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From:  Carol Wilcock  Wednesday June 14, 2006 12:19 PM
Parish:  St. Barnabas', Arroyo Grande

My only reply at this time is " PRAISE BE TO THE HOLY SPIRIT" who is alive and well working in each one of you through this process. Thank you all! Deanery delegate, Carol Wilcock

From:  The Rev. Mary Blessing  Wednesday June 14, 2006 8:42 AM
Parish:  St. Jude's, Cupertino

Just wanted to send a note of Thanks to the DESC for their diligence, good work, and willingness to keep this healthy discussion going. I appreciate the email communications, too, as I was away and unable to attend the last Deanery discussion. My prayers remain with you,

In Christ, Mary Blessing+

Response to Jennifer Ezell and Ed Markham from The Rev. Ken Wratten, member of the DESC, Monday, June 12, 2006

Dear Ed and Jennifer;

I feel compelled to offer a differing opinion to your messages.

The work of assessing the organizational, procedural, financial, and spiritual state of the diocese has involved many of us for the last 3 years in detailed work, lots of meetings and interviews, and many hours of prayer concerning God's will for this diocese. We have used outside consultants and asked for the counsel of bishops of other dioceses and our own Bishop; and we have engaged as many people in the diocese as possible, with as many different modes of communications as possible.

I believe that work to be very productive and useful, because it has allowed us to now put form to structures and financial plans which address a very, very broad spectrum of interests, available resources, geographic challenges, and visions of what a 'diocese' should be about. Some people of our diocese have voiced sincere concern over changing any more than we must, until our new bishop is in place. Those voices include some of our outside consultants. Others in our diocese feel that significant change is needed now in order to really be a diocese (federation of parishes and missions) boldly engaged in the great commission. Those voices also want to ensure that our bishop search process targets a bishop with the skills needed to facilitate this paradigm shift in diocesan culture ('diocesan' meaning diocesan committees as well as every parish and mission that make up this thing we call a diocese).

In reality, we will likely have to settle for a structural solution somewhere in the middle, which fixes what is broken, and begins moving toward a new vision of spirit filled ministry and mission, engaging everyone, and transforming lives all along the central coast of California. Choosing a 'middle road' for this first step does not indicate to me a lack of bold leadership. It reflects pastoral sensitivity for the whole body of Christ and an awareness that you can't change the culture of a diocese in a Saturday election. That change takes time, it takes 'living into', it takes the identification and placement and training of new leaders modeling shared ministry, and it takes having our bishop in place.
I disagree that the process is missing the mark. As Diane Martin stated so well, "- there is no distinction (in Jennifer's comments) between organizational framework as a tool and as an end. I think we're purposefully exploring the tool aspect. I still think that's the right objective."

Everyone on DESC has voiced many times that a new funding model and new structure will not fix the core need for shared vision and transformative ministry and mission. But we can sure use them to bring about engaging discussion about ministry and mission; and that is exactly what is happening. The people of this diocese are talking about what it means to be a diocese, what THE GREAT COMMISSION is, how effectively we are engaged in it individually, in our parish, and as a network of parishes and missions (i.e., diocese). I am grateful for the discussion.

So how can we engage more people in the real conversation?

Blessings,
Ken Wratten
 

From:  Ed Markham   Friday, June 9, 2006 6:09 PM
Parish:   St. Stephen's, Gilroy

Good afternoon, Jen and Review and Structure Group

I couldn't agree with Jen more! Somehow, we seem to have lost the "fire in the belly" that is so evidenced in both the Old and New Testaments. Structure is not going to rekindle the fire. We had two Bishops and one former CEO of the Church Pension Group tell us that.

Having said that, my understanding of the sense of the October convention is that the tabling of the motion regarding 10/10/10 called for the helping the delegates understand how 10/10/10 would work. The structure committee has been working at clarifying and putting dollars and responsibility into the mix. In addition, the notice by St. Timothy's seems to have added a further reason to come up with something that is understandable, and at least comes close to satisfying the delegates need for clarification.

I judge that we are on the road to being ready with clarity for the convention

Peace & Love
Ed Markham
 

From:  Jennifer Ezell   Friday, June 9, 2006 6:09 PM
Parish:   St. Timothy's, Mt. View

I came away from Tuesday night's deanery meeting concerned that this process is missing the target. The DESC is tweaking a bureaucratic structure, which will not solve a lack of bold faith at the leadership level. Our diocese needs to be "lit up" by a fierce love of God, and we need to light each other up with the Holy Spirit. Instead, I'm hearing an almost punitive undertone of -- "Fine. If that's all the money you want to give, these are the programs that will be sacrificed, and you are to blame." I am concerned that the Convention, rather than celebrating shared ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit and our common faith, will be a confusing forum in which dialogue is suppressed and no forward vision is offered. I feel like we are out to constrain any future leader from capably calling us to faith, unity and joint purpose, and defining a fresh budget which emerges from a sense of common mission.

Jennifer Ezell