Letter to the Diocese:

Dear Siblings in Christ in the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire,

As this season of discernment unfolds, I have been holding the people and congregations of the Diocese of New Hampshire in prayer in a significant way. What began as an invitation to explore a possible call has become something much deeper: a wholehearted appreciation for your witness, your honesty about the challenges before you, and your desire to follow Christ with hope, courage, and joy. It is a privilege and a gift to share in this journey of prayer with you.

I have come to believe that the ministry of a bishop begins with presence. Before a bishop is an administrator, strategist, or mediator, a bishop is first called to be a pastor: to listen deeply, encourage faithfully, proclaim the Gospel, and walk alongside God's people through seasons of celebration, uncertainty, and change. Throughout my ministry, I have learned that faithful leadership is rarely about having all the answers. More often, it is about helping people listen together for the voice of the Holy Spirit and trusting that God is already at work among us. As I have come to know more about your diocese, it has become profoundly clear to me that God is doing something beautiful in and through you, and I find myself longing to be part of that work.

As a Franciscan, I understand my vocation through the lens of itinerancy. Following the example of Jesus, Saint Francis of Assisi called his brothers to go into the world—not to remain in places of comfort or authority, but to be among the people where they lived, worked, struggled, and rejoiced. That spirituality has profoundly shaped my ministry. If called to serve as your bishop, I would hope to be known as one who is present in every corner of the diocese—not only for visitations, confirmations, and ordinations—but also in the ordinary moments of parish life, listening carefully, praying alongside God's people, and encouraging the gifts already flourishing among you. I believe the ministry of a bishop is most faithfully exercised not from behind a desk, but by walking the roads of the diocese, building relationships, and helping congregations discover the ways the Holy Spirit is already inviting them into God's mission. There is no substitute for showing up, because presence is one of the powerful ways Christ makes himself known to his people.

That conviction shapes not only my ministry but also my family life. My wife and I have been married for twenty-two years, and we are raising our twelve-year-old daughter. Some of our happiest moments are spent hiking trails or running with each other, discovering the beauty of God's creation and the joy that comes from simply being present with one another. They have been my greatest companions in ministry, and whatever call God places before us will always be one we discern and embrace together.

As Canon to the Ordinary for Leadership in the Diocese of Maryland, I have had the privilege of accompanying congregations, clergy, and lay leaders through times of transition, renewal, and even resurrection. Again and again, I have witnessed God bring new life where people could only see uncertainty or anxiety. Those experiences have strengthened my conviction that the future of the Church will not be determined by our resources alone, but by our willingness to follow Jesus with imagination, humility, and trust. In your own discernment and ministry, I see those qualities already bearing fruit.

My ministry has also been shaped by a lifelong commitment to learning. Earning a Doctor of Ministry in Congregational Development from Bexley Seabury Seminary deepened my understanding of the theological and practical dimensions of congregational life and equipped me to guide parishes and a diocese through faithful growth and transformation. As a trainer with the College for Congregational Development and through certifications in nonprofit management and religious fundraising, I have had opportunities to help churches strengthen leadership, cultivate faithful stewardship, and build sustainable resources for mission.

My formation in community organizing has likewise taught me how to build bridges across differences and invite people into shared work for justice. Combined with my experience in pastoral care and counseling, those experiences have shaped a ministry rooted in deep listening, compassionate engagement, and empowering communities to discover God's call together. My love for the ministry of administration also led me to co-found Cornerstone Franciscan Ministries, a nonprofit that provides pastoral financial leadership, accounting services, and organizational support to congregations and dioceses. I have come to see administration not as work apart from ministry, but as one of the ways we create space for God's people to flourish in mission.

Jesus gives the Church both the Great Commandment—to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves—and the Great Commission—to go into all the world and make disciples. These are not separate callings but one life in Christ. We cannot truly love our neighbors if we do not know them, and we cannot know them without presence, relationship, curiosity, and shared life. The Church gathers around Word and Sacrament so that we may be formed by God and then sent into our communities as bearers of hope, reconciliation, justice, and peace.

That vision resonates deeply with what I have learned about the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire. I see a people committed to knowing one another, serving their communities, asking honest questions, and seeking God's future together. I am not drawn to New Hampshire because I believe I have all that you need. Rather, I am drawn by the possibility of discovering together where the Holy Spirit is leading and how God may be calling us to join more fully in Christ's mission. Whether in a small but mighty rural congregation, a vibrant urban parish, a dynamic campus ministry, an innovative new Gospel-oriented community or one yet to be imagined, I would hope to be a bishop who shows up, listens well, and encourages God's people to recognize the gifts already among them.

Whether our discernment continues in the months ahead or our paths ultimately diverge, I am grateful for the opportunity to have begun this journey with you. If I have the privilege of meeting you during the meet-and-greet gatherings, I look forward to hearing your stories, learning what you cherish about this diocese, and listening for the ways God is calling us more deeply into our common life in Christ.

Please know of my prayers for each of you as you continue this holy work of discernment. I ask your prayers for me as well, trusting that together we seek not simply the election of a bishop, but the will of God for the people of the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire.

Your brother in Christ,

Kristofer

The Rev. Canon Dr. Kristofer H. Lindh-Payne, OSF