During the opening worship service of the Anglican Church in North America’s College of Bishops meeting on Monday, January 6, 2014, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Todd Dean Hunter was invested as the first Diocesan Bishop for the recently formed Diocese of Churches for the Sake of Others (C4SO). The new diocese unites a community of churches and leaders located primarily in California, Kansas and Texas, organized by regional deaneries. C4SO will also be involved in planting churches in collaboration with other bishops throughout the United States. The Anglican Church in North America’s Provincial Council approved formation of the Diocese in June 2013.
The Most Rev. Robert W. Duncan, Archbishop and Primate of the Anglican Church in North America, presided over the investiture liturgy and presented Bishop Hunter with a pastoral staff, a symbol of the office of Bishop representing Christ’s ministry as the Great Shepherd.
“Our Diocese, born from a church planting movement, is driven by a Kingdom focus,” explains Bishop Hunter. “We seek to announce, embody and demonstrate the Kingdom of God as we engage in mission within our local contexts.”
“Jesus called his followers to make disciples of Jesus in kingdom living,” Hunter continues. “As a Diocese, we are a group of faith communities working together to obey the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.”
Development of the Diocesan infrastructure has been underway for the last several months. Leadership includes the Rev. Canons Tony Baron and Ellis E. Brust, Special Missions, West and East, respectively; the Rev. Dr. Dennis Okholm, Canon Theologian; the Rev. Porter C. Taylor, Bishop’s Deputy; the Rev. Ed McNeill, the Rev. Canon David Roseberry, the Rev. Michael Swanson and the Rev. Patrick Wildman, Deans; and an Executive Leadership Team composed of Deans and lay leaders. A Diocesan website and communications plan will be launched during the first quarter of 2014.
“In our Diocese, we have an incredible group of gifted and creative church planters with diverse backgrounds as well as seasoned Anglican clergy,” Bishop Hunter notes, “and we are learning from each other effective ways to nurture existing congregations and begin new faith communities. Leaders are being drawn to the grounded, historic, rooted and apostolic model that Anglicanism represents.” Currently some 34 women and men are in various stages of the Diocesan ordination process.
