A letter from the Rt. Rev. C. Wallis Ohl,
provisional bishop candidate for the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

I am honored to be asked to walk Christ's path with you for the next part of your journey as a Church and a community. When I retired in January, I thought I would fade away into relative obscurity, assisting the bishop of Oklahoma from time to time with a supply Sunday or two. However, when I celebrated an ordination in August at Trinity Fort Worth, I was struck with a sense that I was being called once again to pick up my pack and join the walk in faith. When I was contacted about the possibility of working with the Diocese of Fort Worth, I knew I could not say no. God had already laid the ground work, and to deny this calling would be as futile as was Jonah’s refusal to go to Ninevah. Sheila and I talked of the possibilities and agree that this is what God is calling us to for now. Even my adult children concur that all my previous experience has led to this moment. The first congregation I served as Vicar was born out of conflict; the parish in Colorado Springs has a series of disastrous events and difficult clergy; in the Diocese of NW Texas I was forced to deal with open rebellion and legal actions.

My first task will be to get to know you, both as individuals and as community. In that light in the first months that I am among you I will be making arrangements to visit with each congregation either on a weekend or midweek visitation. For those communities that do not have their own worship spaces, we will arrange for evening sites in which to gather and tell our stories, as well as hear the stories of God's redeeming grace from Scripture and tradition. I will be planning a gathering for all clergy early in 2010 for us to get to know one another and to begin building the bridges that we must construct for us to do our work together. I know some deacons will not be available for mid-week meetings, so I will arrange for a deacons' gathering on a Saturday.

Because God often brings new possibilities out of conflict and crisis, together I want us to begin to look at models of ministry that have borne fruit in small dioceses and with which I have worked for over 30 years. Some call that model of ministry "total ministry" or "mutual ministry", but which I prefer to call "community ministry" as it connotes that ministry is always of a community. If you are not familiar with this model I encourage you to begin exploring it through the writings of Roland Allen, a British missionary of the late 19th century and Stuart Zabriski, late bishop of Nevada.

I believe that exciting times and possibilities lie before us in the months ahead. Through the Grace of God in Christ Jesus we will discern how our lives together may proclaim to all people the good news of Christ that we must share out of His mercy to us.

I look forward to meeting many of you in just a few short days at the annual convention. May you shine with holy light as God’s saints today.

Wallis Ohl