We are the Episcopal Church, which means we are a church with bishops. The Greek word for bishop is “episcopos,” which means “overseer”—indicating that some of our clergy are called especially to a ministry of organization, supervision and unity. Each diocese in our national church elects a diocesan bishop, and all clergy and worshipping communities are under that person’s care.
As many of you reading this are aware, this past February the Rt. Rev. Matthew F. Heyd was installed as the 17th Bishop of New York. Since his election and consecration during the year preceding, Bishop Matt has been hard at work creating systems that prioritize presence and interconnection. He knows each congregation has stories to tell, and that we are all stronger when we celebrate the unique details of our common commitment to Christ.
Please join us this Sunday—in person if at all possible for you, and online if not—for Bishop Matt’s visit to Holy Apostles. He will preach and preside at our one 11 am service that day and will stay afterword for the start of Sunday Supper and a meeting with the Vestry. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to spend time with our new Bishop, and for him to get to know our beloved community.
If you have heard Bishop Matt speak, you know that two of his favorite phrases are “the Holy Spirit moves at ground level,” and that we are about “the renewal of the Church for the healing of the world.” Join us on Sunday as we express our own embodiment of the Spirit in a world that desperately needs healing. I look forward to seeing you then.
