Election for Suffragan Bishop Postponed

Election For Suffragan Bishop in the West

A letter from Bishop Dan

Dear members of ANiC,

I am writing to you on behalf of our ANiC Council and our House of Bishops.

As you know our intention has been for some time now to hold the election for Suffragan Bishop in the West at our annual Synod this year. However, as the process of finding candidates for this important position has progressed, our Electoral Nominating Committee (ENC) has recommended to Council that we delay the election until the following synod.

We are pleased to be able to share that we now have several people who are in the process of serious prayer and discernment regarding allowing their names to stand for Suffragan. However, we are now beyond our cut-off dates to begin the in-depth process of discernment and vetting of candidates. Both the ENC and these potential candidates expressed concern about the lack of time from now until Synod 2022 to go through that process and properly prepare.

Our Synod this year– our first in-person in three years– already has a very full agenda, including my installment as Diocesan led by Archbishop Foley Beach and a time of honouring Bishop Charlie in his retirement.

So, after much prayer, thought and discussion ANiC Council, with the support of the House of Bishops and under recommendation from the ENC, unanimously passed a motion at their meeting on June 29, 2022 to delay the election for a Suffragan Bishop in the West until Synod 2023.

Essential to this decision was also the awareness that we have an experienced and capable group of retired bishops who have agreed to provide episcopal care during the interim period until a new suffragan is elected. In the days ahead I will be sharing a plan for the coming year, including episcopal care, so that we can continue to move forward strongly in building Biblically faithful, Gospel sharing, Anglican churches.

Please continue to pray for all these details and, in particular, for our potential candidates for bishop and the Electoral Nominating Committee as they continue in this important process. And pray with us for this coming Synod 2022, that it will be a time of unity and growth and encouragement as we gather together in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Every blessing in Him,

+Dan

The Right Reverend Dan Gifford

Co-Adjutor Bishop of the Anglican Network in Canada