Leland Flocke

 

I am a committed family man and church member. I spent my career as an engineer, first in aerospace then in environmental protection. I would like to use my skill set as an engineer and my gifts of the Holy Spirit to help the Diocese. I have joined Faith Received, and now seek election to the Diocesan Board.

 

Family – Happily married for thirty-eight years, my wife Pat and I are blessed with two children and a grandson. Enjoying every minute of being a grandfather.

 

Church – I was born in 1940 and raised a Christian, first a Baptist then a Methodist. As an engineer, I was able to help with the design of a new sanctuary, and as a masochist, I conducted the fund raising campaign to pay for it. Although I had never really liked rock music, I was moved to help organize a Sunday afternoon Contemporary Worship Service that eventually served an average of seventy Christians each week, most of whom were new to Christianity. Among other posts, I was elected to and became Chair of the Administrative Council, a position I held for four years. After retiring to Lake Placid, Florida I continued as a Methodist until I was moved to become an Episcopalian. Now a communicant at St. Francis of Assisi, I am a Eucharistic Visitor, a Eucharistic Minister, Chair of the Evangelism Committee, a member or the Brotherhood of St. Andrew, the Outreach Committee and the Men’s Club, and have been nominated to the Vestry.

 

Career – Graduating as an engineer from NYU in 1963, I first worked at Grumman on Project Apollo’s manned lunar landing craft. In 1970 I took an entry-level job as an environmental engineer with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, spending the next 30 years administering environmental protection programs. Rising through the ranks, I retired in 2000 as head engineer of the Syracuse office. 

 

 

Maintain our adherence to scripture. - The words of Jesus are as applicable today as they were 2000 years ago. He had full knowledge of the events of all eternity, and made His words apply to it all. I am alarmed and embarrassed by the recent liberalization movement in the national Church. We must resist this increasing liberalization, and resist all temptations to adopt a “politically correct” philosophy. Develop clear Diocesan guidance on key issues.

 

Attract more people to Christ. - Especially in view of the declining number of Christians and the increasing number of Muslims, we must shout to the world the wonderfully unique aspect of Christianity. If you believe in Christ - and only if you believe in Christ - you will go to heaven and spend eternity with the Lord. Identify those churches that are the most successful in bringing people to Christ and note their methods. Evaluate new electronic communication systems, and develop methods to use these to attract people to Christ. Provide Diocesan training courses and implementation programs, including all that was learned from those two efforts. Incorporate Bishop Howe’s recent teachings on evangelism into the courses and programs. 

Increase the level of our member’s stewardship. - Identify those churches that are most successful in attracting the Time, Talent, and Treasure of their parishioners, and note their methods. Evaluate the methods of the more successful professional church fundraisers. Develop and provide Diocesan training courses and implementation programs.