Bishop Doug Sparks

#GC79 - Reflections by Bishop Doug Sparks

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Bishop Doug, with his convention name tag and pins

Bishop Doug, with his convention name tag and pins

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

Grace and peace be with you in Jesus, the Light for all people!

Greetings from Austin, Texas at the 79th General Convention of The Episcopal Church!  I wanted to share my reflections on my particular work during this convention on the Ecumenical
and Interreligious Relations Legislative Committee and on the two TEConversations that we’ve had.

I have been committed to the work of Christian Unity for most of my adult life. I had the privilege of going to seminary in Chicago during the early 1980’s where I came to know sisters and brothers of other denominations and religious traditions. These fellow Christians enriched my faith and understanding as I began ordained ministry.

For more than 25 years, I have been engaged in conversations with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in American (ELCA) … in local and diocesan dialogues and initiatives. In 2016, I was appointed by our Presiding Bishop to serve as the Episcopal Bishop Co-Chair on the Lutheran Episcopal Coordinating Committee, which ultimately led to my appointment on this legislative committee.

(Below - Ecumenical Partners from ELCA and Lutheran Church in Bavaria giving testimony)

We are in full communion with the ELCA (since 2000) and the Moravian Church (since 2009). Our dialogue with the United Methodist Church began almost 50 years ago in the early 1970’s. Our committee spent significant time in conversation and testimony about the possibility of coming into full communion (after study and conversation during the next three years). We also worked on resolutions to affirm our long-standing full communion relationship with the Church of Sweden as well as an initiative of the Episcopal Convocation of Churches in Europe and the Lutheran Church in Bavaria. From my vantage point, full communion partnerships are a manifestation of Christ’s prayer that “we all may be one.” I am committed to working intentionally toward these partnerships.

One of the wonderful things about this convention is that both the House of Deputies and House of Bishops are gathering for intentional TEConversations around three key areas of our common life: Racial Reconciliation, Evangelism and Care of Creation. We gathered on Friday for a conversation on Racial Reconciliation. We heard the witness of a former racist skin head, a
“Dreamer” priest and the witness of Dr. Catherine Meeks, founder of the Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing.

On Saturday, we gathered for a conversation on Evangelism. We heard a bishop describe the
experience of 40 Revival Events in Iowa, an Episcopal Priest who is an author bridging faith and
culture and a Latino Church Planter priest from the Diocese of Virginia.  Each conversation included a time for listening, a reflection question for pairs to discuss, a second question for our deputation to discuss, and a final question for us to consider going forward.

Let me conclude with the three questions we were invited to reflect upon:

2018-07-07 TEConversation Flyers.jpg

  1. What word, image or theme stands out for you from the talks and offerings you just heard? What is Jesus saying and calling you to do or to be, with regard to racial reconciliation…to evangelism?

  2. Given what you just shared in pairs about what Jesus is calling you toward personally, how might our churches and institutions respond to this call collectively?

  3. Given what your group said about how we could respond to God’s call as churches and institutions, what would help you/ your church/ your diocese to take the next steps around racial reconciliation or evangelism?

Well, sisters and brothers, our conversations went well and we hope to share some possible next steps with you regarding racial reconciliation and evangelism…and care of creation soon!
Be assured of my prayer.

Every blessing,
Bishop Doug

What is Project Resource 2.0: An Update from Camp Allen in Texas

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Dear Sisters and Brothers in the Episcopal Church in Northern Indiana!

Grace and peace be with you in Jesus, the Risen Christ!

Last week, I had the privilege of gathering with bishops, priests, deacons and lay persons from 20 dioceses throughout the Episcopal Church to rekindle our passion for the important work of stewardship and its essential role in the life of our faith communities.  This initiative is entitled Project Resource 2.0 and is sponsored by the College for Bishops, the Episcopal Church Foundation and the Development Office of the Episcopal Church.  For several years in Northern Indiana, we have had a group of people called Faithful Stewards, who have tried to encourage the work of Stewardship among us!  I want to thank Linda Buskirk (Trinity - Fort Wayne), Meg Moss (Christ the King - Huntington), Pamela Harris (St. Andrew's - Valparaiso), Chuck Lewis and Steve Wilson (St. Andrew - Kokomo) , Fr. Paul Nesta (St. Paul - LaPorte) and Bishop Frank Gray for committing themselves to participating in this conference AND bringing it back to share throughout our diocese. 

The initiative focuses on three areas of stewardship:  1) the Annual Pledge Drive; 2) Planned or Legacy Giving and 3) Capital Campaigns.

You will be hearing more about our learning and our hopes in assisting every faith community in Northern Indiana to embrace more and more intentionally to important work of stewardship in all its aspects!   In the meantime, please enjoy the video below, recorded at the end of our time together.

Easter blessings,
Doug

Pastoral Letter, Post Charlottesville - 15 August 2017

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Dear Sisters and Brothers,

Grace and peace be with you in Jesus, the Light for all people in the midst of the world’s darkness!

Like many of you, the events in Charlottesville this past Saturday have been shocking and disturbing for me.  It is troubling to imagine in 2017, that voices calling for the supremacy of the White race would be acknowledged much less supported.  In the Hebrew Scriptures, in the Book of Genesis, we affirm that every human person is made in the image and likeness of God.  In the Christian Scriptures, in the Gospel of John, we affirm that because God took on our flesh in Jesus, every human person is a beloved child of God.  As followers of Jesus, we are called to respect the dignity of every human being while at the same time striving for justice and peace among all people.  This striving calls us, in fact compels us, to name these actions of White Supremacy as sinful and to take action by standing in the midst of violence and hatred as witnesses for peace and reconciliation.

I have invited us, as Episcopalians in Northern Indiana, to adopt the Five Marks of Mission.  While each mark is important, I would invite you to reflect on the Fourth Mark of Mission at this time:  to seek to transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and to pursue peace and reconciliation.  We are called as Disciples of the Risen Christ to engage in the difficult and risky work of advocating for transformation.  We are called to work for racial reconciliation and justice.  We are called to pursue peace.

Sisters and brothers, I invite you to pray for each other, especially for those who feel fearful, threatened or hopeless. As a visible sign, I also invite you to pray this prayer from the Book of Common Prayer 1979 for Social Justice with me: 

Almighty God, who created us in your image: Grant us grace fearlessly to contend against evil and to make no peace with oppression; and, that we may reverently use our freedom, help us to employ it in the maintenance of justice in our communities and among the nations, to the glory of your holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. 

I also invite you to act.  I invite you to look for opportunities within your families and households, in your neighborhoods and communities to engage in respectful conversations about race and racial reconciliation.

Let us strive to be ambassadors of God’s abiding love made known in Jesus and sustained and ever present in our world by the power of the Holy Spirit!

Every blessing,

Bishop Doug

EDNIN Ends Relationship with Howe Military Academy

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8 May 2017

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

Grace and peace be with you in Jesus, the Risen Christ!

On Friday, 5 May 2017, at the Annual Meeting of the Board of Trustees of Howe Military Academy (HMA), I resigned as Chairperson and disassociated the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana from any ongoing relationship with the academy.  This action comes as a result of extensive conversations with both of my predecessors, Bishop Little and Bishop Gray, members of the Standing Committee and Diocesan Council and the Chancellor, Mr. Daniel Pfeifer.  (My letter is attached to this communication.)

The Episcopal Church and Howe Military Academy have been woven together since the academy was founded in 1884.  For most of those years, the Bishop served as President of the Board and exercised a much greater role in the day to day operation of the school, which included the appointment of a priest to serve as Chaplain.  As you can appreciate, the landscape of Military Schools has changed dramatically over the last 40 years.  Howe, like many other schools, has faced challenges of recruitment as well as those of aging facilities and a smaller pool of benefactors to support this manner of formation and education.  During the latter years of Bishop Little’s ministry, the Howe Bylaws were changed to make the Bishop Chairman of the Board, responsible for chairing Board meetings with voice but without vote except when there is a tie.  At the same time, these Bylaws added the roles of President and Vice-President, elected from among the Board members.  Bishop Little devoted an enormous amount of his time annually in support of the academy, and most importantly, in the pastoral care of the cadets.

During the last 3 – 4 years, the academy has struggled financially, to the point of facing the possibility of closing.  One of the many consequences of the school’s financial peril was the Alumni Association establishing itself as a separate 501.3c in order to continue to operate in the case of the academy’s closure.  A state of mistrust, suspicion and enmity manifested itself among some members of the Board, officers of the Alumni Association and the Administration at Howe.  Adding to the complexity, the Board of Trustees began a Search Process for the Head of School.  Bishop Little and members of the Standing Committee expressed specific concerns, in writing, regarding one of the candidates.  These concerns were ignored.

I arrived on 16 May 2016, and within a few days, I began dealing with various concerns at Howe.  I did so, in consultation with Bishop Little, with then Head of School, Colonel Douglass and with members of the Executive Committee.  While not yet ordained and consecrated, I participated at the commencement on 4 June 2016 because of our longstanding relationship with the academy.  In June and through August, I began working to find a chaplain. This involved working with the new Head of School, Colonel Osenbaugh.

My first Board of Trustees meeting in late August, included the election of a new President as well as a Parliamentarian.  My second Board meeting was in mid-October.  At that meeting, a conversation was convened among the Board Liaisons from the Alumni Association, the Head of School, the President and myself to see if there were a way forward toward reconciliation.  Members of the Alumni Association reached out to me and asked for my help in convening a future conversation.  During the week of 16 – 22 October, I spent a significant amount of time working toward reconciliation.  On Saturday, I was asked to chair the HMA Alumni Association’s Board Meeting, which included for the first time in some time, the Head of School and President.  As with most experiences of reconciliation, it was clear that it was going to take time for trust to be rebuilt but at the end of the teleconference, we had come to agreement on next steps forward for the Alumni Association and Administration.

In late November, an email was sent to the school from the Alumni Association indicating their desire to work collaboratively, as had been agreed to in October, with the Administration in planning the 2017 Alumni Weekend.  In early December, the Development Officer, with the support of the Head of School, replied to the Alumni Association representative that the Administration would be taking control of all the planning for Alumni Weekend.  I called to speak with Colonel Osenbaugh about these developments, and as our conversation unfolded, it became clear to me that the depth of mistrust and enmity between his administration and the Alumni Association was such that any hope of reconciliation was gone.

There were several other incidents at the school, that, as Chairperson of the Board, I should have known about which resulted in me calling the Head of School for clarity or update.  Dates were set for the Board Meetings before I began serving as Bishop and Chairperson.  Out of my desire to serve the academy and most importantly, the cadets, I asked if the January and March Board meeting dates could be rescheduled so that I could attend as Chairperson.  My request was not even referred to the Executive Committee for consideration.

It became clear to me that the Head of School and some members of the Board of Trustees no longer desired or valued the longstanding relationship with the Episcopal Church in Northern Indiana.  Therefore, I decided, after prayerful consultation and discernment, and with some sadness, to resign as Chairperson and disassociate the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana and my successors from any relationship with Howe Military Academy.

I honor the long history we have had with Howe.  I am profoundly aware of the affection its alumni, especially its Episcopal alumni, have for our diocese and the ministry of so many bishops and priests and lay persons from our diocese who have served there.

As some of you know, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church has used the Chapel of St. James as its place of worship for many years.  The way forward for St. Mark’s will need to be discerned in conversation with Howe, its Board and Administration.  Please uphold in your prayer all those engaged in these conversations…pray for the gift of a generosity of spirit.

Pray for all those whose lives are woven together at Howe, especially for the cadets and their families who entrust their sons and daughters to the care of the Howe Administration, Faculty and Staff.

Every blessing,

Doug

5 May 2017 Disassociation Letter