Regional Deans provide pastoral care to clergy and serve as a liaison between the Bishops and clergy.
In his address to the 239th Annual Convention, Bishop Mello discussed the vision for the future of ECCT, with a dedicated mission to meet everyone within the diocese exactly where they are:
“In an effort to better meet the expressed desire for collegial support and pastoral care, I am establishing the role of Regional Deans.
The role and function of the Dean is to create relationships of trust with, and among, the clergy in their regions. The Dean may be the person a clergy person wants to call to run something by, without having to involve the Bishop’s office. Monthly gatherings of the clergy with the Dean will provide opportunities for clergy to support one another, reduce isolation, and bounce ideas off one another.
The Dean will also serve a communication role, bringing anything the clergy in their regions wish to the attention of the bishops, and vice versa. The deans will serve a three-year term, appointed by the bishop, for a maximum of two, three-year terms. The Deans will not, except as participants, have a role in the Regional Leadership Teams or duplicate the work being done by our Regional Missionaries.
As you may know, my experience as a Regional Dean, and my relationships with my regional colleagues, was one of the greatest rewards of my ministry, and I pray this will yield similar benefits. I will announce the first set of Deans in the next couple of weeks.“