Bishop-elect shares the gifts she brings

At all four of the public meetings leading up to the episcopal election, all of the nominees were given five minutes to answer this question: What are your God-given gifts and how do you see them being exercised through the ministry of bishop?

Bishop-elect Kathryn Otley kindly shared her answer with Perspective.

I am honoured to have the opportunity to respond to the question. The first gift I will highlight is the style of leadership I practice: non-anxious leadership. In times of great change there is great anxiety, and people respond reactively, taking a defensive posture, stymying growth. A bishop, by setting a tone of calm composure, helps to settle the atmosphere, empowering people to react responsively, with thought. And an environment is created in which we are able to accomplish our tasks.

The gift of working well with others — more than simply collaborative: as it says in Ephesians: God gives us grace… to equip God’s people for the work of serving and building up the body of Christ. I “equip God’s people” by encouraging others to bring forward their ideas, and I recognize their contributions. A bishop celebrates this rich diversity of gifts — the abundance of God’s grace working through each of us. I have a gift of recognizing leadership qualities both clerical and lay. It is a Bishop’s role to raise up leaders- supporting and empowering their ministry.

The gift of fostering partnerships is crucial in our changing context. In my service across the ecclesiastical province and the county, I developed a gift of connecting with other dioceses, bishops, clergy, and laity. I have partnered with non-profit and for-profit organizations, with ecumenical and interfaith partners, and municipal and federal organizations. As bishop, I’d offer the gift of experience in negotiating with prospective partners, communicating clearly our Anglican perspective, identifying our shared goals and learning from their experience.

God gives direction, we need to map the course. A bishop must keep the diocesan ministry direction aligned with its purpose, set clear goals, make decisions, be accountable.

When working with wider church councils, I learned to focus on what is most appropriate to address at each level. I share that gift here: there are so many tasks before us, without focus the result will be scattered, make no impact, we could become discouraged. I offer the gift of setting priorities at diocesan level; then empowering clergy at work in parishes, with their congregations, to minister in their communities.

The bishop must carry out complex decisions and make hard choices which can result in conflict. An important part of healthy growth and change, conflict is not to be avoided. The gift of addressing conflict is necessary for bishop. I have the gift of experience in dealing with conflict; listening, reflecting with colleagues and then enacting decisions with compassion and firmness. I take responsibility for decisions and when I make a mistake, I learn from it.

Gift of perspective (two ways):

1. In my various diocesan leadership roles, I developed a broad perspective of the many facets of our diocese: rural, suburban, village, town and city. This is an important gift for a bishop, who will face issues of employment, governance, finance, pastoral and property —and must deal with them contextually.
2. A bishop also represents our Diocese to whole church. While working at the provincial level I received the gift of perspective from outside our diocese — seeing us through eyes of wider church —learning what we, ADO [the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa], uniquely have to offer and how we can combine our strengths to drive change, through raising awareness, advocacy and action.

It is the role of bishop to teach and there is a thirst for knowledge, for expanding our understanding of faith & our call to serve God. As bishop, I would share my gift of the joy of teaching and learning. I would facilitate teaching, my own and others’, throughout our diocese.

The bishop is the chief pastor exercising gifts of listening, presence, prayer, and support. My pastoral support of parishioners and colleagues is a gift I offer and a key skill a bishop needs in navigating the often-delicate relationships in ministries. This includes the gift of setting boundaries — all living things have boundaries; healthy boundaries create an environment of safety and well-being that we require to thrive.

Our rapidly changing world tempts us to try to ‘hang on to what we have left’; that is operating from a model of scarcity. My gift is to remind us that as a people of faith, we are called to live from a model of abundance — to throw open our doors and, emboldened by prayerful reflection, risk new ideas and seek out challenges.

We can refresh and strengthen the things that traditionally define us — and then ‘widen our tent’ and be enriched by the ideas and gifts of those who are new and those who are our neighbours.

We are a diocese alive in hope, energized by the Spirit and gifted with talented, generous and faithful people. I offer my gifts of leadership as a candidate for bishop, together let us renew the ministry of the church.