Presiding Bishop Visits Saint Michael's

The Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, Katharine Jefferts Schori joined the Bishop of Kansas, Dean Wolfe, for a visit to St. Michael's on Sunday, October 25th. The presiding Bishop was in Kansas for the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Diocese of Kansas and our annual convention.

The Presiding Bishop preached a sermon on Sunday. In addition, she facilitated a forum, taking questions from the audience of over 300. She reminded Episcopalians that we are part of a church that includes 100 US dioceses as well as dioceses in the nations of Columbia, Ecuador, Puerto Rico, Haiti, and 11 other nations. Contrary to media accounts that tend to focus on divisions within the Anglican Communion, Presiding Bishop Katharine emphasized that international mission partnerships are flourishing in spite of difference over sexual orientation and the full inclusion of women clergy. She indicated that there is a growing sense of collaboration and affection, a indication of God's work of reconcilation among all peoples.

The Presiding Bishop expressed her gratitude for St. Michael's, our vitality and focus on mission. She complimented our website and the content of our long-range plan, "Let's Build a House ...". She sees St. Michael's as a potential resource for other congregations who also seek to have thriving programs for youth, children, and young adults. She challenged us to find new ways to reach out to non-Anglo populations in our community, especially to Latinos. Churches that are growing, she reminded us, are those who are able to include the ever-increasing diversity of the general population.