From Springfield-
After nearly nine hours and eight rounds of casting ballots Saturday, a nominating synod charged with choosing four finalists for bishop of the Springfield Episcopal Diocese could decide on only three.
In the next round of voting in November, the bishop will be chosen from among the Rev. Matthew Gunter, 52, rector, St. Barnabas Church, Glen Ellyn; the Rev. Canon E. Mark Stevenson, 45, Canon to the Ordinary, Diocese of Louisiana, Baton Rouge, La.; and the Rev. Daniel Martins, 58, rector, St. Anne’s, Warsaw, Ind.
Clergy and lay delegates numbering 130 from around the diocese gathered at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, 815 S. Second St., to pare down the 14 nominees for bishop.
The former bishop, Peter Beckwith, retired Feb. 1. During the bishop’s absence, a standing committee has ecclesiastical authority in the diocese, which covers the central and southern areas of the state.
A reporter was barred from the church during the voting and also told that no comment would be made until the process was complete.
Calls to the church were not returned Saturday night after the final nomination results were posted on the diocesan website, www.episcopalspringfield.org, about 9:30 p.m.
The committee did release the following statement:
“After ballot eight, a motion was made to suspend the Rules of Order for the Nominating Synod and to nominate three candidates instead of four. The motion passed by the required two-thirds majority of the clergy and lay delegates voting.”
http://www.sj-r.com/top-stories/x1028350264/Synod-picks-3-nominees-for-Episcopal-bishop
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