About Bishop Stokes

As we have congregations and ministries to celebrate, we also have some challenges. As a diocese, we’re spending a lot more than we should. This year, our draw from our endowments, reserve funds, and trust accounts is more than $1,300,000. Last year, it was more than $900,000. This is not sustainable. While we are still discerning together some of the details about where God is calling us to focus, it is clear that part of our common call in the near future is toward fiscal stability.

As we work toward the Special Budget Convention on December 9, 2023, the diocesan Finance and Budget Committee is preparing the 2024 budget. While there is still much to be done, it is my hope that we will be able to take some substantial steps toward closing the gap between our income and our expenses. We are already taking steps to decrease expenditures in some key areas.

As we prepare for our next Diocesan Convention, we have some financial challenges to address. Our congregations and our diocese have limited resources and there are many needs in our churches and communities. I do not yet know what the budget will look like, but I am committed to good stewardship of our resources, our people, and our communities. More information will be available soon, and I look forward to what will be, and to what, by the grace of God, we are becoming. Things take the time they take, and we are on God’s journey, together.

The Diocese of New Jersey has sometimes struggled with communications. I recognize this, and I also recognize that the work of diocesan communications is challenging. There are many demands and many opportunities. We have limited resources, of people, skills, and funds. We want to do God’s work, to know our stories and share them boldly, to proclaim the Good News and make disciples. We also want clear and accessible platforms, technology, and graphics, together with timely and appealing updates, in formats everyone can understand. We have not used the available resources to their fullest potential, and our communications practices and strategy have at times fallen short.