The nominee for Bishop of Northern Michigan needs to get a majority of consents from all Diocesan Bishops and Standing Committees of the Episcopal Church. So far, the numbers are not running in his favor and even "progressive" bishops have voted against him for altering the language of the baptismal liturgy and preaching a message that is more about his Buddhist involvement than Christianity.
Meanwhile, South Dakota's Standing Committee will not say how it is voting or, at this point, when it will meet. The calendars on display today (4/25/09) at the Diocesan website and in the current diocesan newsletter do not give any upcoming dates for Standing Committee meetings. The SC met last week, but might not have voted on the consent issue as it had much to do in preparation for South Dakota's own upcoming Bishop election.
Speaking of which, the Diocesan profile for the new Bishop lists "communication" as a desired quality. That is good news, as the profile was developed with much survey and forum input from around the diocese. This need was named by the clergy and people.
The tendency toward leadership by unresponsive "in group" is one of several systemic problems the incoming bishop will need to address.
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