Missionary Society 4.0 Re-imagining for the 21st century Ian T. Douglas

conversation is encouraged and coordinated Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK) by the Taskforce for Reimagining the Episcopal was formed to communicate the Christian Church in Connecticut (which flies under the faith through education and the provision of name “TREC-CT” borrowing its acronym from Christian literature. And in 1701, the Society a similar venture in the wider Episcopal Church for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign known as the Taskforce for Reimagining the Parts (SPG) was founded to meet the needs Episcopal Church, or simply TREC.) Both of the and its missionary TREC-CT, and the more general TREC, are expansion in English colonies. committed to helping Episcopalians discern how God might be calling us to be a new kind Connecticut was one of the earliest, if not of church in the 21st century. the first, foreign mission field of the SPG, and Church of England congregations organized in One of the imperatives that led to the forming colonial Connecticut villages were often served of TREC-CT was a call by the 2013 Diocesan by a SPG missionary. These missionaries, Convention for a new constitution for the usually born in the colonies, had to travel the Missionary Society of the Episcopal Diocese perilous trip to London for ordination since of Connecticut. This call presupposes that there was no in the Americas. With a Episcopalians in Connecticut know what our meager salary from the SPG augmented by in- Missionary Society is, where it came from, and kind contributions from their Anglican farmer what its current and future function might be. and village parishioners, missionary Without such knowledge we cannot seriously usually served more than one congregation. engage in the work of re-imagining the Many parishes in the Episcopal Church in Missionary Society. Connecticut today can trace their roots to this pioneering work of the Society for the Seal of the SPG, 1701 The advent of missionary societies Propagation of the Gospel missionaries. At the turn of the 18th century, individuals and ver the last year a new, urgent, and groups in England began to come together Missionary societies and The Episcopal exciting conversation has emerged in voluntary associations or organizations Church Oacross the Episcopal Church in known as “societies” to advocate for particular In the wake of independence Connecticut inviting us to “re-imagine” our religious and social concerns such as the and with the election and consecration identity and relationships as Episcopalians abolition of slavery or missionary work in of in 1784 as the first serving God’s mission together. This English colonies. In 1698 the Society for bishop in Connecticut and the first bishop

WHERE WE’VE BEEN

1662 -1818 1701 1775 -1783 1784 1785 CONNECTICUT’S THE COLONIAL EPISCOPAL Puritan Society for the Crisis of the Samuel First (Congregational) Propagation of the Revolution CHURCH Seabury clerical Church is the Gospel in Foreign Parts forces Anglican IS BORN elected convocation locus of identity (SPG) missionaries colonists, bishop, a and economic shape the Anglican mostly Tories, profound life is the local Church in Connecticut to disappear structural meeting house and religious identity is or adapt to the innovation and village recognized as greater changing context than the local parish, and culture of the part of the catholic new nation (universal) church

6 for an Anglican/Episcopal Church outside The growth of the Episcopal Church in of the British Isles, the Episcopal Church One of the imperatives Connecticut in the 19th century paralleled the in Connecticut slowly began to organize that led to the forming experience of the national Episcopal Church. itself. Given its SPG history, Connecticut With its many rivers providing transport and Episcopalians considered the possibility of of TREC-CT was a call power, the state of Connecticut became a its own “missionary society” to extend the center of skilled manufacturing and a leader work of the new church. In 1813 the Diocesan by the 2013 Diocesan in the emerging industrialized United States. Convention organized the Missionary Society New parishes in the river mill towns and of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Convention for a new industrialized urban centers meant that the State of Connecticut as a voluntary society to Episcopal Church in Connecticut followed support missionaries and new parishes. constitution for the the model of the growing vitality and unity of The Episcopal Church in the United States. In 1821 the General Convention of The Missionary Society of Replicating the DFMS constitutional change Episcopal Church would similarly create the of 1835, the constitution of Connecticut’s Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society of the Episcopal Diocese missionary society was similarly changed in the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United of Connecticut. 1866 making all Episcopalians in Connecticut States of America (DFMS) to extend the members of the newly reinvigorated church’s work on the Western frontier and in “Missionary Society of the Diocese of the Middle East, Africa, China and Japan. Connecticut.” The reinvigorated Missionary Society, with new membership and financial The 19th century saw significant growth of The cities of the United States and in new American support, extended the church across state Episcopal Church in an increasingly urbanized territories around the world added after the throughout the remainder of the 19th century. and industrialized United States. In 1835, the Spanish American War. constitution of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary societies as holding companies Bolstered by growing social, political, and Missionary Society imagined a new missionary At the turn of the 20th century The Episcopal society in which every Episcopalian by virtue economic power and privilege, Episcopalians increasingly saw themselves as a unified body Church in the United States increasingly of baptism and not voluntary contribution embraced a new unity as a national church would be a member of the missionary society. possessing a national church ideal to spread the riches of American democracy and the with a corporate organizational model. The This change, augmented by the support of General Convention of 1919 passed sweeping the Women’s Auxiliary and their United Thank richness of Anglican tradition at home and abroad. canonical reforms that created a National Offering, helped The Episcopal Church to grow Council to oversee the church’s united work significantly in the increasingly industrialized continued on next page

1790 1792 1796 1813 1818 1821 19th CENTURY GROWTH & College of First Diocesan Diocesan The Missionary The Missionary General Convention Doctors Convention Convention EXPANSION Society of the Society of organizes the of Divinity with lay names five Protestant the Episcopal Domestic and Foreign established representatives senior clerics Episcopal Diocese of Missionary Society as bishop’s in attendance to advise Church founded Connecticut is of the Protestant council of bishop in Connecticut chartered by Episcopal Church in advisors (precursor as a voluntary the CT General the United States of of Standing society to support Assembly America (DFMS) Committee) missionaries and new parishes

EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN CONNECTICUT 7 in missions, Christian education, and social new imperative to be more focused on God’s service. The National Council and its work In this new missional mission, more “missional,” is increasingly was to be led by the Presiding Bishop (who age, a reinvigorated replacing old preoccupations with keeping the would now be elected) and a newly developed church in business. It is an exciting, if not a bit funding program that assessed dioceses for missionary society might scary, time of change. financial support of the church’s programs. just be the primary And Connecticut Episcopalians are embracing With these changes, the Domestic and change. In 2010 a significant downsizing of Foreign Missionary Society became the legal vehicle we need to foster diocesan staff resulted in a move away from entity of the National Council, functioning the delivery of centralized programs and the as the holding company for the church’s our common identity and emergence of new forms of collaboration financial and property assets. With this new across the church in Connecticut. To foster corporate structure The Episcopal Church service in God’s mission. collaboration and the development of new moved triumphantly into the 20th century as a leadership capacity, in 2013 the previously “national church.” disconnected diocesan boards or committees known as the Executive Council, Standing As was the case in the 19th century, the administered through fourteen deaneries. Committee, Commission on Ministry, and Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut followed Trustees of Donations and Bequests began the organizational changes and models of the The increasing centralization of diocesan to meet together regularly as the Diocesan broader national church. In 1921, the Diocesan program required a corporate center and in Leadership Gathering. Convention extensively revised the constitution 1952, Miss Mable Johnson gave her stately and canons of the diocese creating a Bishop home at 1335 Asylum Avenue in Hartford to In 2014, Diocesan House in Hartford was and Diocesan Executive Council with a growing become Diocesan House. For the remainder sold and the and staff moved into centralized staff to oversee the work of the of the 20th century most of the affairs of the an open, flexible, and collaborative research church in a variety of “departments” such Diocese of Connecticut were organized and and development loft in a former ball-bearing as Missions and Church Extension, Christian supported through this centralized structure factory in Meriden. Called The Commons, this Education, Christian Social Relations, Youth, while the Missionary Society increasingly new space has quickly become a beehive of Finance, etc. The Missionary Society, like the receded into the background as a vehicle for activity and innovation for Episcopalians across DFMS, was similarly reduced to being the service in God’s mission. Connecticut. To underscore our common holding company for diocesan financial and identity and collaboration in the 21st century, property assets. A new missionary society for the 21st a rebranding effort has given us a new graphic century? image, a reclaimed moniker as the Episcopal For the majority of the twentieth century the In today’s church, many of the organizational Church in Connecticut, and a new watchword affairs of the Diocese of Connecticut between models that we have historically relied upon of “Participating in God’s Mission.” the Diocesan Conventions were managed by in the 20th century have begun to lose their the Bishop Diocesan and Bishops Suffragan(s) efficacy and meaning. In the 21st century, In light of all these changes and new with a sizable, professional and dedicated flatter, networked, collaborative ventures energy, we return to the question of how staff. The many and various programs of the are replacing top-down, centralized, more we Episcopalians in Connecticut can best Bishop and Diocesan Executive Council were authoritarian models of organization. The participate in God’s mission across our state

WHERE WE’VE BEEN

1835 1863 1866 1877 1919 1921 20th CENTURY

DFMS constitution Donations EDCT deems Six Archdeaconries CHURCH AS General Convention’s Diocesan Convention embraces the far- & Bequests all baptized are divide work of CORPORATION reforming legislation creates large Executive reaching innovative (D&B) is members of EDCT creates National Church to Council; Missionary notion, declaring created to its Missionary Fairfield oversee: Missions, Society is holding each Episcopalian, by manage the Society New Haven Christian Education, company; virtue of baptism, growing Litchfield and Social Service; Bishops and sizeable a member of the financial assets Hartford DFMS is subsumed professional staff Missionary Society of EDCT and Middlesex under National Council as manage diocese; of the “national” church parishes New London the “holding company” and 14 Deaneries of assets, and church administer diocesan expansion is in full swing programming Timeline courtesy of the Rev. Timothy L. Hodapp, Canon for Mission Leadership

8 and around the world in the 21st century. missionary society still make sense today? society look like? These are crucial questions TREC-CT is helping to focus our discussions Should the Missionary Society of the Episcopal that are at the heart of our common identity about who we are and how we want to come Diocese of Connecticut remain a holding and relationships as the Episcopal Church in together to serve God’s mission. Basic to company for diocesan financial assets and Connecticut today. Perhaps a reimagined, TREC-CT’s work are questions related to the properties, or become something more? Can renewed, and reinvigorated Missionary Society nature and shape of the Missionary Society of a reimagined missionary society really help all just might be the voluntary organization the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut. Such Episcopalians in Connecticut to participate we need to help each and every one of us questions include but are not limited to: does a in God’s healing and restoring action in the participate more faithfully in God’s mission in world? If so, what would such a missionary the 21st century.

TheT Rt. Rev. Ian T. Douglas is Bishop Diocesan of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut.

WHERE WE ARE

1952 1960 2007 2009 2013 2013 2014 21st

Diocesan National Church CENTURY EDCT elects EDCT elects Leadership (Executive Diocesan New Ops & Finance House and EDCT become CHANGE first female first bishop Council, Standing Convention team, Diocesan HQ established regulatory agencies: bishop not canonically Committee, D&B, and updates Canons, relocates to building as EDCT Increasing resident in CT Commission on Ministry) first significant embodying accessibility corporate Committees, since 1896 meet quarterly to revision in both in location & center Commissions, explore what God is up 30+ years architecture; reclaim Agencies and Boards to and how EDCT may ECCT as name (CCAB); A culture more fully participate in of hierarchical God’s mission dependency develops

In 1784 Samuel Seabury was consecrated bishop for the Episcopal Church in Connecticut (ECCT). In 1818, “Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut” (EDCT) was used in the Missionary Society charter. In 2014 the ECCT name was reclaimed, although the legal name remains EDCT.

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