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 A BISHOP WHO MANIFESTS A DEEPLY ROOTED SPIRITUAL LIFEThe people of the Diocese of New Hampshire wish to find our next bishop where we have found them in the past: among those who articulate their deep faith in Christ and can preach the Gospel. Bishops are first and fore-most bearers of apostolic faith and teaching. We respect the definitions of the ordination rite and catechism, and welcome our next bishop into a sacramental presence in our congregations. We seek a bishop who works spiritually and theologically to live into an episcopate borne out of our particular context. As we reflect on the future of our diocese, we believe that the manifestation of a healthy and vibrant spiritual life comes into focus as the most significant characteristic of our next bishop. We hope that the words and theological meanings of The Book of Common Prayer will direct this bishop’s life—that nourishing the spiritual, intellectual, and emotional well-ness of the clergy and people of our diocese serves as a “wholesome example for the entire flock.” In his essay “The Episcopate” (from All Who
Minister), Michael Ingham, Bishop of New Westminster (Canada), writes that
we “ordain bishops to be spiritual leaders, for which they are generally
well equipped, then give them responsibilities of corporate management,
for which they are quite untrained. . . . We expect them to be people of
prayer, wisdom, and learning, and then to attend to endless meetings and
reply to an avalanche of letters. We make them caregivers of pastors, then
give them great power over appointments and careers, setting up patterns
of dependency and resentment for many clergy and their families.” For any
bishop, the expected pastoral work comes into tension with important
administrative responsibilities. Our next bishop should recognize the need
for administration but appropriately delegate and balance these tasks so
that focus can remain on the theological and spiritual health of the
diocese. |
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What Characteristics Would We Like to See in Our Next Bishop?
(Survey and focus groups, June 2002) |
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