Slate of One for Northern Michigan Bishop

A search committee charged with developing a slate of candidates for the election of a bishop in the Diocese of Northern Michigan has nominated a single candidate, the Rev. Kevin Thew Forrester, as part of a 10-12 member Episcopal Ministry Support Team that reflects the diocese’s commitment to mutual ministry.

 

“The Episcopal Ministry Support Team (EMST) is our vision of a form of leadership that encompasses the gifts and skills of a diverse group of people that will work collaboratively to guide and support the mission and ministry of the people of God in the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan,” the search committee said in its announcement. “This will provide the setting for a broadly collaborative approach to supporting apostolic ministry in the diocese.”

 

Since 2001, Fr. Forrester has served as Ministry Development Coordinator and rector of St. Paul’s Church, Marquette. 

A special electing convention scheduled for Feb. 21 at St. Stephen’s Church, Escanaba, will be asked to affirm the nominees for the EMST, and also elect several at-large members.

 

“We chose to use the discernment process that has served us well in the local congregations for the past 20-plus years,” the search committee said. “At the congregational level there is often more than one person discerned for the same ministry. The team, after much discussion and struggle, came to the conclusion that we would try to focus or stay true to what the congregational conversations had revealed. Because there is only one bishop/ministry developer we would try and discern one person that best fit the criteria outlined by the people of this diocese, the person who would most fully encompass these gifts. This person would be able to function as part of a team and truly be able to share the Episcopal leadership in this diocese.”

 

This is believed to be the first time an Episcopal diocese has embraced a mutual ministry model for the episcopacy, though the diocese’s chancellor contends that there is nothing which prohibits the innovative approach.

 

“[Title III, Canon 11 Section 1] provides: ‘discernment of vocation to be a bishop occurs through a process of election in accordance with the rules prescribed by the convention of the diocese and pursuant to the provisions of the constitution and canons of this church’,” Patricia Micklow wrote. “After review, I find no other specific requirements as to the election of a bishop by the diocese (regarding either the number of nominees or the nominating procedure) within either constitution or canons.”

 

The diocese has consulted throughout its search with the Rt. Rev. Clay Matthews, Bishop Suffragan for the Presiding Bishop’s Office for Pastoral Development.

 

Assuming that Fr. Forrester receives consent from a majority of standing committees and bishops with jurisdiction, he will be consecrated in Marquette on Oct. 17.