wfn.org | Additional nominees for presiding b

[ENS.parti@ecunet.org]

June 6, 1997
Episcopal News Service
Jim Solheim, Director
212-922-5385
ens@ecunet.org

97-1753
Additional nominees for presiding bishop due by June 2

by James Solheim
     (ENS) In a statement release May 8, the Rev. Donald Nickerson,
secretary and executive officer of the General Convention, clarified the
circumstances under which additional nominations could be made "from
the floor" for presiding bishop (See Newsfeatures for text.)
     On April 14 the Joint Nominating Committee announced a slate of
four bishops: Frank Griswold III of Chicago; Robert Rowley, Jr., of
Northwestern Pennsylvania; Richard Shimpfky of El Camino Real; and
Don Wimberly of Lexington (Kentucky).
     When the nominating committee presents its slate to a joint
session of the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies in
Philadelphia on July 20, the canons of the church state that "any bishop
or deputy may nominate any other member of the House of Bishops for
consideration..." and that "there may be discussion of all nominees."
     The election will take place at a closed session of the House of
Bishops on July 21 and go to the House of Deputies for confirmation.

A different process
     There are two major differences since the last election of a
presiding bishop--the term has been shortened from 12 years to nine and
all nominees have been subject to an extensive background check,
including physical and psychological tests. 
     At its meeting in Kanuga last March, a majority of the bishops
agreed that any additional nominees should be subjected to the same
process as the nominees put forward by the Joint Nominating Committee-
-and that such a process should be completed by June 15.
     Since that agreement among the bishops does not carry the weight
of canons, Presiding Bishop Edmond Browning and House of Deputies
President Pamela Chinnis asked Nickerson to clarify the situation.
"Nothing in the canons, of course, precludes a deputy or bishop from
nominating from the floor of the joint session a bishop who has not
participated in the process," Nickerson said in the statement. He added,
however, that the bishops in Kanuga "stated their intention not to
consider nominees from the floor who have not participated in this
process."
     On behalf of the presiding officers of General Convention,
Nickerson is requesting that "any deputy or bishop who intends to make
an additional nomination of a bishop from the floor inform me in writing
by June 2, 1997. I will then work with the prospective nominee and the
Office of Pastoral Development to see that a process for securing
physical and psychological examinations and background checks can be
completed as expeditiously as possible."