Each Sunday in Lent and throughout the Fifty Days of Easter, Bishop Doug will share a video related to the Baptismal Covenant and the Five Marks of Mission.
Click here to watch the video for the Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday.
Bishop Doug Sparks
The Fifth Sunday in Lent
Each Sunday in Lent and throughout the Fifty Days of Easter, Bishop Doug will share a video related to the Baptismal Covenant and the Five Marks of Mission.
For the Fifth Sunday in Lent, Bishop Doug asks the fifth question of the Baptismal Covenant, "Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?".
Click here to watch the video.
The Third Sunday in Lent
Each Sunday in Lent and throughout the Fifty Days of Easter, Bishop Doug will share a video related to the Baptismal Covenant and the Five Marks of Mission.
In this video for the Third Sunday in Lent, Bishop Doug asks us the third question of the Baptismal Covenant, "Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?".
Click here to watch the video.
The Second Sunday in Lent
Each Sunday in Lent and throughout the Fifty Days of Easter, Bishop Doug will share a video related to the Baptismal Covenant and the Five Marks of Mission.
In this video for the Second Sunday in Lent, Bishop Doug asks us the second question of the Baptismal Covenant, "Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?".
Click here to watch the video.
The First Sunday in Lent
Each Sunday in Lent and throughout the Fifty Days of Easter, Bishop Doug will share a video related to the Baptismal Covenant and the Five Marks of Mission. In this first video for the First Sunday in Lent, Bishop Doug asks us the first question of the Baptismal Covenant, "Will you continue in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers?". Click here to watch the video.
A Video Message from Bishop Doug
Reunification Discernment Leadership Team
15 February 2023
Dear Sisters, Brothers, Siblings in the Episcopal Church in Northern Indiana!
Grace and peace be with you in Jesus, the Light for all people!
As Bishop Jennifer and I promised in our video shared with all of you on Monday, 30 January 2023, regarding a discernment process focused on the possibility of reunification with the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis, it is with a sense of joy and hope, to announce the leaders who will be part of the discernment team from our diocese.
The Rev. Clay Berkley, St. David's, Elkhart (member at large)
Mr. Evan Doyle, Gethsemane, Marion (Diocesan Council)
Mr. Paul Kincaid, St. Paul's, Munster, (Standing Committee)
The Rev. Canon Ted Neidlinger, Christ the King. Huntington, (Diocesan Council)
Mrs. Stephanie Pawlowski, Trinity, Logansport (member at large)
Mrs. Brenda Rigdon, St. Anne's, Warsaw, (Diocesan Council)
I also want to take this opportunity to share with you those leaders in the Diocese of Indianapolis that Bishop Jennifer has appointed:
Mrs. Joan Amati, St. David’s, Bean Blossom (Executive Council)
The Rev. Canon Jodi Baron, Christ Church Cathedral, Indianapolis (member at large)
Mr. George Eastman, St. Paul’s, Richmond (Standing Committee)
The Rev. Allen Rutherford, St. John’s, Mount Vernon (Executive Council)
Mr. Greg Seamon, Trinity, Lawrenceburg (Executive Council)
Mrs. Katherine Tyler-Scott, St. Paul’s, Indianapolis (member at large)
Our joint discernment will be facilitated by the Rev. Jennifer Adams, who serves as rector of Grace Episcopal Church in Holland, Michigan. Rev. Jen, as she prefers to be called, brings a wealth of experience serving and leading as a priest in the Diocese of Western Michigan and the wider church and Anglican Communion. Bishop Jennifer and I believe she will guide us well as she has experienced the collaborative relationship between the dioceses of Eastern and Western Michigan and as she is facilitating a reunification discernment between the dioceses of Bethlehem and Central Pennsylvania.
The first meeting of the Reunification Discernment Team will take place on 17-18 March. Bishop Jennifer and I will participate in this initial retreat time along with the leaders of both of our dioceses, facilitated by Rev. Jen.
I invite you to continue to pray for all of us…as we open our lives to the new possibilities that God may be inviting us to consider. I conclude with a sentence from scripture that has helped to form and fashion me as a follower of Jesus,
“Glory to God whose power, working within us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to God from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20,21
Every blessing,
Bishop Doug
(he/him/his)
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Douglas E. Sparks
VIII Bishop of The Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana
Letter from Bishop Doug Regarding Reunification Discernment
Dear Sisters, Brothers, Siblings in the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana,
Grace and peace be with you in Jesus, the Light for all people!
After more than a year since initial conversations with members of the Standing Committee and Diocesan Council, Diocesan Missioners and with Bishop Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows of the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis, I want to share with all of you via a press release and a video, news about the forming a discernment group for the purpose of exploring the possibility of reunification into one diocese and Episcopal presence in the State of Indiana.
Bishop Jennifer and I have been committed to working together since we began ministry as bishops in 2016 and 2017 respectively. It seems right at this time, to move the conversation and discernment into a public space, inviting others into the work of discernment, to imagine what the Holy Spirit may be calling us to do as we continue to engage God’s Mission throughout the state of Indiana.
Please uphold this initiative in your prayer and know that as the discernment group is formed, Bishop Jennifer and I, along with our Missioners and Canons are committed to keeping you informed along the way.
Every blessing,
Doug
(he/him/his)
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Douglas E. Sparks
VIII Bishop of The Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana
Indiana Episcopal Dioceses Begin Reunification Discernment
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 30, 2023
INDIANA—The two Episcopal dioceses that serve Indiana have begun the discernment process to explore the possibility of reunifying as one single diocese and Episcopal presence in the state.
Bishop Doug Sparks of The Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana and Bishop Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows of The Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis have maintained a close working relationship since being elected to serve their respective dioceses in 2016 and began this conversation with members of their staff in early 2022. After sharing these discussions with their governing bodies, the two entities are moving forward to publicly outline what this exploratory process will entail.
“Bishop Jennifer and I became bishops within a year of each other and since then have been intentional about growing our relationship in our shared ministry,” said Bishop Sparks. “We know that the Holy Spirit is guiding us into this exploration of what we may further do together.”
“We have grown increasingly together as we think about how God has called us to further communicate the witness of reconciliation in the world by asking the question, ‘Is it time for us to come back together and reunify as an Episcopal presence in the state?’,” added Bishop Baskerville-Burrows.
Both The Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana and The Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis are encompassed within Province V of The Episcopal Church.
The reunification process would require a favorable vote from both diocesan conventions, as well as the consent of a majority of bishops with jurisdiction and a majority of standing committees of dioceses of The Episcopal Church.
Both dioceses will appoint a small group of leaders to work with a consultant in determining the best questions and next steps for discernment.
“We hope to share with you in the coming weeks those who will come together and form a team for discernment. And we ask for your prayers during this process,” said Bishop Sparks.
“There is no forgone conclusion, just an opportunity to ask what God is calling us into as Episcopalians in Indiana to do together,” continued Bishop Baskerville-Burrows.
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Media Contacts:
Canon Christopher A. Hillak, The Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana | missioner.hillak@ednin.org
Elise Shrock, The Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis | elises@cccindy.org
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Douglas E. Sparks
VIII Bishop of The Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana
The Rt. Rev. Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows
Bishop of The Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis
Bishop Doug's 2022 Christmas Message
Thanksgiving/Advent 2022 Message
In this video, Bishop Doug Sparks sends his greetings as we approach Thanksgiving and the Advent Season.
Lambeth Conference: The War in Ukraine
Bishop Doug has a conversation with Bishop Mark Edington of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe regarding the war in Ukraine.
Lambeth Call: Science and Faith
Bishop Doug has a conversation with Bishop Michael Beasley of the Diocese of Bath and Wells in the Church of England regarding the Lambeth Call on Science and Faith.
Letter to Indiana Episcopalians Regarding Passage of Senate Bill 1
August 6, 2022
Dear People of God in the Episcopal Dioceses of Northern Indiana and Indianapolis:
We are here with Christian leaders from across the world in Canterbury, England, at the Lambeth Conference, a gathering of bishops from across the Anglican Communion. Together, we have been discerning our way forward on many critical issues facing our world, including how we can best support women in all of our countries and contexts. And so to hear about the passage of Senate Bill 1 is a particular heartbreak. We want to assure you that the Episcopal Church and those who follow Jesus in the Episcopal way stand with all women and pregnant people and support their right to make healthcare decisions with dignity and respect.
We want to say very clearly to Hoosier women and pregnant people: Even if it feels like the state has abandoned you, the church has not. We will continue to stand on the side of women who seek to have control over their bodies and the ability to plan their families. We will continue to create profound opportunities for lament and healing that provide safe space for all who come. No matter what, we pledge to pray, advocate, and work for a world where women have safe and available access to the healthcare they need.
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Douglas Sparks, Bishop
Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana
The Rt. Rev. Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows, Bishop
Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Douglas Sparks, Bishop
Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana
The Rt. Rev. Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows, Bishop
Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis
Lambeth Call on Discipleship
Bishop Doug has a conversation with Bishop Jenny Andison of the Diocese of Toronto in the Anglican Church of Canada regarding the Lambeth Call on Discipleship.
Lambeth Call on Christian Unity and Inter Faith Relations
Bishop Doug has a conversation with Bishop Jan Otto Myrseth of Tunsberg, a Full Communion Partner with the Church of England from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Norway, regarding the Lambeth Call on Christian Unity and Inter Faith Relations.
Lambeth Call on Human Dignity
Bishop Doug has a conversation with Bishop John Roundhill of the Diocese of Brisbane in Australia regarding the Lambeth Call on Human Dignity.
Lambeth Call on Environment and Sustainable Development
Bishop Doug has a conversation with Bishop Lucinda Ashby of the Episcopal Diocese of El Camino Real and Bishop Michael Herenz of the Diocese of North East India regarding the Lambeth Call on Environment and Sustainable Development.
Statement regarding the death of Representative Jackie Walorski
Rep. Jackie Walorski
Dear Sisters, Brothers, Siblings in Christ,
Grace and peace be with you in Jesus, the Risen Christ!
I am saddened by the news of the tragic death of Representative Jackie Walorski along with her Communications Director Emma Thomson and District Director Zachery Potts earlier today. I am sure you know well the sacrifices and challenges that come with serving in public office and I ask that you offer your prayers in thanksgiving for her years of service at the Indiana State House and in the House of Representatives. In addition, please uphold in your prayers Edith Schmucker, the driver of the other car involved in the head-on collision, who also died.
Please uphold in your prayer all those who mourn her death, especially her husband, family members, friends and her colleagues in Congress. May all who mourn these deaths be encircled in Resurrection hope. May Jackie, Emma, Zachery and Edith rest in Christ's peace and rise in Christ's glory.
Doug
(he/him/his)
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Douglas E. Sparks
VIII Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana
Lambeth Call on Reconciliation
Bishop Doug has a conversation with Bishop Andrew Swift from the Diocese of Brechin in the Scottish Episcopal Church regarding the Lambeth Call on Reconciliation.Watch the video below.