The Address of the
Rt. Rev. Dorsey F. Henderson, Jr.,
to the 87th Diocesan Convention
October 16, 2008
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Beloved, fifteen years ago--almost--having been
consecrated bishop only hours earlier, I presided over this convention
and addressed it for the very first time. I greet you today with the
same greeting I used on that day. It is borrowed from St. Paul: "May
grace, mercy and peace be yours from God the Father and Christ Jesus our
Lord"
Today, fifteen years later--almost--I am conscious that this is my last
address as your diocesan bishop. It would be easy for me to surrender to
the sentiment of the occasion--but my best effort is to resist that
temptation. We have pledged consistently over the years to be driven by
a strong sense of mission, to become more and more a diocese focused on
our determination--by the grace of God's Holy Spirit--to "love with the
heart of Christ, to think with the mind of Christ, and to act in the
world as the Body of Christ". Thus it is my determination today to shape
this address after our corporate mission, ministry and life together,
and around our future, rather than take a sentimental journey down
memory lane. Doris Day I'm not.
That is not to detract from the truth--and I simply must say this--that
I am deeply and profoundly moved by the love affair between us since
that memorable day in September, 1994, when you chose me to be your
bishop. You have loved me, and I have loved you--and like the parties to
any love affair, we have shared joys and sorrows. We have been through
thick and thin, known victory and defeat, occasionally disappointed and
puzzled one another, even angered one another, but we have also rejoiced
in our blessings and--in trying times--in the words of St. Paul,
"forbearing one another in love"--at least largely so.
Yet, what we have experienced together, and what remains between us, is
not simply of our own making. We have shared and celebrated God's
presence in the sacraments and in community--and basked in God's hope
and promise. It is God who has sustained us, guided, blessed, forgiven,
and redeemed us throughout. His presence and divine power among us and
within us as the Body of Christ we must neither neglect nor forget. "And
lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
I am also aware that we all await with tip-toe anticipation the
announcement of the final slate of nominees for the Eighth Bishop of
Upper South Carolina.
Therefore, while I can ignore neither that expectation nor the emotion
of this occasion, I can root this address where it truly
belongs--squarely in our reality as "One Body" with "One Mission,"
engaged in the holy purpose of "Changing Lives".
A footnote to our common reality is that my tenure as a diocesan bishop
is drawing to a close--a reality about which I have become more and more
conscious in recent weeks and months. That in turn has brought a more
vivid awareness of "things done and left undone."
Permit me first to address briefly "things...left undone". We have set
some goals which we have failed to meet, either totally or in part. I am
starkly conscious of them. Those which are my sole responsibility I must
take to my confessor. In the interim, I find some comfort in the prayer
that, as God blesses the results of our attempts to be faithful, so may
God redeem our failures and shortcomings. But personal accountability,
important as it is, is not the last word. There is God, and there is the
future. More about things left undone anon.
I.
Under the rubric of "things done", thousands of you, in your own faithfulness--and some who have since entered the nearer presence of the Lord--have blessed me in ministry and mission, to the end that my own life has been changed. How could I be anything less than truly grateful to you?
II.
Moreover, I am grateful for the things which we have accomplished together--always and only through God's grace:1. We have a remarkable sense of stability as a diocese. That comes, I believe, as a result of the trust and commitment to our Lord as His Body--His Church--in this corner of His Kingdom. To be sure, that trust has been sorely tested by the fractious, fearful issues and developments during our time together. We could easily have given in to crippling anxiety--but our mutual determination to be "mission driven, not issue driven", has kept us together and has resulted in far less fractiousness than we witness in some places.
2. Early on, we totally revised our Constitution and Canons. That enabled us in more recent years to restructure the diocesan organization in order to identify, facilitate and enhance our mission and ministry. Thus, through the efforts and creativity of many of you, we have devised a new commission system, an infra-structure designed not only to keep our eyes on the prize of mission, but which also encourages, supports, and strengthens mission at every level of the Church, starting with the individual. These commissions promote 20-20 vision: providing and keeping us ever mindful of God's purpose for us and the need to be fruitful and faithful to that purpose. Thankfully, adoption of this system has resulted in the involvement and creativity of more lay people and clergy in the life of the diocese than ever before. Oversight of the Commissions is vested in the Bishop and the Bishop's Vestry--what we call the Diocesan Executive Council--who also monitor the implementation, through the commissions and their constituent committees, of our vision action statement: "One Body, One Mission: Changing Lives". More than mere words, more than a catchy slogan: this document expresses our "marching orders"; it identifies the specific goals we have identified to be our call as congregations united as "ambassadors for Christ" in the Diocese of Upper South Carolina.
3. Beloved, the health and vitality of our Diocese in Christian mission is no stronger than the cumulative health of our congregations. If congregations are healthy and vital, then the diocese is healthy and vital. Thus, one of the most important facets of our life together has been to recognize the necessity to promote healthy congregations. More about this shortly; I mention the subject now because the Diocesan commission system is designed to keep our common vision of being "One Body" with "One Mission" -- "Changing Lives" front and center so that congregations and individual communicants will be united, linked together in common mission and ministry.
4. We can be thankful for a dependable and sustainable commitment to mission priorities:
a. Who wouldn't be enriched and blessed--even proud--to be part of a diocese remarkably committed to the work of Christ both within and beyond our borders: in Cange, Haiti; in Malawi, Uganda; in the effective evangelism supported through our Matthew 25 Committee; to the Spanish-speaking communities at St. Francis Church in Greenville, and St. Mary's Church in Columbia; through the new food shelf at St. Matthew's Parish in Spartanburg; through St. Christopher's program for VBS for low income children in Spartanburg; and the HIV/AIDS Committee at St. Mary's; at York Place, where healing is brought to troubled children and their families; at Voorhees College, one of three traditionally black colleges established by Episcopalians; at the Bishop Gravatt Center, where lives are changed in every season; through the Episcopal Relief and Development Fund and the Millennium Development Goals. God is working miracles, thanks to the partnerships we have. Bishop Beckham so often reiterated this truth: that through our partnership with Cange, we have been blessed ourselves far greater than whatever blessings we may bring to our sisters and brothers in that poorest diocese in the Church, the poorest nation in the West. I can say the same about each one of these outreach ministries--where we put the Gospel (historically referred to as the "Social Gospel") to work in our world, "changing lives", to be sure!
b. Christian formation has been an element of Healthy Congregations and our vision action plan--which you devised--established it as a priority. As a follow-up to that commitment I have consistently emphasized the need for Christian formation programs in every single congregation and for every single age: "from the womb to the tomb".
c. The Healthy Church Initiative is--surprise!--about health and vitality in mission--developing congregations as places where more and more people come into relationship with God. To be faithful to the Gospel, each congregation, like a diocese, requires a clear sense of our Lord's call and a compelling vision for putting faith into action. In offering the resources of the Healthy Church Initiative to each of our congregations, I pray and hope that each and every one of them will be rendered more effective at both hearing the Lord's call and taking action to respond to that call. There is an old adage: "Plan your work and work your plan". By the grace of God and the participants of so many within our diocesan family we have planned our work of mission. Now we are called to work our plan.
For at least three years I have been calling upon each of our congregations to take advantage of the Healthy Church Initiative or a comparable program designed to create a giant step forward in mission effectiveness. We have fallen far short of 100% participation in taking advantage of this great gift. My point, however, is in the good news. This program has legs, and--to mix metaphors--it will continue to take root among us and furnish new and sustainable life in our midst. Lay delegates, when you get home from this convention, bug your clergy and annoy your Vestries and Mission Committees: "Are we participating in the Healthy Church Initiative? And if not, why not?"
Worth special mention is this aspect of HCI: "The Bishop's Legacy Fund for Congregational Development". It's not important which of seven--or eight--bishops whose legacy we choose to honor. The importance of the Fund is in its use--purposes necessary for the long term health, growth, and mission effectiveness of our congregations--and thus of our diocese-- guided by these three initiatives: (1) empowering smaller congregations, (2) equipping vital congregations; and (3) founding new congregations. You have already been most generous in your gifts to the Legacy Fund. My prayer is that its growth and success will be a true and lasting legacy of our shared life and ministry in Upper South Carolina.
These are some of the things--only some--that we have accomplished together. No doubt I have omitted others in this address, but for lack of time, not absence of importance or personal recognition. As one example: the establishment of a system to discern calls to the diaconate, and to prepare those persons for ordination for servant ministry. And--again, for lack of time, not absence of importance--I give short-shrift to many other steps forward we have made in the spiritual journey of mission and ministry of our life together--thanks to your commitment and God's grace.
As for my ministry among you, however it might be evaluated--none of it would have been possible without the consistent, faithful and vigorous support of my staff. Their ministry is largely "under the radar", unseen and unappreciated by the average person in the pew, until something goes amiss--and then they are as likely to receive blame as they are to receive appropriate appreciation for the many "fixes" they do for us. They are a tireless crew, incomparable among staffs in other dioceses--and coveted by other bishops. They cover your backs, making sure that canons are followed, financial practices are sound, properties are safe, children are safe, legal and financial liability are prevented, medical insurance premiums paid, youth and young adults activated and involved, communications enhanced, the School for Ministry augmented, conventions and training days occur, financial Statements of Mission finalized and honored, disputes between Vestries and clergy resolved. Without them we would have no system for the discernment of vocation and preparation for ordination of clergy; no way to provide Vicars or Rectors or staff clergy in our congregations when vacancies occur, no training and licensing of lay people in their critical ministries. In short, you and I need people who get things done, tasks both pleasant and unpleasant--and my staff gets things done! My gratitude for them is lifelong: for their commitment, for their labor daily, regularly working overtime, for their loyalty, for getting things done--for us!
III.
"Things done" and "things left undone" combine to shape the challenges
which are the springboard into our future as a diocese. Some of these
"things not done" are not news to you. Recently I re-read the final
convention address of my holy predecessor, Bishop Beckham, delivered in
February of 1994. This is a significant excerpt which speaks to me
because it seems as accurate now as it did 15 years ago:
First, Bishop Beckham said, first we are a good diocese with many
strengths. We are basically free from conflict and the rancor which
afflicts our society and finds its way into the Body...but Beloved we
are not a strong Diocese nor are we united in the vast majority of
opportunities which come to us. We can do more than even hoped for when
the call is clear and the object of mission well defined. Yet, we simply
cannot all pull in one direction when the task is local and
interpersonal and subjective. No chosen priority has ever been accepted
by the entire Diocese...There are many reasons for this, of course,
including bad economic times and poor follow through. But, it is clear
that the one, consistent reason for failure has been the refusal or the
inability of key persons and congregations to be part of the greater
whole. Bishop Beckham concludes his remarks by saying: They don't fight
about it -- they simply go their own way and do their own thing and
never look back.
Of course, that would not apply to any of us here today--right?--but
with my predecessor's observations in mind, let us turn our attention to
what would be
the briefest of summations of my hopes and dreams, my desires and my
efforts as your bishop for these last 15 years. They are expressed in
these six words: "One Body. One Mission. Changing Lives." They have been
our calling as a diocese. They describe who we are and what we do. They
depict "things done," things to be celebrated; but unavoidably they also
register "things left undone." With those words as a spotlight, let us
highlight what is lacking, if (in light of Bishop Beckham's insight) we
are to be both a "good" and a "strong" diocese. Because, as we reflect
on the clarity of our vision and the specificity of our goals, we must
add, "And yet...".
Our clear commitment has been to seek unity as ONE BODY; we reaffirm it
regularly. "And yet..."? And yet, we too frequently fall into the
temptation to do our own thing, both congregationally and individually.
Contrary to our calling and our commitment, we continue in far too many
instances an "us" and "them" behavior pattern. For some, the "Diocese"
is "them," against "us." We fail to look beyond our parochial needs,
apparently in the conviction that all religion, like all politics, is
local. Beloved, limited vision, limited action, limited cooperation
result only in limited results.
To the extent that the things you and I have done and left undone
continue this limited vision, let us in the best Christian tradition
seek forgiveness and newness of life. Let us redouble our efforts to
promote a healthy, mature trust among us so that the Christ who is
between us may be honored, shared and served--taking advantage of the
increase in both power and resources we have available as a diocese when
we are united--for increased, not limited, results.
Our clear commitment has been to ONE MISSION. "And yet...?" And yet, our
failure to work as a unified body has negative consequences for our
Mission, too. Too often we have relegated our outreach ministries to
groups of good, highly motivated people. We hesitate to take full
ownership as One Body of the very mission outreach projects which we
have ourselves have established as priorities. On the other hand, if we
brought those outreach priorities under a single "Outreach Umbrella," so
to speak, we would insure that these remarkably effective programs were
focused and life-changing for everyone they touch, not only today for
years to come. More importantly, we could insure that they are not only
sustainable--but sustained, financially and otherwise.
Our mission in Cange is a perfect example. To be sure, it moves our
hearts and is a catalyst to adrenaline and action. But today it is in
peril because of the lack of steady funding to replace deteriorating
equipment. I'm not talking about ball point pens and paper clips. I'm
talking about water dams and power generators and other equipment
necessary to support the farms, the schools, the hospital, the parish
church and the medical mission trips which are the result of our earlier
work. In short, we have failed to follow through on a mission priority
that we, as a Diocese, have marked as our own.
Nor dare we dare ignore the need to enlarge the ability of the Matthew
25 Committee to foster other, new outreach programs on our behalf and to
sustain existing programs, viable and essential programs--such as our
thrilling, Spanish-speaking missions and their enthusiastic, mostly new
Episcopalians. "One Mission" means focusing our attention. "One Body"
with "One Mission." We need to make the connection more clear, more
real.
Our clear commitment has been to the one mission to which we have
discerned God is calling us: CHANGING LIVES. "And yet...?" And yet,
Beloved, between 1997 and 2008, only 26 of our 63 congregations grew in
average Sunday attendance. Now I know that numbers can be deceiving, but
they are at least one of the factors by which we can measure our
spiritual health. So, whatever else lies behind these numbers, one thing
you and I cannot ignore is the fact that our positioning to "CHANGE
LIVES" needs to be bolstered. Specifically, we need to recapture a
dynamic sense of being spiritual entrepreneurs. To put it in blunt
terms, the Episcopal Church in Upper South Carolina must grow. We must
grow numerically, as well as spiritually, in gospel maturity. To
accomplish this will take a concerted effort on everyone's part to be
the church, "aware of all God's mercies," thankful for them "not only
with our lips but in our lives," and willingly sharing with a needy
world what God has mercifully given to us.
I know that you join me, when I say that I firmly believe that God has
given the Episcopal Church amazing gifts. We are richly blessed in the
ways we can and do receive God's Christ and the ways we can and do share
this "good news" with the world around us. Now is the time to take what
we believe to heart and put it into action. God--in--Christ has given us
what we need; say" thank you;" and--and--share the gift! Now that's what
we're talking about. That's what we've been talking about for so long.
As we continue to be open to God's changing power at work in
ourselves--an essential daily, spiritual task--That is what it means to
"CHANGE LIVES"--say "thank you"--and share the gift!
Beloved, you know that it's time to retire when you start repeating your
stories. But this one I find as compelling today as when I first found
it: A group of students in a high school religion class were asked to
write a scenario for what might have transpired in heaven when Jesus
returned after the Resurrection. One student created this scene:
"Jesus is walking down the golden street, arm-in-arm with the Angel
Gabriel. Gabriel speaks first: ‘Master, you died for the whole world
down there, did you not?' ‘Yes!' Jesus answers. ‘You must have suffered
much.' ‘Yes.' ‘And do they all know about it?' ‘Oh, no! Only a few in
Palestine know about it so far.' ‘Well, Master, what is Your Plan? What
have You done about telling all of the world's people that you died for
them? What is Your Plan?' ‘Well, I asked Peter, and James, and John, and
Andrew, and some of them down there to make the business of telling
others about me the number one priority in their lives. And the others
are to tell others, and the others, others, and yet others, and still
others, unless the last men and the last women and the last boys and
girls in the farthest corners of the world have heard the story of how I
gave My life for them, because I love them so much.'
‘Yes, but suppose Peter fails. Or suppose John simply forgets. Or what
if their successors, maybe in the 21st century--(and here I editorialize
a bit)--what if those Episcopalians in Upper South Carolina and that
bishop retiring down there, fail or forget? What then? Surely you have
made other plans!' Jesus replies, ‘Gabriel, I have not made any other
plans--I'm counting on them!'"
Beloved, the Lord is counting on us to be His Body doing his
work--proclaiming his liberating gospel--acting in unity to accomplish
his mission--and therefore our mission as his Body--so that his people
at home and beyond and here begin more and more to "love with the heart
of Christ, think with the mind of Christ, and act in the world as the
Body of Christ". The question remains now, as it did two thousand years
ago: Will we? Will we?