Overview:
- Ten years ago, the Diocese of Easton considered how we could best organize ourselves to carry out the mission of God in the Episcopal Church here on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. At that time, we decided to move forward as an independent diocese, and in 2016, we elected Bishop Santosh Marray to serve with us for a season.
- Bishop Marray has now announced that he will resign* in the fall of 2026, and with that news, the Diocese of Easton has entered another leadership transition. In the Episcopal Church, standing committees of dioceses are charged with oversight of and responsibility for bishop search and transitions (Canon III.11.1 (a)).
- With thanks for Bishop Marray’s ministry, the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Easton, understanding that the search and installation of a diocesan bishop will likely cost the diocese around $200,000, believes it is prudent and good stewardship to first enter into another diocesan-wide discernment process to determine the diocese’s vision for its ministry in the coming decades after Bishop Marray’s resignation. In particular, the Standing Committee intends to form a Discernment Committee that will help us determine whether our participation in God’s mission could be strengthened by collaborating or partnering with another nearby diocese.
- Although we considered the alternative of joining with another diocese in 2014-15 and decided against it, we believe that the seismic changes we have experienced in the last decade—which include significant shifts in the religious landscape of the United States and a global pandemic—mean that we need once again to examine creative options for our future ministry. This is in line with the thinking of, and supported by, our new Presiding Bishop, the Most Rev. Sean Rowe.
- In December 2024, the Standing Committee will call for nominations of leaders to serve on the Discernment Committee. That committee will create and lead a process to involve the entire diocese in developing the diocese’s future mission strategy.
- Before the Diocesan convention in March, the Standing Committee will announce the members of the Discernment Committee and charge it to report to the diocesan convention in 2026. The Committee will also lead a discussion about the future of our diocesan ministry at the diocesan convention.
*In church-speak, Bishops don’t retire, they resign their office, even though they are in fact retiring from their full-time position. So that’s why you see the word “resign” rather than retired used on this page.
Discernment Committee:
- Composition: The Discernment Committee will consist of no more than six laypeople and six clergy who are representative of all three convocations and represent the gender, racial, ethnic, and generational diversity of the Diocese of Easton. The committee will include at least one member of the Standing Committee and the Diocesan Council. The committee will be supported by a consultant provided by Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe’s office.
- Initial term of service: Diocesan Convention 2025 to Diocesan Convention 2026
- Charge: Lead the Diocese of Easton in discerning our diocese’s future mission strategy, including whether our participation in God’s mission could be strengthened by collaborating or partnering with another nearby diocese.
Deliverables:
- Resources to encourage and support the members of the diocese in praying for the diocese’s discernment about its future ministry.
- Development and oversight of a process by which the entire diocese can provide input into our future mission strategy.
- Regular reports to the Standing Committee about the committee’s work.
- A profile of the Diocese of Easton’s history, ministry, challenges and strengths. (This profile will be suitable for assisting the diocese either in beginning conversations with neighboring dioceses or in calling its 12th)
- Recommendations to the Standing Committee about the diocese’s preferred structure and mission strategy, including, if appropriate, possible next steps for exploring collaboration with nearby dioceses.
Timeline:
- December 2024: Standing Committee asks for nominations to the Discernment Committee
- January 2024: Standing Committee submits resolution for debate for Diocesan Convention that outlines discernment process for Diocesan support.
- February 2025: Standing Committee forms Discernment Committee and announces members; Discernment Committee holds organizational meeting.
- March 2025: Standing Committee reports to Diocesan Convention; Discernment Committee facilitates discernment discussion at diocesan convention
- June 2025: Discernment Committee makes interim report to the Standing Committee
- October 2025: Discernment Committee makes interim report to the Standing Committee
- January 2026: Discernment Committee provides draft diocesan profile to the Standing Committee for review and endorsement
- March 2026: Standing Committee and Discernment Committee present diocesan profile and recommended next steps to diocesan convention
- April-October 2026: Standing Committee prepares for Bishop Marray’s retirement and begins to carry out the next steps in the discernment process, including, if needed, securing new episcopal leadership for an interim period
Approved by the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Easton
Dr. James Cockey, President
December 12, 2024
