Considering the Candidates for Minnesota's Bishop

The walk-abouts for the bishop candidates are now over. Next week at this time, the Diocese of Minnesota will have elected a new Bishop. It's still possible to watch/listen to the walk-abouts online, which is important for all Minnesotan Episcopalians to do, so that they can register their own perceptions and discernments with their voting delegates.

What follows is a short summary of what the various candidates would bring to the office of Minnesota's Bishop, in the order that they appeared at the Breck School stop-over:

Bonnie Perry, the "Me Me Me I I" candidate. It's all about her. The votes will be cast on the 23rd anniversary of her and her partner's committal, "and it's going to be a wonderful day." "I am also very good at raising money." "I" will do this, and "I" will do that. She claimed that her Marine father taught her about accepting responsibility for her actions, but when questioned one-to-one about an unfinished consulting agreement she had entered in this diocese several years back, she only blamed the rector involved. Even were Bonnie the best of the candidates in terms of personal qualifications, her status as a partnered lesbian would further antagonize our relations within the Anglican Communion. Her concluding remarks concerned working to eliminate extreme poverty.

Brian Prior, "Mr. Laid-Back". As Vice-President of General Convention's House of Deputies, Brian's an institution man. Accomplished at raising money, he came off as the Friedmanesque "non-anxious presence" he claimed to be. He brought along from Seattle for the week in Minnesota not only his wife (understandable and expected), but also his teen-age children, an interruption in the children's lives that seems inconceivable to this clergy parent and others. As with Bonnie, "the J-word" never crossed his lips.

Doug Sparks, "The Servant's Heart" Doug not only mentioned the J-word, but spoke about the previous Sunday's Gospel lesson (making the connection with his orientation to service), and told the moving story of his inspiration to become a priest. Doug knows our Diocese well and has served it in a variety of capacities. He has lead his congregation in linking in ministry with our Hmong congregation, as well as Native American congregations. He is fiscally astute, and I heard from a parishioner today that over 200 people attended St. Luke's over the week-end for the stewardship ingathering, and over $210,000 was pledged. Starting out his priesthood within the Roman Catholic Church, Doug has served among aboriginal peoples in New Zealand and a small church in Wisconsin. Most impressive is his commitment to spend a week each month in each region of the Diocese getting to know the people on their own turf. To folks who have become all too accustomed to seeing the bishop only every three years, this is a fabulous promise.

Doyle Turner, "Gentle Spirit." Doyle comes across as a very sincere and kindly pastor with many gifts to offer the church. He has never served as rector of any church. Although he was elected as Tribal Chairman at White Earth, he was not re-elected, even though he sought re-election. If there is evidence of entrepreneurial-style accomplishments in his ministry, I have not found it. He would make a great spiritual director for our next bishop, but it is difficult to imagine him as Bishop himself, particularly in these difficult economic and conflicted times.

Mariann Budde, "The Family Systems Candidate." Mariann has done a great job with her own parish and knows the Twin Cities well. Her connections with greater Minnesota are minimal, and she continues Bishop Jelinek's interest in secular politics. She loves "complex systems" and is more apt to puzzle out problems using Edwin Friedman's theories than scriptural inspiration. That she conducted same-sex blessings throughout the moratorium (referring to them as "sacramental") would further jeopardize relations within the Anglican Communion. In her written answers to the questions for candidates, Mariann clearly identifies an individual who came to her for spiritual direction, which most would consider to be a violation of the careful confidentiality that is expected with the ministry of spiritual direction.

Pray and vote.