DIOCESE OF
WESTERN MICHIGAN
STATEMENT OF IDENTITY
We, members of the congregations of the Diocese of Western Michigan, affirm and support one another's diverse callings and ministries within the body of Christ, and proclaim our unity in the worldwide Anglican communion, with our Bishop as our chief pastor and leader in the historic apostolic faith and ministry.
MISSION STATEMENT
We, with our Bishop, in our Anglican tradition, strive to proclaim and manifest God's love to all persons in West Michigan and the world so that, in the worship of God and service in the name of Jesus Christ, unity may overcome estrangement and hope may overcome despair.
THE VISION OF THE PEOPLE
We are a people committed to our baptismal covenant and empowered by the Holy Spirit. The promises of our baptism create for us our vision of future ministry and provide us with the passion with which we long to live out our faith in Jesus Christ. It is our calling to be known for inclusivity and intentional growth.
We seek to serve Christ in all persons,
- Desiring to increase the diversity of our diocese so that it represents the whole population in terms of race, gender, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation and economic status.
- We are committed to establishing a strong youth ministry. We will do so by inviting and welcoming all into our midst, nourishing them in their spiritual growth and supporting them as they minister in Christ's name.
We proclaim the good news of Christ by
- Intentionally developing new models of ministry,
- planting new congregations,
- creatively supporting existing parishes and
- encouraging responsible stewardship.
- We will equip ourselves for this ministry by a life-long Christian formation process
We strive for justice and peace among all people by
- developing diocesan outreach ministries
- We continue to work for the elimination of all biases that separate us one from another, especially those of individual or institutional racism; further we will be intentional in including people of color in the elected and appointed positions of our parishes, deaneries, and diocese so that we may see persons of color in all positions of diocesan leadership.
We seek to cultivate a mutually nurturing and collaborative relationship between bishop and the people of the diocese to fulfill our vision.
Click here to download the .pdf file of the Vision Statement