Who We Are

Our Members, Mission, & Vision

The Rev. Canon Susan Russell, Canon for Engagement Across Difference, briefs Diocesan Convention on the new “One in the Spirit” initiative in November 2019 at Diocesan Convention.

One in the Spirit is a diocesan wide initiative focused on increasing our capacity to expand relationships and deepen connections across differences in order to strengthen our shared commitment to follow Jesus.

A response to the increasing polarization and deepening divisions in our church, our nation and our world, it is committed to equipping us to recover our deep connection to each other and to our world so we can participate more fully in the transforming work of love.

Vision:

• To live more fully into our baptismal promise to respect the dignity of every human being.
• To proclaim in Christ’s name that we will not submit to our era’s division and polarization.
• To feed hearts that are hungry for connection and community in a secularizing, isolating age.”
• To understand better how barriers of class, race, language, nationality, culture, politics, geography, orientation, and identification blind us to the image of the divine in one another.
• To choose not to choose between challenging systemic oppression in all its forms and respecting the dignity of every single human being.

Mission:

• Expand our capacity as a diocese to expand relationships and deepen connections across differences in order to strengthen our shared commitment to follow Jesus.
• Compile and develop resources to increase connection to each other and our world, equipping us to more fully embrace the transforming power of God’s inclusive love.
• Create conversational communities to drive bridge building across the differences that simultaneously enrich and challenge us as a diverse, multi-cultural diocese, utilizing existing diocesan programs and resources as well as creating new ones

Learn more about One in the Spirit, here.