The Search for t he 11t h Bishop

of
T h e E p i scop al D i ocese of C en t r al N ew Y or k

Table
Table

of
of
C
o
n
te
n
ts
Cont ent s

W e lc o m e ..................................................................

W h o W e A r e ...........................................................

O u r M i n i s t r i e s........................................................ 10
D e m o g r a p h i c s & S t a t i s t i c s............................. 14
C o n t e x t : G e o g r a p h y & C u lt u r e ..................... 17
O u r H i s t o r y ............................................................. 22
O u r F i n a n c e s......................................................... 26
C o n v e r sa t i o n s w i t h i n t h e D i o c e se .............. 29
T h e Bi sh o p W e S e e k .......................................... 31
T h e N o m i n a t i o n Pr o c e ss & T i m e li n e .......... 32
T h e Bi sh o p S e a r c h C o m m i t t e e ..................... 33
T h e Tr a n si t i o n C o m m i t t e e ............................... 34
L e a r n M o r e A b o u t U s.......................................... 35

Welcome!
Thank you for your inter est
in the Diocese of Centr al New
Yor k. Whether you?r e
discer ning a call to episcopal
ministr y in this par t of the
wor ld, or whether you?r e just
inter ested in what we have to
say about being the Episcopal
Chur ch in Centr al New Yor k,
I?m glad you?r e r eading our
pr ofile.
We?r e wr iting this pr ofile
amid the autumn beauty of
Centr al New Yor k. Ther e?s a lot
to love about this place: the
beauty of the four seasons, the
natur al fr iendliness of the

The
Episcopal
Diocese of
Cent ral New
York

people, our access to city life,

ar ts and cultur e, lar ge
industr ies, wor king far ms,
stunning par ks and lakes, and
a cost of living that is
affor dable for most people. We
have many lovely chur ches
with faithful par ishioner s who
car r y on the pr ayer s of our
tr adition. We car e for and
encour age one another and
r each out to the communities
ar ound us.
Ther e ar e challenges her e
too, of cour se. The Chur ch that
saw its heyday in the 1960s is
no mor e. We all know that.
Some of our congr egations
have changed to meet the
challenges that this age
pr esents, while other s ar e
holding fast to what had
wor ked for them for so long.
Some congr egations ar e r eady
to change, but ar en?t sur e what
that might look like in our
contexts. Like the color ful
autumn leaves, some
congr egations ar e r eady to
change befor e other s, some
people ar e mor e eager for
change than other s. And, if
we?r e being honest, these
dichotomies exist in many of
the faithful people her e as well.

I hope that in this pr ofile you

will glimpse some tr uths about
our diocese. It?s our intention to
be honest about who we ar e as
the Episcopal Chur ch her e in
Centr al New Yor k. Who we ar e,
and who we?r e called to be. Who
we?ve been and what we hope
we can become. Wher e we find
joy and wher e we find
challenges. Wher e we?ve been
cr eative and wher e we?ve found
vibr ancy? and wher e we?ve been
stuck. This is a healthy diocese
of small par ishes and faithful
people. We?r e appr oaching this
sear ch for a new bishop with
our minds open to new
possibilities, our hear ts leaning
in to the movement of the Holy
Spir it and our voices r aised in
pr ayer . We
invite you
to discer n
God?s
calling with
us!

Faithfully,

T he Rev.Carrie Schofield- Broadbent,

Chair of the
Bishop Search Committee
3

W ho We
Are

The Diocese is located in

the vast r egion called ?Upstate?
New Yor k? essentially all the
land beyond Long Island and
the New Yor k City metr o ar ea.
While we do not have a lot of
specific demogr aphic data
about our par ishioner s, we
can assume we shar e many of
the r ealities of our neighbor s
in the counties in which we
live.

Our sliceof UpstateNewYork

Initially, our locale was settled
by indigenous tr ibes fr om the Six
Nations of the Ir oquois
Confeder acy, but they wer e lar gely
displaced by Eur opean settler s
ar ound the time of the
Revolutionar y War . Most ear ly
immigr ants to this ar ea wer e of
English colonial ancestr y, and some
wer e Ir ish, Ger man and Italian.

Our diocesanofficeis
locatedinthecenter
our diocese.
2 1/ 4 hour s
Is the dr iving time
to get fr om our
diocesan offices
(near Syr acuse) to
our fur thest par ish
(in Hor seheads),
about 90 miles.

Withatotal areaof 14,000sq. miles,our dioceseseemsgeographicallyspreadout tous.

3 1/ 4 hour s

2 hour s

Is the time it would take to dr ive fr om

our souther n-most par ish to our most
nor ther n par ish (about 170 miles).

Is the time it would take to dr ive fr om

our easter n bor der to our wester n
bor der (about 100 miles).
4

"TheDioceseof Central
NewYorkisfilledwith
Christ?sdisciples?from
younginfantsandcurious
teenstosteadfast seniors
andwiseelders. "

Our ar ea continues to be pr edominantly white and non-Hispanic

white (88.9%), although our ar ea accepts mor e than one thousand
r efugees annually fr om many par ts of the wor ld (including many
who come thr ough Episcopal Chur ch Migr ation Ministr ies).
Our population is gener ally older than the over all US
population. Educationally, we exceed the national aver age in high
school gr aduates but fall below the aver age in college gr aduates.
Economically we lag behind the national aver age as well.1.

Our Diocese seems geogr aphically spr ead out to us. Our r egion
is dotted with small cities (Ithaca, Elmir a, Water town, Aubur n,
Cor tland, For t Dr um, etc.) and 3 mor e populated r egions (Onondaga County - Syr acuse; Br oome
County - Binghamton-Vestal & Johnson City; and Oneida County ? Utica). We live in the midst of
far ms and for ests, with r oads winding ar ound hills,
lakes, and r iver s. Few major thor oughfar es, typical
New England topogr aphical featur es, and our
histor y of sticking close to home give us the feeling
of being mor e isolated fr om each other than similar
distances might in other r egions.

Central NewYorkEpiscopalians
The Diocese of Centr al New Yor k is filled with
Chr ist?s disciples? fr om cooing infants and cur ious
teens to steadfast senior s and wise elder s. We find our homes in eighty-one distinct congr egations,
five chapels, one outr each mission, and one college chaplaincy. We come, with our exuber ance and
our anxieties, seeking blessing and companionship along the way.
We jostle into Sunday school, plop next to well-known pew-mates, and extend gr eetings to
newcomer s. We r ead lessons, lift our voices in pr aise, and kneel for communion. We have been
tr ansfor med by special exper iences such as Cur sillo, Happening, or a Mission of Mir acles medical
mission tr ip to El Salvador .
Many have been Episcopalians for decades, wor shipping in spir itual homes one hundr ed year s
old or mor e. Our faith communities date back to the boom times of upstate New Yor k, when the
towns and villages along the Er ie Canal (opened in 1825) wer e the Industr ial Revolution's equivalent
of Silicon Valley. Most chur ches wer e anchor s of their r espective downtowns, and vener able
institutions in their par ticular r egions. But, as the futur e of these small towns goes, so go the
chur ches. Many citizens have migr ated? some out of chur ch, some out of state, and some only to
lar ger metr opolitan ar eas. This migr ation has left a number of our buildings, filled with the echoes
of past memor ies, eer ily hollow. Conver sely, some of our chur ches ar e br imming with new ener gy,
filled with childr en and youth, immigr ant communities and offer ings for specific gr oups and ages.
Our congr egations ar e cluster ed into nine distr icts (r egions), shown on the next page. Each is
over seen by a dean appointed by our bishop.
1. US census data

Ithaca-CortlandDistrict

ChemungDistrict
Elmira, Emmanuel;
Elmira, Gr ace;
Elmira, Tr inity;
Horseheads, St.
Matthew?s; Waverly,
Gr ace.

Candor, St. Mar k?s; Cortland,

Gr ace & Holy Spir it ; I thaca, St.
John?s; Slaterville Springs, St.
Thomas?; Trumansburg, Epiphany.
Emmanuel, Elmira

St. John's, Ithaca

ChenangoDistrict
Afton, St. Ann?s;
Bainbridge, St. Peter ?s;
Greene, Zion; New Berlin,
St. Andr ew?s; Norwich,
Emmanuel; Oxford, St.
Emmanuel, Norwich
Paul?s; Sherburne,
Epiphany; South New Berlin, St. Matthew?s.

Finger Lakes
SyracuseWest
District
Auburn, Ss. Peter &
John; Aurora, St.
Paul?s; Camillus, St. Luke?s; Jordan, Chr ist Chur ch;
Marcellus, St. John?s; Moravia, St. Matthew?s;
Seneca Falls, Tr inity; Skaneateles, St. James';
Syracuse, St. Mar k the Evangelist; Waterloo, St.
Paul?s; Willard, Chr ist Ch.; Willowdale, Gr ace.
Trinity, Seneca Falls

Utica-RomeDistrict
Barneveld, St. David?s; Boonville,
Tr inity; Camden, Tr inity; Canastota,
Tr inity; Chadwicks, St. Geor ge?s;
Clark Mills, St. Mar k?s; Clinton, St.
James'; Constableville, St. Paul?s;
Hamilton, St. Thomas?; New
Hartford, St. Stephen?s; Oneida, St.
John?s; Paris Hill, St. Paul?s; Port
Leyden, St.
Mar k?s;
Rome, Zion;
Sherrill,
Gethsemane;
Utica, Gr ace.
St. James, Clinton

Oswego-NorthernOnondaga
District
Baldwinsville, Gr ace;
Constantia, Tr inity; Fulton, All
Saints'; Liverpool, St.
Matthew?s; Mexico, Gr ace;
Oswego, Resur r ection.
Pulaski, St. James'.

St. Matthew's, Liverpool

NorthCountryDistrict
Adams, Emmanuel;
Alexandria Bay, Ch. of St.
Lawr ence; Black River, St.
John?s; Brownville, St.
Paul?s; Cape Vincent, St.
Trinity, Watertown
John?s; Carthage, Gr ace;
Clayton, Chr ist Ch.; Copenhagen, Gr ace; Evans Mills, St.
Andr ew?s; Lowville, Tr inity; Pierrepont Manor, Zion;
Watertown, Tr inity.

Syracuse-East District
Cazenovia,
St. Peter ?s;
Chittenango,
St. Paul?s;
DeWitt, St.
David?s; East
St. Peter's, Cazenovia Syracuse,
Emmanuel; Fayetteville, Tr inity;
Liverpool, Ephphatha; Manlius,
Chr ist Chur ch; Syracuse, Gr ace;
Syracuse, St. Alban?s; Syracuse,
St Paul?s; Syracuse, Saviour .

SouthernTier District

All Saints', Johnson City

Binghamton, Chr ist Chur ch;

Binghamton, Tr inity Memor ial;
Chenango Bridge, St. Mar k?s;
Endicott, St. Paul?s; Johnson City,
All Saints?; Marathon, St. John?s;
Owego, St. Paul?s; Speedsville, St.
John?s; Windsor, Zion.
6

THEDIOCESANLEADERSHIPINCLUDESTHEDIOCESANSTAFFOFSEVEN:

Food
Suppliers

Kathy Dengler,

Judy Fried,

Coordinator of Diocesan Formation

Transition Ministry and Secretary of

Convention

Kathleen McDaniel,

Debbie Nettle,

Meredith Kadet Sanderson,

Executive Assistant to the Bishop

Receptionist/Secretary

Communications Specialist

Cathy Hobart,
Controller

The Bishop is assisted by:

-

The Standing Committee which ser ves as a council of

advice to the Bishop. In times that a Bishop is absent,
the Standing Committee assumes the ecclesiastical
author ity for the Diocese. The Standing Committee has
other r esponsibilities r egar ding the buying and selling
of pr oper ty by par ishes, gr anting consent for episcopal
elections in other dioceses, and other duties as
Rev. Lisa Busby
identified by Gener al Convention.
Youth Coordinator
The Diocesan Boar d which is the policy-making
or ganization of the Diocese. The Boar d helps the
Bishop ar ticulate the mission of the Diocese, for mulate str ategies to car r y out that
mission and is r esponsible for all pr ogr ammatic activity of the Diocese. As Tr ustees of
the Diocesan Cor por ations, the Boar d holds the title to diocesan funds and pr oper ty and
is r esponsible for investments and the Diocesan budget.
The Commission on Ministr y wor ks to str engthen or dained and lay ministr y with an
emphasis on individuals in an or dination pr ocess and continuing education for cler gy
and laity.

Laity and cler gy faithfully ser ve on these and other committees which suppor t and str engthen
the wor k of the Chur ch in the wor ld.
7

OURVISION:

Food
Suppliers

?Tobethepassionatepresenceof Christ for oneanother

andtheworldwearecalledtoserve.?

OURMISSION:
?Torestoreall peopletounitywithGodandeachother inChrist?
(BCPp. 855,fromAnOutlineof theFaith).

Our Prayer of Discernment for our Search

O God, our strength and comforter, as we seek a new Bishop,
you set before this our Diocese of Central New York
opportunities and challenges, and you give us a variety of gifts
with which to meet them: Open our eyes to see your will for
the ordering of our common life as we seek a Bishop; grant us
patience and listening hearts; fill us with your peace; and lead
us together as one people that we may welcome a shepherd
who will love, lead and guide us toward the fulfillment of your
Kingdom, on earth as in heaven. We especially pray for the
Standing Committee, the Diocesan Staff, the Search Committee
and the Transition Committee as they go about their work. And
we pray for Bishop Skip and Bonnie as they move into the next
chapter of their lives. All this we ask through Jesus Christ our
Lord, this day and every day.
Amen.

The br eadth and scope of our ministr ies r eflect the long-standing
year nings, deep-seated passions, and hopeful expectations of our
institutional leader ship. They can be divided into these gr oupings:

Spiritual:
Ministriesthat provideuscompanionshipasweseekdeeper intimacywith
like-mindedChristians,andoffer asafespacetodeepenspirituality.

Our
M inist ries

Cur sillo ? Cur sillo has been a par t of the fabr ic of the Diocese since
the 1970s. While not as active as it once was, Cur sillo continues to be a
vital par t of many par ishioner s?spir itual base.

Diocesan Foundation ? exists to foster , develop

and contr ibute to the wor k of the Diocese of
Centr al New Yor k by making gifts, gr ants, loans
and advances for ministr y and pr oper ty needs
within the Diocese.

Episcopal Chur ch at Cor nell? a campus ministr y

that dates back to 1900. The chaplain pr ovides
pastor al car e, wor ship, and educational pr ogr ams to
students, faculty, and staff in the univer sity
community.

Youth and Young Adult Ministr ies? we have

sever al pr ogr ams under this umbr ella:

New Beginnings? a spir itual weekend designed to

r espond to the issues, concer ns, and needs of young
people in gr ades 6 thr ough 9. It is held twice a year .

Happening? a spir itual r enewal weekend for

youth in gr ades 9 thr ough 12, led by students, with
adult tr aining, super vision and encour agement.
Both New Beginnings and Happening ar e guided by
the Diocesan Youth Council, a voluntar y
diocesan-wide volunteer gr oup of lay and cler gy
leader s who nur tur e childr en and youth in the faith
of the lar ger Episcopal Chur ch.
10

Outreach:
Ministriesthat inviteustoreachout inlovetoneighborsnear andfar,strivingtoseekandservetheChrist inall.
Companion Diocese? The Diocese of El Salvador has been
our Companion Diocese for over twenty year s. We have
mutually exchanged hundr eds of pilgr ims. We cur r ently have
two sets of sister par ishes, and thr ee mor e ar e developing.
Other significant ministr ies include a weekly pr ayer cycle
that names ever y Salvador an par ish twice a year ; youth
pilgr images most summer s; Habitat for Humanity wor k
weeks annually; shor t ter m per sonal missions; and exchange
of r epr esentatives at Diocesan Conventions. Also, Mission of
Mir acles (see below).

DEPO Par ishes? The Diocesan Bishops of New Yor k meet r egular ly to pr ay together , discuss
r egional issues, and find ways to speak with one voice. This has led to a close wor king connection
between Bishop Adams and Bishop Love of Albany. While the two ar e not always of the same mind
theologically, they have pr ayed and wor ked together enough to build a r elationship of r espect
wher eby, since 2012, Bishop Adams, with Bishop Love?s appr oval, has pr ovided Delegated Episcopal
Pastor al Over sight (DEPO) suppor t for sever al par ishes in the Diocese of Albany.

Ephphatha Mission Chur ch of the Deaf ? Ther e ar e appr oximately 30 households with Deaf
member s in the Diocese, but this ministr y is also a ser vice to the wider community. Our par t-time
pr iest is involved in the community in a number of ways,
pr esiding at weddings and attending major events in the deaf
community.

Jubilee Ministr ies- These gr assr oots or ganizing center s for

hands-on local community outr each. Locations include:
Tr inity Memor ial Chur ch Jubilee Center , Binghamton; House
of Gr ace Hospitality Jubilee Center , Cor tland; Loaves & Fishes
Jubilee Center , Ithaca; Seneca House of Concer n, Seneca Falls;
Samar itan Jubilee Center , Syr acuse; Emmaus House Shelter ,
Utica; Hope
House-Peter Maur in House Jubilee Center , Utica; and
Water town Ur ban Mission Jubilee Center , Water town.

Mission of Mir acles? This medical mission is par t of

our Companion Diocese r elationship with the Diocese of El
Salvador . Thir ty medical and nur sing volunteer s and
other s join up year ly with twenty Salvador ans to pr ovide
medical, dental and mental health car e, as well as health
education, to mor e than one thousand patients in five
Salvador an villages.
11

Formation:
Ministriesthat fill our deephunger for spiritual formationfor ministry:
Bishop?s Retr eat for Laity? an annual gather ing, led by the Bishop, wher e laity fr om acr oss the
Diocese gather to get to build r elationships, shar e ideas, and listen to r enowned speaker s.

Canter bur y Way? small cluster s of cler gy gather r egular ly to pr ay together , shar e stor ies of
ministr y, and be nur tur ed thr ough shar ed witness.

Lay Pr eacher Tr aining? we cur r ently have seven lay pr eacher s, and ar e in the pr ocess of tr aining
a second class of lay pr eacher s. This extended educational oppor tunity is open to r ecommended
par ishioner s who will dedicate two year s to classes, seminar s, study, wr iting assignments, and
pr acticing the skills of pr eaching. Lay Pr eacher s ar e licensed to pr each within and beyond their own
congr egations.

Ministr y Fair ? a biennial event for laity to lear n about Episcopal Chur ch r egulations, wor ship
r esour ces, and differ ing ways of pr oviding ministr y. The ministr y fair is put together by the
Commission on Ministr y (COM) Tr aining and Resour ces Team. The COM assists the Bishop in the
development and affir mation of ministr y for all baptized per sons. The COM is str uctur ed in four
Teams for Ministr y: Discer nment, Or dination, Continuing Ed. for Cler gy and Tr aining & Resour ces.
Cler gy and lay member s of each Team make up the canonical COM which meets bi-monthly.

Pr eaching Cir cles? ar e r egional gather ings wher e Bishop Adams invites cler gy to join him for a day
to explor e how to pr each the good news in vibr ant ways. The Pr eaching Cir cle is not a cour se in
homiletics, but r ather a time to exper iment and even play with the homiletic oppor tunities and
challenges which ar ise in this time in our cultur e and vocation. Par ticipants have been challenged to
shar e a ser mon that could be well r eceived by both "chur ched" and "unchur ched" by using
non-insider language.

Theseministriestoclergyareepiscopally-mandatedeffortstostrengthencollegialityandprovideongoingformation
opportunities:
Cler gy Confer ences and Quiet Days? cler gy gather sever al times a year for fellowship,
communal pr ayer oppor tunities, and educational offer ings.
Sponsor ed by the Bishop and the Continuing Ed. Committee of
the Commission on Ministr y, these events ar e often
thought-pr ovoking and insightful for cur r ent ministr y
situations.

Dayspr ing? this is a ministr y for cler gy who ar e new to the

Diocese or ar e accepting new calls within the Diocese.
Par ticipants meet appr oximately once a month for the fir st year
of their new call. These gather ings ar e a time to shar e ideas
and exper iences on ever ything fr om pastor al car e to vestr y
meetings, pr oviding suppor t and building community among
cler gy peer s.
12

Local Formationfor OrdainedMinistry: ARecent History:

Fr om 2003-2010, awar e of both the need for cler gy who could ser ve
par t-time and the need for mor e accessible for mation oppor tunities, our
Commission on Ministr y r an a local for mation pr ogr am to pr epar e
individuals for or dination outside of the tr aditional seminar y model.
Car efully vetted par ticipants met monthly for long weekends with
instr uctor s fr om near by univer sities and schools of theology. Candidates
for the pr iesthood studied the the seven basic canonical subject ar eas
over a thr ee year per iod. Students in the pr ogr am also met on
alter nating weekends for small-gr oup mentor ing with diocesan cler gy
selected by the Bishop?s office. Sever al of the pr iests and deacons who
completed this pathway to or dination now ser ve in this Diocese.
The fir st local for mation cycle began in 2003, with twenty-two
students in thr ee study paths: lay vicar /pastor al leader (one year ), deacon
(two year s) and pr iest (thr ee year s). Fr om this gr oup of twenty-two, seventeen completed the
pr ogr am. One student become a pastor al leader , five wer e or dained deacons at Diocesan Convention
in 2005, and eleven students wer e ultimately or dained to the pr iesthood. All five deacons ser ved for
at least thr ee year s in the Diocese, and two have since tr ansfer r ed to other dioceses. Nine of the
eleven pr iests continue to ser ve in the Diocese of Centr al New Yor k.
The second local for mation cycle began in 2008 with nine students enr olled, but pr ogr am
leader ship encounter ed many difficulties. A team of administr ator s over saw the pr ogr am after the
Pr ogr am Dir ector accepted a call in another Diocese in 2004, and then new instr uctor s had to be
identified after Bexley Hall, the local Episcopal theological school, depar ted the Colgate Rochester
Cr ozer Divinity School Campus. Even so, thr ee pr iests and one deacon wer e or dained in the second
for mation cycle, all of whom continue to ser ve in the Diocese of Centr al New Yor k.
In total ther e ar e fifteen or dained cler gy (eleven pr iests and four deacons) who wer e for med
locally and ar e still in active ministr y in the Diocese of Centr al New Yor k.

13

Demographics
&
St at ist ics
The Diocese of Centr al New Yor k is compr ised of 81congr egations? we make no distinction
between par ishes and missions r elevant to size or economic viability; 1mission (Ephphatha
Mission for the Deaf); 5 chapels; and 1college chaplaincy. Accor ding to 2014 par ochial r epor ts, we
have 13,281member s in our diocese (or 9616 Communicants in Good standing). (See the r elative
location of our congr egations as found on the map on page four .) Most of our congr egations
ar e mor e than a hundr ed year s old; many ar e invaluable anchor s in their r espective
communities. Despite all the var ied r easons that have dr awn down member ship number s in the
last half-centur y, we ar e still a hear ty, power ful lot.

14

AVERAGESUNDAYATTENDANCE(ASA) INOURPARISHES
In Centr al New Yor k, we use a combination of Communicants in Good Standing (CGS),
Aver age Sunday Attendance (ASA) and Net Disposable Income (NDI) to index congr egations fr om
the smallest (Type 1, a.k.a. Family Congr egations) to the lar gest (Type IV, a.k.a. Pr ogr am Congr egations).
We believe ther e is mor e to congr egational vitality and faithfulness than mer e attendance. As of 2014,
we have fifty-two Type I, four teen Type II, ten Type III, and five Type IV congr egations.1
For pur poses of this Pr ofile we felt it helpful to also highlight congr egational ?size?in ter ms of
Aver age Sunday Attendance (ASA).
Her e is the br eakout of the ASA among CNY congr egations for 2014:

Family-sized (0-50) 52 par ishes (64%)

Pr ogr am-sized (151-350) 2 par ishes (1%)

Pastor al-sized (51-150) 27 par ishes (33%)

Cor por ate-sized (351-500)+ 0 par ishes (0%)

While we have exper ienced significant
member ship decline in the last fifty year s,
we believe the number s ar e beginning to
stabilize.
To the left, the pie char t shows the
br eakout of the number of faithful in
wor ship at each of our congr egations on
any given Sunday. Almost thr ee quar ter s
of our congr egations have fewer than 60
wor shipper s each week. Nationally, 58%of
Episcopal congr egations have fewer than
75 wor shipper s per Sunday. The median
ASA for our congr egations is 36 (Median
ASA for The Episcopal Chur ch for 2013 was
61).2

Member ship Data

ASA of CNY
Par ishes

While our member s ar e consistent,

faithful and dedicated, we r ecognize that a
significant number of our congr egations
ar e not sustainable over the long ter m.
1. These number s ar e for 80 congr egations, as one par ish
has yet to submit their 2014 Par ochial Repor t.
2. Infor mation fr om the ?Episcopal Congr egations
Over view: Findings fr om the 2014 Sur vey of Episcopal
Congr egations? by the Mission Depar tment of The
Episcopal Chur ch.

15

CLERGYLEADERSHIP
Our diocese has been blessed with wise,
capable, and pastor al cler gy. Many have ser ved
a long tenur e in our diocese, both those r aised
up her e and those who have come fr om other
par ts of the Chur ch.
The number of pr iests in the Diocese has
stayed ver y constant over the last fifteen year s.

sole ecclesiastical author ity in a congr egation,

deacons witness to the full br eadth of or der s of
ministr y, and we ar e gr ateful for their pr esence
in congr egations and at diocesan events. Seven
deacons cur r ently ser ve in our midst.
Ther e ar e no active r etir ed bishops who ar e
suppor ting ministr y in the Diocese.

LicensedWorshipLeaders

We have 166 pr iests on the Diocesan r oster ,

including 70 who ar e r etir ed. Ther e ar e 52
par ochial and 34 non-par ochial pr iests. With
the economic challenges of many
congr egations, we ar e gr ateful for the number
of cler gy who continue to ser ve par t-time in
r etir ement, or in addition to another car eer , or
who ar e willing to ser ve mor e than one
congr egation. Cur r ently we have six
congr egations in this situation. The r elative
shor tage of cler gy, especially in some of our
r ur al ar eas, has challenged our leader ship to be
cr eative in pr oviding ministr y suppor t for
communities of faith.
Bishop Adams
has been
instr umental in
r eviving the
or der of deacons
within the
Diocese. While
these deacons do
not per for m
?deacons' masses'
nor ar e they the

In addition to the Lay Pr eacher s?pr ogr am

descr ibed on page 12, we also license Wor ship
Leader s. They include lay people fr om
congr egations to lead mor ning pr ayer , shar e in
offer ing communion, and r ead the Scr iptur es
acr oss our diocese. We ar e gr ateful for their
tenacity, consistency, and gr aceful offer ings.

TransitionMinistryConsultants
Tr ansition Ministr y Consultants pr ovide
suppor t to par ishes in times of tr ansition,
especially par ishes that cannot affor d full or
par t-time inter im cler gy. Dur ing cler gy
tr ansitions, Tr ansition Ministr y Consultants help
congr egations focus on five inter im tasks:
coming to ter ms with histor y, discover ing a new
identity, making leader ship changes, r enewing
denominational connections and making a
commitment to new dir ections in ministr y.
Par ishes also r equest assistance fr om this
team in other tr ansitional times. Consultants
can help par ishes set goals and r e-evaluate
pr ogr ams r elative to size and r esour ces.
Par ishes pay for the ser vices of a consultant but
ther e is financial help available.
Our consultants have r eceived tr aining and
cer tification fr om the Inter im Ministr y Networ k.
They meet as a gr oup r egular ly and attend
tr aining events to impr ove or develop new
skills.
16

Cont ext :
Geography
&
Cult ure
The Episcopal Diocese of Centr al New Yor k is a 12,000 squar e-mile swath extending into
sixteen counties in the center of New Yor k State. It str etches fr om the Canadian bor der to the
Pennsylvania state line. Within it you will find:
-

Cities of char m, histor ical impor tance, and cultur al inter est? fr om Oswego and
Water town to Cor tland and Binghamton.

Countless small towns and villages

known for their beauty and quality of
life.

One Gr eat Lake, four Finger Lakes

(glacier for mations known for their
seductive beauty), and hundr eds of
other lakes, ideal for sailing and
fishing.

150 water falls within a ten-mile r adius

of Ithaca, including the 215-foot Taughannock Falls (55 feet higher than Niagar a Falls.)

Mor e than 20 colleges and univer sities, many in ?Best in the US? r ankings.

Chur ch buildings with r ich histor ies, including many on the National Register of Histor ic
Places.

Innovative and moder n industr ies r eplacing tr aditional manufactur ing, including the
lar gest wind far m in New Yor k in Lowville (Lewis
County) and nanotechnology fir ms in Utica.

A bur geoning wine industr y, with mor e than 100

winer ies, center ed ar ound the Finger Lakes.

A four -season climate.

We'r e within an easy dr ive of the major cities of the

Nor theast (Canada & U.S.A.)
17

ACULTURALANDHISTORICALSKETCHOFCNY
Many of our par ishes began when Centr al
New Yor k was the fr ontier of the ear ly
United States. Dur ing the ear liest settlement
of the ar ea, r elationships
with indigenous peoples
(the Ir oquois Nations)
wer e at times r espectful
and fair , but at other
times vicious and unjust. As the young
nation gr ew, so did a lot of our
communities.
Thanks in par t to r iver , canal, r ailr oad
and then inter state tr anspor tation, salt, steel,
lumber , hops, tobacco and so much mor e
pour ed (sometimes liter ally) out of Centr al
New Yor k in its heyday. A multitude of
familiar names in industr y and technology
have also called Centr al New Yor k home:
Gener al Electr ic, Westinghouse, Endicott
Johnson Shoes, Cor ning, Inc and IBM, just to
name a few.

Numer ous social and r eligious

movements had their beginnings her e, too.
We wer e par t of the ?bur ned over distr ict?
in the ear ly to mid 1800s which saw the
beginnings of var ious utopian societies such
as the Shaker s and Oneida Society.
Pr otest movements also found fer tile soil
in Centr al New Yor k, but per haps the most

notable wer e the abolitionist (and the many

r esidences that wer e stations on the
Under gr ound Railr oad)
and Women's Rights
movements. In fact,
Har r iet Tubman made
Aubur n her home while
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
r esided in Seneca Falls.
But, as manufactur ing declined and cuts to
militar y spending affected many of our
industr ies, many of our communities suffer ed.
Recession, flooding, and a r eputation for high
state taxation - many factor s have contr ibuted
to our economic decline.
While it may appear that ther e is an
over ar ching nar r ative of decline, our
communities have found ways of sur viving,
some even thr iving! Far ming, or char d and
wine industr ies all take advantage of our
abundance of clean water and easy access to
excellent tr anspor tation - Route 81to the nor th
and south; the Thr uway (Rt. 90) to the east and
west. We ar e also blessed to have an
incr edible number of nationally
r anked institutions of higher
education in our backyar d:
Cor nell and Syr acuse
Univer sities ar e the two lar gest,
followed by numer ous SUNY (State Univer sity
of New Yor k) schools in Cor tland, Binghamton,
Oswego, Utica and Syr acuse. Excellent pr ivate
colleges ar e also plentiful - Ithaca, Hamilton,
and Colgate colleges ar e just a few.
It is tr ue that lar ge manufactur ing is
substantially diminished- not just in CNY, but in
most of the nor theaster n cor ner of the US.
However , smaller , specialized manufactur ing
plants ar e spr inging up and gr owing.
18

AGEOGRAPHICALOVERVIEW
The geogr aphy cover ed by Centr al New
Yor k is tr uly magnificent and quite diver se.
It may be br oadly under stood by imagining
it divided into thir ds hor izontally:

The "Nor th Countr y" (nor th of Inter state

90) begins at the St. Lawr ence River and is
dotted with near ly 2000 islands (hence the
name, Thousand Islands). The Nor th Countr y
includes the easter n shor e and har bor s of
Lake Ontar io and the wester n foothills of
the magnificent Adir ondack mountains.
Depending upon the season and the
weather , r esidents sail, whitewater r aft,

cr oss-countr y ski, snowmobile, hunt, fish,

golf, hike, and enjoy many other outdoor
activities amid spectacular sur r oundings.
And depending upon your point of view,
these har dy r esidents endur e or enjoy some
of the highest snowfall totals in the U.S.,

thanks to lake effect snow coming off Lake

Ontar io. Par ishes her e str etch fr om Pulaski
and Constableville in the south to
Alexandr ia Bay in the nor th; fr om Lowville
in the east and Clayton-Cape Vincent in the
west.
The centr al par t of the Diocese is
mar ked by the Er ie Canal, which cuts
thr ough Utica, the easter n bor der of the
Diocese, passes Syr acuse, and continues
west to the char ming towns of Seneca Falls
(bir thplace of the Women's Rights
movement) and Water loo (bir thplace of
Memor ial Day) and the shor es of Seneca
Lake. Utica, in the
ear ly 1900s, ser ved as
the home for two of
Centr al New Yor k?s
bishops and has many
cultur al and
educational amenities.
The city of Syr acuse offer s a mix of
education, spor ts, cultur e and
healthcar e. This middle
section of the Diocese also
encompasses the Finger
Lakes r egion - Ithaca,
Skaneateles, Cazenovia and
Aubur n ar e just four of the
many char ming communities in this gor geous
ar ea. With its pr oximity to Lake Ontar io, and the
pr evailing winds off the lake, the middle belt is
also quite familiar with lake effect snowfall.
The "Souther n Tier " bor der s Pennsylvania,
anchor ed on the west by Elmir a and on the east
by Binghamton. A vast expanse of wooded, hilly
landscape cr eates lovely valleys and winding
r iver s, most notably the Chemung, Chenango,
and Susquehanna, which gather to for m the

19

Susquehanna River Valley. The Recession,

along with per iodic and disastr ous flooding
have had major adver se financial impacts on
this ar ea of pr ofound natur al beauty.
Binghamton, Cor ning and Elmir a ar e the major

population center s, but most r esidents ar e

scatter ed in lovely small towns nestled in the
numer ous valleys of this r egion.

THEEPISCOPALCHURCHINCENTRALNEWYORK
The State of New Yor k was or iginally one
diocese, founded in 1785. As the population and
economy of Upstate New Yor k gr ew, the Diocese
of Wester n New Yor k was for med in 1839, with a
dividing line just east of Utica. The Diocese of
Centr al New Yor k was for med in 1869 when the
Diocese of Wester n New Yor k split into two
dioceses.
Most of our congr egations wer e founded
befor e the Diocese of CNY was for med and
while Centr al New Yor k was still the fr ontier .
Time and again, a cor e gr oup of Episcopalians
in a community would band together to
wor ship using the Book of Common Pr ayer . As
it became possible, a missioner pr iest would
come to pr ovide occasional ser vices and help
or ganize the faithful gr oup into a par ish. At
some point, the Bishop would follow to
consecr ate the chur ch buildings. Heavily r eliant
on the faithful laypeople in the community, this

is the spir it and patter n most of our par ishes

depended upon. Thr ough the 20th Centur y,
however , some ver y successful chur ch plantings
wer e accomplished.
Our histor y is r eally a collection of many
individual histor ies - small community histor ies
- which inter sect, inter act and infor m (or
occasionally even ignor e) each other . We have
sometimes complicated r elationships with each
other and yet we insist on r emaining together .
We tr uly feel the push and pull of being both
catholic and pr otestant.
It is undeniably tr ue that some of our mor e
conser vative br other s and sister s in the
Episcopal Chur ch have separ ated themselves
fr om us. It is just as
tr ue, however , that
we have many
congr egants who
still consider them
to be fr iends, as
well as many
congr egants who
have no idea any congr egations have left. All of
which is to say that the per iod fr om the
adoption of the 1979 Pr ayer Book to Gene
Robinson's consecr ation had some pr ofound
effects on many of our congr egations - in both
positive and negative ways - as well as vir tually
no effect on other s. Although ther e is diver sity
of thought and belief in our diocese, we ar e not
divided or conflicted.
Whether thr ough inclination or desper ation,
many of us have tr ied new ways of doing
chur ch and being chur ch. Some congr egations
have joined in par tner ship to shar e pr iest's
ministr y. Many people have wor ked to build
pr ogr ams for diocesan for mation of deacons
and pr iests. Var ious congr egations have taken
chur ch out to the str eet. Other s have r etur ned
to classical wor ship. In our par ishes, you will
20

find wor ship styles fr om all ar ound the Anglican

Communion, and the level of par ishioner s'
exposur e to diver se wor ship styles var ies
gr eatly.
We have so many chur ches in small
communities and yet our ministr ies in our
communities ar e anything but small. Without
fanfar e, many par ishes tir elessly and selflessly
ser ve the needs of other s. Cur r ently, ther e ar e
many par ishes that spear head community
feeding pr ogr ams thr ough soup kitchens, food
pantr ies, backpack pr ogr ams in schools - any
way possible for getting food to hungr y folks.
Clothing pr ogr ams ar e also popular . Some find
their par ticular calling in pr ison ministr y, other s
in ser vice to veter ans. Our pr esence in small
communities infor ms and enables us to be the
Episcopal Chr istian pr esence to so many who
would other wise have to do without.

"Wehavesomanychurchesinsmall
communities,yet our ministriesare
anythingbut small"

Ar tists, educator s, pr ofessionals, far mer s;

labor er s of all types; r etir ees, unemployed, the
over -wor ked and the self-employed; busy
families, r ich and poor , folks fr om all levels of
physical, spir itual, emotive and cognitive ability.
This r ich var iety makes up the faithful Centr al
New Yor k.

21

Our
Hist ory

or dained deacon and pr iest by his father ,

Bishop Fr eder ick D. Huntington, the fir st bishop
of Centr al New Yor k. Fr om 1880-1881, he ser ved
in the Calvar y Mission in Syr acuse. His
r elatives still live in this Diocese.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

NOTABLESAINTSOFGODFROMCENTRALNEWYORK
In or der to pr ovide additional per spective
on who we ar e as God?s people in Centr al New
Yor k, we r ecall some of the holy people who
have gr aced us over the year s.

John Henr y Hobar t

Although the
Diocese of CNY was
not for med until 1868,
he was the Bishop of
NY (1811) of which we
then wer e a par t. He
planted a chur ch in
almost ever y major
town of New Yor k
State. Hobar t died in
this Diocese, in
Aubur n, NY, on
September 12, 1830.

James Otis Sar gent Huntington

Hungtington founded of the Or der of the
Holy Cr oss. ?Holiness is the br ightness of
divine love, and love
is never idle; it must
accomplish gr eat
things.? A pr iest and
monk, he studied
theology at St.
Andr ew?s Divinity
School in Syr acuse,
NY and was

Stanton was bor n in

upstate. She and four
other s or ganized the fir st
Women?s Right?s Convention
at Seneca Falls, NY, on July
19-20, 1848. She wor ked to
hold the chur ch
accountable for the
oppr ession of women in the
use of Scr iptur e. She attended Tr inity, Seneca
Falls, with her fr iend, Amelia Bloomer .

Amelia Bloomer
Amelia Bloomer
was a leader in the
temper ance,
anti-slaver y and
women?s r ights
movements. We thank her for r idding women
of health-damaging cor sets. She wor e loose
fitting Tur kish tr ouser s that came to be known
as ?Bloomer s.? Bloomer , like Stanton, r efuted
the bad use of Scr iptur e to uphold
discr iminator y policies. At Tr inity, Seneca Falls,
wher e she was baptized, it is r ecor ded that she
?was a faithful Chr istian missionar y all her life.?

Sojour ner Tr uth

The abolitionist Sojour ner Tr uth is thought
to have lived in Centr al New Yor k, but no facts
can be found to suppor t that with cer tainty.

22

Har r iet Ross Tubman

THEEPISCOPATEOFTHEDIOCESEOFCNY

Har r iet Ross Tubman stood against the

br utality and
oppr ession of slaver y,
becoming a
moder n-day Moses
for Amer ican slaves.
She r escued
appr oximately
seventy slaves on
thir teen missions on
the Under gr ound
Railr oad fr om
Mar yland to Canada. In 1858-9 she moved to
Centr al New Yor k and joined the movement for
women?s r ights with Stanton and Susan B.
Anthony. Her home in Aubur n, NY, is now a
museum.

The fir st Bishop of the Diocese of Centr al NY

was the Right Rev. Fr eder ic Dan Huntington.
He had a passion for social justice, and was a
tir eless, faithful, sometimes cantanker ous soul
who led the Diocese until his death. Dur ing his
tenur e, many new par ishes and missions wer e
established all over the Diocese. Dur ing Bishop
Huntington's tenur e, St. Andr ew's Divinity
School in Syr acuse was founded. (1869? 1904)

David Pendleton Oaker hater

Baptized in 1878 and
or dained deacon in 1881at
Gr ace Chur ch, Syr acuse. He
was sponsor ed for
or dination by the Diocese of
Centr al New Yor k. He
r etur ned to Oklahoma as
?an apostle to the
Cheyenne?, founding schools and missions.
A beloved window at Gr ace Syr acuse, the
National Shr ine for St. Oaker hater , expr esses
his likeness.

Our second Bishop was The Right Rev.

Char les Tyler Olmstead, a noted theologian. His
teaching and
wr itten paper s
wer e influential to
the debates about
the Lambeth
Quadr ilater al. His
calm demeanor and
car eful sense of
administr ation
wer e a contr ast to
Bishop Huntington,
and he, too, led the
Diocese until his
death. (1904? 1921)
Our thir d bishop, The Right Rev. Char les
Fiske, coadjutor fr om 1915-1921, car r ied the
leader ship of the chur ch thr ough the ?Roar ing
Twenties? and The Gr eat Depr ession. Dur ing the
Depr ession year s, many small mission par ishes
closed or mer ged as the r egion lost population.
(1921-1936)
The Right Rev. Edwar d H. Coley, Bishop
Suffr agan since 1924, was elected the four th
bishop of Centr al New Yor k. His attentiveness
and extensive knowledge of people and
par ishes in the Diocese wer e healing in the
r ecover y fr om the Depr ession and the ear ly
year s of Wor ld War II. (1936? 1942)

23

His successor , The Right Rev. Malcolm

Endicott Peabody, Bishop Coadjutor since 1938,
took char ge of the Diocese in 1942. Bishop
Peabody?s ar ticulate, clear , and patr ician
leader ship pr oved equal to the industr ial and
cultur al post-war boom year s in Centr al New
Yor k. He was a r espected leader and visionar y
not only in this diocese, but in the national
chur ch as well, for ging significant ecumenical
and inter national ties for the Chur ch as a
whole. (1942? 1960)
Elected in 1948 as the Bishop Suffr agan, The
Right Rev. Walter M. Higley became the
Diocesan in 1960 with the r etir ement of Bishop
Peabody. The
post-war er a
br ought significant
economic and
population gr owth
and stability to the
Centr al New Yor k
r egion. Bishop
Higley had been a
major pr esence in
the chur ch?s
gr owth thr ough
the 1950's, and now exer cised his able pastor al
skills and faithful administr ative ability in
leading an active, busy diocese. Poor health
r estr icted his tenur e as Diocesan to only nine
year s. He died just a few months after his
r etir ement in 1969. (1960-1969)
A br ight, ener getic cler gyman, The Right
Rev. Ned Cole, Jr , had been elected the Bishop
Coadjutor in 1963, and pr oved to be a dynamic
for ce in the issues of the day. He was not
afr aid of contr over sy and was elected Bishop in
spite of the fact that he had divor ced and
r emar r ied, shocking at that time. Cole was
deeply passionate about the issues of civil
r ights, social justice, and the feminist

movement, and elevated

these issues as he led
the Diocese thr ough the
political and economic
dynamics of the 1970s.
Dur ing his tenur e, St.
Paul's, Syr acuse was
chosen to be the
cathedr al by Bishop
Cole. It was voted as the
Cathedr al at the Diocesan Convention in 1971.
(1969? 1983)
After the activist days of Bishop Cole, The
Right Rev. O?Kelley Whitaker (who was elected
as Bishop Coadjutor in 1981) set about the task of
taking stock of the par ishes and r esour ces of
the Diocese. Bishop Whitaker was a thoughtful
litur gist, sacr amentalist, and pr eacher . While
the 1980's showed str ong economic gr owth
nationally, locally we lagged behind national
tr ends. Never theless, Bishop Whitaker
spear headed the last major diocesan capital
campaign. He wor ked tir elessly to build up the
ministr ies of the Diocese, especially ministr ies
with college students, the Ar med For ces,
hospitals, and the deaf. He encour aged small
par ish alliances and collabor ation of ministr y
r esour ces, and sought to str engthen youth
initiatives on a diocesan level. (1983? 1992)
The Right Rev. David B. Joslin was elected
Bishop Coadjutor in 1991
and became the ninth
bishop of our diocese in
1992. He was r enowned
among his cler gy for the
pastor al car e and good
advice he offer ed them. As
industr y declined in our
r egion, his diplomatic
skills wer e put to good
use in smoothing over the numer ous disputes

24

that ar ose ar ound dwindling r esour ces of

par ishes. He wor ked har d to str eamline the
Diocese?s administr ation and to br ing moder n
business methods to the Diocesan offices.
(1992-1999)

In 2000, Bishop Joslin r esigned to become

the Bishop in the Diocese of New Jer sey. The
Right Rev. David Bowman, r ecently r etir ed
Bishop of Wester n New Yor k, became our
Assisting Bishop until we elected our tenth
bishop. Bowman pr ovided a steadying and
calming influence to a diocese that was
gr ieving the depar tur e of Bishop Joslin, and
wor r ied and confused about its futur e and who
the new bishop might be. (2000-2001)
The Right Rev. Gladstone B. Adams III
("Skip") was consecr ated tenth Bishop of Centr al
New Yor k in 2001. As r ector of St. James'
Chur ch, Skaneateles, he was known to the
people of the Diocese and was also awar e of the
issues confr onting the Diocese. A deeply
spir itual and scholar ly man, he continued the
wor k of his pr edecessor s in developing spir itual
gr owth and stability by establishing a local
cler gy-tr aining
pr ogr am to r eplace
distant seminar ies
and pr oviding
diocesan-wide
Ministr y Fair s
featur ing sessions
on all aspects of
?chur ch wor k.? He
tir elessly inspir es
us to "be the
passionate
pr esence of Chr ist
for one another and the wor ld we'r e called to
ser ve."

A cor ner stone of Bishop Adams' ministr y

was addr essing issues of inclusivity,

especially ar ound mar r iage and or dination

equality, with compassion and integr ity. He
holds Chr istian for mation and mission as the
foundation for being the Chur ch and is
passionate about our Companion Diocese
r elationship with El Salvador . It was under

Bishop Adams?leader ship that the medical

Mission of Mir acles in El Salvador began.
(2001-2016)
Bishop Adams was elected in June, 2001.
Her e's a sense of our diocese then and now:

2001

Cur r ently,
2015

Full-time cler gy in
a single par ish

35

24

Full-time vicar of
Ephphatha Ministr y

Full-time cler gy in
college chapels

Full-time cler gy in
two or mor e
par ishes

14

2001

Cur r ently,
2015

Number of
par ishes

97

81

Number of
chapels

Number of College
Chapels

Ephphatha
Mission

Total Faith
Communities

105

88

25

Since 2013, our budget has been str uctur ed ar ound the Five
Mar ks of Mission of the Anglican Communion. In this way, we
follow the str uctur e of The Episcopal Chur ch. The Five Mar ks ar e:

Our
Finances

1. To pr oclaim the Good News of the Kingdom

2. To teach, baptize and nur tur e new believer s
3. To r espond to human need by loving ser vice
4. To seek to tr ansfor m unjust str uctur es of society
5. To str ive to safeguar d the integr ity of cr eation

Expenses for all pr ogr ammatic initiatives ar e pr esented under one of the Five Mar ks. In addition to
the Mar ks of Mission, our budget funds Diocesan Administr ation (Lay Staff salar ies and benefits, etc.)
and Gover nance (Bishop?s salar y and benefits, etc.). The total compensation package pr oposed for the
bishop in the 2016 budget, to be appr oved at our 2015 convention, is $193,149.

INCOME
The population in our ar ea of the State has been in decline since the late 1970?s; and our
member ship is of a pr edominately older demogr aphic. These factor s, coupled with inter nal conflict
sur r ounding issues of inclusion in The Episcopal Chur ch, and the economic downtur n of the late
2000?s, have had significant impact on member ship, giving, and r etur n on investment. We continue to
wor k diligently and faithfully to clar ify pr ior ities, and maintain a vibr ant ministr y while living within
our means. You can see fr om the gr aph below that Assessments have held r elatively steady over the
last five year s. That amount may r ise in 2016.* The pledges, a voluntar y offer ing to the budget, have
steadily slipped. As par ish r evenues decline, congr egations r emain committed to maintaining their
expected giving, but ar e
exper iencing difficulty
with benevolent giving.
* Numbers for 2015 and
2016 are budget, not
actual income.

Diocesan r evenues
have been bolster ed by
unr estr icted and
r estr icted investment
income. Our ability to
utilize r estr icted
investment income is

(mandator y 10%)

(voluntar y)

26

dependent on having expenditur es that fit the r estr ictions. Like all char itable non-pr ofits, we saw a
noticeable change in investment values between 2009-2012. However , dividends on investments ar e
r etur ning, and our ability to tap these ear nings has impr oved our over all budget outlook. The
Diocesan Boar d is pr oud to r estr ict our investment income to 4%of total r etur ns.
The pie char t below illustr ates the Pr oposed 2016 Budget that will be voted on at our 2015
Diocesan Convention. Near ly 2/3 of our income is fr om Assessments and Pledges. Congr egations ar e
assessed at the r ate of 10%of the aver age of their last thr ee year s' nor mal oper ating income (NOI).
(e.g., for 2016, congr egations ar e assessed based on their NOI for the year s 2012-2014.) Pledges ar e

r equests for voluntar y contr ibutions at a suggested r ate of 6%and ar e above and beyond the
mandator y assessment.

27

EXPENSES

Year

CNY Total
Expenses

2010

$1,580,242

2011

$1,497,594

2012

$1,594,639

2013

$1,494,124

2014

$1,604,176

2015

$1,276,657

Realizing the fr agile natur e of the economy in our

ar ea within the over all economic climate, the
Diocesan Boar d and staff have wor ked diligently to
contr ol costs, while pr oviding suppor t and exper tise to
our par ishes and individuals. As is the case in almost
any or ganization, the lar gest per centage of expenses
histor ically has been for staff salar ies and benefits.

28

Conversat
ions
versat
ions
Wit hinWit hin t he
e DioceseDiocese
Over a two-week per iod in ear ly Fall of 2015, member s of the Sear ch Committee held six ?listening
sessions?thr oughout the Diocese. Appr oximately 150 people attended these listening sessions, and
r esponded to thr ee questions:
-

List thr ee wor ds to descr ibe our Diocese

List two r easons for selecting each wor d you chose
List at least one pr ior ity you have for our new bishop

In addition to the listening sessions, 635 people, including 72 cler gy, completed an online sur vey to
identify the str engths and skills our next bishop should possess. Altogether , thr ough the sur vey and the
listening sessions, about 20%of our active member s engaged in conver sation about our identity as a
Diocese and our hopes for our next bishop.

DiocesanIdentity
Our member s wer e honest and hopeful as they descr ibed the str engths and challenges of the
Diocese. While we ar e open, appr oachable and inclusive, helpful, suppor tive and kind, we str uggle with
feeling disjointed and scatter ed, unfocused and asleep. We ar e pr edominantly a Diocese of small,
modestly-r esour ced congr egations. Per ceived geogr aphic distances between our small communities
r esult in a sense of isolation fr om one another and fr om the diocesan offices.

29

We may be scatter ed, but we?r e not tatter ed. Outr each is
par t of our hear t?s blood, and par ishes of ever y size ar e finding
ways to be pr esent to our neighbor s, to feed the hungr y, clothe
the naked, and house the homeless. Yet we str uggle to r emain
financially sustainable and to pr ovide r esour ces to existing
pr ogr ams and new ministr ies. We sometimes feel tor n between
the needs of aging buildings and the mission we want to
engage. The pool of cler gy available to lead ser vices is small,
and at the same time we desir e leader ship not only in wor ship
but to guide us in public engagement.
We also have a str ong desir e to minister to the childr en
and youth who ar e the joy of our communities. We year n to
impr ove our pr ogr ams that center on their nur tur e and
for mation.

Our

We ar e awar e that as the Chur ch we ar e in the midst of tr emendous change, and that we face a
gr eat challenge as our financial r esour ces decline and our congr egations gr ow smaller . We ar e
concer ned about being dor mant and asleep, shr inking and str uggling. We feel unfocused,
under -r esour ced, and sometimes unpr epar ed for the challenges ahead. And yet we ar e incr edibly
hopeful and joyful about being 21st-Centur y Episcopalians. We love our chur ches, and feel at home in
our communities and in our tr adition. We embr ace our liber al and pr ogr essive outlook. We love our
vibr ant, infor mative, spir itual and thoughtful wor ship. We believe that we ar e God-loving, kind, ser ious,
passionate and active. We r each beyond our walls to be with our neighbor s and we value ecumenical
par tner ships. We believe we have a gr eat deal to offer our next bishop, and we look for war d to
wor king together with hope and ener gy.

Challenges,

STRENGTHSANDSKILLSOFOURNEXTBISHOP
Our online sur vey identified our pr ior ities for the str engths and skills our next bishop should
possess. Cler gy and laity alike agr eed that the thr ee most impor tant str engths and skills for our next
bishop
1.
Chur ch gr owth and development
2.

Vision and str ategy

3.

The next two pr ior ity str engths identified by

laity wer e:

Administr ation
The next two pr ior ity str engths identified by
cler gy wer e:

4.

The ability to engage in car ing for our

neighbor s

4.

Pastor al car e of cler gy

5.

Encour aging other s into a deeper faith

5.

Str ength in pr eaching

We ar e united in our pledge to pr ayer fully consider all candidates God sends to us, r egar dless of
age, gender , r ace, sexual or ientation, mar ital status, gender identity and expr ession or disability.
30

Conversat
ions
The
Bishop We Seek
Leadership and Administration:
Clear vision and dir ection with clar ity about the futur e
Str ong leader ship
Motivating ?sender ? into the wor ld
Str ategist, Risk-taker
For cler gy, a sense of shar ed episcopacy, not dictator ship
Fr eedom to engage litur gies fr om acr oss the Anglican
Communion

Parishes and I ndividual Formation:

Has exper ience with and under stands small par ishes
Empower s the baptized to lead
Helps us shape youth/young adult pr ogr ams

Personal and Spiritual Characteristics:

Deep per sonal spir ituality
Under stand us as people
Car ing and compassionate
Appr oachable and tr anspar ent

In conclusion, we seek someone who is willing and comfor table being in the tr enches with us,
who knows the pitfalls and challenges of small chur ch ministr y, and can also celebr ate the gr eat joys
of that intimacy. We believe our bishop will need to be keenly focused on the r oad ahead, cognizant
of chur ch and societal tr ends, bold in vision, and ar ticulate in helping us ?catch the vision?so that all
the baptized can gr ow into the best disciples we can be.
We desir e a bishop who is bold and self-assur ed, yet willing to listen and let us imagine the
futur e together . We ar e willing to engage in leader ship with appr opr iate tr aining and r esour ces. We
ar e comfor table (somewhat) thinking and acting outside the box if we ar e clear about dir ection. We
like to wor k collabor atively, but sometimes we get "stuck" and we look to our bishop to suggest ideas,
and help us to see the "big pictur e".
We celebr ate our diver sity and the uniqueness of each per son and congr egation, yet desir e mor e
cohesiveness as Episcopalians in Centr al New Yor k.

31

Nominat ion
Process &
Timeline

WhoCanNominate?
Any lay member in good standing in The Episcopal
Chur ch, or any cler gy per son in good standing in The
Episcopal Chur ch may sponsor a nomination.
Nominations will be accepted fr om mid-November
2015 until December 31, 2015, at midnight Easter n time.
Nominations can be made thr ough our Bishop
Sear ch Website: http://www.bishopcny.or g.

General Timelinefor theSearchfor thenext Bishopof Central NewYork

-

Summer -fall 2015: Infor mation-gather ing fr om the Diocese. Pr epar ation of
diocesan pr ofile.

The

November 2015: Publication of pr ofile; nomination per iod opens.

December 31, 2015: Nomination per iod closes at midnight EST.

Januar y 11, 2016: Deadline for submission of candidate nomination paper wor k, midnight EST.

Late winter /spr ing 2016: Scr eening of candidates.

Apr il 7-9, 2016: Discer nment r etr eat for candidates.

Nominat ion

Process
&
May 2016: Slate is announced; petition per iod opens for additional nominees

July 20-23, 2016: Walkabouts so diocese and candidates can meet.

August 6, 2016: Special Electing Convention

December 2-3, 2016: Consecr ation of the XIth Bishop of Centr al New Yor k!

Timeline

32

The Bishop Sear ch Committee

The Ver y Rev. Car r ie Schofield-Br oadbent,

Chair of the Search Committee......... St. Matthew?s, Liver pool
Ms. Cynthia Adamowsky........................................ St. Matthew?s Liver pool
The Rev. Adr ian Amaya......................................... St. Mar k the Evangelist, Syr acuse
Ms. Kr isten Blum........................................................ St. James, Skaneateles
Dr . Bambi Car key....................................................... St. Luke?s, Camillus
The Rev. Wanda Copeland................................... St. Matthew?s, Hor seheads
Mr . David Cor done................................................... All Saints?, Fulton
The Rev. Deacon Kay Dr eber t.......................... Tr inity Memor ial, Binghamton
The Rev. David Hanselman................................ St. Ann?s, Afton; St. Paul?s, Oxfor d;
Zion, Gr eene
The Rev. Jeanne Hansknecht............................ St. Peter ?s, Cazenovia
Mr . Jim Hughes........................................................... Chr ist Chur ch, Manlius
The Rev. Johanna Mar cur e................................ Gr ace Chur ch, Syr acuse
Mr . Doug Mouncey................................................... St. Paul?s, Syr acuse

33

The Transit ion Commit t ee

Co-Chairs:
Ms. Er nestine Patter son.................................... Gr ace, Syr acuse
The Ver y Rev. Richar d Schaal...................... St. John's, Speedsville
Laity & Clergy:
Mr . Ar thur Dur ando............................................. Gr ace, Utica
Ms. Car ol For r ester ............................................... Zion, Pier r epont Manor
The Rev. Elizabeth Gillett.................................. St. Thomas', Hamilton
The Rev. Dcn. Bar bar a Gr oves...................... Gr ace, Utica
The Rev. Steven Moor e....................................... St. John?s, Mar cellus
Ms. Debor ah Shigley............................................. Gr ace & Holy Spir it, Cor tland
The Rev. A. Nick Smith........................................ St. John?s, Oneida
Ms. Susan Wilson................................................... Gr ace & Holy Spir it, Cor tland

34

L earn M ore About Us

Bishop Sear ch and Tr ansition website: www.bishopcny.or g

Diocesan website: www.cnyepiscopal.or g
Diocesan Facebook: www.facebook.com/cnyepiscopal
Diocesan Twitter : www.twitter .com/episcopalcny
Bishop Sear ch on Facebook: www.facebook.com/bishopsear chcny

35