Invitation to Synod ’25

Dear People of the Gulf Atlantic Diocese,

This edition of the Communiqué is on the topic of Intergenerational Discipleship. How are our churches helping people deepen their relationship with God, discern His will for their lives, and develop deep spiritual roots to grow in spiritual maturity? Do we offer teaching centered in the Bible that sets forth a crucial foundation for spiritual growth, sound doctrine, and faithful living, teaching that will guide believers to live in accordance with God’s will? Are we offering appropriate ministry to people at all stages of life, without siloing age groups away—and is each generation being taught and empowered to step into that discipling role? How will we teach the Catechism? These are questions we must wrestle with if we are going to be flourishing churches.

I want to call particular attention to our upcoming Diocesan Synod. Our theme verse is Galatians 2:20:

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Dr. Sam Allberry will be with us to help us engage with tough questions about sexuality and identity facing us in the current moment. We want to bridge the gap from theological ideas on this topic into practical discipleship applications: How do we form a disciple with the understanding that her or his body is a gift from God, and how is the Good News of Jesus relevant to that?

Registration for Synod is now open. The clergy will be with me a day prior for our annual Clergy Conference, and we’ll look at these things from a clergy perspective. Synod itself is meant for the whole Diocese and I hope to see you there, starting with a glorious Communion service in our beautiful Cathedral.