The Privilege of Responsibility

I’ve been stumped on what to write for this letter, not because there is nothing to say, but because there is so much taking place within and through GOL that I don’t know where to focus. 

The Presiding Bishop attended his first Clergy Gathering last April, our ECF Partnership continues to deepen and impact our connections, the 2nd Lay Leader Gathering was held in June, we’re gearing up for our next Clergy Gathering in early August, and we’re announcing our fall schedule of virtual events soon. And that’s just 5 months!

I decided instead to share some of Ryan Kusumoto’s Closing Remarks from the Chicago Lay Leader Gathering:

“Now our task is pulling all this together and as our speakers have said, to go out and connect and do God’s work. In Hawaii we have a word called Kuleana. Its most basic meaning is “responsibility.”  But if you ask the elders of Hawaii, they will say it’s a bit more. It means the “privilege of responsibility.”

I was having a conversation with [another Participant] on Monday and was reminded that the most important part of the church service is the ……….  dismissal.  Our “privilege of responsibility” is to not let what we have received here just stay within this room.  

Our responsibility to take what we have gathered… share [our] story, connect, give, and do God’s work in the world. That is our call.”

That is all our call. To embrace the privilege of responsibility that we as leaders in the Episcopal Church have – to share the Good News and love of Jesus. No matter your order of ministry, you are called to serve, called to lead, called to hope, and called to love.

As you think about your own responsibility, I encourage you to consider a few things:

• Do you need to attend a Gathering this year? San Francisco and Maryland Clergy Gatherings both have spots remaining.
• Are you called to serve GOL as our next Board Chair or as a member of our Board of Directors? See below for more details.
• Do you have a resource or idea that the wider GOL network needs to know about? Share it in our Resource Library.

As always, GOL is here to support you, the leaders in our church. You who are given this joyful privilege of responsibility.

Sincerely,

Haley Bankey

Executive Director