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

[Charles Wohlers]

I think it is *very* clear that, considering what has been going on in the 
Dio. of Virginia, the most important quality of a new bishop there is to be 
an effective manager of his/her staff. Management is unfortunately not 
usually the first thing one looks for in a bishop, but it appears that 
that's what is most needed here. That, IMHO, is what you need to look for, 
far above anything else.

Chad Wohlers
observer of poor management in another large diocese, but now in
Woodbury, VT USA
chadwohl at satucket.com



-----Original Message----- 
From: cady soukup
Sent: Thursday, August 09, 2018 9:11 AM
To: magdalen at herberthouse.org
Subject: Re: [Magdalen] Fwd: A Letter from Presiding Bishop Michael Curry to 
the Diocese of Virginia

DioVA - provisional bishop search - questions for new bishop candidates?

What questions would you like to ask the provisional bishop candidates?

Just received an email asking exactly that, responses due by Aug 13
(Monday!). I am just back from vacation - NOT up-to-speed - so asking
for assistance.

Thank you all,

forwarding gentle hugs & prayers for all out-of-sorts and conditions;
grateful  thanksgivings for life and living - Cady

On 8/8/18, anthony clavier <anthonyfmclavier at gmail.com> wrote:
> 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!
>>
>