2022 Bishop's Medal Recipients
The Rt. Rev. Deon Johnson, Bishop of The Diocese of Missouri, awarded Bishop's Medals on Friday, Nov. 18, 2022, during the annual diocesan convention. Here are details about this year's recipients:
You can watch the presentation on YouTube at the bottom of this text.
The Rev. Edie Bird (Retired)
For outstanding service to the Diocese of Missouri in serving in rural communities of faith with grace and joy. In her ministry she has reached out beyond herself to be a leader in mitigating conflict while offering Christ’s presence in a pastoral and deeply spiritual means of engagement. She has graciously offered her time to teach countless clergy and communities of faith within and outside the Diocese of Missouri. Although retired she continues to be a driving force for sharing the Good News of Christ in all aspects of her ministry including being a shepherd to those participating in the Requiem or Renaissance initiative.
The Rev. Dn. Paul Hartsfield (Grace Episcopal Church, Jefferson City)
For outstanding service to the Diocese of Missouri and for being a symbol of humble service. She has been a dedicated champion for those who have been pushed to the margins, and the edges. Her dedication to offering holy hospitality. She exemplifies the servant ministry and personal touch that lies at the core of what it means to be a follower of Jesus, not just within the church but in the wider community. Volunteering her time and expertise to all the programs at the community center, she is one of the shining lights changing peoples’ lives for the better.
Janet Hinson (St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Sikeston)
For outstanding service to the Diocese of Missouri in serving as the face and presence of Christ in offering a space of holy hospitality and welcome. For over 30 years she has worked as a parish administrator, being a bridge between the work of the church and the needs of the community. She has had her own flair and design on the ways in which good news is shared primarily in newsletters and blessing others by remembering birthdays and anniversaries. She has added her own prayers of the people at times, put in poems she has written and has made sure that the community she serves has kept in the Diocesan spotlight by earning several awards for her communications.
(photo: The Very Rev. Annette Joseph accepts the award for Janet.)
Mickey Harrison (Hope Episcopal Church, Town & Country)
For outstanding service to the Diocese of Missouri and the wider church in roles of leadership. Like the first disciples, he has travelled around the world putting down roots and sharing in the leadership of congregations small and large. His ministry has and continues to be doing the things behind the scenes that enables others to live more fully into their ministry. He has served this Diocese on Diocesan Council, as junior and senior warden, and continues to be the person who can “fix things.” He continues to proclaim the love of Christ as he participates in Peace Meal, an opportunity to feed bodies and souls with in the community.
Sharon Meusch (Christ Episcopal Church, Rolla)
For outstanding service to the Diocese of Missouri and for continuing to care for those on the margins and those in deepest need. Jesus said, “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat.” She continues to feed Christ in the guise of his siblings as part of the Back Door Ministry. She faithfully responds every Sunday without fail to the needs of the homeless and the working poor as she organizes clothing, back packs, toiletries food cards, etc. She has proactively written and submitted grants and is an advocate and former director of Russell House, the agency for addressing Domestic and Sexual Violence in the Rolla area. Her long time of faith and dedication to the marginalized of Rolla is a shining example of what it means to be a follower of Jesus.
Clark Davis (St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Ladue)
For outstanding service to the Diocese of Missouri in serving and seeing the beauty and blessing in sacred spaces and the architecture of grace. He is a dedicated, compassionate, and deeply pastoral servant leader. He embodies the hospitality of Christ’s presence in the many ways he has selflessly enabled others to claim their voice and have been a healing balm in times of trouble and triumph. He has been and remains a builder of bridges and a layer of foundations towards a more Christ-centered future. Through his creativity and eye for design and space he continues to be a co-architect of God’s future.
The Rev. Dn. Betty Bowen (Trinity Episcopal Church, St. Charles)
For outstanding service to the Diocese of Missouri in embodying and modeling humble service to others as a dedicated follower of Jesus. She has been among us as one who serves with delight, joy, and humor. Through her caring ministry she has reminded countless people of their belovedness and their worth as Children of God. She has empowered others to join the joyful task of reaching out to Christ by serving strangers and friends alike. Holy hospitality has been the hallmark of her ministry and she continues to dig deep into the soil to grow and share the bounty of creation particularly with the unhoused and disaffected in St. Charles County.
Lyn Ballard (Grace Episcopal Church, Kirkwood)
For outstanding service to the Diocese of Missouri in promoting and enhancing the gift of learning. She has inspired generations of leaders both ordained and lay to love and appreciate the beauty of spirituality and the rigor of academics. She has served on the Diocesan Board of Examining Chaplains, Diocesan Council and in many other capacities with in this Diocese. Academic leadership is one of her many spiritual gift, which has been and continues to be used for God’s glory, for the inspiration of others in seeking God’s heart, and for guiding us towards a deeper since of wonder, love, and praise.
The Rev. Dn. Barbi Click (St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Carondelet/St. Louis)
For outstanding service to the Diocese of Missouri in feeding, defending, and championing those who have been forgotten by the world. Hers is a faith that stands up, speaks out, and holds fast in its commitment to serve the powerless and the voiceless. Through creativity and a ready smile, she embodies Christ’s sense of hospitality and pastoral care particularly with those experiencing homelessness and marginalization within our communities. She continues to dream and vision new ways to meet and serve Christ outside the doors as a determined and persistent symbol of servanthood in feeding bodies and souls, all the while recognizing and restoring the dignity of those to whom she has been called to serve.
The Rev. Lu-Anne Conner (The Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration, Lake St. Louis)
For outstanding service to the Diocese of Missouri in caring for and modeling Christ’s presence through teaching, mentoring, and modeling. Having been a leader in several Dioceses before being called to the Diocese of Missouri she has been a quiet and effective companion in the work of change and transformation. She has called forth the gifts in others that they themselves often miss and she continues to name the places in which the Holy Spirit is active and present in ministry, having served on the Commission on Ministry. At the height of the pandemic, she encouraged those among whom she serves to remember the 3 P’s: Prayers, Phone calls, and Pledges. She continues to inspire and model the best of what it means to be a faithful follower of Jesus.
Rick Kuhn (Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Webster Groves)
For outstanding service to the Diocese of Missouri in sharing the work of creating and maintaining the legacy of sound places of worship. Through his dedication, not only to his worshiping community but to the Diocese of Missouri, he has ensured that our places of worship are maintained and constructed to ensure that future generations are able to gather in the beauty of holiness. His deep love and care for the communities that make up the Diocese along with his warm presence and wicked sense of humor radiates Christ’s love, and embodies the best of the psalmist in praying, “I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord.”
William Young (The Episcopal Church of All Saints and Ascension, Northwoods)
For outstanding service to the Diocese of Missouri in serving as a dedicated, compassionate, and deeply pastoral servant leader. He has embodied the hospitality of Christ’s presence in the many ways he has selflessly enabled others to claim their voice and have been a healing balm in times of transition and change. His leadership has been a source of healing at a time when two communities of faith sought to navigate a new future and chart a new and life-giving path. He has been and remains deeply committed and prayerful lay leader in the Diocese and continues, with a wry sense of humor, to build bridges from the past to the already unfolding future.
(Photo: The Rev. Renee Fenner accepts the award for Bill.)
Harold Burroughs (Diocesan Chancellor / St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Ladue)
For outstanding service to the Diocese of Missouri in offering wise council and sound advice to three bishops of Missouri and to the wider Diocese as a whole. Through his careful reading and interpretation of the Canons and his meticulous preparation of documents, he has continued to safeguard the future of this Diocese and the church for over 20 years. His is a ministry of safeguarding the corporate life of the Church and navigating the many potential pitfalls of carrying out ministry. He has been a mentor, a confidant, and an advisor with a wonderful sense of humor and deep love and passion for this church.
Canon Desiree Brattin (Diocesan Canon for Finance and Administration)
For outstanding service to the Diocese of Missouri in serving as a steward of the resources and legacies entrusted to the Diocese from those who have gone before. Her dedication to service and the fiscal health and well-being of the financial resources entrusted to our stewardship has been a blessing and a gift as we honor the many benefactors whose legacy continue to this day. For 28 years she has had the unique joy of reviewing and tending the finances of the Diocese, along with preparing the budget, and keeping track of the many pots from which we enable ministry, all with a deep sense of quiet joy and a ready smile. Jesus remind us that where your treasure is there your heart will be, and her heart has been and remains on serving the people of God.
Trinity Episcopal Church, Central West End/St. Louis
For outstanding ministry and service to the Diocese of Missouri in being a beacon of hope, hospitality, and holiness. For 167 years the light of Christ’s loves has shone forth from this bastion of hope. This community of faith in many ways reflects God’s dream of a Christ-centered community. This has been a community that has and continues to be focused on service to those outside the confines of their walls. They have continued the legacy of welcoming all, especially the LGBTQIA+ Community at a time when that was not fashionable or advised. This community has continued the legacy of serving the needy, and gathering regularly for worship, fellowship, and prayers. From gathering for regular bible study to walking alongside the homeless and neglected, empowering children and standing at the forefront of social justice and equity, this community embodies the values of Anglo-catholic social teaching. In many ways the community of faith has not just survived, but thrived as they answer Jesus’ call to discipleship and ministry.
Watch the presentation of the Bishop's Medals (presentation begins at approximately 3:50 in the video):
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