coeducational boarding school affiliated with the Episcopal Church with an enrollment of 530 students in grades 9-12 who come from 40 states and 18 countries.

• Initiated the Community Service [Service-Learning] program for 525 high schoolers.

• Provided pastoral counseling to an average of 8 students per week.

• Served as adviser to the Christian Fellowship group of 25 students.

• Implemented a weekly student reflection session for the Service-Learning Program.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Concord, NH Associate Priest 2000-2003 St. Paul’s Episcopal Church is a resource-sized parish in an urban setting with average Sunday attendance of 400.

• Revitalized the youth ministry and raised the number of youths participating in the program from a 10 to over 50.

• Trained 3 adult leaders to take over the running of youth ministry.

• Led retreats for 10 pastoral care team members and 6 members of the LOGOS team.

Christ Episcopal Church, Ridgewood, NJ Associate Rector for Youth & Family Ministries 1997-1999 Served as Associate Rector of this resource-sized parish in a suburban area with an average Sunday attendance of 450.

• Led the junior and senior high youth groups of 30.

• Provided spiritual counseling to an average of 4 youths per week.

• Led and directed two youth retreats per year.

• Organized and led youth summer work camps and mission trips for 25 teens per year.

EDUCATION & TRAINING General Theological Seminary, New York, NY - Master of Divinity, 1994 - 1997 Rutgers University, Newark NJ - Bachelor of Science with Accounting major and English minor, 1988 - 1993 Clergy Leadership Institute - Certificate in Appreciative Inquiry, 2014 Lombard Mennonite Peace Center - Mediation skills for interpersonal, congregational, and other forms of group conflict.

Clergy Leadership Project (Trinity, Wall Street) - A learning and leadership training program which equips experienced clergy with skills for navigating through leadership challenges in parish ministry. Acquired advanced tools in Adaptive Leadership; where change happens when groups and organizations are mobilized to innovate and make progress on challenging problems.

LEADERSHIP POSITIONS • • • • • • •

Vice President for Social Justice, National Brotherhood of St. Andrew President Standing Committee, Diocese of NJ President, Black Clergy Caucus, Diocese of NJ Co-Chair, Anti-Racism Commission, Diocese of New Jersey Chapter President, Union of Black Episcopalians, Diocese of NJ President, Community Council, General Theological Seminary President, Organization of Black Episcopal Seminarians

INTERESTS • Bike riding • Long walks with my wife • Listening to jazz and classical music 30

NOTES

31

ONLINE VOTING GUIDE

32

HOW TO VIEW THE MEET AND GREET CANDIDATE Q&A SESSIONS & THE ELECTING CONVENTION

The Meet and Greet Candidate Q&A sessions will be livestreamed on the diocesan Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DioceseofSWFL and on the diocesan website: https://episcopalswfl.org/TV.html The Electing Convention will be livestreamed on the diocesan website: https://episcopalswfl.org/TV.html

33

THANK YOU

F

or more than 18 months three committees totaling 18 clergy and 20 lay persons representing the Standing Committee, the Bishop Coadjutor Search Committee, and the Transition Committee have lead the Bishop Coadjutor search, nomination and election process. They are priests and deacons, teachers, administrators, and lawyers, some who have lived a lifetime in this diocese and others who have come more recently. They bring to their work a multitude of perspectives born of various cultures and life experiences. But in the end, all of these people have one thing in common; a desire to find the very best person to fill this important role.

THE TRANSITION COMMITTEE THE STANDING COMMITTEE

Committee Chair:The Rev. Jessica Babcock Former Committee Chair: Kevin Fitzgerald (deceased)

President: The Rev. Carla B. McCook Vice President: Mr. Ray U. Stoll Recording Secretary: The Very Rev. Ryan R. Whitley Commission on Ministry Liaison: Ms. Jacqueline Smith

Erika Cannon Donna Davis The Rev. Joe Hudson Dominick Maldonado Leila Meizer Jackie Overton Melissa Rau Liw Villa Gomeza

Presbyters: The Rev. A. Charles Cannon, III The Rev. Carla B. McCook The Very Rev. Michelle L. Robertshaw The Rev. James C. Teets The Very Rev. Ryan R. Whitley

Shepherds for the Candidates: The Rev. Alex Andujar The Very Rev. Michelle Robertshaw Matthew Bowers Susan Park The Rev. Canon Chris Gray, Alternate

Lay Members: Mr. James H. Corn Mr. Duane A. Hollier, Sr. Ms. Jacqueline Smith Mr. Ray U. Stoll

THE BISHOP COADJUTOR SEARCH COMMITTEE Co-Chairs: The Rev. Jessica Babcock & Trevor Whitley Lay Members: Hazel Hudson-Allen Katie Arp Phil Beauchamp Ning Bonoan Greg Hearing Kraig Koach Michael “Mick” Moore Jackie Overton Steve Salvo Kathy Silverberg

Clergy: The Rev. Ann Dieterle The Rev. Robert Douglas The Rev. Dr. Deacon Lynn Grinnell The Rev. Adrienne Hymes The Rev. Deacon Michael Kitt The Rev. David Marshall The Rev. Christian Maxfield The Rev. Roy Tuff The Rev. Janet Tunnell

34