Dear Friends and Colleagues,
In this issue: An Angel of the Lord appeareth unto Mary…
… and saith unto her It’s time.
My last official day as Bishop Assistant in the Diocese of New York will be June 30, 2025. I hope that the fact that I cannot even write this without tearing up is simply an indication of how much I love you all and love doing what I’m doing. Even at the most challenging of times, it is a huge privilege to be a bishop in this Church, and not a day goes by that I don’t thank God for it.
Even so, the time has come when, after almost 45 years of ordained ministry, 15 of them as a bishop, I need to put aside the mitre and crozier, take a long break, and just waste some time with God.
While plans for the future are still evolving, I can share with you some very practical things. During the next few months I will be focusing on making sure solid leadership is in place for the areas over which I have oversight. Again, it has been a privilege to work and serve with the excellent people of the Global Mission, Reparations, Ecumenical and Interreligious Life, Social Concerns Commissions, and the College Chaplains of our Diocese. There are a few organizations and communities I am serving apart from my relationship with the Diocese of New York. I am working with Bishops Heyd and Shin to establish clear boundaries that allow me to continue my work with the Interfaith Center of New York, as Bishop Visitor of the Community of Saint John Baptist, and in connection with the Diocese of Cuernavaca.
My spouse of 38 years, Becki and I, plan to stay in the general geographic area of New York, and take the later part of 2025 to rest, travel, and discern together what God has in store for us in the next chapter of our lives. I’m thankful to be able to say that we are in relatively good health and can still do some of the things we have wanted to do but have put off until a more open time.
I am looking forward to the next few months celebrating Absalom Jones, attending the House of Bishops’ Meeting at Camp McDowell in Alabama, observing Lent, Holy Week, and Easter, the Priests’ Conference (April 28-30), and setting aside time to engage the work and play of transition! I am equally looking forward to spending time with you in small groups, as individuals, and more publicly as we celebrate things accomplished, lament things left undone, and free each other up to move into the future with eagerness and strength. There will be a Diocesan Celebration of the ministry we’ve shared at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine on Saturday, May 31 – more to come on that! It won’t be perfect, but I’ll do the very best I can to honor and support the ongoing life of the Episcopal Diocese of New York and my own life, as God has given it to me. I’m so deeply grateful to so many people, but I’ll run the credits later. For now I simply wanted to make public the evolving plan, and to give great thanks to our loving God who makes all things possible.
With love in Christ,
