A Fond Farewell
One gift of being an Episcopal church is that we are not a single congregation (or cathedral) located in one place, but rather, each congregation or ministry is an expression of a wider diocese. We are richly blessed to share in a ministry that spans much of Ohio and includes faithful folk in cities and rural areas, campgrounds and cathedrals. Each congregation has its unique setting and vocation, but together we bear witness to the life-changing love of God.
We see this especially in the gift of shared leadership, and we look with gratitude to our bishops and their staff for guidance, unity, support, and inspiration.
After a discernment process and search, and a joyful consecration, we are now ready for Bishop Jolly to assume pastoral leadership of the Diocese of Ohio. She will do so on July 1 (and be formally seated in the Cathedral on September 9). That means that it is now time to say farewell to Bishop Hollingsworth and give thanks for his two decades of leadership in the diocese, for members of the bishop’s staff who are retiring, and to Bishops Williams and Persell as they retire from active ministry.
I hope you’ll join with the people of the diocese this Saturday afternoon as we celebrate our outgoing diocesan leadership at Hathaway Brown School, from 2-6 p.m. I also invite you to donate to the Bishop’s Recognition Fund, to support congregational vitality and youth ministry in the Diocese of Ohio.
Farewells are hard, but they are also a gift, for they allow us to give thanks for friends and colleagues who have guided us through our lifelong journey with God. We give thanks for Bishop Hollingsworth and all those who have carried out this shared ministry!