Have questions? Want to know more about the process or our particular candidates?
Come to a special Adult Forum on September 19th at 9:15 AM. Mitch and diocesan-guru Tom Stepp will explain the ins and outs in layman’s terms and answer any questions you might have.

You might have heard announcements from our church or from the diocese that we’re preparing for an “episcopal election” or “bishop election.” But what is a bishop? And why does this matter to our church? How does this work? Well, you’ve come to the right blog post.

What is a bishop?

The Holy Scriptures and ancient Christian writers make it clear that from the apostles' time, there have been different ministries within the Church. In particular, since the time of the New Testament, three distinct orders
of ordained ministers have been characteristic of the Church. First, there is the order of bishops who carry on the apostolic work of leading, supervising, and uniting the Church. Secondly, associated with them are the presbyters, or what we have come to call priests. Together with the bishops, they take part in the governance of the Church, in the carrying out of its missionary and pastoral work, and in the preaching of the Word of God and administering his holy Sacraments. Thirdly, there are deacons who assist bishops and priests in all of this work. It is also a special responsibility of deacons to minister in Christ's name to the poor, the sick, the suffering, and the helpless.

Bishops are the “chief presbyters” of a given area. In the early Church they were the pastor of several worshipping communities with a geographic area. As the Church grew it became difficult for them to maintain an active presence in those communities and administer the sacraments regularly to them, and so presbyters or “priests” were appointed to minister in their absence. All Episcopal bishops can trace their episcopal lineage to St. Peter, and so by their ordination maintain continuity in the present with the ministry of the Apostles of old.

*The Right Reverend Barbara Harris, d. 2020*

Bishops are charged with the apostolic work of leading, supervising, and uniting the church. Bishops represent Christ and his church, and they are called to provide Christian vision and leadership for their dioceses. The BCP (p. 855) notes that the bishop is “to act in Christ's name for the reconciliation of the world and the building up of the church; and to ordain others to continue Christ's ministry.” They exercise a ministry of oversight and supervision. Bishops are the “pastor of the pastors,” and so provide particular oversight and pastoral care to the priests and deacons in a diocese. Diocesan bishops also have chief responsibility for the doctrine, discipline, and worship of the church. They are the focus for diocesan unity, and for the unity of their dioceses with the wider church. Since the bishop's ministry is a ministry of oversight, the term “episcopal” (derived from the Greek episcopos, “overseer”) is applied to matters pertaining to bishops. That’s why we’re called The Episcopal Church — An “episcopal” church is a church governed by bishops, and “episcopal” services are led by bishops.

Why does this matter to St. Martin’s?

As chief pastor of our diocese, the bishop has episcopal oversight of St. Martin’s. They provide care, direction, and oversight over Mitch and Caitlyn. We aren’t just concerned for St. Martin’s though. The bishop is also ultimately in charge of the health of all congregations in their care, and also sets the tone for change, evangelism, and growth for the whole church in our region. We care about our corporate growth and wellness. We hope that all might be brought into the love of God and this fellowship in our part of South Carolina. And we want to heed the call of the Spirit to discern who would be a good and faithful bishop for us at this time.

How does a new bishop get elected?

Before a new bishop gets elected, the current bishop has to announce their intent to resign or retire. Bishops do not serve terms — once elected, they hold the position until they resign, retire, or are removed. Bishop Waldo announced in June his intent to retire by the end of this year. At that point, the Standing Committee — the governing board of the diocese made up of elected clergy and lay people — began to work on forming a Nominating Committee. Applications for that committee were received from all over the diocese, and a committee was formed with lay and ordained people. They set to work creating a profile of our diocese, a packet of information about who we are, where we are hoping to go, and the kind of leader we are hoping for.

Nominations for Bishop candidates were received from across The Episcopal Church. To be nominated, the person must be an Episcopal priest and must be at least 30 years old. Those who were nominated were invited to apply for the position. The Nominating Committee reviewed the candidates’ materials, references, and conducted interviews and completed site visits. A selected group of candidates were then invited on a retreat with the committee to discern further. From there, they chose a slate of candidates and, with the Standing Committee’s approval, released that slate to the diocese. You can see our slate of candidates and read their materials on the diocesan website.

A special convention has been called to elect our bishop. It will be held on September 25th. You can watch the livestream as it happens. Elected delegates from each parish, an all active and retired clergy, get to vote in the election. Our church has four elected delegates; meet them down below.

Our delegates represent St. Martin’s, both at special conventions when we get to vote for a bishop, and at our yearly convention when we get together to do the business of the diocese. They represent our voice to the rest of the diocese. Take the time to get to know them and let them know what your hopes and dreams are for our diocese. By their prayer and discernment, they are representing you.

Meet the Candidates