Evangelism was the theme of the annual council of the Diocese of Fond du Lac Oct. 19 at St. Paul's Cathedral, Fond du Lac, Wis.

A large banner proclaiming "Make the Angels Sing" hung from the rood beam and delegates listened to evangelist Diana Montenegro from the Diocese of Milwaukee tell the assembly, "Systems get the results they're set up for. If you're not getting the results you want, you need to change the system."

Delegates then broke into small groups to discuss, "How do I proclaim the gospel by word and example?" and "What sometimes impedes this?"

In his conciliar address, presented during the Eucharist, the Rt. Rev. Russell Jacobus, Bishop of Fond du Lac, said, "Our focus needs to be on the spread and proclamation of the gospel - the good news of salvation in Christ. This needs to take precedence over all else. If we don't respond to Jesus 'calling,' and to his 'sending' to preach the gospel and bring others to him, we won't have a church left; much less liturgies or debates on issues.

"Let's put aside our different viewpoints. Let's put aside our prejudices. Let's put aside our overwhelming concern for survival, and hear the call of Jesus to go out and proclaim the gospel."

At the conciliar banquet, Bishop John Beem of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and Bishop Jacobus discussed the recent joint meeting of Lutheran and Episcopal bishops [TLC, Oct. 27], and issued a statement of common purpose to work for greater closeness between the two jurisdictions.