Next Step in Our Search for the 12th Bishop of Utah
Listening Groups
Thank you to the 364 members of the Diocese of Utah who completed the Survey of our diocese: these results provided a great deal of data about who we are and what we seek in our next bishop. The breakdown of those who participated was as follows: 170 Parishioners, 126 Vestry, 18 Diocesan leaders, 13 Diocesan staff, 17 Active priests, 13 Retired priests, and 7 Deacons. Over 36% of respondents had over 20 years of tenure in the congregation, 21% with 11-20 years, 17% with 6-10 years, 15% with 3-5 years, and 11% with 2 years or less. However, as the head of the firm who designed the survey and analyzed the results stated to the Nominating Committee, this Survey only produced data and does not, by itself, tell our full story. Therefore, the next step in our Search Process will be Listening Groups (via Zoom) in the last weeks of April.
What is a Listening Group? This is a small group (limited to a maximum of 15 participants in each) which will be facilitated by members of the Nominating Committee (as stated, occurring electronically). Participants will be grouped in similar categories (e.g. lay, clergy, staff). Lasting an hour, the same open-ended questions will be discussed during each session. They will be offered at different times (daytime, evening) and different days (weekday, weekend) to encourage participation. We want to hear from everyone! All members of the Diocese of Utah will be invited to participate in the Listening Groups to be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 24 following our Convention (whether a delegate or not).
To emphasize the importance of hearing from as many as possible in these Listening Groups, a diocesan-wide email will be sent by April 8 giving sign-up options and specific instructions. With the data provided by the Survey, your comments and opinions will help us tell the story of who we are to the potential candidates who seek to be our 12th Bishop of Utah.
