Greetings, Christ Church
You are being invited by the Trialogue’s Parish and Regional Engagement Task Force to participate in a conversation about the possibility of the three Wisconsin Episcopal dioceses reuniting. We are charged with organizing conversation in and between congregations and dioceses around the work of the task forces. I will be joining you on January 29th, leading this conversation. We hope you will decide to participate. It will be after the church service, during coffee hour.
You are being invited by the Trialogue’s Parish and Regional Engagement Task Force to participate in a conversation about the possibility of the three Wisconsin Episcopal dioceses reuniting. We are charged with organizing conversation in and between congregations and dioceses around the work of the task forces. I will be joining you on January 29th, leading this conversation. We hope you will decide to participate. It will be after the church service, during coffee hour.
What is the trialogue? The trialogue is considering the reunion of the three Episcopal dioceses in Wisconsin into one diocese. A Steering Committee is coordinating the various Task Forces to examine what is needed for building such a proposal. No specific proposal has been developed yet. Attached are three short documents that introduce the possibility of the three dioceses coming together again and provide a bit of background to this process. I hope you are able to make time to read these, as well as reflect and pray about this. There is additional information at the Wisconsin Episcopal Trialogue Hub website at https://www.episcopalwisconsin.info/ This site provides information about each diocese, explanation of the process as well as the various task forces working to discern God’s will for Episcopalians in Wisconsin.
The time will be one for gathering thoughts, hopes, concerns and fears. The information gathered will be provided to the Parish Engagement Task Force and then the Steering Committee for them to determine how to address and assign questions it to a task force. Some of you may be thinking, “why go through this, it is a done deal.” The bishops are clear, it is not a done deal. The decision whether or not to join together in some form is a complex one. There is much we need to learn, reflect, and pray on, before any decision can be reached. Be assured that this will not be done quickly or lightly, but prayerfully and with openness and thoughtfulness. This is a time for listening to one another and to God’s Holy Spirit. Please remember we are early in the process so there are few answers. We don’t even know all the questions we need to address and that is where your help is needed. You may have many thoughts or few; regardless we want to hear them. All are important at this point in the process.
Faithfully,
Deacon Steve Russell
The Task Force for Parish and Regional Engagement
3 attachments
Click here for the Letter from the Bishops, February 2022
Click here for the Trialogue Plans for Participation, December 2021
Click here for FAQs Regarding the Trialogue, from the Trialogue website, as of August 2022
Episcopal Wisconsin Trialogue
Almighty God, we come before you asking grace and
wisdom for all who are called to discern your mission for the
church in Wisconsin. May we listen to one another in
humility and always seek your will. We pray in the name of
Jesus, the head of the church. Amen
The Trialogue discussion and discernment process continues - please check out these informational sites with FAQ's, Taskforce and Steering Committee members/minutes, online forums, projected milestone dates and Videos from the Bishops.
There is information about this process at the website below, or if you prefer, Fr. Benjamin says to "corner him at coffee and he will be happy to tell you what he knows.”
Website: https://www.episcopalwisconsin.info/
Each Wed at 5PM Central time, the Prayer and Discernment Taskforce hosts a prayer meeting which lasts about 15 minutes. All parish members are welcome to join - Click Here to access the Zoom meeting
For more information about Trialogue contact:
Sr. Warden Carla Corbin (Communications Task Force)
Tim Donahue (Steering Committee member)
Tim Donahue (Steering Committee member)
Lee Donahue (Communications TF facilitator)
or Bob Weathers (Finance committee member)
Steering Committee members, Tim Donahue, Rev. Kathy Charles, Rev. Aaron Zook
Communications Task Force members - Lee Donahue (Facilitator), Carla Corbin, Rev.
Constitutions and Canons Task Force - Jim Pelish, Rev. Aaron Zook, Dave Bauer
Culture and Tradition Task Force- Linda Georgeson, Rev. Philip Morgan
Finance Task Force - Garret Connover, Bob Weathers
Parish and Regional Engagement Task Force - The Very Rev. Scott Kirby, Edie McDougal, Rev. Dcn. Steve Russell, & Steering Committee Liaison, Tim Donahue
Prayer and Discernment Task Force- Rev. Dcn Marlene Hogue (Facilitator), Rev. Dcn Bill Power, & Steering Committee Liaison, Rev Canon Kathy Charles
Structure Task Force - The Very Rev. Benjamin Thomas (Co-Facilitator), Lynda Grece, Jim Pelish
Communications Task Force members - Lee Donahue (Facilitator), Carla Corbin, Rev.
Constitutions and Canons Task Force - Jim Pelish, Rev. Aaron Zook, Dave Bauer
Culture and Tradition Task Force- Linda Georgeson, Rev. Philip Morgan
Finance Task Force - Garret Connover, Bob Weathers
Parish and Regional Engagement Task Force - The Very Rev. Scott Kirby, Edie McDougal, Rev. Dcn. Steve Russell, & Steering Committee Liaison, Tim Donahue
Prayer and Discernment Task Force- Rev. Dcn Marlene Hogue (Facilitator), Rev. Dcn Bill Power, & Steering Committee Liaison, Rev Canon Kathy Charles
Structure Task Force - The Very Rev. Benjamin Thomas (Co-Facilitator), Lynda Grece, Jim Pelish
