On Saturday, former Glen Ellyn, Ill., priest [Matthew Gunter] was consecrated and ordained as the eighth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Fond du Lac, which is based in Appleton. The diocese has more than 5,700 members at 38 locations across the northeastern third of the state.<\/p>\n
Those churches are a smorgasbord. Some are big, some small; they\u2019re urban and rural. They\u2019re not all economically vibrant, and perspectives vary both theologically and socially.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut what I haven\u2019t seen and haven\u2019t heard is any evidence of deep divisiveness,\u201d\u009d Gunter said. \u201cThere\u2019s definitely disagreements about various things, but folks seem to be willing to engage one another with gentleness and reverence. I want to build on that, too, and figure out how to have conversations that might need to be had in ways that can bring us all together and move us forward together.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n