On February 5, Bishop Brian Prior, retired bishop of the Episcopal Church in Minnesota, led the members of the diocese’s governance bodies in a Zoom retreat. Bishop Shannon began the event, called the Same Page Retreat, in March 2021 as a way to make sure that the leaders of the diocese are able to reflect together on the dioceses’s direction and find ways to collaborate with one another.
“I found the retreat interesting because we were able to bounce some of the ideas from the THRIVE task force off of other leaders in the diocese,” said Scottie Emery-Ginn of Trinity, Shelburne, a member of the Standing Committee. “One learning that we have discussed in the Governance group [of THRIVE] is that we should have some readouts of our recommendations with Diocesan groups (like the Trustees and the Standing Committee) before we finalize our thoughts and recommendations.”
Maggie Thompson of Christ Church, Montpelier, who is also a member of the Standing Committee, agreed with the need for coordination among leaders. “For me, the All on the Same Page brought more questions than answers, which can be instructive in pointing the way to areas that need attention and clarity. Hearing there is confusion, with some overlaps and some gaps in our diocesan structures and committees is a step forward in sorting them out. THRIVE is well positioned to do the deep dive as we move forward. … I have utmost respect and love for our diocesan family, and that gives me hope that the changes on the horizon will be led by the Spirit.”
In 2022, Bishop Shannon intends to hold Same Page Retreats quarterly. The next event is scheduled for May 14.
image: a slide from Bishop Prior’s presentation to the February 5 retreat