New Mission and Vision Statements Approved
The Episcopal Diocese of Missouri officially has new mission and vision statements to guide our community of faith into the future.
Mission Statement:
Walking humbly with God and our neighbors, we seek justice, act with love, and live the Good News of Jesus.
Vision Statement:
A world transformed by God's love, justice, and peace.
Diocesan Council, a group of elected and appointed lay and clergy members from throughout the diocese, voted to approve the statements at their virtual meeting on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. The statements were part of a presentation made by the Strategic Visioning Committee, which has been working since January of this year to develop a strategic vision for the Diocese of Missouri to implement over the next five years.
"We are a Diocese on the move and our new mission and vision statements are wonderful signposts in our journey to living out God’s dream," said The Rt. Rev. Deon Johnson, Bishop of The Diocese of Missouri. "I am grateful for the work of the Strategic Visioning Team and ecstatic about the future of the Diocese of Missouri because we are the Body of Christ for such a time as this!"
The Strategic Visioning Committee designed the new mission and vision statements after revisiting the mission and vision statements from 1994 and examining how we as a diocese want to grow in ministry. The statements were crafted to reflect who we are as a diocese in 2021 and what we want our diocese to be as we move forward together.
In developing the new mission statement, the committee took inspiration from Micah 6:8:
He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?
The committee also considered the uses of the mission statement both internally, as a touchstone for where we focus our energy and resources; and externally, as an invitation to others to be a part of what we are doing. "We wanted the language to be inviting and not a barrier to people, especially to those who mistrust or have been hurt by the Church," said Katie Ong, Strategic Visioning Consultant.
The Strategic Visioning Committee gave everyone in the diocese a chance to offer input on the new mission and vision statements over the past several months through surveys and listening sessions. The committee used those suggestions to fine-tune their original ideas into the statements approved by Diocesan Council.
The new mission and vision statements were part of a 43-page report presented to Diocesan Council by the Strategic Visioning Committee. The report details 11 goals and 29 initiatives recommended to help us live out our mission. Diocesan Council approved the statements at the September 11 meeting. They will review the total strategic visioning report over the next month and discuss it again at their October meeting. The final strategic visioning plan will be presented to the entire diocese at our annual diocesan convention, November 18-20, 2021.
Learn more about our strategic visioning process.
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