We sat down with Ms. Betsy Ellis to hear about her experience of the work and ministry of Bishop and Council. As she prepares to finish her time on Bishop and Council, Ms. Ellis reflects on what drew her to serving and what she found engaging in the work of this essential body of governance.
Nominations for diocesan leadership open December 6, 2023. More information on open positions is available here.
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Transcript
Ms. Betsy Ellis
Hi, I’m Betsy Ellis. I’m a member of St Stephen’s in Oak Ridge, and I’m an outgoing member of Bishop and Council.
Bro. Andrew
What drew you to serve on Bishop and Council?
Ms. Betsy Ellis
I think the thing that finally made me decide to do it was somebody asked me. I’ve been thinking about it before. I was in a transition of going from full time employment to semi-retirement. And I’ve been real active in the local church. There was somebody in our church who was on Bishop and Council, and he said, what a great experience it was, and suggested that I run. That sort of confirmed my own feeling. So I thought, okay, I’ll give it a try.
Bro. Andrew
What were you feeling before that that was leading you toward it?
Ms. Betsy Ellis
I’d been involved in a lot of I guess the church has had a history of being involved at the diocesan level and we had kind of lost that. I’d done a lot of things in the church, had been on Vestry a couple of times, and I just wanted to see what was happening at the at a higher level in the church.
Bro. Andrew
What was your most favorite thing you did?
Ms. Betsy Ellis
Actually, I think it was the retreat that we had a little while ago. It’s really the most favorite thing, but I enjoyed just meeting the other people on the council. I didn’t know anybody else really. And so I got to know more people in the diocese, which I enjoyed that too.
Bro. Andrew
So what would you say to someone who is considering running for Bishop and Council this upcoming year?
Ms. Betsy Ellis
Well, I think if you’re interested in what goes on at the diocesan level, this is a great experience. The people that are on the council are that that have been on what I’ve been on have been very engaging. They’ve been very welcoming. I’ve learned a lot about what other churches are doing, which I find helpful in taking it back to my own church. I’ve had fun, I’ve enjoyed it. I haven’t felt overly burdened by it.
Bro. Andrew
Is there anything else you would want to say about your time on Bishop and Council, or what you feel energized to do after your time on Bishop and Council?
Ms. Betsy Ellis
I guess the one thing I’m kind of sad about is that I can you can only run for one term. You can’t run again. So I’m sort of sad that I’m going off. I understand it and it’s good to bring new blood in. And that’s that’s good. I guess one thing it’s made me consider is to run for a different council or a different group, how that group operates and what the responsibilities are within the diocese.
Bro. Andrew
Well, I thank you for coming in today. And I thank you, Betsy, for your time serving on Bishop and Council and for taking a time out of your day to to record this with us.
Ms. Betsy Ellis
It’s been a pleasure.