Bishop of Rochester Election
Dear Friends,
We are happy to announce that the people of the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester have elected The Very Rev. Kara Wagner Sherer as our next Bishop! The Bishop-Elect was chosen by clergy and lay leaders representing each parish of our diocese during a special convention on Saturday, February 24th, from a slate of three candidates. We give thanks to the other nominees, the Rev. Rachel Taber-Hamilton and the Rev. Canon Lauren Holder for the gifts they brought to us, and who put themselves forward in service to our diocese.
“I say yes with joy. It will be an honor and privilege.” Rev. Wagner said in an address to the diocese moments after being elected. “I am excited that we are going to learn much more about each other and listen to God’s call to hopeful mission and ministry. I know two things right now. We begin with mutual love. Love that will be expressed in joy. We are going to have a lot of fun together, and we’re confident in that deep and abiding joy, given to us by our creator to share with the world. Thank you. It’s an honor.”
Rev. Wagner’s consecration as the IX Bishop of Rochester is scheduled for July 13, 2024.
The Episcopal Diocese of Rochester
Reflections on Electing the New Bishop
Lynn Ringholz
The Episcopal Diocese of Rochester elected its first woman Bishop! Not only was a woman elected but all three of the candidates for bishop elect were women with amazing backgrounds, strengths, and gifts.
The Pope, in consultation with the College of Bishops, appoints bishops in the Roman Catholic Church. In the Episcopal Church, a democratic election process is used. Bishop candidates are selected through the work of a Nominating Committee. An electing convention is coordinated to facilitate voting of the resident clergy and parish lay delegates. The Canons of the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester stipulate that a simple majority of both the Clerical and Lay Orders is necessary for the election.
As a former Roman Catholic, I found it deeply satisfying to participate in a bishop election process and to see a woman elected and able to live into full participation and leadership in the Episcopal Church. Welcome to our next Bishop, The Very Rev. Kara Wagner Sherer!
Linda Ketchum-Pompili
It was an intense day that combined rules of procedure, worship, and voting. About 200 people gathered at Hobart & William Smith Colleges in Geneva for the Electing Convention on Saturday, February 24, 2024.
Each parish could send 3 lay delegates, and all clergy (current and retired) could attend and vote. From Trinity-Greece, lay delegates were Linda Ketchum-Pompili, Laurie Phillips, and Lynn Ringholz. Our rector, Rev. Deborah Duguid-May, attended as a clergy delegate. We started with breakfast and registration at 8 am, worship and holy communion at 9 am, and then the election, which lasted until mid-afternoon.
There were 183 voting delegates: 66 clergy (the clerical order) and 117 lay delegates (the lay order). According to the rules, the candidate must receive a majority of votes from each order on the same ballot. Before each ballot, we prayed and sang a hymn. After each ballot, a designated group went to another room to tally the votes. Each candidate was called and told the vote count.
After the 2nd ballot, the Rev. Canon Lauren R. Holder withdrew. On ballots 3 and 4, a majority of clergy voted for the Very Rev. Kara Wagner Sherer, and a majority of lay delegates voted for the Rev. Rachel Taber-Hamilton. On the 5th ballot, the Very Rev. Kara Wagner Sherer was elected with 66 lay votes and 38 clergy votes.
The ordination and consecration of the Bishop-Elect Kara Wagner Sherer as the 9th Bishop of The Diocese of Rochester will take place on Saturday, July 13, 2024, at the Asbury First United Methodist Church, 1050 East Avenue.
Laurie Phillips
As a Trinity delegate to the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester I attended the Diocesan Voting Convention for the ninth bishop of the diocese. The convention was held at Hobart William Smith College in Geneva, NY on February 24, 2023. The Standing Committee had chosen three very qualified women for the position of bishop. I attended all five of the listening sessions via zoom in January. I felt I was ready to vote and after five ballots a new bishop was chosen, Rev. Kara Wagner Sherer from Chicago. Rev. Kara spoke via zoom and was very excited to become our next bishop. It was a wonderful experience to be a part of this election.
An Easter Message
Bishop Steve Lane
The Markan story of the resurrection is to my mind the most interesting of the Gospel accounts because Mark connects us with the disbelief and the confusion of the resurrection.
We Christians are by now completely desensitized to the perplexity that the resurrection created in the minds and the hearts of the disciples. “Christ is risen!” is the foundation of Christian belief. But in that moment, despite the pretenses of immortality projected by the Emperor and others, no one had ever been raised from the dead. Death was utterly, totally, final.
The women go to the tomb, and it’s empty. The explanations are obvious: grave robbers or, more likely, an action by the Temple authorities to erase Jesus from the minds of the people. Surely that’s what has happened.
Instead, they find a young man dressed in white who says the obvious: “He is not here.” But also says, “He has been raised and has gone ahead of you to Galilee. He will meet you there.” The women are simply gobsmacked. Amazed – and terrified. What on earth has happened? How can this be?
Moreover, they are quite aware that no one will believe them. And so… they simply go away telling no one. I think we might do the same.
What we are confronted with in Mark is the utter difference between God and our world. The way God conducts life and the way we do are not the same. Moreover, we are confronted with the reality that God is able to act in situations in which for us there is no action. For us, death is indeed final. Not so for God.
The good news of Mark’s story is that after recovering from their shock the disciples did regroup and did carry the Good News of God’s love to the world. And the good news for us is that our God is with us and that there is no situation that is beyond God’s reach. Even when we can do nothing, God can act.
That is the hope that has powered Christian faith from the day that the women ran away. That is the hope that empowers us now in our day.
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
+Steve
Upcoming Pride Parades and Festivals
Dear Friends,
In just a few months you’ll have an opportunity to show that there are Christians who support, love, affirm, and welcome LGBTQ+ individuals, and who embrace the complex diversity of human identity being made in God’s image. More information coming soon, so save the dates!
- Southern Finger Lakes Pride Festival / Saturday, June 8th
- FLX Festival / Saturday, June 15th
- Rochester Pride Parade / Saturday, June 20th
- Rochester Pride Festival / Saturday, June 20th, after the parade