Episcopal Press and News
Morris Thompson elected as Louisiana's next bishop
Episcopal News Service. December 5, 2009 [120509-01]
Mary Frances Schjonberg
The Very Rev. Morris K. Thompson was elected Dec. 5 to be the 11th bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana, pending the required consents from the majority of the church's other dioceses.
Thompson, 54, dean of Christ Church Cathedral in Lexington, Kentucky (Diocese of Lexington), was chosen on the third ballot out of a field of six candidates. He received 73 votes of 128 cast in the lay order and 62 of 101 cast in the clergy order. An election on the third ballot required 65 in the lay order and 51 in the clergy order. The results of all the ballots are available here.
The nominees also included four priests and Diocese of North Dakota Bishop Michael Smith, who has been assisting Louisiana Bishop Charles Jenkins since 2007.
The election was held at Christ Church Cathedral, New Orleans.
Under the canons of the Episcopal Church (III.11.4), a majority of bishops exercising jurisdiction and diocesan Standing Committees must consent to Thompson's ordination as bishop within 120 days of receiving notice of the election. His ordination and consecration is set for May 8, 2010.
"I am honored and humbled to serve you as the 11th Bishop of Louisiana," Thompson told the convention following his election. "Your rich tradition, your attention to the survival of your diocese, and the possibilities are what attracted me when I first read your profile. Under God's grace and with our shared ministry, I look forward to being among you as your pastor."
Jenkins, 57, announced in December 2008 that he would retire in 2010, saying that he has struggled with the emotional trauma of Hurricane Katrina's devastating impact on the diocese in 2005 and its aftermath. He has served in Louisiana since 1997.
Thompson served congregations in Mississippi and Kentucky before being called to the Lexington cathedral in 1997. Holding the Master of Divinity degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Thompson was ordained deacon in December 1990 and priest in June 1991. He and wife Rebecca are parents to two adult children.
A former Marine, Thompson wrote in his answers to the diocesan bishop search committee's questions that he was drawn to Louisiana "because of your need for a pastor, someone who has proven administrative skills, understands the importance of daily prayer life, and has a passion for building strong relationships among colleagues."
When asked by the search committee to name the three most significant issues facing the Episcopal Church, Thompson suggested "fear, purpose and leadership."
"Fear because it has immobilized the body of believers from accepting God's grace to be fully alive," he wrote. "We speak of grace all the time, of its joys, its gifts and yet it is one of the most illusive and misrepresented aspects of our faith. Life is a gift, we say, yet we are so afraid of making a mistake that we paralyze ourselves into non-action."
Thompson cited "purpose," he said, because "we have forgotten who we are as people of faith."
"Our purpose is to have love for one another just as Jesus loved," he continued. "The question to ask ourselves is, will the world know that we are followers of Jesus by our love? Can we live love or will we just speak it?"
In terms of leadership in the church, Thompson said "we have fallen into the societal trap of measuring leader¬ship in terms of numbers such as bigger budgets, larger congregations, new construction and parochial reports that tell the world our success," noting that such measurements "mean very little" to God.
"A leader in the realm of God is someone who can hold the tension between fear and hope until the eyes of the blind can see," he said, adding that "the Episcopal Church needs leaders who are not prone to anxiety and are willing to listen to the still small voice of God."
More information about Thompson, including his complete answers to the search committee, is here.
The other candidates were:
- the Rev. Kurt Dunkle, 48, rector, Grace Episcopal Church, Jacksonville, Florida (Diocese of Florida);
- the Rev. Paul A. Elliott, 57, rector, St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church, Stone Mountain, Georgia (Diocese of Atlanta);
- the Rev. Paul A. Johnson, 48, rector, Christ Episcopal Church, Glen Allen, Virginia (Diocese of Virginia);
- the Rev. Ken Ritter, 48, rector, Trinity Episcopal Church, Baton Rouge, Louisiana (Diocese of Louisiana); and
- the Rt. Rev. Michael G. Smith, 54, bishop, Diocese of North Dakota.
More information about each candidate and their answers to the search committee's questions are available here.
The Diocese of Louisiana covers all of south Louisiana, including Baton Rouge and New Orleans, and includes approximately 18,000 Episcopalians worshipping in 53 congregations.