Listening sessions scheduled for diocesan bishop search

The Bishop Nominating Committee on Sept. 18, 2023, issued the following announcement of scheduled listening sessions to gather input from the people of the diocese to help guide the search process.


Seal of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts

The Bishop Nominating Committee has scheduled a series of listening sessions to gather input from you, the people of our diocese, regarding our vision for our future and the qualities we seek in our new bishop. Feedback from these sessions will help to guide our search process and will be incorporated in the diocesan profile that we will share with the prospective nominees.
 
To maximize opportunities for participation, 15 sessions have been scheduled in churches in every region of the diocese, at varying times and days of the week, and for both the laity and clergy. Dedicated sessions have also been created for affinity groups to ensure that their voices are included, though members of such groups are invited to attend the other sessions as well. Five such sessions, including one in Spanish, are listed below with additional sessions to be scheduled for Diocesan Youth Council members and university chaplaincies. Lastly, two additional Zoom sessions have been created for those who cannot or prefer not to attend a session in person.  

The current list of sessions is included below. In-person sessions will include light refreshments. Registration is not required but will be appreciated for planning purposes.  Zoom link information is included below.

To register for a session, please go to the Bishop Search Listening Session Registration site.

For more information about the bishop search process for our diocese please visit www.diomass.org/bishop-search.

For more information about the listening sessions please contact the Nominating Committee at
co-chairs@mabishopsearch.org

Schedule of listening sessions (updated Oct. 2, 2023)

Clergy of Color Sept. 21 5-6:30 p.m. St. Peter's Church, Cambridge All Regions
Lay Session Sept. 23 10-11:30 a.m. Grace Church, New Bedford Southern Region
Lay Session Sept. 23 10-11:30 a.m. St. Stephen's Memorial Church, Lynn Northern & Western Region
Clergy Session Sept. 26 5-6:30 p.m. Emmanuel Church, Boston Central Region
Clergy Session Sept. 27 3:30-5 p.m. St. Mary's Church, Barnstable Southern Region
LGBTQ+ Clergy Session Sept. 28 5-6:30 p.m. St. Paul's Church, Malden All Regions
Sesión Laica en Español Oct. 1 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Grace Church, Lawrence Toda
Lay Session Oct. 2 6:30-8 p.m. St. James's Church, Cambridge Central Region
Lay Session Oct. 3 6:30-8 p.m.

Zoom link here
Meeting ID:
838 3102 2757
Passcode: 203951

All Regions
Clergy Session Oct. 4 5-6:30 p.m. St. Andrew's Church, Framingham Northern & Western Region
Diocesan Youth Council (this session added to schedule on Sept. 25) Oct. 4 7-8 p.m. Via Zoom  
Lay People of Color Oct. 5 6:30-8 p.m. Trinity Church, Boston All Regions
Clergy Session Oct. 7 10-11:30 a.m.

Zoom link here
Meeting ID:
861 8910 5894
Passcode: 915036

All Regions

Lay Session in English & Spanish/Sesión Laica en Español
(this session added to schedule on Sept. 25)

Oct. 10 6:30-8 p.m. St. Peter's-San Pedro, Salem Northern & Western Region
Lay Session Oct. 11 6:30-8 p.m. Christ Church, Quincy Southern Region
LGBTQ+ Laity Session
RESCHEDULED to Zoom
Oct. 11 6:30-8 p.m.

Zoom link here
Meeting ID:
867 7008 2341
Passcode: 442401

All Regions
Lay Session Oct. 14  1:30-3 p.m. Christ Church, Needham Central Region

Sesión Laica en Español
(this session added to schedule on Sept. 25)

Oct. 15 1:45-3:15 p.m. St. Luke's-San Lucas, Chelsea Toda