As I sit down and to compose my weekly letter I have mixed emotions. The public news of the budget and the position of the Ministry Developer in both Regions One and Four moving to part-time has stirred up emotions in myself and others. Change at this level is difficult because it effects people's lives and the church. For some of the churches I work with I think I am one of the longest serving clergy they had. For all the churches that I work with we had been through many defining moments and we have created a body of work that I am proud of. As I pray the image of Moses comes to mind. Moses lead a people in the “wilderness” to help them form an identity and a sense of purpose, yet he was not included in the population who entered the promise land. I think of Paul as he wrote letters to the churches that he established, yet he didn't get to see how much of impact he had on history and the Christian Church. I don't put myself on those levels, but I do know that the church is a resilient organization that finds a way forward through major changes. So, I pray that a Joshua and a Timothy emerges both in spirit and in presence for the days to come.
For me I don't know what my future holds. What I really focused on is doing my best work to this point. To see and point to where God is working in mysterious and miraculous ways. Please be patience with me as I continue to pray and process what this means for you are a people that I love and are in many meaningful ways my family. The coming months is a good time to complete things with me and be intentional about what you will need from the future Ministry Developer of this Region. Please get in contact with the Diocesan Office if you have questions and they will be available to answer questions that you may have. I stand ready to help where I can and now is the time to expand the network of relationships beyond our region. With that being said, I now turn to the news of Carbon County and I hope this letter finds you well.
St. James (Encampment): Last Monday I met with Vonnie as we put together the service bulletin for the 2nd Annual Church in the Park. The work went quickly and smoothly. I really value the intentionality of having this work done a week ahead which saves time and lowers my stress. The growing edge for me is to do this on a regular basis! The actual service on Sunday went well! At one point the Rev. Susan Dyer when over to the playground to invite the kids to join in the communion and they said, “No, we are waiting for the real food.” Susan told me that she was begging for more time to sit down and talk to these kids about what is happening. I laughed and realized that she was right. After we wrapped up I headed over to the church and to my surprise the “footprint” of the foundation of the new parish hall had grown! The sub-floor is laid and the area it covers will work nicely. It is sure nice to see that work in progress.
I drove to (St. Paul's) Baggs last Monday for the Summer Bible Cafe that the members of St. Paul host ever two weeks. We are working through the book of Ezekiel which is full of imagery that has many cultural connections. It takes time to sort through what is being said and expressed and so we don't move through the text very quickly. After we are finished reading it is nice to hear the everyday friendly bantering of the news of the Little Snake River Valley. They were gracious in adjusting their church schedule to accommodate the Church in the Park in Encampment.
Last Sunday I heard a funny story about St. Barnabas (Saratoga) on Sunday. As it turns out we have a “Passover Truck” in Saratoga. One of the members of the church was a firm presence in dealing with a difficult person in Saratoga and the word got out when this person saw this truck she didn't visit the establishment that the truck was located and avoided the driver of the truck at all cost. I am proud that the people of St. Barnabas took on a very difficult task in establishing boundaries and didn't get pulled into the guilt of being a “Christian Organization” and not “loving” when they held this person accountable for her actions. Summer also has caught up with this church were most of the members of the church enjoying the last days of August. Nevertheless they were present at the Church in the Park event and offered their singing talents.
Again there is not much to report about St. Luke's in Medicine Bow. It is my understanding that extended family members of the member of the church were in town and she wanted to spend some time with them. That makes sense. Arlend and I spoke on Sunday and he will be preaching this coming Sunday.
Although I didn't receive any pictures of the DOUBLE baptism (vs the dual baptism – wink, wink) that took place yesterday (August 21st) at St. Thomas in Rawlins, I heard that it was a wonderful event. The Mother of the baby, and who also is the step-mother of the baby's older brother, posted on her facebook wall that she really enjoyed the service and gave the Rev. Karen a thumbs up. From I know the handicap lift as been installed or will be very soon. I looked at what has been completed to date and the walls and surrounding area is looking nice.
What is coming up? Well this week I will be participating in two WebEx meetings one on Monday at 5:30 pm with the Ministry Developers and a second one on Tuesday at 5:30 pm with the Regional Reps. Wednesday I will be in Casper for a face to face meeting with the Ministry Developers and the Bishop. Thursday I head to Laramie to meet with Arlen's preaching discernment group at 2 pm. On Saturday there is the Pre-Convention Meeting using the VTC (Video/TeleConferencing) network. That meeting starts at 12 pm and will conclude at 3 pm. This Sunday I will be presiding at St. Luke's in Medicine Bow.
For those who do not receive the e-Spirit of Wyoming I have provided a copy of the text of “Pre-Convention Agenda, 2012 Budget and letter from Bishop Smylie”
Friends,
In the budget for 2012 you will notice changes in assessment revenue and our staffing model. Our assessment structure is one that has challenged our churches financially. Due to this, we will be reducing our assessment percentages for our churches in the coming year, and this change will decrease our diocesan revenue. This new assessment structure will be shared in detail at Pre-Convention and Convention. With this reduced revenue we will be changing the staffing structure for our ministry developers.
We currently have only two full-time ministry developers, the Revs. Joe Galligan and Doug Wasinger. In 2012 their positions will become part-time. Joe’s position has been moved to part-time as his Region’s needs have changed significantly over the past year. There are only two communities without priests, Thermopolis and Meeteetse, and because of this I cannot realistically present a budget with a full-time ministry developer for the Region. Joe will continue to serve this diocese in 2012 as a part-time ministry developer and will be serving at Holy Trinity, Thermopolis as their part-time rector.
Doug’s position is also changed to part-time in 2012. The office is currently assisting Doug in his discernment and exploring where our Lord may be calling him, and I ask that you keep Doug in your prayers.
I recognize that these staffing changes may cause concern for some of our communities. I assure you that I am committed to the future of Mutual Ministry, of having well-trained clergy and look forward to working with our Ministry Developers, our communities and our clergy in shaping the ever-evolving world of Mutual Ministry.
Prayerfully,
The Rt. Rev. John S. Smylie
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