Dear Beloved in Christ,
Today our nation goes to the polls. Some of you will vote with hope, some with anxiety, and some with a heavy heart. Whatever you carry today, I write to remind you of a truth that no election can change: we belong to one another in Christ.
One Body, Many Members
At our upcoming convention, we will focus on the words of Saint Paul, who tells the church in Corinth that just as the body is one and has many members, so it is with Christ. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you." Last week I wrote about a new tool that will be used in a number of ways to ensure that we are able to see our body in all its diversity and fullness.
As we consider who we are in Christ, if one member suffers, all suffer together. If one member is honored, all rejoice together. That is who we are on this day and every day.
Our diocese is a living picture of that body. From Brooklyn and Queens to Nassau and Suffolk, we pray in many languages. We come from many nations and cultures, and from every station in life. We do not all see the world the same way, and we will not all vote the same way. Our differences are not a threat to our unity. They are part of the gift God has given us.
Let our Promises Guide Us
As you make your decisions today, I ask you to let the promises of our Baptismal Covenant guide you. We have promised to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbor as ourselves. We have promised to strive for justice and peace among all people, and to respect the dignity of every human being. These promises do not tell us how to mark a ballot. They do shape the hearts and consciences we bring into the voting booth, and they shape how we treat one another when we disagree.
Our Calling Continues
Tomorrow, the results may be known, or the counting may continue. Some of us will celebrate, and some of us will grieve. But the work God has given us will not have changed.
The day after the election, there will still be neighbors whose inherent dignity must be defended. We must speak up for it in public and honor it in private. There will still be hungry people at the doors of our food pantries and soup kitchens, and they will still need to be fed. And there will still be a world waiting to hear the good news of God's love in Jesus Christ, which we have promised to proclaim by word and example.
No outcome releases us from these callings, and no outcome can take them from us. As one body, let us carry them together, holding fast to one another across every difference.
I invite every congregation to keep our nation, our leaders, and one another in prayer today and in the days ahead. Please pray with me:
Gracious God, you have made us one body in Christ, with many members and many gifts. Guide us in our choosing this day. Give us courage to honor the dignity of every person, generosity to feed the hungry, and joy to proclaim your good news. When this day is done, keep us bound together in your love, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Who Serves Our Diocese: Meet the Standing Committee
Part three of a four-part series
Of all the bodies in this series, the Standing Committee may be the least familiar, and one of the most important. Every diocese in the Episcopal Church has one. Its responsibilities are set by the Constitution and Canons of the wider Church.
What the Standing Committee does
The Standing Committee is the bishop's council of advice. Its members:
- certify candidates at key steps on the way to ordination
- consent, on behalf of our diocese, to the election of bishops across the Church
- review and consent to certain property transactions by our congregations
- serve as the ecclesiastical authority of the diocese when there is no bishop in office
Who Serves
The Standing Committee consists of eight members—four clergy and four laypeople—elected by Diocesan Convention for staggered four-year terms. Each year, Convention elects one clergy member and one lay member. Members may serve no more than two consecutive full terms.
The Standing Committee elects its own president, currently the Very Rev. Hickman Alexandre. As bishop, I am not a member of the committee. Its independence allows it to offer me honest counsel and provide continuity when there is no bishop. I am grateful for the service of its current members:
Until 2026
Until 2027
Until 2028
Until 2029
How to get involved
Standing Committee members are elected at Convention. Experience on a vestry or a diocesan body is valuable, as is a deep love for the Church's common life. To learn about current openings and nomination deadlines, contact Canon Eddie Alleyne at: ealleyne@dioceseli.org.
Learn More about the Standing Committee
Next week in Who Serves Our Diocese: the Diocesan Commission on Ministry
Preparing for Convention Together
Thank you to everyone who took part in our Budget Listening Session on October 22 and our Pre-Convention Meeting on October 29. Your questions, reflections, and willingness to engage in the work before us are gifts to our common life. Being one body means sharing responsibility for the decisions that shape our ministry, and I am grateful for the care you bring to that responsibility.
If you were unable to join us, or would like to revisit the discussions, recordings and materials from both gatherings are available on our website. As we prepare to gather for Convention, may we continue to listen to one another, recognize the gifts each member brings, and seek together where God is calling us.
Faithfully yours in Christ,
The Rt. Rev. Adam J. Shoemaker
Bishop of Long Island