Announcing a Significant New Ministry Initiative!

For several years, parish leadership and I have been working to develop clear but ambitious strategic goals to move St. John the Divine more deeply into our newly articulated mission to be A Light for the City. In the coming days, we look forward to sharing much more about the shape of this mission for the congregation over the next five years, a strategic plan we are calling SJD 2030. Central to the plan is a vision of our members being more intentionally missional as “lights” of Christ in service of our neighbors, the city, and the wider church.

I am excited to announce a highly important, tangible opportunity to live into this vision for us all. St. John the Divine is entering into a new ministry partnership with Ascension Episcopal Church (AEC) located on Seagler Road out Westheimer Road near Beltway 8. Over the past eight months, a group of SJD leaders has been engaged in a Spirit-led conversation with Ascension leadership about ways our congregation can help revitalize AEC through worship, fellowship, Christian formation, evangelism, and childhood education. We have developed genuine bonds of respect and affection with Ascension’s vestry, and there is a strong mutual commitment to form a special communion between our parishes. We are enthusiastic to broaden engagement with this new initiative throughout our congregations in 2026.

I share two brief bits of context. First, shortly after I arrived in Houston, I shared with Bishop Doyle a hope that one day St. John the Divine might be a source of revitalization for the larger church in our city. I mentioned the possibility of helping a struggling parish with an injection of our “spiritual DNA,” people, and resources. Impressively, the bishop and his staff did not forget this conversation. I was contacted last spring by the diocese to see if we might be open to exploring such a relationship with Ascension Episcopal Church.

Second, Ascension has had a history of vitality as a program-sized parish in a strategically important area. However, in recent years, the congregation has been struggling with membership loss, declining worship attendance, and dwindling financial resources. That said, they have a large campus, a lovely sanctuary, ample facilities, and a parish day school. Most importantly, they are great people! It has been a joy to get to know leaders there over recent months. And I can report their vestry has voted unanimously to support this relationship with us.

With our membership, resources, and strong mission-minded spirit, I believe we have high potential to help revitalize Ascension and deepen SJD’s presence in that part of Houston. I also have no doubt that our members will experience rich blessings in these new relationships with friends of AEC. This will be a unique opportunity for SJD members to experience and learn what it looks like to be ambassadors for Christ, helping expand God’s Kingdom presence in that part of our city.

In the coming days, you will be learning more about ways you can be involved in this ministry, and I thank you in advance for your prayers and support. Our vestry and I are encouraged and excited by this partnership. And I give special thanks to an ad hoc “Assessment Committee” composed of Jim Loftis, the Rev. John Sundara, Chris Hairel, Lynn Laughney, and Marci Pendley that has developed gracious relationships with AEC’s leadership over the past months and helped guide us to the public announcement of the new ministry.

As I write this communication, I am at our diocesan conference center, Camp Allen, attending a gathering of Episcopal clergy leaders. A central theme of our time together has been the urgent call to discipleship and evangelism in faithful churches, especially given our current cultural moment. I wanted to stand up and cheer when one of our speakers shared the following: “When a parish puts its pinky toe in the waters of mission, exciting new life begins to emerge within the parish.” Yes! It is both my fervent conviction and past experience that the more a congregation is inspired to “go forth” beyond itself for the sake of Jesus, the more it energizes the internal life of the congregation. Indeed, for years, a major point of emphasis in my own pastoral ministry is that there is an undeniable and mutually reinforcing relationship between the vitality of a local congregation and its commitment to mission outside the congregation.

I am confident this ministry partnership with AEC will be a blessing not only to that parish but to ours as well. Be on the lookout for more information about ways you can help and become involved. And may the Spirit continue to guide us moving forward!