DAH Discernment Process Update: September 12

by the Very Rev. Jon Stratton,
Trinity Episcopal Church, Central West End / St. Louis
and Chair of the Deaconess Anne House Audit Committee

How can the Diocese of Missouri support our youth and young adults?

The Deaconess Anne House was founded in 2012 as a ministry of the Diocese of Missouri and as a branch of the nationalEpiscopal Service Corps program. The Deaconess Anne House is located in Old North St. Louis, a neighborhood with longstanding ties to the diocese. This residential ministry housed young adults, aged 21-30, who spent a year living in intentional community, working at partnering social service/nonprofit organizations, and rooting all their work in Benedictine spiritual formation and a communal rule of life.

In an ongoing effort to ensure the program is meeting the needs and priorities of the diocese, Bishop Deon Johnson has engaged a consulting firm, Vandersall Collective, to perform a review of the program. As part of their work, Vandersall Collective will be reviewing the program’s founding and current documents, interviewing those impacted by the program, and analyzing responses from a survey.

We want to hear from you.

At the end of September, we will send out a survey to clergy and others in diocesan leadership positions. The answers you provide will be confidential (none will be attributed directly to you) and all responses will be used in the program’s audit.

A report with Vandersall Collective’s findings will be provided to the Diocese of Missouri by December 1, 2022. The report will include results of the review and an analysis of both the interviews and surveys. Your voice will be included in the summary findings. Utilizing these findings, Vandersall Collective will provide recommendations for the future ministry of the Deaconess Anne House and for new youth and young adult ministries in the Diocese of Missouri.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact The Very Rev. Jon Stratton, chair of the Deaconess Anne House Audit Committee: [email protected]