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$$PLAIN_TEXT_PREVIEW$$
FROM THE DESK OF BISHOP MARK
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May 6, 2026Season of Easter“When your son asks you in time to come, ‘What is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the rules that the LORD your God has commanded you?’Then you shall say to your son, … ‘The LORD… brought us out from there (slavery), that he might bring us in and give us the land that he swore to give to our fathers…And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always…’”(Deuteronomy 6:20-21, 23-24)
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
This lesson from the lectionary last Sunday greatly encouraged me. It was my privilege to share it with the congregation of St. Andrew’s in Lewis Center on their Groundbreaking Sunday. Throughout this passage (and many others such as Philippians 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:24), God reassures his people that in seasons of challenge and/or transition that his purposes will not fail so that we will trust and obey him.
On the drive to Columbus on Saturday, Terri and I listened to the words of an old Imperials song entitled He Didn’t Bring Us This Far to Leave Us”. Our hearts were deeply reassured that God would continue to see us through the present ACNA Provincial Trials, the ADGL Diocesan Bishop Coadjutor search/election, as well as congregational/personal challenges as we sang along at the chorus:
He didn’t bring us this far to leave us.He didn’t teach us to swim to let us drown.He didn’t build his home in us to move away.He didn’t lift us up to let us down.He didn’t lift us up to let us down.
Admittedly, these aren’t the most eloquent and lofty words ever penned. They are, however, deeply aligned with the promises of God in his written Word as referenced above. Beloved, let us stay true in our commitment to trust and obey God, the Lord being our Helper. He will not fail us or forsake us. Our God perfects what he starts!
Please pray with me:
Go before us, O Lord, in all our doings with your most graciousfavor, and further us with your continual help; that in all ourworks begun, continued, and ended in you, we may glorify yourholy Name, and finally, through your mercy, obtain everlastinglife; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Your servant for Jesus’ sake,
+MarkPS: If you have not yet, I heartily commend this Pastoral Letter penned by ACNA brother Bishop Eric Menees of the Diocese of San Joaquin for your careful reading and prayerful consideration. I believe this is important pastoral wisdom for the current cultural context in which we endeavor to proclaim the Gospel and care for God’s children. You can find the letter(s) here.
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Clergy Retreat 2026 - Maumee Bay Lodge
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The ADGL 2026 Clergy Retreat was held from April 23-35 at Maumee Bay Lodge and Conference Center in Oregon, OH. With over 100 attendees, clergy and spouses gathered from all corners of the Diocese to soak in the Word, the presence of colleagues and friends, the sunshine, and (for some) the pool!Hear what some of our attendees have to say about this year’s retreat:“I appreciated the topic that Bishop Mark focused on (Holy Spirit) to be very helpful for understanding the ACNA, what it means to be Anglican, and what it means to be Christian.”“It was lovely to have a balance between teaching sessions and rest/retreat time. Bishop Mark did an exceptional job on teaching and Bishop Allen as well for the homilies. The content was perfect for where we are as a diocese right now and encouragement to minister in everything God has for us was timely and needed.”“My husband and I really enjoyed walking by the lake and the beach. And the sound of the fountain/rain at night was pretty wonderful for sleeping. It was the perfect retreat for us!”“There was nothing that I didn't like! I loved Bp. Mark's fireside chats. The fellowship is superb. I love our diocese.”
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BISHOP MARK IS OUT OF THE OFFICE EVERY WEDNESDAYPlease note: Bishop Mark is out of the office every Wednesday. If you need anything from him or the diocesan office on a Wednesday, please contact Canon Andrea Orchard at aorchard@adgl.us rather than Bishop Mark. Thank you! |
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FOLLOW BISHOP MARK ON FACEBOOK |
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BISHOP’S DISCRETIONARY FUNDThank you for your ongoing giving to our Bishops’ discretionary funds! Just a note of clarification on these: When sending a check to the diocesan office, please be sure to note in the check’s memo line to whose discretionary fund (Bishop Engel or BIshop Kannapell) you wish your donation to go. You can always give via our website as well and select the desired fund in the first dropdown menu. Thank you!! |
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Save the Date!In September, the candidates for our next bishop coadjutor will be traveling to three churches in the diocese for Q&A events so the people of the ADGL can get to know them better before the election at Mission Conference and Synod in October. Each of the events will be recorded and/or live streamed, so even if you can't make it in person, you'll still be able to hear from the candidates before voting.Tuesday, September 15th @ Christ Church in Grand RapidsWednesday, September 16th @ St Luke's in CopleyThursday, September 17th @ Mission Cincinnati(7:00pm-8:30pm each night)(Just a reminder, the final candidates are scheduled to be announced at the beginning of August).
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2026 Cycle of PrayerClick the link below to access the 2025 Cycle of Prayer for the Anglican Diocese of the Great Lakes. Please check this document often as changes are made to the cycle of prayer throughout the year. Thank you for your faithfulness to pray for our people.
2026 Cycle of Prayer
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AROUND THE DIOCESEVisitations at St. Anne’s in the Fields - Madison, OH and St. Anselm - Lakewood, OH
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ADGL Clergy pictured above from St. Anselm visitation (left to right): Rev. Canon Mark Hottel, Bishop Mark Engel,Very Rev. Sean Templeton It was a joy to visit both St. Anne’s In the Fields (Madison, OH) and St. Anselm (Lakewood, OH) in April with confirmations and receptions. |
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Please keep in prayer the churches in our diocese who are currently in the search process for leadership/staff in their congregation:The Mission Cincinnati - Cincinnati, OHSt. Andrew’s Anglican, Lewis Center, OHSt. Timothy’s Anglican, Radcliff, KY
You can find job descriptions on the Jobs page of the ADGL website. |
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JOIN THE SUPPLY CLERGY LIST!If you are willing to be Supply Clergy and are not currently on the list, please contact Canon Mark at canonordinary@adgl.us to be added. Thank you for your faithfulness and willingness to serve! |
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ADGL DIRECTORY OF CHURCHESVisit the Clergy Resources page (Quick Links) on the ADGL website to view our diocesan directory of churches. If you notice that updates should be made to your congregation’s info, please email Ms. Kate Krumreig, Communications Director, at kkrumreig@adgl.us. |
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ANGLICAN FRONTIER MISSIONSAnglican Frontier Missions (AFM) has recently released two new curricula: Adult Missions Curriculum and Frontier Missions Kids. |
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Are you passionate about seeing people come to faith in Christ?
Do you desire to see people grow as disciples?
Do you long to see the cities of our nation bring glory to God?
Did you know that the single most effective strategy for reaching people for Christ and making new disciples is church planting?
Donate to the ADGL Flourish Fund here. All gifts will go towards church planting, revitalization, and curacies. The goal of the Flourish Fund is to raise $1,000,000 over the next three years to plant and revitalize churches and raise up the next generation of clergy and leaders through curacies in the Anglican Diocese of the Great Lakes. You can learn more and make a gift at our website: https://www.adgl.us/flourish. |
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