Bishop Wendell Gibbs recalls the first Diocesan Convention in 2001 after he was installed as the diocesan bishop in the Diocese of Michigan.

“I got in trouble because I said something about not having to leave town to do mission,” said Gibbs, noting that his comments were misunderstood to suggest he did not value overseas mission. “I wasn’t saying that we shouldn’t leave town, just that we could look around us and find plenty of mission to do on the way to the airport.

“I still think for us to be the church we are called to be, we have to go elsewhere and help those less fortunate than ourselves—because we are incredibly rich. Even though we are trying to hold onto every dime we have, we have way more than these people have. And we aren’t willing to share it. We are too busy fighting over whether we should use money left to us by our forebears,” Gibbs said.

“Should we use endowment monies to keep ministries going? I still say ‘yes.’ As long as the ministry we keep going is working to improve the plight of the poor, then we should spend it. But not to continue to maintain what we’ve always maintained so that we can show off beautiful stained glass windows.”

Gibbs recalled a conversation on the bus while driving through the Dominican Republic, when the bishops were challenged to identify two dozen ministries in Michigan that their dioceses could display for visitors from the D.R.

“I’d have to look pretty hard to take Bishop Holguin and a group of his folk to the kinds of ministries they showed us, because a lot of what we do is about ourselves; it’s not about anybody else. It’s about maintaining what we have; God forbid, we should lose it.

“We’ve been with people who have practically nothing and yet they have everything, because they have joy and faith and hope and they are full of life,” Gibbs said. “I am hoping to find a way to translate what we have seen so that we can look beyond ourselves and move out of maintenance and into true mission.”

Bishop Todd Ousley recalled a message from San Francisco de Marcorís where the church banners and T-shirts make the claim: “Dios es Fiel” (translation: God is faithful).

“For me, it is a reminder that if we go back to the basics, if we go back to the covenantal relationship that God has established with us—it’s about God’s faithfulness. The whole Biblical narrative is about people who are ill equipped. They don’t have directions; they don’t have a clear destination; they don’t have the resources; ridiculous promises are made to them, and yet they continue to take those steps.

“In our society, we want to balance the budget and make sure all our ducks are in a row—that not only do we have enough manna for today, but that there is enough for tomorrow and the next day and the next day. It was clear at every turn in the Dominican Republic, people truly understand that because God is faithful, we are called to step out in faith.

“It’s about getting in touch with Dios es Fiel,” Ousley said.

Michigan bishops reflect on the potential for a companion relationship

While the bishops, fresh off the plane from the trip to the Dominican Republic, desired some time to reflect, share and process the possibility of a deeper relationship with the Caribbean nation and church, some early indications were all positive.

“I think a relationship has already begun,” said Bishop Robert Gepert. “The direction it takes, I don’t know, but the relationship is already begun.”

“We are being called into a partnership here,” added Bishop Todd Ousley, “and it’s not just with the D.R.—it’s the three of us in partnership with them. I see possibilities for what the D.R. can bring to us in ways that I haven’t always seen with companion relationships.”

“And that’s one of the most important things from this visit. It’s got to be a two-way relationship,” said Bishop Wendell Gibbs. “I think we have found a potential partner to help us do that, one who can teach us something about true mission and its definition as relationship.”