Dear Brothers and Sisters of our Diocese,
With guidance from Bishop Todd Ousley of the Presiding Bishop’s Office of Pastoral Development, we have the following information to share:
Tentative Consecration Date: November 19, 2022
Episcopal Transition Consultant: we have interviewed and signed a Letter of Agreement with Rev. Diane Vie, Co-Rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Lynchburg, VA. Mother Vie has served as consultant in four other episcopal transitions. As consultant, Mother Vie will work with the Search Committee and Transition Committee in the process of search, nomination, election, ordination, and transition for a diocesan bishop. The Consultant and committees are accountable to the Standing Committee.
The Standing Committee will meet May 22 to select membership for the Search and Transition Committees. We will receive names until Thursday, May 20 at noon. Lay and clergy from the diocese are needed for both committees. You may nominate yourself or someone you think would be a good candidate for one of the committees.
In broad terms, the Search Committee will be charged with educating the diocese about the role of a bishop, gathering information from you about the qualities you believe are needed for the next bishop (through surveys or other tools), writing a profile of the diocese, receiving and vetting names of clergy, running a discernment retreat for potential candidates, and offering a slate of candidates to the Standing Committee, who will then announce that slate to the diocese. Click here to see the job description and to apply.
Transition Committee work involves the “Walkabout Process” where candidates make an official group visit to the diocese and meet and greet lay and clergy in scheduled events. The Transition Committee arranges an official farewell for Bishop and Mrs. Thompson. The committee will also work closely on the ordination and consecration as well as the settling in process for the bishop-elect and family. Click here to see the job description and to apply.
Please keep the diocese in your prayers as we move further along in this transition process.
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Fred Devall
President of the Standing Committee