[Magdalen] Fwd: A Letter from Presiding Bishop Michael Curry to the Diocese of Virginia

[anthony clavier]

I've never heard of a PB addressing a Bishop's retirement in such a
manner.I don't know whether he wrote it before or after his operation. But
+Michael has a very big heart, as I can attest by reference to a certain +
and Right Reverend that he and his chancellor arranged.So his intervention
may have no deeper significance than a commendable compassion.

+Tony

On Wed, Aug 8, 2018, 9:38 PM Suzie Buchanan <buchanan.suzie at gmail.com>
wrote:

> I have refrained from jumping in on all of this - even a year later my own
> exit from that diocese is still a bit painful (the one chance contact I had
> with the bishop was actually much worse than nothing would have been, as my
> parish was running me out of town) so I have tried to not comment on his
> situation.  BUT . . . there was that first letter back on May 24 which I
> think sheds all the light needed on this.  It is not health issues.  It is
> not "wouldn't it be great to be retired, young."  Here's the pertinent part
> from the letter which went out to inform the diocese that the search for a
> second Suffragan Bishop was being halted (for those who don't know,
> Virginia is a large diocese that normally operates with three
> bishops):  *emphasis
> mine*
>
> "We have taken this extraordinary step [stopping an already underway bishop
> search process] for two fundamental reasons. First, over the past few
> months, *serious questions have been brought forward by members of the
> diocesan staff having to do with the leadership and the culture among
> diocesan staff.* As Bishop I must take full responsibility for this
> situation. Utmost in my priorities will be to ensure that all of us
> function well together. The crucial point as we face this reality is that
> this is not the time to introduce a new bishop into the diocesan system.
> Rather, it is much preferable to bring in the help we need to address the
> difficulties and identify ways that the staff as a culture and system can
> be become fully functional again. To this end, it is my hope to engage the
> services of the Lombard-Mennonite Peace Center, the leading church
> organizational consultant group in the country, to work with us. I have
> been in touch with the Presiding Bishop's office about our situation and
> the possibilities to address it, and we have been advised that they are in
> full agreement with our decision. I am confident we will succeed in the
> tasks before us because our staff is a talented group and each person is
> deeply committed to the Church, to this Diocese and to building up the
> Kingdom of God."
>
> Me again:  The Lombard Mennonite Peace Center specializes in conflict
> mediation work.  They are not just an "organizational consultant group" -
> they do CONFLICT MEDIATION.  It seems obvious to me that the result of that
> work has been that the parties involved (diocesan staff) have NOT worked
> out the differences, and the solution has been for the bishop to resign
> ("retire").  I think he must be relieved that he CAN retire young.  This
> May 24 letter to the diocese went out exactly one month after the Canon to
> the Ordinary announced that he was leaving the diocese to accept another
> call. Was his choice influenced by the problems needing the mediation??
>
> Anyway - I don't think speculation about health issues (for Shannon or
> Ellen)  is warranted.  I think pretty much all that we will really know is
> found in that May 24 letter.
>
> Suzie
> VERY happily just celebrated my first anniversary in a new parish and a new
> diocese - both of which are joys to be a part of!  But I'm still making the
> 300 mile each way commuter marriage trek to spend a few days every other
> week with my husband who is still at his job in Richmond.  THAT part of
> this past year has had its challenges!
>