The nine-year term of our current Presiding Bishop, Frank Griswold, will expire on October 31, 2006 and his successor will be elected at the 2006 General Convention.
In anticipation of this election a nominating committee was formed at the 2003 General Convention. The nominating committee consists of one bishop, one lay person, and one priest or deacon elected from each of the nine geographical provinces that comprise the Episcopal Church. In addition to the 27 elected members two additional youth members of the committee were appointed by the President of the House of Deputies.
The nominating committee has nominated four bishops for the office of Presiding Bishop. The committee's nominees are the Rt. Rev. Neil Alexander, Bishop of Atlanta, the Rt. Rev. Edwin F. Gulick, Bishop of Kentucky, the Rt. Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Bishop of Nevada, and the Rt. Rev. Henry N. Parsley, Jr., Bishop of Alabama. The Episcopal Church's Canons (laws) also allow for additional nominations to be made by petition. To date three additional bishops have been nominated by petition. They are the Rt. Rev. Stacy Sauls, Bishop of Lexington, the Rt. Rev. Francisco Daque-Gomez, Bishop of Columbia (South America), and the Rt. Rev. Charles Jenkins III, Bishop of Louisiana.
On Saturday, June 17th, 2006, the names of the nominees will be reported to the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies meeting in a joint session. At that session any bishop or deputy may nominate any other member of the House of Bishops as a candidate for Presiding Bishop.
At 11:00 am on Sunday, June 18th, the House of Bishops will meet in a closed executive session to elect the next Presiding Bishop. His or her election will require the affirmative vote of a majority of all Bishops, excluding retired bishops not present, except that whenever 2/3ds of the House of Bishops are present a majority vote will suffice.
Once the House of Bishops' election has been completed the name of the person so elected, together with a listing of the number of votes cast for each nominee will be reported to the House of Deputies which shall vote to confirm or not confirm the House of Bishops' choice of Presiding Bishop.