Episcopal Life Online March 29, 2008
San Joaquin Episcopalians celebrate new beginning
Jerry Lamb invested as provisional bishop during festive Eucharist
By Mary Frances Schjonberg
[Episcopal News Service - Lodi, California] A jubilant celebration of Holy Eucharist concluded the March 29 special convention (Lhttp://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_96094_ENG_HTM.htm) in the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin (http://www.diosanjoaquin.org) and made official Bishop Jerry Lamb's role as provisional bishop.
"What you have been about and what I have been about these last months, weeks, days, even hours is not really about building a new diocesan structure," Lamb said during his sermon. "As I understand it, what we are about is the proclamation of the Good News that Jesus is the Christ and that we do this from within the base of our Episcopal and Anglican tradition because that's who we are: members of the Episcopal Church and members of the Anglican church."
Most of the more than 400 people who attended the convention remained for the Eucharist. Individuals from the Episcopal dioceses of Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, El Camino Real, Hawaii, Los Angeles, Nevada, Northern California, Rio Grande, San Diego and Olympia also attended.
Half of the offertory was assigned to Lamb's discretionary fund and the other half, Lamb told the congregation to loud and sustained applause, would be given to the Diocese of Louisiana, which continues to rebuild after hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori led Lamb and the congregation through his formal seating as provisional bishop. That part of the service included recognition that Lamb had been duly chosen and accepted by the members of the diocese.
The choice of Lamb came in consultation with the Presiding Bishop, who had recommended him earlier, in accordance with Canon III.13.1 (http://www.churchpublishing.org/general_convention/pdf_const_2006/Title_ III _Ministry.pdf). That canon states in part that "a Diocese without a Bishop may, by an act of its Convention, and in consultation with the Presiding Bishop, be placed under the provisional charge and authority of a Bishop of another Diocese or of a resigned Bishop."
Lamb, 67, retired as bishop of the Sacramento-based Diocese of Northern California in 2007 and most recently served as interim bishop in the Diocese of Nevada. Lamb and his wife, Jane, will live in Stockton, the seat of the Diocese of San Joaquin.
Lamb will make his first official diocesan visit March 30 to St. Anne's Episcopal Church in Stockton. Jefferts Schori will participate in Eucharist the same day at St. John's in Lodi. Later in the day she will officiate at Evensong at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in San Andreas.
Lamb also renewed his episcopal ordination vows before he was formally invested and seated at the provisional bishop.
Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_96097_ENG_HTM.htm