The Episcopal Diocese of Wisconsin officially has a bishop to lead the newly reunified diocese.
The Rt. Rev. Matthew Gunter was installed as bishop on October 5 during the inaugural convention of the new Diocese of Wisconsin, now a single entity comprising the former dioceses of Milwaukee, Fond du Lac, and Eau Claire. The merger of those three dioceses was approved by the 81st General Convention in June, after three years of discussion and deliberation among clergy and laypersons.
Presiding Bishop-elect Sean Rowe taught and preached at Wisconsin’s convention, held October 4-5 at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Convention Center in Stevens Point, a small city in the state’s central region.
In his homily during the investiture, Rowe reflected on John 15 (“I am the vine, you are the branches”) and the imperative of Christians to abide in the vine, bear fruit, and embrace pruning.
“About the time I think that I’ve come into spiritual maturity, and I think I can abide in the vine … that I can abide in Jesus, I decide I want to graduate from being just a branch to being a ‘vine adviser,’” Rowe said. “This is when you advise the vine grower, who may not really understand exactly what’s happening. It never works out well.”
He said the dioceses’ reunion is an example of yielding to God’s pruning.
“Allowing the Father, … who is the vine grower, to do the pruning in an expert way, to allow ourselves to be pruned, is the work of the spiritual life,” Rowe said. “It’s what you’ve done here as three dioceses (coming) together. It’s what you’re doing today as we recognize this new reunion … of an old diocese, as we recognize Bishop Matt.”
Rowe commended Gunter, saying he is “looked to in our House of Bishops as one who abides, as one of deep spiritual wisdom.”
“I’m thrilled that he is leading your people here today,” Rowe said.
Gunter had served as bishop of the former Diocese of Fond du Lac since 2014, and in recent years was Bishop Provisional of Eau Claire and Assisting Bishop in the Diocese of Milwaukee.
The Diocese of Wisconsin was originally formed in 1847. In 1875, the Diocese of Fond du Lac was created to serve the northeastern portion of the state, and the Diocese of Wisconsin was renamed the Diocese of Milwaukee in 1886. In 1928, the Diocese of Eau Claire was formed from parts of the Diocese of Fond du Lac and parts of the Diocese of Milwaukee. Gunter is recognized as the 12th bishop of Wisconsin, taking his place in the succession of bishops in the diocese’s former iteration.
The new Diocese of Wisconsin, which today includes over 100 congregations and more than 11,500 baptized members, is bolstered by a recent infusion of funding. In the spring, shortly before the three dioceses voted to reunite, the Diocese of Fond du Lac announced it had received a $7.9 million donation from the Sisterhood of the Holy Nativity, an Anglican religious order established in Fond du Lac during Bishop Charles Chapman Grafton’s episcopacy in the late 1800s.
Gunter has said the lion’s share of the funding, $6.9 million, will be dedicated to congregational development. So far, $500,000 has been dispersed to 34 congregations as rebated assessments. The remaining $1 million was earmarked by the order for theological education.
Wisconsin is one of two recent mergers among Episcopal dioceses. Also at this year’s General Convention, the Diocese of Eastern Michigan and Diocese of Western Michigan received approval for their juncture into the newly named Diocese of the Great Lakes. The inaugural convention of the newly joined diocese will meet on October 18-19 in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan.
