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Beloved in the Lord,
Pursuant to Bishop Howard’s call at the 2021 Diocesan Convention for the election of a Bishop Coadjutor, and given that the Special Convention of May 14, 2022 was described as ‘null and void’ by the Court of Review due to the lack of a clergy quorum in physical attendance, the Standing Committee announces on the Bishop’s behalf that lay and clergy voting delegates of the Diocese of Florida will convene for a Special Electing Convention at Camp Weed on the morning of Saturday, November 19, 2022.
Registration will open within the next two weeks. Specific details about the day will be released closer to the date.
The candidates who feel called to resume the election process are, in alphabetical order:
- The Rev. Charlie Holt
- The Rev. Canon Miguel Rosada
- The Rev. Canon Beth Tjoflat
Petition Process
At the recommendation of the Presiding Bishop’s office, we will offer a 2-week Petition Process, open from 8 a.m. on Tuesday, September 20, 2022 through 5 p.m. Monday, October 3, 2022. Any candidates who file for nomination by petition will be vetted and qualified by the original Nominating Committee. Our goal is to announce the final slate no later than November 2.
The Petition Process is outlined here.
Meet and Greet
We have a goal of hosting a single Meet-and-Greet session on Saturday, November 12, 2022. We will be working with the Transition Committee on the details and logistics of this day and will inform the Diocese when we have more information.
Physical Attendance is Required
There will be no hybrid or online option. All delegates must be physically present.
We remind every canonically resident member of the clergy, whether active or retired, that you have a canonical obligation to attend every called diocesan convention (Diocesan Canon 2, Section 1), and an obligation of your ordination vows to take your share in the councils of the church (BCP p.531). We remind every lay delegate that you have a sacred charge to represent your parish to the diocese by your vote. These are holy obligations.
There will be no cost to lay or clergy delegates for this convention.
To canonically resident clergy who live outside of the Diocese, we recognize that the distance you must travel provides a challenge to the fulfillment of your obligation to attend. To help alleviate this burden, we are working with Cerveny Conference Center to provide up to 20 rooms for free on the night of Friday, November 18. These will be available to canonically resident clergy who live outside the diocese on a first-come, first-served basis. Rooms must be reserved by close of business on Friday, November 4, 2022.
Finally
This letter intentionally offers only the facts about the upcoming election. You may anticipate a message soon from the Standing Committee answering many of the questions and rumors swirling around this situation. Additionally, all information about the Convention will be added to this webpage as it is determined.
We love you. We are praying for you. We appreciate your prayers so much.
May God mercifully bless the Diocese of Florida.
In Christ Alone,
The Standing Committee
Until 2023 The Rev. Joe Gibbes, President
Mr. Ben Hill
Until 2024 The Rev. Teresa Seagle
Mr. Arthur Crofton
Until 2025 The Rev. Sarah Minton
Ms. Jackie Jones
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