On January 1, 2026, the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania and the Diocese of Bethlehem will reunify to become the Diocese of the Susquehanna. As we approach this milestone, leaders from both dioceses are working diligently to plan how our ministries will merge and evolve to meet the needs of our new diocese. The Transition Leadership Committee meets monthly to review progress on our path to reunification.
Several working groups have been tasked with planning the future of specific administrative and ministry areas within the Diocese of the Susquehanna. These include:
- Branding and Shield
- Clergy Life and Ministry
- Constitution and Canons
- Diocesan Offices
- Finance
- Legal Process
- Ministry of the Episcopate and Staffing
- Mission Granting Process
- Ordination
- Social Justice
- Title IV
Each month, we share highlights from a few of these working groups as they plan for our life together as the Diocese of the Susquehanna. This month we will focus on the Diocesan Offices, Title IV, and Ordination working groups.
Diocesan Offices
The work of this group is to assess the needs of our newly forming staff and to make recommendations about the best configuration of office space to promote collegiality, collaboration, and efficiency. Recently the staff of the Diocese of Bethlehem sold their office building to the New Bethany outreach, and the diocesan staff is now working in offices at the Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. This arrangement will continue as we enter reunification and through 2030. The staff of the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania is considering its needs as we reunify and, with the help of the Diocesan Offices Working Group, are exploring options to relocate to a smaller space. The bishops are discussing ways to structure both the shape and rhythm of the newly combined staff, allowing for periodic in-person meetings as a whole staff and employing the benefits of technology for our communication needs.
Title IV
The canons of The Episcopal Church guide the way that clergy discipline is administered in our church. The Title IV Working Group’s goal is to ensure that there are adequate numbers of intake officers in our new diocese to receive reports from complainants in a timely and efficient manner. The Transitional Canons outline that members of the respective disciplinary boards for the Dioceses of Bethlehem and Central Pennsylvania shall constitute the Disciplinary Board for the Episcopal Diocese of the Susquehanna.
Ordination (Commission on Ministry)
This working group is looking at its membership and processes as we come closer to reunification. The Transitional Canons indicate that the new Commission on Ministry for the Diocese of the Susquehanna will have 12 members, six from each legacy diocese, equally distributed among clergy and lay people, including at least one deacon. The bishops will appoint each of these individuals to a one-year, two-year, or three-year term. The ordination process is being discussed as the leaders of the COMs in each diocese share their success with different models. Respecting the canons of The Episcopal Church, the goal is to complete the development of a synthesized process for the Diocese of the Susquehanna by the time of reunification.