[Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs press release] The Episcopal Church Joint Nominating Committee for the Election of the Presiding Bishop (JNCPB) has issued the following information.

Fourth Education Piece
of the Joint Nominating Committee for the Election of the Presiding  Bishop

The Process for the Election of the Presiding Bishop at General Convention June 2015

On May 1, 2015, after two and one-half years of work, the Joint Nominating Committee for the Election of the Presiding Bishop announced the names of four nominees for the office of Presiding Bishop.   This link provides information on the four nominees.

The members of the Joint Nominating Committee who have made these choices include a bishop, a member of the clergy, and a layperson from each of the nine provinces ofThe Episcopal Church, and two members of the youth appointed by the President of theHouse of Deputies.  Here is the full roster of membership with diocese and province of each:

Ms. Sally Johnson, Minnesota, VI (Co-Chair)
The Rt. Rev. Edward Konieczny, Oklahoma, VII (Co-Chair)
The Rev. Ruth Lawson Kirk, Delaware, III (Secretary)
The Rt. Rev. Lloyd Allen, Honduras,  IX
The Rev. Devon Anderson, Minnesota, VI
Ms. Diane Butler, Rio Grande, VII
The Very Rev. Ellis Clifton, Michigan, V
The Rev. Canon Amy Real Coultas, Kentucky, IV
Mr. William Fleener, Jr, Western Michigan, V
The Rt. Rev. R. William Franklin, Western New York, II
Ms. Pauline Getz, San Diego, VIII
The Rt. Rev. Wendell Gibbs, Michigan, V
The Rt. Rev. Mary Glasspool, Los Angeles, VIII
The Rt. Rev. Duncan Gray III, Mississippi, IV
The Rev. Lowell Grisham, Arkansas, VII
Ms. Josephine Hicks, North Carolina, IV
The Rev. David Jackson, Hawaii, VIII
The Rt. Rev. William Klusmeyer, West Virginia, III
The Rev. Canon Mally Ewing Lloyd, Massachusetts, I
Mr. Louis Eduardo Moreno Bayona, Columbia, IX
Ms. Diane Pollard, New York, II
The Rev. Canon Jose Francisco Salazar, Venezuela, IX
Ms. Nina Vest Salmon, Southwestern Virginia, III
The Rt. Rev. Gordon Scruton, Western Massachusetts, I
Mr. Joe Skinner, South Dakota, VI
The Rt. Rev. John Smylie, Wyoming, VI
Ms. Kathryn Spicer, West Missouri, VII
Mr. Dante Tavoloro, Rhode Island, I
The Rev. Canon Sandye Wilson, Newark, II

The Educational Pieces of the Joint Nominating Committee

Since June 2014, the Joint Nominating Committee has shared three short educational pieces with the Church.  The first essay described the basic time-line and steps the nominating committee has followed so far in the election process.  The second essay outlined the current roles, functions, and responsibilities of the Presiding Bishop.  The third essay discussed how the constitutional/canonical roles of the office have changed and evolved.  Here are the links to the three previous educational pieces:

#1 here
#2 here
#3 here

This fourth educational piece describes the process of the election at the 78th General Convention of The Episcopal Church in Salt Lake City, Utah from June 24 through July 3.

June 24

The nominees for Presiding Bishop will be presented to a joint gathering of the bishops and the clergy and lay deputies to General Convention on Wednesday, June 24 from1:30 pm (MDT) to 4:30 pm.  Deputies, bishops and alternate deputies will be guaranteed seating; registered visitors to General Convention will also be given access up to the hall’s capacity.   A live-stream will be available at here.

After introductions of each nominee, they will each have three minutes to speak to those gathered in person and by webcast.  Nominees will then respond to questions prepared by the Joint Nominating Committee and questions that have come from bishops, deputies and alternates to General Convention, and from members of congregations across all provinces of The Episcopal Church.  The nominees will be allotted two minutes for each response.

The joint gathering will conclude with a closing statement from each nominee for the Churchwide audience listening by webcast as well as the assembly in Salt Lake City.

June 26

On June 26 the Joint Nominating Committee will formally nominate to the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies in Joint Session the names of the four members of the House of Bishops it has selected “for the consideration of the two Houses in the choice of a Presiding Bishop.” (Canon 1.2.1.f).  There will not be any other nominations from the floor because no bishop or deputy indicated their intent to nominate any other bishop in accordance with the procedures set by the Nominating Committee.  The Joint Session is scheduled for 11:15 am-1:00 pm (MDT).  Seating and access to live-stream transmission to the Joint Session will be similar to the June 24 meeting.

June 27

Following the Convention Eucharist at 9:30 am on June 27 bishops with seat, voice, and vote will gather at St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral for the election.  The bishops cast ballots until a Presiding Bishop is elected. A majority of all bishops (excluding retired Bishops not present) is required to carry the election.  The vote totals for each ballot are public and must be provided to the House of Deputies.  Once there is an election, the Presiding Bishop sends a deputation from the House of Bishops with the name to the President of the House of Deputies.  The President refers the name to the House of Deputies Legislative Committee on the Confirmation of the Presiding Bishop without announcing the name to the House of Deputies.  The legislative committee, chaired by Deputy Lynn V. Schmissrauter from the Diocese of East Tennessee, will then make a recommendation to the House of Deputies on whether to confirm or not to confirm the choice of the House of Bishops, and the House of Deputies will immediately vote on the recommendation.  A delegation from the House of Deputies will then notify the House of Bishops of the action taken.  The bishops remain in the Cathedral and must refrain from any communication outside the Cathedral throughout the election and until the confirmation is received.

Once the House of Bishops receives the confirmation, the Presiding Bishop-elect is then presented to the House of Deputies, along with his family members present at the Convention.

Seating and access to live-stream transmission of this presentation of the Presiding Bishop-elect will be similar to the June 24 meeting.

July 3

The Presiding Bishop-elect will be the preacher at the closing General Convention Eucharist on July 3, from 8:30 am to 10:00 am (MDT).  Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori will be the celebrant at this closing Eucharist, which will be live-streamed.

November 1

The Presiding Bishop-elect becomes the 27th Presiding Bishop on November 1. The seating of the Presiding Bishop at the Washington National Cathedral is scheduled fornoon.  Details of this service are under the supervision of the Presiding Bishop Transition and Installation Committee appointed by the Executive Council.  The National Cathedral will arrange for the seating to be live-streamed, as are all of the Cathedral’s major services.

The JNCPB members are listed here
On Twitter at:  PB27Nominations or #JNCPB
On Facebook  here