House of Bishops gathers in North Carolina to worship, work and blog

Members of the House of Bishops, gathering at the Kanuga Conference Center for their regularly scheduled March 13-18 spring meeting, are expected to engage in worship and Scripture reflection, consider national and church economics, discuss full communion with the Moravian Church, anticipate General Convention 2009, and elect the next bishop of the Diocese of Ecuador Central.

They're also learning to blog, according to Bishop Kirk Smith of Arizona's blogiste "Our own cathedral dean, [the Very Rev.] Nick Knisely is here at Camp Kanuga teaching bishops how to blog," Smith wrote. The meeting, which in its spring session traditionally takes the form of a retreat, is closed to the public and media.

During a Tuesday, March 17 evening session bishops are expected to discuss Anglican Communion issues and also to cast their first ballots for Bishop of Ecuador Central, according to the agenda for the meeting. Delegates attending the February 14 diocesan convention of Central Ecuador authorized the House of Bishops to elect a successor to the Rt. Rev. Wilfrido Ramos-Orench, who is retiring.

The nominees will participate in "a 'walkabout' among the bishops so that they may get to know [them]," wrote Bishop George Councell of New Jersey in his blog. "The House of Bishops will then take ballots to elect a new bishop, who is to be consecrated this summer."

Anne Rudig, communication director for The Episcopal Church, addressed bishops as part of a March 16 orientation session for the 76th General Convention, which will take place July 8-17 in Anaheim, California, in the Diocese of Los Angeles. Bishop Suffragan Ken Price of Southern Ohio and retired Bishop Richard Chang of Hawaii also participated in the orientation session.

"I shared my plans for beginning to tell our story, rather than let others tell it for us," Rudig said via email following her presentation. "Part of this is the message strategy work on the positive stories of mission and faith that we are doing, and part of it is just being prepared for controversies."

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_105953_ENG_HTM.htm