By the end of the day, Utah's Episcopalians should know who their next spiritual leader will be.
Nearly 200 delegates gather this morning in Spalding Hall at St. Mark's Cathedral to select a new bishop. They'll choose among five nominees for a leader to replace the Right Rev. George E. Bates.The delegates will follow a blend of democratic and spiritual processes typical of many Protestant denominations to choose the new leader for Utah's 6,000 Episcopalians.
Bishop Bates will begin the special session of the Diocesan Convention by celebrating the Eucharist. Delegates then will cast ballots until one finalist receives support from at least 51 percent of convention members.
It would be "fairly unusual" for the new bishop to be selected on the first vote, and equally surprising if a leader is not selected by the end of the day.
"It could happen in one ballot, it could happen in 20 ballots. We never know," said Malin Foster, communications director for the Episcopal Diocese of Utah. "It rarely goes more than a day. If that happens, then we'll have to recess and try again."
Consensus will likely be marked by the ringing of the cathedral's bells.
Bishop Bates announced in October 1994 that he would retire next summer because of poor health. Bates, 62, has led the state's 21 Episcopal congregations for almost 10 years.
His successor will be Utah's 10th Episcopal bishop. The finalists are the Rev. David E. Bailey, rector of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Phoenix, Ariz.; the Rev. George M. Foxworth, rector, All Saints Memorial Episcopal Church, Sacramento, Calif; the Rev. Carolyn Tanner Irish, staff associate for spiritual development at the National Cathedral, Washington, D.C.; the Very Rev. H. Scott Kirby, dean, Christ Church Cathedral, Eau Claire, Wis.; and the Venerable Hartshorn Murphy, archdeacon for Congregational Development, Diocese of Los Angeles.
A nominating committee launched a search for candidates last year following Bishop Bates' retirement announcement.
"All five of the candidates have very strong pastoral skills, they are very spiritual people," Foster said. "Looking at their resumes, they look to have strong administrative skills as well. They are also people used to dealing with big congregations and little congregations at the same time."
In the Episcopal Church, a bishop serves as both a spiritual leader and keeper of the faith's teachings and as the diocese's administrator. Since the Utah diocese covers nearly the entire state (a sliver of the state in San Juan County is excluded), the bishop must also be capable of dealing with very diverse congregations, Foster said.
The five finalists toured Utah two weeks ago, meeting with church members and answering questions. Now, the church's future in Utah is in delegates' hands.
Convention delegates who will winnow the field of finalists include 58 clergy and 137 lay members of the state's Episcopal congregations. The individual the delegates select must also be approved by the House of Bishops, which includes all the church's bishops and by its standing committees.
He or she will serve as co-adjutor with Bishop Bates until he steps down next summer.
Ordination of the new Episcopal bishop is tentatively scheduled for June 1, 1996. The ceremony to seat the bishop may take place at the same time or a later date.
"There is a great deal of suspense and a great deal of excitement," Foster said. "When you're electing a new leader for a whole diocese, it is a very, very important event in everyone's lives."
The event also is tinged with sadness over Bishop Bates' eventual departure, Foster said. During his tenure, Bishop Bates moved the Episcopal Church in Utah from a "relatively spartan" existence to one with adequate resources to significantly bolster the church's finances.
In particular Bishop Bates oversaw the sale of St. Mark's Hospital, which changed the church's fortunes dramatically.
"It made it more comfortable for us to do things, like having a seminary trained priest in every congregation," Foster said. In addition, Bishop Bates has a reputation as a very "pastoral, caring person. People love him for that. He is really going to be missed. He really cares about people and it's rubbed off on the diocese of Utah very significantly."