The diocesan mission strategy listening team has issued its initial report and invites the diocesan community’s response—in person, online or by phone. The initial report is posted at www.diomass.org/new-mission-strategy.
Four open forums have been scheduled at locations around the diocese, at which the team will present its initial findings and invite further conversation. Online and phone response options will also be available during the two-week response period, April 10-24. The link and toll-free number will be posted at www.diomass.org/new-mission-strategy.
The four open forums will take place on:
• Sunday, April 10, 2:30-4 p.m., at Trinity Church (124 River Road) in Topsfield;
• Saturday, April 16, 10-11:30 a.m., at Trinity Church (parish house entrance at 206 Clarendon Street) in Boston;
• Sunday, April 17, 3-4:30 p.m., at St. Christopher’s Church (625 Main Street) in Chatham; and
• Saturday, April 23, 1-2:30 p.m., at the Church of Our Saviour (120 Center Street) in Middleborough.
After the public response period in April, the team will make any necessary revisions to the initial report. It will then hand off its revised report to the team that will actually draft the new mission strategy.
The mission strategy drafting team appointed by Diocesan Council and Bishop Alan M. Gates has been announced. Serving on the mission strategy drafting team are:
Billy Boyce, Grace Church, New Bedford
George Chu, Church of the Good Shepherd, Dedham
The Rev. Dr. Kate Cress, Church of Our Saviour, Somerset
The Rev. Dr. Lisa Fortuna, Diocesan Hispanic-Latino Ministries Committee
Hilary Greene, St. Mary’s Church, Barnstable
James Houghton, St. Peter’s Church, Cambridge
The Rev. Thea Keith-Lucas, Chaplain at MIT
The Rev. Philip LaBelle, St. Mark’s Church, Southborough
Lucinda McClain, St. Stephen’s Church, Lynn
Victoria Perez-Gonzales, St. Luke’s-San Lucas Church, Chelsea
The Rev. Deborah Phillips, Grace Church, Salem
Win Treese, St. Elizabeth’s Church, Sudbury
Douglas Unkel, St. Andrew’s Church, Ayer
Clark Warner, St. Bartholomew’s Church, Cambridge
The Rev. Dr. Meghan Sweeney continues as chairperson, with a co-chairperson to be named. The Rev. Canon Libby Berman continues as staff liaison.
The drafting team will be responsible for the third and final phase of the process that is underway to create a new mission strategy for the Diocese of Massachusetts. Its job is to write a draft mission strategy that responds to the revised report that it will receive in May from the listening team. The drafting team’s work will also be informed by demographic and other data related to the diocese and the wider Episcopal Church, as well as previous iterations of diocesan mission strategies. In collaboration with the bishops, the team is to develop its draft by early summer, in time to invite feedback from the diocesan community before the proposed mission strategy goes before the Diocesan Council in early fall and then to the Diocesan Convention for final approval in November.
Questions may be e-mailed to diomasslistening@gmail.com.
Editor's note: Comments responding to news stories about the mission strategy process are welcome for discussion purposes. Responses intended for incorporation into the mission strategy listening and drafting process need to be submitted through the open forums and online and phone survey options described at www.diomass.org/new-mission-strategy.