Paradoxy Principles Provide Theological Grounding for Transformation Process

I was pleased to learn last week that the Episcopal Diocese of Eau Claire, under the guidance of their Bishop Provisional, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Edwin Leidel, Jr., has begun laying the groundwork for its bottom-up re-visioning and re-structuring as an emergent diocese.  As I read through three-page their draft planning document, I was impressed with both the creativity and courage with which the diocesan leadership approach the future of the Church in the area they serve.  Rather than focusing on repairing the Church by trying to preserve its current way of being or restore it to a earlier state, instead they are focusing on re-paradigming the Church: discerning what God’s Holy Spirit is calling the Church to become and then imagining and creating a structure that will take it there.

But I was most pleasantly surprised when I got to the part of their draft in which they were describing the theological principles that would guide their efforts and found them have a distinctly familiar ring to them.  Upon checking the footnote accompanying the principles, I discovered why: they were modeled on the theological principles I had set forth in chapter 6 of Paradoxy, “Promising Principles of a New Way of Church.” 

Taking those six principles I had outlined, they had adapted them creatively and organically to their setting and circumstances, and expanded them to a new list of eight guiding theological principles for their emergent development as a diocese, specifically:

1. We believe that the law of love supersedes the love of law.


2. We believe transformation comes by living what we believe.


3. We believe that we become transformational by allowing ourselves to be transformed.


4. We believe that loving relationships and radical hospitality need to be the basis for rebuilding our communal structure.


5. We seek to exemplify Oneness in God through Christ in redeveloping our Diocese.


6. We seek to build a living Diocesan organism, rather than a static Diocesan organization.


7. We seek to be inclusive and interdependent in our ecumenical and interfaith relationships.


8. We seek to become an “open source” Diocese using the gifts and resources of all of our members.

Their process is only beginning. The courageous goals they have set will take much time, effort, good will, and prayer to achieve.  It will take a long time to get where they are going. And if they do it “right” their transformation as a diocese will never come to an end. 

And that’s what’s so exciting about it!

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Quick Links

(draft) Next Steps for Developing the Diocese of Eau Claire’s New Emergent Structure (draft)

Episcopal Diocese of Eau Clair website

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