Nominations committee invites nominees for open positions to be filled at 2015 Diocesan Convention

Nominations committee invites nominees for open positions to be filled at 2015 Diocesan Convention

Nominations are now open for five positions that will be filled at the 2015 Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth in Fort Worth, Texas, on November 13 and 14.

Diocesan members are invited to read, pray, and discern if they know someone to nominate, or if they are called to offer themselves in nomination, for any of the elected positions described below. Nominations may be made by another person with the candidate’s permission or by the candidate on their own. The deadline for online nominations is September 13, 2015. Nominations are open for two months.

The Nominations Committee would like to see at least two candidates per position, or a total of at least 10 candidates, as described below.

Requirements

In all cases, a nominee must

  • Be at least 18 years of age
  • Meet qualifications to hold office nominated
  • Be willing to stand for election and willing to serve if elected
  • Acknowledge fiduciary duty under The Episcopal Church Canon I.17.8:  “Any person accepting any office in this Church shall well and faithfully perform the duties of that office in accordance with the Constitution and Canons of this Church and of the Diocese in which the office is being exercised.”
  • Pledge to read the Constitution & Canons of The Episcopal Church and to give faithful performance to duties in accordance with the same
  • Be willing to perform the duties of elected office (i.e., attend all meetings, share responsibility of work, etc.)
  • Provide brief bio (150 word limit) and head shot photo
  • Verify membership in the diocese by the following:
    • Laity – Adult communicant in good standing of a parish within the Diocese of Fort Worth, for approximately one year
    • Clergy – Canonically resident in the Diocese of Fort Worth

Positions to be filled:

The Standing Committee – one lay and one clergy member. The Standing Committee is the council of advice for the bishop or the ecclesiastical authority of the diocese if there is no bishop. Three priests and three lay persons serve for three years (those elected in 2015 will complete their term in 2018) with one priest and one lay member elected each year. No person may serve for more than two consecutive terms. The Standing Committee typically meets monthly. The continuing members of the Standing Committee are lay members Mollee Westfall and Joel Walker and clergy members Carlye Hughes and Amy Haynie. Members whose terms are expiring are lay member Norm Snyder (currently the secretary) and clergy member Curt Norman (currently the president).

Trustee for the University of the South – one lay person. Length of term is three years (expiring 2018). Duties include attending trustee meeting in the fall at the University of the South at Sewanee, TN, which usually involves several weekdays, especially for a new trustee. There is an optional spring meeting. There may be some expenses related to this responsibility. The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth is one of the owner dioceses of the University of the South and thus is represented at the primary Trustee meeting. Continuing trustees are lay member Cynthia Hill and clergy member Andrew Wright.

Disciplinary Board – one clergy and one lay member. One clergy member and one lay member are to be elected for three-year terms (expiring 2018). The Disciplinary Board meets as needed when called by the bishop. Continuing on the board are lay members Judy Cariker and Becky Snell, and clergy members John Stanley, Henry Penner and Andrew Benko. Those whose terms are expiring are Susan Slaughter and Brent Walker.

 

NOMINATE SOMEONE

Nominations were open through Sunday, September 13, so the nomination form has been removed now that nominations are closed. You can still nominate someone for an open position, however, by following the instructions below.

 

Nominations after September 13, 2015

The first business item at the diocesan convention will be a nominating ballot, which will determine the final slate of nominees in all offices.

Any nominations after the closing date of Sunday, September 13, 2015, may be made from the floor at diocesan convention, and will follow all the requirements for candidates, including sufficient copies of picture and biographical information for all clergy and convention delegates, plus verification of qualifications. The requirements for nominations from the floor of convention are in Section 45.9 of Canon 45 – Nominations Committee for Certain Diocesan Offices in the Canons of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth.

Other Positions

In addition, the following individual positions are nominated by the bishop and confirmed by the convention.

  • Diocesan Secretary and Assistant to the Secretary
  • Diocesan Registrar
  • Diocesan Historiographer
  • Diocesan Treasurer and Assistant to the Treasurer
  • Diocesan Chancellor
  • Corporation Trustee
  • Episcopate endowment trustee

Groups which welcome new members each year, appointed by the bishop include:

  • Commission on Ministry
  • Finance Committee
  • Christian Formation Committee
  • Diocesan Schools Commission
  • Constitution and Canons Committee

If you would like to volunteer in these areas and potentially be available for a future nomination, please email the nominations committee at nominations.committee@edotn.org to let them know of your interest, in case the bishop needs recommendations.

For more information on nominations, email nominations.committee@edotn.org.