<div>This year, instead of giving her annual address at Convention, Bishop Hughes is publishing it in written form to be read in advance of Convention. Download it as a PDF to share with your parishes.“A world transformed, where all creation knows God’s life-changing love.”Diocese of Newark Vision StatementDear Beloved Community of God’s People,What does it mean to become the church of the future? Perhaps the answer begins with noticing how God is shaping us and the church right now. Since the pandemic began, we have seen and experienced God’s transforming presence inspiring, guiding, and nurturing us into new ways of being church. I speak of this often, yet I know how difficult it can be to understand what it means to be the church today, much less tomorrow. We cannot know what the church will look like in 10, 20, or 50 years. Perhaps it is a blessing to focus instead on the transformation already unfolding among us.We have moved from being a collective of individual churches working in siloed, solo, and competitive fashion to living as a collaborative community of clergy, laity, parishes, a camp, and a convent united in our desire to be the body of Christ. No part of our collaborative is forgotten, left out, or left behind. All parts of the church, whether strong, fragile, or in between, belong here. All people in all their diversity, in every stage of faith development, with all their gifts, doubts, and troubles are beloved members of this community. Our tent is large, our reach is wide, and our love mirrors the boundless love God so generously gives us.The pandemic years brought shifts in the way we minister collectively. These changes are taking us into new and much-needed ways of being church.Strengthening Regional Ministry NetworksEight Regional Ministry Networks were formed six years ago to replace the 10 Regional Districts that had brought the diocese together geographically. The networks have two purposes: first, to build supportive relationships among parishes; second, to strengthen the clergy community so that no priest is isolated or overwhelmed.The networks are asked to meet three times each year with at least one meeting onsite at a convenient regional location. Over time, some networks have become quite strong with annual opportunities for fellowship, seasonal study, or shared outreach. Others have yet to launch in a meaningful and impactful way. My staff and I continue to encourage and support the regions that struggle to find their footing, not because we want them to meet for the sake of meeting. Instead, it is because we have seen that clergyand laity in robust Regional Ministry Networks think more deeply and holistically about the ministry needs of a whole region rather than of a solo parish. Ironically, this “global” thinking is leading to stronger and more vital parishes. A church that thinks, plans, and dreams beyond its doors and its members seems to be the church that is evolving from a “parish only” focused model into the church that is needed in our world now and going forward.Learning to Talk About FaithTalking about faith became a regular teaching item in my Sunday visitations. This year I began the third year of teaching parishioners and clergy how to talk about faith on Sunday mornings. Using a short exercise, 73 parishes have practiced talking about their faith with me during coffee hour. This is very different from talking about church or inviting someone to church; these are actions most Episcopalians are adept at doing.Episcopalians have been carefully taught to keep their faith private. I agree that our piety, or the way we observe our faith, is private. When, where, how, and what we pray is private. When, where, and how much money we give to our church is private. When and how long we fast, discern, worship, or study the Bible and Book of Common Prayer is private.Faith is different. Faith is a gift from God and meant to be shared with others. Jesus asked us to share the good news of what God has done in our lives with others. And we live in a time where people are desperately seeking good news and, more specifically, people want help with their spiritual life. Our ability to talk about our faith is a help to those who are looking for the hope that God brings. We must learn how to talk with each other, strangers, close friends, and family about the gift of seeing God’s involvement in our lives and the life of the world. When we talk about faith in this way, we share God’s hope with those seeking it. This is a first and basic step in evangelism, which is always about sharing the good news of God’s presence in our lives and world.Growing Lay Spiritual and Pastoral LeadersThe School for Ministry is vital to the future of the church. Gone is the day when only clergy discern and meet spiritual needs. God gives the gifts for leading worship and supporting faith formation to all members of God’s household. The training of laity in the roles of worship leaders, preachers, and lay pastoral leaders at the School for Ministry enters its third year, and this summer, our second class graduated. These trained lay leaders are essential to expanding the number of people focused on faith formation and worship in parishes across the diocese. They serve in parishes with and without clergy, and I am convinced that some will be known far beyond our diocese for their preaching. Every parish in our diocese has people who have been given gifts for these ministries by God. Our goal is to train, prepare, and support the ongoing ministry of all those called by God to serve in this way. Clergy and trained laymembers of the congregation collaborating about the spiritual needs and faith formation of their members strengthens the whole church and its members.Faith Formation for All MembersFaith formation at all ages proved to be an area needing attention and development in the 2025 – 2026 program year. New members of our parishes this year arrived with exuberance for parish life and a strong desire for in-depth and high-quality teaching about the basics of Christian life. They wanted to learn about the Bible, Book of Common Prayer, theology, church history, and how to practice the faith. Some of our parishes were more ready to respond to these needs than others. A slow but steady rise in new members in our churches motivates my desire to assist our parishes with curriculum choices. The new members I came to know as they prepared for confirmation, reception, and renewal of baptismal vows are spiritually lively. While they may be the motivating reason to strengthen our faith formation offerings, this is a deep need in all of our churches. All of our members need regular formation throughout their lives.Responding to the Immigration CrisisDiocesan response to the immigration crisis in churches and ministries serving immigrant communities was a much-needed blessing to countless families impacted by detention and/or deportation. Leaders of some ministries approached me as they prepared to close, at a time when their communities needed them the most. The fear of detention, regardless of immigration status, was real and based on lived experience, as those both with and without documentation were being detained. This fear prevented many people from attending church and drastically reduced operational income immediately.The diversity of people in our diocese yields a wealth of positions and viewpoints about immigration and we may or may not agree about immigration policy. Regardless of those differences, we stand united by our faith and baptismal promises to seek and serve Christ in all persons and to respect the dignity of every human being.The ongoing generous response to the immigration crisis felt by our churches and their members ensured that ministry to those in emergency situations continues to this day. Donations allowed our churches and ministries to continue in the life-saving ministry of tending to the needs of families left behind after the deportation of one or both parents in a household.Our diocese has rallied before to support parishes overwhelmed by external crises and will likely do so again. This yearlong effort has encouraged those who serve and sacrifice for the least among us and has fortified these ministries to remain a source of hope and support in the midst of chaos and confusion.Living a Vision for Becoming Church for the FutureNone of us knows what the future holds, but we all know God holds the future. Further, God seems to be in a constant work of creation and transformation in and through us.Our hope is a simple one: A world transformed, where all creation knows God’s life-changing love. This hope is also the vision statement of the diocese. Each day we have the opportunity to live in ways that transform the world as God continues to shape and transform us, the church, and this diocese.It is this hope for the future that fuels my focus and energy. I am grateful for the ministry we share and eagerly look to where God will lead us next.Grace and peace,+Carlye J. HughesThe Rt. Rev. Carlye J. HughesBishop of Newark</div>

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This year, instead of giving her annual address at Convention, Bishop Hughes is publishing it in written form to be read in advance of Convention. Download it as a PDF to share with your parishes. “A world transformed, where all creation knows God’s life-changing love.”. Diocese of Newark Vision...

Bishop’s Address for the 152nd Convention

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This year, instead of giving her annual address at Convention, Bishop Hughes is publishing it in written form to be read in advance of Convention. Download

Bishop’s Address for the 152nd Convention

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