Coverage of the events leading up to the election of the next bishop of Chicago is starting to pick up,

The next Episcopal bishop… — chicagotribune.com

Next week, the eight finalists for bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago meet their potential flock at a series of gatherings throughout the region:

St. Mark’s in Glen Ellyn on Tuesday;
Church of the Redeemer in Elgin on Wednesday;
Church of the Holy Spirit in Lake Forest on Thursday;
Church of the Transfiguration in Palos Park on Oct. 26;
St. Edmund’s in Chicago on Oct. 27, and
St. Luke’s in Dixon on Oct. 28.

The slate of nominees reflects the changing face of the nation’s Episcopal church, with three women and two Africans among those running. Before this election, no woman had been nominated for Episcopal bishop of Chicago.

Tribune religion reporters Margaret Ramirez and Manya A. Brachear compiled information on the eight nominees from personal statements and interviews with Episcopal scholars. The election will be held Nov. 10 at the diocese’s annual convention in Wheeling. The new bishop will succeed Bishop William Persell, who has led the diocese since 1999.

Okay, as an Episcopalian in the Diocese of Chicago, I definitely have a dog in this hunt. I’m not a delegate or an alternate, but I do have a slight amount of familiarity with a couple of people mentioned in the article.

First of all, Bishop William Persell, or Bill, as he’s usually known. He’s a kind and warm fellow who has led the diocese through some rather difficult years while dealing with health issues. He came to Holy Innocents a couple of years ago to address us as we tried to figure out what the next step was. He was supportive, and impressed with what we were trying to do with so little in the way of manpower and resources. It bothers me a lot that many of the people at Holy Innocents haven’t made it over to St Nicholas after the merger – even the ones that were the most in favor of the move – but a lot of the seeds of what we’re still doing now were planted at the time Bishop Bill met with us. We haven’t let him down, we’re still trying to feed the hungry and reach out to people in spiritual need, and offer a radical welcome.

After this meeting, +Bill and his lovely wife Nancy went to lunch with the Bishop’s Committee at a nearby restaurant with an aircraft theme near Schaumburg Field, a suburban airport. It was a pleasant time and we all enjoyed the discussions, but I also remember he deplored the actions of conservative bishops, who refused table fellowship with him, and with other Episcopal bishops who had voted in favor of +Gene Robinson’s election as bishop of New Hampshire. He warned against exclusivity and urged inclusivity in the church. He remains on cordial terms with some local priests who have chosen to leave the Episcopal church and align with Anglican bishops from other countries, because that’s the kind of guy he is.

The Trib story goes on to add some interesting details about each of the candidates.

Alvin C. Johnson, current rector of St Michael’s in Barrington

Critical issues facing the church: “The critical issue facing our Church is this: We are becoming less effective at reaching people who are spiritually hungry. … In facing this challenge, we are to embrace the critical role of the parish church in deepening the faith of people. The most important place for the abundance of our resources is the front lines of parish life where Jesus meets the people.”

Odds: Observers read the late nomination of this “hometown favorite son” as a sign some in the diocese don’t want an outsider.

Of the candidates, Father Al is the only one I’ve met. He’s a perfectly nice guy, from a perfectly nice parish that’s overflowing with people and families and has multiple priests and multiple services and lots of nice music. And after I moved to the Chicago Suburbs, I was actively looking for a church to replace my previous “church home” in Seattle… and I went to Al’s church at least 6 or 7 times and was greeted by him several times.

And you know, I was never once invited downstairs to coffee hour, or engaged in conversation, because there were so many other people milling about and I was just another face in the crowd. I tried other Episcopal churches all over the Northwest suburbs and beyond, and almost always it was the same – I was just another face in the crowd. I told myself at the time that if I had small children in tow, they would have glommed onto me. But I don’t, and they didn’t. There were only two larger churches that I visited where I was made welcome and invited to coffee and spoke with friendly people, but they were both very far away. In the end, I came to Holy Innocents after we moved to this village, and was welcomed there with open arms. And now at St Nicholas, we probably offer TOO MUCH of an open-armed welcome, but that’s from overflowing enthusiasm as much as small-church self-preservation.

So for Father Al, my experience of his front lines were not what they could be, even though I really liked the church itself, and especially the liturgy and the music. They were the only other relatively High Church outfit in the area… but nobody would talk to me, and it was always so crowded (although they’ve expanded since then) and parking was a *bitch.*

I don’t know about this “some in the diocese don’t want an outsider” statement. Who are these “some?” The story I heard was that Father Al was disappointed that he didn’t make the final cut after the application process closed, and so used the open nomination process instead. From the same source I heard that the Diocese of Chicago historically has always sought bishops from elsewhere. So I don’t count Father Al’s odds as quite as high as all that, but still pretty high because he’s a nice fellow who’s well liked.

Rev. Tracey Lind

Critical issues facing the church: “In my life and ministry, I do everything in my power to find unity within diversity. However, when we grapple with complex issues — race, class, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religious pluralism, multiculturalism, the environment, globalism, and all the other challenges that face the Episcopal Church, the Anglican Communion, and the rest of the world — I know that unity is not always possible.”

Odds: Lind has credentials, pedigree and a Midwestern advantage that matters. But because of her same-sex partner, her election would not be approved by the wider church.

Dean Tracey presents a thorny problem. If homosexuality were not the Number One issue that it is in the church, she’d be the hot favorite in this race for the purple. It’s not an issue for me, but it is for a lot of people. If she were elected, there would be trouble as well as joy. I’m really torn. On the one hand, we’ve sort of promised not to elect or sustain gay bishops (“those whose manner of life,” etc etc really ought to include divorced priests).

On the other hand, conservative bishops are getting ready to depart anyway, attempting to take one or more entire dioceses with them. And the conservative African bishops aren’t adhering to the Windsor process of refraining from poaching across provincial lines, either.

If we elect her, are we handing conservatives a weapon, or purging ourselves of all the unpleasantness? There are signs that the larger Anglican communion – beyond the loudest voices braying on and on about homosexuality while ignoring poverty and corruption in their own dioceses – really doesn’t disapprove enough of the issue to wish to break with us. And now some dioceses in Canada are starting to approve amendments in favor of blessings for gay couples, and California too. In spite of all the horn-blowing by the conservatives and their mouthpieces… there is movement.

I just don’t know. Odds on Dean Lind are tricky. I think she’ll get a lot of clergy votes, and a healthy chunk of lay votes, but maybe as a courtesy, to show support for gay clergy and bishops generally, and then people will switch their votes to another favorite. She’s the person I would vote for, if I were a delegate, even knowing that it would cause problems, because I think she would inspire us. But then I wouldn’t want to put her through what +Gene has gone through, either.

Rev. Timothy B. Safford

Critical issues facing the church: “As important as the issues consuming all of the attention in The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion [are], it is taking too much time and attention away from building our parishes and missions. We may disappear before the Anglican Communion settles on whether we belong.”

“The Episcopal Church is right to be dedicated to the ‘One’ campaign and the Millennium Development Goals … but we need to understand [development goals] locally applied to the city of Chicago, to the struggles of the suburbs, and the crises in the rural areas.”

Odds: Genuine, energetic and visionary, Safford is considered to be among the front-runners. But he’s not a warm and fuzzy kind of guy. Clergy might prefer a more nurturing boss.

I like his focus, but wonder at why the Trib reporters chose to describe him as “not a warm and fuzzy kind of guy.”

Rev. Canon Robert K. Koomson

Critical issues facing the church: “The critical issue facing our church today is the issue of human sexuality and its resultant outrage, which has brought about the split within the church.” He suggests exercising restraint, studying the Bible, and fasting and abstinence.

Odds: If evangelism is a priority in Chicago, his vocation could play to two key constituencies — those who see evangelism as a way to move forward and those who see it as a way to get more people in the pews.

Well…first of all, he’s 66. Second of all, he’s quasi-local because he teaches at Seabury-Western, which is where he probably came to the attention of people thought his stance provided some kind of balance in this liberal diocese. Restraint is becoming a keyword for “no new gay bishops, nor priests neither.” Abstinence is not a word heard often in this diocese up to this point, and strikes a rather troubling note, also. To me, it implies abstinence only for that segment of the laity and clergy that can’t currently marry the people they love. I think this fellow is a worthy candidate, but I think he’s there to placate a certain constituency that has already made its showy and well-publicized exit.

Rev. Petero A.N. Sabune

Critical issues facing the church: “When love fails, then we become ‘Balkanized’ into separate little groupings of race, orientation, economic class. But when we come to the altar to receive, there is no altar rail for different groups. We all are part of the same body of Christ. … It will be the task of the bishop to continue the tradition of action, while at the same time, admit those places where we have failed, including growing our congregations.”

Odds: A charismatic leader, Sabune emits a joyful energy. But his commitment to the margins of the church and full inclusion might be viewed as too progressive for Chicago.

Wait a minute. “Too progressive?” Who have these reporters been talking to? Most of the suburban clergy I’ve met are pretty much in the moderate-to-progressive camp, some more progressive than others. There’s a vocal and quite small minority that seems pretty well aligned with the “Windsor Bishop” point of view, mostly clergy based (and I expect they run their vestries, rather than the other way around). Most of the city clergy I’ve met are pretty progressive too. And even some of the rural clergy and laity I’ve met don’t have much time or energy or funds to waste on exclusion vs. inclusion, although some are certainly troubled if they don’t already have familiarity with friends or family who are gay. In my experience, in this diocese the most troubled parishes and mission parishes end up with gay or gay-friendly clergy, because they can’t afford to pay full rate, and some of the gay clergy will take what they can get (ie., fractional parishes) and work part-time. And then the parishes either turn around, or come to some kind of agreement like we did and merge. It’s the ones that turn around that are the success stories, and in a few years we’re fixing to be a success story, too. So don’t count this guy out just because he’s progressive, because he sounds like an exciting and inspiring leader.

Rev. Margaret R. Rose

Critical issues facing the church: “The critical issue facing our church today is our fear of institutional annihilation and the focus on survival at any cost. Too often in the well-meaning desire for church growth, we lose sight of why it is we want to grow. … The question to ask ourselves in parishes is not how to survive, but rather, how can we be better disciples?”

Odds: Rose grasps the need to conquer racism and sexism in the church. But her feminist take on Scripture is controversial. A Southern transplant to the Northeast, she also risks being labeled “just another East Coast elitist.”

And just so you know, her manner of life may well present a problem to the wider church, because she separated from her husband a few years ago, and divorce makes the baby Jebus cry. Take that, all you divorced ultra-conservative clergy and bishops crying about “manner of life.”

I like what she has to say about why it is we want to grow. We’re struggling with how to be better disciples, too, in the hopes that others will want to join with us in that struggle. I’m not that into the feminist principle in theology, either – it’s interesting and thought-provoking, and I believe that women had MUCH MUCH more presence and power in the early church.

In fact, I’d venture a guess that it was women who saved Christianity in the days of the persecutions – wealthy women and poor women, who wanted something better for their families to believe and who were inspired by Christ’s example and His apostles’ preaching. Mary Magdalene had much more of a role in evangelizing and telling the stories of the life of Jesus, too. And I think that the fathers of the church, like Paul, actively worked to put women in a more and more subservient and dependent role. I’m not crazy, though, with reassigning God’s gender.

Rev. Jeffrey D. Lee

Critical issues facing the church: “Among the important issues facing the Episcopal Church of course, none is more polarizing than the current debates around sexuality, and like many of us I’ve had to practice my own discernment about what it means to lead a church in which there are strongly held, sometimes radically divergent views about those debates. The first task for a leader, as I’ve said, is to listen. … Listening isn’t all there is to leadership though. Central to the task of good leadership is self-definition. I try to make my own position around controversial issues as clear as I can and to do so as un-anxiously as possible. I make it clear that I don’t expect everyone to agree with me, but as a leader I have a duty to articulate my own understanding of what God may be calling the church to do.”

Odds: Viewed as a front-runner from the start, Lee’s education, career track and northern Indiana roots best fit the Chicago model, which makes observers wonder whether Johnson’s late entry will split votes. Lee is also considered a caretaker of clergy.

Again, who are these “observers?” I agree he sounds like a guy who could both listen and lead, useful qualities in a bishop who may see one or two more parishes decamp for African oversight. Yet he doesn’t sound like the sort of listener who practices a masterful inactivity as a kind of holding action until the most conservative either die off, loosen up, or move away to a more conservative diocese. He’s from the Seattle area and some of his sermons are online, and he seems to get a lot of appreciative chuckles when he preaches. Also, he was one of the candidates for bishop of Olympia, and he’s really into full-body baptism and full-bore catechism. He’s going to love our font, which is a fountain that empties into a large stainless steel wading pool (if he gets elected, that is). He seems like a pretty good pick, and will probably will be popular with the clergy in the first ballot or so at least.

Rev. Jane S. Gould

Critical issues facing the church: “As the 21st Century breaks, our church faces declining membership, aging people and properties, and divisions over the interpretation of scripture. To address these and a multitude of other issues, we need to re-imagine church. … Christ calls us always to ‘do a new thing’; he invites us into transformation because always, when we truly encounter ‘the other,’ we are changed, and God’s glory is revealed.”

Odds: With Stanford schooling and ministry in Massachusetts, Gould could lose Chicago points. But her engagement of Kenyan priests in the U.S. has impressed many.

Kind of a long shot, I admit, but we’re not really that provincial here in needing “Chicago points,” are we? But then, I moved here from the West Coast, remember.  I like what she has to say here and respect that she was able to deal with conflict within her parish, but I don’t see how well that will translate to clergy care and being “the boss” downtown.

It’ll come down to how well they present themselves in the “walkabouts.” The diocese has updated the search website with some resources for electors, and I see there is now a response to the House of Bishop’s statement reaffirming GC2006’s Resolution B033. There’s background and general hoo-ha on B033 in comments from Father Jake’s.

I heard today that one of the resolutions put forward for the diocesan convention to consider is a call to rescind B033… that would be a response I’d support, because I think the way it was rammed through stinks, stank, stunk. The thought was apparently “we have to be more accomodating of the conservative view,” but since then? Cross-boarder poaching, and humiliations galore. I don’t know about the rest of the diocese, but I’m tired of reading quotes by African and American conservatives repeating bizarre talking points and outright lies about how the American Episcopal Church is no longer Christian, or biblically grounded, or is actually Satanic.

There’s no reasoning with literalists, I suppose.