Previous News Items
8/01/08
It is hard to believe we have been on this journey for an entire year now. It was this time last June when the Search, Transition and Standing Committees met in Wasilla for the first time. In search of our new Bishop, the committees defined the work ahead, and each member individually committed to seeing the work accomplished. The Search Committee immediately settled down to business, and business it has been. Hectic at some times, frustrating at others, each step has truly been a rewarding experience. We are proud of our Diocesan Profile and excited about the variety of candidates who have offered themselves to enter into discernment with our Diocese. Thank you for all the information and conversation that helped us build the profile. And thank you for your prayerful nominations of candidates.
Most recently, we notified each of the nominees whether or not they were remaining in the discernment process with us. As we continue studying the information provided by each of the candidates, we are also beginning reference checks. Because we find it imperative that the voice of each of our members be included in this stage of discernment, in the middle of June, one of our members will fly to the Arctic Coast to meet with two of our members to go over candidate packets in person. Then, the entire Search Committee will meet in Anchorage July 18 – 20 to discuss the nominees and the next phase of our process. Our consultant and chaplain will both be present at our gathering. By the end of August, our committee will have prayerfully determined the candidates whom we will be contacting to affirm our continued discernment. In early fall we will begin visiting candidates. The final candidates that we present to the Standing Committee, and through them to you will be requested to make a personal videotape answering some predetermined questions, which will eventually be shared with each congregation in the Diocese.
It is as we enter this next stage that you may wonder about our progress. Although we cannot convey much information, rest assured we are busy at work. Just think, by this time next year, we will have our newly installed Bishop, walking amongst us!
6/12/08
Shirley L. Lee resigned as Co-Chair of the Bishop Search Committee in early May to accept a position in the Diocesan Office. In her new position Shirley has dual roles: Youth Ministry Coordinator and Communication Specialist.
The Search Committee is extremely grateful for Shirley's participation in the search process this past year and will miss her leadership skills as Co-Chair.
The nominations are in! As of midnight, April 30th, we closed nominations for the 8th Bishop of Alaska. It looks like we have many fine candidates, from both inside and outside Alaska. Now comes the arduous task of perusing each of the applicant packets. The Search Committee will be spending many hours filtering through material. Unfortunately, you will hear little from us during this stage. Our next major deadline is June 1st, when we will be notifying candidates if they are still under consideration for the position. We have much work ahead of us this summer and fall to be ready to announce the three finalists to the Diocese by November. Do not take our silence as a sign of slow progress; know that the Holy Spirit is working mightily amongst us! By this time next year, we will have welcomed our new Bishop into our Alaskan family.
5/10/08
What an exciting time we enter into; our Diocesan Profile finished, our web-page fully functional and our hearts open to entering the process to follow God’s Will in finding our next Bishop.
In the short time June until February, the Search Committee has done some phenomenal work. Coming together as strangers, we soon became family. By holding many local gatherings and talking circles within communities across our State, we have identified many of the hopes, dreams and desires of our Diocese. We were able to compile them into one incredible Profile, beautifully expressing the blessings and challenges of our Diocese, offering a candid peek at our true essence. (A printed copy of this Profile will be mailed out to each of the Episcopal congregations within our Diocese.) Our faithful friend and consultant, Betsy Greenman, of the Diocese of Olympia, has been invaluable as our consultant, guiding us through the process and serving as deployment officer for the National Church as we move forward in opening our Call to the wider communion.
It is now that we move into the next phase of our Search. We open our hearts and minds to listen carefully to whom God has called to lead us. The nomination and application processes are now open through April 30th, both locally and nationally. Interested persons are encouraged to enter into this discernment process with us to explore God’s Call. Forms for nomination and application can be found at the top of this webpage.
2/3/08
The Search Committee has spent the past month fine-tuning our Diocesan Profile for our Bishop Search. The Committee has presented the final draft to the Standing Committee for approval in January. We are officially opening the position on February 8! Applicants will have until April 30th to submit completed paperwork if they wish to be considered as the next Bishop of Alaska.
1/22/08
The Search Committee has been hard at work compiling information for our new Bishop’s Profile so we can move forward in our search process. Before convention, we met with the clergy to solicit their input toward the profile. During convention we were able to break out by Deanery to hold conversations centered on our five Profile Questions. Two different Search Committee members facilitated discussions in each Deanery, other than their own. The following day, each Deanery was able to report back to the entire Convention about their responses. This process was hugely informative to the Search Committee. Our final report to Convention was a summary of our work thus far, and we were able to provide an updated Timeline for representatives to take back to their congregations.
