Profile of the Episcopal Diocese of

Nominating Committee for the IX Bishop of Pittsburgh

October 2020 15 October 2020

Dear Friends in Christ,

On behalf of the Nominating Committee of the IX Bishop of Pittsburgh, I invite your consideration of our diocesan profile and extend thanks to all those across our diocese whose input through our survey, parish conversations, and leadership and ministry focus groups made this possible.

The Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh is fertile ground for ministry. We seek a bishop who embraces the challenges facing the Church and our diocese, an articulate, visionary leader, and a faithful pastor to the wide array of congre- gants who comprise our diocese.

In some ways this profile was difficult to write, as the sense of the diocese and region is understood through its many dichotomies. While we have large, flourishing urban and suburban parishes, we also have small rural parishes that are struggling by certain measures. We are a region that was built through the influx of immigration and internal migration, but have not fully embraced the immigrants of the 21st century. We have a blue-collar, industrial history, but have thriving arts, technology, education, and healthcare industries. We are one of the nation’s “most livable” metropolitan regions, yet disparities of income, opportunity, and life expectancy are very pronounced among racial groups. We have endured schism, yet we are united by our commitment to remain one holy, catholic and apostolic Church.

Our next bishop will flourish in the tensions that these dichotomies create and lead us to realize the potential we have to grow as a vibrant Christian commu- nity, equipped to serve God’s people.

Our profile is organized around the questions that our bishop-elect will be asked at ordination and consecration (, pp. 517-518.) They are the questions that will inform our next bishop’s ministry among us every day. They are the questions we have considered as we have researched, listened, dreamed, and prayed for the future of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. We invite responses from all candidates discerning a call to us.

Yours in Christ, Michael E. Braxton Chair, Nominating Committee 2 Table of Contents

Cover letter...... 2

Will you accept this call and fulfill this trust in obedience to Christ?...... 4 Our Origins...... 5 1980s-2000s...... 6 Recovery and Disparities...... 6

Will you be faithful in prayer, and in the study of Holy Scripture, that you may have the mind of Christ?...... 8 Love+Teach+Heal...... 9

Will you boldly proclaim and interpret the Gospel of Christ, enlightening the minds and stirring up the conscience of your people?...... 10 Sheldon Calvary Camp...... 11 University Chaplaincy...... 11 A Church Without Walls...... 11 St. Mary Magdalene’s...... 12 Beloved Community Initiative...... 12 New Initiatives...... 13

As chief priest and pastor, will you encourage and support all baptized people in their gifts and ministries, nourish them from the riches of God’s grace, pray for them without ceasing, and celebrate with them the sacraments of our redemption?...... 14 Sustaining Small Parishes...... 15 Renewing Lay Leadership...... 15 Continuing Financial Support...... 16 Ongoing Stewardship...... 16

Will you guard the faith, unity, and discipline of the Church?...... 17 Aftershocks of the split...... 18 Human Sexuality...... 18 Continuing Work Toward Unity...... 19

Will you share with your fellow bishops in the government of the whole Church; will you sustain your fellow presbyters and take counsel with them; will you guide and strengthen the deacons and all others who minister in the Church?...20 Engagement with the Episcopal Church...... 21 Pastor to the Pastors...... 21 Ecumenical Relationships...... 22 Pandemic Support...... 23

Will you be merciful to all, show compassion to the poor and strangers, and defend those who have no helper?...... 24 Increased Focus on Social Justice and Anti-Racism...... 25 Outreach...... 26 What We Seek in Our Next Bishop...... 27 Timeline...... 28

3 Will you accept this call

and fulfill this trust in obedience to Christ? Welcome to Southwestern and the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh. This is where the Midwest, Appalachia, and the Northeast meet. We are the Allegheny Mountains and the confluence of three rivers, a region of tunnels and bridges. We are a mix of outdoor activities — hiking, biking, boating, sightseeing — in a four-sea- sons climate. We are a big city and many small towns. We are great cultural institutions and a rich blend of ethnic cultures.

Those bridges — 446 of them, more than in Venice, Italy — are symbolic of our diocese, as we have indicated in the logo developed by the Nominating Committee for our search for the IX Bishop of Pittsburgh. We have emerged from the traumatic split of 2008 stronger than ever, deeply committed to being together as The Episcopal Church in this part of the world and determined to build bridges among our parishes and with our communities. Our next bishop will be a bridge-builder.

Our Origins

Natural borders abound in this region and have contributed to the establishment of some 633 different munici- palities (primarily townships and boroughs) within a diocesan area which holds 2.6 million total residents. No- where is this propensity to organize in small groups more prevalent than in the city of Pittsburgh, which has 105 recognized neighborhoods within its municipality.

Many of these neighborhoods were formed over the years by immigrant communities who were drawn to the steel mills and associated jobs. During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, large numbers of people from Germany, , Great Britain, Italy, Russia, Poland, and other European nations came to Pittsburgh. Many neighborhoods today, within Pittsburgh and beyond, still reflect the ethnic makeup of those original -im migrant populations. While our area has a wide diversity of traditions, it is less a homogenous melting pot and more of a heterogenous tapestry of strongly-held beliefs, traditions, and cultures.

In 1865 the Diocese of Pittsburgh was formed under its first bishop, the Rt. Rev. John Barrett Kerfoot, amid the booming coal, steel, railroad, and electric generation industries; it has sought connection with those workforces for many years. Elected toward the end of the World War II, Bishop Austin Pardue worked to plant new congre- gations and actively advocated for the working class and labor unions, while teaching a sturdy, personal Chris- tian faith. In 1955, The Rev. Samuel Shoemaker of Calvary parish helped found the “Pittsburgh Experiment” to reach working men, praying that Pittsburgh would become “as famous for God as for steel.”

Bishop Robert Appleyard was elected in 1968, just as the energy in the civil rights movement and anti-war protesting was also leading to a desire for spiritual renewal in many places, including the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry in Ambridge was founded in the 1970s to provide theological training for renewal-minded clergy; the Community of Celebration, an Episcopal Religious Community with its roots in charismatic renewal and service to impoverished neighborhoods, was welcomed to Aliquippa in the 1980s under the leadership of the VI Bishop of Pittsburgh, the Rt. Rev. Alden Hathaway.

5 1980s-2000s

The collapse of the steel industry in the 1980s was a trigger for economically challenging times across the re- gion, resulting in high rates of poverty and unemployment. Even as new industries began emerging in the 1990s, anxiety in the Church was further heightened by societal changes, particularly the increasing awareness and ad- vocacy for the LGBTQ+ community. It was into this environment that the Rt. Rev. was elected the VII Bishop of Pittsburgh, beginning his episcopacy in 1997.

The strong yet diverse viewpoints of communities throughout our region extend to the social and theological realms. Bishop Duncan quickly became an outspoken advocate for a traditional understanding of human sexu- ality and pressed the case that conservatives were not welcome in The Episcopal Church. This widened the nat- ural fault lines within our area to a breaking point and led many in the diocese to leave The Episcopal Church in 2008. Ultimately the breakaway faction formed a cornerstone of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), with Bishop Duncan serving as its first archbishop. Other conservative parishes and clergy chose to re- main in our reconstituted diocese, which still reflects a wide range of theological beliefs. The diocese has gladly welcomed back those few congregations and clergy who have wished to return.

Recovery and Disparities

While many of the small towns in Southwestern Pennsylvania have never fully recovered from the declines of coal and steel, Pittsburgh itself has reemerged as a city whose economic drivers are technology, medicine, educa- tion, and energy. We are a hub for both tech startups and tech giants, as well as dozens of colleges and universi- ties. This economic resurgence has ensured that arts and cultural opportunities abound in Southwestern Penn- sylvania. And we have amazing new sports venues to support our beloved Steelers, Penguins, and Pirates.

6 Under the VIII Bishop of Pittsburgh, the Rt. Rev. Dorsey McCon- nell, our diocese has been on a similar road to recovery. There has been a great deal of healing, which is work that needs to continue. At the diocesan level, Bishop McConnell has built an excellent staff to assist governing bodies, congregations, and clergy in advancing Fast Facts about the gospel mission of our diocese. His message of “Everyone Be- Southwestern Pennsylvania longs” eased tensions in the diocese and allowed parishes to focus on enhancing their ministries of formation, worship, and outreach. Major Employers in the Region While Pittsburgh’s economic recovery has been impressive, its ef- • University of Pittsburgh fects have not been felt equally across the population. “Pittsburgh’s Medical Center (UPMC) Inequality Across Gender and Race,” a 2019 report published by • BNY Mellon the City of Pittsburgh comparing Pittsburgh to 89 demograph- • Highmark Health ically similar cities, determined that Pittsburgh’s white residents • PPG Industries rank in the middle 50 percent of cities in most livability indicators, • Alcoa, Inc. including income, educational attainment, life expectancy, and employment.1 But Black residents’ livability ranked lower than the Tech Companies vast majority of other cities, particularly in health and employment • Google outcomes. While Pittsburgh has frequently been named one of the • Amazon • Duolingo most livable cities in the , it was also named the worst • Uber place for Black women to live by City Lab in 2019.2 In some neigh- borhoods, the city has experienced high rates of gentrification, dis- Selected Higher Learning placing long-time residents—predominantly people of color—due • Carnegie Mellon University to high increases in housing prices; in others, the long-time practice • The University of Pittsburgh of redlining has hindered Black residents from moving outside of • Indiana University certain communities for decades. Incidents of police brutality, often of Pennsylvania fatal, against Black men and boys have occurred all too frequently. • Duquesne University • Community College The immigrant populations in our region today are predominantly of Allegheny County from India, China, Mexico, Germany, Vietnam, and the Philip- Arts & Cultural Attractions pines.3 We have historically had a small Hispanic population in the • The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra area, but this community has grown tremendously in recent years. • The August Wilson African American We also have a small number of refugees settled in Pittsburgh, most Cultural Center coming from Bhutan, Burma, Iraq, and Somalia. Some immigrants • The Johnstown Symphony come to attend one of our universities, while many others come to • Pittsburgh Opera fill highly skilled jobs. Of immigrants over age 25 in the Pittsburgh • The Andy Warhol Museum region, 58 percent hold a bachelor’s degree or higher.4 • Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater • The Phipps Conservatory • The National Aviary

Pittsburgh’s Sports Teams 1 Howell, Junia, Sara Goodkind, Leah Jacobs, Dominique Branson and • Steelers (Heinz Field) Elizabeth Miller. 2019. “Pittsburgh’s Inequality across Gender and Race.” Gender Analysis White Papers. City of Pittsburgh’s Gender Equality Commission. • Penguins (PPG Paints Arena) 2 Brentin Mock. “Pittsburgh: A ‘Most Livable’ City, but Not for Black • Pirates (PNC Park) Women,” Bloomberg City Lab, September 20, 2019, https://www.bloomberg.com/ news/articles/2019-09-20/how-pittsburgh-fails-black-women-in-6-charts 3 Vibrant Pittsburgh, “Where are our immigrants coming from?” http:// vibrantpittsburgh.org/Module/Resource/VibrantFactsDetail/Pittsburgh%- 2527sImmigrantPopulation?id=15#gsc.tab=0 4 University of Pittsburgh Center for Social and Urban Research Pitts- 7 burgh’s highly educated immigrants, 2019. https://www.ucsur.pitt.edu/perspectives. php?b=20190314614270 Will you be faithful in prayer, and in the study of Holy Scripture, that you may have

the mind of Christ? In order to lead us in this mission, our next bishop’s life and ministry must be rooted in the mysteries of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection, and must be sustained by regular engagement with Holy Scripture and a robust practice of prayer.

These are the foundations on which our diocese has been built. What defines us as a diocese is not our divisions, but our common faith in Christ’s resurrection and the new life and unity that we find in him. As a diocese, we are grateful for the wide range of theological diversity among our parishioners and clergy. We may not agree on everything, but we have a deep respect for one another. We seek a bishop who will honor this wide range of beliefs and who will see us all as beloved children of God. We value our ability to gather in prayer with those whose beliefs differ from our own. What holds us together is our faith in Christ.

LOVE + TEACH + HEAL

In his address to the 2018 Diocesan Convention, Bishop McConnell introduced a simple phrase to express our mission, guided by Jesus Christ: Love. Teach. Heal. These three actions have guided our diocesan life over the last two years. LOVE God: “...with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind...” Luke 10:27 Neighbor: “...who proved neighbor to the man who fell among thieves?” Luke 10:36 Enemy: “...love your enemy, pray for those who curse you.” Matthew 5:44 TEACH God with us: “...and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us...” John 1:14 God for us: “...He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” Romans 8:32 God in us: “...God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba! Father!” Galatians 4:6 HEAL The Person: “Great crowds came to [Jesus] and he healed them.” Matthew 15:30 The Church: “[I ask] that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know you sent me...” John 17:23 The World: “We are ambassadors for Christ, God is making his appeal through us...” 2 Corinthians 5:20

9 Will you boldly proclaim and interpret

the Gospel of Christ, enlightening the

minds and stirring up the conscience of

your people? While our diocese is small, there are still several ministries that are direct diocesan initiatives. Many of these ministries were started in the last few years.

Sheldon Calvary Camp

In 1936, Harry E. Sheldon Calvary Camp was established on the shores of Lake Erie, just across the Pennsylva- nia border in Conneaut, Ohio. In a typical summer, this camping ministry of our diocese draws over one thou- sand children aged eight to sixteen into an environment of spiritual growth and connection with God’s creation. Calvary Camp is a sacred place for conversation, relationship, and transformation, which intentionally works to develop children and young adults who have faith, hope, and a deep appreciation of our common humanity.

Welcoming campers and staff of all denominations and faiths, Calvary Camp represents the broadest diocesan outreach initiative for children and their families. In addition to the summer activities, there is also an opportu- nity for campers to remain connected to the Church on a year-round basis, through a monthly Camp Service at Calvary Church in Pittsburgh. While the pandemic has largely put the camp on hold during 2020, it should remain one of the most resonating and enduring Episcopal initiatives in the region. It is the camp’s goal that cost never be a reason a child cannot attend, and nearly 20 percent of campers receive some form of financial assistance. Calvary Camp is largely self-sustaining through tuition, volunteerism, and donations, typically draw- ing $4,000 from the diocesan operating budget.

University Chaplaincy

The Rev. Dan Isadore has been serving as our Episcopal University Chaplain since 2016, primarily at the Uni- versity of Pittsburgh and Chatham University. His approach has focused on building one-on-one relationships and community, reaching many students who might not otherwise find their way to an Episcopal church. As his ministry has matured, he is increasingly mentoring students who may wish to pursue similar work themselves.

A Church Without Walls

In 2017, the diocese partnered with Rodman Street Missionary Baptist Church in Pittsburgh to form A Church Without Walls, an initiative to facilitate conversations across racial and denominational lines as a step towards racial unity. Small groups made up of members from Episcopal parishes and Rodman Street Missionary Baptist Church met to break bread together, learn about each other’s lives, study scripture, and pray for one another.

This ministry was important to many parishioners in our diocese. A Church Without Walls met through 2019 but ended without any formal closure. Many participants lamented its loss during our listening sessions. 11 St. Mary Magdalene’s

St. Mary Magdalene’s Lutheran Episcopal Church in Wilkinsburg is a partnership between the ELCA South- western PA Synod and the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh. This congregation was started in 2017 by young couples and new parents, trying to “figure out how they wanted to raise the issue of faith and life with their children.”1 Led by the Rev. Canon Natalie Hall, they meet weekly at St. Stephen’s, Wilkinsburg, and primarily minister to seekers and families with young children.

1 St. Mary Magdalene Lutheran Episcopal Church, “Impressum,” https://www.facebook.com/MaryMa- gLEC/about/?ref=page_internal

Beloved Community Initiative

On September 1, 2020, Bishop McConnell launched the Beloved Community Initiative (BCI). Two half-time missioners were appointed to oversee this ministry: the Rev. Canon Eric McIntosh and Ms. Shahnaz Alam-Den- linger, the first people of color ever to serve on diocesan staff. Building on the decades-long work of the diocesan Commissions on Race & Reconciliation and Social Justice & Outreach, BCI will seek to support our baptismal promise “to strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being” and advance the diocese’s mission to love, teach, and heal in the area of racial justice and reconciliation at both par- ish and diocesan levels.

Following the strategy of Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s “Becoming Beloved Community”—Telling the Truth, Proclaiming the Dream, Practicing the Way of Love, Repairing the Breach—they envision beginning the work by:

• Facilitating conversations at parish and diocesan levels to examine the local history and presence of racism in both the church and in the wider community • Establishing interracial small groups for prayer and study • Developing and implementing strategies of activism locally and beyond to restore social justice • Re-establishing a diocesan presence of the Union of Black Episcopalians.

12 New Initiatives

These ministries do good, important work in the areas of youth formation, racial reconciliation, and new mis- sions. Still, there is widespread belief in our diocese that we need to do more on each of these fronts.

While all recognize that aging membership is a problem throughout the church, we do not feel we can sit back and accept this trend. The City of Pittsburgh has a median age of 34, yet one of the most consistent concerns across our diocese is a lack of younger people involved in parish life. Other than Calvary Camp and the Univer- sity Chaplaincy, there has been no direct diocesan-level support for ministries aimed at children, youth, or young adults since the split.

Our listening sessions underscored the desire for new ministries and church plants. Several areas of the diocese, including major suburbs of Pittsburgh, have no nearby Episcopal presence. What opportunities for ministry do we miss by not serving these areas? The pandemic has shown us that we are capable of adapting to a changing world. We have developed opportunities for worship, fellowship, and study, even though we cannot gather in person. Many of our congregations have seen an influx of new worshipers from around the country—and even around the world—through online offerings. Are there ways we as a diocese can continue ministering to those who live many miles away and yet have found a spiritual home in our congregations?

As we compare the demographics of our parishes with the demographics of our region, large portions of our communities are underrepresented. Our parishes are overwhelmingly white. We only have one historically black congregation. Many of our parishes do not reflect the communities in which they sit. Our clergy are equally un- representative of our population: only three clerics serving in full-time roles are people of color. Two congrega- tions have Black clerics serving as clergy-in-charge, but none of our current rectors are people of color. Similar- ly, we have women serving as clergy-in-charge of congregations, but no women currently serving as rectors.

Just as our diocese has neglected those who have long been members of our community, we have not adequately responded to the changing needs within our community with a growing number of immigrants. While several parishes reach out with English as a Second Language classes and others provide financial or material donations to refugees, we have not reached out to our new neighbors to welcome them to the community to the degree that we could.

13 As a chief priest and pastor, will you encourage and support all baptized people in their gifts and ministries, mourish them from the riches of God’s grace, pray for them without ceasing,

and celebrate with them the sacraments of our redemption? Sustaining Small Parishes

One of the effects of the diocesan split was to further the resource disparity between large and small parishes. Across 36 parishes, we have 8,600 baptized members. In 2018, the five largest parishes accounted for 50 per- cent of our Average Sunday Attendance (ASA). Twenty of our parishes have an ASA of fewer than 50 people; 13 of those have an ASA of fewer than 30. We have small churches in urban areas with a high density of other churches; we have small churches in rural areas with shrinking populations. Some are in former coal or steel towns that have faced significant economic struggles in recent years.

The diocese under Bishop McConnell has provided a good deal of support to these congregations, many of which are the only Episcopal presence for miles around. But a long-term view to their vitality will be the respon- sibility of our next bishop.

Renewing Lay Leadership

Another effect of the split was the thinning of diocesan lay leadership due to departing members. In early 2019, dozens of lay people and clergy of the diocese responded to the invitation to participate in Project CREED, a “Committee to Re-Envision the Diocese.” The objective was to explore ways to adapt the size and structure of diocesan governing bodies to better suit the present composition of the diocese, as well as strengthen parishes’ mission, ministry, and communications.

The CREED governance initiative will reduce the size of most diocesan governing bodies, while encouraging a diverse representation. Since these changes entail amendments to the diocesan Constitution, their approval is contingent on passage of their second reading at our Annual Convention on October 17, 2020, in tandem with other enabling resolutions and canonical changes. If executed, this initiative should relieve some of the demand for lay leadership to support diocesan governance.

Another recent effort seeks to bolster the ranks of lay leaders. The Love+Teach+Heal Academy began in 2019 as an effort to equip lay leaders with the skills and knowledge to both support existing ministries and to form new initiatives in their parishes. Groups meet by geographic region for discussion, study of scripture, and dis- cernment. A new session began this October over Zoom to raise up another group of lay leaders within our diocese.

15 Continuing Financial Support

The split also resulted in a reduction in attendance by more than 50 percent, which had a comparable impact on our finances. Since that time, much work has been done to re-align our budget to meet our current needs, and our financial footing is much stronger than it was immediately following the split.

Since 2012, assessments have grown 16 percent, as many of our parishes have found sounder footing. This growth, alongside prudent stewardship of our resources, has enabled us to be less reliant on draws from the diocesan investments. While the percentage of diocesan funding attributable to investment draws has dropped from 56 percent to 36 percent, our diocesan net assets have increased over 26 percent during that time.

Our diocesan operating expenses totaled $1.2 million for 2019. A good deal of that expense has gone to sup- porting parishes within the diocese through mission grants, clergy salary assistance, and support of certain mortgages.

Ongoing Stewardship

Much good work has been done to protect our growing endowment while stabilizing diocesan finances and sup- porting the recovery of many parishes since the split. The CREED provisions should streamline our diocesan committees to form a nimbler governance structure befitting our current size—one whose final operations can be significantly shaped by our new bishop. While all these efforts should provide a solid foundation on which to build, our diocesan resources are not unlimited. Our incoming bishop will face a number of challenging deci- sions in seeking to nurture our members and their ministries.

16 Will you guard the faith, unity,

and discipline of the Church? Aftershocks of the Split

In the immediate aftermath of the split, the clergy and parishioners in 37 of 64 congregations left The Episco- pal Church to align with the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone. For many, that event was a disorienting trauma as the diocesan family was literally torn in two. Longtime friendships were broken. Some parishioners found themselves no longer welcome in the parishes their families had attended for generations. Ultimately, five congregations and several clerics have returned to The Episcopal Church over the last twelve years.

The diocese in 2012 has been described as a battlefield with the smoke still rising after the shooting had stopped. We were still trying to put the pieces of our diocese back together, still trying to learn how to be in community with one another.

Three years of litigation over ownership of diocesan property had ended in 2011. While the diocese prevailed in its legal case, it would also mean years of work managing underutilized properties, and issues remained with cer- tain ACNA congregations holding title to the parish property. Lengthy negotiations with them led to a creative solution allowing both sides to offer mutual blessing to one another. The 2018 Agreement preserves our trust interest in the parish property and establishes a new, ongoing relationship with the congregations defined by the mutual obligations under that agreement.

Human Sexuality

The Public Conversations Project of 2013 began the hard work of listening to understand and respect those with different understandings of human sexuality. The clergy have welcomed a growing spirit of congeniality across our differences. Throughout the diocese, respect for differing viewpoints and appreciation for our diverse witness have grown significantly.

Some churches have LGBTQ+ members serving at all levels of parish leadership. Others do not allow same-sex weddings to be performed in their parish. We are no longer fighting over marriage equality, but we also are not of one mind on the issue.

18 Continuing Work Toward Unity

Over the last twelve years, we have done significant work towards healing from the trauma of the split. Bishop McConnell has been a steady, healing presence in our diocese. We have appreciated his kindness and compas- sion for us, his taking time both to sit with us in our grief and to share in our joys.

As the work of rebuilding the diocese began, all were called to move beyond the anger and mistrust and were invited to form new friendships and repair damaged relationships. The steps were small and halting at first, but we could see life being breathed back into our diocesan family.

We hope Project CREED may assist with the inter-parish healing. One resolution should open more lines of communication between parishes, including exchanging stories of local ministries. Other resolutions emphasize increased cooperation among parishes for ministries and social outreach.

We have done good, hard work, and for those who are new to or newly-active in the diocese, the events of the split are little more than history. But the split will always be with us, part of the DNA of our diocese. For many long-time members of the diocese, a good deal of hurt remains—though with an appreciation for continued healing and growth.

We now seek a bishop who will continue to walk with us in our pain, encourage us in our healing, and help us prayerfully discern where God is calling us next.

“All of us who remain in the Episcopal Church will look after those who are suffering because of this split. We will find someone to minister to us as a bishop. We will be recog- nized by the national church. We will have a diocese, and it will be healthy and faithful.” - a priest of our diocese, 2008 Will you share with your fellow bishops in the government

of the whole Church; will you sustain your

fellow presbyters and take counsel with them; will you

guide and strengthen the deacons and all others who

minister in the Church? Engagement with The Episcopal Church

While many clergy and lay members of the diocese have participated in all levels of The Episcopal Church, Bishop Duncan’s episcopacy was the culmination of a long period of detachment between the bishops of the Diocese of Pittsburgh and The Episcopal Church. Bishop McConnell has taken steps to be one of the more engaged participants our diocese has had in the House of Bishops. Presiding Bishop Michael Curry held the first in a series of Episcopal Church-wide revivals in Pittsburgh in 2017, a sign that the diocese is a full and welcome participant in the life of the wider church.

Pastor to the Pastors

Clergy of the Diocese In our listening sessions, clergy emphasized the importance of receiving spiritual guidance from their bishop. Weekly Total Active 47 Zoom meetings through the pandemic have developed an Priests increasing sense of community and collegiality among our Full Time Priests 22 clergy, and our next bishop should continue fostering these relationships. Clergy of this diocese feel that regular indi- vidual engagement and pastoral care is critical to support Part-time/ 19 them on professional, personal, and spiritual bases, so they Bivocational can effectively minister to both their parishes and their own Priests personal relationships. Deacons 10

Retired Priests 28

Licensed 12 to Officiate

21 Ecumenical Relationships

Our next bishop will have a strong foundation upon which to build inter-denominational relationships with local faith communities. These connections are of particular importance during this time in our nation character- ized by partisan and religious differences. Bishop McConnell has been an active participant in the Council of Christian Associates of Southwestern Pennsylvania (CASP). The group, comprised of over 30 Christian denom- inations, has built strong bonds of affection and trust among one another and has established inter-faith rela- tionships with leaders in the Jewish, Muslim, and Buddhist communities. Significantly, CASP was able to quickly mobilize an interfaith response and witness in support of the Tree of Life synagogue and demonstrate solidarity with the Jewish community after the massacre in October 2018.

In addition to relationships through CASP, Bishop McConnell has strong ties with important faith leaders in the African American community in Pittsburgh. Their congregations include Rodman Street Missionary Baptist Church, Wesley Center AME Zion Church, the Pentecostal Temple of Highland Park/East Liberty, Bethlehem Baptist Church in McKeesport, and St. Moses the Black Antiochian Orthodox Church. They were all crucial partners in the Presiding Bishop’s visit to the diocese. Ongoing communication and collaboration among Epis- copalians, these faith communities, and others are crucial in building the beloved community.

Our diocese has a close relationship with the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, with Episcopal priests serving in local ELCA congregations and ELCA pastors serving local Episcopal congregations. During Holy Week, ELCA and Episcopal clergy annually gather for a Renewal of Vows.

In an initiative to increase local opportunities for clergy development, the diocese recently partnered with the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary to introduce the Anglican/Episcopal Studies Track at the school. The pro- gram began in the fall of 2019 and allows for Episcopal students to experience study centered on their worship while in a rich ecumenical setting.

22 Pandemic Support

The Covid-19 pandemic forced the Diocese of Pittsburgh to adapt to a rapidly changing way of life when public worship was suspended throughout the diocese on March 18th. Our parish leaders, clergy and lay, immediately jumped into action, broadcasting services from their churches and homes. Many parishes offer daily morning and evening prayers, bible study, coffee hour, Christian formation, and other programs online.

As part of our survey of the diocese, taken over the past summer, we asked what people have been learning about their faith, parish life, and worship during the pandemic. The responses we received were thoughtful and varied. People missed their parish family and attending in-person worship services. Many expressed thankfulness for the lengths their parishes went through to keep their communities connected even when we are physically distanced. Others told us of the ways their faith has been strengthened over the last months. A few people felt detached from their parish. Some shared that watching services online filled them with grief for what they have lost.

In many cases, parishes made adaptations that may offer lasting benefits, even as in-person worship gradually resumes around the diocese. Some parishes were able to adapt outreach ministries to accommodate social-dis- tancing guidelines. In others, parishioners in our listening sessions expressed great disappointment that they were forced to cease beloved hands-on ministries to the most vulnerable in our communities until the pandemic ends and eagerness to resume those ministries as soon as possible. Several parishes have seen former parishioners re- connect through their online worship offerings. Others have seen people from across the country, with no former connections to their parish, begin participating in their services and fellowship opportunities.

Our next bishop will face challenges in the first years of their episcopate leading us into a post-Covid era that will look different than the past. The bishop will need to address the collective trauma we have faced through job losses and financial insecurity, health concerns, loss of loved ones, long periods of physical isolation, and months without in-person worship and Holy Eucharist. Our new spiritual leader will need to minister to a society in- creasingly characterized by remote workforces and virtual interactions. Our clergy will need support from their bishop as the need for pastoral care increases in a world where in-person gatherings continue to decline.

Everything is more challenging in this pandemic season, but God continues to make God’s presence and blessings known in ways large and small. - Survey participant

23 Will you be merciful to all, show compassion

to the poor and strangers, and defend those

who have no helper? Increased Focus on Social Justice and Anti-Racism

In our listening process, we heard over and over again that the people of this diocese hold a commitment to social justice and anti-racist work as a top priority for our next bishop.

Although Pittsburgh has been named one of the most livable cities, the level of inequality in our area is quite sobering. The gospel compels us to create an equal and just life for all in our community: Black women’s ma- ternal mortality, unemployment, and poverty; Black men’s occupational segregation, high homicide rate, and disproportionate incidences of cancer and heart disease; low college admissions numbers for Black girls and other people of color; and the policing of children in our public schools are examples of our broken world that present opportunities for Christian witness and compel a response from us as Episcopalians.1

We would be remiss to not name the fact that Pittsburgh, like too many American cities, has also suffered its share of the epidemic of violence against Black citizens at the hands of the police. Deron Grimmitt, Jerry Jack- son, Jonny Gammage, Jordan Miles, Leon Ford, Romir Talley, and Antwon Rose, II are among the many Black men who have been shot, beaten, and in many cases killed by law enforcement officers over the years. Recently, the community has responded with protests and direct action in response to both violence in Pittsburgh and sim- ilar acts of violence across our nation. In the summer of 2020, days of protests followed the murder of George Floyd. The local organization Black, Young, & Educated held Civil Saturdays demonstrations for 16 consecutive weeks in an effort to bring legislative and societal changes to end police brutality. Other protestors have con- fronted local leaders, including Pittsburgh’s mayor, Bill Peduto, demanding that community leadership hold law enforcement accountable for their actions.

Racial issues in our region are not limited to these alone. The 2019 report had a third data category for “AM- LON” (Asian, Multiracial, Latinx, other, and Native American). The City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County presented the data in such a way that it is nearly impossible to discern the discrimination and violence that non- Black people of color face. We know that in Pittsburgh, as in communities across the country, people of color are subjected to daily incidences of racism and discrimination.

People have faced violence and discrimination for being Muslim and for appearing to be Muslim as have, more recently, people of East Asian descent in reaction to fears of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Hispanic and Latino communities face hostility at an increased degree, especially as anti-immigrant rhetoric has grown more and more virulent. Pennsylvania has an arrest rate of undocumented immigrants by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement that was over four times the national average.2

The Beloved Community Initiative is an important diocesan step toward a meaningful response to these endur- ing issues, helping us to identify racism in our midst, work to dismantle it in our communities, and learn a better way to build Beloved Community. We seek a bishop who sees the work of racial reconciliation as integral to the work of proclaiming the gospel.

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1 Howell, et. al, “Pittsburgh’s Inequality across Gender and Race.” 2 TRAC Immigration, “Ten-Fold Difference in Odds of ICE Enforcement Depending on Where You Live,” https://trac.syr.edu/immigration/reports/555/ Outreach

During our listening sessions, we heard about many outreach ministries in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Our churches are active, working to “seek and serve Christ in all persons,” as we promise in our baptismal covenant. Here are but a handful of the outreach ministries across our diocese:

• St. Peter’s, Blairsville, hosts a Laundry Love ministry. Before the pandemic, parishioners from St. Peter’s offered laundry services once a month to those in need. This evolved into outreach which included Sunday school lessons and baptisms at the laundromat! To adapt to social distancing guidelines, St. Peter’s is now providing money for laundry as well as laundry detergent and dryer sheets to those in need. This is one of many ministries started with a diocesan ministry grant and continues to be supported financially by dona- tions from the Blairsville community and other Episcopal churches across the diocese. • Trinity Cathedral in downtown Pittsburgh participates in the Downtown Ministerium. This partnership between five downtown churches hosts a walk-in ministry for those in need of food, shelter, transportation, and other necessities. • St. Mark’s, Johnstown, maintains a Pet Food Pantry, which provides supplemental food for low-income pet owners. This offering is part of the church’s Animal Welfare Ministry, which is supported by donations from parishioners and members of the community. • As a response to increasing gun violence in their neighborhood, Holy Cross, Homewood – the only historically Black congregation in our diocese – hosted a gun buy-back in collaboration with the Pittsburgh Police Department in January 2020. The goal was to collect 100 guns. The initial funds of $5,000 ran out in 45 minutes, but people kept arriving to surrender their firearms. Community members contributed addition- al money through the day and nearly 150 firearms were surrendered. • At St. Brendan’s, Franklin Park, which serves as a voting location, parishioners welcoming voters in 2016 recognized the significant immigrant presence in their neighborhood. The parish reached out to leaders in the community and asked what they could do to make their new neighbors welcome. Out of this exercise came an active ESL Conversation Friends ministry. Parishioners and volunteers from the neighbor- hood meet with English learners several times a week to practice conversation and writing skills. • On October 27, 2018, the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in the United States was carried out at Tree of Life/Or L’Simcha Congregation in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh. The community response to the tragedy from clergy and lay leaders of all faiths was remarkable. Calvary, East Liberty, which sits less than a mile from Tree of Life, offered use of their space for the High Holidays in 2019. The two congregations formed a close relationship, and in December 2019, Tree of Life members attended Calvary’s Christmas Pageant, which was followed by a Hanukkah party hosted by Tree of Life in Calvary’s parish hall. The two congregations look forward to more opportunities to gather together when it is safe to do so again.

Even though we are very small, we have a heart for Jesus and for each other and the needs of those outside the parish. - Survey participant 26 What We Seek in Our Next Bishop

While the immediate trauma of the split is now years behind us, we once again find ourselves at a crossroads in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. In order to help us move forward meaningfully in these challenging times, we seek a bishop who will have:

• A strong faith to provide spiritual guidance to our clergy, staff, and parishioners • Good ears for listening to a broad range of theological, social, political, and spiritual beliefs, and welcoming all persons into a unified communion with Christ • Creativity and follow-through to build, inspire, articulate, and execute a vision to bring innovative solutions to challenges faced by our diocese and The Episcopal Church • Patience to enhance formation of youth and the next leaders of our laity and clergy • Compassion to care for parishes, missions, ministries, and parishioners throughout the eleven counties of our diocese, no matter their differences or size • Commitment to continued healing and reconciliation both within our diocese and in the broader community • Time for nurturing and caring for clergy as they face ever-evolving challenges • Presence to visibly proclaim and live the gospel within our city, townships, and boroughs • Passion for doing the hard work of advancing anti-racism and social justice • Honesty and authenticity, in order to feel the full trust and love our diocese has to offer.

Timeline

October 15, 2020: Profile goes live Week of April 11-16: Walkabouts Nomination period opens A p r i l 2 4 : S p e c i a l D i o c e s a n C o n v e n t i o n t o November 9: Nomination period ends Elect the IX Bishop of Pittsburgh

January 21-23, 2021: Discernment retreat September 11: Ordination and consecration of the IX Bishop of Pittsburgh February 8: Announce slate

Those who feel a call to enter into a process of discernment with the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh or who wish to nominate a candidate are invited to do so by November 9, 2020. Application and nomination forms are available at www.pittsburghbishopsearch.com

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