REFLECTIONS ON THE ALABAMA
BISHOP'S ELECTION
BISHOP'S ELECTION
On yesterday, 18 January 2020, the Diocese of Alabama elected a bishop coadjutor. The election was wide open for the four candidates, the Rev. Dr. Glenda Curry, the Rev. Evan Garner, the Rev. Allison Liles, and the Rev. Aaron Raulerson. All four were parish clergy with deep roots in Alabama. None had served in any capacity as a bishop. Likewise, there was no assistant or suffragan bishop of the diocese to advance. All four were attractive and popular candidates with much to offer the diocese and all had performed well in the beauty pageant of the Walk About two weeks earlier. There was no "front runner" going into the election and there was no poll or survey to show how the candidates were faring in popular opinion. The clergy and lay delegates went to the convention with no idea of how the election would go. The bishop confessed in his homily he honestly did not know who would win. Therefore, there was much uncertainty and anticipation at how the balloting would go.
For the first time, there were female candidates on the slate. The two women were quite different in experience and age. One offered a stellar record of experience but at 66 could serve only six years as bishop. The other offered youth (apparently around age 40) but much less parish and administrative experience. The two men candidates were well-regarded and experienced parish rectors.
In order to win election, a candidate had to carry a majority of the vote in both orders on the same ballot.
In order to win election, a candidate had to carry a majority of the vote in both orders on the same ballot.
On the first ballot, the votes were:
Clergy Laity
Curry 60 (43%) 109 (43%)
Garner 23 (16%) 28 (11%)
Liles 39 (28%) 67 (27%)
Raulerson 19 (13%) 47 (18%)
Thus, on the first ballot, no one won a majority in either order although Curry came close and was the clear front-runner. The most startling outcome was the vast male/female split. The two women candidates together carried 71% among the clergy and 70% among the laity, the two men dividing the rest. This made it perfectly clear the assembly wanted a woman to be elected. The dilemma was, which woman to choose? I do not know as a fact, but I surmise the choice between the two women was whether to go with youth or experience. When it was clear that the assembly preferred a woman candidate and one of the women was actually within sight of majority in both orders, voters began to prepare for shifts on the second ballot. Interestingly enough, no candidate dropped out after the first ballot.
On the second ballot, the votes were:
Clergy Laity
Curry 77 (55%) 127 (51%)
Garner 14 (10%) 17 (7%)
Liles 42 (30%) 63 (25%)
Raulerson 8 (6%) 43 (17%)
On the second ballot, Curry won a majority in both orders and the election. The two women candidates combined carried the overwhelming majority of the assembly, 85% of the clergy and 76% of the laity. Half of the clergy who had supported the men candidates in the first round moved to vote for the women. Among the laity, the shift was significant but not quite as dramatic. My best guess is Curry won because 1) everyone could see the will of the people was to have a female bishop, 2) everyone could see that Curry was close to a majority and could easily get there, and 3) voters felt that, in this case, experience should take precedent over youth even if it meant the diocese would have to conduct a new bishop's search in a few years. Obviously, a lot of people thought another search in a few years was worth it for Curry. With this, Curry picked up 17 new clergy votes and 18 new lay votes. This meant the majority in both orders and the victory. This was a clear-cut decision. There was no question or controversy about it. Close to being resolved on the first ballot, it was easily finished on the second go-around. Curry was clearly the choice of the electoral body.
Bishop coadjutor-elect, the Rev. Dr. Glenda Curry
Curry is the first female elected bishop in Alabama and only the third elected in Province IV of the Episcopal Church (Prov. IV=New Orleans, MS, AL, FL, GA, SC, NC, TN, KY). In 2013, Anne Hodges-Copple became suffragan bishop of the Diocese of North Carolina where she remains. In 2019, Phoebe Alison Roaf was elected bishop of the Diocese of West Tennessee. After Roaf, Curry will be only the second female diocesan bishop in Province IV.
Province IV is well below average in numbers of women bishops in the Episcopal Church. Nationally, 19% of all bishops in TEC are female. Between 1989 and 2019, 249 men were elected bishops in TEC while 37 women were chosen. This is well below the averages for all clergy in TEC. In 2019, among all the full-time priests in the Episcopal Church, 38% were women and 62% were men. Thus, the percentage of women as bishops runs half of that of priests. Women have been elected bishops in TEC since 1989. For more on women bishops see "Women are Joining the House of Bishops at Unprecedented Rate" here .
In conclusion, the election yesterday tells me several things. Alabama was ready to elect its first woman as bishop. Alabama is one of the deepest red, most conservative states in America. If this state is ready to move to equality for and inclusion of women into every aspect of life in the church including offices of authority, every state is ready. After all this time, at long last, dioceses everywhere, even in the deep south, are waking up to the need to put into action the ideals on the books. In the life of the Episcopal Church, this is the moment of the woman into the episcopacy. It is overdue.
Going into the election, I noted two strains in the recent history of the diocese of Alabama, go-slow moderation and social activism. I was eager to see which strain would prevail in the convention yesterday. Now we know. Yesterday's election proves the diocese is committed to social activism. This means it is firmly in the mainstream of the Episcopal Church and unquestionably committed to the social reform trajectory the national church has promoted for the last sixty years. Any fear that this diocese would go careening from the mainstream off toward one edge of the church racing toward possible schism is off the table. I am happy to report I see no significant danger of schism in the diocese of Alabama. This is not to say there are no critics of the national church and even the diocesan policies. There certainly are critics, and it is their right to be critical. Indeed, criticism is often constructive and beneficial. However, as I see it, their criticism is in the context of the diocese and the national church, not in seeking to break them up. I think that was probably the greatest take-away from yesterday's electoral convention.
The Episcopal Church is alive and well in Alabama and yesterday's great event brought that home loudly and clearly.
Curry is the first female elected bishop in Alabama and only the third elected in Province IV of the Episcopal Church (Prov. IV=New Orleans, MS, AL, FL, GA, SC, NC, TN, KY). In 2013, Anne Hodges-Copple became suffragan bishop of the Diocese of North Carolina where she remains. In 2019, Phoebe Alison Roaf was elected bishop of the Diocese of West Tennessee. After Roaf, Curry will be only the second female diocesan bishop in Province IV.
Province IV is well below average in numbers of women bishops in the Episcopal Church. Nationally, 19% of all bishops in TEC are female. Between 1989 and 2019, 249 men were elected bishops in TEC while 37 women were chosen. This is well below the averages for all clergy in TEC. In 2019, among all the full-time priests in the Episcopal Church, 38% were women and 62% were men. Thus, the percentage of women as bishops runs half of that of priests. Women have been elected bishops in TEC since 1989. For more on women bishops see "Women are Joining the House of Bishops at Unprecedented Rate" here .
In conclusion, the election yesterday tells me several things. Alabama was ready to elect its first woman as bishop. Alabama is one of the deepest red, most conservative states in America. If this state is ready to move to equality for and inclusion of women into every aspect of life in the church including offices of authority, every state is ready. After all this time, at long last, dioceses everywhere, even in the deep south, are waking up to the need to put into action the ideals on the books. In the life of the Episcopal Church, this is the moment of the woman into the episcopacy. It is overdue.
Going into the election, I noted two strains in the recent history of the diocese of Alabama, go-slow moderation and social activism. I was eager to see which strain would prevail in the convention yesterday. Now we know. Yesterday's election proves the diocese is committed to social activism. This means it is firmly in the mainstream of the Episcopal Church and unquestionably committed to the social reform trajectory the national church has promoted for the last sixty years. Any fear that this diocese would go careening from the mainstream off toward one edge of the church racing toward possible schism is off the table. I am happy to report I see no significant danger of schism in the diocese of Alabama. This is not to say there are no critics of the national church and even the diocesan policies. There certainly are critics, and it is their right to be critical. Indeed, criticism is often constructive and beneficial. However, as I see it, their criticism is in the context of the diocese and the national church, not in seeking to break them up. I think that was probably the greatest take-away from yesterday's electoral convention.
The Episcopal Church is alive and well in Alabama and yesterday's great event brought that home loudly and clearly.
