Understanding the Bishop
Search/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 TEC
108 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:
• Age at consecration:
• Service as bishop:
68
60
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 elections
21 dioceses are currently searching for a new bishop.
Seven already have announced nominees and
will elect in time for consents at GC
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Diocese of Albany
Diocese of California
Diocese of Eastern Michigan
Diocese of Northern California
Diocese of Tennessee
Diocese of Texas. For a Bishop Suffragan
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.
2.
3.
4.
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?
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.
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?
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….
-3Are 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?
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.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
How do you deal with conflict? Give at least one specific
illustrative example.
What pastoral situations make you most uncomfortable?
Why?
What has been for you the most valuable learning experience
in ministry outside of your current primary ministry?
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?
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?
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/