The Rt. Rev. Sean Rowe Elected 28th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church
Nick Tamen
Shipmate
The 81st General Convention of the Episcopal Church, which is meeting in Louisville, has elected the Rt. Rev. Sean Rowe as the 28th presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church. Story here.
Rowe is currently the bishop of Northwest Pennsylvania and the provisional bishop of Western New York. At age 49, he is the youngest bishop elected presiding bishop in the Episcopal Church’s history. (He was elected bishop at age 32.)
Meanwhile, the 226th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) convened yesterday. Yesterday, today and tomorrow, committee meetings are happening (mostly) virtually. The Assembly will convene in plenary (and in person) on Saturday in Salt Lake City.
Rowe is currently the bishop of Northwest Pennsylvania and the provisional bishop of Western New York. At age 49, he is the youngest bishop elected presiding bishop in the Episcopal Church’s history. (He was elected bishop at age 32.)
Meanwhile, the 226th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) convened yesterday. Yesterday, today and tomorrow, committee meetings are happening (mostly) virtually. The Assembly will convene in plenary (and in person) on Saturday in Salt Lake City.
Comments
Perhaps someone else does.
I'd expect more challenges from him with regard to organizational structures than with regard to faith. Are the particular structures we have the best way of serving the gospel?
The Episcopal Church is not alone, of course, in being faced with questions and challenges along these lines. The PC(USA) is having similar conversations, and I imagine other mainline churches are as well.
I would say more and less. The PB has a substantial bureaucracy in NYC with an impressive budget (which brings it great influence in poorer national churches), but has almost no influence in the election of bishops. Process is a very big part of how TEC makes decisions and a capable legislative manager of a PB can wield great influence. A very visible one (Jefferts Schori and Curry) may not have a lot of power within the church-- I wonder if PB Rowe will be able to somehow reform and redirect TEC's internal structures.
As I understand it, he hopes to.
Granted, that article does make mention of a “seating” at the National Cathedral some time in the future.
We had a family gathering this morning, so I haven’t watched the service yet.
It is also cool that the chapel at the Church Center in NYC is visible to passers by on the street (I think?). It’s also not an ugly space, as far as modern church architecture goes.
But I think maybe it might have been better to hold it in an ordinary parish in one of the countless beautiful traditional church buildings that fit with the brand that draws many (but not all) people to TEC. Maybe he is critical of that brand or thinks it is unsustainable? That might be interesting
It doesn’t need to be an enormous church or in a particularly big or prosperous city, but maybe one with a congregation that is diverse in terms of age, socioeconomic status, and culture.
I can’t criticize much because as I said I’m not Episcopalian or even Anglican. I do have a deep appreciation for Anglican liturgy and music though. And have sung in choir at three quite different Episcopal churches.
One thing about “official” TEC events that I am not a fan of but that I’m sure there is a reason for is the tendency to hold Eucharist for conventions in convention halls at hotels or convention centers. It might be for some reason of cost or logistics, but wouldn’t it make sense to do it in a nearby Episocpal church?
It was also a “neutral” space, as it were, not belonging to a particular parish or diocese, but to the whole church. The only other place I can think of that fits a similar bill is Washington National Cathedral, where the PB’s cathedra is and where the investiture has taken place in the past.
* apparently the two separate bits of the organ are actually in different postcodes.
Not just TEC: the Orthodox often do the same. There seem to be two possible reasons. One is the logisitcs of moving a large number of people from the convention centre to a church some distance away and back again. The other is the size. Convention centre halls and hotel ballrooms are often much larger than a local church.