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| my vision for our diocese
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I'm Jim Stockton, and I want to be your bishop. I love the Diocese of Texas. I love the community of the Diocese.
I believe our diocese is today what it was when it was first begun nearly 160 years ago. It is a pioneer effort of the Church's response to the apostolic Great Commission: `Proclaim the Gospel to all; bring the Good News of God's Love to people of all sorts and conditions.'
As were the disciples, as was our diocese in its beginning, so also now, the Diocese of Texas is a called community. And because God equips the called, I believe God is calling and equipping us for a future at least as great as our history.
I want to serve that future. I want to lead this community there. I want to serve our God who has equipped us so. I believe I'm called to this Office; and I hope the community of our diocese and the movement of the Holy Spirit with affirm this call.
I describe here my episcopacy in terms of what I will do as bishop, rather than what I would do, so you can experience what that would be like.
With my episcopacy, I wish to set free the people of our diocese; set free the people in the pew who simply want to do Church and to be Church the way they already know God wants them to do it and to be it. My episcopacy will set free our community to claim their identity as first and foremost a religious community, a community of brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus; free from experiencing their diocese too often in terms of business and bottom line; free to focus with godly and crystal clarity on mission and ministry in Christ’s name; free from the distraction of discord and discontent at work in our diocese, our Church, and our Communion.
My experience in the front line of the Church's ministry, serving parishes, and working with folks outside the Church, gives me valuable insight into the leadership that our diocese will need in the years ahead.
As bishop I will set aside business as usual in order to incorporate innovative strategies for healing our community, for growing it spiritually, and extending our outreach and witness to the widening variety of all sorts and conditions of peoples around us. My background enables me to bring a deep biblical and theological education to bear on my service to the diocesan community. My appreciation of constitutional and canonical integrity in the governance of our diocese and our Church will guide my administrative and pastoral ministry. I have gifts for bringing together people of differing backgrounds and views and helping them to discover Christ in one another; I want to offer these in my service as bishop to our diocesan community.
I am ready to lead. I am ready to serve. I am ready to be your bishop. I hope you'll give my candidacy consideration, and I hope you'll give me your vote at the election.
Jim + |
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Posted by JimStockton on 2008-05-19 13:31:11 | Rating: | Views: 46
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