Jonathan Folts
As bishop of South Dakota, with the largest Native American population of our Church, there are several areas between what is being looked for in an Executive Council member and the subjects we engage. In SD, where prejudice is high and media coverage is low, racial relationships are key in bringing the Church and our communities together. We consider care of creation to be vital, and our Diocesan Leadership Initiative project in 2022 involved planting prairie grass gardens and teaching about their benefits. Due to our minimum budget, we are creative about our spending. Additionally, in developing partnerships and raising awareness, we strive to be good advocates and communicators. At heart, our focus in 2023 is to be people who love to tell the story and God's role in our story. I have good project management skills, much to the disdain of my favorite procrastinators, and believe (with kudos to the A-Team) that there is nothing so good as to see a part of God's plan come together!