Soon the Susquehanna Conference will say goodbye to Bishop Middleton. She has truly been a blessing and an encouragement to me. Unlike many of our Bishops she did not actively seek the office. Eight years ago at Jurisdictional Conference folks just seemed to turn to her in their voting and she was asked to take on the mantle of leadership. What I have appreciated most about her has been her ministry of encouragement. When ever I ran into her she always had a word of greeting and a smile. Often when I faced challenges in my parishes a little note would come across my desk letting me know that she was praying for me. That little personal touch has been a blessing to me.
Too often our Bishops get bogged down in administrative matters, solving problems or the weightier matters of being a connectional leader. I am glad for eight years we had a Bishop who was a person of deep prayer and spirituality who took the time to be an encourager to her small church pastors. I wish her the best in her retirement - and I pray that our next Bishop might have that same sense of being a spiritual leader and encourager to those he/she superintends.
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