Discernment and Change

Beloved in Christ,

In May, I announced the transition of several members of the diocesan staff.  We have spent these past three months saying holy and heartfelt goodbyes to staff members whose work has made a lasting impact on our work together as a diocese. I continue to thank God for all they have given us, and all I have learned from them. 

Every transition in our lives is an invitation to step back and ask, not just how we can continue to exist as we have been, but how we might take the next step in becoming who God is calling us to be. Rather than rushing to solve the problems of today, transition gives us an opportunity to ask how we can best meet the challenges of tomorrow.

With that in mind, I’ve engaged an organization called Ministry Architects to assist with this season of discernment and change in our staffing model. Ministry Architects has worked with many dioceses and congregations around staffing and hiring, and I’ve been impressed by the work they have done in other places. 

It’s my hope that, by convention, I will have a roadmap and reflections to share from this discernment work. In the meantime, you can see a full list of our current staff and their responsibilities here. If you are unsure about who to contact for assistance in our office, please know you can always contact any one of us directly, and we will make sure you get to the person you need. 

I am always and continually filled with gratitude for the work that I get to do as your bishop. The next decade will no doubt be a decisive one in the long term future of the Episcopal Church in Minnesota. The work will require each of us to bring our very best efforts. But as every generation before us has found when they faced the challenges of their own day, the risen Jesus, whose perfect love casts out fear, will meet us over and over again, buoying us along, sustaining us on the journey, and surprising us with new, glorious, and abundant life beyond what we can ask or imagine.  

Grace and Peace, 

The Right Reverend Craig Loya