NEWS
Here’s where you’ll find good news stories about how we–as a diocese, as parishes, and as individuals–are drawing people to Jesus and embodying His love for the world by growing our skills as leaders, deepening our faith, and striving for justice.
From Acts to Action
This Lenten season has provoked questions about the experiences of the early apostles as they built a new community of love and generosity. After the Resurrection, before believers were called “Christians” and before the church became an institution, how did they feed the hungry and spread the Gospel?
Come and See: Twenty Years of Misa Alegría
On March 8, 2026—the Third Sunday of Lent—St. Stephen and the Incarnation filled with laughter, prayer, music, and unmistakable joy. Parishioners, families, longtime members, friends, and visitors gathered at the 5:30 p.m. service to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Misa Alegría, the parish’s vibrant, Spanish-speaking faith community.
DC Episcopal Fellowship: Community for 20s & 30s
Navigating your 20s and 30s can be exhilarating and challenging. Between building careers, forging new relationships, and discovering who you’re becoming, the search for authentic community and spiritual grounding often takes on new urgency. Whether you’re a lifelong Episcopalian or you’re exploring faith for the first time in a new city, finding your place and exploring your faith matters more than ever. That’s where DC Episcopal Fellowship comes in.
Preparing Confirmands for a Life of Faith in the Episcopal Diocese of Washington
Confirmation is a significant milestone in a Christian’s journey — a moment when a young person or adult steps forward to claim their faith as their own, publicly affirming their commitment to follow Jesus Christ. To help congregations prepare confirmands well, Bishop Mariann has partnered with diocesan leaders to identify the essential outcomes that every confirmation preparation program in the Episcopal Diocese of Washington should reflect.
Planting Seeds of Renewal: Deepen Your Roots, Reach Out in New Ways
In her address at Convention, Bishop Mariann spoke to us about the call to deepen our roots while reaching out in new ways. She reminded us that we are part of a living tradition that is always growing. No matter what season your parish is in from struggling to “being fine,” there are opportunities to go deeper and be called by God in new ways. Planting Seeds of Renewal (PSR) is designed to help you develop a new ministry idea, providing support and discernment, grounded in the framework of the Seven Vital Signs of Parish Health.
A Different Way: Youth Confirmation Retreat
In a world saturated with messages about success, identity, and purpose, young people face an overwhelming array of voices telling them who to be and how to live. Social media influencers, entertainment culture, academic pressures, and peer expectations all compete for attention, each presenting its own vision of the good life. But amid this cacophony, an ancient voice continues to offer something fundamentally different—not louder, but deeper.
From Strategy to Presence: Strengthening Black Ministries Through Relationship and Renewal
The mission of the Committee on Black Ministries is to support Black Churches in our diocese in building thriving communities through education, collaboration, financial stability, and institutional growth and was formed by Diocesan Council in July of 2023. Over the past six months, our committee has undergone a purposeful evolution, shifting from abstract strategic planning to the foundational work of building authentic relationships within our parishes.
The Rev. John Kellogg’s Diocesan Convention Homily
On Saturday, January 31, the Episcopal Diocese of Washington gathered for its annual convention, a day-long meeting with clergy and lay representatives from every congregation. A full report of the convention will be the subject of next week’s newsletter, and you can read my annual address to the diocese here.
Upholding One Another in Love: Diocesan Convention Address, 2026
May I never cease to thank you for the honor of serving as your bishop and of addressing you when we gather in Convention. I’d like to share some of what I see from the vantage point of my role, looking back on the past year, and forward, to the year ahead.
A Joint Letter from 154 Bishops of The Episcopal Church: Whose Dignity Matters?
We, the undersigned bishops of The Episcopal Church, write today out of grief, righteous anger, and steadfast hope. What happened a week ago in Minnesota and is happening in communities across the country runs counter to God’s vision of justice and peace. This crisis is about more than one city or state—it’s about who we are as a nation. The question before us is simple and urgent: Whose dignity matters?
