THE DIOCESE OF LEXINGTON

Mission House

 

July 26, 2017

 

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ Jesus:

 

            We trust and hope that this letter finds you doing well during a season of the year when schedules and vacations provide a more relaxed and slower pace. Know that you have been kept in prayer during this time and that the Standing Committee has continued to desire your prayers.

 

            The Standing Committee sensed that a significant amount of time was needed to be spent in prayer, having in-depth discussions and experiencing healing from all the activity surrounding the resignation of our Bishop Diocesan. While continuing to do the entrusted work of the Standing Committee, we have been reflecting on how to faithfully model our canonical responsibility of being a Council of Advice to the Bishop Provisional. Most importantly, we have had continued discussions about our future as a Diocese and have been prayerfully discerning our next steps.

 

            It is time for the Standing Committee to develop a process that will ultimately search for, nominate, and elect someone to serve as the next Bishop of Lexington. We are committed to developing an election process that lasts as long as it takes to find the person that God is calling to serve as Bishop. The first step in this process should help us see where we are and who we are as a Diocese and what we need to be a flourishing Diocese.

 

            To begin our work together, members of the Standing Committee will be meeting personally with all priests, deacons, diocesan staff and selected lay leadership of our congregations. During this time, we would like to hear the concerns, needs, hopes, abilities, and desires of our people. This collection of information will serve as a basis for ultimately strengthening our congregations and ministries to be ever growing and vital centers of mission and ministry. We will need thoughtfulness, honesty, trust, and candor in determining how this relates to the search for the next Bishop. These groups should expect to hear from someone from the Standing Committee within the next 30 days.

 

            Once this important information has been received, the Standing Committee will report it back to the whole Diocese. This should help us to assess who and where we are and can then become the framework for the important work of a nominating committee.  We are committed to having a nominating committee formed and an election timetable published by the end of September.

 

            Moving forward, we ask foremost for your prayers that we and all of our Diocese will be open to be led by the Holy Spirit. We ask for your prayers that we will have the strength, courage, and wisdom to follow the Spirit's guidance, especially in those areas that seem most challenging.

 

            We thank you for the opportunity to share this letter with you. We appreciate your faithfulness and discipleship as fellow Christians and your commitment to the Body of Christ in the Diocese of Lexington and beyond.

             

                                                        Faithfully yours,

 

                                                        The Rev. S. Matthew Young, SCP

                                                        Dale Chapman

                                                        The Rev. Paula Ott

                                                        J. P. Brantley

                                                        The Rev. Amy Dafler Meaux

                                                        Carolyn Witt Jones

 

                                                        The Standing Committee

                                                        The Diocese of Lexington

The Feast of the Transfiguration

Week of Proper 13, Year One (8/6/17) - BCP 978

www.lectionarypage.net

8:00 a.m. - Rite I

10:30 a.m. - Rite II     

VESTRY LOCKUP DUTY:  Linda Word

COFFEE HOUR:   Word Family - Thank You! 

• Yes, we are still looking for Coffee Hour hosts and helpers! Vestry members have agreed to pitch in on Sundays when no one else is scheduled, but we encourage everyone to share in this ministry as you are able.  

• Jan Stevens is our Hospitality Coordinator - contact her by email at [email protected]. If you would like to host Coffee Hour, please sign up on the printed sheet on the office window.  

COUNTERS:  TWO  n eeded

• Scheduling contact is William Legg, [email protected].