December 2, 2018

 

Dear St. Peter’s,

 

Grace and peace to you in the Lord Jesus as this hope-filled season of Advent begins.

 

I am grateful to the Lord that Archbishop Robert Duncan has agreed to receive the call from your vestry and me to serve as Bishop in Residence during this next season at St. Peter’s Cathedral.

 

When I began a search for someone to act as dean in the interim, several bishops and other key leaders recommended Archbishop Duncan. When I broached the subject with him, I rejoiced that he was very open to lead St. Peter’s until your next dean is called.

 

Archbishop Bob, as he is often called, loves the Lord Jesus and the Scriptures. He has a proven record of knowing how to lead with contagious hope through difficult times, always calling for dependent trust in our God. He also deeply appreciates and promotes faithful Anglican worship. For the past several years he has led the team to create the new ACNA Prayer Book. He has taught about worship at Trinity School for Ministry and elsewhere.

 

For those who do not know him, Archbishop Bob was the first archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America. He is highly respected and well known throughout much of the Anglican Communion. It will be an honor to have both him and his wife Nara at our cathedral. Having Archbishop Duncan serve here will not just be a gift to St. Peter’s, but it will also be wonderful gift from St. Peter’s to the whole diocese.

 

I am grateful for the hard work of Budd Kneip, the vestry and other leaders to make Archbishop Duncan’s ministry here possible.

 

You, Archbishop Bob and Nara will continue to be in my prayers daily. May the Lord Jesus bless you all in your future life together.

 

In Christ Jesus the Head of the Church,

 

The Rt. Rev. Neil G. Lebhar,

Bishop, The Gulf Atlantic Diocese