INTRODUCTION
The Mission Diocese of Saint Nicholas is an autocephalous jurisdiction within the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church of Jesus Christ. The Mission Diocese works with people who find themselves with pastoral care needs that cannot be adequately met in their local congregations, as well as people who are not attached to a local church and are not sure where to turn.
Saint Ignatius of Antioch (1st c. A.D) is quoted as saying: "Where the bishop is, there let the multitude of believers be; even as where Jesus is, there is the Catholic Church.'' Some, through the history of the Christian Church, have taken this to mean that each validly consecrated bishop gathers around him or herself a valid expression of the Body of Christ—namely, a "local Church."
As this term implied, this was originally viewed as a local parish along with its missions or ministries that were geographically nearby. According to this understanding of Church polity (governance), many, many local churches existed throughout the Catholic (Universal) Church lead by many, many bishops. Each local church was united under its local bishop as the Universal Church was (is) united under the headship of Jesus Christ.
Saint Ignatius of Antioch (1st c. A.D) is quoted as saying: "Where the bishop is, there let the multitude of believers be; even as where Jesus is, there is the Catholic Church.'' Some, through the history of the Christian Church, have taken this to mean that each validly consecrated bishop gathers around him or herself a valid expression of the Body of Christ—namely, a "local Church."
As this term implied, this was originally viewed as a local parish along with its missions or ministries that were geographically nearby. According to this understanding of Church polity (governance), many, many local churches existed throughout the Catholic (Universal) Church lead by many, many bishops. Each local church was united under its local bishop as the Universal Church was (is) united under the headship of Jesus Christ.
THE MISSION DIOCESE
The Mission Diocese is thus the "local church" serving within the boundaries of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts existing under the pastoral jurisdiction of the local bishop—currently The Reverend David Dismas, M.Div., S.T.M.—and is headquartered out of the bishop’s residence.
The Mission Diocese can also be described as a “personal jurisdiction” with missionary clergy living and serving beyond the boundaries of the Commonwealth. A “personal jurisdiction” has no defined territory and its jurisdiction extends to those whom it serves throughout the world via its many and varied types of chaplaincies. In addition to our ministries in Massachusetts, we have missionaries in North Carolina and West Virginia, associated clergy in Maine and New Jersey, and retired clergy in Florida and New Mexico.
The Mission Diocese can also be described as a “personal jurisdiction” with missionary clergy living and serving beyond the boundaries of the Commonwealth. A “personal jurisdiction” has no defined territory and its jurisdiction extends to those whom it serves throughout the world via its many and varied types of chaplaincies. In addition to our ministries in Massachusetts, we have missionaries in North Carolina and West Virginia, associated clergy in Maine and New Jersey, and retired clergy in Florida and New Mexico.
Under the direction of our bishop, the clergy of The Mission Diocese minister in hospice and hospital chaplaincy, elder services, bereavement care and follow-up, recovery and addictions counseling as well as many other types of “ad hoc” pastoral care following the admonition "do what needs to be done."
OUR POLITY
Our polity [governance] is "Congregational Catholic" with strong influences from the House Church Movement, the Independent Sacramental Movement, and the International Council of Community Churches. In our model, local communities and ministries are responsible for their own properties and finances. Our bishop is neither a Chief Executive Officer [CEO] nor a Chief Financial Officer [CFO]. In some ways our common life is very similar to that of the “Old Catholic” churches; however, we are not adherents to the Old Catholic “Union of Utrecht.”
Our bishop is our chief pastor, responsible for keeping us faithful to the Apostolic Tradition of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church as taught in the Sacred Scriptures and the Seven Ecumenical Councils of the undivided Church. We maintain that our bishops stand in the unbroken Apostolic Succession of the churches catholic. We cherish as values congregational self-determination, freedom of conscience and the conciliar ideal [aka synodality]. We strive for "consensus building" in our common life.
The Mission Diocese is “open and affirming;” all are invited to full participation according to their call as God's children.
The Mission Diocese will always be a “work in progress” as we grow in following the Holy Spirit’s leading.
The Mission Diocese will always be a “work in progress” as we grow in following the Holy Spirit’s leading.
PRAYER FOR AN INCLUSIVE CHURCH
How great is your love, Lord God, how wide is your mercy! Never let us board up the narrow gate that leads to life with rules or doctrines that you dismiss; but give us a Spirit to welcome all people with affection, so that your Church may never exclude secret friends of yours, who are included in the love of Jesus Christ, who came to save us all. Amen. [From the (Presbyterian) Book of Common Worship, p. 804.]
