It took 11 months, but the search is finally over. A 19-member search committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland settled on four candidates for the office of the 14th bishop of Maryland, reporting their names to a governing committee for further screening and presentation to an electing convention at
Baltimore?s St. James Church on March 29.
The candidates are:
» The Very Rev. Peter D. Eaton, 49, dean of St. John?s Cathedral in Denver, Colo., and reputed to promote the “vitality of congregations, the leadership of all the baptized, and the mission and unity of the Church”;
» The Rev. Jane Soyster Gould, 51, rector of St. Stephen?s Memorial Church in Lynn, Mass., known for multicultural worship services and urban outreach;
» The Rev. Dr. John C.N. Hall, 49, rector of St. Matthew?s Church in Chandler, Ariz., and founder of a food bank and local outreach effort;
» TheRev. Canon Eugene Taylor Sutton, 54, canon pastor of Washington National Cathedral in Washington D.C.
“The [search committee] has worked tirelessly, done an outstanding job; and we have unanimously accepted their slate of nominees,” the Rev. Scott Bellows, president of the diocesan standing committee, said in a press release. “It has presented four exceptionally qualified individuals.”
Candidates must now submit to a series of “meet-and-greets” throughout the 10-county-plus-Baltimore City diocese as well as, by Jan. 29, provide the standing committee with 20 signatures of support, a resume, a biography and a letter of introduction to the diocese. Non-nominated diocesan priests may also run in the election if they submit to the same procedure.
Consecration of the new bishop will take place June 28 at a place to be announced.
Then the Rev. John L. Rabb, who temporarily replaced departing Rev. Robert W. Ihloff on April 11 will reassume his position as bishop suffragen of the 117-congregation, 23,000-household diocese.
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