A 'messy, but beautiful' process for Episcopalians

Six travel to churches across the state in bids to become 14th bishop of Maryland
By Stephanie Desmon
Baltimore (MD) Sun
March 9, 2008

In the middle of campaign season, about 250 Episcopalians gathered for some electioneering of their own yesterday morning as they came out to meet, greet and grill the six men and women who hope to be the diocese's next bishop.

The process of picking the new leader of the Diocese of Maryland - which encompasses the central and western regions of the state - is an unusually democratic one, with clergy and delegates from each of the diocese's 117 churches coming together to make their choice at a convention later this month.

B. Hopkins, a lay delegate from Holy Trinity Church in Churchville, called the open selection process "a virtue of our church."

"It makes it messy, but beautiful," she said.

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