Episcopal Candidate Selection Process
Illinois Great Rivers Conference General and Jurisdictional Delegation
Members of the IGRC delegation are to be in prayer daily for the discernment process. All discussions and information about candidates is to remain totally confidential for the integrity of the process, the candidates, as well as we delegates.
Names of ordained elders for consideration in the discernment process will be lifted at the meeting of the delegation on Saturday, Aug. 22. Additional names may be submitted to Lay Co-chair Rhonda Whitaker not later than Monday, Aug. 31. Those nominated may include ordained elders who are not members of the delegation.
Those whose names have been lifted and who are willing to offer themselves for consideration as a candidate for Bishop will prepare a resume that outlines their basic personal, educational, and professional information, their faith journey and practice of the spiritual disciplines, as well as an assessment of their spiritual gifts for the episcopacy. In doing so, each candidate is to refer to “A Guideline for Discerning an Episcopal Nominee from the North Central Jurisdictional Committee on Episcopacy” and “Desired Qualities In An Episcopal Leader—Illinois Great Rivers Conference, 2016,” and provide evidence of spiritual, transformational, and administrative leadership. A template for the resume and the jurisdictional guideline will be provided to each candidate. The deadline for submission of this resume is Wednesday, Sept. 30.
The resumes will be received by the Lay Co-chair of the delegation and three other members of the delegation (one lay and two clergy who are not candidates) who will form a Candidate Process Team.
The Candidate Process Team will email resumes received from candidates to members of the delegation on or before Monday, Oct. 5. The Team will also invite delegates who are not candidates for Bishop to submit questions that might become part of a core set of questions which they will develop for use in the face-to-face interviews. Possible core questions should be submitted no later than Monday, Oct. 12.
If there are more than four candidates submitting resumes, the Candidate Process Team will additionally invite from the delegation statements of support for one or more of the candidates, which are likewise to be submitted by Monday, Oct. 12. The Candidate Process Team will review the resumes and any statements of support, and determine by Monday, Oct. 19, those to be interviewed by the whole delegation. They will also determine the core questions to be asked during the interviews.
The names of candidates to be interviewed will be emailed to the delegation, along with the core questions, on or before Monday, Oct. 19, for reading, reflection, and prayer. Confidentiality remains of the utmost importance!
Candidate interviews will be conducted at the meeting of the delegation on Saturday, Oct. 31. Each interview will be 30-45 minutes in duration. The Candidate Process Team will guide the interviews using the core questions. Once those questions have been adequately vetted, the floor will be open for questions from anyone in the delegation. Candidates will be asked to remain at the site of the meeting should delegates desire additional conversation with one or all of the candidates. After the interviews are completed, and any additional conversation with candidates is completed, the candidates will be released. The Lay Co-chair will then lead the delegation in a conversation (not debate or lobbying for a candidate) for up to one hour about the merits and concerns of each candidate for Bishop. Any delegation members who are candidates for Bishop should recuse herself/himself from this conversation.
Prayers for discernment, as well as confidentiality, will continue throughout the week following.
Delegates will gather on Saturday, Nov. 7, to prayerfully begin the balloting process to name a single candidate for Bishop. Each round of balloting allows the elected delegates to General and Jurisdictional Conference to cast one vote for the candidate she/he has discerned should be our conference’s candidate. Voting will continue until one candidate receives the support of a majority of those present. The successful and unsuccessful candidates will be notified immediately.