Future Church

A major focus of my ministry as superintendent is to meet with my counterparts from the Lutherans, Presbyterians, and Episcopalians in Alaska.  I meet regularly with Mike, Curt, Mike, and now Mark for spiritual reflection, personal sharing, and talk around how we can share ministry in Alaska.  On the table are issues like lay leader training especially among our native people, sharing clergy, merging and yoking churches, and a common witness for Christ in the public sector on homelessness and domestic violence.

Now it is time to move this conversation to a broader level: to the clergy and laity of all four denominations.  When we discovered that three of us held leadership meetings in Anchorage in February the Lutherans and Methodists changed their dates to coincide with the Presbyterian meetings so we could come together on Friday, February 25 at St. John United Methodist Church and celebrate what God can do with even more cooperation among the body of Christ.  Food, table conversation, worship, mass choir, holy communion, and dessert!  Rev. Dr. Elaine Heath, professor of evangelism at Perkins School of Theology in Dallas will be our preacher.  Elaine grew up in Alaska and understands our context.  She will help us think about what the church could look like in the future.

I am pumped to say the least!  I want to encourage our clergy and lay leaders in our various communities to give serious thought about what shared ministries might be possible with sisters and brothers from other Christian traditions.

Clergy are encouraged to wear their robes and green stoles.

Grace and peace,
Dave