Florida bishop coadjutor election challenged with formal objection, effort to deny consent

[Episcopal News Service] The Diocese of Florida introduced Could 25 {that a} formal objection to the Could 14 election of the Rev. Charlie Holt as bishop coadjutor has been filed with the diocese.

The objection, signed by 37 clergy and lay deputies to the diocese’s particular election conference, claims that last-minute adjustments to the voting course of violated diocesan canons and that technical issues disrupted the vote, rendering the election invalid.

In an electronic mail to members of the diocese acknowledging receipt of the objection, its Standing Committee and chancellor responded to the factors of competition and denied any procedural errors or misconduct. No objections have been raised in the course of the election itself, they stated, and the election was noticed and confirmed by impartial auditors.

“We wish to guarantee you – with the best diploma of confidence – that we consider within the election’s validity from each perspective,” the committee members and chancellor wrote. “We worth the enter and consciences of our few pals who’ve objected, and we’ll do every little thing we will to observe the correct channels in order that their questions and issues could also be answered.”

The Standing Committee and chancellor didn’t embody the textual content of the objection itself together with their response, and diocesan workers wouldn’t present a duplicate to Episcopal Information Service, citing a need to observe the canonical course of and inform the presiding bishop’s workplace first. ENS obtained a duplicate of the six-page objection letter and verified with one of many signers that it’s the doc that was filed with the diocese.

The Could 14 election was held to decide on a successor to the diocese’s present bishop, the Rt. Rev. Samuel Johnson Howard, who intends to retire in late 2023. Upon Howard’s retirement, the bishop coadjutor would develop into the ninth diocesan bishop. Holt, at present affiliate rector of educating and formation at The Church of St. John the Divine in Houston, Texas, was certainly one of 5 candidates.

Disputed election practices

Of their objection letter, dated Could 23, the 37 delegates claimed that the required clergy quorum for the election was not met, the agenda was not adopted and there have been “procedural and technical flaws” that interfered with distant voting.

In keeping with the objection, the diocese in April invited delegates to register for an in-person election at St. John’s Cathedral in Jacksonville, writing: “…the integrity of the election at this Particular Conference would require that we pay very shut consideration to who’s current. Subsequently, if you don’t register by the deadline, you’ll not be allowed to attend. There will likely be no exceptions.” Nonetheless, the objection says, solely 89 clergy delegates had registered by the Could 9 deadline, under the two-thirds quorum of canonically resident clergy required by diocesan canons. The objection says the required clergy quorum was 116, “as said by the election officers,” being two-thirds of 174 canonically resident clergy within the diocese.

On Could 12 (two days earlier than the election), the diocese stated there weren’t sufficient clergy registrants for a quorum and introduced that clergy who had not but registered might register to take part by Zoom, however that lay delegates might nonetheless solely vote in particular person. Standing Committee President the Rev. Joe Gibbes advised ENS that this modification “permitted clergy impeded by elements similar to COVID-19 threat, journey and emergencies to attend and vote digitally. This selection was not supplied to laity as a result of in contrast to clergy delegates, lay delegates have alternates who can attend and act of their stead – the place we had sturdy participation and there was by no means a query of reaching a quorum [among the laity].”

The objection says that the diocese’s governing paperwork don’t permit for distant voting. Gibbes advised ENS that the Diocesan Council and chancellor “ensured that our bylaws allow on-line attendance and voting, in response to Florida regulation.” He added that an “impartial, non-Episcopal audit group” – the Forde Agency of Jacksonville (CPAs) – “was current on the Zoom [election] to make sure voting process was in accordance with all related legal guidelines.”

The objection then says that on the morning of the election, the Diocesan Council modified the principles of order, which the delegates authorized in the course of the election. The objecting delegates’ letter says this violated The Episcopal Church’s Canon III.11.1(a), which requires the “adoption of guidelines and process for [such an] election … at a daily or particular Diocesan Conference with adequate time previous the election … .”

At the start of the livestreamed election, the credentials chairman stated that 89 clergy delegates have been current in particular person and 29 have been attending remotely for a complete of 118, “which is greater than the two-thirds requirement for a quorum,” however he didn’t specify the precise quantity essential to fulfill the quorum requirement.

There have been 138 lay delegates current out of 145, he stated.

After the third poll, Howard introduced that Holt obtained 64 votes from clergy and 80 from the laity. Howard then requested the auditors to substantiate the outcomes; one rose to the rostrum and stated the election “had no irregularities in any of the votes or counts.”

The variety of voters within the closing poll was 125 clergy and 141 lay, in response to the numbers supplied by the diocese to ENS. The overall variety of voters within the closing poll cited within the objection is off by one; it counts one further lay voter.

In keeping with the objecting delegates, the Zoom voting course of didn’t go easily.

“For clergy who have been trying to be current on distant voting, there was no orientation of how one can vote, no testing of communications techniques, no ‘trial vote’ to check whether or not all might vote, and in reality, not less than two clergy couldn’t see or hear the proceedings,” the objection letter reads. “When voting was taken, in not less than one occasion, the votes weren’t registered. Additionally, in-person delegates couldn’t see nor might they hear the Zoom clergy.”

Objection course of

The objection invokes a canonical course of that has solely been used twice earlier than: within the 2018 bishop coadjutor election within the Diocese of Haiti and within the 2021 diocesan bishop election within the Diocese of Ecuador Central. Underneath Title III.11.8 within the Canons of The Episcopal Church, an objection could also be filed inside 10 days of a bishop election by a gaggle of not less than 10% of the voting delegates. The objection have to be filed with the secretary of the diocesan conference, “setting forth intimately all alleged irregularities.” The canons don’t specify what constitutes an “irregularity.”

The objection is then forwarded to the presiding bishop, “who shall request the Court docket of
Assessment of the Province during which the Diocese is positioned to analyze the grievance,” in response to the present canons. Nonetheless, Basic Conference amended the canons in 2018 to switch provincial courts of assessment (which had primarily dealt with appeals in clergy disciplinary circumstances) with a single churchwide Court docket of Assessment. That 2018 decision modified all canonical references to courts of assessment in Title IV, however not in Title III. The Rt. Rev. Todd Ousley, bishop for the churchwide Workplace of Pastoral Growth, advised ENS that the remaining reference to a provincial court docket of assessment was an oversight and that objections can be referred to the churchwide Court docket of Assessment. A decision to right the error has been proposed for this summer season’s Basic Conference. The Court docket of Assessment has 30 days to analyze and launch a report of its findings.

In an interview with ENS on Could 25, Ousley stated he had not obtained the letter of objection from the Diocese of Florida. The diocese’s secretary of conference should submit the letter to Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s workplace inside 10 days of receiving it.

“When the presiding bishop receives notification of an objection to an episcopal election, it’s a high precedence of his and his workers to assessment and make preparations to transmit to the Court docket of Assessment,” Ousley stated.

The Court docket of Assessment’s mandate is just not essentially to subject rulings on the canonical validity of election procedures, Ousley defined, however to put in writing a report that’s then despatched to all diocesan standing committees and bishops with jurisdiction. A majority of every group should consent earlier than a bishop-elect may be consecrated.

Feedback on race and sexuality

In virtually all circumstances, the consent course of is a formality, however apart from the objection filed by the 37 conference delegates, Holt’s election is dealing with further challenges. Some Episcopalians have voiced objections to Holt’s election on social media, citing Holt’s views on same-sex marriage and statements that they view as illiberal or insulting to LGBTQ+ individuals and Black individuals. Some have stated they’re writing to their bishops and standing committees to encourage them to not consent to the election.

In interviews and Q&A classes with bishop candidates earlier than the election, Holt has stated he holds the view of marriage expressed within the 1979 E-book of Frequent Prayer – that marriage is between a person and a lady. Since 2018, because of Basic Conference Decision B012, same-sex marriage liturgies have to be made out there to all Episcopalians in nations the place same-sex marriage is authorized. The compromise decision additionally permits bishops who disagree with same-sex marriage to delegate any required oversight of such marriages to a different bishop. In a letter to the diocese after the election, Holt stated B012 “will likely be adopted and upheld to pastorally help each our progressive and conservative parishes.”

“I’ll search a harmonious relationship with the diocese, granting authority for marriages to parish rectors consistent with the letter and spirit of Decision B012-2018 and the canons of Basic Conference,” Holt advised ENS in a Could 24 electronic mail. Holt declined to touch upon the alleged voting irregularities, including, “I would not have something to supply to that a part of the story as I used to be a candidate and never answerable for the election.”

Within the days after the election, Episcopalians from the Diocese of Florida and past took to Twitter and posted statements Holt made in the course of the Q&A classes. An nameless YouTube account uploaded edited clips of two of Holt’s solutions throughout these classes, in addition to a compilation of his different solutions. The outline of the account, “Episcopal Bishop Election Information,” reads: “Info for Standing Committees and Bishops to assessment as they take into account whether or not to offer consent to Episcopal elections all through the church.”

In a solution to certainly one of a number of questions on how he would lead a diocese with various views on sexuality, Holt famous a heightened concentrate on LGBTQ+ points in America and in The Episcopal church, “and by singularly specializing in one factor, we really are a bit of off. And so it’s to not say that these usually are not vital, or these individuals which might be represented by the letters usually are not vital. They’re tremendous vital. They’re youngsters of God who must be welcomed into the lifetime of our church. We’ve got one thing to offer to them and so they have issues and items to offer to us. Don’t hear me flawed. But when that’s the solely factor that we ever speak about on a regular basis – which, typically it seems like it’s – then we’re a bit of sick. As a result of you possibly can’t speak about intercourse on a regular basis. That’s not wholesome. It’s not wholesome for the LGBTQIA individuals for us to concentrate on them on a regular basis.”

Holt then appeared to not directly draw a comparability along with his personal life and advised that LGBTQ+ individuals would possibly “surrender” one thing to observe Jesus, as he did.

“It’s not a dedication that claims, ‘I can come within the doorways and you need to obtain me and settle for me simply the best way I’m. And I’m by no means going to vary,’” he stated. “I had to surrender a whole lot of issues once I turned a Christian. I used to be a frat boy on the College of Florida. And I used to be not residing a godly life-style. … Over time, God handled the assorted issues in my life that wanted to be modified.”

In response to a query about variety, Holt advised a narrative about when he had beforehand served within the diocese and was the one white minister at a rally in Sanford, Florida, protesting the 2012 killing of Trayvon Martin. He stated he was initially reluctant to talk and that he didn’t wish to be seen in entrance of indicators saying “Trayvon Martin: A contemporary-day lynching.” After encouragement from a Black pastor, Holt recalled, he did communicate, despite the fact that the indicators “didn’t fairly signify my perspective.”

Marketing campaign to withhold consent

Episcopalians together with writer Diana Butler Bass objected to Holt’s Q&A responses on Twitter and advised that they have been grounds for withholding consent to his election.

One Connecticut priest – the Rev. Melissa Rohrbach – has created a web based petition for different clergy in her diocese to induce their standing committee to withhold consent. A clergy Fb group is conserving a working tally of standing committees they’ve contacted in a Google Doc.

In his letter to the diocese responding to the issues over his feedback on race and sexuality, Holt stated his “dedication is to be a trustworthy pastor to all. I’m dedicated to embracing the range that the individuals of the Diocese of Florida signify.”

Reiterating his dedication to uphold Decision B012, Holt wrote, “I extremely respect those that maintain a distinct view than my very own. I’ve all the time realized probably the most from dialogue with those that disagree with me. This is the reason my first mission as bishop-elect will likely be to pay attention, from one finish of the Diocese of Florida, geographically and theologically, to the opposite. I’m respectful of the lives, experiences, and opinions of all others, and I hope for a similar from others.”

Referring to Trayvon Martin’s killing, Holt wrote, “God used that second to work change in my life which has served my ministry of reconciliation to this present day,” including that he and a Black pastor began an interracial group known as Sanford Pastors Connecting devoted to racial reconciliation after Trayvon Martin’s killing. One in every of their ministries was to be “pastoral observers” on the trial of George Zimmerman, who killed Trayvon Martin.

“Will probably be my precedence as Bishop to guide our diocese within the work of racial reconciliation. This begins with honoring our historic Black congregations,” Holt wrote. “I’ll encourage all of our congregations to construct sturdy Christian ties with their nearest Black congregation neighbors in different Christian denominations. That is on the coronary heart of what it means to be the Beloved Group.”

On Could 25, the management of the LGBTQ+ Caucus within the Home of Deputies despatched a memo to its members and the Basic Conference Workplace expressing “grave concern” about Holt’s election. Linking to the YouTube movies of Holt’s Q&A responses – together with one during which he described studying about racial injustice in a dialog with a Black pastor that included each Trayvon Martin’s killing and the unsolved killings of different Black males – the caucus leaders wrote, “We decry Fr. Holt’s feedback relating to race and racism, which have been deeply offensive and objectionable.”

The deputies additionally wrote that Holt’s promise to uphold B012 “does nothing to make sure even a base degree of acceptable therapy for many LGBTQ+ Episcopalians and our allies. Would a Bishop Holt stymie the clergy of his diocese who have been in favor of officiating same-sex weddings? Would he prohibit congregations from hiring an LGBTQ+ clergy or layperson?”

“We urge each bishop with jurisdiction and each Standing Committee to sincerely take into account these issues and if mandatory request additional clarification from Fr. Holt and the Diocese of Florida earlier than discerning whether or not to supply consent to his election,” the memo concluded.

As soon as the presiding bishop receives the objection to Holt’s election, it can alter the timeline of the consent course of, in response to Ousley. It’s as much as the presiding bishop to find out when to refer the objection to the Court docket of Assessment, beginning their 30-day investigative interval. The conventional 120-day interval for bishops and standing committees to determine whether or not they may consent to the election doesn’t begin till the objection course of has been accomplished and the Court docket of Assessment has submitted its report.

In keeping with the diocese, Holt is scheduled to be consecrated bishop coadjutor in October.

“I welcome the chance to talk with any bishop and members of any standing committee if they’ve questions on my views,” Holt advised ENS. “My purpose is to carry unity and like to this excellent Diocese and its individuals.”

– Egan Millard is an assistant editor and reporter for Episcopal Information Service. He may be reached at emillard@episcopalchurch.org.