The standing committee of the Diocese of Southwest Florida is proposing to cancel the bishop coadjutor election scheduled for Dec. 3 and in the spirit of the House of Bishops’ covenant agreement, it will ask the annual convention meeting on that day to agree to a new election timetable leading to a Dec 9, 2006 electing convention.

At its May 17 meeting, the Standing Committee endorsed a revised election timetable proposed by the diocese’s nominating committee. Names for potential successors to the Rt. Rev. John B. Lipscomb will be received until June 22, 2006, the day after the 75th General Convention closes in Columbus, Ohio.

The Rev. David Segar, Canon to the Ordinary of the Diocese of Northern Indiana, has been engaged as a consultant to assist the nominating committee prepare a position profile and develop appropriate screening and search techniques.

Originally scheduled for the Dec 3, 2005 convention, the standing committee agreed to postpone the election after the House of announced at their March meeting that they would withhold consent to the election of any bishop until after the 75th General Convention. Since it had already received consent to hold an election, Southwest Florida could have gone ahead with its election, although given the covenant statement it is unlikely the elected nominee would have received approval to be consecrated. Only diocesan convention has the canonical authority to make the amended timetable official, however. Bishop Lipscomb retires in 2009.

To see more about the Southwest Florida search process click here: