wfn.org | Sense of urgency reflected in third Clear Vision conference

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2000-213

Sense of urgency reflected in third Clear Vision conference

By Carol Barnwell

     (ENS) More than 300 representatives, including 28 bishops, from 39 dioceses 
attended the third "A Clear Vision of One Church" conference hosted by the Diocese of 
Texas at Camp Allen, November 19-21. "We want to create a synergy for bishops and their 
staffs to begin to move their dioceses from maintenance to mission," the Rt. Rev. 
Claude E. Payne, bishop of Texas, said. "It is very gratifying to have this kind of 
response to our efforts and our vision for three years in a row," he added. He likened 
the process of change in the church as "turning a battleship around." 

     Evidence of large gatherings in the dioceses of Alaska, Louisiana and elsewhere 
suggests that focusing on mission is working to help the church grow. Modeled on the 
Diocese of Texas 1995 Gathering, in which all 160 "missionary outposts" (as 
congregations are now known) joined for three days of leadership training and program 
workshops, these "Episcopal tent meetings" are designed to infuse congregations with 
energy around a diocesan vision for growth and evangelism. All have reported tremendous 
response. 

     Bishop Charles Jenkins of Louisiana delivered a rousing presentation on Tuesday to 
close the three-day conference. Despite Louisiana's declining population and a 43% 
decline in the average Sunday attendance between 1990 and 1998, Jenkins is positive 
about the church's ability to grow and thrive in Louisiana. 

     "We [must] make the status quo seem more dangerous than launching into the 
unknown," he said, explaining that a sense of urgency is critical in changing a 
maintenance culture. 

     "Stealing the vision" from the Diocese of Texas, Jenkins and his staff planned a 
diocesan rally to jumpstart a return to being a mission-oriented diocese. "We needed 
to convince 75 percent of our diocesan leaders that life as usual was unacceptable," he 
said. Jenkins was warned to cancel the rally event by people afraid of a low turnout. 
He said members of his diocese believed that "decline was inevitable." 

     "Well, there was no way I could cancel. We'd already ordered the box lunches!" he 
said. 

     Jenkins admitted being in a bad mood the day of the rally until he recognized 
church members waving at him from a "long line of buses" he passed on the highway. The 
ultimately successful event attracted more than 1200 persons, and the diocese now 
"celebrates the risk takers," he said.

     The diocesan slogan has become "Fail forward." "If we're going to fail, we'll do 
it in the right direction," Jenkins laughed. 

     The bishop emphasized recruitment of lay leadership, training and an emphasis on 
college ministry to develop young and future leadership as the focus of their current 
work. "We want to attract the brightest and the best," he said. "Educating the next 
generation of lay and clergy leadership is the role of college chaplaincies," he said. 
"They are not chaplains to the Episcopal students; they are missionaries to college 
communities."

     After attending last year's conference, Bishop Mark McDonald of Alaska held a 
rally to which Alaska's Episcopalians came in canoes and on sleds. The all-day event 
attracted hundreds who committed to redouble efforts to grow the church in Alaska. 

     A similar voice rose from last summer's General Convention in the form of a 
resolution calling for the church to double membership by the year 2020. The idea, 
called "20/20: A Clear Vision," has its roots in the first Vision conference held in 
Texas in 1998. 

     "This has been so energizing," said one participant. "I can't wait to get home and 
go to work. I've gotten so many good ideas!" 

     "Our vision is serving us well," Bishop Payne said. "We want others to benefit 
from what we have learned for the health of the whole church."

     This year's conference was co-sponsored by the dioceses of Virginia, Maryland and 
Tennessee.

--Carol Barnwell is communications coordinator for the Diocese of Texas.