THE SPEECH I NEVER GOT TO GIVE

My 5 Minute Speech
Hi, I’m Pastor Richard Hill, and I come from a church named Hope.
That fact is very significant for me because I believe that is the most important gift God has given me as I think about serving as bishop of the MNYS. When people have asked me “Why would you want to be bishop of Metro New York?” the best answer I can come up with is because I have hope for the future of our synod.
To me, it’s not a matter of “wanting” the job of bishop. Instead I ask “What would I have to give to this synod if I were bishop here?”
First, let me tell you who I am, and then I’d like to share with you what I think I would have to offer if I were bishop of this great synod.
I am a native Long Islander, born and raised in Nassau County, educated on Staten Island and Manhattan before going to seminary in Minnesota, and I’ve serve the last 25 years in Suffolk County.
In my 35 years as a pastor I’ve served only two churches, both of them named “Hope,” one a mission church in Massachusetts and the other in Selden, 60 miles east of the city.
While serving here in Long Island, I’ve seen God grow our church from about 300 members to slightly more than 1,600. We’ve been through 8 or 9 building projects and 4 major funds drives, and I’ve learned a lot about how to lead a church.
But more importantly, I’ve been privileged to welcome literally thousands of people into God’s church, but I’m still amazed at everything God has done and is doing among His people.
I care about our synod, and I’ve been actively involved in serving the synod for many years, both before and after the formation of the ELCA. I’ve served on the Synod Council and the Region 7 Coordinating Committee. I’m serving my fourth term as Dean of the Peconic Conference (a total of 10 years so far) and I am the chairperson of the Synod’s Mission Planning Team. I helped create our Synod’s Commission for Evangelical Outreach, and I serve as the chair of the CEO and as one of three coordinators.
My Doctor of Ministry degree at Andover Newton focused on leadership in the church. Over the years I’ve taken many Continuing Ed courses and I’ve read extensively about leadership.



What kind of leader am I?
1. I believe that a bishop must be first and foremost a “servant” of the people of God. I realize that the office of bishop is respected and honored by many, especially in the church, but the real power a bishop has is the power to serve God’s people. That’s how Jesus understood leadership. You recall that Jesus said: “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant,” and then went on to say, “the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

2. I believe that a bishop must be a “Team-player,” one who coaches others, but also shares in the work of ministry as well. The bishop stands alongside the synod staff, pastors, leaders, and all the baptized members of the synod and leads the church by using his gifts to equip, encourage and support God’s people in being the church. As bishop, I would continue to offer the kind of leadership that builds up the church and empowers God’s people.

3. I believe that the qualities and characteristics of a bishop that we identified during our synod audit process go far beyond what any single individual could provide. What we really need is a bishop who is able to bring together a diverse and talented team of people who share a common love for Jesus Christ and a common commitment to fulfilling God’s mission in the world. They need not agree on everything. What matters most is that they are willing serve God faithfully together.

4. And there are at least five things a bishop must be willing to do:

· First, a bishop must take time to really LISTEN to the insights, the feelings, the anxieties, and the hopes of others. The people of Metro New York are our greatest asset, God’s Spirit will work through them if we are willing to pay attention to what they have to say.

· Second, a bishop must spend time OBSERVING firsthand the needs and opportunities for ministry that really exist among God’s people. We all can learn from each other, and we can all become servants of one another. The bishop is the one who creates the opportunity for us to work collaboratively.

· Third, a bishop must SPEAK the truth of God (both Law and Gospel). The bishop must challenge destructive false beliefs and attitudes among God’s people but also encourage them to move beyond their comfort zones by taking risks and by making bold efforts on behalf of the gospel.

· Fourth, a bishop must also PRAY both in public services and in private settings for the diverse ministries God gives to us. God’s Spirit uses such actions to build up the church so that God’s Kingdom may come on earth as it is in heaven.

· But most importantly, a bishop must always bring HOPE to God’s people, as Peter wrote: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for by his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” A bishop gives living hope to all who believe.

· The next bishop to serve this synod will have to be a navigator, someone who can steer a course through some very perilous and challenging waters. Our synod faces a serious crisis right now, and in the years ahead we will need to draw together all of the tremendous resources God has placed at our disposal.

· This is not a time for Christian to be pitted against Christian because of differences dividing us.

· This is not a time to adopt a “survival of the fittest,” mentality that sacrifices weaker congregations for the sake of stronger ones.

· This is not a time to retreat from the challenges of living in a growing multi-ethnic, multi-national, multi-cultural society. Rather, we must embrace them.

· This is not a time to focus resources on urban communities at the expense of rural ones.

· This is not a time to water down the message of God’s New Creation breaking in upon us so we can accommodate the fashions of politically correct elitists.

· This is the time for all of God’s people to come together around a single mission—to disciple all nations, by baptizing, teaching, and welcoming them into the kingdom of God.

· And this is the time to challenge every member of God’s Lutheran community to take up Christ’s cross and put ourselves on the line because we believe that Jesus Christ is Lord over all.

· It‘s an awesome task, but it’s also an exciting moment for us. No bishop can do it alone. That’s why God gave us each other--rich and poor; black, white, Asian, Latino; urban, rural, and suburban; straight and gay; Met fans and Yankees fans. We’re all in this together!