The Rev. David A. Madison, president of the standing committee for the Diocese of Fort Worth (Episcopal Church), writes:
The Standing Committee and the Presiding Bishop’s Office will work together to identify a member of the House of Bishops in good standing who could be considered to lead this Diocese. The Standing Committee will formally nominate a candidate for election by the delegates at our Diocesan Convention in November.
At this point in the process we are obliged to abide by the request of the Presiding Bishop’s Office that we not mention specific names of candidates. Many of the candidates are currently charged with other episcopal oversight; announcing the names of those under consideration could impair their current ministries and leadership responsibilities. Also, some on our list of consideration might not discern a call to this ministry. All these issues are best handled pastorally by the Presiding Bishop. We should support her by honoring her wish to not mention candidate names publicly at this time. As a Standing Committee we value transparency in all that we do and will release more information as soon as we possibly can.
Members of the Diocese can still actively participate in the process. Ultimately the delegates to the Diocesan Convention this November will have voice and vote as they select our next provisional bishop. Many of you have already contacted members of the Standing Committee to share opinions, suggestions, and perspectives about the next bishop. The Standing Committee values your input and will take it to heart as we proceed with this ministry to which we have been called.
Matthew Townsend is a Halifax-based freelance journalist and volunteer advocate for survivors of sexual misconduct in Anglican settings. He served as editor of the Anglican Journal from 2019 to 2021 and communications missioner for the Anglican Diocese of Quebec from 2019 to 2022. He and his wife recently entered catechism class in the Orthodox Church in America.
