All churches are called to serve the needs of their communities. Individually, however, parishes may not be able to effectively address those needs. Through Interchurch Social Services, ecumenical ministries can be pursued with the pooled resources and collaborative efforts of sponsoring parishes.

In 2017, when we celebrated the Bicentennial of our Diocese with a timeline, a glaring error was the omission of any mention of Ohio’s history of ministry to the Deaf community. That summer, Archive Intern Grace Comley and I sat down for a visit with Patricia Cangelosi-Williams and Charles Williams at St. Paul’s, Cleveland Heights and were given a gracious introduction about Ohio’s connection to this important ministry. Our ears were opened to the story of some amazing pioneer priests and people. I am grateful to Pat and Charles for their generosity of spirit, their stories, and the loan of a history of ministry to the Deaf in The Episcopal Church which led me to the discovery of several important holdings in our own diocesan archives.

In The Episcopal Church, we talk about “the ministry of all baptized persons” which rests on our conviction that all baptized persons are ministers. We see many ways to serve one another and the world as ministers of Christ. Those known as ministers in The Episcopal Church are all the baptized. In other denominations, the term may apply exclusively to members of the clergy. We are a denomination of ministers, caring for the people God loves.

The Episcopal Diocese of Ohio welcomes the Rev. Bernard J. (BJ) Owens, IV as the 12th Dean of Trinity Cathedral.

On February 11, 2019 we observed the 200th anniversary of the consecration of Philander Chase as the first Bishop of Ohio. Here is a timeline to commemorate one who was a pioneer, prophet, teacher, evangelist, and even though at times irascible, was a child of God who loved God, loved his neighbors, and changed the world as a “chosen vessel of grace and light” in his generation.