Episcopal Press and News
MONTANA: Diocese lives the resurrection, leaders tell Executive Council
Episcopal News Service, Helena, Montana. October 23, 2008 [102308-04]
Mary Frances Schjonberg
More than seven and a half years since its last bishop was deposed and five years since its new bishop began his ministry, the Diocese of Montana is coming back to life.
Bishop Frank Brookhart and other diocesan leaders told a dinner gathering of the Executive Council on the third evening of its four-day meeting in Helena about the diocese's revived sense of mission and ministry.
When founded in 1867, the diocese included all of Montana, Utah, and Idaho, but now encompasses only the state of Montana. Brookhart said the diocese is the second only to Alaska in geographic size. Driving from the southeastern corner of the state to its northwestern corner is the equivalent of driving from Washington, D.C. to Chicago, according to the bishop.
The diocese became self-sustaining in 1904. Twenty of the diocese's 22 assisted congregations will have become self-sustaining by the end of this year, Brookhart said. The 44th congregation in the diocese, Holy Cross Church on the growing west end of Billings, began holding services August 24 and is the diocese's first church plant in a generation, Brookhart said.
The diocese has a goal of raising up a deacon for every congregation, according to the bishop. "We define deacons as hell-raisers" who push the church "to go out and do thing that the church doesn't ordinarily do," he said. Its new summer Grace Camp for children with incarcerated parents received $11,000 and 50 handmade quilts from across the state for campers this past summer.
St. Peter's Cathedral in Helena now hosts the largest Native American worshipping community in the Episcopal Church, according to Brookhart. Between 90 and 100 people attend the services in the community.
"We spent a lot of time talking about resurrection," Brookhart said. "Some of you may know that this diocese has been hanging on the cross for some years."
Montana's previous bishop, Charles Irving (C.I.) Jones resigned February 26, 2001, 12 days after a decision by the church's Court for the Trial of a Bishop deposing him for immorality and conduct unbecoming a member of the clergy. The case concerned sexual misconduct with a woman parishioner and employee of a parish in Russellville, Kentucky, where Jones was rector prior to his election as bishop.
Jones appealed the decision and the Court of Review for the Trial of a Bishop on May 1, 2002 affirmed his guilty verdict, but reduced his sentence from deposition to a five-year suspension. That action meant Jones remained a bishop, but without seat in the House of Bishops. His suspension ended in September 2007 when the House of Bishops restored him to the status of "bishop in good standing." Jones, who continues to live in Helena with his wife, Ashby, still does not have a seat in the House of Bishops.
Retired bishop for the Armed Forces Charles L. Keyser served as assisting bishop in the diocese until Brookhart was consecrated in September 2003.
Newly elected Standing Committee President Scott Jourdonnais of Holy Spirit Parish in Missoula told the dinner gathering that the committee had pledged to empower Brookhart's ministry, to "encourage the laity to go out and grow our congregations and [to] encourage our clergy."
After the diocese's presentation, Council members Terry Roberts of Duluth, Minnesota, and Tim Anderson of Omaha, Nebraska, briefly described the work of the Episcopal Church's Province VI, of which Montana is a member. Their presentation included a demonstration of a web-based virtual-meeting tool that allows the provincial council to save $5,000 annually by conducting one meeting online. The council has been meeting virtually for three years.