PurposeThe purpose of the Companion Diocese Committee is to discern, promote and nurture a diocesan relationship with another diocese within the Anglican Communion. In addition the Committee will assist churches and members of both dioceses expand their understanding of one another and nurture long-lasting friendships at all levels of the Church. We desire to encourage each other to live our Anglican identity in proclaiming the Good News of the Gospel in our local communities and within our cultural contexts.
The Commission is composed of members appointed by the Bishop. The current Chair is Ron Alexander. The RelatiOnshipIn 2016, the Dioceses of Fond du Lac and Masvingo envisioned a companion relationship connecting Episcopalians/ Anglicans, across cultural and geographic boundaries, on a common pilgrimage of faith, hope, and love. Read the Relationship Agreement here.
There are similarities between the Dioceses of Masvingo and Fond du Lac, including seeking to be true to our Anglican understanding of the Christian faith, our common heritage, number of churches, and parishioners. The companion diocesan relationship, whereby churches and members expand their understanding of one another and nurture long-lasting friendships at all levels of the Church, commites to:
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PrayerFor the Companion Dioceses of Masvingo, in Zimbabwe and of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, USA.
O God, who created all peoples in your image, we thank you for the wonderful diversity of races and cultures in this world. Enrich our lives by the ever-widening circles of fellowship, thru our companion relationship with the Diocese of Masvingo in Zimbabwe and the Diocese of Fond du Lac in Wisconsin, USA. And show us your presence in those who differ most from us, and allow us to learn from each other with open hearts and minds; through Christ our lord. Amen.
Adapted from prayer of thanksgiving #7 For the Diversity of Cultures and Races, BCP page 840. |
Members of the Companion Diocese Committee
Deacon Mike Burg
I am a retired business man who specialized in 3D printing prototypes and plastic injection molding. My life has always centered on mechanical and chemical endeavors, working with my hands with plastics, metals, wood, and brain to solve problems and to create new products.
Three grown daughters, 6 grand children and 3 great granddaughters make up my family (widowed in 2012). Sheboygan Wisconsin is my home in the summer and Orlando Florida in the winter months where the sun keeps shining. Golfing, fishing, gardening and traveling fill up my time now that I am retired. Ordained an Episcopal deacon in September 12, 1990, has been a rewarding experience. The early years of my deaconate I was instrumental in the reunifying Hmong families living in Wisconsin (USA) with their relatives from Laos and refugee camps in Thailand. I was the Diocesan Refugee Coordinator working through the Episcopal Migration Ministries of the National Church. Other endeavors include the healing ministries, Jubilee Ministries, and the Cursillo Movement of the Fond du Lac Diocese. Bishop Matt Gunter
I was elected Bishop of the Diocese of Fond du Lac in northeast Wisconsin on 19 October 2013, at St. Paul’s Cathedral in Fond du Lac. I was consecrated as bishop on 26 April 2014. I received a B.A. in History from Indiana University in 1980.Before going to seminary I taught high school English and History in Stockton, California. I was serving as Rector of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Glen Ellyn, Illinois at the time of my election as bishop in 2013, a position I had held since 2000. During my ministry in the Diocese of Chicago, I served as Spiritual Advisor for the Chicago Episcopal Cursillo, as Dean of the Aurora Deanery, as Deputy to three General Conventions of the Episcopal Church, as Chaplain of the 75th General Convention of the Episcopal Church. I also served as a member of the Diocese of Chicago Commission on Global Ministry and lead an official delegation from Diocese of Chicago to the Diocese of Renk, South Sudan in 2005. I went back to Renk in 2009 and visited Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Nairobi, Kenya as well on that trip. I have long been interested in other parts of the world and have enjoyed the opportunity to see other places and experience a bit of other cultures. Along with being Bishop of the Diocese of Fond du Lac, I am also the episcopal visitor for the Community of St. Anselm at Lambeth Palace, London. Bishop Gunter was born on 20 December 1957 and grew up on a farm in Northern Indiana. He married Leslie in 1981. They have three adult children, Sara, Rebecca and Hannah. He enjoys reading and writing, walking in the woods, bicycling, and sports (now mostly watching). I am very excited about our companion relationship with the Diocese of Masvingo and look forward to our developing relationship.
Ron Alexander
I am a retired Alcohol and Drug Counselor living with my wife, she is still teaching school, and 5 cats in rural Marathon County Wisconsin. We are active members of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Wausau, Wisconsin. My wife Lisa is our Senior Warden and I am a member of the Mission Team. We also make home visits and bring communion to shut-ins. I have 2 adult children and 6 grandchildren ranging in age from 14-21. I keep active with social justice volunteer work, focusing on a broad range of issues, including criminal justice reform and immigration reform. My Dad has reached the grand old age of 98 and lives in a senior center in Janesville, Wisconsin; where my only sister and her family live. I’m very active in Cursillo, attending as a candidate in 1999, and serving on many teams since then; also being active in a reunion group and attending monthly ultreyas. I like to golf and am an avid reader; my favorite author is C.S.Lewis….I look forward to meeting members of the Masvingo Diocese and sharing ideas!
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Deacon Anne Lang
My name is Anne Lang. I have three grown children and six grandchildren ages nine to sixteen. I am now retired, but worked for over thirty years as an educator in public school systems: a speech-language pathologist, an elementary school principal, and a special education director. I was ordained as a Deacon in the Diocese of Fond du Lac in November 2004 and I attend All Saints Episcopal Church in Appleton, Wisconsin. I look forward to our growing relationship with the people of the Diocese of Masvingo!
Emily Field
y name is Emily Field and I am a member of St Matthias Episcopal Church located in Minocqua, Northern Wisconsin. I live with my grandmother in Hazelhurst and work at the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Epidemiology Center located on the Lac du Flambeau Indian Reservation. I work in the field of public health, with American Indian communities in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota. I graduated from New York University with a Bachelor’s in modern Arabic literature and environmental studies. I completed my public health master’s at the American University of Beirut with a concentration in health promotion and community health. I am a cradle Episcopalian, but only recently got more involved in lay church work. I attended the Diocesan Convention for this first time this year, am in my first term serving as a vestry member, and also enjoy writing and reading my own prayers for the people occasionally.
Deacon Dale Hutjens
My name is Dale Hutjens. I was ordained a deacon in the Episcopal Diocese of Fond du Lac in 2003. I am 64 years old. I grew up on a dairy farm the youngest of eight children. Besides dairy cattle we grew most of our own food on our farm. My wife and I live less than two miles from the farm and home where I grew up. We have two daughters who are grown and married and we have two grandchildren. I retired three years ago from my secular job as a Territory Manager for a heating and air conditioning distributor after 34 years of service. I have bicycled all my life and in 2015 I bicycled across the United States from Yorktown, VA to Florence, OR. I have spent the past year convalescing from spinal surgery. Prior to surgery my diaconal ministry consisted of pastoral visits to shut-ins and hospitalized, serving at the altar, working with church outreach projects and helping wherever needed. I try to be the face of Christ in our surrounding community as I go about daily life and interact with others. I look forward to learning more about the people of the Diocese of Masvingo.
Archdeacon Michele Whitford
I am Michele Whitford; I am the Vicar of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Plymouth and Priest Associate at Grace Episcopal Church, Sheboygan. I serve as one of the Archdeacons of the diocese and chair the Deacon Council. I have worked with the youth of the diocese for many years including youth group, camp counselor, Happening, and Sunday school teacher. I am married to Jon Whitford, we have two grown sons, two daughters-in-law, three granddaughters and a grandchild on the way. We live in Sheboygan.
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