Diocese of Virginia Nominating Committee announces nominees for bishop coadjutor November 18, 2006 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Julian Bivins, Chair Sarah Bartenstein RICHMOND–The Diocese of Virginia, the largest U.S. diocese in the Episcopal Church, with 193 congregations and more than 90,000 members, today announced the names of five nominees who will stand for election to succeed the Rt. Rev. Peter James Lee as Bishop of Virginia. The election will take place at the diocese’s Annual Council meeting, January 26-27, 2007, in Richmond. The new bishop coadjutor, as successor bishops are called, will become the diocesan bishop upon Lee’s retirement, which has not been announced. “This field of nominees is exceptionally strong,” said Bishop Lee, “and I congratulate the Nominating Committee on providing the Council delegates with a difficult choice. It is clear that whoever is chosen will be exceptionally well qualified to lead this Diocese in a time of transition, when a number of difficult issues face the Episcopal Church, not only here in Virginia but nationally, and within the worldwide Anglican Communion.” Canon law in the Episcopal Church requires that candidates for bishop be at least 30 when consecrated; bishops have almost always been chosen from among the clergy. Two women and three men have been nominated; two are canons, two are regional deans and three are parish clergy. In total the nominees have almost a century of experience in parish ministry, averaging more than 18 years each. The nominees, in alphabetical order, are:
Dannals has been rector of Christ Church, in Greenville, South Carolina, since 1997. With more than 25 years of service as a parish priest, he has also served churches in Charlotte, Statesville, and New Bern, North Carolina. Dannals holds a doctorate in theology from the Graduate Theological Foundation in South Bend, Indiana, where he wrote his dissertation on the German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Jennings serves as Associate Director of the CREDO Institute, an organization providing educational and professional support for clergy. Since her ordination to the priesthood in 1979, she has worked as an interim rector in Lakewood and Cleveland, Ohio, as assistant to the Bishop of Ohio for ordained ministries, and as Canon to the Ordinary (special assistant to the Bishop) in the Diocese of Ohio. Johnston has 18 years of experience as a curate (assistant) and rector (head priest) in Alabama and Mississippi, and has served as rector of All Saints Episcopal Church in Tupelo, Mississippi, for 12 years. Since 1996, he has been active in the launching of TRAIN, a regional assistance network in Northern Mississippi focusing on persons with AIDS, and is now its chaplain. Lewis has served as Canon to the Ordinary in the Diocese of Southern Virginia where he has helped shepherd it through a turbulent period. Prior to being on the diocesan staff, he spent 23 years as a parish priest, including eight years at St. Mark’s, Hampton; there he became committed to a theology and ministry of “radical hospitality” in a parish that serves Anglos, African-Americans, Panamanians and Caribbean members. Parkinson has been rector of Grace Church in The Plains, Virginia, since 1997. She entered the priesthood in 1984 after a 14-year career as high school history teacher, and is a former school chaplain. She has also served two terms as president of the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Virginia, and as a regional dean in the Diocese. “The selection process for the nominees has been extraordinarily thorough,” commented Jean Reed, the current president of the diocesan Standing Committee, the body which has oversight of the nomination process. “The members of the Standing Committee are deeply grateful for the diligence and commitment of the Nominating Committee,” Reed said. The members of the Nominating Committee—nine laity and eight clergy—met a total of 13 times in order to complete its work. In addition, the committee hosted 11 “Listening Events” throughout the diocese to learn what qualities and capabilities clergy and laity seek in a new bishop. From an original field of more than 50 people, 10 were chosen for in-depth interviews, conducted in October and November, and from this group, five nominees were selected. According to the lay chair of the Nominating Committee, Julian Bivins of Charlottesville, nominees will receive further examination by clergy and laity at six open “Candidates Forums,” to be conducted at St. George’s, Fredericksburg (January 9); St. Paul’s Charlottesville (January 10); Christ Church, Winchester (January 11); St. Stephen’s, Richmond (January 12); St. Margaret’s School, Tappahannock (January 13); and Virginia Theological Seminary, Alexandria (January 13). The process outlined by the Standing Committee also allows for nominations by petition. Petitions must be received at the Mayo Memorial Church House by Friday, December 1, and must adhere to rules adopted by the Standing Committee, in order to be valid. Nominations from the floor of the electing council meeting will not be allowed. Rules concerning petitions are described on the nomination Web site at www.virginiabishop.info. ###
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