Our Bishop
The Rt. Rev. Diane M. Jardine Bruce
Bishop Provisional of West Missouri
As Episcopalians, those who quite literally derive our name from the episcopacy (the apostolic order of bishops), we are guided by the pastoral direction of our bishop. The current bishop of our diocese is Bishop Diane Jardine Bruce, who became our Bishop Provisional (a bishop with full jurisdiction of the diocese, albeit for a definite period of time) on December 1, 2021, following twelve years of her ministry serving as a bishop suffragan (a bishop assisting the diocesan bishop) in the Diocese of Los Angeles.
Bishop Bruce's role as Bishop of West Missouri is one of hands-on oversight of the work of our diocese. From executive authority to pastoral visits, she is highly involved in every aspect of our shared life. Both in leading the overall work of our diocese (47 congregations and counting!) and speaking directly to the ministry of individual congregations, Bishop Bruce's apostolic role guides the mission and ministry of our congregation.
In addition to her ministry in West Missouri, Bishop Bruce serves as the Secretary of the House of Bishops of The Episcopal Church, sits on boards and commissions of several ministries, and is an avid player of Pokémon GO.
To read further about Bishop Bruce, see her biography on the diocesan website, here:
Our Vicar
The Very Rev. Isaac R. Petty
Vicar and Dean
In Episcopal polity, a mission congregation (such as ours) is under the direct supervision of the sitting bishop; therefore, our local minister is called a vicar, a priest who serves vicariously on behalf of the bishop. Fr Isaac's passion for community engagement and development and genuine love for the congregation combine to make ministry in Excelsior Springs his own dream come true.
Fr Isaac became Vicar of St Luke's Church in June 2021, having served our congregation in a diaconal capacity before his ordination to the priesthood in May 2021. In addition to leading our congregation, Fr Isaac serves as an assisting priest at Church of the Redeemer in Kansas City. In March 2022, he was elected Dean of the Central Deanery of the Diocese of West Missouri, a collection of 17 churches in mostly town and country settings, spanning north-to-south from Trenton to Clinton and east-to-west from Boonville to Belton. He serves on the Diocesan Council, Episcopal Ministry Support Team, Finance Committee, Stewardship Committee, Metrics Committee, Youth Ministry Commission, and Christian Formation Commission.
Fr Isaac was born and raised in a small town in central Kentucky then moved to Nashville for his undergraduate studies. Prior to his ministry as a priest, and even before enrolling in seminary, Fr Isaac lived in Central Europe, aiding in refugee resettlement. He now lives between Redeemer and St Luke's Church with his two rescue dogs, Milo and Teddy. When not engaged in parochial ministry, Fr Isaac can be found potting more plants on the patio (or at the plant nursery), at the dog park, playing music, or sitting at a craft coffee shop.
Contact Fr Isaac at revisaacpetty@esepiscopal.org or schedule a time to meet online.
The Bishop's Committee
Local Lay Leadership
The Bishop's Committee is the locally governing body of any mission congregation in our diocese. Leaders serving on this committee are nominated by the vicar, appointed by the bishop, and serve one-year terms (including successive terms of reappointment).
2022 Bishop's Committee members:
Warden: Rebecca Adams
Secretary: April Parish-Blair
Treasurer: Shannon Morgan