February 2025 Reunification Discernment Committee Meeting Summary
The Episcopal Dioceses of Northern Indiana and Indianapolis Reunification Discernment Committee
Meeting Notes from February 22, 2025
The Reunification Discernment Committee met at Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Kokomo, IN on Saturday, 22 February, 2025. (View update as a PDF.)
Bishop Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows of the Diocese of Indianapolis offered an opening prayer.
Much of the day was spent in exploration and discussion of the responses from parishes following their conversations around questions in the Engagement Packet. The committee was impressed by (and grateful for!) the sheer number of responses and by their thoughtfulness. The packets asked each parish to respond to the following five questions:
How would you describe the impact your congregation makes on the lives of members and on the community around you?
What is the biggest challenge you’re facing as a congregation?
How would you hope a reunified diocese would strengthen your congregation’s ministry and calling?
What additional information do you feel you need in order to be able to make an informed decision next Fall about reunification?
What other thoughts or comments would you like to share with us?
As the committee read and discussed the responses to each question, it became evident that some common themes were emerging, especially in regards to the first two questions. While we will post a separate summary of the Engagement Kit Responses, we need to say that it is clear and actually inspiring that Episcopal congregations across the state are devoted to their church and feel that it has a strong and meaningful effect upon parishioners individually, upon the larger group as a faith community, and also in the life of their community outside the walls of the church. Many spoke of their parish as “a family,” deeply valuing the care given one another and the love that exists there. Many shared how much they value the welcome given all and the many ways in which members depend on one another and are able to “lean in” with their community of faith.
It also became abundantly clear that the amount of outreach and social justice efforts being done by Episcopal Churches in Indiana is truly remarkable. Among many other ministries and across both dioceses, parishes are responding to food insecurity, community health issues, homelessness, issues of inclusion and equity, LGBTQ+ and racial justice work. One of the Committee members summarized like this, “We’re actually living the Baptismal Covenant!” Across both dioceses our parishes are committed to providing a welcoming, loving, and accepting space for those in need and for those seeking “safe community.” In some areas, congregations report being “one of the few [or only] examples of an inclusive, affirming church in our community.” It was truly a joy to read about these ministries and many more.
It is also clear that every Episcopal congregation in Indiana is experiencing challenges of one kind or another. Among the most common were aging congregation, costs of aging buildings and infrastructure, long-term sustainability, the clergy shortage, evangelism and marketing, being a smaller congregation, lack of young people, and “balancing all the things.” The committee, all of whom are experiencing challenges in their own congregations, notes that we aren’t alone. Similar challenges exist in most Episcopal dioceses and other denominations too. The committee is clear that reunification would not solve these problems. The question is whether we could better address and resource responses to current challenges better as separate dioceses or as one.
Questions three through five dealt more directly with the prospect of reunification. The responses spanned a very wide spectrum. In general, there seems to be a mix of strong optimism at the prospect of having one diocese tempered by anxiety around such a change and the need to know more about the specifics of what a reunified diocese might look like, how it would function. A few also shared their feeling that this process is moving too quickly and wondered if more time could be given to this discernment.
In coming weeks the Reunification Discernment Committee, Bishop Jennifer, and Bishop Doug will be sharing models in specific areas (finance, Bishops, Constitution and Canons…) to aid with ongoing discernment, to help respond to questions around structuring a reunified diocese, to spark further discussion, and to generate feedback. The Committee is also still processing all of the input, including the concerns and questions raised.
We also continue to encourage building relationships between our dioceses and among our ministries and congregations to strengthen collaboration and to grow in understanding of “the other.” The Joint Clergy Conference in March will provide such an opportunity as will continuing shared meetings of, and collaboration among, some of the staff of each diocese. This committee is also planning a meeting in the Spring inviting the leadership bodies of both dioceses to sit with us, our bishops, and the draft models to ask questions, share thoughts, and offer input. As those models for a potential Constitution and Canons, finances, staffing, etc. are discussed and adapted with input from the bodies listed above, they will be made available to members and churches of both dioceses.
Following the review and discussion of the Engagement Packets each of the Working Teams offered a report on their progress since the last meeting. Bishop Doug Sparks offered a closing prayer to close the meeting.
The committee will meet next, via Zoom, on Thursday, 13 March, 2025.
Please remember the website EpiscopalIndiana has lots of information concerning the committee’s work, videos from our bishops, the history of the dioceses, and this process generally. You can also contact us directly through the site. Please go to: episcopalindiana.org
We thank you for your attention, participation and input. We ask for your prayers as the work of discernment continues.
Faithfully,
The Rt. Rev. Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows, Bishop of the Diocese of Indianapolis
The Rt. Rev. Douglas Sparks, Bishop of the Diocese of Northern Indiana
The Rev. Clay Berkley, At-Large, Diocese of Northern Indiana
Mr. Evan Doyle, Diocesan Council, Diocese of Northern Indiana
Mr. Paul Kincaid, Standing Committee, Diocese of Northern Indiana
Ms. Joan Amoti, At-Large, Diocese of Indianapolis
The Rev. Hilary Cooke, At-Large, Diocese of Indianapolis
Mr. George Eastman, Standing Committee, Diocese of Indianapolis
The Rev. Ted Neidlinger, Diocesan Council, Diocese of Northern Indiana
Mr. Greg Seamon, Executive Council, Diocese of Indianapolis
Ms. Brenda Rigdon, Diocesan Council, Diocese of Northern Indiana
The Rev. Allen Rutherford, Executive Council, Diocese of Indianapolis
Ms. Stephanie Pawlowski, At-Large, Diocese of Northern Indiana
Ms. Katherine Tyler-Scott, At-Large, Diocese of Indianapolis