Diocese of North Carolina Announces Canon Catherine Massey to Serve as Canon to the Bishop
The Diocese of North Carolina is pleased to announce that Canon Catherine Massey, diocesan canon for transition and pastoral ministry, is moving to a new role on diocesan staff: Canon to the Bishop.
The role is a newly created one and part of a reallocation of resources to assist with a missionally focused culture shift within the Diocese. The shift is intended to move away from the traditional focus of a diocese as part of an institutional organization and toward greater emphasis on our diocesan call to mission.
“The intentional culture shift we are undertaking has the advantage of utilizing the strengths and infrastructure we have in place to move forward with the missional direction we’ve set as we answer the call to live into our mission priorities,” said the Rt. Rev. Sam Rodman, bishop of the Diocese of North Carolina. “Part of the shift will be reallocating current diocesan resources, including some new roles for some of the staff.”
Massey’s new role will be one that utilizes her own strengths and experience. She will remain involved with pastoral ministry, including her work with the pastoral response team. With the diocesan canons and missioners, Massey will also continue to support and work closely with clergy and congregational lay leaders, though her focus will shift from transitional ministry to leadership development and identifying congregational needs to ensure each has a clear vision of their own call to mission and the resources necessary to bring that vision to fruition. She will be doing some of that same work with diocesan staff as well, overseeing the congregational support team and working closely with the bishops to ensure staff members, like our congregations, have the resources and support needed for all to continue to serve congregations as part of their own calls to mission.
“Canon Massey has a long history of effective leadership in our diocese in transition and in pastoral care,” said Rodman. “The respect and trust she has established with our congregational leaders, coupled with the strong network she has developed in the wider church, provides an ideal combination of gifts and experience to help us navigate this next stage in our missional life with grace and clarity. Catherine is a joy to work with, and I know the Diocese will be strengthened by her wisdom, energy and passion for Jesus and the church.”
Massey has already begun the work of her new position. As her duties related to her new role increase throughout the fall, the search will begin for her successor as canon for transition.
“It has been an honor to walk with clergy and congregations in so many ways during my 11 years with the Diocese,” said Massey. “I am excited to know our journey together continues, and I look forward to being able to support in new ways both congregational leaders and diocesan staff in our collective missional efforts toward Becoming Beloved Community.”
