A
follow-up to our "Your Pledge Makes It Possible" series on the mission
and ministries of the Episcopal Church in Southern Virginia. If you
missed any of that series, you can find them all on our website.
During
the Bishop's Day conference in October, Bishop Hollerith outlined the
following four new initiatives that he would ask the Executive Board to
pursue with him were parishes to give their 10% fair share of giving to
the 2013 diocesan budget (initiatives are not in order of priority):
- College for Lay Leadership - a first-class, ongoing program to offer the lay leadership in Southern Virginia new ideas, new opportunities, and new ways to address issues of congregational vitality in the modern world. Based on the Bishop's Days program, this program would provide a broad framework for ongoing training and development, as well as a community of support for lay leaders in our parishes.
- Young Adult Missioner - a full or part time diocesan staff position for providing ministry to college age and young adult people. This position would be an individual trained in the newest forms of ministry who would engage the culture, identify possibilities, and challenge local parishes to provide new forms of ministry to this age group.
- Call an Assistant Bishop - to share in the Episcopal ministry with our Bishop by assisting with Sunday congregational visits, ordinations, Celebrations of New Ministry, etc. An emphasis will be placed on calling someone with experience in small church congregational development. (An assistant bishop is a bishop who has already been elected within another diocese and has either retired or resigned.)
- Call an Hispanic church planter - to call into the diocese a trained church planter who is not only bilingual, but also bi-cultural. This position would involve helping the diocese identify potential Hispanic communities and to work toward establishing worshiping communities.
NOTE: At present only 20% of churches pledge the minimal asking amount of 10%.
