A Bishop for Chicago

So, the labor of over a year's work is almost coming to fruition! I've had the privilege of serving on our diocese's bishop search committee, and we've finally announced the slate of nominees we've been working to discern for the past six months. It's an exciting list! Three women, two men, and all have substantial experience in anti-racism work, which I'm excited about especially. We elect a new bishop on November 10... all the nominees come to visit the diocese during the week of Oct. 21.

The five Bishop Nominees, here.

In the Episcopal Church, a bishop isn't just your boss, as a priest or a layperson. In fact, they're not really your boss at all - a bishop can't tell a rector (the priest of a parish) what to do, unless you're breaking liturgical rubrics (not following the Book of Common Prayer). And the only person who can bar someone from communion (which pretty much never happens) is a rector. Bishops do a lot of administrative stuff, they ordain new deacons and priests, they do confirmations, they meet in the House of Bishops and discuss theological and ecclesiological problems, theoretical and concrete, and they're our spiritual figurehead. Maybe like Queen Elizabeth II, but with a little more power and a little less bling. They do have to retire at 72, though.

So, electing a new bishop is like getting a new lease on your Church's vision and potential! It's exciting. And the Episcopal Church USA is one of the few Anglican Churches that elects their bishops, democratically. Most others are appointed - like in England, Parliament and the Queen choose bishops. I like our process better, although there's no campaigning allowed, no speeches, no receptions, meet-and-greets, fundraisers, or direct mail campaigns. We try to keep things clean and simple. It's supposed to be a discernment, rather than an election, really.