Mutual Ministry Review: Strengthening Shared Leadership in the Diocese of Ohio

In December 2025, the Diocese of Ohio completed a Mutual Ministry Review (MMR) involving diocesan governing bodies and senior leadership. While Mutual Ministry Reviews are commonly used in congregations and clergy settings, this marked a new step for diocesan leadership: pausing together to reflect prayerfully on shared ministry, relationships, and priorities for the future.

A Mutual Ministry Review is a structured, collaborative process that helps leadership bodies:

• Reflect honestly on how ministry is being shared
• Celebrate accomplishments
• Identify areas for growth and improvement
• Strengthen trust and relationships
• Clarify priorities

The Diocese’s MMR brought together members of Diocesan Council, the Board of Trustees, the Standing Committee, Regional Deans, and diocesan staff, including the Bishop and Canon to the Ordinary. The diocesan staff went through this process the day before the leadership retreat. The MMR was grounded in prayer, guided by clear norms, and facilitated by an outside facilitator to support openness, trust, and constructive conversation.

Participants spent time both within their own governing bodies and across bodies, naming what had gone well over the past year and where improvement would strengthen the Diocese’s shared ministry. Across the conversations, several consistent themes emerged.

Participants expressed gratitude for increased collaboration, a growing sense of shared purpose, and a willingness to engage in honest conversations “speaking the truth in love.” Many named the value of simply being in the same room together, learning more about what each governing body does, and deepening relationships across diocesan leadership. One participant noted appreciation for the “clarity of purpose and focus on being healthy, effective, and faithful,” while another named the importance of “showing up for one another across the Diocese.”

At the same time, leaders identified opportunities for growth, particularly around communication. There was a shared desire for clearer, more regular communication both to the wider Diocese and among governing bodies, using multiple formats and media. Participants also named the importance of deepening prayer, Bible study, and theological grounding within leadership work, and of continuing to align all governance with the Diocese’s vision and core values.

Feedback on the process itself was overwhelmingly positive. Participants described the day as purposeful, collaborative, and energizing, valuing the small-group conversations, facilitation, and sense of community. Several expressed appreciation for the honesty and trust present in the room, as well as curiosity to continue learning how the Diocese’s various leadership bodies serve together.

This Mutual Ministry Review is not an endpoint. Each governing body will use the insights from the day to identify concrete next steps for strengthening its ministry in the year ahead. More broadly, the Diocese hopes this experience will model a practice that is valuable at every level of church life.

Mutual Ministry Reviews offer congregations, vestries, diocesan bodies, and leadership teams a faithful way to pause, reflect, and renew shared ministry. When done regularly, they help build trust, clarify purpose, and release energy for what God is calling next. The Diocese of Ohio includes the practice of regular MMRs in our letters of agreement with clergy and faith communities and encourages all leadership bodies and congregations to consider how this practice might support their own ministry and mission. Contact Canon Audra Abt if you would like to discuss scheduling a Mutual Ministry Review in your community.