B ISHOP E LECTION 2 0 1 5 EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF THE CENTRAL GULF COAST
Walkabout: Election:
January 19, 20, 21 February 21
Discerning God’s Call to Us Over the last year, the members of the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast and all those whose names were considered by our Bishop Search Committee have been in a process of discernment, seeking to determine God’s call. For the members of the Diocese, this has included a look at who we are in assembling a profile of our diocese. The members of our Bishop Search Committee have reviewed the backgrounds and gifts of many candidates and presented the names of four nominees to our Standing Committee. All of those whose names were considered, including those who are now the final four nominees, have prayerfully and thoughtfully considered whether God might be calling them to be our bishop.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Discerning God’s Call to Us
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The Bishop We Seek
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The Nominees
The Rev. J. Russell Kendrick
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The Very Rev. Edward F. O’Connor
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The Rev. Cn. Dr. E. Daniel Smith
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The Rev. Dr. William C. Treadwell III
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Timeline
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Our Milestones
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What is a Walkabout?
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The Election of a Bishop
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Outward & Visible Signs
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Committees
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A Letter from the Chair
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This booklet contains the bishop nominees’ responses to three questions posed by the Bishop’s Transition Committee. The nominees were given a total maximum count of 1000 words for their responses and were able to apportion those words between the questions as they saw fit. Their unedited answers appear beginning on page 4.
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Our word discernment comes from the Latin word discernere, which means “to separate,” “to distinguish,” “to determine,” “to sort out.” The process of discernment helps us understand the source of a call, to whom it is directed, its content, and what response is appropriate. Discernment is God’s gift, but it also involves a conscious attempt on our part to hear God’s call in our life. It takes work, but it is also a matter of grace (Listening Hearts: Discerning Call in Community, Morehouse Publishing, 1991). Much work has already been done – by the members of our Diocese and the committees which have overseen the process to date and by our nominees. We have been the recipients of God’s grace in a multitude of ways. Now, we are at an important point of our discernment as the bishop nominees will visit our Diocese this month, so we can meet them and they can meet us, and as we approach the election of our new bishop on February 21 in Mobile. The members of the Transition Committee pray that this document will assist us as we meet the nominees and consider our future as a diocese with them and with one another. Almighty God, giver of every good gift: Look graciously on your Church, and so guide the minds of those who shall choose a bishop for this Diocese, that we may receive a faithful pastor, who will care for your people and equip us for our ministries; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Bishop We Seek These are the contents of our hopes and dreams for this diocese, and they are the subjects of our prayers. Last summer the Bishop’s Search Committee produced a Profile that was used as a tool to introduce our diocese to potential candidates. They tried to present an honest picture of the present life of the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast, our challenges and our opportunities. They tried to provide an indication of the gifts and qualities needed in our next bishop. Survey responses and written responses collected from focus groups provided a welldefined list of critical abilities and personal qualities we believe our fourth bishop will need. A person who can formulate and articulate a vision for our diocese that is scripturally and spiritually grounded and that can serve as a unifying force for our congregations. A person who can engage empathetically with the people of our diocese as a pastoral presence, caring especially for clergy and lay leaders and strengthening them for their work. A person who can provide strong leadership through a period of transformational change.
The individual qualities of the person we seek to be our next bishop undergird these abilities. Personal integrity was foremost among the qualities that we heard identified by our people. This was followed by sound judgment and wisdom. We need a person who is deeply spiritual, nourished by close relationship with scripture and a strong prayer life. We desire a leader who is compassionate and who lives out their ministry with a spirit of humility. We believe the bishop we seek should be someone who can—through preaching, teaching, and example—inspire and promote willingness to follow leadership as we pursue mission and consider the direction of our diocese. We need someone who will build relationships with and among our clergy and nurture them and encourage them in their work. These qualities and gifts are not the basis of a job description, nor are they a simple wish list. These are the contents of our hopes and dreams for this diocese, and they are the subjects of our prayers.
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Bishop Nominees
The Reverend James “Russell” Kendrick Fast Facts Born: August 2, 1960 Fort Walton Beach, Florida Current Position: Rector St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church Birmingham Alabama Family: Wife: Robin Kendrick Children: Aaron, Anna Education: Bachelor of Business Administration, Marketing Auburn University, 1984 Bachelor of Architecture Auburn University, 1984 Master of Divinity Virginia Theological Seminary, 1995 Year of Ordination to the Priesthood: 1996
Personal Ministry Statement: To share in the work of God’s new creation and to preach the good news of God’s reconciling love.
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What would be your top three priorities for your first 24 months as bishop? How did you select these? “Write the vision” You’ve done a lot of good visioning; you have profiles, reports and dreams. This will be a remarkable gift to your next bishop; however, it is a daunting amount of work. My priority will be to simplify and clarify your vision, and I will need your help. First, some time is needed to listen. Your next bishop will need for you to tell stories, retell decisions, and offer advice. Secondly, simplifying and clarifying our vision will require us to lean into the rhythm of resurrection---death and life. During this process, I asked your search committee “What in the diocese needs to die?” I am grateful for their honesty. In the next twenty-four months, we will make some hard decisions. Let’s remember that resurrection is the rhythm in our soul, but it is often resisted in our structures and systems. With God’s help, we can overcome that.
Please tell us about one thing that excites you about your ministry now. “To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor...” I have prayed for clarity about this call and for a vision to guide me. I’d love to say I have heard a clear answer from God, but I have only the whisper of one word, “Jubilee.” No, I am not interested in replicating the details of Leviticus, but I am fascinated by the words of Jesus in Luke 4. For me, jubilee is about reconciliation and rejoicing. It is a time to let go; it is a time for gladness. What if we joined together in a year of jubilee? Yes, we will have problems to solve and finances to fix. However, as we begin that work, let’s also take some time to remember who we are and rejoice in whose we are, so that we can then become who God wants us to be. Rebuild trust. This is a theme in your profile. Trust takes time, conversation and healing. For me, rebuilding trust will begin with the clergy. As chief pastor, I will focus my efforts on the advocacy and development of your clergy. After all, a chief element to a loving, laughing, and thriving parish is loving, laughing, and thriving clergy. I have a couple of ideas to this end: •Reinstate financial support for placement of newly ordained priests. I know; this means money. It also means rethinking the discernment process. •Use the five baptismal promises as a framework to foster clergy vitality.
Last Spring, we completed a significant building project. At the dedication, someone asked, “What’s next?” That question became my prayer. Sometime in June between reading two books The New Parish and Slow Church and a provocative visit by Shane Claiborne to our parish, that first question led to another. “Who is your neighbor?”
I presented this question to our vestry for discernment; it took hold. We are a parish known for our outreach ministry. However, most of our local efforts have been focused in downtown Birmingham. This new question refocused our attention to the adjacent neighborhood. Our vestry took charge. They interviewed police officers, merchants, and counselors. What we discovered surprised us. While we are situated in an affluent neighborhood, there is much need. This simple question allowed the Holy Spirit to inspire us! It led us to host a neighborhood recycling program, inspired us to provide Christmas gifts for local children, and empowered us to hang a street banner inviting the community to pray for the kidnapped Nigerian girls. It is a remarkably creative time!
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Please describe a time/situation when you have empowered the ministry of other clergy and/or laity. How did you empower others in this situation? Not long after arriving as Rector of St. Paul’s, Newnan Georgia, I attended my first diocesan gathering whereupon I was greeted as if I had been given a death sentence. I later learned that the bishop had even considered closing the church. With ninety members, barely enough money to pay bills, and some very strong “gatekeepers”, we began a remarkable journey into new life. In practical terms, new life first required healing from past hurtful events. Healing became the focus of my preaching and teaching. Secondly, it meant helping them learn to be “comfortable in their own skin.” Small parishes struggle to meet unnecessary expectations. Being faithful is not the same as being successful. George Carey once wrote “The Church is found where the worship of God is joyful and everyone has a contribution to make.” That became our focus—to be joyful and to encourage participation. We chose to be joyful, celebrating our accomplishments rather than lamenting our shortcomings. Finally, it involved the sacred work of creativity.
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What do you enjoy doing for fun? Digging in the dirt of my yard, running until I am tired, and trying to create the perfect recipe for shrimp and grits.
What is one thing you do to take care of yourself? I run, bike and swim. Not at the same time.
What is the best vacation you In Vestry meetings, we spent more time on discernment than decisions. This led to the vision to build our church around a youth program. Even though we did not have the money, we were compelled by an idea---to hire a full-time youth minister. The church became unified around this goal, and the money soon followed. Within a few years our youth program began to thrive, and the parish was transformed. When I left in 2007, by worldly standards we were a successful parish. I am glad about that, but my joy is that we became a community that had experienced the power of these words with which I frequently closed our worship, “Glory to God whose power working in us can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine....” With all that said, when I first read this question I did not think of a strategic story. I thought about people. I thought about the woman whose 50 year old husband died of a heart attack. She wanted to die, too. Five years later, she is a member of our vestry! I thought about the teenager who has endured more pain in her 18 years than most of us will suffer in a lifetime. She was baptized last Sunday! I thought about a young seminarian I hired. Today he is a well-seasoned priest. Empowerment is the daily work of a priest. Jesus empowered people, one by one, by loving them into whom he wanted them to be. I am trying my best to do the same.
have ever taken? Any vacation that my family is together and there is white sand between my toes is as good as it gets for me.
What is one book (other than the Bible) that has greatly influenced your life? In a bag of goodies at Cursillo, I found a book from my priest called “The Ragamuffin Gospel” by Brennan Manning. Somewhere in the pages of that book, I fell into the arms of God’s grace.
If your life were made into a movie, who would play you? My life would best be an animated movie adapted into the life of Rafiki from the movie the Lion King.
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Bishop Nominees
The Very Reverend Edward Francis O’Connor Fast Facts Born: November 5, 1967 Memphis, Tennessee Current Position: Dean St. Andrew’s Cathedral Jackson, Mississippi Family: Wife: Deidra K. O’Connor Children: Flannery, Mary Kathryn, Edward Education: Bachelor of Arts, Political Science University of Mississippi, 1993 Master of Science, Marriage and Family Therapy University of Southern Mississippi, 1993 Master of Divinity, University of the South at Sewanee, 2001 Year of Ordination to the Priesthood: 2001 Personal Ministry Statement: The greatest reality I've come to know is God in Christ loves and has use for a flawed, imperfect human being like you and me—Grace wins.
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Please tell us about one thing that excites you about your ministry now. The Cathedral is a charter member of a community organization—Working Together Jackson. Currently, we have 43 member institutions representing 10,000 members. Our focus has been about engaging government and businesses to find creative solutions to pressing local issues such as infrastructure, workforce development, education and neighborhood renewal. This association has afforded me the opportunity to work closely with mayors, city council members, legislators and other pastors in collaborative ways. In this, I've had to opportunity to moderate two mayoral debates. I’ve taken a public stance to help pass a nonregressive, 1% sales tax referendum for city infrastructure. And, I’ve worked to partner the Cathedral with other downtown churches to systematically identify blighted downtown homes/lots as well as focused neighborhood cleanup efforts. I've also been a part of working toward a workforce
development center with local businesses in creating stop-gap funds to assist those recently employed, but at risk of homelessness due to unforeseen financial pitfalls. WTJ is now a thriving entity of religious, socio-economic and ethnic diversity. We carry political clout that both business and government cannot ignore and who routinely seek us out to assist in supporting and communicating initiatives of which we value.
What would be your top three priorities for your first 24
months as bishop? How did you select these? All three priorities revolve around one core elemental Body of Christ building block – relationships, relationships, relationships! As your Diocesan profiles describes, “from surfing to sailing; from flying to fly-fishing; from chicken to catfish to creole gumbo—we are geographically, ethnically, economically, politically, and inter-generationally a large stew of different folks bound together in Christ!” I see this as a blessed reflection and evidence of God’s rich, creative tapestry. The bishop is not only a symbol of unity between the Diocese and the wider church, but the symbol of unity for such a diverse people. My great desire would be to transform this Episcopacy into an apostolic office of equipping, teaching and preaching. And so, my top three priorities would be: Gathering (immediately) the clergy of the diocese at Camp Beckwith for an overnight special retreat. This would be a time of deep, holy listening and getting to know one another. I would launch a diocesan initiative entitled, “Welcome Home: 63 in 30”. The goal would be to strategically plan events throughout the diocese so that every single parishioner from all 63 parishes and missions might have a chance to begin building a relationship with me through worship, teaching and dialogue. The goal would be to complete this tour stop in one month! I would re-visit the articulated diocesan vision, “We Dream of a Diocese”, and engage both laity and clergy as to the energy behind this vision. And then, to affirm, reenforce and adjust a process and timeline for accomplishing such holy work. I’d also begin a process of evaluating diocesan programs and initiatives, asking questions such as: Are diocesan programs helping better equip her people? How can we nurture, support and empower missions and smaller churches? Are diocesan structures clear with regard to role and function? Is there an intentional plan for church planting or renewal? How can retired clergy participate in this structure? At the end of 24 months, having listened to and engaged her people, I’d begin planning a diocesan wide gathering in a central location. It would likely be some sort of worship and renewal event where each parish and mission would be invited to celebrate our work by launching this new vision and strategic plan for the diocese.
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Please describe a time/situation when you have empowered the ministry of other clergy and/or laity. How did you empower others in this situation? Three years ago, I began working with my vestry and staff to articulate our vision for ministry and mission. From this, we’ve identified five essential practices. What makes them unique to the Cathedral is that we’ve taken great care in defining how they inform who and what we are and do. Dynamic Worship, Transformational Mission, Equipping Formation, Fearless Giving and Radical Welcome then, become the lenses by which we live and move. We then re-allocated every people, committee and asset under these practices. I spent a season with each person falling under each practice, asking questions about how we’d move forward over the next five to seven years. From this work have emerged very new ways of being the Body of Christ. The essential practice of fearless giving has yielded an annual budget without pledge cards (much more to say about this process). We also identified the need and desire to engage in a $3.5 million dollar capital campaign which morphed into a “triple ask” (increase in annual budget, campaign and legacy giving). We were successful with
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What do you enjoy doing for fun? I love to travel with my wife, especially to places neither of us has experienced.
What is one thing you do to take
care of yourself? Eat, love, run, pray.
What is the best vacation you have ever taken? New Orleans, right after Christmas.
What is one book (other than the Bible) that has greatly influenced your life? regard to all three – increasing the annual budget by $80,000, raising over $1 million more than anticipated and identifying 28 new legacy gifts that potentially amount to $1.2 million. The essential practice of Radical Welcome allowed us to discern the need for a full time staff person overseeing new member ministry. In this, we’ve re-designed systems for not only welcome, but intentional integration into the Cathedral. I could go on with countless more examples of how this collaborative vision continues to afford clarity and unity. Today, the Cathedral is growing. The fastest growing demographic is among young adults (24-32). As mentioned previously, healthy things grow. And, we are not for numbers’ sake, but for Jesus Christ’s sake.
S.E. Hinton’s, “The Outsiders” as a struggling 8th grade boy – “stay gold, Pony Boy”.
If your life were made into a movie, who would play you? My short list would be: Robin Williams, Johnny Depp, Liam Neeson or Karl Urban. My wife suggests Ben Stiller.
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Bishop Nominees
The Reverend Canon E. Daniel Smith Fast Facts Born: January 23, 1956 Jacksonville, Florida Current Position: Canon to the Ordinary Diocese of Missouri Family: Wife: Evelyn Hallecks Smith Children: Mitchell Smith, Shannon Sampson
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Education: Bachelor of Arts, History University of Central Florida, 1978 Master of Divinity, Nashotah House Theological Seminary, 1981 Doctor of Ministry, Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, 2001
Year of Ordination to the Priesthood: 1982
Please tell us about one thing
Personal Ministry Statement:
that excites you about
I love to work with congregations, their clergy and lay leaders to find ways for their congregation to grow, heal, prosper and make a difference in their community.
your ministry now.
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One of the joys and excitements I have in my current ministry is working with congregations that find themselves in transition, what we used to call the search process. Transitions give the opportunity to work with wonderful lay leaders, vestry and search
committee, and to meet with the whole congregation in meetings and worship. Transitions give me the opportunity to teach in several areas: the spirituality of discernment, basics in congregational development including dreaming new dreams about the future and how to
Transitions give the opportunity to work with wonderful lay leaders, vestry and search committee, and to meet with the whole congregation in meetings and worship. do an honest, authentic evaluation of the congregation and its mission and ministry. There is joy in watching as the members of a congregation discover new leadership skills and ministry. The time of transition allows me to deepen relationships with congregations some of whom have felt estranged from the diocese. I have found that the relationships formed has allowed me entry into other opportunities to be involved in the life of those congregations.
Please describe a time/situation when you have empowered the ministry of other clergy and/or laity. How did you empower others in this situation? Empowering the clergy and congregations is an ongoing part of my ministry. However, a favorite story happened a few years ago although it is still ongoing. One of our priests wanted to go back to school to earn a PhD. His congregation, Advent, wanted to make that happen. We spent almost six months planning and working toward this priest going back to school while still retaining his position as rector. We first worked to fully understand what the congregation absolutely needed the priest to do. We found, recruited and trained lay leaders to do much of the ministries that were still needed by the congregation but did not really need the priest to carry out. I worked to coach the priest and lay leadership in ways to talk to the congregation that allowed for acceptance of some significant change. Afterwards there was continual checking in during the time the priest was in school and still pastoring the congregation. He has graduated and is still the rector. He is the Dean of our School for Ministry and the congregation has grown, their worship and spiritual life has deepened, they have experienced increased stewardship and greatly expanded their mission and ministry to their community. You can read about Advent’s journey in a recent “Vestry Notes� published by the Episcopal Church Foundation.
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What would be your top three priorities for your first 24 months as bishop? How did you select these? I think there are a number of priorities to work with in the first 24 months. That said, my first three priorities to begin right away are: Establish a trusting, loving relationship with the clergy, lay leaders and congregations of the diocese. This will mean being out in the diocese as much as possible the first two years. I think the time out in the diocese would include both formal and informal visitations. I have an established pattern in my current ministry of regularly visiting the leadership of our congregations with little agenda other than being with one another. I hope this is a pattern I could continue for an entire episcopacy. Complete a thorough evaluation of the resources, people, gifts, talent, property, financial assets, etc. of the diocese. Such an evaluation would allow for the leadership of the
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What do you enjoy doing for fun? I like to just about anything around water, fishing, boating, swimming. I read, cook, bicycle, and watch old movies.
What is one thing you do to take care of yourself? I always take my day off. diocese to work from a position of what we have as opposed to the scarcity model of what we don’t have. I believe this approach fits with the model Jesus uses in Matthew 15 in the story of the feeding of the 4,000. The disciples ask Jesus where they will find enough to feed everyone. He asks, “What do you have?” What they had turned out to be more than enough.
What is the best vacation you
Together with Diocesan Leadership work to form a strategic vision for the diocese moving into a new episcopacy. A strategic vision differs from a strategic plan in that it gives to the congregations and committees/commissions of the diocese the opportunity to plan under the umbrella of a big picture vision. A strategic vision excites and focuses the mission and ministry of the church. I selected these three priorities based on my reading the profile of the diocese and data provided in connection with the profile. These priorities were reinforced by the conversations and interviews with the search committee.
What is one book (other than the
have ever taken? Probably a tie between Evelyn and I going to Napa and Sonoma, California a few years ago and the two of us going to Hawaii last summer.
Bible) that has greatly influenced your life? The Last Temptation of Christ, Nikos Kazantzakis. This book enabled me to get more in touch with the humanity of Jesus and helped me understand my own Eucharistic Theology.
If your life were made into a movie, who would play you? Tom Hanks, I just like his work.
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Bishop Nominees
The Reverend Dr. William C. Treadwell III Fast Facts Born: May 20, 1960 Rock Hill, South Carolina Current Position: Rector St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Waco, Texas Family: Wife: Chris Children: Caleb, Colton, Caroline Education: Bachelor of Arts, Psychology Georgetown College, 1982 Masters of Divinity University of the South at Sewanee, 1989 Doctor of Ministry University of the South at Sewanee, 2014 Year of Ordination to the Priesthood: 1990 Personal Ministry Statement: I am called, in all circumstances, by word and action, to proclaim the Good News of God in Christ.
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Please tell us about one thing that
excites you about your ministry now. What excites me about my ministry now is how amazed I am by the incredible work the people of God are doing at St. Paul’s and how much fun we have. Every day I work with people who have a heart for God and for the church and who are willing to commit significant portions of their lives to our common work. Through activities both inside and outside the church they are constantly bearing witness to the love of God in Christ Jesus. Even something as simple as watching a parent push her fingers along the words in the hymnal helping their child learn the song is a powerful, joyful witness of this faithfulness, and it never gets old.
What would be your top three priorities for your first 24 months as bishop? How did you select these? My first and highest priority will be to get to know the people, clergy, ministries and topography of the diocese. This will consume much of the first 24 months, and will require an intentional organized schedule of visitations, meals, meetings with committees, parishes and clergy- both individually and in groups. I envision two annual clergy conferences in that period designed to develop familiarity and trust among the clergy and the Bishop. I also envision, along with the normal Diocesan Council, a gathering of the Diocese to celebrate ministry together. We will learn about the ministries going on each other’s churches, and we will have the opportunity to gain specific skills around hospitality and evangelism. With the people of the diocese, I will articulate a vision and mission with concrete objectives based on the existing strategic plan and on the more recent work done in preparation for the bishop search. This will enable us to inspire and empower the people of the diocese to share the love of Christ with the people of Florida, Alabama and beyond. By identifying the core values of our diocese we will be able to examine and evaluate work already being done. We will be able to identify very specific issues that need to be addressed for the longterm health and vitality of the diocese. We will also be able to choose a small, specific set of concrete objectives that will move the diocese away from anxiety about giving and attendance and inspire us to focus on the primary work of the Gospel. It is my belief that by doing so, attendance and giving will follow. It is also my belief that the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast is poised to become a robust setting for joy and faith, reversing the anxious trends of our denomination, and to become a beacon of hope, unity and joy for the entire Episcopal Church. My third priority will be to build a personal work rhythm that will make me as effective as possible as bishop, while also allowing me to remain engaged fully in the life of my family, particularly my wife and daughter during Caroline’s high school years. Building a balanced work rhythm will require the staff, diocesan leaders and me to identify the most important work I need to do and apportion time on my calendar accordingly. Great care will be taken not to allow the myriad urgent needs in the ministry to trump the larger, more central work of the Episcopacy. A high priority will be placing important personal time on the calendar. This will include study, Sabbath, personal and family time. I will work to make sure that my new partners in ministry at work are aware of that rhythm for a couple of reasons. First, work colleagues are entitled to know when I am available and the kind of work in which I am engaged. Second, it will model a pattern of “wholesome example”, as it says in the ordination rite, for the other clergy in the diocese. Following that I would build a calendar around the essential work of the Bishop, and use the ordination vows of a Bishop as a guide for that work.
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Please describe a time/situation when you have empowered the ministry of other clergy and/or laity. Empowering people for ministry is woven into the fabric of every interaction as a parish priest. Almost every conversation I have had with parishioners and other clergy have been centered in some way around the ebb and flow of the life of faith and seeing the direction of the Holy Spirit in people’s lives. Whether specifically articulated or not, every time a person accepts an invitation to serve, whether in the church, the community or their own family, they are being empowered to bear witness to the love of Christ in their lives. Specifically, I have had the great pleasure over the past 20 years of my ministry to be involved in the formation, training and support of those called to Holy Orders. Throughout my ministry as a rector in two parishes I have had 16 interns and associate clergy, many of whom were recent seminary graduates. We designed specific ministry plans that helped them understand and embody the ministry of the priesthood.
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Over the past eight years, I have been the cofacilitator of our Diocesan program for recently ordained clergy affectionately known as “Curate Camp.� We gather once a month in the first year of their ministry for a 24-hour retreat to discuss the issues that can be great blessings in the ministry but which can, if handled badly, cause serious trouble for clergy. The primary purpose of these retreats is to establish a pattern in the lives of newly ordained clergy that will foster deep, meaningful relationships with other clergy and trusted lay people. Approximately 80 clergy have gone through this program since I began co-facilitation. It is a great joy to know these clergy well and to see them grow in their ministries.
What do you enjoy doing for fun? Outside: hiking, fishing, hunting, camping, walking reading, hanging out with my wife and kids, sitting with friends around a fire, outside. Did I say outside?
What is one thing you do to take care of yourself? Intentionally disengage from work.
What is the best vacation you have ever taken? The day after I was ordained a priest, before we had children at all, Chris and I went to Colorado for the very first time. There are no words to describe it.
What is one book (other than the Bible) that has greatly influenced your life? Novel: The Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway; Theology: Life Together by Bonhoeffer.
If your life were made into a movie, who would play you? Richard Armitage (as Thorin Oakenshield in the Hobbit)
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Timeline January 17, 2014
Search and Transition Committee Appointment
Spring 2014
Self-Study of the Diocese
June 2014
Diocesan Profile Complete Begin accepting Applications
Summer/Fall 2014
Screening, Interviews, Visiting
December 3, 2014
Announcement of Nominees
Jan. 19, 20, 21, 2015
Walkabouts to introduce slate of Nominees
February 21, 2015
Election of Our 4th Bishop
July 25, 2015
Ordination of Our Bishop
The election of our bishop will be held on Saturday, February 21, 2015, in conjunction with our diocesan convention at Trinity, Mobile.
Our Milestones Milestone: Committee Appointments The Standing Committee began its transition work last year when Bishop Duncan announced his intention to retire. There are many helpful resources in The Episcopal Church and our diocesan leadership is working prayerfully and faithfully to implement a healthy transition process. Dates are set and the Standing Committee has appointed two committees: the Search Committee and the Transition Committee.
Milestone: Springtime Self-Study of the Diocese The Search Committee’s first task was to develop and publish a diocesan profile that was available to potential candidates on our diocesan search website. The Profile shows what it would be like to live in our area and serve God in this diocese. It shows who we are as a people what we desire and who we hope to call as our bishop. To develop the profile the Search Committee conducted a survey and face to face focus group meetings. The Bishop We Seek found on page 3 in this booklet is a synopsis of their discernment.
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Milestone: Summer and Fall Screening, Interviewing, and Visiting Names of candidates were accepted once the profile was published online and announced to the larger church. Nominations were accepted through September 1, 2014. During the summer months the Search Committee evaluated the information from the applicants with the goal being to identify a group of candidates with whom we will conduct face to face interviews. We pledged to keep the names of candidates under consideration confidential. We only published the names of the nominees. All others will be kept confidential and their information destroyed at the completion of the search process.
Milestone: Autumn Announcement of Nominees The Search Committee was charged with nominating four to seven candidates qualified to serve as the fourth bishop of our diocese. We wanted to attract and nominate the best fit for us, and this meant we had to identify our own needs - and the gifts and skills of individuals who are discerning with us. The names of our nominees were published on December 3, 2014, to allow sufficient time to prepare for the election
Milestone: Winter Hand-Off to the Transition Committee After publication of the names of the nominees, the Transition Committee took over. The Transition Committee has been working behind the scene since January 2014 because they have a large task. They are responsible for arranging and conducting the Walkabouts where the candidates are introduced to the diocese. The walkabouts will be held on January 19, 20, 21, 2015. The Transition Committee is also responsible for caring for Bishop Duncan and the Diocesan Office staff, assisting in the election convention, helping the bishop-elect in the transition, and organizing the ordination. Other opportunities to meet the candidates will occur at luncheons: Monday, January 19, St. Francis of Assisi, Gulf Breeze, and Tuesday, January 20 at St. Mary’s, Andalusia. A public Eucharist will be held at Christ Church Cathedral, Mobile on Wednesday, January 21 at 2:30 p.m.
Milestone: Election of Our Next Bishop The election of our bishop will be held on Saturday, February 21, 2015, in conjunction with our diocesan convention at Trinity, Mobile. At some point after the election, plans will be made for the bishop-elect to make his/her transition into an exciting role as leader in our diocese.
Milestone: Summer Beginnings The Transition Committee is responsible for organizing and planning the ordination of the new bishop on July 25, 2015. Christ Church Cathedral is the site for this occasion.
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What is a Walkabout? The dictionary defines “walkabout” as “an occasion in which a well-known person walks through a public place to meet and talk informally to people.” But for those of us in the Episcopal Church, a walkabout is a time when the candidates for bishop in a diocese come to visit the diocese so they can learn more about the diocese and so the members of the diocese can learn more about them. This time of getting to know one another is part of the process of discerning whom God is calling to serve as our next bishop. The candidates for the Fourth Bishop of the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast, along with their spouses, will visit our diocese from January 18-22, 2015. They will travel around our diocese stopping at various locations to meet us, to see some of our churches and ministries, and to present themselves to us and answer our questions. Reservations for lunches and walkabouts can be made at: http://bishopsearch.diocgc.com/ or www.facebook.com/cgcbishopsearch The schedule for their time in the diocese is:
Monday January 19 Lunch* – 11:00 am – 12:45 pm at St. Francis of Assisi, Gulf Breeze Walkabout** — 5:15 pm — 9:30 pm at Church of the Nativity, Dothan 5:15 pm — Registration opens 5:15 pm – 5:45 pm Clergy informal time with candidates 6:00 pm — Plenary session begins promptly 9:00 pm — Breakout sessions end 9:00 pm — 9:30 pm — Informal time with the candidates
Tuesday January 20 Lunch* – 11:00 am – 1:15 pm at St. Mary’s, Andalusia Walkabout** – 5:15 pm – 9:30 pm at St. John’s, Monroeville
Wednesday January 21 Holy Eucharist—2:30 p.m. at Christ Church Cathedral, Mobile Walkabout** – 5:15 pm – 9:30 pm at St. Paul’s, Daphne *Lunch meetings will be open to all members of the diocese. Lunches will be informal times to meet the nominees. There will be no formal programs at these events. **The time schedule is the same for all three walkabouts. At each location ANYONE, not only the lay convention delegates and clergy who will vote at the election convention, can gather to hear from the nominees as part of the discernment and calling of a new bishop. There will be four break-out sessions at all three walkabout locations. Each walkabout will end with an informal time to meet and greet the candidates. Potential questions for these sessions have been gathered from around the diocese. At each session, there will be an opportunity for participants to submit additional questions to be considered for inclusion if time permits.
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The Election of Our Bishop The election for the new bishop of the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast will be held on Saturday, February 21, 2015, during the forty-fourth annual diocesan convention. The convention will be held February 19-21, 2015, at Trinity Episcopal Church in Mobile. A Committee on Elections will be appointed by the Bishop. This committee will serve as tellers of all elections, including election to the Standing Committee, any proposed resolutions, and the election of the IV Bishop of the Diocese. Members of the diocesan Transition Committee, as well as Trinity representatives, will make up the election committee. There will be two voting machines, one for lay delegates and one for clergy delegates, used for the election of the bishop. Therefore, there will be no need for paper ballots and the counting of ballots which will enable a smooth and transparent election process. In the election, clergy and lay delegates vote by orders. A nominee must receive a majority of votes in both orders to be elected. The election will be streamed to the Bishop Search website: bishopsearch.diocgc.com
Diocesan Canons: The Election of a Bishop Section 2. Nominees for the election of a bishop shall be chosen either by the Search Committee or by nominating petitions. The Search Committee will nominate from four to seven candidates. A nominating petition must be signed by four clergy who are eligible to vote in a diocesan convention and four lay persons eligible to serve as delegates to a diocesan convention. Nominating petitions must be submitted to the Search Committee by a deadline set by it in order for background checks on such nominees to be conducted. No nominations from the floor will be order. Section 3. A Search Committee appointed by the Standing Committee will be charged with the responsibility of preparing and publicizing educational material on the historic episcopate; preparing a profile of the Diocese; interviewing potential nominees; choosing from four to seven nominees to be presented at the Convention at which the election will be held; verifying the validity of nominating petitions and carrying out any additional duties that may be assigned to it by the Standing Committee.
Section 4. The Standing Committee shall choose the date for the Convention at which the election will be conducted. The Standing Committee shall choose such additional committees as may be needed for securing a site for the electing convention and making all necessary arrangements for it; securing a site and making all necessary arrangements for the ordination of the new bishop; providing support to a retiring bishop and that bishop’s staff and family and to the bishop elect and the family of the bishop elect and any such additional matters as the Standing Committee may deem appropriate.
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Outward and Visible Signs Seven specific articles of attire symbolize the Office of Bishop in the Episcopal tradition—the rochet, the chimere, the crozier, the mitre, the ring, the pectoral cross, and the purple shirt. The tradition of the “purple shirt” is widely recognized in Episcopal circles today as distinguishing a cleric as a bishop. It is a relatively new tradition, having come into practice in the mid-20th century. Bishops may choose either a red purple shirt—Bishop Duncan’s preference, or one of a blue purple hue. The pectoral cross (from the Latin “pectoralis” meaning of the chest) hangs from a chain or cord around the neck and rests upon the breast. While many lay and ordained persons also choose to wear such a cross, those worn by bishops tend to be larger. If you see a bishop in a purple shirt but do not see a pectoral cross in evidence, look more closely. It is likely tucked into a left pocket of his or her shirt.
Another telltale sign of a bishop, and a long-standing symbol of the episcopacy is a bishop’s ring. These rings most often are made of gold and are engraved with the seal of the diocese the bishop serves. Bishops as early as St. Augustine of Hippo, Bishop of Hippo Regius from 395-430, were known to authenticate documents by imprinting their rings in hot wax upon them.
For liturgical occasions, a bishop wears a mitre. The term comes from the Greek “mitra” meaning “headband” or “diadem.” It is mentioned in the Old Testament, both Exodus 39:27-31 and Leviticus 8:7-9, that High Priests and other priests wore distinctive clothing, including a special headpiece. The point at which the Church adopted the mitre as a part of a bishop’s garb, however, is unclear. Many artists have depicted the apostles, as well as the earliest saints in mitres, but the first written references appeared in 1049 in the writings of Pope Leo IX. We do know that by the year 1100, the mitre was a customary component of a bishop’s liturgical vestments.
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Another part of a bishop’s liturgical dress is the crozier. In its simplest form, the crozier is akin to a shepherd’s staff. The crozier symbolizes the role of the bishop as a shepherd of sorts: “You are called to guard the faith, unity, and discipline of the Church; to celebrate and to 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.”
The rochet and chimere are two other types of vestments peculiar to bishops. The chimere is a full length vest. The rochet is a white alb. The two are generally paired with a stole. To the right are our first three bishops vested in rochets and chimeres.
Thanks to the Diocese of Western New York for this article. Look for materials for parish educational use from James Lawrence, Diocesan Youth Director.
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Standing Committee The Rev. Thomas Dwyer, St. James’, Port St. Joe The Rev. Thack Dyson, St. Paul’s, Daphne Michael Foote, St. Paul’s, Magnolia Springs Tim Gaston, St. Paul’s, Mobile The Rev. Neal Goldsborough, Christ Church Parish, Pensacola Dr. William Hamilton, St. Thomas’, Greenville Billy Jones, St. John’s, Monroeville Michel Nicrosi, Trinity, Mobile David Quittmeyer, Trinity, Mobile Dr. Sam Shelton, St. Mark’s, Troy The Rev. Dr. Margaret Shepard, St. Andrew’s, Panama City Anne Stevens, St. Paul’s, Foley Gaye Wilson, St. Paul’s, Daphne The Rev. George Riggall, Wilmer Hall Children’s Home (President)
The Bishop Transition Committee
Bishop Search Committee
Priscilla Condon, Advent, Lillian The Rev. Mark Fitzhugh, St. Simon’s, Fort Walton Beach Sally Greene, Wilmer Hall Children’s Home Magoo Hamilton, St. Thomas’, Greenville The Rev.Dr. Cynthia Carter Howard, St. Mary’s, Andalusia McGee Lorren, St. Francis’ of Assisi, Gulf Breeze Eleanor Reeves, Beckwith Camp and Retreat Center Marguerita Riggall, St. Paul’s, Magnolia Springs The Rev. Don Smith, St. James’, Fairhope Dianne Walters, Epiphany, Enterprise The Rev. Mark Wilson, St. James’, Fairhope (deceased) Carolyn Jeffers, Christ Church Cathedral, Mobile (Chair)
The Rev. Steve Bates, Holy Nativity, Panama City The Very Rev. Beverly Gibson, Christ Church Cathedral Debra Kosche, St. Jude’s, Niceville The Rev. Reid McCormick, St. Thomas’, Greenville Joe McDaniel, Jr., Christ Church Parish, Pensacola Gary Moore, St. Paul’s, Daphne The Rev. Christie Olsen, St. Francis of Assisi, Gulf Breeze The Rev. John Riggin, St. Paul’s, Mobile Becky Schulte, St. Luke’s, Mobile Hugh Wheelless, Nativity, Dothan Britt Landrum, Holy Cross, Pensacola (Chair)
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A Letter from the Chair of the Transition Committee The Search Committee has worked long and hard to gather this slate of bishop candidates, among whom is the one who will care for us and under whose care we may grow. It is now the job of the Transition Committee to work just as diligently toward the election and consecration of the next bishop of the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast. The goal of the Transition Committee is to continue to foster a discernment-oriented process. We strive to create an environment of neutrality and common ground; to extend equal hospitality to all nominees; and to offer voting delegates and all members of the Diocese equal opportunities to meet and hear the nominees.
To this end, we call on our brothers and sisters in the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast: To hold up all nominees and our diocesan family in prayer throughout the transition process. To educate themselves on the role of the bishop and to be open to the working of the Holy Spirit in calling our next bishop. To familiarize themselves with all nominees by reading the materials that describe the nominees, their backgrounds, and their hopes for our diocese. To understand that the Walkabout events are the appropriate places for the diocese to get to know the nominees and for the nominees to get to know the diocese. We strongly encourage our voting delegates: To attend at least one Walkabout session to see and hear the nominees. To listen carefully to the wishes and hopes of the congregation by whom they were selected; to engage in prayerful discernment; and to be open to the movement of the Holy Spirit as they discern who is being called to serve as bishop of our diocese. We give special thanks to the members of the Search Committee. They gave themselves the task of fashioning a process that would be open, transparent, and inclusive of all the congregations and people of this diocese. It is our privilege, as the members of the transition team to carry on in the same spirit of inclusion. We ask that you continue your prayers for clear discernment for the one who will come to share our life in this diocese and lead us in the mission to which God calls us, using the prayer For the Election of a Bishop found on page 818 in The Book of Common Prayer. Almighty God, giver of every good gift: Look graciously on your Church, and so guide the minds of those who shall choose a bishop for this Diocese, that we may receive a faithful pastor, who will care for your people and equip us for our ministries; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Transition Committee for the Fourth Bishop Carolyn S. Jeffers, chair
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God, we have no idea where we are going. We do not see the road ahead of us. We cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do we really know ourselves, and the fact that we think we are following your will does not mean that we are actually doing so. But we believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And we hope we have that desire in all that we are doing. We hope that we will never do anything apart from that desire. And we know that if we do this you will lead us by the right road, though we may know nothing about it. Therefore, we will trust you always though we may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. We will not fear, for you are ever with us, and you will never leave us to face our perils alone. A Prayer of Thomas Merton; Thoughts in Solitude, p. 83, adapted.
Episcopal Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast Carolyn S. Jeffers Bishop’s Transition Committee Chair 115 South Conception Street Mobile, Alabama 36602-2606 Telephone: 251.438.1822 E-mail: cjeffers@christchurchcathedralmobile.org Website: bishopsearch.diocgc.com