Bishop Scott Mayer will be on sabbatical from July 1 to October 31.
“A sabbatical is a time to rest from work,” Bishop Mayer wrote in Common Purpose. “The word used in biblical Hebrew to describe God resting on that first Sabbath means, ‘He ceased from His labors.’ So while I intend to to take that seriously — and cease from work — I will take retreat time, reflect, read, exercise, play, travel, spend time with my family, and yes, watch some baseball.”
The bishop does not give up his ecclesiastical authority while he is away. While he is gone, the work of the diocese will go on.
He has asked the Standing Committee and its president, the Rev. Carlye Hughes, to work with the diocesan staff to meet any needs of our congregations. Assisting bishops Rayford High and Sam Hulsey will be available for pastoral needs, As the customary already states, all communications with the assisting bishops should go through the diocesan office. You can reach Michele King at 817-534-1900 or michele.king@edotn.org. If King is away, Ministry Support & Communications Officer Tracie Middleton will be available. Her email is tracie.middleton@edotn.org. Canon to the Ordinary Janet Waggoner can be reached at janet.waggoner@edotn.org.
The bishop will not be dealing with emails.At all. His staff will.
“My sabbatical begins on July 1 and ends on October 31. During that time my email account will be shut down. Yes, that will be a challenge for me too! Emails sent to it will receive an auto response which will state that the email will not be read now, or when I return. If you must get an email to me, you will need to send it on or after November 1. If you have an emergency while I am on sabbatical, you should contact Canon Janet Waggoner and/or Michele King, administration assistant for the diocese, or any other diocesan staff. They are the finest people I have ever worked with,” he said.
He will return in November, refreshed and ready for diocesan convention November 11-12 at All Saints’ School.