Understanding the BishopSearch/Nominating Process

By Louie Crew

The Episcopal Church has…

• 111 dioceses (100 of them ‘domestic’).

• Each diocese has at least one bishop (a.k.a. ‘the ordinary’ or ‘the diocesan’). Only the ordinary has ‘jurisdiction’ (that is, “the last word”)

The Episcopal Church is Not a “National Church”

Eleven of our dioceses exist outside the United States

1. Central Ecuador

2. Colombia

3. Dominican Republic

4. Haiti

5. Honduras

6. Litoral Ecuador

7. Puerto Rico

8. Taiwan

9. The Convocation of American Churches in Europe

10. Venezuela

11. Virgin Islands

Beginning with Samuel Seabury in 1784 and ending with Edward Ambrose Gumbs, Bishop of the Virgin Islands – the most recently consecrated bishop, in 2005, The Episcopal Church has had a total of 1,003 bishops to date

The Current Moratorium

On March 16, 2005, at the urging of Bishop Gene Robinson, the House of Bishops meeting at Camp Allen in the Diocese of Texas, voted to impose a one-year moratorium on the consecration of any new bishops until General Convention 2006

Of the 1,003 TEC bishops

321 are still living – 32%

(just under one-third)

Active Bishops in TEC108 ordinaries

3 vacant ordinaries

(CE, ECR, & Navajoland)

1 bishop coadjutor (WTx)

18 bishops suffragan

3 bishops on special assignment

19 assisting or assistant bishops

152 Total (48% of the living bishops)

Retired TEC bishops

• There are 169 retired bishops of TEC (52%)

Of these:

Average age: 76.9

Average age at retirement: 64.8

Average length of service as ordinaries: 12

The 108 Current Ordinaries

• Average age: 59.8.

• Average age at consecration: 47.0

• Average service as bishop: 12.8

Bishop John P. Croneberger

• Age next January on retirement: 68

• Age at consecration: 60

• Service as bishop: 8

During Bp. Croneberger’s Tenure

• Bp. Croneberger was the is #943 in the American succession, consecrated in November 1998.

• 60 bishops have been consecrated since he was or 45% of the current House (excluding assistant bishops

• There were 299 candidates for those 60 elections, or an average of 5 per race.

During the PB’s tenure

• 76 new bishops have been elected (50% of the active bishops)

Additional Data

Quean Lutibelle's Reports on the House of Bishops

At http://www.andromeda.rutgers.edu/~lcrew/bishops//

Quean Lutibelle’s Profile of the House of Bishops at

http://rci.rutgers.edu/~lcrew/bpsprof2003.html

Current elections21 dioceses are currently searching for a new bishop.

Seven already have announced nominees and will elect in time for consents at GC

1. Diocese of Albany2. Diocese of California3. Diocese of Eastern Michigan4. Diocese of Northern California5. Diocese of Tennessee6. Diocese of Texas. For a Bishop Suffragan 7. Diocese of West Texas. For a Bishop Suffragan

Elections announced to come after General Convention

• Diocese of Arkansas • Diocese of Central

Ecuador• Diocese of Central

Pennsylvania • Diocese of El Camino

Real • Diocese of Hawaii • Diocese of Maine • Diocese of Newark

• Diocese of Oklahoma

• Diocese of Olympia

• Diocese of South Carolina

• Diocese of Southern Ohio

• Diocese of Southwest Florida

• Diocese of Southern Virginia

• Diocese of Virginia

Timetable for Newark 10

• 6/18/2005 Special Convention • 9/27/2005 Clergy Day• 10/2/2005 Reflection Sunday:• 10/3-10/6 Regional focus groups for lay input • 10/23/2005 Youth focus group for input • 11/1/2005 Draft Profile sent to Nominating

Committee• 11/10/2005 Profile sent to the Diocese• 11/14 - 11/17/2005 Regional meeting for lay

responses to the Draft Profile

Timetable continued…

• 12/7/2005 Approval of Profile by the Standing Committee and Diocesan Council.

• Call for Nominations to be received.• 2/15/2006 Deadline for suggested nominees• February through June: Screening of candidates• April 30-June 15, 2006 Informational sessions in

all 10 districts• 6/28/2006 Nominees announced • 7/5/2006 Deadline for nominations by petition • 9/1/2006 -- 9/13/2006 Walkabouts. • 9/23/2006 Special convention to elect

Timetable concluded

• October and November, 2006: Consents process.

• 12/1/2006 Bishop-Elect of Newark in office

• 1/27/2007 Ordination/Consecration of the 10th

How members of committee were chosen

• One clergy, one lay member elected by each district

• 5 additional members chosen by Standing Committee to achieve balance

• The co-chairs, chosen by the Standing Committee

• Subcommittee Structure

Subcommittees

• Communications

• Profile

• Education

• Screening

• Visitation & Interview

• Presentation

• Executive Committee

A separate transition committee

Screening

• CDO Profile

• Resume

• Responses to 7 questions

• Sermon

• Interviews. Visits both ways.

• Reference.

• Oxford documents.

Newark 10’s Seven Questions

1.  What would you propose as an evangelism strategy for this diocese given our strengths and challenges? How have you attracted and increased the active participation of young people (ages 20-35) in your own ministry settings?

2. How do you define the ministry of presence and connection of a bishop as chief pastor? Please provide three examples of presence and connection from your own ministry.

3. Please give us examples of your own spiritual growth and development. What have you done in the past to help the spiritual growth and development of others? What aspects of your own life and ministry do you think would make others think of you as a person of God? How have you taught or conveyed your faith to others in the past?

4. What is your theology of stewardship? Do you tithe? Why or why not? How do you articulate that theology in an economically or spiritually challenged environment? 

7 questions continued

5. We are known for our full inclusion in the body of Christ of all sexual orientations. How would you help us to continue this inclusion along with making progress in other areas such as race, class, ability economic justice and the plight of our cities?

6. Please list and explain two major characteristics of your own leadership style that you see as relevant to the ministry of the next Bishop of Newark.

7. Given the climate of our time and what you know about the history of action in the Diocese of Newark, how would you inspire and lead our diocesan congregations to respond to the issues and concerns of the Episcopal Church, the Anglican Communion and the world?

From 17 Questions Asked in Diocese of Albany

Question 1 As stated in The Examination of a bishop-elect on page

517 of the Book of Common Prayer, a bishop is to proclaim Christ’s resurrection, interpret the Gospel, and testify to Christ’s sovereignty as Lord of lords and King of kings. In addition, a bishop is to safeguard the faith, unity and discipline of the Church; to celebrate and provide for the administration of the sacraments of the New Covenant; to ordain priests and deacons and to join in ordaining bishops; and to be in all things a faithful pastor and wholesome example for the entire flock of Christ. Please elaborate on your understanding of each of these different roles and responsibilities of a bishop, and how you would attempt to live them out if elected bishop. (Use 1,500 words or less)

Albany questions continued….

-3- Are there any articles in the Apostles’ and

Nicene Creeds with which you are in anything but full personal and theological agreement? If so, which and why? In your response, please address the following questions: Was Jesus raised bodily from the dead, such that the tomb was empty of his physical being, and in his body he appeared unto his disciples until his ascension into heaven? Do you believe Jesus was virginally conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary? Do you agree that the Persons of the Trinity are only the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and no other expression or naming may be substituted? For example, do you believe that a person baptized in the name of “Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier” is validly baptized? (Use 500 words or less)

Another of Albany’s 17 questions

Under what circumstances would you authorize the use of rites for or any practice of same-sex blessing, union, or marriage in this diocese or support such rites or practices anywhere in the Church? Under what circumstances would you permit or approve the ordination or licensing of a person who is sexually active outside the bonds of marriage between a man and a woman? (Use 500 words or less)

The six questions used in the Diocese of California

1. How do you deal with conflict? Give at least one specific illustrative example.

2. What pastoral situations make you most uncomfortable? Why?3. What has been for you the most valuable learning experience in

ministry outside of your current primary ministry?4. Tell us about a difficult situation in your ministry which you

felt you did not resolve very successfully. In retrospect, what would you have done differently?

5. Based on your reading of the diocesan profile: A. what do you see as your greatest challenge as the bishop of California? B. what excites you most about the position?

6. What have you found most compelling in Christ’s call to you? How is this related to your interest in becoming the bishop of California?

Website of the Search Committee:

http://bishopsearch.dioceseofnewark.org/