Bishop Search: Petition Process and the Walkabout

Two items highlight the latest news from the Rhode Island bishop transition process:

• The process for nominating candidates by petition will open March 11.
• The “walkabout” for final nominees will be highlighted by an all-day event May 12 at St. Andrew’s School in Barrington.

Petition Process to Open March 11th

The process for nominating candidates by petition to be considered for bishop will open at 9 a.m. on Sunday, March 11, and continue through 5 p.m. Sunday, March 25 (all times Eastern Standard Time).

The petition process replaces the former custom of allowing nominations from the floor during the electing convention. The Canons of the Diocese of Rhode Island do not permit nominations from the floor. Opening this process well in advance of the convention will allow the Search & Nomination Committee sufficient time to conduct the same kinds of background checks and deep reference checks on petition nominees as were conducted on other applicants. Those checks can identify any legal issues or red flags in a candidate’s background.

All application packets from petition candidates must be sent in to the Search & Nomination Committee both electronically via email and in hard-copy form via postal mail. Application packets must include:

1. Completed Petition Candidate Application Form with attached answers to four essay questions;
2. Signed Petition Signatures Form for each of the six Rhode Island deaneries, with a total of 48 signatures; for each of the six deaneries petition candidates will need signatures from:
• four clergy members who are canonically resident in the Diocese of Rhode Island; and
• four lay people who are delegates to the electing convention
3. Curriculum vitae/resume;
4. Updated Office of Transition Ministry (OTM) Form;
5. Signed Consent and Authorization of a Petition Candidate Form;
6. 500-word maximum autobiographical statement;
7. List of all bishops served under, with contact information;
8. Two recent photographs of the petition candidate: one head-and-shoulders portrait, and one showing the candidate participating in a church-related activity. (Electronic versions of photos must be in .jpg format for the emailed application packet; hard copies of photos are optional for the printed packet); and
9. Completed Petition Candidate Reference Forms and letters of reference from three references, to be sent in separately by the references. More information about the petition process will be posted on the transition blog/website (www.episcopalrisearch.org) when the process opens.

The Walkabout

Details are being confirmed for the “walkabout” of bishop nominees that will take place May 11 and May 12.

On May 11, nominees will meet with Bishop Wolf and then tour at least part of the state, with “shepherds” from the Search & Nomination Committee and Transition Committee as their guides. On that evening, Emmanuel Church in Newport will host a private dinner for the nominees and their spouses, and members of the Search & Nomination, Transition and Oversight Committees.

On Saturday, May 12, all clergy and laypeople (and especially delegates to the electing convention) are invited to participate in an all-day event at St. Andrew’s School in Barrington. More specifics about time and format will be posted on the transition blog/website (www.episcopalrisearch.org) as the event approaches.