Image Description: The stamp for the Episcopal Diocese of the Great Lakes. The bottom of the stamp is a orange-yellow shield with a dark blue outline that reads "Estd. 2024" in highly stylized type with two Episcopal-style crosses. On the top of the shield, like it's sailing on it, is the two-sailed ship from the diocesan seal, along with the three stars in the sky. the largest of which represents our new diocese while the two smaller stars represent our two legacy dioceses.
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Image Description: The wordmark for our diocese that reads, "EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF THE GREAT LAKES." The first four words are in all caps in a simple-yet-wide sans serif font. "Great Lakes" is also in all-caps, but in a highly stylized font that is reminiscent of vintage sign art. The G, L and S all have added flourishes that look like waves. This is the horizontal orientation of the wordmark and it is shown in the warm gray (off-white) brand color.

Mission Regions

If you want to know what our diocesan Mission Regions are about, you really don’t have to look any further than the name!

Mission: These ten groupings of congregations, summer chapels, companion ministries, and programmatic organizations are not for governance, but mission. By creating relationship structures within Mission Regions, our prayer is that we enable and invite collaboration and support between and among congregations and episcopal communities. 

Regions: Although our Mission Regions are composed of congregations, summer chapels, companion ministries, and programmatic organizations, those entities don’t represent the whole of their regions. Rather, the people and entities within a Mission Region are called to manifest an episcopal presence across the whole of their geographic region. 

Mission Regions: Map & Structure

Image Description: The image is a map of the entirety of the Episcopal Diocese of the Great Lakes with all Episcopal entities - congregations, summer chapels, companion ministries, and programmatic organizations - labeled. The map is broken into 10 regions, color coded. The best source for the information displayed by the map is the Mission Region Structure PDF: https://greatlakesepiscopal.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Mission-Region-Structure-July-2025.pdf
This map is best viewed as a downloaded PDF. For people with low or no vision, the best way to access the information displayed in this map is to review the Mission Region Structure PDF linked on this page.
Download a PDF of the Mission Regions Map

Mission Regions are required by our Canons, adopted at our Primary Convention in October 2024. 

“The Mission Region provides a vehicle for Congregations, Emergent Communities of Faith, Companion Ministries, Programmatic Organizations, and Seasonal Chapels in proximity to each other to offer mutual support, share best practices, and collaborate on program, projects and activities in furtherance of their respective missions and the mission and vision of the Diocese.” (Canon II.2.2) 

Click the button below to read the Mission Region Structure adopted by our Standing Committee in July 2025. The document includes a list of Mission Regions and their members as well as information about the two structures in place within each Mission Region: Deans and Regional Councils.

Download a PDF of the Mission Region Structure

Mission Regions: Frequently Asked Questions

When is my region going to meet to elect Chair and Vice-Chair? Is there a timeline we can expect or a meeting date already set?

Diocesan Leaders will encourage Mission Region representatives to come together for a first organizing meeting in the fall of 2025, as soon as is practical.

Who is eligible to be the Chair and Vice-Chair? Can a transitional deacon become the Chair?

All adult lay confirmed communicants in good standing who have been selected by their vestry/Bishop’s Advisory Committee (or congregation as a whole) to represent the congregation/summer chapel or by the governing board of  companion ministry/programmatic organization and clergy (deacon/priest, active/retired) of the Mission Region are eligible to serve as chair or vice-chair of that Region’s Council.

Are chairs and vice-chairs required to be current in the Safe Church and Beloved Community/Dismantling Racism training?

Yes, individuals serving in these capacities should be current in both of these trainings, as canonically required of individuals serving in other diocesan leadership positions. 

What are the responsibilities of a dean, compared to the chair of the Mission Region Council?

The deans’ responsibilities are:

  • To be an extension of the Bishop’s pastoral ministry, in times of need when the bishop is unavailable
  • To convene clergy of the mission region regularly (clericus)
  • To meet once every 2-3 months with the Bishop/Bishop’s designee/Interim Executive Officer for communication and consultation

Additionally, at the first meeting of the regional council the dean will convene the representatives for the election of the chair only. After the election of the chair, they will have no other formal role as dean. They will continue to participate in work of the council as an equal member of the clergy of the region. The chair of the council will preside for the election of the vice-chair and all that follows.

How do we pick the two people who will represent our congregation on the Regional Council? Does it need to be our Convention Delegates?

Vestries/Bishop’s Advisory Committee, unless they put the matter before the congregation as a whole, and governing Boards of the companion ministries/programmatic organizations will elect representatives to the Regional Councils. One of the two representatives must be a member of the Vestry/Bishop’s Advisory Committee/Governing Board. Mission Region representatives may serve as Diocesan Convention delegates, but they are not required to serve as such.

After we pick who represents us, are the meetings open to the public after that? Can anyone attend?

Mission Region Council meetings are open to all members of the diocese, whether they are elected representatives or not.

Who is an eligible voter for the elections?

Clergy and the lay representatives of the congregations, summer chapels, emergent community of faith, companion ministries, and programmatic organizations.

Does the diocesan office need to know who the representatives to the mission region Councils are and note that in the database, or do we just need to know who the Deans are?

Yes, we request that the diocesan offices (via Mark Sullivan, Diocesan Administrator) be notified of individuals elected to serve as representatives to the Mission Region council. In future years, that information will be part of the annual election report. 

The structure document says that mission regions can apply for diocesan funding. Is that going to be true in FY25 or FY 26? If so, what is the timeline under which applications will open and decisions made? How does this fit into the diocesan budget process for 2026?

There is not currently designated funding in the 2026 Operating Budget for Mission Regions. Council is, however, identifying potential funds and processes for offering strategic congregational development grants in the future.

How does our church request a change from one Mission Region to another? Is there a deadline by which we need to make this request either initially, or each year, so that the Dean and Chair and Vice Chair know who is in their mission region at a certain point?

Congregations who have a compelling preexisting relationship or cultural connections that favor them being in a neighboring Mission Region may write to Diocesan Council now or at any time in the future requesting to be reassigned and the reasons for the request. Council will consider the request and the impact departing would have on the current Mission Region in making their determination.  Also, while Mission Regions are intended for supporting collaboration in mission and ministry within the region, they are in no way intended to limit or prohibit collaboration across Mission Region lines.