Dear brothers and sisters,

Sometimes a new venture begins with an apparent accident. Such may well be the case with the Calumet Episcopal Ministry Partnership.

About a year ago, three contiguous churches simultaneously found themselves without a permanent priest – St. Barnabas’, Gary; St. Timothy’s, Griffith; and St. Paul’s, Munster. Nothing nefarious was going on. In two cases, the priest took a call to another parish, and in one the priest retired. But the result, in any case, meant that we suddenly faced the challenge of finding priestly ministry for three small, neighboring congregations. Mere coincidence? Or is there (I couldn’t help wondering) an opportunity in this apparent accident of timing? It was a question worth asking.

And so, last January 25, representatives from the three parishes gathered for an open-ended conversation. Is this a time, I asked, for St. Barnabas’, St. Timothy’s, and St. Paul’s to seek a deeper unity? Can the three parishes work together in a way that enhances each of them and, at the same time, draws them closer together? We didn’t come up with an answer that night; but the representatives agreed to put the question to their vestries.

All three vestries agreed to enter formal conversation, and formed a task force made up of representatives from each church. Canon SuzeAnne Silla provided counsel and resources throughout the process. For the next several months, the tri-parish task forced talked and prayed and dreamed, asking the question: “Is the Spirit leading us to share our life together in a new way?” There was never a question of merger. Each parish has its own culture and gifts, not to mention an important place in our diocesan “mix”. In time, the task force began to shape a vision for the future – a vision in which each parish retained its unique identity yet shared resources and personnel with the other three. They articulated the vision with these words: “One church in three locations, focusing on youth, Christian formation, and mission.” Over time, the vestries and then the congregations as a whole embraced the vision. The new venture will be called the Calumet Episcopal Ministry Partnership.

A Lead Priest will serve all three parishes, assisted by several retired and bi-vocational priests as a clergy team. On any given Sunday, the Lead Priest will celebrate the Eucharist in two of the three congregations, with the assisting priests taking turns to cover the third. The task force made a very important decision as they worked on the complex logistical and financial arrangements: that although the three parishes are of different size, and thus will put different amounts of money in the common stipend “pot,” the Lead Priest will divide his time between parishes not according to financial contribution, but according to pastoral need. The Partnership opens the door to cooperative ministry, sharing of programs, and the potential of developing a common mission strategy in the Calumet region. Our diocesan core values –

• A passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ
• A heart for the lost
• A willingness to do whatever it takes
• A commitment to one another

– can take on new and energizing shape as St. Barnabas’, St. Timothy’s, and St. Paul’s seek the heart of Jesus together.

Deacon Mike Dwyer, who currently assists at St. Christopher’s, Crown Point, has been called to be the Lead Priest. When he is ordained to the priesthood on March 3, the Calumet Episcopal Ministry Partnership will officially begin. Already, however, Deacon (soon to be Father) Mike is making connections in all three congregations, and providing leadership as the Partnership gets ready to start. This past Sunday I visited one of the Partnership parishes – St. Barnabas’, Gary – and there I experienced a palpable sense of joy and anticipation.

More than 500 years before the birth of Jesus, God spoke to the people of Israel about an exciting and completely unexpected development. “I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43:19). God was proclaiming that the Israelites, languishing in exile in Babylon, would soon return home to Jerusalem. The Calumet Episcopal Ministry Partnership – not, perhaps, quite as dramatic as God’s intervention in Babylon – is a decidedly “new thing” in our diocese, an adventure in mission and ministry. Please pray for these three parishes as they begin this new phase of their life together. A new bud springs forth. May the Spirit guide and strengthen the Partnership for the glory of Jesus!

Yours in Christ,

+Ed