Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

When I began working on the May Vestry Papers - focusing on leadership during a time of  crisis - it never occurred to me how timely this issue might be. The recent tragedies in Boston and West, Texas, as well as the continuing violence and natural disasters that affect our communities large and small, all impact our faith communities and test our ability to fulfill our role of providing a place of sanctuary and understanding that God is with us even in the midst of a terrible tragedy.

As I worked with our contributors, a common theme emerged: vital and healthy congregations recover more quickly. In each article, you’ll find practical advice and resources developed by congregational leaders in response to crisis situations.

Our articles this month:

“Resiliency” by Bill Livingston helps congregations consider the potential impact of a devastating disaster, looking beyond the immediate physical needs and issues related to long term recovery, to the church’s unique role of offering a theological understanding and assistance with emotional and spiritual recovery.

“Crisis Communications: Managing In” by Linda Hanick and Nathan Brockman offers congregations practical recommendations for managing the sometimes overlooked aspect of crisis communications: how and when you communicate within your own organization.


“Finding God in the Raging Storm” by Frank Wade invites congregations to reflect on their readiness to provide emotional and spiritual stability to their members and their communities in times of crisis and offers tools to help congregational leaders ensure their church is well-equipped to take on that role.

 “Sawu Bona… I See You, I Hear You” by Kay Collier McLaughlin introduces ‘Holy Conversations,’ a process developed in the Episcopal Diocese of Lexington to help congregations paralyzed by conflict, anger, grief, and/or fear begin the healing process necessary for them to live fully into their ministry.

Following each article is a list of resources offering additional information and/or practical tools. Interested in what else might be on the ECF Vital Practices’ website? Use the Topics index on each page of the site to find other resources related to leadership including past Vestry Papers articles, blog posts, and the many resources found in our Your Turn and Tools sections.

For those reading this on our Facebook page or on the website, I invite you to consider subscribing to ECF Vital Practices and Vestry Papers to have Vestry Papers and ECF Vital Practices content delivered twice a month to your email inbox.