The House of Bishops has emerged from its spring retreat with a sense of hope and being grounded in missions.
On March 24, the last of six days at Camp McDowell in Nauvoo, Alabama, the bishops reflected on their conversations and dialogues, both formally and informally. In addition to spending the week in prayer, the bishops joined in reflections and conversations on issues including declining church attendance, prayer as a form of witness, church property, Christian nationalism, immigration, hope and institutions, and Title IV.
“The spring retreat of the House of Bishops is always an opportunity for bishops to gather, be in prayer together, reconnect, and consider how we best participate in God’s mission,” Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe said. “This week, we were sure to find grounding in prayer while considering the world around us.”
He added: “How can we most effectively speak to the world around us and, to our own dioceses and contexts, think about growth, and have a compelling witness to the gospel in the world? We spent time talking about prayer, the church and its mission, talking about the current realities, the statistics of the church, Christian nationalism and its effect, and honest conversations with each other about the future of the church. It’s been a fine week in that regard.”
Meeting amid the stresses of the Trump administration and internal structural issues within the church, the spring retreat helped the bishops address one another’s pastoral needs while forming communal solutions.
This year’s retreat is the first with Sean Rowe as Presiding Bishop.
“It has been a time of regathering, resetting, and looking forward with hope in these challenging times,” Bishop Jennifer Baskerville-Burrow said. “It was a lot of time reconnecting relationships, but also having in mind the concerns of the church of the world. How do we build relationships to do the most good for the church in this moment?”
Bishop Glenda Curry of Alabama, host of the meeting at Camp McDowell, said the retreat was productive. It offered “a chance to get away from cities and places that require us to pay attention so that we can focus on the work ahead and have a little time to walk around outside and breathe deep, be close to nature and God in that setting.”
She said the understated benefit of the retreat was bishops’ ability to share experiences and conversations off of the agenda, discussing projects, programs, and solutions to issues in the world and their dioceses.
“It starts with praying together, worshiping together, finding out that you’re not alone in the challenges we’re all facing, and that you can call and work together collaboratively even when you’re not physically together to respond,” she said. “That’s what I carry away every from House of Bishops meeting. But because of the environment we’re living in, things have changed rapidly. It’s important to remember you’re not out there by yourself and acting isolated. You’re connected to a power much greater than yourself.”
The bishops entered their retreat hoping for honest conversations about the challenges and statistics of the moment, what Bishop Rowe described as the “context of the world we’re in.” This allowed the bishops to share their resources and spiritual gifts to address these problems and encourage hope.
“One of the presentations we heard was about how buildings and land can be used for missions, and looking at the state of churches around the country was really positive and hopeful, thinking of new ways to maximize our assets for the good of the gospel,” said Bishop Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows of Indianapolis. “There are some good things happening we got excited about and shared.”
The House of Bishops also hosted a brief business meeting shortly after speaking with the media, while still gathered at Camp McDowell. The meeting approved the resignation of Bishop Alan Gates of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, because of retirement, and Bishop Mark Allen Bourlakas of the Diocese of Southwestern Virginia for mission strategy, as he has taken a new role as an assistant bishop in the Diocese of Virginia.
It also honored retired chaplains Dent Davidson, the Very Rev. Miguelina Howell, and the Rev. Ricardo Bailey for their service to the House, and recognized Bishop Diane Bruce, Bishop Provisional of the Episcopal Diocese of West Missouri, for her service as secretary and assistant secretary.
Tyler Hummel is a freelance writer based in Elkhorn, Wisconsin.
