wfn.org | [ENS] Daybook Sept 2004

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Daybook, from Episcopal News Service

September 2, 2004 - Thursday Thesis: Meeting People of Purpose

San Diego diocese announces candidates for election of next bishop

Balloting set for November 13

by Jan Nunley

[Note to readers: In its continuing work to expand coverage, the Episcopal 
News Service will regularly carry announcements of episcopal elections and 
reports on the naming of candidates. This release on the Diocese of San 
Diego will be followed soon by a report from the Diocese of the Rio Grande, 
where an election is scheduled for October 16. Also, the call for election 
of a bishop coadjutor in June 2005 has been issued in the Diocese of 
Southern Ohio.]

[ENS] Four priests and a Canadian bishop have been nominated as candidates 
for election to succeed Bishop Gethin Hughes as the fourth bishop of the 
Episcopal Diocese of San Diego.

The five nominees are Bishop Anthony Burton of the Diocese of Saskatchewan 
in Canada; the Rev. Jonathan B. Coffey Jr., rector of St. Anthony on the 
Desert in Scottsdale, Arizona; the Rev. Kent S. McNair, rector of Faith 
Episcopal Church in Cameron Park, near Sacramento, California; the Rev. 
James R. Mathes, Canon to the Ordinary in the Diocese of Chicago; and the 
Rev. David A. Stenner, rector of All Saints' in Reisterstown, Maryland, 
near Baltimore.

The slate was decided unanimously by the diocese's nominating committee, 
according to the Rev. Tom Phillips, chairman. But additional candidates may 
emerge through a petition process that closes on September 21. "This is the 
way of balancing out the power of the Nominating Committee," Phillips told 
the San Diego Union-Tribune.

The electing convention will be held November 13 at St. Paul's Cathedral, 
San Diego, with November 20 set aside should an additional day be needed 
for balloting.

The nominating committee received the names of 37 persons; 27 chose to 
continue in the process and ten candidates were visited and interviewed 
before five finalists were agreed upon. Full background checks have been 
conducted on all the candidates, and will also have to be conducted on 
candidates nominated by petition. "Walkabouts" with all the final 
candidates are scheduled for the week of October 25.

Bishop Hughes announced his intention to retire in September 2003. Hughes 
voted against the confirmation of openly gay bishop Gene Robinson, but has 
not joined efforts to "realign" American jurisdictions with overseas 
primates and has urged local parishes to stay focused on their common missions.

Burton, born and raised in Ottawa, was the youngest bishop in the Anglican 
Communion at his election in 1993, and is still the youngest of the 
Canadian bishops. He is chair of the Council of the North, which oversees 
Canada's ten missionary dioceses, and episcopal visitor to the South 
American Missionary Society. He and his wife Anna have two children, 
Caroline (9) and Peter (7).

Coffey, eldest of four, grew up in Miami where his father served as a 
mission priest and then rector. His grandfather was a Canadian Anglican 
missionary. Over a 27-year span of ministry, he has served churches in 
Michigan, Florida, Arkansas, and New York before coming to Arizona six 
years ago. He and his wife Julie have two children, Kate (22), and Spencer 
(19).

Los Angeles native Kent S. McNair, the son and grandson of Episcopal 
bishops, was a college dropout who had a "powerful re-conversion 
experience" and lived in a Christian commune in San Francisco for over five 
years. Finishing college at Temple University, he also holds degrees from 
the Reformed Episcopal Seminary in Philadelphia and Princeton Seminary. He 
served as Archdeacon of Northern California for five years and started 
Faith Episcopal Church in Cameron Park at the end of 1991. McNair is 
married to Kathy and has two children, Ashley (19) and Cameron (15).

Mathes has been the Canon to the Ordinary in the Diocese of Chicago, 
serving as chief operating officer, director of deployment and of 
congregational development, since 2001. Prior to that appointment, he was 
rector of the Church of St. James the Less in Northfield, Illinois, and 
assistant minister at All Saints' in Belmont, Massachusetts. Raised in 
Texas, Mathes, along with his wife Teri, has two children, Lee (18) and 
Sara (15).

The Oakland-born Stenner had a successful career in retail management and 
lay involvement as a eucharistic minister, vestryman, and part-time lay 
pastor before receiving his M. Div. from Trinity Episcopal School for 
Ministry in 1988. After seminary he was appointed vicar of St. Francis 
Church, Fortuna, California. He currently serves as rector of All Saints', 
Reisterstown, Maryland. Married to Janet in 1972, he has three children -- 
Sarah, Jonathon and Julia -- and two grandchildren.

Phillips told the Union-Tribune that the nominating committee focused on 
characteristics with "bridge builder" at the top of their list. Candidates 
were asked a list of eight questions, including such issues as their 
relationship with Jesus Christ, the basic tenets of their theology, and the 
spiritual disciplines they follow. All but Mathes reported leaving the 
church, then returning to Christian faith in late adolescence or young 
adulthood.

They were also asked about their experience in a diverse, multi-cultural 
setting such as that of San Diego, including any foreign language skills. 
Burton, Coffey, and Mathes indicated some acquaintance with Spanish as well 
as other languages; Coffey and Stenner speak English only at present but 
said they would be willing to learn Spanish.

Their ideas of the role of evangelism, ministry development and youth 
ministry in church growth were solicited, as were views regarding the 
authority of scripture and its application to daily life, and how to deal 
with issues of social justice. Candidates' views on the blessing of same 
sex unions and ordination of non-celibate homosexuals were also addressed. 
Burton and Stenner said "no" but called for pastoral understanding of those 
who disagree; McNair said "not yet." Coffey seemed willing to follow the 
church's consensus, while Mathes called for finding "some meaningful way" 
to celebrate same-sex relationships characterized by "fidelity and monogamy."

The ordination and consecration of the new bishop is set for Saturday, 
March 5, 2005.

--The Rev. Jan Nunley is deputy director of Episcopal News Service.