New bishop will oversee 106 Episcopal churches in state

From Minnesota-

By the end of the day Saturday, the Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota will elect a new bishop.

Day No. 2 of the diocese's annual convention includes a vote on five candidates, two of whom would represent a first: the first openly partnered lesbian to be elected a bishop, or the first Native American. Both insist that making history is not their primary motivation.

"I'm not a cause, I'm a candidate," said the Rev. Bonnie Perry. The Rev. Doyle Turner struck a similar tone, noting that while he's proud of his Ojibwe heritage, "I'm not the pastor of a Native American church, and it's my church that has encouraged me [to run]."

The winner will succeed Bishop James Jelinek in overseeing 106 congregations representing 22,000 members. Jelinek is retiring in February.

All of the candidates are pulpit preachers (as opposed to academicians or administrators). Three come from Minnesota churches: Turner is from Trinity in Park Rapids, the Rev. Douglas Sparks is from St. Luke's in Rochester and the Rev. Mariann Budde is from St. John the Baptist in Minneapolis. Perry is at All Saints in Chicago, and the Rev. Brian Prior is at the Church of the Resurrection in Spokane, Wash.

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