He served with the U.S. Army in Iraq and Afghanistan before entering the ministry

From Indiana (T. J. served in Pittsburgh most recently)-

After starting the Episcopal Church's ordination process, the Rev. T.J. Freeman quickly found it so frightening he thought it would be safer to serve in the U.S. Army, so he enlisted.

After a tour of duty as a combat soldier in Iraq, Freeman said he returned home suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and feeling broken, dirty and sinful. He was surprised by the response of God, the church and his community.

"This flawed human being is exactly who we need," he recalls learning. "God can work with that."
That is one of the lessons Freeman, 36, carries with him into his ministry as the new rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in downtown Fort Wayne.

He began work at the church by leading worship this past Sunday. He still is unpacking, deciding where to hang artwork in his office and trying to find the light switches in the building. But he is excited about the opportunities at Trinity and in Fort Wayne.

More here-

http://www.news-sentinel.com/news/local/new_trinity_episcopal_pastor_brings_unique_perspective_to_his_ministry_20170707&profile%3D1008

New bishop installed in Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana

From Northern Indiana-

The Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana has a new bishop.

Rev. Dr. Douglas Sparks was installed Saturday at a service at Trinity Episcopal Church in Fort Wayne. He was consecrated by Most Rev. Michael Curry, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church.

Sparks was elected during a diocesan convention on Feb. 6. Bishops and committees from other Episcopal dioceses approved of the consecration.

More here-

http://www.21alive.com/home/New-bishop-installed-in-Episcopal-Diocese-of-Northern-Indiana-384439271.html

Bishop might spark change

From Ft. Wayne-

Wednesday morning during rush hour, the Rev. Douglas E. Sparks spent time at a bus stop near the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where he prayed with willing commuters and made the sign of the cross in ashes on their foreheads.

Participating in Ashes to Go, an unusual way of marking the solemnity of Ash Wednesday, was part of how the Episcopal priest spent his first week as bishop-elect of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana, which includes Fort Wayne.

Sparks, 60, was elected the eighth diocesan bishop on Saturday. His election came on the fourth ballot during a convention of clergy, deacons and laypeople at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church in Warsaw. He succeeds Bishop Edward S. Little II, who is retiring.

The election of Sparks, who heads St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Rochester, may signal a pending change in the local diocese’s stance on same-sex marriage.

More here-

http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/Bishop-might-spark-change-11419985

Northern Indiana diocese elects Douglas E. Sparks as eighth bishop

 ENS-

The Rev. Douglas E. Sparks was elected Feb. 6 to serve as the eighth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana, pending the required consents from a majority of bishops with jurisdiction and standing committees of The Episcopal Church.

Sparks, 60, is currently rector of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Rochester, Minnesota, and has served as a deputy to General Convention for the Diocese of Minnesota since 2009. He was one of five nominees for the Diocese of Northern Indiana’s eighth bishop and was elected on the fourth ballot receiving a total of 70 lay and 28 clergy votes. On that ballot, 48 lay and 25 clergy votes were needed for a successful election.

More here-

http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2016/02/08/northern-indiana-diocese-elects-douglas-e-sparks-as-eighth-bishop/

Utah priest a finalist for Episcopal post in Indiana

From Utah-

It is not often that an Episcopal priest in Utah is nominated to be a bishop somewhere else, but it is even rarer for one who was trained as a journalist and hosted his own gourmet cooking show while wearing his clerical collar.

But that's exactly what has happened to the Rev. Raymond Joe Waldon, dean of the Cathedral Church of St. Mark in Salt Lake City.

Waldon was named last week as one of five finalists for bishop of the Diocese of Northern Indiana, which covers 31 counties in two time zones and includes 36 parishes and missions.

More here-

http://www.sltrib.com/home/3219112-155/utah-priest-a-finalist-for-episcopal

Camp gives children of incarcerated a chance to thrive

From Northern Indiana-

A childhood with one or both parents serving time behind bars is a life-altering experience at an early age.

When Charlotte Strowhorn, of Gary, first heard the idea of a summer camp providing not only escape, but also spiritual, educational and inspiration focus for children of parents in prison, she made it her own personal mission.

“This annual camp opportunity was something needed in Northwest Indiana,” Strowhorn said.

“I needed help and support, so I turned to my own faith and foundation in my church community to make this camp a reality.”

Strowhorn, a member of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana, asked the Right Rev. Edward S. Little II, bishop for the 36 episcopal churches in Northern Indiana, for help and guidance, and in 2006, she founded Camp New Happenings.

More here-

http://www.elkharttruth.com/news/indiana/2015/06/14/Camp-gives-children-of-incarcerated-a-chance-to-thrive.html

Northern Indiana: Bishop Ed Little will resign in 2016

From ENS-

Bishop Edward S. Little II recently announced the he will resign at the end of June 2016.

Little, 68, was ordained and consecrated in March 2000 as the diocese’s seventh bishop.

He included the following letter in the April edition of the “Around the Diocese” newsletter.

Dear brothers and sisters,

This past Tuesday I presented a letter to the Standing Committee, announcing my retirement as of June 30, 2016. At the time, I will have served as bishop of this wonderful diocese for 16 years. My ministry as your bishop, however, will actually conclude three months earlier – March 31, 2016 – when I begin a three-month sabbatical to write a long-planned book.

More here-

http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2015/03/27/northern-indiana-bishop-ed-little-will-resign-in-2016/