Friday February 19, 2010
To the Clergy and Lay leaders of the Diocese
Dear friends and colleagues,
Upon the mandate of resolutions passed by both Diocesan Council and Diocesan Executive Committee, on February 10th I began calling a team together and authorized them to conduct a Viability and Vitality Study of the parishes that make up the Diocese of Rupert’s Land. This team is comprised of Simon Blaikie, Bruce Duggan, Jane Human, Preston Parsons, Bill Regehr, Mary Williams and Geoff Woodcroft and will receive staff support from Cathy Mondor. Their work will include defining the terms ‘Vitality’ and ‘Viability’, creating a tool to measure parish ‘Vitality’ and ‘Viability’, implementing this tool, and finally, assessing the ‘Viability’ and ‘Vitality’ of each parish based on this exercise.
This has not come into being suddenly. Direction 5 of The Way Forward called for a parish audit to “develop criteria to assess viability for mission of current parishes”. The 2008 Diocesan Synod passed a resolution to “support the concept of parishes assessing their ministry and mission as outlined in the Bishop’s Address to Synod.” I have called together and mandated this team as a result of listening to the many voices within our Diocese, including my own, who are concerned about the current health of our parishes and therefore the Diocese as a whole. As many of you are aware, similar work has been, or is being, carried out in many Dioceses within the Anglican Church of Canada. The Executive Committee has been studying these examples and other resources since last May in order to equip us for this work.
Please be assured that this team is not working in isolation. Each phase of the study will be brought before myself, the Executive Committee and the Diocesan Council for approval before proceeding. I have ensured that the entire process is designed to be open and transparent. Furthermore, this team will not make recommendations about parish closures or mergers. If and when that becomes necessary it will be the work of another group, mandated by diocesan authority (Council, Executive), using the results of this study as a place to begin that work. Having said that, once the study is completed it will yield the immediate benefit of providing all of us with a tool to enter into conversations with each other about how best to build and grow strong, healthy parishes into our future. The ultimate goal is to transform our Diocese, by God’s grace working in and through us, to greater health by: more intentionally discovering God's mission in the world, relocating physical resources to do the best work, and helping all Anglicans to grow in faithful discipleship as we reach-out of ourselves into the wider community - to grow the Church that ministers in the world.
I wish to say up front that this team has my full support as well as the full support of our Dean and Archdeacons. Team members are aware that this work will be difficult, and they need the full support of all lay and ordained leaders within the Diocese. I expect that they will be in touch with people all across our Diocese - inviting them into the conversation. Please uphold this team in your prayers and when asked, take that extra step to join in this crucial work.
Yours in Christ,
+Donald
Bishop of Rupert’s Land
