The Rev. Canon Dr. James T. Yarsiah traveled to Liberia this summer to represent the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey at the ordination and consecration of two new Suffragan Bishops of the Episcopal Church of Liberia.
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Bishop Sally French sent Fr. James, Priest-in-Charge of the affiliated parishes of St. James, Bradley Beach, and St. Michael the Archangel, Wall Township, as her special emissary for the historic celebration. In a letter carried to the Rt. Rev. Dr. James B. Sellee, Bishop of Liberia, Bishop French offered the prayers and congratulations of the Diocese of New Jersey to the newly consecrated bishops, the Rt. Rev. Michael T. Sie and the Rt. Rev. Dr. Wilmot T. Merchant.  

​Fr. James's visit also offered an opportunity to continue building relationships between the Diocese of New Jersey and the Episcopal Church of Liberia. While the two dioceses do not currently have a formal partnership, both are exploring ways to deepen their connections. Bishop French wrote that the Diocese of New Jersey hopes to "strengthen the bonds of our Anglican Communion and explore opportunities for a deeper partnership" with the Church in Liberia.  

​The consecrations come during an important period in the life of the Episcopal Church of Liberia, which is working toward establishing two additional dioceses. The Diocese of New Jersey has offered its prayers and support as that process continues.  
Fr. James's presence in Liberia marks an encouraging step in a growing relationship, opening new opportunities for the churches in New Jersey and Liberia to learn from one another and strengthen the bonds that connect them across the Anglican Communion.

Hailey Hensley
Director of Communications and Evangelism
Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey

This summer, the Diocese of New Jersey Reparations Commission welcomed participants on two Slavery History Pilgrimages, inviting them to walk, pray, and reflect at sites connected to New Jersey's history of enslavement and the Episcopal Church's role within it.

Beginning and ending at the Perth Amboy UNESCO Slave Trade Marker, the pilgrimage followed a liturgy of prayer, reflection, and repentance as participants traveled to sites across Monmouth and Middlesex counties, including the Tinton Falls African Burial Ground, Marlpit Hall Museum, and Mount Mitchill.

For many, the experience was deeply personal. Participants found themselves standing in places they had passed countless times without recognizing the stories they held. Homes, roads, and neighborhoods that once seemed ordinary became places of remembrance, revealing the lives of enslaved people who lived and labored in the very communities many now call home.

Reflecting on the pilgrimage, Canon Annette Buchanan, Chair of the Reparations Commission, noted that its power comes from the way it connects history to the places we know today.

"While we have studied, read, and listened to the history of enslaved persons in New Jersey, the uniqueness of the pilgrimage is that we bear witness to the lives of the enslaved that are literally in our surrounding church communities, our backyards. For those of us who lived locally, we kept saying, 'I've passed this house many times. I've traveled on this street many times,' without realizing these were the same places where our enslaved ancestors lived and worked under the cruelty and pain of bondage."

Canon Buchanan also reflected on the difficult but necessary task of confronting the Church's own history.
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"We [the Church] wanted to believe we were part of the freedom movement and the Underground Railroad, but we also had to face the harsh reality of our complicity in and enrichment from the institution of slavery."

Throughout the day, participants prayed together, asking God for the courage to face that history with honesty and hope. One prayer captured the spirit of the pilgrimage: "Emmanuel, God-with-us, give us courage to awaken to and repent for our history of enslavement and systemic racism in New Jersey."

By combining prayer with learning and remembrance, the Slavery History Pilgrimages continue the Diocese of New Jersey's commitment to racial justice and reparations, reminding us that reconciliation begins by telling the truth about our shared history.

Hailey Hensley
Director of Communications and Evangelism
Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey

May 9, 2026
​Dear Friends in Christ, In April we wrote to you about entering a season of reset in our bishop search process. We named the places where our process needed strengthening—in clarity, in communication, in shared identity, and in broad diocesan engagement—and we committed to doing that work before moving forward. We are grateful for your prayers and faithfulness in this season.

Today, we write to tell you: the reset work is underway, and we are moving forward together.

The pause we took was an act of faithfulness. It is allowing space for the Standing Committee, the Search Committee, and diocesan leadership to have the candid conversations our process needs about structure, trust, and who we truly are as a diocese.

​We know that uncertainty about the timeline has been difficult. We know that some have felt distant from the process. And we know that we as a diocese have a great responsibility: doing the deeper work of discerning and articulating our shared identity as the people of God in Western New York.

​Three commitments guiding us forward: As we re-engage this work, we are grounded in three commitments:

1. Faithfulness over speed. We will move forward only when the work is ready. We will not rush to fill a vacancy; we are seeking to discern a calling.
   
2. Transparency and trust. Communication will be regular, clear, and accountable. You will hear from us consistently—not only when there is something to announce, but as a steady engagement throughout this process.
   
3. Shared discernment. The voices of the whole diocese will shape the profile and the process. This search belongs to all of us.

What comes next:
The Search Committee reconvenes with renewed structure, a revised charge from the Standing Committee, and a strengthened leadership model. After reflection on the demands of this work, the Standing Committee has determined that the scope of a search is best served by two leaders sharing full responsibility with clear definition of roles. We are pleased to announce that Ms. Lisa Yaggie and the Rev. Nick Evancho will now serve as co-chairs, bringing experience and complementary strengths to bear together. We are deeply grateful for all that each has already contributed, and confident that this structure will serve the search and the diocese well.

​We are also pleased to announce that we have retained Ms. Carrie Graves as our communications consultant to support the diocese throughout the search, ensuring that our communications are consistent, clear, and worthy of the trust you have placed in us. Carrie has served as canon for communications in the dioceses of Upper South Carolina and Maryland. She was the staff liaison for the bishop search in Maryland and saw that communication about the search reached the diocesan community and the media, as appropriate, through multiple platforms and strategies. She also works in a supporting communications capacity with the Diocese of Lexington, bringing to Western New York a current and firsthand perspective on how dioceses across the Church are approaching this work.

A summary of the road ahead:
Spring–Summer 2026. Governance and structure strengthened; Search Committee operational reset and relational covenant; communications framework launched.
Summer–Fall 2026. A renewed season of listening across the Diocese—diocesan-wide gatherings, regional in-person sessions, and targeted conversations with clergy, lay leaders, and racial justice groups. The data from the Holy Cow Survey and our listening sessions will be shared as part of this process.
Fall 2026 (October 23–24). Diocesan Convention: presentation on search progress and approval of election rules of order.
Advent 2026 (November). Publication of a revised and faithful diocesan profile, reflecting who we truly are. Active recruitment begins.
Winter–Spring 2027. Discernment and candidate process, including application review, interviews, and a semi-finalist retreat.
May 1, 2027. Special Electing Convention.
​September 18, 2027. Consecration of the Bishop-Elect (subject to the 120-day consent process required by the canons of The Episcopal Church)

​We recognize that this timeline is longer than many had hoped. We ask for your continued patience and trust. Proceeding with time to allow for care, discernment, trust, and detail is critical to the work. We are committed to doing this right.

What you can expect from us:
Beginning now, you will receive regular updates from us—biweekly diocesan communications during active phases, and monthly narrative reflections that keep us connected to one another and to the spiritual grounding of this work. We will also be rebuilding our digital presence to ensure that information about the search is accessible, current, and welcoming to all who wish to follow along.

If you have questions, concerns, or thoughts you wish to share, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Standing Committee through the diocesan office. We are listening.

​Our work as the Church is not simply to call a bishop. With God’s help, we are becoming a community fully ready to receive the one who is called to us. That honest, patient, and prayerful work is already underway.

Please continue to hold this Diocese, and this process, in your prayers. We give thanks for each of you.

Faithfully,

The Rev. Luke Fodor, President
and the Members of the Standing Committee
Episcopal Diocese of Western New York 

Title IV Training in Puerto Rico
The Episcopal Dioceses of the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico joined together at the Diocesan Center in San Juan for a two-day intensive training. The delegation from the Virgin Islands consisted of both ordained and lay representatives across the two jurisdictions — the British Virgin Islands and the United States Virgin Islands — that make up the diocese.

Title IV of the Constitutions and Canons of the Episcopal Church constitutes the Church's foundational framework for ecclesiastical discipline and accountability. It establishes the processes by which the Church responds to allegations of misconduct by its clergy, ensuring that all proceedings are conducted with fairness, transparency, and a commitment to healing and restoration for all parties involved.

Title IV reflects the Church's deeply held conviction that the integrity of ordained ministry is inseparable from the health and wholeness of our communities, and that accountability is itself an expression of pastoral care. Therefore, the initiative for proper training in Title IV is not merely an administrative requirement — it is a vital ministerial formation that equips clergy and lay leaders to uphold the dignity and safety of every person within the Body of Christ.

Participants expressed great appreciation for the training and found the information highly valuable as the Body of Christ collectively collaborates for the common good. Participants were also treated to authentic Puerto Rican cuisine and refreshments throughout the two days, and each received a hat as a memento of the occasion.