Bishop Steve Completes Second Year of Living Our Vows Program

Bishop Stephen London has completed the second year of Living Our Vows, a three-year program for new bishops, sometimes referred to informally as “Baby Bishop School.” Consisting mainly of an annual one-week “residency” meeting in Virginia, the program is an initiative of the Episcopal Church and is a requirement for all new American bishops.

Bishop Steve’s program includes bishops from Canada, the U.S., Mexico and Ecuador. In his first year of study, he received an introduction to being a bishop that included courses on self-care and psychological well-being, the diocese as a system, as well as critical incident workshops. In the second year, the bishops moved into strategic planning focusing on the importance of creating a safe, welcoming space for people to be heard.

Bishops’ school students also work with a mentor throughout the program. Bishop Steve meets with Archbishop Colin Johnson once a month on Zoom. He says the opportunity to meet with Johnson, a retired Archbishop of Toronto and Moosonee, and Metropolitan of Ontario, who is currently Assistant Bishop of Niagara, is “a lifeline. He is someone with tons of experience and goodwill.” 

Next month, Archbishop Johnson will visit the Edmonton diocese to conduct an on-site visit and gain insight into how our synod office works. He has also offered to lead a seminar on the topic of Adaptive Change on Saturday, June 17, from 10 am to 3 pm, at Christ Church, 12116 - 102 Avenue NW, Edmonton.