Letter to the Diocese:

Dear Friends in Christ in the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire:

Let me begin by sharing a bit about who I am. I have been married to my spouse, The Rev. Dr. David Smith, for sixteen years. We share our home in Reston with our poodle, Jasper, close to David’s daughter Hilary and her family. I am an avid reader of fiction, mysteries, and fantasies – drawn, as I am in my priesthood, to the rich stories of people’s lives. I am a life-long Red Sox fan, having attended my first game with my dad when I was five. David and I love to travel, and together, we have led pilgrimages to The Holy Land, The United Kingdom, as well as Italy and Greece, helping pilgrims draw closer to God through their pilgrimage experiences. 

I spent the first 38 years of my life in Central and Western Massachusetts and have deep family roots in both Maine and Vermont. I was privileged to serve as Rector of St. Barnabas in Berlin and on the staff of the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire for nearly five years between 2008 and 2013. Last summer, during a sabbatical road trip, driving along a New Hampshire country road, I turned to David and said, “It turns out that this is the landscape of my heart.” Looking back, it was a moment of realization about how much New England feels like home. I believe the Holy Spirit was already opening my heart to the possibility of a return to New Hampshire.

Months later, a trusted friend invited me to read your profile and consider entering the discernment process for the 11th Bishop of the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire. Throughout my life, the Holy Spirit has moved me to action using the voices of others. Because discernment happens in community, I engaged in holy confidential conversations with trusted colleagues and spoke at length with my bishop. His affirmation, alongside deep reflection about leaving a beloved congregation where David and I have put down roots for more than eight years, confirmed the stirrings in my heart. 

Reflecting on my twenty years of ordained ministry, I sense that I have been moving towards becoming the person you seek in your next bishop. In every place where God has called me, I have built deep relationships, seeking to empower people and congregations to live more fully as the people God has called them to be. As a pastor, my heart is truly with the people I serve. I lead with love and care, anchored by my faith, honesty, and integrity. 

We live in challenging times. Political divisions, the lingering impact of the pandemic, and shifting demographics all complicate the work of the church. I do not pretend to have all the answers. I have no doubt about God’s commitment to this world and trust the Spirit’s presence with us. Our most faithful response is to ground ourselves in relationship with God through prayer, scripture, and the call to love others as God loves us. Following the teachings of Jesus, and led by the Holy Spirit, our church can be the living, growing, witnessing community we are called to be.

I am not someone who has felt called to be a bishop. And yet, reading your profile, I experienced the deep connection between your vision and my sense of call. As I engaged ever more deeply in this process, I have felt increasingly drawn to serve as your bishop. 

I am holding you in prayer as you discern who is called to serve as the next Bishop of the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire. I ask for your prayers for David and me, as well. 

Faithfully yours,

Fran+

The Rev. Fran Gardner-Smith