Over 90% of the parishes in the Dioceses held a Diocesan Discernment Information Day this past summer through early fall. The purpose of these events is to provide a level of education throughout the diocese about the role of dioceses in the Episcopal Church and the current state of the Diocese of Easton.
“The Discernment Committee expresses its profound appreciation to the clergy and lay leadership of the parishes of the Diocese of Easton in scheduling and conducting an Information Day with your congregation,” said committee co-chair Father David Michaud. “And we thank all those who participated in this important work.” Thirty-six (36) parishes took part in this education phase as the diocese discerns its future as the Episcopal Church on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.
The Information Day events at the parish level were attended by a substantial number of people, providing Episcopalians throughout the diocese with a greater understanding of who and where we are as a diocese. People in the pews watched the Discernment Video and then engaged in conversations and answered discussion questions which provided feedback to the Discernment Committee. The committee estimates these events involved 1,000 or more people.
What’s Next?
The Discernment Committee is in the process of compiling and analyzing the feedback received from the parishes and hopes to provide a summary of its findings to the Standing Committee and the Diocese by early November. “There are many thoughtful comments, concerns and hopes expressed by lay and clergy in the questionnaires that will be very important as we move into our next phase of discernment, identifying values and ways forward,” said committee co-chair Diana Kunkel, Ph.D.
In the meantime, the Discernment Committee is encouraging parishes to consider reproducing as fall bulletin inserts some of the information provided on its education page on the Diocese of Easton website. Those who could not attend an Information Day are encouraged to visit the education page, read the information provided and view the information video. Click here to visit the Discernment Information Page.