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.
“Administrative burden strains our capacity at the congregational and diocesan level. It actually inhibits our ability to focus on that core work of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ,” said the Rt. Rev. Craig Loya of Minnesota, the host bishop.
“Our ministry together in the next nine years comes at a critical time for the Episcopal Church. It is not too strong to say that we’re facing an existential crisis.”
Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori: “Deacons are essential to this church. They work under the radar most of the time. Almost all of them work without pay.”
The bishops also approved a trial use that redefines Holy Matrimony as “Christian marriage, in which two people enter into a life-long union,” rather than “the woman and the man.”
