With joy and on behalf of your Standing Committee, I’m glad to share with you that we have called the Rev. Alan James to serve as Interim Executive Officer for our diocese beginning April 1, 2025.
In January the Standing Committee shared that we were struggling to find a bishop who would be willing to move to our diocese and work full time as an Assisting Bishop until we are ready to call our first Bishop Diocesan as the new Episcopal Diocese of the Great Lakes. This led us to imagine other ways that we might find a leader to guide our staff during this transitional period. We posted this job description for an Executive Officer at that time. We wanted a way to have clear and focused leadership, especially for our staff, yet not as a stepping stone to or a diversion from episcopal leadership. The Staffing and Structure Subcommittee along with the Rev. BJ Heyboer, received applications for the Executive Officer role from multiple candidates, including the Rev. Alan James.
Alan is familiar with our diocesan community. He served as interim rector at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Petoskey and Grace Episcopal Church in Grand Rapids, as well as Interim Canon Missioner for the Southern Region of the legacy Diocese of Western Michigan. Over his nearly 30 years of ordained ministry, Alan has also served parishes in California, Ohio and Illinois, and nine years on the staff of the Diocese of Ohio as Canon to the Ordinary. Alan’s ministry focuses on helping faith communities to discern who God is calling them to be. He is committed to helping congregations develop collaborative ministries, networks, and opportunities that expand their capacity for mission and ministry, deepen their faith in God, and strengthen their sense of Episcopal identity and relationships with other congregations.
Ultimately, it was Alan’s extensive experience in interim ministry – his deep, lived understanding of what it takes to successfully navigate transition times in complex organizations – which led our Standing Committee to the unanimous decision to call him. We’re confident that his professional experience and passions and his genuine affection for the people and ministry of our diocese make him uniquely qualified to help guide our staff during this time.
In this interim role, Alan will work closely with diocesan staff, overseeing day-to-day operations and supporting program and support staff as they strategically align their work with our mission and vision in this season of becoming. Alan’s presence and leadership will be vital as we prepare to call our first Bishop Diocesan.
Please help us to welcome Alan back to the Mitten and into this role with your prayers and support!
Warmly,
The Rev. Molly Bosscher
President, Standing Committee
Episcopal Diocese of the Great Lakes