Leadership and Oversight

This is an examination of the role and work of bishops for today and tomorrow, exploring how ministries of great responsibility might shape the future. Episcopal churches around the world are in crisis. Some face division and threats from breakaway groups. Others have a crisis of finance and fear bankruptcy. Dioceses are accused of inadequate pastoral care and delayed disciplining of clergy. Bishops lead separatist groups and allow themselves to become the focus for disagreement. Something disturbing is happening to our churches and we need to find out what it is. Writing from long experience as a church leader, consultant and trainer, Malcolm Grundy has produced a searching examination of leadership in episcopal churches. He asserts that there is a vacuum of leadership in many places. Describing the pitfalls and temptations of power he analyzes the responsibilities of leadership. He asserts that a rediscovery of episkope - the shared responsibility which all members of episcopal churches have for one-another is the trust-building ingredient which is missing. His imaginative models of what mutually accepted leadership and oversight can look like lead to a creative conclusion. Without the acceptance of trusting relationships, he fears that the descent into further schism is inevitable.