Jed Holdorph was a very popular assistant rector and then interim rector at St Mark’s on the Mesa Albuquerque in the late 1980s.  St Mark’s has just left TEC and is now Christ the King, ACNA.  Jed was fairly orthodox back in the day so he might be the conservative candidate but he is probably a total TEC loyalist

Looks to be a wonderful slate of nominees.  Diocesan ‘walk abouts’ are expected in April, with the election scheduled at the end of that month.  BTW, St. Mark’s on the Mesa remains a part of the Diocese of the Rio Grande and is led currently by the Rt. Rev. William Frey.

Yes, indeed—such a lovely slate—take Nieman for instance:
http://www.standfirminfaith.com/index.php/sf/page/1272/

Full of candidates just perfect for Rio Grande—moderate, orthodox, traditional, Catholic, evangelical, wedded to Scripture, tradition and reason—and in every way, so very right for that diocese.

Wowzer—what on earth was the search committee thinking?

And St. Mark’s on the Mesa lost all but one vestry member, and all staff save Deacons Beth and Emilio Torres—not to mention between 70 and 80% of the people.  It *was* one of the largest parishes in Rio Grande.

But given the above slate, I can certainly see why they left when they did.

Let the pillorying begin, eh?  As a parishioner in the DRG I have followed the Bishop Search process quite regularly.  Throughout, the Search Committee sought participation from all corners of the Diocese and from what I’ve seen approached their role in a prayerful manner.  So, ignoring the impotent sarcastic outrage of others, I look forward to researching and meeting these nominees in the near future.

Interesting . . . Amphikalein describes simple facts and quotes from candidates as “pillorying.” 

Having a priest who admits to doing same sex blessings in writing on the final slate was only to be expected, given all that reconciliation going on over there in Rio Grande.

“Reconciliation” via departures, that is.  Rio Grande is steadily and surely “reconciling” and—as occurs with the mouthings of “inclusion” in TEC—becoming tinier and tinier every year.

But Amphikalein mistakes for impotent sarcastic outrage my impotent sarcastic amusement.  ; > )

A quick google of “Amphikalein” and episcopal reveals . . . lo . . . this site right off the bat at the very front of the line:
http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~lcrew/gb/msg00217.html

And this blog right off the bat:
http://mad-hare.blogspot.com/

Maybe Amphikalein should try a new blog name so that he can spin himself as entirely objective in his comments about the “wonderful slate of nominees” rather than . . . er . . . who he claims he is in his blog.

Unreal.

Ah, the personal attacks.  So reliable.

True that some members of St. Mark’s left TEC.  Others who had previously stopped attending St. Mark’s have returned as well.  As one fellow I know told me - “I stopped going there because I got tired of hearing the Episcopal Church and Bishop Katherine bashed from the pulpit every Sunday.”  Now he and his children are once again attending St. Mark’s and he’s even volunteered to serve on the Vestry.  That’s not the only report like that I’ve personally heard. 

Where I live actually regularly entails passing the new “Christ the King Anglican” church on my way into Albuquerque.  I usually say a prayer asking God’s blessing on their mission as I drive by.

And I don’t claim to be ‘entirely objective’ regarding the slate of nominees.  I’ve only learned of them this morning.  There’s still plenty of prayer, research, and meeting them before (and if) I advocate for any one of them.

For real.

For those “Burqueans” who aren’t familiar with CtK’s location, they’re in the building previously occupied by Church of the Rock, on the east side of 2nd Street in the North Valley, just south of Montaño Blvd (set back from the road, between the police station and an industrial/retail park.  St. Mark’s occupies a large property on the east side Dartmouth Dr., south of Lomas Blvd, in the midst of a residential area near the University of New Mexico.

Oh, and thanks for the blog link Sarah!

One last thing - i found the prayer of the Search Committee:
Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, giver of every good gift,
send forth your Holy Spirit and raise up for us a bishop of your
own choosing: a shepherd to lead and guide us with personal
holiness, wisdom, compassion and grace.
Father, we pray for a bishop with vision and the commitment to heal and unite your faithful people of the Diocese of the Rio Grande
that we all may make known the love of Jesus Christ, who offered Himself for us and the whole world, in whose Name we pray. Amen.

RE: “Ah, the personal attacks.  So reliable.”

Yes, because pointing people to a personal blog is a “personal attack.”

Careful there—Amphikalein is sounding . . . sarcastic and impotent. 

; > )

RE: “True that some members of St. Mark’s left TEC.”

Ah well, we’ll see the ASA report in another year.  And I’m sure it will be posted with bells on . . . and everybody will know how many left and how many stayed and all about the masses [heh] that “came back.”

“Maybe Amphikalein should try a new blog name so that he can spin himself as entirely objective in his comments about the “wonderful slate of nominees” rather than . . . er . . . who he claims he is in his blog.”  I dunno - seems like a personal attack to me.  A niggling one, but one nonetheless.

“and everybody will know how many left and how many stayed” - I suppose if someone views serving God as just a numbers game, then you have a point.  <shrug>

RE: “I suppose if someone views serving God as just a numbers game, then you have a point.”

Mmm.  Particularly if both parties involved in the skirmish are talking about numbers, as in this: “True that some members of St. Mark’s left TEC.  Others who had previously stopped attending St. Mark’s have returned as well.”

; > )

Would someone pass me the popcorn please…thanks.
Intercessor

The diocese of Rio Grande has a terrible record for 2002 through 2008 with about a 20 percent loss in Members, a 28 percent loss in ASA, and a 29
percent loss in real (inflation adjusted) Plate & Pledge. Based on these data I would rank the diocese at 94 out of 95 considered. It is an ageing diocese as reflected in 166 Infant Baptisms and 226 Burials in 2008. Also, 34 of its 53 parishes had Plate & Pledge of less than $150 thousand. And the news in 2009 has also been bad. Other dioceses had tough times in 2002 through 2008 but are not losing the ageing and money races. I would predict more bad news regardless of whom they choose as bishop.  Statmann

Scott—what is that “Amphikalein” term, Zulu?  How would you define it?