wfn.org | Episcopal dioceses urged to move from survival into mission

[Daphne Mack <dmack@dfms.org>]

99-025
Mission partnership urges move from survival into mission

by Dick Snyder
(ENS) Explaining that they "are required to step out of 
ministry survival into mission," representatives from nine 
dioceses met during February at the annual meeting of Domestic 
Missionary Partnership (DMP).

The group was formed from the remaining dioceses which were 
in Coalition 14 when that organization dissolved three years ago. 
Its annual meeting was held February  4-7 at Burlingame, 
California.

Bishop Rustin Kimsey of Eastern Oregon, president of DMP, 
explained that "the health for us in wrestling with the 
missionary issue is that we are required to step out of ministry 
survival into mission in order to justify our existence within the 
Body of Christ."

"Our dioceses are missionary frontiers," he added.
Bishop Vernon Strickland of Western Kansas agreed, saying, 
"Every person is a missionary." He added, "Some of the best 
missionary minds in the Episcopal Church are in this 
organization."

Bishop Richard Shimpfky of El Camino Real said he was glad 
to hear of discussion of "establishment versus the mission 
model." He explained that many churches, and many dioceses, 
become enmeshed in "survival issues" rather than engaging in 
ministry. Some churches, he explained, remind him of enclaves. He 
added that his "real enthusiasm for the future is with Hispanic 
ministry."
He explained that people attending those churches "bring 
new people every Sunday."
"Building a mission spirituality for the future" was the 
theme for the meeting. It was presented in three segments: how 
missionary development of the past "informs our future;" mission 
and spirituality; and mission models for the next century.
The Rev. John Kater, a professor at Church Divinity School 
of the Pacific, used the life of Bishop Daniel Tuttle to describe 
the development of the church in the West, where many of the 
member dioceses of DMP are located. Tuttle was elected a 
"missionary bishop" by the House of Bishops in 1867 and served as 
first bishop of Montana and Utah. Kater concluded that Tuttle's 
"legacy is this: commitment and adventure go together."
Dioceses share models of mission
The Rev. Patrick Bell of Eastern Oregon presented a model 
for evangelism. He explained that congregations in his area had 
adopted a mutual ministry, or total ministry model and now wanted 
to put that model into action "making disciples."
He said that an active effort to recruit new church members 
has begun in the three communities he serves in southeastern 
Oregon.
The Rev. Kevin Phillips of El Camino Real made a 
presentation about the covenant group process of ministry used in 
San Jose, Calif.
Kimsey explained that the presentation about spirituality 
and mission was prompted by a comment made by Margaret Hardy of 
Navajoland during a planning meeting. "She said, `When the good 
(Anglo missionary priests in Navajoland) left us to go elsewhere, 
it was as though they took our spirit with them, and we would have 
to start over.'"
Kimsey continued, "We decided we needed to rediscover the 
word `missionary' and how we can live into being the kind of 
missionary who honors Christ and honors people like Margaret Hardy 
by equipping them to know their wisdom and act on it."
Bishop Andrew Fairfield of North Dakota said he found value 
in the meeting being relatively small, with about 40 in 
attendance. "We can really discuss issues thoroughly, with people 
with whom we may disagree on other issues. But here we talk about 
practical issues, and the theology of Total Ministry, and there is 
general agreement on that."
Strickland said that most all the dioceses attending are 
small in membership and lacking in financial resources. "We are 
all in the same boat. There is more strengthening and supporting 
here than any other meeting that I attend."
Most of the member dioceses have programs of mutual 
ministry, or total ministry.
That means "the community of the church finding its 
authority and power not in a clerical hierarchy but within the 
whole people of God. Developing a communal spirituality is a 
neglected pathway to this empowerment," said Kimsey.
Cooperation across diocesan borders
Delegates learned several dioceses are cooperating with 
neighboring dioceses in the development of churches near state, or 
diocesan borders.
Bishop Stewart Zabriskie of Nevada reported on the 
development of the "Colorado River ministry" in partnership with 
Arizona at Bullhead City, and at Needles in the Diocese of Los 
Angeles.
Fairfield told of St. John's in Moorhead, Minnesota. which 
has decided to affiliate with North Dakota because its 
geographical separation from other churches in Minnesota, and its 
proximity to Fargo.
Strickland said that churches in his diocese are working in 
cooperation with the Diocese of Oklahoma and Nebraska in regional 
ministries. He was elected president-elect of the group, and will 
succeed Kimsey next year.  The group also allocated $250,000 of 
national church funds among the three financially aided dioceses: 
Eastern Oregon, Western Kansas and Idaho.
Other member dioceses are North Dakota, Nevada, Utah, 
Alaska, Navajoland, and El Camino Real. 
Member dioceses will have an opportunity to apply for a 
grant funded by an award of $20,000 from the Diocese of Utah to 
DMP for new mission projects.  
The organization also welcomed the Rev. Ben Helmer, recently 
appointed interim Officer for Rural and Small Community Ministry 
at the Episcopal Church Center. Helmer said the office would work 
in partnership with the dioceses.

--Dick Snyder is a free-lance writer and frequent contributor to 
Episcopal Life.