Buddhist elected Episcopal Bishop in Northern Michigan

Nirvana

The Diocese of Northern Michigan has elected as its new bishop an Episcopal priest who has received a Buddhist lay ordination. Not only that, but conservative arms of the church were alarmed that the diocese only put one name in nomination in the first place. That was unusual, in that nominating committees generally come up with from 3 to seven names.

The Rev. Kevin Thew Forrester was elected on the first ballot and received 88 percent of the delegate votes. In the Episcopal Church balloting is done in two orders, much as in Congress, with two houses voting separately —the ordained clergy of the diocese in one "column" and the laity in the other, although they generally meet together in one "house."

This is an interesting development in this already polarized church. You may remember the Bishop Gene Robinson of New Hampshire story, the openly gay man living in a devoted relationship with another man, being elected Bishop of New Hampshire some years back. Fundamentalist bishops, centered in Africa, have been seeking amends ever since, threatening to break up the church and doing so in many places.

This is yet another development. Those who see the Christian Church as a uniquely gifted divine institution will not like this development. Those, on the other hand, who are inspired by biblical teachings and example may rejoice in this expression of universalism and hope.

See church this and church that.

Palzang

Cool! I look at it as just another step on the long path to breaking down the walls that separate different religions into little mutually exclusive boxes that foster hatred and fear of those who practice their religions in other little mutually exclusive boxes. Of course there's going to be backlash. That's to be expected.

Palzang