The Qualities We Seek in a Bishop
Over the past months, the Search Committee held listening sessions across the diocese and conducted an online survey. Through these efforts, we invited those who make up the diocesan community—from those who populate our pews to ordained priests, deacons, wardens, diocesan and parish staff, and our youth—to share their views on the diocese today, their dreams for the future, and the qualities they hope to see in our next bishop.
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We asked them to share:
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​What makes you proud of your church, the diocese, or our mission?
What does success look like in the next decade for our diocese?
What strengths do you think are most important for our next Bishop?
What are your hopes and expectations for our next Bishop?
Tell us what it means to you to be an Episcopalian in Alabama.
What are our most important missions?
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Their heartfelt responses have helped inform the following list of qualities we have identified for the 13th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama.
THE HEART OF A PASTOR
PRESENCE AMONG US
GROUNDED IN SCRIPTURE
VISION
CULTURAL SENSITIVITY
GRACIOUS LEADERSHIP
SOUND STEWARDSHIP
We pray for a bishop with the heart of a pastor. This leads us to consider the many opportunities for our bishop to pastor throughout our diocese. Some that rise to the top of the list include being attentive to the needs of all parishes, especially small ones that might feel overlooked; providing support and encouragement to our clergy; and serving as a model of pastoral care.
We pray for a bishop who will be present among us. Our bishop will seek and embrace opportunities to join in our parish life, ministries, and retreats. All of us—clergy, parishioners and staff at both the diocesan and parish level—want to know and be known by our bishop. We believe we grow stronger through true connection as well as bold leadership.
We pray for a bishop who is grounded in scripture, a keeper of the faith who leads prayerfully and challenges us to continually grow in Christ. Our bishop will have the gift to administrate skillfully while uplifting us as children of God. Even as we embrace innovation, it is vital to our diocese that all endeavors remain true to the teachings of Jesus Christ.
We pray for a bishop with vision for our diocese, who will possess a spirit of wonder for the dynamic work of our diocese and parishes, with the imagination to continue seeking new paths to fulfill God’s mission. We see listening, being receptive to new ideas, and the flexibility to change course when needed as critical to the work of a visionary.
We pray for a bishop who, mindful of diversity in our community and diocese, exemplifies cultural sensitivity. We are a mix of cradle Episcopalians and seekers who come to the Episcopal Church from different faiths. We represent different races, ethnicities, and cultures and seek to increase this diversity. It is also critical to recognize our cultural and political differences; our bishop should be nonpartisan, a unifier, someone who can nurture a diocese where members across the political spectrum can worship as one body.
We pray for a bishop who demonstrates gracious leadership—leading the diocese with an eye toward collaboration, recognizing the unique gifts of others and delegating accordingly. Our bishop will humbly mobilize the God-given talents throughout our diocese, trusting in the capabilities and calling of others. We believe effective leadership flourishes when it empowers others to use their gifts in service to God's mission.
We pray for a bishop who demonstrates sound stewardship abilities. Strong financial management and grasp of the unique qualities of our diocese are necessary to keep us healthy as a diocese and help us grow even more in strength, numbers, parishioner involvement, and the recruitment of clergy and lay leaders. Our bishop will also prioritize effective collaboration with diocesan leadership.
Hopes and Vision for the Journey Ahead
As we search for the bishop who will join us on the journey ahead, we’ve taken time to discern where we are as a diocese and where we hope to be. This required soul-searching as we identified our strengths and acknowledged our challenges. This is what we found.
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​​We hope to be a diocese in which congregations, parishes, and diocesan staff and clergy work to uplift one another.
We hope to serve as ambassadors for the Episcopal faith, not assuming people know about us.
We hope for small parishes to be connected not just to the diocese but among one another to pool resources, provide mutual support, and plan for the future.
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We hope for ongoing recognition of nontraditional missions, parishes, and worshipping communities.
We hope the continued financial health of our diocese will serve as an invitation for bold and transformative ministry.
We hope as a diocese to continue our efforts to raise up new clergy and lay leaders, including encouraging rectors to be proactive in having conversations with people who may be strong candidates for discernment—and not always those who are obvious.
We hope specifically to continue our efforts to increase our number of deacons, educating parishes about the important roles they serve.
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We hope to transcend the stereotypes of our church as we become better neighbors and spiritual companions to all.
We hope to continue the work of racial reconciliation and healing by addressing systems of unconscious bias, reaching out to and learning from Episcopalians of color, and honoring the difficult truths of our past.
We hope to reinforce the work we are doing to provide training and formation of youth as leaders.
We hope also to provide training, formation, and support for adults seeking to raise children with a robust understanding of their faith.
We hope to continue to foster programs for college students and young adults.
We hope to bring intentionality to the task of increasing collegiality among clergy and vestries.
We hope for the grace and leadership to address our differences with courage and in the spirit of our Baptismal Covenant.
We hope that when we talk through our differences, difficult conversations will remain respectful and rooted in our common faith, recognizing the good intentions of those whose views differ from ours.