January 29th, 2011
In the Bishop's Address to the 42nd Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida, Jan. 29, the Rt. Rev. John W. Howe announced his plan to retire in April 2012.
"I want to come directly to the point," Bishop Howe told the group gathered at St. George Church and La Hacienda Recreation Center, The Villages, Florida. "The final episode of Star Trek, Next Generation was entitled 'All Good Things...' with the unmistakably hidden clause, '...must come to an end.' I have come to the conclusion that we are nearing such a moment."
Bishop Howe called for the election of his successor, the Fourth Bishop of Central Florida, in a Special Convention to be held Nov. 19 at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke, Orlando.
"These last two-plus decades of my life have been a roller coaster of joy and sorrow - but mostly joy - as we have seen God work in our midst in extraordinary ways," Bishop Howe said. "I came here after 13-and-a-half years in one of the truly great congregations in The Episcopal Church. And, as every Bishop will tell you, leaving your parish family behind is a very difficult thing to do."
Bishop Howe stressed that, although the diocese will experience a change in leadership, the diocese should maintain the direction it has taken.
Bishop Howe specifically mentioned four projects mandated by the 40th Diocesan Convention, in 2009, that should help guide the diocese:
Develop a Diocesan Strategic Plan - The resolution said, "It is the Vision of this Diocese to be fully committed to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission: to truly love God with all of our being and to go into all the world and make disciples, teaching them to obey everything that Jesus taught his original followers." The resolution set out five specific, measurable objectives for the years 2010 - 2012, which the diocese is in the process of implementing.
Create a Contemporary Worship School - The diocese held the first of what leaders expect will be annual Contemporary Worship Conferences at the Canterbury Conference Center September 16 - 18, 2010. The next one is scheduled for September 22 - 24, 2011.
Create a set of "user friendly" tools for Short Term Mission Trips - This was accomplished, and is available in print, on CD, and online at the diocesan website. Many congregations have already used these tools, and others are planning to do so in the near future.
Develop a Parish Discipleship Weekend - The resolution called for an in-house parish conference to call members of this Diocese to commit or recommit their lives to Jesus Christ and his kingdom, and to teach all of us how to live out a countercultural form of discipleship.
Under the direction of the Standing Committee, the search for Bishop Howe's successor will begin immediately, and will include a diocesan survey, diocesan profile, nominations, background checks, election and consecration.
Bishop Howe and his wife, Deacon Karen Howe, plan to take a cruise through the Panama Canal soon after the consecration of the new bishop.
"I told the Standing Committee last month that my love for this Diocese is so exquisite that it hurts," Bishop said in closing his address. "If I could somehow, miraculously, make it all happen all over again I would do so in a heartbeat. Thank you for honoring me, and supporting me, for these past 21-plus years. I love you, and I pray that as 'all good things...' begin to wind down they may wind up giving birth to even greater things in this great Diocese of Central Florida."
The Diocese of Central Florida, based in Orlando, is a community of about 38,000 baptized members at 88 parishes and missions in 15 counties.
VOL FOOTNOTE: This is one of a handful of remaining orthodox dioceses in TEC. We will watch with interest if his replacement is as evangelical as Bishop Howe. Two dioceses, South Carolina and Springfield have both elected orthodox bishops to replace outgoing orthodox bishops.
Bishop Howe's entire address to the 42nd Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida may be found at:
http://www.cfdiocese.org/article/2011/01/29/bishops-address-42nd-annual-convention-episcopal-diocese-central-florida
The URL for this story is:
http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=13879
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