The Calling of a Bishop Suffragan for the Diocese of Virginia 3 t The Prayer

4 t Welcome

5 t The Process

6 t The Ministry of Our Bishop Suffragan

7 t Whom We Seek

9 t About the Diocese of Virginia

15 t Our Leaders and Structure

17 t The Mission and Ministry of the Diocese of Virginia

22 t Diocesan Funding

24 t The Breadth of Virginia Ministries

2 A Prayer for Our Diocese and the Calling of a Bishop Suffragan

Gracious God, we thank you for your Church, that wonderful and sacred mystery, and for the place each of us has in it—laity, bishops, priests and deacons. We are grateful for the Diocese of Virginia; please continue to bless our leaders. As we engage the process of finding and electing Bishop Jones’ successor, send forth your light and your truth that they may lead us. Bless, guide, empower and protect all those who are doing the work of episcopal search and transition. Infuse and direct our entire process. Out of your love for us, send us a shepherd after your own heart who will love us and lead us with knowledge and understanding. May he or she guard the faith, the unity and the discipline of the Church, and together with us, carry out your will for our diocese. We ask these things for the good of your Church and the honor of your Name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Dios de bondad, te agradecemos por tu Iglesia, ese magnífico y sagrado misterio, y por el lugar que cada uno de nosotros tiene en ella –laicos, obispos, sacerdotes y diáconos. Estamos agradecidos por la Diócesis de Virginia, y te pedimos que continúes bendiciendo a nuestros líderes. Envía tu luz y tu verdad para que nos guíen conforme entramos en el proceso de búsqueda y elección del sucesor del Obispo Jones. Bendice, orienta y fortalece a todos aquellos que realizan el trabajo de la búsqueda y la transición episcopal. Inspira y dirige nuestro proceso entero. Por el amor que nos tienes, envíanos a un pastor que siga tu propio sentir, el cual pueda guiarnos y dirigirnos con sabiduría y entendimiento. Que él o ella sea protector de la fe, unidad y disciplina de la Iglesia, y que junto con nosotros, pueda realizar la voluntad que tú tienes para con nuestra diócesis. Te pedimos esto por el bien de tu Iglesia y el honor de tu Nombre, mediante Jesucristo nuestro Señor. Amén.

Immanuel, Old Church

3 Welcome

If you are a potential candidate, we are grateful that you have come forward for consideration. It is not easy to open yourself up for inspection through applications, written materials, interviews, and possibly standing for election. Take heart, because you are not alone. We are in this together. As much as we want to get to know you, we also want you to get to know us. It is only in prayerful and mutual discernment that the work of the Holy Spirit can truly be done here. Therefore, in order to help you in your discernment process, we offer you a warm welcome to the Diocese of Virginia. We hope this document will give you a sense of who we are and whom we seek. Please keep us in your prayers as we keep you in ours. And we ask that the Holy Spirit may guide us all.

Timeline for the Search

2011 July: Identify and recruit candidates

August-December: Screen candidates, and conduct background checks and canonical examinations

2012 February 3: Announce four to six nominees and Standing Committee invites nominees by petition

February 13: Deadline for receipt of petition nominations by the Standing Committee

March 19-23: Walkabouts in the Diocese with Nominees

April 21: Elect Bishop Suffragan at Special Diocesan Council

July 28: Ordain and Consecrate Bishop Suffragan at Marina near Gray’s Point, Middlesex County in Region 2 St. Paul’s, Richmond

4 The Process

The 216th Annual Council of the Diocese of Virginia approved Bishop Shannon Johnston’s call to elect a Bishop Suffragan to succeed Bishop David Colin Jones, who is retiring at the end of the 217th Annual Council after a long and fruitful ministry. The resolution authorized the appointment of a Nominating and a Transition Committee to perform the work required for the election of a Bishop Suffragan, as well as a timeline for the overall process.

The Nominating Committee will receive names of potential candidates from July 1-July 31, 2011. The Committee will conduct the screening and interview process during the fall and early winter. The Committee will announce a slate of nominees to the Diocese on February 3, 2012. The Standing Committee will then open the process for nominating additional persons by petition. The final slate of nominees will be introduced to members of the Diocese in March 2012.

The election will be held at a special meeting of Diocesan Council on Saturday, April 21, 2012. The Bishop Suffragan’s consecration is planned for July 28, 2012 at St. Paul’s, Richmond, assuming receipt of the necessary consents from General Convention to this election.

We will receive nominations up to and including July 31, 2011. The nomination form can be located at the link below, and as this process is electronic, your form will be emailed to the Nominating Committee upon completion. If you have questions, please visit our website (www.thediocese.net/ BishopSuffraganSearchProcess); email the Nominating Committee for Bishop Suffragan at [email protected]; or call 1-800-DIOCESE, Ext. 25.

Nomination Form for the Election of the Bishop Suffragan of the Diocese Of Virginia

https://adm0963.wufoo.com/forms/nomination-form- St. George’s Camp at Shrine Mont bishop-suffragan-of-virginia

5 The Ministry of Our Bishop Suffragan

Our Bishop Suffragan will be an integral part of the team of bishops who lead our diocese, a team led by our Diocesan Bishop Shannon Johnston, who has prepared this job description for our new Bishop Suffragan:

t The Bishop Suffragan will support and serve the diocese and its ministry priorities by providing oversight for a number of specific ministries as assigned by the diocesan bishop.

t The Bishop Suffragan will be responsible for new and continuing congregations (including oversight of both continuing congregations and, should the Diocese of Virginia prevail in the property litigation, the discernment process for use of church properties recovered for the mission of The Episcopal Church (top-bottom) at the conclusion of the current litigation), overseeing the work of the Commission on Congregational Buck Blanchard, Director of Mission Missions to provide direction, support and guidance to mission churches. & Outreach, in Tanzania St. Paul’s, Richmond t He or she will oversee our efforts in multicultural ministry with the Diocese of Virginia’s non- English speaking congregations, which currently include four Spanish-speaking missions, two Spanish-speaking worship services, two Sudanese language worship services, two Korean missions, and one Vietnamese mission. The Bishop Suffragan will work to expand the ministries and create new ministries to serve the whole diocese.

t The Bishop Suffragan will support the Diocesan Bishop in the mission priority for youth and young adult ministries, including the exercise of oversight of college chaplaincies and the ongoing creation of new ministries serving young adults.

t The Bishop Suffragan will maintain a full schedule of parish visitation and provide regular Episcopal oversight and pastoral support for clergy, in addition to other duties as assigned.

Senior High Youth Conference

6 Whom We Seek

Some qualities in a bishop are universal in their importance and are described by Holy Scripture and The Book of Common Prayer. Other important qualities have emerged from our asking the people of the Diocese, both laity and clergy, what they expect of our new Bishop Suffragan. We have sought to further discern diocesan expectations of our Bishop Suffragan by interviewing our bishops and diocesan staff, and by conducting a detailed online survey open to all lay people and clergy in our diocese.

We received nearly 1,100 complete responses to our online survey, detailing key qualities that the Diocese of Virginia seeks in its next Bishop Suffragan. In addition to a strong personal faith and a life of prayer, key attributes are strong listening skills, candor, openness, humor, and flexibility. Related to these attributes, our people (as well as our Diocesan Bishop) emphasize the ability to preach exceptionally well and to communicate clear theology. Our people expect our new Bishop Suffragan to help unify our people across a geographically complex, theologically and ethnically diverse and historic diocese. In order to succeed in this ministry for our Diocese, our next Bishop Suffragan must work with Bishop Johnston, Bishop Gulick, and their colleagues in an atmosphere of support, teamwork, and cordial respect.

As part of the process of discernment, the people of the Diocese, both laity and clergy, were asked what they expect of our new Bishop Suffragan. Their responses indicate a great deal of similarity in the expectations regarding the vital characteristics of the next Bishop Suffragan. Across young and old, new members and longtime members, all expect a Bishop Suffragan of deep personal faith and devoted prayer, an excellent communicator and an able manager.

In the same survey, members of the Diocese reported being satisfied with the mission and ministry of the Diocese overall. The survey indicated we are living our mission of proclaiming Jesus Christ, we offer informative communication and publications, we welcome diversity, and we promote international mission. Members of the Diocese see the size and breadth of our congregations as well (top-bottom) Cathedral Shrine of the Transformation at Shrine Mont Anne Rudig, Director of Communications for The Episcopal 7 Church, at the Faith, Technology & Communications Conference at Christ Church, Spotsylvania. as our diversity as strengths. They value the leadership in our Diocese by clergy, lay leaders, and our bishops. Many are satisfied with the level of support given to congregations of the Diocese.

Respondents to the survey also indicated areas where growth should occur. We need to be able to reach a more diverse socio-economic, cultural, and generational population. Sometimes we project an image of the Diocese as very exclusive rather than inclusive. We need to reach out to young people. We lack funding resources to do the ministry we are called to do. Some feel that the Diocese is structured in a way that fosters congregationalism – very large, geographically and demographically very diverse, with little pastoral support to clergy in parishes, and difficultly creating a sense of a cohesive diocesan-wide community, collegiality of clergy, and full participation by many laity.

When asked what one question they would want to ask potential nominees for Bishop Suffragan, members of the Diocese offered these ideas:

t What will you bring to Virginia that will help us grow the church in terms of producing the ordained and lay leaders for the future and in establishing a stronger diocesan identity at the parish level? t Le gustaria crear mas congregaciones hispanas y como lo haria? t What are your views on the blessing of same-sex unions? t How would you provide pastoral care for the clergy in the Diocese- particularly considering the size of our diocese and the number of clergy who need care? t Given the demands of the position, how do you maintain your spirituality and balance your personal life with your job?

For more information about the survey, please visit our website: www.thediocese.net/BishopSuffraganSearchProcess.

(top-bottom) St. Thomas’, Richmond Senior High Youth 8 Baptism with Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori at Santa Maria, Falls Church About the Diocese of Virginia

When Episcopalians in the Diocese of Virginia talk about our rich Anglican heritage, or call people to the ideal of Anglican comprehensiveness, we draw on more than four centuries of experience. The Anglican presence in the Commonwealth of Virginia long predates American independence, the first meeting of Episcopal bishops in Philadelphia, and the first meeting of General Convention.

After arriving at Jamestown on the Godspeed, the Susan Constant, and the Discovery in 1607, the English settlers celebrated the Eucharist to give thanks for their safe passage.

Nearly 200 years later, in 1785, the Protestant Episcopal Church in Virginia held its first convention, later to be called Annual Council. This first convention adopted a code of canon law and elected deputies to the church’s first General Convention in Philadelphia.

The second diocesan convention, meeting in 1786, elected the Rev. David Griffith as the Diocese’s first bishop, but the Diocese lacked the funds to send him to England for consecration. The bishop-elect died in 1789 without ever having taken office. The Rev. James Madison, a second cousin to President James Madison, was elected bishop in 1790 and was consecrated that year in Lambeth Palace Chapel, London.

View from Skyline Drive looking northwest to Region 14

9 The Diocese of Virginia

After great difficulties following the disestablishment of the colonial church, the Episcopal Church in Virginia recovered and expanded under Bishops Moore and Meade, with help from Virginia Theological Seminary, founded in 1823 in Alexandria. Our church was deeply rooted in Virginia, not only in its evangelical heritage The Diocese of The Diocese of and mission emphasis, but sadly also in its slave Southwestern Virginia Southern Virginia economy: census figures show that in 1860, 82 percent of the clergy owned slaves, a far higher percentage of slaveholders than was found in the general population of Virginia. The Civil War devastated Virginia and resulted in the destruction or abandonment of many church buildings. Recovery for the Commonwealth and the church was slow and difficult, and the Bishops of Virginia played a critical role in restarting congregations.

In 1877, the Diocese of West Virginia was the first separate diocese to emerge from the original Diocese of Virginia, with both diocesan boundaries conforming to the borders of their respective states. By 1892, because of a growing membership, the Diocese of Virginia approved forming a second diocese within the remaining Commonwealth of Virginia. The state capital of Richmond and points north remained the Diocese of Virginia. The territory predominantly south of the James River became the Diocese of Southern Virginia. The third diocese within the remaining Commonwealth, Southwestern Virginia, was created from the Diocese of Southern Virginia in 1919.

Both the number of churches and number of Episcopalians within the diocese increased substantially as the Commonwealth grew after World War II and through the end of the 20th Century. Today, the Diocese of Virginia is one of the largest dioceses in The Episcopal Church in the United States. As of 2009 parochial statistics,

(top-bottom) Groundbreaking at the Senior High Youth Conference project Peter Paul Development Center Chapel at Roslyn Conference & Retreat Center 10 Mayo Memorial Church House chapel

it includes 181 congregations, including a number of historically African-American congregations, with 79,852 baptized members and over 400 clergy. Average diocesan Sunday attendance in 2009 was 24,182.

Diocesan headquarters are at Mayo Memorial Church House in downtown Richmond. An additional diocesan office is located at Goodwin House, an Episcopal continuing care retirement community in Alexandria.

Because of our size in numbers and the regions encompassed within the Diocese, we are diverse—not only in cultural composition but also in theological conviction. We are also a very complicated diocese because of our lengthy and unusual history, our wide geographical differences (Shenandoah Valley, Northern Neck, Richmond, Washington suburbs, Charlottesville), and sheer numbers, yet we rely strongly on the personal relationships among our leadership to a greater degree than may be true in other large dioceses.

Our diocese has a long reputation for gracious civility, breadth of theology, and the ability to work across wide differences. The 2003 General Convention and its aftermath severely tested all those traditions. Bishop Lee and the Diocesan deputation, by votes of 3 to 1 in each order, voted at the 74th General Convention to consent to the consecration of the Rev. V. Gene Robinson as the Bishop of New Hampshire. A significant number of congregations sharply dissented, as did a substantial number of members, doing so in terms whose harshness was startling in contrast to the civility which had long prevailed before the 74th General Convention. Financial support of the diocese by its congregations dropped by almost nineteen percent ($4,409,608 in 2003 down to $3,586,801 in 2004). Bishop Lee and many key diocesan leaders made extensive efforts to preserve the unity of the Diocese. For example; when the dissenting congregations objected to visits by Bishop Lee, he arranged for The Rt. Hon. and Most Rev. George Carey, the retired Archbishop of Canterbury, to perform confirmations in his stead.

Despite these efforts, after the 2006 General Convention, a number of congregations sought to leave The Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Virginia and to affiliate with other church bodies including the Church of the Province of Uganda and

Bishop Johnston and staff at the Mayo Memorial Church House 11 the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA), a unit of the Church of Nigeria. These efforts resulted in the departure of fifteen congregations from November 2006 through January 2007. All but one of these congregations is located in northern Virginia and a number of them were recently planted churches. For four of the departing churches, remaining members have formed “continuing congregations” which meet in other locations and have their own clergy.

In late 2006 and early 2007, nine of the departing congregations affiliated with CANA filed petitions in state court seeking title to church buildings and land. These petitions invoked a statute unique to Virginia, which became known as the “Division Statute,” and which purports to allow a congregational vote to determine such questions in a hierarchical church. The Diocese, together with The Episcopal Church, filed court proceedings against this effort and sought a declaratory judgment returning all contested properties to the mission of The Episcopal Church.

In 2008, the trial court held that the CANA congregations met the requirements of the Division Statute and granted title of the contested properties to those congregations. This decision was reversed by the Virginia Supreme Court in 2010, which held the CANA congregations did not meet the requirements of the statute.

The Supreme Court’s decision also returned the proceedings back to the trial court to consider the Diocese’s and The Episcopal Church’s claims on the properties. This trial concluded in early June 2011; post-trial briefing is now underway, with a decision expected next year.

(top-bottom) Clergy Conference at Shrine Mont Bishop Johnston in Tanzania 12 During the litigation, two of the nine congregations reached out-of-court settlements with the Diocese and The Episcopal Church. Those settlement efforts continue.

The court proceedings have been costly, in many ways, for all concerned. Although there are additional factors besides the departing congregations, average Sunday attendance in the diocese has declined by almost twenty-five percent since 2002 (32,271 in 2002, down to 24,182 in 2009); parish giving to the diocese has not yet recovered to 2003 levels ($4,441,272 in 2003 versus $4,301,605 in 2009).

The 216th Annual Council in January 2011 adopted a resolution urging Bishop Johnston “to provide a generous pastoral response” by moving forward with guidelines for public blessings of same gender unions,” a formulation leaving to Bishop Johnston when and how such guidelines should be set forth. A task force was charged with developing recommendations. A report was provided to the Bishop, which has not been published, and the Diocese is now waiting for an update from the Bishop.

The Diocese was an early supporter of the full participation of women in the life of the church, including ordination of women to the priesthood and the episcopate. Virginia continues to have one of the highest percentages of ordained women in The Episcopal Church, including a number who are rectors of parishes and who serve in positions of diocesan and national leadership.

(left-right) Westminster-Canterbury celebration St. Stephen’s, Heathsville Roslyn Conference & Retreat Center entrance

13 Perhaps one reason for Virginia’s enthusiasm for the ordination of women is its experience with the ministry of women among the laity. From colonial days when churches endured and grew without benefit of a bishop, lay leaders have played key roles in diocesan life in Virginia, side by side with their ordained partners in ministry and mission. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, deaconesses were especially effective in the mountain missions of the Blue Ridge.

The Diocese recently embraced the ministry of vocational deacons, and in February 2011, Bishop Johnston ordained four women and one man comprising the first class of vocational deacons in the Diocese of Virginia. There are currently 14 postulants or candidates in the process of formation for the Vocational Diaconate.

(left-right) New Orleans mission project Vocational Deacon ordination Emmanuel, Harrisonburg

14 Our Leaders and Our Structure

Virginia’s Bishops

The Rt. Rev. Shannon Sherwood Johnston, the 13th Bishop of Virginia, was elected James Madison, First Bishop of Virginia, 1790-1812 Bishop Coadjutor on January 26, 2007, to succeed the Rt. Rev. Peter James Lee. Richard Channing Moore, Second Bishop of Virginia, 1814-41 William Meade, Coadjutor, 1829-41 Bishop Johnston was consecrated on May 26, 2007, at Washington National William Meade, Third Bishop of Virginia, 1841-62 Cathedral and became diocesan upon the retirement of Bishop Lee at the end of John Johns, Coadjutor, 1842-62 September 2009. He was formally installed in January 2010 at St. Paul’s, Richmond. John Johns, Fourth Bishop of Virginia, 1862-76 Francis McNeece Whittle, Coadjutor, 1868-76 The Rt. Rev. David C. Jones, Bishop Suffragan of Virginia, was elected on January Francis McNeece Whittle, Fifth Bishop of Virginia, 1876-1902 Alfred Magill Randolph, Assistant, 1883-92 27, 1995, and was consecrated on June 24, 1995, at Washington National Cathedral. John Brockenbraugh Newton, Assistant and Coadjutor, 1894-97 He will retire as of the end of the 217th Council on January 28, 2012. Robert Atkinson Gibson, Coadjutor, 1897-1902 Robert Atkinson Gibson, Sixth Bishop of Virginia, 1902-19 Arthur Selden Lloyd, Coadjutor, 1909-10 The Rt. Rev. Edward F. “Ted” Gulick, Jr., became Assistant Bishop on January 1, William Cabell Brown, Coadjutor, 1914-19 2011, after retiring as Diocesan Bishop of the Diocese of Kentucky, where he served William Cabell Brown, Seventh Bishop of Virginia, 1919-27 from 1994 through 2010. Henry St. George Tucker, Coadjutor 1926-27 Henry St. George Tucker, Eighth Bishop of Virginia, 1927-44 Frederick Deane Goodwin, Coadjutor, 1930-44 In Virginia, the annual diocesan convention is known as Annual Council. Our Wiley Roy Mason, Suffragan, 1942-51 Annual Council meets in two sessions each winter—a daylong pre-council Bishop Tucker also served asThe Episcopal Church’s 19th Presiding Bishop meeting in early January at which initial hearings are held, followed by a two- from 1938 to 1946. day, one-night session during the last weekend of January in the Richmond Frederick Deane Goodwin, Ninth Bishop of Virginia, 1944-60 Robert Fisher Gibson Jr., Suffragan, 1949-54, Coadjutor, 1954-60 area or Northern Virginia. The split format allows delegates to discuss Robert Fisher Gibson Jr., Tenth Bishop of Virginia, 1960-74 issues in their parishes between the two sessions. Samuel Blackwell Chilton, Suffragan, 1960-69 Philip Alan Smith, Suffragan, 1970-73 John Alfred Baden, Suffragan, 1973-79 Robert Bruce Hall, Coadjutor, 1966-74 Robert Bruce Hall, Eleventh Bishop of Virginia, 1974-85 David Henry Lewis Jr., Suffragan, 1980-87 Peter James Lee, Coadjutor, 1984-85 Peter James Lee, Twelfth Bishop of Virginia, 1985-2009 Robert Poland Atkinson, Assistant, 1989-93 Frank Clayton Matthews, Suffragan, 1993-98 David Colin Jones, Suffragan since 1995 (left-right) Francis Campbell Gray, Assistant, 1999-2006 Bishop Johnston Shannon Sherwood Johnston, Coadjutor, 2007-09 Bishop Jones Shannon Sherwood Johnston, Thirteenth Bishop of Virginia, 2009 to present Edward F. “Ted” Gulick, Jr., Assistant, beginning 2011 15 Bishop Gulick Diocese of Virginia Regions

Winchester Reston Leesburg 5 McLean 3 13 8 Alexandria The Diocese is divided into 15 geographic regions, each of which has 14 Fairfax 4 7 6 a dean (clergy), a president (lay), and a regional council composed Woodbridge of parish representatives (lay and clergy). The dean is the Bishop’s Harrisonburg Culpeper representative in the region, providing pastoral care and two-way communication between the Diocese and parishes. The president is Fredericksburg 15 Orange elected by the regional council to coordinate regional activity. 1 Charlottesville Tappahanock The Executive Board carries out the program of the Annual Council 2 11 Kilmarnock between sessions. Lay and clerical members are elected to represent each 12 Ashland of the 15 regions of the diocese to terms of three years. The president of Goochland Episcopal Church Women has seat and voice but no vote on the Board. Gloucester 10 9 The Board oversees the budget adopted by Annual Council, proposes a budget for Richmond Council’s annual review, and acts on Council’s resolutions. The Bishop is the president of the Charles City Executive Board. The vice president is a lay member elected by the Board.

The deans and presidents meet regularly with the members of the Executive Board to strengthen diocesan communication and to broaden diocesan leadership’s involvement in planning.

The Standing Committee acts as a council of advice to the Bishop, votes on whether to consent to the consecration of newly elected bishops of The Episcopal Church (between General Conventions), and evaluates and votes on potential ordinands. The Standing Committee also works closely with critical transitions in parish life, whether people are planning a new mission, a mission is preparing to become a self-sustaining parish, or an established church wants to incur indebtedness.

St. Paul’s on-the-Hill, Winchester (top-bottom) St. John’s, Tappahannock St. George’s, Fredericksburg 16 Christ Church, Charlottesville The Mission and Ministry of the Diocese of Virginia

Since its beginning, the Episcopal Church in Virginia has been characterized by devotion to mission, by the solid ministry of its laity and by its leadership in the Christian community, in The Episcopal Church nationwide, and in government and society.

The Diocese embraces a rich mosaic of traditions, liturgical styles, and theological perspectives. While most parishes in the diocese could be characterized as broad church, the doctrine and worship of The Episcopal Church are expressed in many forms in Virginia: evangelical, low church, charismatic, Anglo- Catholic. There are numerous large, urban, and suburban churches in the diocese, but the majority of Virginia’s 181 congregations are small (200 members or fewer) and many of those are in rural areas. Several ethnic- and language-specific congregations are part of the diocesan family.

The Diocese has provided national-level leadership in The Episcopal Church. Virginia clergy and laity have served on Executive Council and various standing commissions and committees of General Convention. The Diocese has published a respected daily newsletter, Center Aisle, at General Convention since 2000. The Bishops and the deputations of Virginia have worked to provide problem-solving leadership during General Convention.

After a series of town hall style meetings in 2009, the mission of the Diocese and its priorities were defined as worshiping our Lord and serving the world in unity and diversity. The priorities of the Diocese emerging from these meetings and distilled by Bishop Johnston are five:

t Multiculturalism and Ethnic Ministries t Mission Beyond Ourselves t Youth and Young Adult Formation t Strengthening Our Congregations t Evangelism and Proclamation

(left-right) Shrine Mont campers Young adult regional mission 17 Multiculturalism and Ethnic Ministries The Diocese of Virginia is home to an increasing number of non-English-speaking congregations and churches that hold special services for non-English-speakers. Our Diocese currently has 10 congregations worshipping in languages other than English: six Hispanic congregations, one Vietnamese congregation, one Korean congregation, and two congregations of Sudanese refugees often worshipping in the Dinka language or other languages of Sudan. Over the past several years, Native American ministry with Virginia tribes has become an increasing priority.

Demographically, our survey results indicate that Virginia Episcopalians are older, whiter, and wealthier than the overall population. Our diocesan leadership recognizes that this demographic composition presents significant challenges to the future of the church, especially as the Commonwealth becomes far more ethnically diverse. The Diocese’s Committee on Race Relations’ mission is to support the Diocese, its churches, committees, commissions and related organizations in eliminating racism and encouraging cultural diversity, recognizing and incorporating the diverse & enriching gifts of all races and cultures. Multicultural ministry is a high priority for the next Bishop Suffragan and for our Diocese.

(left-right) Episcopal Asiamerica Ministries Conference in Taiwan Partnership with the Pamunkey Indian Reservation 18 Mission Beyond Ourselves Our Diocese has a long global mission and evangelical tradition, which continues today. In the past, these efforts have included missions to Brazil, China and Japan. Today, our diocese has strong mission partner relationships with Honduras, Sudan, Tanzania, the Dominican Republic, and the Diocese of Christ the King in South Africa, with a number of parishes sending out short-term missionaries in support of long-term partnerships. Bishop Johnston and Bishop Jones have been to Sudan, as had both Bishop Lee and Bishop Gray before them, and they have strongly supported that persecuted church along with many parishes and leaders in this diocese. Our diocese mounted large relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana, lasting several years, as well as in the aftermath of the January 2010 Haiti earthquake.

The Office of Mission and Outreach works to encourage churches to increase these outreach efforts and to coordinate, facilitate and strategically plan various aspects of mission and outreach ministries engaged in by diocesan parishes. This office also serves a coordinating role with various social ministries, including Race Relations, the Triangle of Hope, Refugee Resettlement, Prison Ministry and the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy.

(top-bottom) Carpenter’s Kids breakfast program in Tanzania 19 Katrina mission Sudan mission Youth and Young Adult Formation The Diocese has a strong ministry among young people, with emphasis on leadership development, involvement in all phases of diocesan life and empowerment for ministry. Youth ministry in the Diocese of Virginia is not “done to” young people: it is by, of, and for youth. This diocese was the first to give young people seat, voice, and vote in its Annual Council and has made similar provisions for representation by college ministries. Our demographic data, showing an aging Episcopal population, underline the critical importance of reaching younger people and raising up younger leaders in our parishes and diocese.

The Office of Christian Formation offers the following ministries and events for youth in the Diocese of Virginia. Youth in the Diocese of Virginia have a Youth Ministries Blog as well as the following ministries and events: Shrine Mont camps, Parish Youth Ministries Committee, weekend retreats for youth based on grade levels, and the Diocesan Youth Day of Service. Also, each year, the Diocese sponsors and helps plan a mission trip for all youth in our Diocese. Young adults in colleges across Virginia come together to grow their faith through Canterbury Club and ecumenical groups. Other existing ministries for young adults can be found on the diocesan website at www.thediocese.net/Ministries/YoungAdult.

(top-bottom) Virginia Commonwealth University Campus Ministry mission in New Orleans Photo: Patricia Brock 20 5k runners at Shrine Mont Strengthening Our Congregations The Diocese works to strengthen our congregations and their ministries through several targeted initiatives: the Committee on Congregational Development produces a Web site called Church Toolbox, which provides a wealth of helpful information to improve the health and strength of congregations; the diocesan Office of Development & Stewardship is available as a resource to help congregations develop a successful, faith-based stewardship plan; and the diocesan Office of Christian Formation offers programming and events designed to help congregations grow into their Baptismal Covenant while supporting the ministries of their church.

Evangelism & Proclamation As Bishop Johnston noted in his pastoral address at the 215th Annual Council, Evangelism “is the fundamental mission of the Church.” To support parishes in this mission, several resources for congregations are offered on the diocesan website at www.thediocese.net/Ministries/Evangelism_and_Proclamation.

(top-bottom) Music and Drama Camp at Shrine Mont Olivet, Alexandria 21 Diocesan Funding

Since the 1950s, the Diocese of Virginia has followed a voluntary method of parish giving called the Virginia Plan of Proportionate 2011 Diocesan Budget Giving rather than any mandatory assessment. The Diocese asks $4,866,274 each congregation to consider what proportion of its resources Support of Our Greater Church Community: 17% to designate for diocesan mission and ministry. The Diocese Christian Formation: 5% emphasizes parish giving in thanks for God’s grace and encourages parishes to give a proportion or percentage of their income, rather than a dollar amount. Strengthening Our Churches: 16%

Although the Virginia Plan worked well from its Mission & Outreach: 2% introduction in 1957 through the late 1960s, the difficulties Ministry: 2% of voluntary parish giving became evident in the sharp Human Dignity & Justice: 0% negative reaction to the Special Program of General Governance & Commission Support: 1% Convention in 1970, when percentage giving was sharply cut. Percentage giving gradually declined so that in 1990 it Communications & Technology Across the Diocese: 2% averaged about 11 percent. Parish giving declined further Bishops, Staff & Support: 64% in percentage terms until it was slightly over six percent just before the controversial 74th General Convention. It remains in the six percent range, one of the lowest, if not the lowest, level of giving from parishes to their diocese in the entire American church.

The Virginia Plan has been reexamined by Diocesan task forces reporting in 1977, 1992, 2000, and 2004. The 1992 report recommended that parishes give 10 percent plus one percent for mission. The 2000 report recommended that parishes give a range starting at six percent for those parishes with the lowest revenue, to 16 percent for those with higher levels of revenue. Predictably, the average giving level declined

22 to six percent, the minimum recommended for the smallest parish. The 2004 report, initiated in part in response to the withholding of pledges by a number of parishes in response to the decisions of the 74th General Convention, did not recommend changes, as there was very little support for mandatory parish contributions to the Diocese.

Bishop Johnston has repeatedly and publicly identified parish giving levels as a critical and long- standing weakness of our Diocese, preventing the Diocese from providing the strong support needed for common mission and ministry, to support church plants, as well as providing the support for parish programs and clergy one would ordinarily expect from a diocese of this size and strong reputation. A new task force is currently working to recommend changes; it will report at the 217th Annual Council in January 2012.

Like the budget, the 25-member staff is small for a diocese of 181 congregations and almost 80,000 members. Diocesan staff members are highly motivated, deeply committed, and they understand that the Diocese is the people in the congregations and that the staff exists to serve them—not the other way around.

St. Patrick’s, an Anglo-Vietnamese congregation in Falls Church Photo: Courtesy St. Patrick’s 23 The Breadth of Virginia Ministries

Shrine Mont (www.shrinemont.com) is located in the picturesque and historic Shenandoah Valley. It is the site of the Diocese’s Cathedral Shrine of the Transfiguration, a small, plain, open-air stone chapel. Shrine Mont accommodates parish weekends, diocesan conferences, individual retreats, and diocesan camps (www.camps.thediocese.net). In addition to a classic summer camp featuring hiking, swimming, sports, music, crafts, canoeing, and overnight camp-outs, Shrine Mont offers camps on art, music and drama, sports, and wilderness exploration, as well as camps for individuals with mild to moderate disabilities.

Roslyn, (www.roslyncenter.org) is a diocesan retreat center begun in 1934, located on 150 scenic acres in Henrico County, Virginia, two miles west of the City of Richmond on the James River. Every year, Roslyn welcomes more than 400 churches, non-profit organizations and government agencies for residential conferences, retreats,

Shrine Mont meetings and picnics. • Alexandria •

• Harrisonburg Fredericksburg •

• Charlottesville Tappahannock •

Richmond • Roslyn

Powers Hall at Roslyn Conference & (top-bottom) Retreat Center Virginia House at Shrine Mont Shrine Mont circa 1890 24 The Virginia Episcopalian (www.thediocese.net/News/VirginiaEpiscopalian) is the Diocese’s award-winning newspaper. The Diocese supports and encourages a newspaper that publishes a wide variety of perspectives on the life of The Episcopal Church.

The e-Communiqué (www.thediocese.net) is a weekly electronic newsletter providing updates from the Diocese, including important announcements, news about events and other pertinent and timely information.

Church Schools in the Diocese of Virginia (www.thediocese.net/Diocesan_ Organizations/Church_Schools) owns and operates six outstanding college preparatory schools that promote Christian values and lives of service. Church Schools in The Diocese of Virginia, Inc. is one of the largest Episcopal Church institutions in the United States. Church Schools serves almost 4,000 students and employs 900 persons. The schools are both coeducational and single-sex, boarding and day. All share Church Schools a common mission to help form young adults of personal integrity, with a commitment to serve others. Alexandria • St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes Relaxing at Roslyn Conference & • Harrisonburg Retreat Center Fredericksburg • Staunton • • Charlottesville Tappahannock • St. Margaret’s • Christ Church Stuart Hall Richmond • St. Catherine’s St. Christopher’s

25 Westminster-Canterbury, Winchester

Diocesan Homes • Winchester Elmwood, Arlington Goodwin House, Bailey’s Crossroads • Alexandria • Lockwood, Arlington Goodwin House, Alexandria Virginia Diocesan Homes (www.thediocese.net/Diocesan_ • Harrisonburg Organizations/Diocesan_Homes) is a diocesan Fredericksburg • corporation charged with the stewardship of six Westminster-Canterbury, Westminster-Canterbury, Charlottesville independently owned retirement communities • Charlottesville Irvington and two subsidized independent living facilities. These homes are Tappahannock • known for offering the continuing care that many people need as they • grow older, without removing them from the things that give meaning to Richmond their lives: relationships with family and friends; work, recreation and Westminster-Canterbury, • Richmond continuing involvement in parish life.

Virginia Theological Seminary Alexandria is home to the Protestant Episcopal Theological Seminary in Virginia, commonly Virginia Theological Seminary graduates known as Virginia Theological Seminary (www.vts.edu). The Diocese enjoys a special Photo: Virginia Theological Seminary relationship with the seminary. Bishop Johnston serves on the Seminary’s Board of Trustees. The current Dean, the Very Rev. Ian Markham, is canonically resident in the Diocese of Virginia, as was his predecessor, the Very Rev. Martha Horne, the first woman dean of an Anglican Seminary.

• Winchester VTS

Alexandria •

• Harrisonburg Fredericksburg •

• Charlottesville Tappahannock •

Richmond • 26 Acknowledgments

This profile was prepared in 2011 by the Nominating Committee for Bishop Suffragan of the Diocese of Virginia.

Ms. Allyson Getlein, Chair - St. Andrew’s, Richmond Mr. Sam Bridges - St. Francis’, Great Falls Ms. Ellyn Crawford - St. George’s, Arlington The Rev. Ross Kane - St. Paul’s, Alexandria The Rev. Lucia Lloyd - St. Stephen’s, Heathsville The Rev. Alexander MacPhail - Beckford Parish (Emmanuel, Woodstock & St. Andrew’s, Mt. Jackson) Ms. Kendall Metz - Grace Church, Alexandria Mr. Russell Randle - Christ Church, Alexandria Ms. Mildred Robinson - St. Paul’s Memorial, Charlottesville Mr. Alex Slaughter - St. James’s, Richmond The Rev. Sven vanBaars - Abingdon, White Marsh

E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.thediocese.net/BishopSuffraganSearchProcess

Profile design by John Dixon of Runningfire Design.

Diocese of Virginia 110 West Franklin Street Richmond, VA 23220

1-800-DIOCESE

Lake Anna, Region 1