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Letter of Introduction, Essays, Resumé: Read Edwin D. Johnson's complete materials here.
The Rev. Edwin D. Johnson
However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
(Luke 10:20, NRSV)
Blessings to you mi gente of the Diocese of Massachusetts! I am the Rev. Edwin Daniel Johnson, child of God and lover of Jesus. I am the son of Vilma and Walter, the husband of Susan, the father of Francisco and Santiago, the friend of many and a priest in this diocese and I am blessed.
God’s principle gift to me has been joy, and the source of my joy is captured in the passage above. There Jesus’ disciples return after being empowered to heal the sick and cast out demons. Jesus affirms that what they have done matters and implores them to rejoice most deeply in the fact that they are forever counted and beloved by God. Likewise I am grateful for my ministry, especially the ways that it has brought me into partnership and fellowship with many of you. Ultimately, my greatest joy is in the fact that I am counted and beloved by God regardless of what I do. My life, my ministry, my intentions and my efforts are to share that joy with the world.
I am a child of this diocese, raised by Walter Daniel of Montserrat and Vilma Johnson of Costa Rica, who brought me up at St. John St. James Episcopal Church in Roxbury. I felt the call to ordained ministry as I witnessed a baptism 36 years ago. Through the Union of Black Episcopalians, Diocesan Youth Council, General Convention and other opportunities in my youth I met the broader diocese and Episcopal Church, cementing my call and opening my eyes to new possibilities. Fast forward: I am now approaching my 15th year of ordained ministry having served two congregations for over 12 years before my current position as the Director of Organizing for Episcopal City Mission. I have led and served on many committees throughout the diocese and the Church, delighting in the work and in the fellowship.
Far more interesting than my story is the story of our Diocese of Massachusetts. The story of our diocese features parishes in widely varied contexts from the Cape and Islands, to urban centers, thriving suburbs, mill-towns, gateway cities and towns whose unique gifts are too often forgotten. The faithful gather and pray in the languages of the world, sometimes a handful, sometimes a multitude and always filled with the power of the Spirit as they pray and act for the blessing and uplifting of the surrounding communities. The story of our diocese features a commitment to combating racism and other forms of oppression that make it harder for us to love each other and love ourselves. In our current chapter we are grieving loss due to the pandemic and other loss as times have changed while being faithfully open to the new life that God is fomenting in our communities. In our current chapter we are confronting limited and changing resources: human resources, financial resources and the sanctuaries and properties that have housed our ministries for years. In our current chapter we are wondering, what is next? How can we do our part?
So what does our next chapter entail? As I imagine it it features churches of all sizes and all stages of the life cycle growing their ministries and impact in ways broadly felt. It features lay and ordained leaders who are spiritually renewed, inspired, cared for and empowered for ministry in deep collaboration. It features stories of sanctuaries and spaces whose broad use and purposeful care honor the deep commitment and investment of those who came before us. It features stories of our church alive in our monthly e-news along with our local newspapers as we bring hope, relief, solidarity and tangible change to those around us. It features us taking full advantage of the unparalleled wisdom, vision and perspective of our elder members while coming together across generations and nurturing leadership amongst our youngest members. As I imagine it this chapter will be particularly marked by joy, joy in each other, joy in the work and joy in prayer as we live into our liturgical heritage and flavor. I can not wait to turn the page.
So if called as bishop how would I help us get there? As a priest and prophetic leader I always ask “where and how is God calling us to love boldly in this moment?” As an organizer, strategic thinker and movement builder I always ask “given who is here, given what we have and given our context how can we best use our resources?” At our conventions and on a smaller scale our gatherings in committees we have so many faithful and smart people in one place; I would shift these spaces to be more inclusive of collaboration, relationship building and joint problem solving. From the college of congregational development in Chicago to La Academia in California to other models for discipleship training in our church I would pull together the resources to help our leaders, especially our lay leaders get the training and formation they need. Episcopal City Mission has turned visionary investment into a long term source of funding that creates freedom for risk taking and bold mission; our diocese could do so on a grander scale through the right kinds of partnerships and relationships as I would otherwise fundraise on the strength of our stories. As we’ve only scratched the surface around how we utilize and reimagine and care for our spaces I’d be excited to come together regionally and with others of similar scale to harness this resource to the greatest impact. As a loving pastor and lover of people I would work to create a culture of joyful care and support throughout the diocese that would provide the relational ballast for us to have the generative conflict and courageous conversations we must have to say yes to the Spirit at this time. The bishop is a sign and catalyst for the unity of the church and I would be excited to bring my relationships, my experience, my background, my languages and cultures and all I have to further unify us. As you may be able to tell from what I’ve written and will see plainly when you interact with me I have a lot of ideas, a lot of passion and a lot of energy that I would bring to the call of bishop. Like Solomon I will continue to pray for wisdom and I believe my ability to bring people together will allow me to harness your collective wisdom.
With humility and joy I offer myself and all I have to strive for an inspired, healing, connected and impactful church. In my years of ministry and life I have had the chance to accomplish and collaborate on many wonderful things with God’s help. My principle joy remains in being beloved of God, and as I move into this process I hope to be part of you experiencing that belovedness more deeply. I will continue to strive for that across our diocese and if called as bishop, with God’s help and the help of countless others, I would play my role in making sure that everyone in our portion of the Commonwealth feels the power of Christ’s love, as those who encountered Jesus’ disciples did nearly 2,000 years ago.
Thank you for allowing me to walk with you in this. However it unfolds, may we be drawn closer to each other, and to God.
In Christ,
The Rev. Edwin Daniel Johnson
Letter of Introduction, Essays, Resumé: Read Edwin D. Johnson's complete materials here.