Bishop Todd Hunter has appointed The Very Rev. Canon Paul Donison of Christ Church Plano in Plano, Texas, to succeed the Very Rev. Cliff Warner as Regional Dean of Texas, as Cliff completes his two-year term. It’s a strategic time for Paul to become Dean, as he will be hosting the 2019 Provincial Assembly at Christ Church Plano. We sat down with Paul before his upcoming installation to talk about his new role, the ways he wants to serve local churches and clergy, and how he hopes the Texas Deanery will help fulfill C4SO’s church-planting vision.
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What Is a Regional Dean?
Regional Deans are key to the success of C4SO, sharing in Bishop Todd’s leadership of mission and pastoral care in each of our six Deaneries.
Among the Dean’s responsibilities:
– Developing and sharing a regional vision for ministry
– Helping Bishop Todd oversee and care for the Deanery
– Providing supportive and collaborative leadership for mission and ministry in the Deanery
– Convening a Clericus (a monthly gathering of the Deanery’s clergy)
– Conducting other Deanery meetings and events
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Q. What made you want to take on this new role of Dean?
Paul Donison: When the Bishop asks, my churchmanship says yes. But beyond trying to be an obedient, responsive servant within the life of the Diocese, I have a love for our Diocese and our region, and a desire for more partnership and cohesion. My heart beats toward healthy diocesan life. I want to help with relationship building, as we can’t have healthy life in a region if we don’t know each other. I think that takes identifying a common mission and vision for our region, an identifiable sense of what it means to be the Church in this area. Relationships + mission = a healthy ecclesiology for the region.
My primary focus will still be Christ Church Plano, and I will still put my heart there, but the diocesan piece is part of my heart too. I’m excited to step into it. I’ve always had a big dream of the Church that’s bigger than the local church, of how local churches can work together within a region and diocese.
Q. What in your background has equipped and prepared you for this role?
PD: I’ve had valuable experience in Ottawa [a city in Ontario, Canada] serving over the last 10 years. I had a dual role, as parish rector at an inner-city church, and also serving as Canon to Bishops Charlie Masters and Don Harvey. As Canon, I got to take on a lot of the responsibilities that belong to the Canon to the Ordinary in our Diocese. So I have a lot of experience running synods and regional events, working with rectors and planters to work through conflict and challenge. That gives me experience in managing the role of a rector as well as diocesan responsibilities.
Q. What’s your vision for the Texas Deanery?
PD: My vision is aligned with Bishop Todd’s, and I am thankful for and hope to build on what Cliff has created here. I want to strengthen relationships so there will be, over time, a clearer sense of what God is putting in front of us as a planting and growing region. I put an emphasis on getting the right people. I see my role in facilitating vision-casting, rather than being a “Moses” leader, and getting the local leaders and rectors together and building a conciliar movement. I have dreams for an annual Texas Deanery retreat, finding opportunities a few times a year to gather rectors and leaders and ask them, “What are you seeing and hearing your context?” They are the ones who have the best sense of their context and the needs in the region. Together, we can find a cohesive vision.
Q. What do you think Texas clergy need most?
PD:We need a strong Texas sense of identity, within C4SO, necessitated by the size and spread of our Diocese. Everyone has a connection point with Bishop Todd but often not with each other. I hope our Texas Deanery can experience a real sense of family, where rectors and churches get to know each other better. Then, we can determine, “What is our Texas strategy?”
That may be region-specific—a Dallas strategy, an Austin strategy, etc. But we need to ask, “What is our part in C4SO’s strategic vision to plant 100 churches and raise up 200 new leaders?” What are we responsible for? Without hamstringing the Holy Spirit’s creativity, we need to set some target so we know what part of the pie we take responsibility for. If we can own our strategy, both on a regional and local level, we will have the urgency to gather together as a Deanery.
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Texas Deanery Churches
Christ Church Austin
Austin, TX
Led by the Very Rev. Cliff Warner
Christ Church, Plano
Plano, TX
Led by the Rev. Paul Donison
Church of the Cross
Austin, TX
Led by the Rev. Peter Coehlo
Good Shepherd Anglican Church
Longview, TX
Led by Anna Purdum
Light of Christ Anglican Church
Georgetown, TX
Led by the Rev. Kurt Hein
Redemption Anglican Church
Frisco, TX
Led by the Rev. Jason Bowman
Restoration Anglican Church
Richardson, TX
Led by the Rev. Jed Roseberry
Resurrection South Austin
South Austin, TX
Led by the Rev. Shawn McCain
Shared Life Community Church
White Rock Lake, TX
Led by the Rev. Chris Goers
The Border Mission
La Feria, TX
Led by the Rev. Michael Jarrett
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Q. How do you see Texas helping to fulfill C4SO’s strategic vision?
PD: Churches planting churches planting churches. That’s the primary way forward. There is something to be said for strategic plants that are not direct multiplication, but where local rectors agree, “We need a church in this area.” I would say it’s a hybrid of church-planting churches and finding great leaders. That may be the model we push more toward as a Deanery—finding great leaders and helpful resources and dropping them into these mission fields with the support of local rectors.
Q. What are you most looking forward to about being Dean?
PD: The opportunity to gather folks together. I rejoice in seeing the church gathered, and leaders served and equipped. I look forward to being the facilitator for the region and see our leaders cared for and able to thrive, both in relationships and resources. As we build relationship strength in Texas Deanery, I hope that will play itself out when we host the 2019 Provincial Assembly—further connecting our Diocese to the rest of the ACNA.
Q. What is your favorite thing about Texas?
PD: I’ve been amazed at the culture of hospitality and generosity here. It creates a fertile mission ground for the church. It’s easy to begin conversations and share your life and story with people here. There’s a receptivity to relationship and conversation that I haven’t seen in other contexts—coming from hyper-secular Canada, where there is no hospitality toward the church, no generosity.
I also really like the weather. You don’t have to shovel heat. I like the climate. I like that Texas is really growing economically and population-wise. The sky’s the limit as we pray that God would begin new works among us. It is a wonderful missional planting environment.
Q. How can we pray for you in this new role?
PD: My first prayer request would be great opportunities for connection. I’m a relative newcomer, so I’ve got to get to know some people I don’t know yet.
Pray for a sense of newness and hope for the region, a real view to the future. Pray for an openness to trying things in new ways. I would also ask for prayer for the health of our local churches—each of our rectors and their staff and key people, parishes, vestries, life and growth. We need to be praying for one another.
The Very Rev. Paul Donison will be officially installed as Dean of the Texas Deanery on November 17 at the C4SO headquarters in Plano, Texas. All clergy and ordinands are encouraged to attend.