Episcopal Press and News
LOS ANGELES: Six nominees for December election of two bishops suffragan announced
Episcopal News Service. August 2, 2009 [080209-01]
Pat McCaughan
The Diocese of Los Angeles on August 2 announced a slate of six candidates for two suffragan bishop elections to be held in December.
Three of the candidates are from the Diocese of Los Angeles; others are from San Francisco and San Jose, California; and another from Baltimore, Maryland.
Included among the slate are two partnered gay candidates: the Rev. Canon Mary Douglas Glasspool, canon to the bishops in the Baltimore-based Diocese of Maryland, and the Rev. John L. Kirkley, rector of St. John the Evangelist, San Francisco. In July, the church's General Convention affirmed the openness of the ordination process to all the baptized.
Also included is the Rev. Silvestre Romero, rector of St. Philip's, San Jose, who if elected would join his father, the Rt. Rev. Sylvestre Romero, assisting bishop of the Diocese of New Jersey, in the House of Bishops. It is believed they would be the first father and son serving at the same time in the House of Bishops.
The three Los Angeles-based candidates are: the Rev. Canon Diane M. Jardine Bruce, rector, St. Clement's by-the-Sea, San Clemente; the Rev. Zelda Kennedy, senior associate for pastoral care and spiritual growth, All Saints Church in Pasadena; and the Rev. Irineo Martir Vasquez, vicar of St. George's Church in Hawthorne.
Within the Episcopal Church, bishops suffragan are elected to assist the bishop of a diocese. Additional information about the nominees is available here.
J. Jon Bruno, Bishop of the Diocese of Los Angeles, who in December 2008 called for the elections, held one-on-one meetings with the nominees whom the committee selected and said he would consider it a blessing to work with any of the six.
"I affirm each and every one of these candidates, and I am pleased with the wide diversity they offer this diocese," Bishop Bruno said in a statement. “I give thanks for the hard work of the search and nominating committee whose members will work up to and through the election to shepherd the candidates and assist the diocese in making it choices."
The Rev. Julian Bull, who chaired the 24-member search and nominating committee, said the group had been discerning candidates for several months. "Our pool of candidates was exceptionally rich in the gifts and experience they offered," added Bull.
"We made the best judgment we could in the light of the challenges and opportunities in our diocese during this unique moment in its life. I hope the members of the diocese will share our excitement at the prospect of working with any of the six finalists should they be elected bishop suffragan."
He said the committee will turn its focus to helping nominees prepare for a "meet and greet" forum to be held September 19, where members of the diocese would be able to get acquainted with the candidates.
"It's especially important that delegates at the electing convention have the opportunity to learn as much as possible about the three candidates from outside our diocese, who obviously are not as widely known as our three nearer neighbors," Bull said.
At the diocesan convention on December 4-5, two bishops suffragan will be chosen in consecutive elections from among the six nominees.
The newly elected bishops will succeed Bishop Suffragan Chester L. Talton and Bishop Assistant Sergio Carranza, who will retire in 2010 after 19 and seven years, respectively, of service to the diocese.
Bishop Talton was elected bishop suffragan by the Diocese in 1990 and began his ministry in 1991. Bishop Carranza, the retired Bishop of the Diocese of Mexico, was appointed bishop assistant by Bishop Bruno and began his ministry in Los Angeles in 2003.
According to the canons of the Episcopal Church (III.11.10), "a bishop suffragan shall act as an assistant to and under the direction of the Bishop Diocesan." Bishops suffragan have historically been elected without right of succession as Bishop Diocesan.
Fifty-one priests were nominated during the six-week nomination period ending on May 15. Twenty submitted applications, which consisted of answers to written questions and sample sermons. On July 18 and in day-long sessions on July 24 and 25, the committee interviewed 13 of the 20 applicants, reaching unanimous agreement on the slate on July 25.
With 70,000 members in 148 congregations, the Diocese of Los Angeles includes all of Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, and part of Riverside County.