'A different way of being Christian'

From Savannah-

The Rev. Scott Benhase to be consecrated as the new bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia.

The Rev. Scott A. Benhase believes God has repeatedly placed him in the middle of tension in the church.

Throughout his career as an Episcopal priest, Benhase has entered parishes in which a heated issue has members at odds.

Bridging the spiritual divide requires patience, he said.

"When we're in dilemmas, the worst thing we can do is try to force a resolution before one appears," Benhase said. "I think God's m.o. (modus operandi) and the holy spirit's m.o. throughout this for the church is that if we remain faithful and stay together and bare one another's burdens long enough, the holy spirit almost always has a tendency to provide a way forward."

Soon, the Ohio native will apply that strategy on a larger scale.

On Jan. 23, Benhase will be consecrated as the 10th bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia in a formal ceremony taking place at the Savannah International Trade & Convention Center.

Benhase replaces the outgoing Rt. Rev. Henry I. Louttit who is retiring after serving 15 years as bishop of the diocese.

Benhase received strong support from the voting lay members and clergy at the diocese's 188th convention in September 2009. Out of a field of six nominees, Benhase drew 42 percent of the vote on the first ballot. He won the election on the second ballot with 54 percent of the vote.

More here-

http://savannahnow.com/accent/2010-01-16/different-way-being-christian-rev-scott-benhase-be-consecrated-new-bishop