Virginia Episcopalian Magazine Winter 2014 Issue | Page 25

Innovation and Optimism
Ed Jones
What We Shall Become: The Future and Structure of the
Episcopal Church
Winnie Varghese, Editor
Church Publishing, 2013

It’s a great time to be an Episcopalian.
That may sound counter-intuitive, given the recent run of
lawsuits, dwindling Sunday attendance and tight budgets.
But what community of faith is better suited to deal with
changing dynamics and demands than the Episcopal Church?
The genius of Anglicanism has been to reinterpret the
church’s role in changing times, cultures and contexts. We’ve
done it many times before (think of the post-Revolutionary
War era for U.S. Episcopalians!) and we are now called on to
do it again.

That’s why it’s so inspiring to read What We Shall
Become: The Future and Structure of the Episcopal Church,
which is absolutely brimming with innovation and optimism.
This collection of essays by some of the most insightful
thinkers in our church was crafted in response to the work of
the Task Force for Reimagining the Episcopal Church, which
will report to the 2015 General Convention.

The weighty challenges are fully acknowledged. One
writer compares the shift toward secular life in the 21st
century to the Reformation in terms of its impact on the
Church. But the imaginative responses to these challenges
are equally weighty. It’s reassuring to note that many of
them are already pursued by our Diocese and parishes.
For instance, Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows writes of the
substantial structural changes that have been made in the
labyrinthine systems of the Diocese of Chicago over the
past few years. It was observed that silos had grown up
that prevented close collaboration among diocesan staff
members. Relationships between the diocesan staff and
some of the parishes had become strained. Those issues
were addressed by organizational and cultural changes at the
diocesan level.

Though our challenges in the Diocese of Virginia are not
identical, we are following many of the same paths. For example:
• The executive committee of our diocesan staff consists of

the three bishops, the canon to the ordinary, the chief of
staff and the treasurer. This nimble team is charged with
preventing “silos” from growing up in various part of
our operation.

• A s a staff, we see our

role as more and more
a networking agent for
the parishes, providing
opportunities for parishes
to learn from each other.
You will see that at the
Annual Council in January,
where the State of the
Diocese presentation
Friday morning will
showcase interesting and
inspiring examples of how
parishes and individuals
are spreading the Word.
• Customer service is a term that may sound out of place in

church life, but it’s what we’re emphasizing in the way we
respond to calls for help and support from our parishes.
Timely, helpful responses are our goals. As was summed up
in a recent brochure about the diocesan staff: “We are the
staff. You are the Diocese.”
The essays in this compelling volume deal with similar issues
and challenges for the Episcopal Church, as well as for
parishes. A theme that runs through these writings is that
it’s not a case of throwing out all our traditions and past –
underused buildings, bureaucratic structures – in favor of
something new and innovative that will relate to the 21stcentury disdain for denominational identity. It’s a question of
how to draw from the past to become relevant again in the
future. That’s a nuance that connects easily with Anglicanism.

As is so often the case, there’s an irony at the heart
of our work together. As Baskerville-Burrows notes, it’s
interesting that the Church, which is in the business of
transformation, “is one of the most difficult organizations
to transform.” We are change-averse until we bring God into
the conversation. That’s the spark that sends us forward
with confidence. t

Winter 2014 / Virginia Episcopalian

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