Bishop Gregory O. Brewer

The Rt. Rev. Gregory O. Brewer stressed two key points—missions and youth ministry—during his State of the Diocese address at the Forty-Eighth Annual Convention of The Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida.

For a complete transcript of his 32-minute speech, click here.

“The landscape has changed since 2015, Brewer said. “A new presiding bishop [Michael Curry] is bringing a new vision for The Episcopal Church. As you saw in the video [click here] , he is calling us the Episcopal branch of the Jesus Movement.”

A new emphasis has been put on bringing the gospel out into the world, Brewer said. The attitude toward missions differs greatly from the old ways of The Episcopal Church and has blossomed into a major movement. Last year, for the first time in decades, The Episcopal Church hosted and sponsored a conference on evangelism. There, Brewer co-led a workshop, “Made for Evangelism: How Vision, Focus, and Institutional Structures Are Being Reshaped to Support the Work of Evangelism.”

Brewer noted the new Spanish-language services at three parishes, a burgeoning network of diocesan congregations helping homeless people get back on their feet through The Open Table, and several parishes working in interdenominational networks to reach their regions with the Gospel and serve those in need. And this work lines up with what Brewer sees as Curry’s “new vision” for The Episcopal Church.

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry

“Our presiding bishop,” said Brewer of Curry, “is taking our church through a theological turn to the center. And that center is Jesus.

With youth ministries in 46 parishes, progress has been made to share Jesus with youth throughout the Diocese. Brewer challenged those in attendance to do more—lead by example and make youth part of the conversation. “Every young child has the capacity for a tender and intimate relationship with God, and we are bereft if we are not making that an intentional focus, not just for our kids, but for our neighborhoods,” he said.

Brewer shared about a time he led a service for preschoolers. Afterward, a little girl approached, gave him a serious look and said, “Jesus is my friend.”

Making Jesus the center will drive missions and youth ministries in the changing culture of The Episcopal Church, a church, Brewer said, “that sees herself as a part of a global whole where she is called to serve, a laboratory of discipleship for people of all ages.”