Bishop Scott Mayer addressed the 33rd Diocesan Convention on Friday, November 13, at the Botanic Garden Center in Fort Worth.
Read his address here: Bishop Address 33rd Diocesan Convention
Mayer spoke of the inspiration and new energy Presiding Bishop Michael Curry already is bringing to The Episcopal Church.
“Bishop Curry believes the chief work of the Church is making disciples. And he believes that the most important word in the Great Commission is the word ‘Go!’
“To quote him, he says in his sermon at General Convention: ‘And the reason I lift up that word ‘go’ is because we are the Jesus Movement.’ Referring to Jesus, he says, ‘This brother didn’t come into this world to leave it the way he found it. He came to change it,’” Mayer said.
“You and I have lived our lives on a place on the timeline of history in which the church-culture has operated out of ‘come and see’: ‘come to our church, and see.’ We have lived in a time and place in which society itself understands “church” as a place to go on Sunday,” he said, adding that millions of lives have been changed by going to church while also noting that theologians, historians and sociologists are seeing a fundamental shift taking place in the Church.
” . . .I wonder if the fundamental shift is a move from an understanding of the Church as a place to go to understanding the Church as a body called to participate in God’s mission; a shift to understanding Church itself as part of a movement; a shift from “come and see” to “Go!”
He thanked Curt Norman, president of the Standing Committee, and related the story of the “Abilene Summit,” during which leaders of the Diocese of Northwest Texas and the Diocese of Fort Worth mutually discerned a call to share a bishop.
In his address, he thanked bishops Sam Hulsey and Rayford High. He remembered diocesan leaders George Komechak and Maggie Withroder, both of whom died this year.
He also honored Bob Hicks, who served as diocesan treasurer in the immediate aftermath of reorganization until earlier this year.
The bishop recognized Kathleen Wells, who stepped down as diocesan chancellor this year, after serving as chancellor since the reorganization of the diocese. She will continue as assistant chancellor for litigation.
Mayer also recognized Bruce Coggin, who served as secretary to convention from the Special Meeting of Convention in February 2009 until earlier this year.
