Dear Friends in Southern Virginia,
Your Standing Committee continues in its desire to foster greater communication with the wider Diocese. Here is what we have been working on over the past two months:
- We have contracted the services of The Rev. John Fritschner to be our search consultant and help lead us through this process of calling a new Bishop.
- We have been working on an application process through which clergy and lay communicants in good standing can submit their names to be on either the Search Committee or the Transition Committee. You will see an update on this process in the next week or two.
- We are working to call an Assisting Bishop during the time between Bishop Hollerith's retirement and our new bishop's installation.
- We conducted a guided conversation at the Spring Clergy Day on considerations for the role and qualifications of our next Bishop. This is only the first step in a much larger conversation that will take place over the next one to two years. The questions are listed below, and we will determine a way to include laity in the conversation - dates and format to be determined.
- The Standing Committee
Questions from Clergy Day
Please refer first to the service of Ordination of a Bishop in the Book of Common Prayer, specifically pages 517-518.
- What is our missionary work (re: BCP p. 517) for the next 10 years?
- What qualities do we need from our Bishop?
- In year 2018 how does Bishop enlighten the minds and stir up the conscience of the people?
- What do you see as the biggest challenge the Bishop will face: finance; decreased membership; staff; clergy deployment; etc.
- What is our biggest opportunity for the next decade?
- What do you offer our Bishop and our diocese during the next decade? How will we support this person in their ministry?
