The Diocese of Indianapolis has published its profile as part of its search for the diocese’s 11th bishop. The deadline for submitting names is Feb. 15.
The Rt. Rev. Catherine Waynick, 10th Bishop of Indianapolis, wrote in May of her plan to retire in early 2017. The diocese has charged the search committee with presenting three to five nominees by July.
The committee reflects on a few different themes in a section called Our Challenges:
- Evangelism: Our Diocese desires to grow numerically and spiritually. In order to do so, we want to be more confident in our abilities to articulate who we are as disciples of Jesus Christ and to invite friends and neighbors into our faith communities. Will you equip us by setting an example, and then help us learn skills and practices that will lead us to greater confidence and action? Then, will you encourage and challenge us as we make progress?
- Relationships and communications: We like each other and have had very low levels of conflict as a Diocese in the last twenty years. However, we are seeking more meaningful connections between our congregations and with each other. Will you empower us to revision or reinvent the way we spend time together in our deaneries and Convention, and will you guide us in using technology and staffing more effectively so we can overcome geographic and parochial barriers?
- Congregational sustainability: Some of our congregations have experimented with different models for ministry other than a hiring a full-time rector, while others are apprehensive about this idea. Can you help us use our imagination and creativity to embrace and implement new congregational leadership models that will enable us to do our ministry well, regardless of our size or staffing structure? How might we be hopeful for a different future and be on the proactive, leading edge of innovation?
- Connectivity with social issues happening in our communities: Our cities, towns, and rural area are experiencing poverty, gun violence, drugs, racism and controversy around undocumented workers. We want to do a better job speaking out against and engaging in action on these issues. Will you enable us with skills, spirituality, and practical tools to serve our communities in a more meaningful way?
- We want to embrace greater diversity in our Diocese, both in our leadership and in our pews. We are looking for ways to incorporate and bring to the forefront a diverse group of faith. We need to learn how to hear a critical mass of minority voices and to raise them up as essential to the faith community. Will you equip us to learn about and to challenge our own prejudices? Will you help us to make connections with people who are different from us? Then, will you help us to recruit, advance, and empower new leaders who have many different gifts and backgrounds?
- Finances: We are blessed to have endowments from many faithful ancestors in our diocese. However, we feel called to use these resources for something beyond maintaining the status quo. Can you help us rethink how we use these gifts in order to better advance our mission together?
The diocese will elect a bishop coadjutor during its annual convention scheduled for Oct. 27-29. The bishop coadjutor will serve with Bishop Waynick beginning in January and be ordained and consecrated as the 11th Bishop of Indianapolis on April 29.
Introduction to the Bishop Search Process from Hoosier Bishop XI on Vimeo.
