Dear Beloved in Christ,
This week, we prepare to gather for our annual Diocesan Convention. Our theme, “One Body, Many Members,” reminds us of the life we share in Christ across Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk. My prayer is that Convention will be a time for us to come together, to worship, and to do the work that supports each of our ministries and faith communities.
Listening across our diocese
As I learn about this part of the Body of Christ, it has been my joy to meet as many of you as I can. I have said from the outset: I am not arriving with a ready-made five-point plan. You know things about this diocese that no newcomer can know. You know which ministries have quietly changed lives. You know where the energy is, and where the exhaustion is. That is why it matters so much to me to meet you, to learn your stories, and to hear your cares and concerns.
Since my consecration in September, I have been humbled by the faithfulness of those serving throughout our diocese. In addition to diocesan board meetings, I have met with nearly 40 congregations, groups, and ministries, with many more visits to come. Some visits have been for Sunday worship; others have been for weekday events or meetings with clergy and staff. If we haven’t met yet, I look forward to seeing you at Convention or in your parish.
Here’s where I’ve been so far:
Congregations
- St. Mary’s, Lake Ronkonkoma
- St. Ann’s, Bridgehampton
- Holy Apostles, Brooklyn
- Transfiguration, Freeport
- St. Gabriel’s, Brooklyn
- Grace, Brooklyn Heights
- Redeemer, Astoria
- Advent, Westbury
- St. Paul’s, Patchogue
- Trinity-St. John’s, Hewlett
- St. Paul’s, Flatbush
- St. George’s, Hempstead
- Ascension, Rockville Centre
- Grace, Jamaica
- Grace, Massapequa
- Iglesia San Francisco, Riverhead
- St. Mark’s, Jackson Heights (vestry meeting)
- St. Ann & the Holy Trinity, Pro-Cathedral, Brooklyn
- St. John’s, Springfield Gardens
- Christ Church, Bay Ridge
- Cathedral of the Incarnation, Garden City
- St. Paul’s, Roosevelt
- St. John’s, Lattingtown
- Trinity, Northport
- Incarnation Chapel
- St. George’s, Flushing
- St. James, Brookhaven
- St. Alban the Martyr, Queens
- Zion, Douglaston
Gatherings and Ministries
- Retired Clergy
- Deans’ Gathering
- Rural Migrant Ministries
- Hispanic Committee
- Black Clergy Caucus (lecture)
- Episcopal Church Women
- Garden City Historical Society Celebration
- Great South Bay Deanery Tour
- Episcopal Ministries of Long Island Banquet
These visits are only the beginning. At Convention, our transition team will share how we will continue the listening many of you began during the search for your bishop. Our diocesan season of listening begins this Epiphany, with listening groups gathering across the diocese from January through May. In July, we will share a comprehensive report on what we heard.
Featured image: Scenes from Bishop Shoemaker’s recent visits, from top: Celebración de la Herencia Latina (October 17); middle row, left to right: Christ Church, Bay Ridge (October 18), and St. Paul’s, Flatbush (November 1); bottom row, left to right: Episcopal Church Women’s Book of Remembrance Service (October 31), and St. Paul’s, Roosevelt (October 25).
As we gather for Convention
Our time together at Convention will look a bit different than it has in the past. In response to your feedback, we have adjusted the order of some agenda items. Discussion of the Ministry Plan will take place on Friday, and I will deliver my Bishop’s Address immediately after business resumes on Saturday, following the Eucharist. Please review this year’s agenda on the Convention Hub so you can plan accordingly.
You will also get a first look at a new tool, the Congregations Map. It will help anyone find a church or ministry near them, help those who support our congregations better understand the neighborhoods around them, and help us share what we hear during our season of listening.
We have other news to share at Convention as well, and I look forward to seeing you there.
Meet the Commission on Ministry
As we prepare to do the work of Convention, we also conclude our series introducing the bodies that serve our diocese. We close with the Commission on Ministry, whose work centers on helping people discern and prepare for a call to ordained ministry.
What the Commission does
In practice, the Commission manages the ordination process. Its members meet with those who sense God calling them to holy orders and accompany them through discernment and formation. Above all, it is an advisory body: it counsels me on those discerning a call and on their readiness as they approach ordination.
The people who serve
Unlike the bodies whose members are elected by Convention, the Commission on Ministry is made up of clergy and laypeople whom I nominate, subject to confirmation by Convention, and it works under my direction. Members serve for one Convention year and include at least four clergy canonically resident in the diocese and at least four laypeople who are confirmed adult communicants in good standing and live within the diocese.
I am deeply grateful for the wisdom and pastoral care of its members:
2026-2027 Members
Taking the next step
If you are wondering whether God is calling you to ordained ministry, start by talking with your rector or vicar. If you would like to serve on the Commission itself, please let my office know.
You can learn more about the Commission on Ministry at this link.
An Invitation to Serve
Throughout this series, you have met the Diocesan Council, which helps steer our mission; the Trustees, who steward our resources; the Standing Committee, which offers independent counsel and safeguards our common life; and the Commission on Ministry, which guides those discerning a call to holy orders.
All of them depend on faithful people willing to give their time and gifts. Several seats are open this year. To learn which seats are open, and how to be nominated before Convention begins this Friday, November 13, please contact Fr. Eddie at ealleyne@dioceseli.org.
More information about these bodies can be found here:
You will find information about those nominated for election in the Pre-Convention Journal. Please join me in thanking everyone who serves on these bodies, along with those offering themselves for election this year. When you see them at Convention, I hope you will thank them for their willingness to serve.
I am grateful for each of you and for the ministry we share. I look forward to seeing many of you this week.
May the Holy Spirit guide us, steady us, and knit us together in love.
Faithfully yours in Christ,
The Rt. Rev. Adam J. Shoemaker
Bishop of Long Island