Twenty years ago, on March 6, 1993, the Rt. Rev. James M. Stanton was Consecrated the Sixth Bishop of the Diocese of Dallas. The celebration took place at the Meyerson Symphony Center in downtown Dallas. It was a grand day for the Diocese as we gathered to celebrate his new ministry among us.

The hallmarks of his twenty years of ministry as Bishop has been his desire to grow the Church through effective evangelism, encouraging and supporting Church planting, and engaging the Diocese in ministry within and throughout the Anglican Communion. Through his support and encouragement many congregations are now engaged in mission work in diocese's throughout Africa and, Central and South America. In addition to these Bishop Stanton has been instrumental in reorganizing the Anglican School of Theology into the present Stanton School for Ministry where those seeking Orders as a Deacon are trained and formed. Through his efforts he restored the Ministry of Deacons and as a result of his enthusiasm for the Diaconate our Diocese is privileged to have 38 active Deacon's serving in many capacities throughout the Diocese.

Please join me in offering prayers of thanksgiving to Almighty God for Bishop Stanton's 20 years of faithful and fruitful service to our Diocese, to our Church, and to the Anglican Communion. May God bless and keep him and may the light of his countenance continually shine upon him and his beloved Diane, his partner through these years of service.