Presiding bishop discusses vision for church’s future at Episcopal Parish Network conference
Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe shared his vision for The Episcopal Church’s future during a keynote conversation at the 40th annual Episcopal Parish Network conference in Kansas City, Missouri, Feb. 26, 2025. Photo: Caitlin Callahan
[Episcopal News Service] “We’re embarking on a season of change … and it’s never easy,” Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe said during a Feb. 26 keynote conversation at the 40th annual Episcopal Parish Network conference in Kansas City, Missouri.
“This institution has got to change and shift. … I think the key with leadership in this time is not to be seduced by praise or depressed by criticism, but to do our most faithful work,” he said.
Nearly 700 Episcopal clergy and lay leaders churchwide are gathering at the Westin Kansas City at Crown Center here for the Feb. 25-28 conference. This year’s theme, “Together in Hope: Leading With Purpose,” is intended to inspire Episcopalians to be productive leaders during times of transition, both in the church and in society.
Rowe’s keynote conversation on the topic “Vision for Our Future” with Eric Motley, deputy director of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and chair of the chapter at Washington National Cathedral, largely focused on innovative models of governance, collaboration and ministry to address necessary structural changes in The Episcopal Church.
Formerly known as the Consortium of Endowed Episcopal Parishes, the Episcopal Parish Network is a national, membership-based organization of clergy and lay leaders representing over 250 parishes of all sizes and budgets. The network offers peer-to-peer online education and other leadership initiatives throughout the year. Its conference, the largest annual Episcopal gathering, is a time for clergy and lay leaders to learn from each other and share best practices for creating vigorous ministries and congregations.
Sister Sarah Randall, a member of the Society of St. Margaret, an Episcopal women’s religious order, took notes during the keynote conversation. Afterward, she told Episcopal News Service that she appreciated Rowe explaining why structural changes are necessary for the church’s relevance in the long run, even though there may initially be “a lot of hurt” in the process. She also said she appreciated that Rowe “kept bringing it back to Jesus” throughout the conversation.
“I’ll have to go back to my notes for reference because Bishop Rowe gave us a lot of food for thought and for prayer,” she said. “I liked the fact that he was calling a spade a spade, and at the same time he was explaining why there is still hope. If we are focused, we have all these things to do that are all good things that need to happen.”
Rowe’s keynote conversation occurred less than a week after he announced staff cuts and the reorganization of several church departments as part of an anticipated structural realignment that eventually will reduce positions from about 143 to 110 and save an estimated $2.13 million a year – at least in the short term – in personnel costs. The expected staff cuts sparked some backlash from Episcopalians on social media, though Rowe said during the keynote conversation that decisions can’t be based on what people post on social media.
“I think I’ll know what success looks like if this church is doing what we’re called to do, which is to reach people from the Gospel and reconcile the world to God in Christ,” Rowe said. “We don’t need to be creating programs as much as empowering local grassroots networks for a more networked church. …We want to make a greater impact, and we’re networked together and we’re doing it in a way that is encouraging and inspiring to each other.”
The Rev. Leon Sampson, an Arizona-based Navajoland priest and a member of The Episcopal Church’s research commission on Indigenous boarding schools, provided the opening prayer for the conversation in his native Navajo language. He told ENS that Rowe’s pointed self-awareness concerning the feedback he’d receive in response to the church’s staffing changes was “like fresh water” coming for the church in a time of uncertainty.
“It was an affirmation for us to hear that we’re in the right place, and we’re in the right direction,” Sampson said. “This is a time of discernment for the church to take action in ensuring its vitality and recognize all that’s happening in the world so that we can engage with ministries and outreach in all the right ways.”
Rowe said he’s “resigned myself to be maybe one of the least popular presiding bishops” with his plans to put The Episcopal Church on the right track to remain animated and pertinent to a rapidly evolving secular world. At the same time, he said he wants the church to respond compassionately to contemporary global challenges.
“The work of repositioning is going to be painful; it’s also going to be extraordinarily hopeful, and I believe that we will position ourselves to do the things we really want to do,” Rowe said. “That’s what makes it exciting. The kingdom of God is in our midst. Christ is in our midst, and we have some serious issues that we’re facing – and they’re existential.”
To be the body of Christ in the world, he said, requires the church to face reality, including its internal culture, which has been “that the thing to do is play Whack-A-Mole with any kind of new idea.”
-Shireen Korkzan is a reporter and assistant editor for Episcopal News Service. She can be reached at skorkzan@episcopalchurch.org.
