The Transition Committee is pleased to announce more details about some key events that are a part of the bishop transition process. You’ll find these summarized in a “Save These Dates” notice in this issue of The Mountain. That notice will also be distributed as a printable poster and bulletin insert to be distributed in congregations. Please help us spread the word and take a moment to enter these dates in your calendar.
The Bishop Discernment and Nominating Committee (BDNC) is hard at work, reviewing applications, conducting interviews and checking references. All of their work will culminate in an announcement, jointly with the Standing Committee, of the nominees who will stand for election to be the next Bishop of Vermont. That announcement will be made in late March of this year and will be followed by a brief petition process by which other nominees may be added to the slate of candidates. More details about that process will be provided soon.
These candidates will all be invited to meet all of us in a series of Walkabout events to be held April 28-30, 2019 and hosted by parishes in four corners of the state: Springfield, Manchester, Burlington, and Newport. Exact times and facility locations will be announced soon. The format at all of the events will be the same and explained more fully in future announcements. Plans are also underway to provide a live stream (online video) of the events, which will be recorded and available for those who are not able to attend in person. The Walkabout events are critical for convention delegates and open to all Vermont Episcopalians.
Eligible clergy and lay delegates will meet at our cathedral in Burlington on Saturday, May 18 to pray together and elect the next Bishop of Vermont. Details about how to follow convention online will be available in the coming weeks. Convention delegates will receive registration instructions and other details directly from the Secretary of Convention, as usually happens for the annual Diocesan Convention.
In June there will be two opportunities to join with Bishop Tom and Ann to celebrate their time with us and express our gratitude for them. Both events will begin with choral evensong and be followed by a reception. A more formal announcement with additional details will follow.
All of these activities move us toward the consecration of our new bishop, which is scheduled for Saturday, September 28, 2019. Our Presiding Bishop, the Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, plans to be here in Vermont to preside. We’re pleased to announce that the service will take place in the Ira Allen Chapel on the campus of the University of Vermont. We also plan to broadcast the service online for those who cannot join us in person. A reception will follow in the Grand Maple Ballroom of the nearby Davis Campus Center. We’ll share more about this festive celebration as our planning develops.
If you have any questions, you can reach out the to the Transition Committee at TC@diovermont.org.