Appropriate for the selection of a Bishop in San Joaquin

It was said on another weblog recently regarding the diocese of Northwest Texas, that a rumor was floating that the Nominating Committee/Standing Committee only wanted “liberal” nominees heading into what was to be their May Electing Convention.  The background of the thread Post itself was that only 2 nominees had been selected for an intended slate of 3 to 5.  So the Electing Convention has been postponed a month to give the Nominating Committee more time to get at least a third nominee on board.

Teaching and encouraging and leading others through the election process has been one of my deep concerns over many years, now, including the same conversation with members of my own family who are spread abroad TEC and have been faced with episcopal elections in their own dioceses.  The following, as a result, did not take long to type out, and I am reprinting it here, since San Joaquin is faced with (as some have publicized it) the “election” of a bishop with provisional authority (which is not how the canons describe such approval), and in the long term as a now very small diocese the election of an Ordinary. 
 RGEaton

“I would want to hear that rumor from the Standing Committee/Nominating Committee itself before believing it (searching only for “liberal” candidates). 

“The problem of not having enough candidates is not a new problem!
“So you folks in NWT should not feel alone.  This problem has been made known by readers of StandFirm and TitusOneNine and in other venues for probably 3 to 5 years.  And it is not just a matter of not finding “qualified” candidates (whatever thay might mean these days).  There are simply a lot of clergy (across the spectrum) who are gun shy of “the process”, or are hedging their bets still on TEC, or don’t want to be caught in a small-ish or small diocese with membership decreases (one of the consequences being ongoing funding of the episcopate - the job).
“It would seem the Search Comm is calling out for involvement in the process.  Like [a commenter] mentioned re: Eau Claire on that thread, the reasserter folks in NWT have an amazing, yet very small, window that has opened up to them.   Find the Ackerman, the Lillibridge, the Adams, the M.Smith; find the Love.  : )
They are out there.  Fast and pray for a day or two regarding who they might be and how you might make contact with them.  Take the direction given in your prayer time, get in touch with them, ask them to do the same prayer and fasting, and get back to you.  Make as many contacts as names you have been led to consider.   Then get that nomination form to them, and get the info to the Search Comm.  Pronto.

“BTW, when I say ‘…as names you have been led to consider’, I am not limiting to priests who might be a nominee.  A “name” might be your TEC cousin in some other diocese who is not ordained, and the Lord might be leading you to have a conversation with them because THEY know of someone (even the cousin hadn’t thought about it yet).   Or the name of someone you have never met, but you know of them, and THEY have a contact that should be asked to be a nominee.

“Which leads me to my final thought on this.  The members of the Search Committees of smaller dioceses must give a <b>great</b> deal of time to the matter of specific, Holy Spirit calling and inspiration.  Not that large dioceses must (in my opinion) also.  But beware the priest willing to suffer the lower stipend in a smaller diocese in order to be consecrated a bishop, only to find a better paying bishop job in some other larger diocese, and resign.  Those bishops exist.  Those dioceses exist (”just find someone”, or “who would look best under our mitre”).  Granted, this may have been unforseen consequence, as one recent example suggests.

“It is better to keep postponing the election in order to find 3 or more clergy who are convinced in their own deep discernment, and for the Search Comm to be convinced in their own deep discernment of each of their nominees, that it is the Lord’s Will for each nominee to certain of their place in that election, than to simply find someone who seems to fit the profile.

“How can a Search Committee (and a potential nominee) be sure?  Well, to assist those in discernment (searching for God’s Will, leading and direction), it is important to identify and receive the ministry of Spirit-gifted prophets, and those with the gift of words of knowledge.  It is important to set aside retreat times, making use of a gifted facilitator in Spirit discernment.  It is important to be open to the possibility of a nominee who doesn’t fit the profile, but whose name is strongly present through the Spirit’s leading.  Practicing the presence of God in this way may be something you’ve never really done before — but now you have to step up.   Be led by prayer and scripture.  Understand how the Holy Spirit moves.  Keep your eyes upon Jesus.

“All of this cannot happen without intercession.  I can only hope that any diocese in preparation for an electing convention would have at least 10% of each congregation committeed and engaged in intercessory prayer.”