Bishop Wimberly Hands Operation to Bishop Coadjutor at 160^th Council

By Carol E. Barnwell

In his address to the 160th Diocesan Council on February 14, Bishop Don Wimberly announced announced he was handing over operations of the diocesan office and the work of the diocese at large to Bishop Coadjutor Andy Doyle immediately following the diocese’s annual council, held in Houston, February 13-14, 2009. Bishop Wimberly, who will retire June 6, 2009, will continue to chair the diocesan foundations, St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System, the Seminary and Executive Boards until then.

The transition comes earlier than expected, prompted by Bishop Wimberly’s hospitalization in January, when Bishop Doyle stepped in to cover for him. "This time has proven to me that [Andy] is ready and we, as a diocese, are ready to move forward," Bishop Wimberly said, adding, "I will work with him as he takes on these new roles; such a partnership is natural for us."

First Hispanic Parish

The diocese admitted two congregations as parishes, one of which is the first Hispanic congregation in the Episcopal Church to attain the self-sustaining status, San Mateo, Houston. The other is St. Francis, College Station, one of the congregations served by Bishop Doyle earlier in his ministry. Delegates also approved a combined $12.3 million for the Diocesan and Missionary Budgets.

Bishop Doyle

In his remarks to Council, Bishop Doyle announced a series of “town hall” meetings this spring to help prioritize goals for his episcopacy in consultation with members of the church. 

Speaking of the Church’s upcoming General Convention in July, Bishop Doyle reaffirmed his leadership in "harmony with the Windsor Report" and stated his belief in the importance of securing a Covenant as a "’vital element in strengthening the life of the Communion.’" (Primates Communique, 16). He challenged church members to focus on "missionary leadership" and to "seek unity over division."

Echoing the Windsor Report, Bishop Doyle said, "the church is to be ‘an anticipatory sign of God’s healing and restorative future of the world.’ Like it or not, our diversity is representative of God’s kingdom and the Church’s restorative mission is intimately contingent upon how we walk into the years that are before us as a unified people of God."

Legacy Gift
Bishop Wimberly and his wife Wendy received the Bishops’ Award for Ministry in honor of their many years of service. Bishop Wimberly was ordained to the priesthood in 1971 and served parishes in New York, Louisiana, Kansas and Florida before becoming Bishop of Lexington. Following his retirement there, he served as assistant bishop in Texas for three years before being elected Bishop of Texas in 2002.  

To honor Bishop Wimberly’s focus on raising up Christ-centered leaders, Bishop Doyle announced the creation of The Rt. Rev. Don A. Wimberly Fund for Leadership that will ensure educational programs will endure and be available to all. "Creating this legacy in his honor will enrich our diocese for future generations and will communicate our love and gratitude," Bishop Doyle said.

Foundations and Budgets
Diocesan treasurer Bob Biehl reported that $205,000 had been received in donations for Hurricane Ike recovery efforts. This, is in addition to grants of $1 million each from the Bishop Quin Foundation and the Episcopal Foundation of Texas, will aid parishes affected by the hurricane. He said that the diocese’s three foundations, although suffering from the financial markets decline, performed better than the market as a whole and "remain in strong financial condition."  

 Council approved a $9,309,000 Diocesan Budget (which includes $4,338,000 in health insurance) and a $3,060,000 Missionary Budget. The Missionary budget includes support to missions, college ministries, new church plants and a host of outreach programs. Even though the Missionary Budget reflects a sharp decrease in voluntary giving and falls $2 million short of the requested $5,096,157, Bishop Doyle thanked delegates for their stewardship and sacrificial giving in light of the current economy. 

"It is a time of great testing for the church financially, yet the church must rise to the challenge, understanding that it is by grace that we minister to God’s people and that all that is needed will be provided when we are faithful to His calling and mission."

Resolutions/Constitution and Canons
No resolutions were put forward this year although courtesy resolutions from both of the bishops’ addresses were approved. The more than 714 clergy and elected delegates approved a Constitutional amendment to change remaining references to St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital to St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System and another (on first reading) that would allow lay vicars in charge of a parish a place at Diocesan Council. 

A canonical amendment to authorize the bishop to designate the bishop coadjutor, bishop Suffragan or assistant bishop to serve ex officio on the board or as chair of entities that include the Quin Foundation, St. Stephen’s School and St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System Corporation was approved (Canon 4, section 4.9).

Changes to Canon 5 were also approved. These would update names of various ministries (sec. 5.1, 5.2 and 5.5); provides for convocational deans and division chairs to attend Executive Board meetings as requested by the Board instead of serving with voice, but without vote (5.3); and gives the Division of Finance authority to request annual reports from various divisions organized by the Executive Board (5.6).

Elections

Secretary The Rev. John A. Logan, Jr.
Treasurer Bob Biehl
Standing Committee
Clint Capers, St. Alban’s, Waco
The Rev. Sean Cox, St. Andrew’s, Bryan
Executive Board
Evelyn Allen, St. Luke the Evangelist, Houston
Lou Barron, Trinity, The Woodlands
Samuel Dodson, St. James’, Houston
The Rev. Justin Lindstrom, St. Aidan’s, Cypress
The Rev. Al Rodriquez, St. John’s, Austin
Church Corporation
Peter Boyd, Christ Church, Tyler
Trustee to the University of the South
Sandra Wilkens, St. Martin’s, Houston and St. Peter’s, Lago Vista

Youth Presence
Audra Patterson (above), a high school senior from Roundtop, told the assembly that diocesan youth events helped strengthen her faith life when there weren’t many teens at her church. She described attending her first junior high retreat, shy and unsure, but found she was "quickly accepted." Although they didn’t live nearby, these new friends remained close and the events provided a deeper connection with God. It was easy to pick up where you left off from one event to another, Patterson said. As she prepares to attend college, the one thing she is sure of is her continued participation in the Episcopal Church, she added.

Companion Diocese Study
Bishop Doyle also asked delegates to approve the study of a companion relationship with the Anglican Diocese of Southern Malawi. "As we undertake this vision of One Church across continents [we must realize] that we are the ones to be changed by this process," he said.

New Parishes
Two congregations were granted parish status at the 160^th Council. St. Francis, College Station and San Mateo, Houston. San Mateo’s rector, the Rev. Alejandro Montes said the parish was grateful to the Anglo congregation who planted the congregation in Southwest Houston in 1951. More than 100 parishioners paraded with horns and great fanfare up the aisles of the Council floor singing and waving banners in a collective celebration. Members of St. Francis also joined the festivities as Bishop Doyle stood with them. They carried a cross that was used in procession more than 25 years ago when the church was first organized. 

Council voted to close several congregations, which were no longer viable. These included St. Joseph’s, Houston, where the Canon for Multicultural Ministry and the bishop made extensive efforts towards reconciliatioon within the congregation that proved unsuccessful; a fellowship at St. George’s, Gatesville, where efforts to revive the small congregation were not successful; and Holy Trinity, Austin, where too few members remained to reconstitute a congregation following the departure of the rector and a majority of members of the congregation in August, 2008.  "Episcopal congregations nearby invited the few remaining members of Holy Trinity to join them," explained Bob Schorr, coordinator of Congregational Development for the diocese.  "We wanted to focus our energy and resources on the three church development projects underway in Austin, including St. Philips, St. Julians of Norich and a new plant in Manor."

Lasting Legacy
Bishop Wimberly began and ended his Council address with words from Paul’s letter to the Romans. It was the same Scripture reading that framed his first Council address in 2003. 

"Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with brotherly affection; out do one another in showing honor. Never flag in zeal, be aglow with the Spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality." Romans 12:9-13.

He gave a brief synopsis of his six years as diocesan including: General Convention 2003, The Windsor Report, embezzlement, and two hurricanes: Rita and Ike. "We have held fast to what is good when it was far easier to let go," he said. "We have celebrated the hope of our future together, lived through our fair share of tribulation and yet, together, we have persevered in prayer. And, through that prayer our eyes have been opened to possibilities and we have taken them."

During this six years, almost all congregations have a designated outreach coordinator as a response to Bishop Wimberly’s vision. The diocese now has permanent deacons and many additional bi-vocational priests allowing each congregation, no matter how small, to have a sacramental presence. The Diocesan Center has new quarters in downtown Houston adjacent to the Cathedral, and a leadership academy has been established to provide trained, Christ-centered leaders throughout the diocese in a number of programs including the Iona School for Ministry, Wardens and Vestry Conferences and Crosspointes. During Bishop Wimberly’s tenure the diocese has built two churches, St. Aidan’s, Cypress, and St. Catherine’s of Sienna, Missouri City, and plans two more in Austin. Nine missions have become parishes. And multicultural ministry has grown on all levels. 

Throughout the continuing division in the Church over issues of sexuality, the Diocese of Texas has remained unified and has provided a model for the Church nationally. "A bishop does none of these things alone but is the symbol of the Church’s work," Bishop Wimberly told delegates and clergy. "This is your work. And, I am thankful for the stewardship you have given to the glory of God that has allowed me to work with an excellent staff – along with you – to whom I am eternally grateful for the many efforts that made our labors fruitful to me and they illustrated to me how deep our love between people of the diocese and their bishop can run. I am a blessed man."