The rumours have been swirling for days. And now they are confirmed: a petition has been filed with the Chancellor of the Diocese for The Very Reverend Dr. Philip C. Linder to be added to the list of candidates for Bishop. Dean Linder was previously a nominee for Bishop, but withdrew his name from consideration. Since the petition was filed within the required short time frame, Dean Linder will join the other candidates for the "walk-abouts."
Curiously, the Search Committee has told one of the petitioners, the Reverend Fred Walters, that Dean Linder's responses to their questions will not be posted on the Bishop Search website. So, I guess that means that I have to do their work for them again. I'm glad Bishop searches don't come along very often, since I would never get anything else done.
You can read Dean Linder's response to the Search Committee by clicking here.
The Dean's responses will be examined along with the rest of the nominees in the days ahead.
1 comment:
Thank you for this analysis and the information on candidate history that you are providing. The Search Committee's performance has been depressing in so many ways. The diocesan survey would have been hooted at by anyone with a background in social sciences and surveys. (At least, I have such a background, and I hooted, as did others I know. Others may have reacted differently, for example by giggling or crying.) Their whole approach has been to find and insure the election of a candidate committed to preventing blessing of same sex couples. To the other important but neglected candidate qualifications that you list, I'd add some, from the pragmatic (the ability and willingness to administer the everyday affairs of the diocese well, which is needed for so many aspects of Christian life in the parishes) to the pastoral (willingness to actively support lay ministry rather than shoving it into a corner). The Search Committee chairs' statement on-line tells us that the candidates are all virtually identical except with respect to their conservative or liberal bias. Not true. The Search Committee also tells us that they are all committed to remaining in the Episcopal Church. Of course that is also what Mark Lawrence said before becoming bishop of the lower diocese (yes, I know they hate being called that). Now he has shown that his statement was literally true, but effectively a bald-faced lie. He is taking the diocese out of the active life of the Episcopal Church as fast as he can. The Search Committee is seeking a Mark Lawrence for the Diocese of Upper South Carolina. It is just so depressing.
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