A picture is emerging not only that the consultation process regarding the appointment of the next Bishop of Chelmsford has been rushed and inadequate, but that decisions have already been made about the possible profile of John Gladwin’s successor.
A correspondent from the Barking and Dagenham Deanery writes,
... the only people who knew anything about the consultation process at Deanery Synod last night was someone on the Vacancy in See committee ... and the Clergy Chair , who like others was contacted in a rush last minute.
[The Vacancy in See representative] had a good deal to say ... that would add to our [evangelical] dismay but there isn’t space here to pass it all on. The committee has already created a profile of the person they want. Apparently Caroline Boddington said that the purpose of correspondence with her is to see whether the profile corresponds to what folks are saying, i.e it is beyond the stage of creating a profile (that happened in August).
[The representative] said that all this was originally scheduled for November, ... [and they have] not yet received an explanation of why things were suddenly brought forward with very little notice.
Conspiracy or the other thing? Or maybe a bit of both?
John Richardson
22 September 2009
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Hi John,
ReplyDeleteI agree that this seems rather too little too late but it compares favourably to the process I have witnessed in other places where there is absolutely no opportunity for anyone outside the corridors of power to have any input at all.
Prayer is the way forward, surely.