The Rev. Melissa Adzima
Why do you feel called to serve the church as a deputy?
After having the great honor of serving as the Co-Chair of our Colorado Deputation for the 80th General Convention, I am enthusiastically committed to seeing some of the resolutions brought forward to their completion. As a cradle Episcopalian, I deeply value the traditions of this church and, in my love for God’s people and this church, recognize the need for us to examine our growing edges and the ways the church harmed people in the past. My love for General Convention began when I was in high school, as I had the opportunity to attend General Convention in Minneapolis in 2003. There is holiness in this thin space in coming together from all over the world, from all different backgrounds, to worship together and be the church. I was so proud to serve with this deputation from Colorado- working together in deep discernment over the issues that came before us. We challenged each other, we supported each other, and God’s indwelling was clear. I learned much in our time together, and I yearn to return to this thin place.
What life experiences and/or training can you offer as a resource to the Church?
As a dreamer and an encourager, with a measure of practicality, I’ve had many adventures serving God in a variety of ways through my life. I appreciate the well-rounded perspective it has given me of the church. Sometimes, I think of myself as Mother Squared as a mom and a priest. My children teach me things every day, especially to continue to be curious and have wonder in this precious life. I have experience being in ministry from Northwestern Pennsylvania to Northern Virginia, and now in Denver and Longmont here in Colorado. The churches range from rural to suburban to urban from small to large and in between. Being a board member for Cathedral Ridge in Woodland Park has allowed me the opportunity to meet more people around the Diocese and hear more about how the Holy Spirit is moving here. As a young adult priest in this Diocese, I had the opportunity to benefit from the Church Development Institute and later serve as an Intern Trainer. Early in my ministry, I attended a course called Nonprofit Management and Leadership for Ministry through Seabury Western and the Kellogg Institute which focused on learning tools to lead churches in the 21st Century. If only I could take that class now post pandemic! I pray that this journey continues to be rich, and that with each moment with the Body of Christ, we hear more and more clearly the healing call to love God’s creation in this ever-changing world.
Describe your ministries, participation, and experience in the Episcopal Church.
I am grateful to have been formed by The Episcopal Church through Christian formation, service, and a worshipping community since my birth. My father was an Episcopalian as were my Grandparents before him. My experience in TEC looks like someone who heard a call to Ordained ministry as a preteen- acolyte and chalice minister as a youth, Diocesan Committees which designed camp and youth retreats in middle and high school, mission trips, and partnerships with the Anglican Communion in Spain and Canterbury Cathedral while studying abroad and being a Canterbury Scholar respectively. In this Colorado, I have served on the High Plains Region Executive Board as a Clergy Representative and I currently serve on the Board for Cathedral Ridge, in particular being a part of the small group invited to discerning and creating the “what’s next” for CR this past year. In my call at St. Andrew’s, Denver as the Associate Priest, the core of my ministry was pastoral care, social media use for sharing the Gospel, supporting all those in their baptismal ministries, and how all are welcome at God’s table. And now, as the Rector of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Longmont since Nov 2019, I can say we survived and even thrived (as much as one community can) in pandemic conditions. Currently participating in the National Church Initiative The Genesis Project II, St. Stephen’s is rediscovering how we can be a good neighbor in our neighborhood around us. Being a Rector through a pandemic has been a gift to discern deeply where the Church is going, what we need to bring forward, and what we can say goodbye to in gratitude.
What aspects of our corporate life or issues facing the Church today hold particular interest or importance to you?
As a church, we’ve learned so much in the past couple of years and we can’t forget what we learned. How does the church dynamically respond to a rapidly changing culture? Flattening our walls, how can people feel comfortable within our communities with a culture that is entirely foreign to them? What interests me today is figuring out with the church how the Gospel and aspects of our rich tradition are relevant today- what does intergenerational spiritual formation look like and how can we become faithful people at every age with a complex world, how can we strengthen lay leaders and share our gratitude for their baptismal vocations, what does our corporate prayer life look like and how do new liturgies emerge, and what does our reckoning look like with our past behavior concerning racism and white superiority/colonization. I’m passionate about creation care and sustainability, and what human dignity can look like when everyone lives into the abundance of their creation. How do we find God present through Jesus in these issues, and how are we called to share that Good News with the world in how we live our lives individually and corporately?
How will your participation as part of the deputation enhance the life, mission, and ministry of our diocese?
My hope is that I can continue to remind those in our church how we are not to work alone in isolation. We are bigger than our local communities. There are possibilities to work and partner together for the Good News with the Body of Christ anywhere! In our debrief from this year’s General Convention, we are so excited to offer new and different ways to share about what’s happening with the wider church and how our members in the Episcopal Church in Colorado can participate and engage with topics that they’re interested in. I’m looking forward to sharing about the experience with the Diocese, answering any questions people might have, and connecting those here with how God’s Spirit is moving around our church.