On November 17, 2012, Nicholas Knisely was consecrated as the XII Bishop of Rhode Island. Kirk Smith, V Bishop of Arizona, preached this sermon at his consecration. The sermon issued a call to action for the Episcopal Church in a Digital Age, and said some things that the whole Church could stand to hear. Read the entire sermon when you can, but meanwhile, here are some memorable passages:
Here are some are two scary facts—80% of people looking for a church to attend for the first time, go to the internet, and yet only 20% of Episcopal churches have an active and up-to-date website. Here is another one. There are 110 active bishops in this country, only six are on Twitter, and yet at our General Convention this summer, when we were discussing the blessings of same sex unions, over 10 million people worldwide were following us on Twitter! File this under #majorfail….
It is to youth that the church must “cast its INTERnet.” Internet communication is not a toy for young people—it is a way of life. It is the language they speak, and if the church is going to grow, it will have to realize this….
“Be dressed for action and with your phones turned on!” …thanks be to God!
