The diocesan nominating committee met on March 7 & 8 at Bruton Parish, Williamsburg to review written nominee submissions and telephone interviews. Thirteen nominees were selected for further evaluation and on site visits during April. In addition to a face to face interview with the nominee, discussions will be held with references. The nominees selected are from 12 separate dioceses.

The process will begin with forms for Lay Delegates & Alternates Certification being mailed to the parishes by April 15, 2008. Completed and attested Certification Forms must be received by the Diocese no later than June 30, 2008 if you are to vote in the election. You may download forms for Certification here

Certification is the documentation required by Canon II, attested by the Priest in Charge and the Register, which identifies the Delegates and Alternates elected by the Vestry.

Registration forms to the Council for the Election of the Tenth Bishop of the Diocese of Southern Virginia on September 27, 2008 will be mailed out by July 1, 2008. You may download Election Council Registration Forms here

Registration forms to Fall Special Council on October 18, 2008 will be mailed by July 15, 2008. You may download Fall Special Council Registration Forms here

Registration informs the Diocese who will be coming, enabling them to plan materials, facilities and meals.

Three new pages have been added to this website. The first, entitled Petition Process outlines the conceptual procedures for nominations for bishop by other that the nominating committee. The second provides initial information on the Diocesan “Walk About”, and the third is devoted to the details associated with the consecration of our new bishop.

This information is tentative and subject to change. The process will begin with Certificates of Lay Delegates & Alternates being mailed to the parishes April 15, 2008. These certificates will be due back to Diocese no later than June 30, 2008. Registration forms for Council to elect the tenth bishop of the Diocese of Southern Virginia will be mailed out July 1, 2008 followed by the registration forms for Special Council October 18, 2008 on July 15, 2008. More to follow.

The nominations for the 10th Diocesan Bishop of Southern Virginia have closed. The nominating committee is beginning an iterative review of the nominees. This review will include a review of personnel records, written answers to nominating committee questions, telephone interviews, and on site visits to meet with the references and the candidate. Final candidates will visit Norfolk, and be interviewed by the entire nominating committee. It is anticipated that the announcement of nominated candidates will be made on or about June 10.

Nominations will be invited for the next Diocesan Bishop of Southern Virginia during the period December 2007 through January 2008.

Invitations to nominate will be sent to all active Bishops, Deans of Seminaries, and Diocesan Deployment Officers as well the clergy of our Diocese. Included in the invitation to the Diocesan of Southern Virginia Clergy is the request that clergy in charge of congregations share their invitations with their laity.

All clergy and laity of the Diocese may nominate individuals from within and outside of the diocese. To nominate, go to the Search Web Site documents page, and either download a nomination form and mail, or, alternatively, electronically submit. The only prerequisite for submission is that the nominees consent must be obtained.

The nomination committee encourages all in the Diocese to participate, as well as those from outside of the Diocese.

Your nominating committee for the search for our next Diocesan Bishop was formed in mid August and is doing work preparatory to the solicitation of nominations in late November.

The Diocesan profile is being assembled as we meet. It will be submitted to the standing committee for approval Oct 26. Accompanying the profile will be an electronic photo album of the Diocese, which will show pictures of some of the local sights as well as many pictures from our churches. The nominating committee thanks all churches that provided pictures. We ended up, plus or minus, with about 125 pictures from the congregations of the Diocese. It surprising what, in aggregate, they say visually about us.

The Bishop Search web site went public at the end of September. You access it at www.svabishop.org, or simply google "southern Virginia bishop search."

You will find at the website current news of the search, committee membership, pieces for education, prayers prepared by Julia Dorsey Loomis, our chaplain, timelines, and a “contact us” area for queries. The Diocesan profile, when ready, will be available for viewing or download, and you can nominate a candidate, electronically just like ordering something on line. There is a secure section of the site which is used only for committee work.

We would particularly like to recommend to you, under the education tab, a piece written by Michael Delk, Hickory Neck, to his congregation, on the bishop selection process. Michael doesn’t mind if you use his description in you own church publications. The nominating committee pledges to keep the web site up to date to the minute, so if you want to find out what is going on, use it.

We will begin soliciting nominations at the end of November, and the window for nominations will run through January. Among others, the clergy of the Diocese will receive a letter inviting them and their congregations to nominate candidates from outside the Diocese. Would ask that the clergy share this information with their congregations, and encourage them to take part. At this time, both the profile and the nomination form will be available on the website. An important source of strong bishop nominees comes from the joint involvement of our own clergy and laity at this early stage.

Overall, the process of selecting bishop is like pushing a ten foot stone ball. To get the thing rolling, you must push very hard with little result, but once the thing starts rolling, it’s very hard to stop. Our ball is beginning to roll! We ask that you stay tuned to our web site, www.svabishop.org for events as they unfold, and that you pray for the process, using one of the prayers on our website. Any questions on what is happening can be asked through the “contact us” page of our web site. STAY TUNED, WE NEED THE INTEREST AND INVOLVEMENT OF OUR CLERGY AND LAITY!!!

The Standing Committee with the help of the Bishop Election Consultant, Rev. Bill King of the Diocese of Alabama, and the Bishop Election Chaplain, Rev. Julia Dorsey Loomis, hosted a Retreat at Camp Chanco on August 17 and 18 for the bishop election Nomination and New Ministry Committees. The following is an announcement from the bishop election Nominating Committee:

The nominating process for the next Bishop of our Diocese has begun. The Diocesan Nominating Committee met at Chanco on August 18, and has appointed three subcommittees to have the following completed by November 10:  a draft Diocesan profile, and the questions for the first two rounds of candidate screening. The Committee is chaired by Bill Burleson, Bruton. To date, there are three subcommittees: Profile, Survey, and Interview Questions, chaired respectively by The Rev. Chris Thompson, Eastern Shore Chapel; Ms. Alice Webley, Grace, Norfolk; and The Rev. Susan Grimm, St. John’s/ St. Timothy Cure.