Bishop Howe's reflections two weeks before election of the 4th Bishop of Central Florida
Posted November 10th, 2011
Central Florida Episcopalian:
Bishop's View
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I want to thank all of you who have participated in various ways in the Bishop Search Process. Some have served (and some continue to serve) on the several committees the Standing Committee has set up. Some have posted comments and questions on the "Ask the Candidates" section of the Bishop Search web site. And I think virtually all of us have prayed. I know that has certainly been true in every one of the congregations I have visited this fall.
We have created a whole new model for doing a search process. The "Ask the Candidates" section has enabled everyone to get to know the nominees and their positions far better than would be possible in any traditional "walk about."
It has taken a toll on the nominees themselves! One of them said it was like doing General Ordination Exams for two months! But I think it has helped them define their positions in ways that may be helpful to them for the rest of their ministries. (In recommending this model to the wider church, and with the advantage of hindsight, we will also recommend that Standing Committees manage it a bit more vigorously than we did, to somehow limit the amount of time it demands of the nominees.)
This model has not only given us a far better opportunity to become acquainted with the candidates, it has also proven - as we hoped it would - to be far less expensive than more traditional search processes.
As the time for our Electing Convention draws near a degree of anxiety has begun to emerge in some quarters, and various voting strategies are being discussed. All of this is to be expected, but I want to urge us to keep our focus on the Lord, and to ask his help in not saying things to or about each other that could make it difficult to maintain "the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" post-election.
I have now met privately with each of the seven candidates, and I want you to know that I will enthusiastically serve under whichever of them is elected. When I was asked by my successor to preach at his Celebration of New Ministry in Virginia I said that it felt a bit like being asked to give the homily at the second wedding of my former wife! (I suspect I will have similar feelings on November 19, and even more so on March 24.)
But I went on to remind my congregation that neither it nor any other parish is married to its rector. It is "married" to Jesus. And so is the Diocese of Central Florida. May he have his way among us.
With love and gratitude to all of you for the privilege of being your bishop these many years,
+John
The Right Rev. John W. Howe, Ph.D., D.D.
Episcopal Bishop of Central Florida
