Congregation Visitations Fall 2025

November

November 23, 2025 | St. Thomas, Bath

So good to be back with the people of St. Thomas Church in Bath NC this morning, for worship, a delicious meal and lots of great conversation. As I have boon doing these last weeks, I’ve asked that loose offerings normally directed to the Bishop’s Discretionary Fund be used to support a local feeding ministry. The people of this historic congregation will use this money to support a backpack feeding program with school children in their community.

After 11+ years of Sunday morning worship across the diocese, I got my first speeding ticket on the way to a visit. Let’s hope it will be my last!

November 16, 2025 | St. Andrew’s, Goldsboro

Enjoyed “post-convention” worship this morning with the people of Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Goldsboro …just a quick drive from the hotel where Sandy and I have spent the weekend. This historic black congregation is one of our most racially and ethnically diverse, with strong lay leadership and a faithful deacon in the Rev’d Rebecca Bean. Four were confirmed, including one from St. Francis Church. As is often the case when I am present, worship included liturgical dance, offered today by Madalo Bean.

Present today were four ordained women, including East Carolina retirees Bonnie Smith and Mary Reese. What a treat to visit with these two and to reflect with them and others present on the historic precedent of East Carolina’s election of Sarah Fisher, who will be the first woman to be a diocesan bishop in any of the Episcopal dioceses in North Carolina.

November 9, 2025 | St. Christopher, Havelock

Again this year, as I have done before, I managed to arrange for my visit to St. Christopher’s Church in Havelock to be the Sunday closest to the Marine Corps birthday (November 10) and Veterans Day (November 11). Warm hospitality and a great lunch were waiting for all who attended, including some first time visitors! As has been our tradition, I was able to get a picture with the Marines in the congregation, along with one Air Force Veteran (to my right) who took a little teasing from his friends!

The poppy pictured here was my father’s. In the center is what I believe to be an RCAF Chaplain’s pin. I almost wore it today but then chose not to do so, for fear it would be disrespectful of me to wear a pin I had not earned. Giving thanks this season for all who have served in our nation‘s military forces, whether in times of war or times of peace.

November 2, 2025 | Christ Church, Elizabeth City

Great to visit with the folks at Christ Episcopal Church – Elizabeth City today, to celebrate their 200th Anniversary on All Saints Sunday! Following worship, the congregation buried a time capsule they had filled …not to be opened for 75 years! A seven year old girl in the congregation told me that she would be there when it was opened. That’s hope!

Representatives of Christ Church will bring this beautiful banner with them to the Annual Convention of The Episcopal Diocese of East Carolina on November 14 and 15 in Goldsboro. Will your congregation’s reps be bringing your banner?

October

October 26, 2025 | St. Anne’s, Jacksonville

“God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”

These words were at the heart of this morning’s worship at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church-Jacksonville, NC. We renewed our baptismal vows as we gathered around one who was baptized and confirmed, three others who were confirmed, and one who was received. The congregation seems to be growing in numbers and decreasing in average age, all while seeking to be faithful to Jesus in their common life and while serving the needs of the most vulnerable in their community. A joy to visit today, and to share with the Rev. Matt Overturf and the people of St. Anne’s!

In my preaching today, I was mindful of how much more socially acceptable the prayer of the Pharisee would be in our contemporary world. And, like Jesus (I hope), I was critical of religion that allows the faithful to paint those different from us as “other” and then critique and attack them, and of religion that purports to reward individual merit. As my time as a diocesan bishop draws slowly to its close, I find my prayer to more often be like that of the tax collector, who acknowledged himself to be a sinner before God. There is so much about the heritage of The Episcopal Church that is built on privilege and entitlement and which contributes to the sorts of divides that are too deeply present in the world around us. And much is baked into our structures that elevates some over others …it becomes too easy to come to the belief that the church should behave just like the world around us!

And so my prayer will continue to be “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”

October 5, 2025 | Christ Church, Creswell & Galilee Mission, Lake Phelps

“By the rivers of Babylon—

there we sat down, and there we wept

when we remembered Zion.”

Psalm 137:1 (NRSVue)

This morning I worshiped with a very small congregation of people who, between them, care for three sets of church buildings in The Episcopal Diocese of East Carolina. We reflected together on Psalm 137 and what it means to live in a sort of exile …not like the people of Israel in Babylon, but as a people of faith who live in a very different world than the one in which we were formed in faith. We also reflected on what it means to have the faith of a mustard seed, and what it means for us to rekindle the gift of God that is within us.

Today, I was reminded of the faithfulness of so many good people across this diocese that I have served as bishop and I give thanks to God for them.

St. Andrew’s, Columbia | September 21, 2025

My first visit to St. Andrew’s in Columbia took place in the early fall of 2014, when I was bishop-elect and accompanied Bishop Peter Lee on his Sunday visitations. Today was likely my last visit to St. Andrew’s. It was good to be with the people of this small, faithful congregation, to worship with them and to share a meal afterward. Most faces were familiar, but at least five were new to the congregation since my last visit …always a good and welcome sign of God at work bringing new life!

I took the long way home, driving south from Columbia past Lake Matamuskeet to Highway 264, west to Washington and south on Highway 17 to New Bern, across the bridge to Highway 70 and then home. A peaceful drive on roads that led me through a beautiful part of God’s world.

St. John’s, Grifton | September 14, 2025

Many thanks to the people of St. Johns Episcopal Church in Grifton for their warm welcome this morning. When I last visited with them, two years ago, we worshiped in the parish hall as a wind storm had taken the roof off of their church building and it was still under repair. Their love and care for one another is evident, as is their care for their place of worship where people have gathered for 180 years. Each of us has a choice …may we forever choose love over hate!