(upbeat music) - The Right Reverend Paul-Gordon Chandler was ordained and consecrated as the 10th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Wyoming on February 13th, 2021.

He grew up in Senegal West Africa and has worked in over 150 countries over the years.

And now he finds himself in the wild west of Wyoming.

The Episcopal Bishop Paul-Gordon Chandler.

Next on Wyoming Chronicle.

(upbeat music) - [Narrator] Funding for this program is made possible in part by the Wyoming Humanities Council, helping Wyoming take a closer look at life through the humanities, thinkwy.org, and by the members of the Wyoming PBS Foundation.

Thank you for your support.

- Welcome to Wyoming Chronicle.

I'm Craig Blumenshine from Wyoming PBS, and it's my pleasure to be joined by Right Reverend Paul-Gordon Chandler, the Bishop of the Diocese of Wyoming Episcopal Church.

Bishop, welcome to Wyoming Chronicle.

- It's great to be here, and thank you Craig for this opportunity.

- I'm really pleased that you are here.

And we've asked you a little later in the show to offer a prayer for Wyoming.

This is the very last Wyoming Chronicle that I'll produce for Wyoming PBS.

And I am very much looking forward to hearing that, but Bishop, you were ordained and consecrated as the 10th Bishop of the Episcopal church in Wyoming about a year ago, - 10 months ago.

- 10 months ago in February, in a beautiful and moving service at the cathedral in Laramie.

And I remember reading a, an offering on the church's website, that announced your appointment and your pending arrival with the headline that said Paul-Gordon Chandler from the Middle East to the Wild West.

Bishop, what I'm wondering is, you grew up in Senegal West Africa, I here in Wyoming, I don't know if our childhoods were the same or were they different?

- I think they were pretty different, but there were some similarities, of course, I'm sure as well.

When I was four months old, my parents moved abroad and I spent the first 18 years of my life in Senegal West Africa.

In the Capitol city of Dakar.

I did go to boarding school for high school in Cote d'Ivoire, which is in Ivory Coast.

It was a wonderful place to grow up.

And of course I was the minority, as an American in a context like that.

They were 90%, or more than 90% Muslim in that environment.

And so the languages were French is the national language.

And then the local language that was primarily spoken was Wolof.

So I grew up with Senegalese, French, as well, of course, as to some Lebanese that exist there also.

And so it was this kind of multicultural environment that I spent my early years in.

And it shaped who I am in that sense.

One of the things for me has always been how does one bridge to those who are different than ourselves.

And as I trace back my own interest and passion in that question, it relates to me growing up in a context like that.

And it was one of those opportunities that you learn to live as a minority.

And so I've always felt my own comfortability is when I'm a minority ironically.

So you can put me down in the middle of China and I feel very much at home, even though I don't know the language, et cetera, or necessarily the culture.

However, when I first started coming to Wyoming.

And I first started when I was, 2010 I think it was the first time I was here.

The landscape, the terrain reminded me very much of where I grew up.

- Really?

- Yeah.

So there was a sense of kind of heart that felt at home here.

- Were you able to get outside, explore, hike around.

- Yeah the nature - Do those types of things.

- The wild space.

The wildlife, of course.

Ironically as a kid, I remember thinking of the United States as kind of a boring place.

Here we had in Africa, all the beautiful exotic animals, et cetera.

And then someone introduced me to the bison and I was taken with the bison.

So as a kid, I've always loved the bison.

Now I'm in the land of the Bisons in that regard.

- You may be, Bishop the most traveled person I know.

After your high school years, what was next?

You have told me you've lived and worked in 150 countries.

- Yeah, so I went to university here in the United States.

Seminary in the United Kingdom.

And then after that, we've lived in a number of places around the world.

We lived in Tunisia, North Africa.

We lived in Egypt for 10 years.

We've lived in Qatar.

We've lived in France.

Lived in the United Kingdom.

And then other jobs that I've had have required that I've worked in a number of countries around the world.

And I think it was maybe a few birthdays ago, the kids, we have two kids.

They did a little kind of map exploration for me as to all the places I've worked.

And I think it went over about 150 countries.

It's been fascinating.

And now I'm in the exotic terrain of Wyoming.

- In my eyes it couldn't be contrasted more than your previous church which was in Qatar.

- In Doha.

- In Doha, your weekly census at church was what 18,000 people or so.

- Yeah, what it was is that all Christian tradition pretty much meet in one compound.

That was hosted by the Anglican Church.

So we hosted many other congregations.

We had 20 sanctuaries and they were just used all the time.

Every hour was a different service on the weekends.

So yeah, we had about 18 to 20,000 people would come through that complex on a weekend.

And have about 60 different languages actually.

And about 130 different denominations or church traditions were using that property every weekend.

- But this is in an area that is primarily Muslim.

- Almost 100% Muslim in terms of the local population.

But it's a strange country in the sense that only about 10%, maybe even 8% are actually indigenous Qataris.

All the rest.

So 90, 92% of the country are foreigners.

So that was a very different context than where I've served in the past.

Where really I'm the minority, if you will, such as in Egypt or in Tunisia.

- We're gonna talk a little bit later about some of your writings, but you spend a lot of your life thinking about the intersection of the Muslim world and the Christian world.

A lot of that time in Qatar as well.

- Very much so.

I, growing up as a Christian, my father was the pastor of the International Church there in Dakar, Senegal.

Growing up as a Christian in a Muslim environment.

For me it's always been, how do we find a way to bridge to the other?

All my friends were Muslim at that stage in my life.

And it's interesting.

- We're you ostracized in many ways because you're a Christian.

- No.

The complete opposite.

I would say that the only people I know that would literally, without even thinking twice, give their life for me.

In other words, step in front of a car for me, maybe with the exception of my wife on a good day, are my Muslim friends.

That's how tight and close that, in a relationship and sense of loyalty is.

But in the back of my mind, I've always been thinking about how does one relate to the other in the way that has integrity to my tradition, my Christian tradition?

And one of the ways that it's helped me to think about it.

And I think it relates as to what's going on in our own country right now is how do we bridge to those who are different than ourselves?

And I've always thought of it like the crescent that little sliver, that little part of the moon that we can see.

But you can see that crescent because of the reflection, whenever you see a crescent, the majority of the moon is dark.

And for the sake of an illustration, I would say, and especially when we talk about Christians and Muslims, what we have different is that little sliver.

But what we have in common is that dark side of the moon, the majority of the moon.

And the challenge for us is to build our relationships with each other on the dark side of the moon.

On all we have in common.

I love Pink Floyd, you remember Pink Floyd, - "Dark Side Of The Moon" - "Dark Side Of The Moon" - [Craig] Sure.

- But we're so blinded by the constant illumination of our differences that we can't see all that we have in common.

So that's talking about Christians and Muslims.

It also applies though principle wise to others who are different than ourselves, or who see the world differently.

- Let's talk about the Episcopal Church.

And the Episcopal Church in Wyoming for just a moment if we could.

The Episcopal Church is one of the oldest Christian denominations in the United States, but I think there are many who may not know a lot about the Episcopal Church, maybe especially today.

And how would you describe Bishop, the place that the Episcopal church occupies in the broader array of religious profiles that we all experience and exist in the United States today?

- We are one of the oldest, of course, we come from England that's why.

So in a sense where the U.S. expression here in North America of the Anglican Church and the Anglican Communion, which is some 70 to 80 million Anglicans around the world.

But the Episcopal church in general, I would say the way I'd like to describe it as is the via media, we are the middle way.

So often people say we're the middle way between Protestants and Catholics.

We're the middle way in terms of being able to host this diverse grouping of individuals, we're a motley crew and we can all do it under one umbrella largely because what holds us together is not doctrine per se or theology, but the way in which we worship.

And hence our book of worship is called "The Book of Common Prayer" meaning we're praying it together.

I remember one Christmas Eve sitting there with my younger sister and watching people going forward for communion.

And what struck me was the diversity of those going forward.

It truly was a motley crew, in that sense.

And I think, so that's representative very much of the ethos of who we are, the Episcopal Church.

There are a number of things I think that resonate with where the, a lot of the younger generation is going interestingly.

And that is that we have the ability to focus on spirituality as opposed to religion.

One of the things the Episcopal Church is also known for is that we are all-embracing, welcoming of anyone, regardless of the diversity of their background.

We're passionate about the environment.

There's a sense of, we look for the best in other spiritual traditions to enhance our own.

We're passionate about mystery.

And yet at the same time, we believe in the mind and reason and the world of science, and all of that.

So there are so many things I think going for the Episcopal Church, that actually connect with the future.

However, one of the great challenges I think is finding ways in which to communicate all of that, that connects to the younger generation.

And so often it is seen as not necessarily the most relevant type of service.

And so therefore for us, a lot of it is rethinking.

What does it mean if we're starting all over today to take these same principles, these same beliefs, but how should they be packaged for today to connect with where people are at now?

- And I have a feeling that's really on your mind.

- Passionate for me.

- The Episcopal church is not only as you said, one of the oldest Christian churches, your membership is one of the oldest memberships in churches in the country as well.

How are people responding to that?

I guess, vision of repackaging to have a broader appeal, if you will.

- One of the things I would say about Wyoming, interestingly, and I'm talking about the Episcopal Church in Wyoming, is that this boom and bust culture that we have by necessity has created an openness to doing whatever needs to be done in order to make it.

So that's part of our DNA here.

So in a sense, we're tapping into that in terms of the church in that regard.

Yeah, there's been a remarkable openness and not always clarity as to what we need to do, but openness to doing what we need to do once we have that clarity.

So we're actually, in the Episcopal Church right now it's really I think we're on a journey exploring what that means and who knows what it's gonna look like at the end, but it's a culture of experimentation and discovery.

And it's exciting.

So while there are challenges, because almost all mainline denominations are in decline.

I see it as an opportunity for us.

- [Craig] Are you hopeful?

- very hopeful.

- You said after your ordination and you put now what, 30,000 miles on your Honda Pilot?

- Almost.

- Driving around Wyoming, you said that you wanted to discover how Christ walks the Wyoming road.

What have you discovered about that?

- I guess the, but what I mean by that is, if Jesus were here now, how would that look?

And what does it mean to follow this Christ figure who taught us how to live, who demonstrated it with his life in a context like Wyoming?

And I think for us that means a number of things, that means, paying attention to the needs that are here very much so that relate specifically to the context of this state.

And issues of social justice, issues of encouraging diversity, issues of providing community for those that find themselves alone in need of support and attention.

Issues of enabling us to experience the other, whomever the other is.

Because our lives are most enriched in that way.

And one of the things about the Jesus is he was always crossing borders, cultural borders, geographical borders, social borders.

And I think that's very much what the Episcopal church is about.

We are an entity that is a bridge to the other.

One of our models of course, from a biblical standpoint is the ancient figure of Abraham.

And he was known as Abraham, the Hebrew.

The word Hebrew is the word (foreign language) and it means someone who crosses over.

And so that's what Abraham did.

He crossed over the Euphrates river there in Iraq, into another world.

And in that world, his life was enriched and he learned what I would consider the principle of sacred hospitality.

And there's this wonderful Jewish really illustration where they say that Abraham left all four sides of his tent open for strangers to easily enter.

And I think that's what the Episcopal Church is largely about.

- You've mentioned art a couple of times as we've been visiting today.

You've said before that art is a conversation and an opening of the heart often, art is very important in your life.

Tell me more about that.

- Art's a big, has played a major role in my own life.

My father, who was a minister was also an artist.

Growing up in Senegal.

It's kind of the heart of the arts for west Africa.

It's a very flamboyant culture.

And when I lived in Cairo Egypt, we did a lot of east-west dialogue and it was the same type of thing that everyone does, forums and lectures and panels.

You have the same people show up, 100 et cetera that come.

And one day I was talking to one of the Chief Imams there, Muslim Imams, and he was bored I was bored.

What can we do?

And I said, I'll tell you what, let's take our church.

And I was the Rector of an Episcopal Church there, and we'll convert it into an art gallery and we'll bring Christian and Muslim artists together around a theme that brings us together.

And we did it.

He said, okay, so we did it.

So in a sense became this, really really unique art gallery.

And we had 10,000 people show up.

And those completely outside of the typical circles that, we would be communicating with.

And so we started it as an arts festival every year, et cetera.

largely visual art, but music and literature and film, et cetera, around the visual art.

We had the late Omar Sharif, the actor, helping us a good bit at that time.

What through that whole experience I began to see that art actually has the power to be one of the most effective mediums to enable, facilitate sharing, to encourage a greater understanding of the other, to change stereotypes.

And more than anything, to facilitate the deepening of friendships.

And there's something transcendent about art.

It takes us to that deeper level and we can see things in new and fresh ways.

There's something about art that's indirect.

It's like working in addressing a challenging topic under the table.

So those defensive walls don't naturally go up.

And so it speaks often when it does the viewer is not even knowing it's speaking to them.

So there's not that defensiveness on sensitive subjects.

And it's also, art can be an encounter point, bringing people together that normally don't come together.

- You have some books that you have here on the table, and you've written four books as I understand it.

And you're working on a fifth that has some Wyoming history in it.

And we're excited to hear more about that perhaps a little bit later, but tell me a little bit about your last book, perhaps we'll start there "In Search of a Prophet: "A spiritual Journey with " I hope I pronounce it Kahlil Gibran.

- Kahlil Gibran became very well known in the west.

He was Lebanese born Arab American moved in the late 1800s during the Lebanese immigration here to the United States.

And he was most known for his book, "The Prophet" which became kind of almost like a, it was a sacred new alternative sacred text in the 60s, 70s and 80s.

But I was intrigued by him because he was this unique east west figure.

And more specifically, he grew up in a intolerant sectarian context in Lebanon, and he ends up throughout his life journey.

He ends up in the United States becoming this all-embracing figure, with a spirituality that actually everyone can tap into and benefit from.

So I was intrigued by what were those stages in his life that caused him to open up and become that way.

So I went and traveled all around the world.

Everywhere he lived and worked, and read what he wrote during that, in that particular place.

And it took me from Lebanon to Mexico city and different parts of the United States, and other parts of Europe.

So anyway, it was a fascinating project to work on.

And I do think we have a tremendous amount to learn from his life.

- [Craig] In today's world, - In today's world, very much so.

Because he really does teach us about seeing the image of God in everyone.

And that leads us to looking kindly on the other.

And it's something, of course our country can benefit from a lot right now.

- So you're considering a book that has a Wyoming connection.

- The book I'm thinking, or I should say I'm working on researching on right now relates to Reverend John Roberts, who was the Welsh clergyman who came and started the Episcopal church's mission on the Wind River Reservation.

He actually started, almost all of our churches he planted almost all of our churches in Fremont County.

Very unique individual, especially now when there's a renewed interest in Native American spirituality.

Because he encouraged indigenous native expressions of spirituality and their interplay with the Christian faith.

Which was remarkable back then.

And I think it's because he was a Celt, he had a Celtic spirituality.

And their situation and context there in Wales was very similar.

- The Episcopal Church is making a significant effort as we speak today on the Reservation specifically at St. Michael's Mission.

Tell me more about that.

- We have a very special context there called a Sacred Circle.

St. Michael's Mission.

They call it St. Michael's Circle number of buildings around there that actually have not been kept up over the years.

We've just made a major decision to renovate them and bring them to life, not just physically, but also spiritually, and from a humanitarian standpoint to serve the local community.

It's costly.

So it's a real investment, but more than anything else, it's long overdue.

And there've been a lot of promises over the years, and the time has come for us to step up and come alongside our Native American sisters and brothers there, which of course are Northern Arapaho, as well as the Eastern Shoshone.

And assist them in new and fresh ways.

And one of the ways is we have been given, it's called the Edith May Adams Collection.

It's a collection of Northern Arapaho artifacts from head dresses to canvas bison hide paintings, to marvelous bead work, and et cetera.

About 230 items.

And we will be putting them in one of those buildings.

We're actually renovating it.

And it will become a first-class museum honoring the Northern Arapaho peoples.

Telling their story and in there telling our story as well of our experience.

- [Craig] The Episcopal Church's experience on the Reservation.

- On the Reservation, very much so.

This figure, John Roberts, that I'm working on this book on.

Was a close friend of Chief Washakie and Chief Black Coal on the Northern Arapaho side.

So it's bringing some of that to life as well.

I also wanted to say that one of our upcoming art exhibitions is titled grounded, involves Northern Plains contemporary artists.

The title means that it's about we're focusing on how we're connected, interconnected with all of creation, including the earth and all living things, wildlife, and of course of humanity as well.

And there's a tremendous amount we have to learn from Native American spirituality in that regard.

And so this art exhibition will actually tour Wyoming and then it will tour a few other parts of the United States.

Then we'll go to Europe, and end up in the Middle East of all places.

Because I think it's a moment in time right now.

And one of the unique things I think for the Episcopal Church is to serve as a catalyst toward enabling the entire, the larger world to benefit from the spirituality and the culture of our Native American sisters and brothers.

- I look forward to seeing that sounds spectacular.

Bishop Paul-Gordon Chandler.

I can't thank you enough for spending time with us on Wyoming Chronicle.

I really appreciate your time.

- It's my privilege.

And especially for your last interview, we should have had a bottle of champagne here or something.

- Well, it's enough of a celebration just to have you.

But as we told our viewers at the top of the show, I've asked you to lead us out here with a prayer for the State of Wyoming.

So now the floor is all yours.

- I would be honored.

Our creator God, source of all good gifts linked at this moment in time here in Wyoming, we value the friendships that are formed across all of our citizens, regardless of ethnicity, political persuasion, culture, or faith tradition.

You created all peoples in Your image.

And we thank you for the beauty of diversity.

Show us your presence all the more in those who differ from us, thereby enriching each of our own lives.

And we ask for your guidance at this critical time for our state and country.

Give each of us the privilege of using the gifts that you've given us to further hope, peace and healing through all facets of society.

Give us open minds, caring hearts, wisdom and courage to choose lives of purpose.

And may our future overflow with brightness.

Maybe we celebrate the gift of life in this new year.

And in your watchful compassion may peace rule in all of our hearts.

Empower us with your strength, enrich us with your love and energize us with your hope.

Our God whose presence fills the whole creation.

And who's found wherever we go, surround us with your loving care, protect us from every danger and bring us all in safety to our journeys end.

In the blessing of God who made us, who loves us and who travels with us, be with us all now and forever.

- Amen.

- [Craig] Amen.

(upbeat music) - [Narrator] Funding for this program is made possible in part by the Wyoming Humanities Council, helping Wyoming take a closer look at life through the humanities, thinkwy.org.

And by the members of the Wyoming PBS Foundation.

Thank you for your support.