Diocesan News

The strength of the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh is in the people that call it home. It is found in the enthusiasm of our laity, the wisdom of our clergy, and the faithfulness of our staff and volunteers. 

April is only a day away which means we are quickly approaching our Special Convention to elect the next Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh!

February 23, 2022 

Dear Friends,  

The week for our candidate “walkabouts” is coming quickly. We have four special gatherings planned for March 21 – 24. We look forward with enthusiasm to discover which of these three men the Lord would have as our next bishop. As we prepare to meet with our candidates, here is an update with instructions related to our time together.  

Who Are Walkabouts For?  

The Bishop’s Search Committee is very pleased to announce three final candidates for consideration for the next Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh. In alphabetical order, they are:

This morning (Monday August 23rd) Thomas McKenzie, Rector of Church of the Redeemer, Nashville, and his 22-year-old eldest child Charlie (Ella) died in an accident on Interstate 40 west of Nashville. They were driving to Santa Fe, New Mexico where Charlie was to continue studies at St. John’s College. Thomas was just beginning his well-deserved sabbatical. Thomas’ wife Laura and their daughter Sophie are now home in Nashville. 

Shepherd's Heart Fellowship and Veteran's Home is unique among congregations in the diocese. Near the Pittsburgh city center in the Uptown neighborhood, it is chiefly a congregation "to the homeless, for the homeless," as described by its Rector, The Rev. Mike Wurschmidt. Many in the diocese know Shepherd's Heart for its daily Drop-In Center, where Morning Prayer is held; its Sunday Worship Service followed by a hot meal; and its transitional housing facility for homeless veterans.

By The Rev. Cn. Dr. David Wilson

I retired as rector of Christ the Redeemer Canonsburg in July 2018, dreaming of travel to warm climates, lolling on sandy beaches, and gorging on seafood extravaganzas while sipping exotic tropical beverages. What I got was a brief break and a three-month sabbatical coverage, followed by two interim rectorships. I have found it to be an exhilarating couple of years and something I would not change at all.

In a time when college students are sheltering in place in dorms, or attending school remotely from anywhere in the world, or something in between, what does campus ministry look like? How does it continue? Our Communications Director, Kristen Parise, sat down over Zoom with two people in the diocese to learn how they minister to college students through different means.

As Christians in the Pittsburgh Diocese, we have been considering our World and Life View journey through the Fifth Friday Conversation about Race. We are asking ourselves, “What and how ought we do to be truly One in Christ?” Within the Bible we are called “…love your neighbor as yourself.” Everyone regardless of skin color are our neighbors. The sin of counting someone as less than ourselves because of their ethnic or cultural heritage is rampant not just in the U.S. but around the world.