I am sitting in the Memphis airport, about to board the plane to fly home, after several days of meeting here with bishops of small dioceses (known as the "Tiny Bishops"). This group has been meeting for over 30 years, and continues to be a very helpful conversation for those of us who minister with small dioceses.

I arrived on Monday, along with bishops from West Tennessee (our host), Southwestern Virginia, Easton (eastern Maryland), Central Gulf Coast (bridging southern Alabama & the panhandle of Florida), Northwest Texas, Eau Claire (northeastern Wisconsin), Eastern Oregon, Nevada, and Lexington (Kentucky). Quite a varied group.

Through the days, we discussed a number of issues of common interest: the Windsor Report, various national church issues, Mutual Ministry Review for Bishops, Recruiting and Deployment of Clergy for Small Dioceses, Title III (Ministry) and Title IV (Ecclesiastical Discipline) Revisions, Medical Insurance costs and coverage, Wellness Issues for Clergy and Families, Property Issues, and Communications in Small Dioceses. While we were there, we went out one night for a movie ("The Incredibles"), we visited the Civil Rights Museum in downtown Memphis, ate some ribs, and heard some Blues on Beale Street. Some fun in the midst of some very fruitful conversations.

It would be hard to try to summarize all that was shared, but let me try to mention a few thoughts and ideas which I am bringing back with me from this meeting:

1) Windsor Report - It's clear that our different dioceses are experiencing the controversies in the Anglican Communion in different ways. For some, these matters have become a major focus. In these dioceses, receiving and reflecting upon the Windsor Report has become a major agenda. For most dioceses, however, life is moving on, and there is little if any notice of this Report. In most dioceses, focus has returned to mission and matters of ministry development.

2) "Mutual Ministry Review for Bishops" - We acknowledged that few dioceses have structured procedures for reflecting on how the role and relationships of the Bishop with the rest of the Diocese is going. We all agree that it is not helpful to wait until difficult issues arise to discuss these things, but the scope and variety of relationships between a Bishop and the various constituents in a diocese (congregations, committees, diocesan staff, Core Team, Ministry Support Teams, Council, Convention, Standing Committee, Commission on Ministry, other Judicatory Leaders, community groups, the media, other dioceses, the national church, the province, etc, etc) it seems hard to know how to structure such a review. With us was Gay Jennings, of CREDO, and we talked with her about how CREDO might help us develop a structure, perhaps using some of the evaluative instruments used by that program. Several of us (me included) volunteered to be a part of a pilot program, working with CREDO, to see if we can develop a way of doing this sort of reflection. I'll be bringing this to the Core Team & Diocesan Council for further discussion over the coming weeks.

3) Title IV revisions - We heard from two members of the Title IV revisions group about the major re-design of the Disciplinary Process which will be considered at the next General Convention (2006 in Columbus, Ohio). The process being proposed will move away from an adversarial court system, into a consultative process, which focuses more on opportunities for reconciliation. This move away from a punitive approach to discipline in the Church seems right on target. We'll all be hearing more about this as we approach the General Convention. It will also inform the work we are doing in our diocese on the Sexual Misconduct Policy & Training.

4) Health Insurance: We recognize the need most small dioceses have to remain up to date on changes in the medical insurance scene. At future meetings of the Tiny Bishops group, we will have representatives from the Medical Trust, and others familiar with the insurance field, to give us an update on changes and developments. We will continue to mobilize those in certain small dioceses who are experts in this field, so that they can be our voice in the national church (through the Medical Trust). This is an example of how our working together can be of mutual benefit.

5) Peter Steinke - "The Balancing Act: the congregation as emotional system" - we viewed some very helpful videos which I will try to order and to share with others around the diocese.

6) Communications: I received some very helpful resources about Communications, including a planning page which I think will help us in our assessment & planning for our overall communications procedures, and some insightful articles and helpful hints about how to interact with the media (newspaper reporters, TV interviews, etc) - especially at times of controversy or conflict.

7) Civil Rights museum - our visit to the Civil Rights Museum in downtown Memphis was particularly moving for me, in light of the presentation & discussion on Anti-Racism we had at our own Diocesan Convention in October. The museum is actually located at the spot where Martin Luther King, Jr was assassinated - the Lorraine Motel. It walks you through the whole history of the struggle for Civil Rights, and is truly powerful. I was greatly inspired, and it deepened my commitment to our ongoing Anti-Racism training, as well as to our struggles concerning civil rights for the gay & lesbian community in our country and throughout the world.

Well, I'd better get to my gate, so I can fly home! I just wanted to let you all know what I've been up to this week!

Jim