The following letter was sent by the Right Reverend Larry Maze, former bishop of Arkansas, to encourage his fellow bishops to support the EMIN. He sent this letter with approvals from the then Presiding Bishop Griswald.

February 14, 2002

To Members of the House of Bishops:

Dear Colleagues,

            Over the past several years we have seen necessary budget cuts and the attendant reordering of priorities in many areas of our corporate life in the church.  Some ministries that were once housed at our national church headquarters have quietly slipped away, but some of the most important and most viable have simply found new ways to continue important work. One such as this is the Episcopal Mental Illness Network (EMIN), and it is this small, heroic ministry that I now offer my support and encouragement.

            All of us share in the experience of seeing homeless people in every community, one third of whom are mentally ill. And we wonder how to help or even who might help. More personally, many of us have lived with mental illness ourselves, either our own or someone within our family or circle of loved ones. It is a frightening and lonely experience because of its unpredictability and its relentless grip.

            EMIN exists to help educate the church about this illness, to provide connection for those caught up in providing hope and care to loved ones, and to maintain links and referrals for those struggling with mental illness at any level. As one who was once the primary caregiver to another who was in and out of mental illness, I can attest to the value there could have been in simply knowing I was not alone in this mysterious terrain.

            Whenever there are those upon whose heart God has placed a particular burden  for ministry, the whole church is called to offer prayer and support for the success of that work. This is a work worthy of our attention. Please study, even briefly, the enclosed brochure. Be familiar with this work and know it is a place of referral to those you may encounter. And consider supporting this ministry with your check. It is entirely funded by our gifts and does remarkable work within its means.

            May God continue to bless you in your own work and may you find a way to enable this work.

                              Faithfully,

                              The Right Reverend Larry E. Maze, D.D., Bishop