Church of the Word
SOUTHERN OHIO GIVES AUTHORITY TO SUFFRAGAN

Southern Ohio Proposal Would Give Authority to Bishop Suffragan
05/26/2005

Plans for the June 11 special convention to elect a new Bishop of Southern Ohio took an unexpected turn in March when the House of Bishops agreed to withhold consent for consecrations until after the 2006 General Convention. As his mandatory Dec. 11 retirement date approaches, the Rt. Rev. Herbert Thompson, Jr., Bishop of Southern Ohio, is proposing a change in diocesan canons that would allow the bishop suffragan to exercise ecclesiastical authority until a new diocesan is consecrated.

Writing to the diocese in preparation for the special session at the Proctor Camp and Conference Center, Bishop Thompson listed three proposals: moving the election to Nov. 11, 2006, issuing a call for a new episcopal search process, and recommending adoption of an amendment which would allow Bishop Suffragan Kenneth J. Price, Jr., to serve as the ecclesiastical authority during the interim period.

Bishop Thompson said his proposals were based on fairness toward all those who would be involved in the search and election process. Holding the election before General Convention would not honor the request for a time of "reflection and discernment" that the bishops agreed to in their covenant statement last spring. He said to hold the election shortly after the 2006 General Convention, which meets June 13-21 in Columbus, Ohio, would place an extraordinary burden on the people of Southern Ohio, many of whom will be working as volunteers.

"Furthermore, we do not want our election of the next Bishop of Southern Ohio to be in reaction to possible controversial issues arising out of General Convention," Bishop Thompson wrote. "We pray our election will focus on the long-term future of the diocese and the person God is calling to lead Southern Ohio into the future."

Last January, the episcopal search committee placed in nomination the names of three priests and a fourth person was subsequently accepted by petition. If convention approves the new election date, the candidates would be waiting for nearly two years. "I do not think that it is fair to the nominees or to their congregations to ask them to live in limbo for that period of time," he said.

The third resolution Bishop Thompson is proposing would permit the standing committee to appoint the bishop suffragan to exercise ecclesiastical jurisdiction upon the death, or during the disability or absence of the diocesan. Several dioceses already have a similar provision in their canons, Bishop Thompson said. In order for the canonical change to take effect before his retirement, convention must pass the amendment next month and again during it November 2005 session.

For more information about the special convention, including a link to Bishop Thompson’s letter, click here.

© Copyright 2003 The Living Church Foundation. All rights reserved.

This article comes from The Living Church Foundation
http://www.livingchurch.org/

The URL for this story is:
http://www.livingchurch.org/publishertlc/viewarticle.asp?ID=1013