Journal of the Diocese of Northwest Texas—1996

“Minutes of the 38^th Annual Convention” …“Sunday, October 26, 1996”
¶11 "[for the Missions Committee] The Rev. Jo Roberts Mann reported… the petition of St. Barnabas, Odessa, for mission status. St. Barnabas was granted mission status and its two additional delegates were given seat, voice and vote.”

Uncoupling The Mission of the Daughter-Church

These sentences from Diocesan Convention, ten years ago, signify another milestone for our Parish. About half of our newsletter recipients were present for that time in our history.

Our status [’95-‘96] was as a “Congregation.” On September 30, 1996, the Vicar and the Bishop’s Committee [BC] wrote Bishop Husley:

…(we) formally request admission to union with the convention of the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Northwest Texas. It is our corporate hope that at this year’s convention the St. Barnabas Congregation may be admitted as a mission.

Though this brief document generally contains only the numbers requested by canon law, it also conveys joy and excitement for this moment in history. Indeed the holy people who were the 38^th Diocesan Convention trusted God’s call for our place within the Church of God. Diocesan and BC leaders believed that our sacrificial service would bring us moments close to God and his love—on and off of St. Barnabas’ property.

And our BC had already begun this service through stewardship training and new-member ministry.¹ We honor those who have made sacrifices. As our focus, this Daughter Church “mothers” new Christians.

At my installation as rector, the bulletin cover recalled an American Indian saying: “We do not inherit the land, we borrow it from our children.” 10 years or a 100 years from now, I hope they’ll say, “In 2006, St. B’s folk did not inherit the church buildings…they borrowed them from us to be a mission for God!”

In Christ,
Fr. David+

¹The BC explored the book “Sizing Up Your Congregation,” which is still considered an essential by the Congregation Development Department of the national church. See the link on St. Barnabas’ home page (lower right-hand corner).