A MESSAGE FROM OUR BISHOP
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Dear Church,
Change is hard. And forces beyond your control can overwhelm you and your community of faith as you try to figure out what is next.
You are not alone. You are not the first to experience all that is happening right now. You and your community will get through this process.
And we at the Metropolitan New York Synod will walk and pray with you through it.
In the time ahead, you and your fellow servant leaders will help guide your community through a time of transition. There will be assessments of your property and finances. There will be new information about the demographics of your neighborhood through reliable data research. And your congregation will pray and discern who you are and who God is calling you to become.
As you read this Guide for Pastoral Transition and Call Process remember we will get through this together.
I and the Assistants to the Bishop will walk with you, encourage you, meet with you and help you and your congregation navigate this transition.
We will read and respond to your emails, and we will return your calls. We are here to serve as a companion to our congregations.
My vision is for every congregation of our synod to be a place rooted in Evangelism, Discipleship and Financial Stewardship. We are to be communities of faith where we see the face of Jesus in the face of all our neighbors.
We want each community to be a place where Pastor and people can pray, worship and serve.
I am excited by how God is lifting up new servant leaders among you and among our clergy! Together, we will help all to know what a difference being loved by Jesus makes in our lives and in our communities.
Peace,
Bishop Katrina Foster