When Bishop White was elected in 2023, she began her ministry with Southern Ohio with a clear vision: that diocesan staff and resources exist to support the local church, all 70+ forms of faith community that gather daily to worship, serve, and join God in the transformation of our neighborhoods.
As part of this vision, she would call the Rev. Canon Meredith Day Hearn to serve as canon for congregations, leading a team of talented gatherers and practitioners of congregational development. Their charge was clear: to be the direct line of assistance to the congregations of this diocese around resourcing, transitions, stewardship, congregational development, and crisis support.
“I remember hearing Bishop White talk about this vision for the work of a diocesan staff during the Meet and Greets that were a part of the bishop search process,” reflected Canon Day Hearn. “As the priest-in-charge of a small but quickly growing church at the time, I was heartened to imagine what that would look like for our congregation. Little did I know, the Holy Spirit was preparing me to take on that work directly.
“As I began to reflect on our diocesan mission and Bishop White’s vision for the Congregations Team, it became clear to me that one of our first priorities should be to step foot inside and worship with every one of our congregations. In order to best serve our faith communities, we need to know them.”
Over time, she would call her team to join the work: in November 2024, two staff members came on staff: the Rev. Derrick Fetz as missioner for stewardship and the Rev. Melanie Slane as transitions minister. The Rev. Olivia Hamilton joined as missioner for lifelong formation in May 2025. Team assembled, they made an audacious goal: to visit and worship with every single faith community in the diocese—all 70+ congregations and missions and convent and camp—by the end of 2025. And after a little snow-delayed rescheduling, they met that goal with visits to St. John’s, Lancaster and St. Patrick’s, Dublin in early January.
“Coming onto the Congregations Team midway through the year meant that I kicked right into gear visiting congregations throughout the diocese!,” shares the Rev. Olivia Hamilton, missioner for lifelong formation. “The many miles put on my car were so worth it for the opportunity to see and experience the diversity, faithfulness, and depth of tradition we embody as the Diocese of Southern Ohio.
“From historic room-sized organs to Casio keyboards, from ‘smells and bells’ to casual gatherings around card-table altars, from packed pews to a faithful few gathering in the name of Christ, these visits were amazingly helpful to me as I began to truly appreciate the breadth and variety of our congregations. Conversations about formation, outreach, and mission peppered my visits, and made me so excited for the ways that our churches are living whole-heartedly into the invitation that we share: to exemplify God’s love in Southern Ohio.”
The Rev. Derrick Fetz reflected, “This experience has allowed me to build relationships with our congregations, see how they are working with the Holy Spirit to living out their unique purpose, and identify how the DSO staff can partner with their leaders to help them be the most faithful version of the Body of Christ in that place.”
With onsite experience in each of the congregations and growing relationships and networks of support among clergy and lay leaders, Canon Day Hearn looks forward to building on this momentum in 2026 and beyond.
“Diocesan work feels like a long game. I recognize that it will take time to build trust and ongoing kinship with our faith communities, and it’s my hope that our church leaders know who we are and that we’re here to support them. As Bishop White is often known to say, the local church is the reliable place for Jesus’ transformation. Our team wants to bear witness to, encourage, and help proclaim that transformation to a world that desperately needs it.”
The Congregations Team and many other members of the diocesan staff want to visit your congregation, guest celebrating, preaching, leading discussion, formation, or just sitting in the pews! Visit the Staff Page of our website to connect with a staff member and schedule a visit.
