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

[Grace Cangialosi]

Ginga,
I had to laugh at your suggestion about dividing the Diocese, because that does come up periodically and always gets shot down. After all, we are one of the two or three largest in the country. Our web address is even thediocese.net!
We used to say that a division would never happen on Bishop Lee’s watch.
That being said, it would make a lot of sense, because Northern Virginia is almost a state unto itself. Of course, that would lop off the most liberal part of the Diocese!


> On Aug 9, 2018, at 10:11 AM, Ginga Wilder <gingawilder at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Thinking systemically.  Is it possible to call a short-term (2 years)
> provisional or interim bishop who is well trained in dysfunctional
> systems?  Is it possible that the Dio of VA is too large and needs to be
> divided?  (I realize that is an off the wall question.)  I am not sure the
> diocese needs to 'find whose fault' this is as much as it is to speak the
> truth about what is actually going on and do the necessary family therapy
> to find a healthy system within which to function.
> 
> I may well be wrong in all that above but from the systems' perspective, it
> seems something is amiss that needs to be dealt with.
> 
> Ginga
> 
> On Thu, Aug 9, 2018 at 9:46 AM Roger Stokes via Magdalen <
> magdalen at herberthouse.org> wrote:
> 
>>> On 09/08/2018 14:11, cady soukup wrote:
>>> 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.
>> 
>> My, they are moving quickly but I suppose they need to if they need to
>> elect somebody in November. Given what has been said about the
>> announcement of the current bishop's departure and what was said when
>> the search for a suffragan was called off there is clearly a lot of hurt
>> around in the diocese. What is needed is somebody who has demonstrated
>> the ability to move a conflicted situation towards stability and growth.
>> That means a deeply rooted faith to sustain them through times of trial
>> and tribulation and the ability to recognize different points of view,
>> someone who will listen empathically first and then, after prayerful
>> reflection, offer a positive and hopeful lead.
>> 
>> Arising from that - what was the most difficult situation you have faced
>> in your ministry? How did you deal with it? What was the outcome?
>> 
>> Roger
>>