Anglican Diocese in New England
ADNE
From Bishop Andrew Williams
In the first year of my episcopacy, I have travelled across the breadth of New England. From Connecticut to Maine, across 72,000 square miles, I can attest that the Church is very much alive and that rumors of revival are not unfounded.
Living with exceptional anxiety around health, finances and our overall sense of purpose and well-being, people everywhere are asking a lot of tough questions. The paradoxes are everywhere. In an age of vast technological connection, we discover unprecedented loneliness and isolation. In an era where we are bombarded with spin, we discover a spiritual thirst for what is authentic and trustworthy. In an age of instant gratification, there is yet a renewed desire to drill down to the water table of our Christian faith.
For such a time as this, the Anglican Diocese in New England is a passionate and entrepreneurial family of churches with a footprint across the North East. Gathered from around the U.S. and the world, we are united in Word, Spirit, Sacrament and Mission and committed to the reawakening of New England. We have prayerfully identified five specific areas we believe the Lord has called us to prioritize:
To foster a New England wide culture of fervent prayer.
To invest in our leaders (marketplace and ordained) recognizing that our leaders are the local missional experts in terms of sharing our faith in words and in action.
To pursue church growth and church planting. We recognize that Kingdom growth emerges from a culture where everybody in the diocese, every community of faith, is thinking about multiplication.
To reach and disciple children and young people. We recognize that it truly does take a village to raise a young person and for us to fully live out His call requires an intergenerational commitment to time, treasure and talents. These are our children and young people.
To care for our leaders and their families wholeheartedly, by creating a culture of honor, investment, gratitude, celebration, accountability, encouragement and grace. Yes, the moral arc of the universe is bent toward the coming of the Kingdom, but there are no “superheroes.” So, let’s look after each other!
Across New England, it is self-evident that the power of God has not diminished. In my extensive journeying, my testimony is that His power and presence is increasing. The Lord would reassure us, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Romans 15:13). Across the 72,000 square miles that is New England, we have every good reason to abound in hope! The challenges are great, but the opportunities are greater.
In His great love,
Bishop Andrew Williams
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