The Joint Nominating Committee for the Election of the Presiding Bishop said during its May 24-26 meeting that it will forgo being present at The Episcopal Church’s now-shorter and smaller General Convention in July.
“Following the planners’ decision to transact only matters essential for the governance and good order of the church, the committee decided that it could connect with church members in other ways,” said Alaska Bishop Mark Lattime, who co-chairs the committee with Canon Steve Nishibayashi of the Diocese of Los Angeles.
The committee is planning to offer a range of opportunities for Episcopalians to make their voices heard about gifts and skills they believe the next presiding bishop will need to lead The Episcopal Church into its future. Those opportunities are expected to begin later this year.
Meanwhile, the committee announced that Episcopalians can follow the committee’s work on any of three social media platforms:
– Facebook: facebook.com/PB28Nominations
– Twitter: twitter.com/PB28Nominations, @PB28Nominations
– Instagram: instagram.com/pb28nominatingcommittee
The committee’s email address is pb28@episcopalchurch.org.
During their meeting, the first in-person gathering since beginning their work in the fall of 2021, the members spent time working in plenary and subcommittee sessions. Current subcommittees include communications, profile, nominations, and pastoral support.
The committee built a timeline of its work leading to the 81st meeting of General Convention when The Episcopal Church’s 28th presiding bishop will be elected. That convention is scheduled for the summer of 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky.
The committee also met via Zoom with Sally Johnson and Bishop Ed Konieczny, the co-chairs of the previous joint nominating committee, which operated from 2012 until the election of Presiding Bishop Michael Curry.
“We are grateful to Sally and Bishop Ed for their willingness to share their insights with us and to answer our questions,” Lattime said.
The meeting was held at the Maritime Institute Conference Center in Linthicum Heights, Maryland, near Baltimore.
