From Fr. Ted’s Blog some words on the process...
The OCA’s Diocese of the Midwest is in a year long process of nominating a man to become bishop of the Diocese to replace Archbishop Job of blessed memory who passed away in December of 2009.
This week, August 23-25, was the annual Clergy Convocation in Chicago. This year the convocation focused on introducing to the clergy of the Diocese the three men who are being considered for the episcopal office: Frs. Paul Gassios, David Mahaffey and Matthais Moriak. These three men are the final candidates from a list of names submitted to a Search Committee, which then following its own process and procedures worked together with the Diocesan Council and Bishop’s Council to submit the names to the OCA’s Synod of Bishops. The three priests are thus considered vetted and approved by the Synod of Bishops.
Currently, the process of electing a bishop is in the stage where the members of the Diocese are getting to know the three nominees. This is a long process both for the diocese and for the three men who in accepting nomination have agreed to put themselves through a long vetting process. Orthodoxy is a hierarchical church, and so men are needed who are willing to put themselves through this process to become the diocesan bishop. It is a very particular calling by the church...
This week, August 23-25, was the annual Clergy Convocation in Chicago. This year the convocation focused on introducing to the clergy of the Diocese the three men who are being considered for the episcopal office: Frs. Paul Gassios, David Mahaffey and Matthais Moriak. These three men are the final candidates from a list of names submitted to a Search Committee, which then following its own process and procedures worked together with the Diocesan Council and Bishop’s Council to submit the names to the OCA’s Synod of Bishops. The three priests are thus considered vetted and approved by the Synod of Bishops.
Currently, the process of electing a bishop is in the stage where the members of the Diocese are getting to know the three nominees. This is a long process both for the diocese and for the three men who in accepting nomination have agreed to put themselves through a long vetting process. Orthodoxy is a hierarchical church, and so men are needed who are willing to put themselves through this process to become the diocesan bishop. It is a very particular calling by the church...
Complete article here.
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OH NO! Not you too! I am so tired of that word being used for everything, everywhere. It's the latest 'in' word to be overused. "VETTED". From Tv shows to sports pages to politics and now the church? OMG!
ReplyDeleteThis word has to be on next years list of stupid overused words and phrases.
HELP! I'M drowning!
Orthodoxy is a hierarchical church, and so men are needed who are willing to put themselves through this process to become the diocesan bishop.
ReplyDeleteThese two ideas do not necessarily follow one another. I'm not sure if some don't see that, or don't want to see that. Input from the flock is important, but this seems to be more about the demos flexing its muscle to anoint (er, nominate) the hierarch who will defer most to their wishes. There must be something somewhere close to the middle between autocrat and flunky/figurehead, but the process seems to lean quite far to the one rather than to the other (quite apart from whether the three men mentioned would actually be flunky/figureheads, mind you).
It is a contentious issue. Every time the OCA goes through this process there are 10 blogs with different comments on why it was done incorrectly. I will leave to the side the 100 blogs that do the same every time the AOCANA vacillates on the auxiliary bishop / "does self-ruled mean anything" issue.
ReplyDelete