Announcement Letter from Rt. Rev. Mark A. Engel, Bishop Ordinary
June 29, 2025
Feast of Peter and Paul Apostles
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
By God’s abundant grace and strong, keeping power, I celebrated my 70th birthday on April 2nd of this year. In light of this milestone, I am writing to you today to inform you that Terri and I have decided that 2027 is the right time for me to retire from serving as the ADGL Diocesan Bishop.
This decision has not been made lightly or unadvisedly. For more than a year, we have prayed for clear discernment from the Lord, discussed this with our family, and sought wisdom from godly counselors and my spiritual director. A clear sense of united agreement has grown that this is the right timing for such a transition.
Over the course of the many months of our discernment, I have discussed with the ADGL Standing Committee the importance of careful and prayerful planning for the election of a Bishop Coadjutor. This approach to a new season of focused, fruitful mission in our diocese seems prudent and will offer the smoothest transition of episcopal leadership. The Standing Committee has concurred and has already been at work to develop an appropriate 18 to 24-month plan for the implementation of a robust process resulting in a Bishop Coadjutor for the ADGL. In our ACNA College of Bishops meeting on June 18, 2025, we received unanimous consent to begin the process for the election of a Bishop Coadjutor.
This process will include the search, election, and College of Bishops’ consent culminating in the consecration of our Bishop Coadjutor. A subsequent season of ministry as Coadjutor will help prepare him for his investiture as the next Bishop
Ordinary of the ADGL. You will hear more details on this plan from the Standing Committee in the months ahead.
Throughout these next two years, I will continue to give my very best to serve you as your Bishop Ordinary, the Lord being my Helper. I will continue to seek His wisdom and enabling favor that I may fulfill my purpose in the ministry of a bishop according to the Constitution and Canons of the ACNA.
ACNA CANONS TITLE III Canon 8
Section 2 - Concerning the Ministry of Bishops
By the tradition of Christ’s One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, Bishops are consecrated
for the whole Church and are successors of the Apostles through the grace of the Holy Spirit
given to them. They are chief missionaries and chief pastors, guardians and teachers of doctrine,
and administrators of godly discipline and governance.
In my February 2021 pre-consecration retreat, the Lord made it clear to me by His Spirit through His Written Word that my consecration as a bishop was not for my sake, but “...for your sake…”. He then directed me to seek the intercessory prayers of his people according to Psalm 78:70-72
“He chose David his servant and took him from the sheepfolds;
from following the nursing ewes he brought him to shepherd Jacob his people,
Israel his inheritance. With upright heart he shepherded them
and guided them with his skillful hand.”
I encourage each of you to subscribe to the ADGL Diocesan Newsletter for timely updates and to enable you to fully participate in giving important input to help shape our search process. You can easily subscribe at ADGL Newsletter.
I ask you again today for your prayers on behalf of Terri and me as we journey with Jesus, our Savior and Lord in this next season, especially that God would grant me an upright heart and a skillful hand to shepherd and guide God’s beloved in the ADGL. I also commit to pray with you and for you as this new season of leadership transition begins to unfold.
Please pray with me:
“Go before us, O Lord, in all our doings with your most gracious favor,
and further us with your continual help; that in all our works begun, continued,
and ended in you, we may glorify your holy Name, and finally, through your mercy,
obtain everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
(BCP 2019, #76. For Guidance)
Your servant for Jesus’ sake,
The Rt. Rev. Mark A. Engel
