Dear Friends in Christ—
The Diocese of Virginia is electing a new diocesan bishop on June 4. This election needs your
attention, involvement, and investment.
Since 2019, I have served on the Standing Committee of the Diocese, which is something like a
vestry. One of its responsibilities is to approve different steps in the election of a bishop. Last
week, I resigned from my position. To preserve the confidentiality of the Standing Committee, I
cannot share details.
But know this: I am more committed than ever to support our Diocese, to improve it, to amplify
its voice to spread the Good News. We are at a moment of reckoning with the church’s role in
society, grappling with our past and struggling to envision our future. What processes may be
in place that deter people from serving in the church, whether on the altar guild or in the
episcopate? How can we live more fully into the vision of God’s reign given to us by the gospels?
I invite you to join me in this work. Where to start?
- Read about the election process.
- Attend a Meet and Greet with the candidates on Saturday, May 21, from 5:00-7:00 p.m.
at St. John’s Church in McLean. Send questions ahead of time
to bishoptransitionva@gmail.com, using the subject line “Meet and Greet Questions,”
and please provide your name, church name, and location, in case someone needs to
contact you for clarity. - Reach out to Doug Prince and Liz Rugaber, Grace’s delegates to
Diocesan Convention, as well as to your clergy, all of whom will be voting at the June 4 election. - Learn about how our Diocese currently works.
Members of this parish have a long history of service at the diocesan level. Rushad Thomas was
a dedicated member of the Search Committee that produced a slate of four excellent, faithful
leaders willing to stand for election. Several individuals from Grace have served on the
Standing Committee and other diocesan committees and commissions in the past.
Our diocese is a vital part of our identity. It gives us Shrine Mont camps and careful processes
for discernment for ministries. It deals with mundane issues of property and speaks on a wide
scale about issues of common concern. And, of course, our bishops represent our connection
to the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church. It is through their ministry that we are linked to
Christianity throughout time and space. They remind us that we are not only a congregation of
individuals, caught in the winds of the moment, but a people rooted in a tradition much larger
than ourselves.
I intend to continue supporting this diocese. One kind of service is done, and so I am looking
for others. I intend to be engaged fully in the election process, and I will look for ways to
encourage and assist our new bishop once he is elected.
Our church—not just our parish–needs all of us. Grace is a healthy congregation, and its
members are gifted with insight and talents that need to be shared beyond our walls. I hope
you will join me in this commitment.
Yours in Christ,
Anne+