Douglas Everett Sparks, Eighth Bishop
Sparks later served at St. Matthias Church in Waukesha, Wisconsin, then went to New Zealand to become Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral in Wellington. On returning to the United States, he became rector of St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Rochester, Minnesota. From here he was elected bishop on 6 February 2016. He was consecrated at Trinity English Lutheran Church, Fort Wayne, on 25 June 2016 by Presiding Bishop Michael Curry.
Bishop Sparks has adopted a five-point plan of mission that will guide his episcopate:
1. Tell the Good News of the Kingdom.
2. Teach, Baptize, and Nurture new believers.
3. Tend to human need with loving service.
4. Transform unjust structures of society.
5. Treasure God's Creation and renew the Earth.
Bishop Sparks has reversed previous diocesan policy and approved same-sex marriages being performed in the diocese with the consent of individual parishes. He was personally present for the wedding of South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg to Chasten Glezman on 16 June 2018 in a ceremony at the Cathedral of St. James in South Bend. He also permitted openly gay priests to be ordained and serve in the diocese. He has also formed a strong pastoral partnership with Bishop Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows of the Diocese of Indianapolis, marching for social justice issues, against gun violence, and in favor of greater acceptance of all marginalized groups in the Church. He is an "activist bishop" and comfortable in that role, but he is always careful to ground that advocacy in his faith.
On a national level, the Episcopal Church began an initiative under Presiding Bishop Michael Curry to become a "Beloved Community" and to promote racial reconciliation and more loving, Christian relationships. The movement provided materials to individuals and congregations to "help us to understand and take up the long-term commitments necessary to form loving, liberating and life-giving relationships" with one other. "Together," promoters said, "we are growing as reconcilers, justice-makers, and healers in the name of Christ." This effort was also coined "the Jesus Movement" by the Presiding Bishop. Part of that process involved studying and apologizing for sins committed against minority groups throughout the Church's history. During his sabbatical in 2022, Bishop Sparks walked the Potawatomi Trail of Death, traveling on foot from Plymouth, Indiana, to Kansas. He left an account of his pilgrimage. It symbolized the work of the Diocese of Northern Indiana to account for acts of racism in its past.
For several years during Bishop Sparks's episcopate, from 2020 to 2022, the nation suffered under a devastating COVID-19 epidemic. In-personal worship was canceled, and services were conducted remotely online through Zoom, a computer meeting software. When vaccines became available and the virulence of the epidemic eased, congregations met in limited form with enforced masking and social distancing. Bishop Sparks was instrumental in developing protocols that had never been previously considered in diocesan history.
In 2023, the Diocese of Northern Indiana embarked on an exploratory path to discern the possibility of reuniting with the Diocese of Indianapolis. That process remains ongoing at this writing.
Source:
Episcopal News Service:
https://www.episcopalnewsservice.org/2019/09/03/dioceses-reversal-on-same-sex-marriage-paved-way-for-pete-buttigiegs-wedding-at-south-bend-cathedral/?fbclid=IwAR2CIqRZ_yVl25YAkGLdmsXiK7FvvT-s5plIBit3zkHb4yqk7oUPwtqlZ68
Consecration of Bishop Douglas Sparks, 25 June 2016, Trinity English Lutheran Church, Fort Wayne
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This page references:
- Episcopal-Catholic Service, St. Monica Catholic Church, Mishawaka, 21 January 2018
- Bishop Douglas Sparks and delegates at the General Convention, Baltimore, July 2022
- Clergy retreat, 9 May 2018
- Bishops who once served as Clergy in the Diocese of Northern Indiana
- St. George's Episcopal Church, Berne, Rev. Larry Smith retirement, 9 October 2018
- Gethsemane, Marion, Bishop Sparks and James Warnock, 22 April 2018
- St. Paul's, La Porte, confirmands with Rev. Paul Nesta and Bishop Sparks, 3 June 2018
- Gethsemane, Marion, Bishop Sparks and Rev. James Warnock, 22 April 2018
- St. Paul's, La Porte, evensong 26 March 2018 with Bishop Sparks and Rev. Paul Nesta 3
- Ordination of Amy Lepine Peterson with Bishop Douglas Sparks, 1 July 2022, Durham, North Carolina
- Gethsemane, Marion, Bishop Sparks and Rev. James Warnock, 22 April 2018 2
- Clergy retreat, St Anne's Warsaw, 26 Oct. 2017, Bishop Sparks and Rev. Paul Nesta
- Holy Family Episcopal Church, Angola, installation of Rev. Thomas Adamson, 12 Sep. 2017, Eucharist
- Bishop Douglas Sparks at Trinity Episcopal Church, Fort Wayne, 2016, with Rev. T. J. Freeman, Ron Buskirk, and Julia Beatty
- St. Andrew's by the Lake, Michigan City, visitation with Bishop Sparks and Michelle Walker, 2 Dec 2018
- St. John the Evangelist, Elkhart, installation of rector 4 November 2017
- St. Andrew's, Kokomo, Bishop Jennifer Baskerville Burrows, Becca Stevens, and Bishop Sparks
- Cathedral of St. James, South Bend, Pete Buttigieg Chasten Glezman wedding, 16 Jun 2018, with Bishop Sparks and Brian Grantz
- Bishop Douglas Sparks and Rev. Richard Lightsey at St. Andrew's, Kokomo, May 2022
- Clergy retreat, 4 Oct 2016
- Bishop Edward Little, Rev Tom Adamson, Rev Joshua Nelson, and Bishop Douglas Sparks, Dec 2016
- St. Andrew's, Kokomo, congregation with Bishop Sparks, 19 May 2019 2
- Trinity, Fort Wayne, Bishop Sparks at baptism with Rev. Tom Hansen, 18 Dec 2016
- St. Paul's, La Porte, congregation with Bishop Sparks, 3 June 2018
- Holy Family, Angola, congregation with Bishop Sparks and Rev. Thomas Adamson, 16 Dec 2018
- Consecration of Bishop Matthew Cowden, 12 March 2022, West Virginia
- Grace Episcopal Church, Fort Wayne, congregation with Bishop Sparks, 21 May 2017
- St. Francis, Chesterton, Bishop Sparks visitation, 25 Feb. 2019
- Trinity Michigan City, Bishop Sparks with confirmands, 2 April 2017
- Lutheran-Episcopal Eucharist, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, South Bend, 31 May 2019 with Bishop Sparks
- Cathedral of St. James, South Bend, vigil with Bishop Sparks, 31 March 2018
- St. Peter's, Rensselaer, visitation with Bishop Sparks, 12 May 2019 2
- St. John the Evangelist, Elkhart, Melissa Renner ordination, 27 Apr 2019 with Bishop Sparks
- Clergy retreat, 4 Oct 2016, with Bishop Sparks
- Bishop Edward Little, Rev Tom Adamson, Rev Joshua Nelson, and Bishop Douglas Sparks, 2017
- St. Andrew's, Kokomo, Bishop Sparks and unidentified confirmands, 19 May 2019
- Trinity, Fort Wayne, Bishop Sparks preaching, 18 Dec 2016
- Holy Family Episcopal Church, Angola, confirmands with Rev. Thomas Adamson and Bishop Sparks, 23 May 2018
- Trinity Episcopal Church, Logansport, congregation with Bishop Sparks, 11 November 2018
- Bishop Douglas Sparks wearing cross given him by the Potawatomi tribe, March 2022
- St. Christopher's, Crown Point, visitation by Bishop Douglas Sparks, 12 Nov 2017
- St. Andrew's, Valparaiso, confirmands with Bishop Sparks, 31 Mar 2019
- Gethsemane, Marion, confirmands and Bishop Sparks, 22 April 2018
- Trinity Episcopal Church, Fort Wayne, Bishop Douglas Sparks, Rev. T. J. Freeman, Rev. Phil Hooper, and confirmands, May 2022
- Grace Episcopal Church, Fort Wayne, visitation 4 January 2018 with Bishop Sparks
- All Saints, Syracuse, visitation with Bishop Sparks, 2 Sep 2018
- Bishop Douglas Sparks and Rev. C Richard Phelps, East Chicago, 30 Nov. 2017
- Cathedral of St. James, South Bend, ordination of Joel Steiner, with Bishop Sparks, 23 Dec. 2017
- St. John the Evangelist, Elkhart, congregation with Bishop Sparks, 13 Jan 2019
- St. John the Evangelist, Elkhart, confirmands with Bishop Sparks, 13 Jan 2019
- Bishop Douglas Sparks portrait
- St. Andrew's, Kokomo, with Bishop Sparks and Richard Lightsey, 8 Apr 2018
- Trinity, Fort Wayne, Bishop Sparks at communion with Rev. Tom Hansen, 18 Dec 2016
- Holy Family Episcopal Church, Angola, Rev. Thomas Adamson, unidentified, and Bishop Sparks, 23 May 2018
- Gethsemane, Marion, ordination of Rev. Joshua Molnar, 7 October 2018 with Bishop Sparks
- St. Elizabeth's Episcopal Church, Culver, visitation by Bishop Sparks, 16 Sep 2018
- St. Andrew's, Valparaiso, Bishop Sparks and confirmands, 18 May 2019
- Gethsemane, Marion congregation, 23 April 2017 with Bishop Sparks
- Trinity Episcopal Church, Bishop Douglas Sparks visitation, May 2022
- St. Alban's Episcopal Church, Fort Wayne, congregation with Bishop Sparks, 18 February 2019
- All Saints, Syracuse, congregation with Bishop Sparks, 28 May 2017
- Rev. C. Richard Phelps and Bishop Douglas Sparks, East Chicago, 30 Nov. 2017
- Cathedral of St. James, South Bend, ceremony honoring Wyatt Mick, with Brian Grantz, Bishop Gray, Bishop Little, Mick, Mrs. Mick, Bishop Sparks, 8 Oct. 2017
- St. John the Evangelist, Elkhart, congregation with Bishop Sparks, 13 Jan 2019 2
- Bishop Douglas Sparks, then Bishop-Elect, with Bishop Edward Little
- St. Andrew's, Kokomo, Bishop Sparks and Becca Stevens, 10 Feb 2018
- St. John of the Cross, Bristol, 175th Celebration, Eucharist with Jennifer Fulton, Bishop Sparks, Bishop Little, and Bishop Gray, 16 Dec 2018
- Gethsemane, Marion, Rev. Joshua Molnar with Bishop Sparks, 7 Oct 2018
- All Saints Episcopal Church, Syracuse, congregation with Bishop Douglas Sparks, 30 May 2022
- St. David's, Elkhart visitation with Bishop Sparks and Rev. Joshua Nelson, 25 Nov. 2018
- St. Andrew's, Valparaiso, visitation with Bishop Sparks, 3 Dec 2017
- Gethsemane, Marion, congregation and confirmands, 23 April 2017 with Bishop Sparks
- Bishop Douglas Sparks, Outdoor Mass, 12 June 2022
- St. Alban's Episcopal Church, Fort Wayne, Bishop Sparks visitation, 18 February 2019
- Cathedral of St. James, South Bend, Bishop Sparks and congregation 6 Jan 2019
- All Saints, Syracuse, congregation with Bishop Sparks, 28 May 2017 2
- St. Barnabas-in-the-Dunes, Gary, visitation with Bishop Sparks, 7 April 2019
- Cathedral of St. James, South Bend, Bishop Douglas Sparks, 27 August 2016
- St. John the Evangelist, Elkhart, Joshua Nelson, Terri Peterson, and Bishop Sparks, 4 Nov 2017
- St. Andrew's, Kokomo, Bishop Sparks, Love Heals Every Body program, 10 Feb 2018
- Bishop Douglas Sparks and Presiding Bishop Michael Curry at St. Augustine's, Gary, 2016
- St. John of the Cross, Bristol, 175th Celebration, with Bishop Little, Bishop Gray, and Bishop Sparks, 16 Dec 2018
- Gethsemane, Marion, ordination of Rev. Joshua Molnar, 7 October 2018 with Bishop Sparks 2
- Bishop Douglas Sparks and members of the Potawatomi tribe, Osawatomie, Kansas, May 2022
- St. David's, Elkhart, with Rev. Joshua Nelson and Bishop Sparks, 25 November 2018
- St. Andrew's, Valparaiso, visitation with Bishop Sparks, 3 Dec 2017
- Bishop Douglas Sparks and Members of the Potawatomi Tribe, Osawatomie, Kansas, with marker
- St. Augustine's, Gary, Bishop Sparks greeting parishioner, 9 April 2017
- Cathedral of St. James, South Bend, unidentified with Bishop Sparks, 6 Jan 2019
- St. Paul's, Munster, Bishop Sparks with confirmands, 15 Apr 2018 2
- St. Barnabas-in-the-Dunes, Gary, visitation with Bishop Sparks, 19 Nov 2017
- Cathedral of St. James, South Bend, Winter Walk, 19 Feb. 2018, with Bishop Sparks
- Bishop Douglas Sparks and Rev. T. J. Freeman, Trinity Episcopal Church, Fort Wayne, 2016
- Consecration of Susan Bunton Haynes as Bishop of Southern Virginia 2019
- St. John of the Cross, Bristol, 175th Celebration, with Bishop Little, Bishop Gray, and Bishop Sparks, 16 Dec 2018
- Gethsemane, Marion, visitation of Bishop Sparks, 22 April 2018
- Bishop Douglas Sparks on horseback, Osawatomie, Kansas, May 2022
- St. David's, Elkhart, installation of the Rev. Joshua Nelson by Bsihop Sparks, 30 August 2017
- St. Andrew's, Valparaiso, Bishop Sparks and confirmands, 3 Dec 2017
- St. Andrew's by the Lake, Michigan City, congregation and visitation with Bishop Sparks, 2 December 2018
- Bishop Douglas Sparks at Marker of Potawatomi Trail of Death, March 2022
- St. Augustine's, Gary, Bishop Sparks visitation, 9 April 2017
- St. Paul's, Munster, Bishop Sparks and congregation 11 Jun 2018
- St. Timothy's Griffith, Andrew Groman, Edward Olszewski, and Bishop Sparks, 14 May 2018
- Church of the Holy Trinity, South Bend, Bishop Sparks visitation with Terri Bays, 17 Mar 2019
- St. John the Evangelist, Elkhart, visitation by Bishop Sparks, 4 Nov 2017
- Trinity, Fort Wayne, Bishop Douglas Sparks, 18 Dec 2016
- Bishop Douglas Sparks and Rev. Thomas Hansen, Trinity Fort Wayne, 2015
- St. Andrew's, Kokomo, Bishop Jennifer Baskerville Burrows and Bishop Sparks, 9 Feb 2018
- Holy Family, Angola, Rev Thomas Adamson and Bishop Douglas Sparks, 16 Dec 2018
- Gethsemane, Marion, Bishop Sparks preaching, 22 April 2018
- Bishop Douglas Sparks and Bishop Cathleen Chittenden Bascom of Kansas, May 2022
- St. David's, Elkhart, congregation with Bishop Little, Bishop Sparks, Fr. Joshua Nelson and other priests, 30 August 2017
- St. Michael and All Angels, South Bend, visitation, 4 March 2009, with Bishop Sparks
- Trinity Michigan City, vestry meeting with Bishop Sparks and Rev. Joe Czolgosz, 9 May 2018
- Honoring Rev. David Hyndman, 17 November 2018, with Bishop Gray, Bishop Little, and Bishop Sparks
- Cathedral of St. James, South Bend, Bishop Sparks and Brian Grantz, 10 May 2018
- St. Paul's, Munster, Bishop Sparks, 30 Oct 2017
- St. Stephen's, Hobart, confirmation of Hanna Camerena with Bishop Sparks, 6 May 2018
- Church of the Holy Trinity, South Bend, congegation 22 Oct 2017 with Bishop Sparks and Terri Bays,
- St. Andrew's, Kokomo, congregation with Bishop Sparks, 19 May 2019
- Trinity, Fort Wayne, Bishop Sparks in procession, 18 Dec 2016
- Bishop Douglas Sparks blessing a new entrance, Trinity Episcopal Church, 2016
- St. Andrew's, Kokomo, Bishop Sparks visitation, 7 May 2017, congregation 1
- Bishop Douglas Sparks and confirmands, St Andrew's Kokomo, 6 June 2022
- Holy Family, Angola, Bishop Douglas Sparks with Rev. Thomas Adamson on visitation, 16 Dec 2018
- Gethsemane, Marion, baptism with Bishop Sparks
- Bishop Douglas Sparks (right) and Missioner Christopher Hillak, 2022
- St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Gas City, unidentified with Bishop Douglas Sparks, 8 October 2017
- St. Michael and All Angels, South Bend, visitation with Bishop Sparks and Michael Cowden, 4 Mar 2019
- Trinity Michigan City, Bishop Sparks visitation 2 July 2017
- Trinity Episcopal Church Fort Wayne, Rev. Phil Hooper, Bishop Douglas Sparks, Rev. T. J. Freeman, May 2022
- Lutheran-Episcopal Eucharist, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, South Bend, 31 May 2019, unidentified and Bishop Sparks
- Cathedral of St. James, South Bend, Bishop Sparks at Easter, 1 Apr 2018
- St. Paul's, Munster, visitation with Bishop Sparks, 30 Oct 2017
- St. John the Evangelist, Elkhart, Melissa Renner ordination, 27 Apr 2019 with Bishop Sparks