E. Daniel Smith
Born: January 23, 1956
Married to Evelyn Hallecks; two children
Ordained to priesthood in 1982
BA University off Central Florida; M Div, Nashotah House Theological Seminary, D Min Seabury-Western Theological Seminary
Canonical Status: Missouri
Current Position: Canon to the Ordinary, Diocese of Missouri
Previous Clergy Positions: Rector, St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church, West Des Moines, IA; Rector, St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church, Kailua, Hawaii; Vicar, St. Mathew’s, Orlando, FL; Assistant Rector, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Orlando, FL; Curate, St. Sebastian’s by the Sea, Melbourne Beach, FL
Question: Why do you want to become a bishop? What special gifts would you bring to this Diocese? What are the pluses and minuses of being a bishop in the Episcopal Church?
Answer: I have been encouraged by people who are important to me to explore a possible call to be a bishop. I believe that I am called to the episcopate. However, I consider the ministry that I am currently engaged in to be the ministry of the episcopate. It is a ministry of oversight, of encouragement, of guarding the discipline of the faith, and of helping congregations be places of growth, health, and life. Those are Episcopal ministries. I delight in them and hope to be engaged in this sort of ministry for the rest of my career. The question for me is whether or not I am called to be a bishop. What I hope we are engaged in is a time of discernment that has a goal of determining not if I want to be a bishop but whether or not I am called to be in ministry with the Diocese of Southern Virginia as your bishop. I believe that God will answer that question for us.
It is far easier for me to answer the query about the gifts that I might bring to you. The Diocese of Southern Virginia has been through a difficult time. I was privileged to spend some time consulting in your diocese a few years ago as your Congregational Development Commission worked to set up the school of Congregational Leadership. While there I saw first hand the pain and grief that were a part of your life. Among the gifts that I bring is the ability to help restore trust and confidence. I have been able to help bring reconciliation to communities of faith that had been broken by trauma. Together we were able to discover the abundant life that Jesus promised in the Gospel of John. I believe that I would bring significant gifts of leadership to the diocese. I also bring with me a significant passion and skills for the development of congregations, leadership and growth.
As I ponder your question about the pluses and minuses of being a Bishop in the church today; I find myself wondering if they are not two sides of the same coin. There can be no doubt that the Episcopal Church is at a significant crossroads. The questions abound: Human sexuality, Biblical authority, the Anglican Communion, Decline, to name but a few. These questions bring great opportunity to a bishop. Bishops in today’s church will help shape how the church will move into these questions, their answers and a new millennium. I am excited about the possibilities for reconciliation, new birth and a renewed sense of mission. At the same time this crossroads poses a danger to the bishops of our church. There is the chance to become so deeply involved in the issues that the bishop loses sight of his/her primary ministry of oversight, pastoral care and leadership of a particular diocese. In this crossroads if a bishop keeps their eye on the Gospel and the mission of the church the pluses are enormous. The minuses come when a bishop allows him or herself to be distracted and perhaps even overwhelmed by the issues and the dissention that comes with the issues.
Question: What are you passionate about in you ministry, your personal life, and in the world around you?
Answer: My personal ministry statement on my CDO profile states: “I love to work with congregations, their clergy and lay leaders to find ways for their congregations to grow, heal, prosper and make a difference in their community.” I believe this states my passion in regards to my ministry. I feel engaged, empowered and rewarded when I am at work with the congregations and leadership, lay and ordained, in my diocese. Very little gives me more joy in my ministry than watching the “light bulbs” go on as people gain understanding of what is possible. As a bishop in the church I hope my primary work is with congregations and their leadership; helping them discover the mission that God had called them to accomplish in their communities. I have discovered in my life that watching others succeed is actually more fun and rewarding then my own personal successes.
There is much to be passionate about in my personal life. Evelyn and I have been married for almost 30 years. We marvel at that while at the same time wonder what the next 30 years will bring. We have two grown children. Our oldest, Mitchell is a priest in the church working to rebuild a congregation in Iowa. Our time with him, his wife and son is valuable in our lives. Our youngest, Shannon, is making her way in a career as an interior designer and project manager for an architectural firm. We are proud of both of them.
In my spiritual journey I have been working the past couple of years at becoming a more integrated person. I used to see my spiritual life, physical life and emotional life as separate compartments. I have learned that at least for me, I was wrong in this approach. I have found that I need to have an integrated approach to my life; that my prayer life is a part of my emotional life which is a part of my physical condition. This may seem elementary to some, but I have found it to be of great importance. I have many hobbies: cooking, reading, fishing, hiking, exercise and most anything in the outdoors.
In the world around me I have found a passion for those that I see as victims. I have spent almost 17 years involved in the issues around domestic violence. During that time I have helped change laws in a state, found a shelter, pastor victims and worked to administer Federal grants to agencies. Out of this passion of caring for victims of violence I became interested in the care of victims of clergy misconduct. Victims of all kinds of violence need to find healing and hope in their lives. I have a passion for helping them discover both. I have also had the opportunity to learn from the people of parts of Africa and the plight they have had in recent years. In particular, I have had the opportunity to travel to Kenya, Uganda and the Southern Sudan. I have seen first hand the ravages of civil war and genocide. I have also seen that what seems to be the simple work of providing clean water and education can bring about radical and lasting change. I hope to continue to participate in these types of mission opportunities.
Question: Please share 2 or 3 critical moments from your spiritual journey that helped you become the priest you are today.
Answer: It seems that I have always known that God was a part of my life. A relationship with God was important in my parents’ life. I grew up with dedicated priests who also shared their faith with me. At least in part, because of these influences in my life my spiritual journey has been one that has a consistency to it rather than a number of highs and lows. That said I would like to share with you three moments that have had a significant influence in my life.
In 1982 I began having what to me seemed like seizures and migraine headaches. I was diagnosed with Equine Encephalitis, an infection of the brain. I had been ordained for less than a year, had a son who turned one while I was in the hospital and a wife who was pregnant with our daughter. Twenty eight people in my community were diagnosed, seven died. Three critical things happened during my illness and recovery. One, I discovered my own mortality. While that is a fearful discovery it is one of great importance in the life of a Priest. Secondly, I came to meditate on the story of creation as found in Genesis one and two. I discovered that life as God intended it to be was good. I know that the fall also happens in chapter two, but it seems clear that God meant for life to be good. I learned to enjoy my life and the things in it more fully. Third, the nearby clergy worked out a plan where they would bring me the Eucharist each and every day. There are days from that time that the only thing I remember is the Eucharist. The Eucharist took on even more meaning in my life. The impact of this time is still of great importance.
The second event that I want to share took place in 1996. I had answered a call to become the rector of a church that had been through the significant trauma of Clergy Misconduct. Even though I knew the story of what they had been through I was unprepared for the lack of trust and the anger that I encountered. With the help of a Spiritual Director I studied and prayed with Ezekiel 34 and John 10, both of which speak of the Good Shepherd and those that are not good shepherds. In that time of prayer I realized that the congregation was in survival mode, a good thing when the storm is raging, but not when there is no storm. We developed a vision we called “From Survival to Abundant Living” using John 10:10. The impact was almost immediate although the work of healing took several years. I learned the importance of having someone to talk to about my spiritual life and I learned the importance of having a vision for the people of God.
The most recent event that is a critical to my priesthood today occurred just two years ago. I had the opportunity to travel to Southern Sudan to help establish a companion diocese relationship with the Diocese of Lui. During the 21 year civil war, Lui was bombed back into the dark ages. It is a land of paradox: dangerous yet safe; poor yet incredibly rich; uneducated yet knowledgeable about what is important. They have every reason to feel betrayed by God yet the worship is incredible. We take so much for granted, including our church and worship; here were people who had suffered greatly for their faith. The impact of this is still forming and coming into fruition in my life.
Question: Describe how you have displayed respect for the dignity and worth of every human being.
Answer: I remember hearing a sermon a number of years ago about baptism. The preacher spoke of “walking wet” on our journey of life. He understood that living out our baptism and the promises made in that baptism needed to be a constant in our lives. We need to be consciously aware of our baptism. Displaying respect for the dignity and worth of every human being is a major part of walking wet.
I have personally found that becoming a person that listens carefully to be the first step in respecting all people. I remember when I first had this realization. We had accepted the call to become the rector of St. Christopher’s Church in the Diocese of Hawaii. I met a wonderful Hawaiian woman who was a professor of history at the University. I asked if she would tutor me so that I would treat my new environment with respect. She taught me to listen carefully to those around me and to the culture itself. Through that experience and others since that time I have learned that when I listen with care then I am really present to the other person. I need to especially do this with people with whom I disagree or are in some way different from me. When I listen carefully I have the ability to learn their hopes, dreams, fears, joys, angers and sadness. When I listen I can change. Sometimes this change is a change in my opinions and at other times it is a change in my understanding of where someone else is coming from. I also discover that as I listen to others they have the opportunity to grow in respect.
When engaged in ministry it is important to remember that we are called to be other centered. God is the primary other in our lives. A part of placing God at the center of our lives is remembering that what we are about in ministry are the needs of the people we are working with rather than our own needs. Working to meet the needs of the people we are working with is a significant part of respecting their dignity as creatures of God. I believe that I display this type of behavior when I am engaged in ministry.
A part of meeting the needs of the others in our lives is a willingness to meet them where they are. There are times that meeting others where they are is as simple as physically going where they are. There are other times that one has to work to go where the other is in terms of language, time or understanding. The old cliché of walking in another’s shoes holds.
Finally, how I speak either shows my respect or lack thereof. I notice in our church these days that people often seem to speak (or shout) at one another with sarcasm or distain. When we speak in such terms it is because we think we are right and the others are in some ways less than me. I work to make sure that when I speak I do so from a position of concern and love. When I do so I have discovered that I show respect. Often, particularly when speaking with someone with whom I disagree or who is some way is perceived as different from me, I need to be face to face. Speaking from a distance usually shows disrespect. A word needs to be said about how we use electronic communication. It is so easy to hide behind electronic communication. While e-mail has its place it can never replace taking time to be face to face with people.
Question: Please describe how you have responded personally, and in you ministry to decisions made at the 74th and 75th General Conventions?
Answer: Out of the many decisions that were made at the last two General Conventions I am going to touch on four that have had significant impact on the church: Gene Robinson, Katherine Jefforts-Schori, Resolution B033, and of the Millennium Development Goals.
The vote to grant consent to the election and ordination as a Bishop to Gene Robinson created a crisis of far greater magnitude than I would have imagined at the time. He was certainly not the first Bishop of our church who was/is a homosexual. He is the first to be open about it. Personally his election had little immediate effect on me. I believe that some people are heterosexual and some are homosexual. I have known many homosexual men and women who strive to be deeply faithful and who have and do provide significant leadership in the church. His election and ordination certainly had an impact on my ministry. I live in a diocese where some celebrated joyously and some reacted with deep pain and hurt. A large group followed the rector of one of our congregations out of the church. The work to try to bring reconciliation and move us from being issued centered to being mission centered has become central to my work as Canon to the Ordinary.
I remember vividly the announcement that Katherine Jefforts-Schori had been elected as Presiding Bishop. I had met and been impressed with her. I had the immediate mixed reaction of marveling how far women in ordained ministry had come and wondering if this action would be the final straw for some in our church and communion. In my professional life, I have discovered that some of my personal fears have to an extent proven true and false. True in that many in the Episcopal Church are angry and some more are leaving. False in that she has to this point shown real leadership and the ability to stand her ground as our primate. She is willing to engage conflict although she does not seek it. Still what will be of her nine year term is yet an unknown.
I was present and listened to debate on the floor of the House of Bishops and later the House of Deputies over resolution B033 which called on the church to refrain from consenting to the election of anyone as Bishop whose manner of life would cause further dissention and harm in the Anglican Communion. I support that resolution and would work to carry it out if I were to become a Bishop of the Church. I believe that we need to work to bring about reconciliation and that we are at our best when we do things as community rather than unilaterally. B033 gives us one method of helping with that reconciliation and its intent needs to be upheld.
Finally, I want to comment on the energy and enthusiasm generated by the Millennium Development Goals at our most recent General Convention. I was clearly reminded of the fact that mission unites and issues divide. It was amazing to watch as conservative, moderate and liberal came together to support changing the world for the better. In my professional life the adoption of these goals has allowed me to travel to Southern Sudan, to help carry out water and educational projects along with others in the Diocese of Missouri.
Question: As a bishop, how would you respond to the controversies of the church today?
Answer: While I do not want to ignore the controversies that we face in the church today, I believe that the church has largely ignored what I think is the primary controversy that we face; the serious decline in membership and average Sunday attendance. There can be no doubt that the controversy surrounding the election of Gene Robinson and other controversies have contributed to the speed of the decline however they did not start it. Decline in the membership of the Episcopal Church started in 1964 long before the controversies of today. During the past five years we have lost well over 100,000 in ASA. The first year of that rapid decline was 2002 again before some of the current controversies. However we have used the controversies as a convenient target for the blame in this decline. The fact is that we, each and every one of us, are responsible. We have often allowed controversies to become central rather than the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Many of us seem to have come to a point where we are more concerned with being right about issues, whatever right might mean, rather than being faithful. I want to change that attitude. I want us to fall in love with God again; to return to an active study of scripture, devotion to a lively, relevant worship and to living a life of prayer in the community of faith. I believe we have a world hungry for the message of love, healing, hope and life that is promised in Jesus Christ. When one takes into account that only about 21% of the population of the United States is in church on any given Sunday it is evident that the field is ripe for the harvest. I think we have to be passionate about what God is doing in our lives and to share that good news with others allowing them to discover the love of God in their lives.
Of course we need to work to bring reconciliation in the other controversies of our church. As noted in question one, the questions abound: human sexuality, Biblical authority, the Anglican Communion to name three. I have in the last question concerning General Conventions mentioned my basic beliefs regarding human sexuality. I know that there are many who strongly disagree with me. For many in the current debates of the church the overall issue is one of Biblical Authority. I would point out that the primary authority of the Bible is that it constantly points us to the real authority in our lives God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit; the One who says let there be light, be healed, you are forgiven. Now that is authority. The Anglican Communion is struggling with its identity. Is it a hierarchical church; A dogmatic church? Those questions and more need to be answered. I recognize that as a Bishop helping discover these answers is part of the ministry.
As I approach the various controversies of that face the church, I want to hold central that the primary task of a Bishop is to call the larger community to the table. There nourished by the sacrament of the altar, steeped in the prayers of the people and learning from the scriptures we can talk, we can learn, we can grow, we can understand, we can heal and we can learn to live together. This constant calling into relationship around the altar I hope would be central to my ministry as a Bishop. I do not think we will ever be unified in our theological understanding. We are fallen and God is a mystery. What we can do is strive towards a more complete understanding of what God and to the understanding that it is only together that we can come near the truth that God is calling us into.