Loading ...Why isn’t there transparent governance in DIO-LEXINGTON?
flockwoodOn the home page of its new website, IAmEpiscopalian.com, the Episcopal Church states “our governance is transparent.”
And in many dioceses there is a commitment to transparent governance. But in a handful of dioceses, the democratically-elected governing councils — known as standing committees — have decided to conceal a key vote from the people of their own diocese.
The standing committee of Lexington isn’t telling the people in the pews how they voted on the bishop-elect of Northern Michigan. In South Dakota, Episcopalians who sought information about their own standing committee’s vote have been rebuffed.
In Southern Virginia, where a large parish urged its standing committee to vote a particular way, the outcome of the vote has also been withheld from rank and file Episcopalians.
One state over, the standing committee of Western North Carolina is keeping Carolinians in the dark about this decision.
Most dioceses, 77 by my count, have already revealed their votes. Most of the remaining 33 dioceses are still in the discernment process. Many of them have already committed to announce the results of their votes once the votes take place.
If these votes were taking place at General Convention, they would take place in public and they’d be broadcast to the entire world. There would be no secrecy and no mystery.
How does the decision to withhold the results of the vote from the people of a diocese square with the church’s publicly stated commitment to “transparent governance.”
And why is it in a diocese’s best interests to prevent its own members from knowing how they have voted?
If you’ve got an explanation for why a standing committee would withhold its decision from the Episcopalians who live and worship in the diocese, please post it below.
May 30th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
Hi–I have the theory that the SC and bishop are keeping their vote secret because they feel superior. I see little doubt, as well, that the timing of the process has been to avoid the publicity of General Convention. Yes indeed, the left wing is once again trying to–how did St. Louis Crew just put it?–”connive in the dark.”
May 31st, 2009 at 12:04 pm
I don’t have a theory as to why the standing committees and bishops are withholding their decisions from the public, but whatever the reason, what they’re doing is wrong. I always thought that one thing that made the Episcopalian Church different from many denominations is our passion for openness and transparency in our debates and governance. It may well be that the more liberal element in the church, which is largely in control these days, doesn’t want to be embarrassed by how badly Bro. Genpo is apparently going to be defeated and thinks it can avoid embarrassment by secrecy. We see how well that worked for the Catholics during their sex abuse scandals. Again and again we’ve seen that secrecy promotes bad behavior. It’s not so much that I care who voted for or against Bro. Genpo as it is that I care about open governance, and this is not open governance.
May 31st, 2009 at 12:51 pm
That should be Episcopal Church in that last post. Sorry.
June 1st, 2009 at 9:31 am
They do in secret that which they are ashamed to do in public…shame on them!
June 3rd, 2009 at 11:23 am
If the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Lexington isn’t telling, don’t bother to ask. Whether yes or no, the vote will be announced at the most politically advantageous moment.
June 3rd, 2009 at 12:25 pm
That’s what I don’t understand, Alice. Why are they waiting? It’s clear from Frank’s vote tabulations that it would take a massive comeback for Bro. Genpo to be confirmed at this point, so a vote either way would hardly be news. A vote for him would cement their liberal credentials, and therefore you’d think they’d announce it. A vote against him would just be another brick in the wall, so that wouldn’t exactly be news, either. Maybe they voted against him and don’t want to look un-liberal. I think you’re right, though, that if there is political hay to be made, they’ll make it.