The Woes of the Bishop of a Dying Ward

Nobody knows the woes of the Bishop of a dying Ward.  This is me three and a half years ago. When this picture was taken, I was recently called as Bishop of a Ward in New England. I was still full of energy and hope and excitement and nervousness, and a strong sense of feeling overwhelmed. The sense of feeling overwhelmed has never gone away. But back then I had hope for the future of the Ward and a clear direction to grow the Ward. Three months before I was called as Bishop, I was called as Cub Scout Den leader. I didn't release myself from that calling until last year (A few months before the Church announced they would stop the Boy Scout program). I had a mission to revitalize the Scouting program in my Ward. But soon after this hiking trip I had my first big blow. My Cub Scout Master and his family moved back out west. That began a wave of families moving out, people leaving the Church and members dying. Each time another family moved or left I felt my spirit die a ...