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The Standing Committee provides the most current information about the Bishop Search with the Diocese by direct mail and this website. Please scroll down to review previous communications that have been distributed.
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BISHOP SEARCH - UPDATES & NEWS
Standing Committee Reviews Survey Participation and Announces Listening Sessions
September 3, 2024
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Dear EDSJ Friends,
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We wish to thank all those who participated in the Diocesan Landscape Survey, the first step in our journey to select the next Bishop Diocesan of San Joaquin. We collected 354 responses, in both English and Spanish, with every congregation and ECCO participating. Also, a special thank you to everyone who helped to spread the word and amplify our message to encourage others to participate - your efforts were fruitful! We will now build upon the information gathered via the survey with a series of listening sessions held in-person throughout the diocese with additional sessions available by Zoom, beginning September 14 and running until October 19. Please visit the Bishop Search page, https://www.diosanjoaquin.org/bishop-search for more information and a schedule of listening sessions. We hope to see you there.
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Sharing the Journey,
The EDSJ Standing Committee
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Standing Committee Announces the "Landscape" Diocesan Survey is Open
August 1, 2024
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Para la versión en español, por favor vea a continuación.
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THE SURVEY IS OPEN. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
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Hello Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin!
It is time for our “Landscape” Diocesan Survey launch. Please find the link and QR code below to take the survey. Both English and Spanish versions are available. The Survey needs to be taken in one sitting and takes approximately 15-20 minutes. This is time well spent because your responses will help us determine where energy is focused in the future and to allow us to best determine who is a good fit to lead us on our path as our next Bishop Diocesan. We want to hear from as many people in our EDSJ as possible. Only those within the Diocese should complete this Survey. This Survey will be open until Thursday, August 29. We are grateful for your feedback and time. Let’s make this information gathering successful as we determine God’s plan for our diocese. If you have any questions, please reach out to Standing Committee member Cindy Smith at cindy@kerncomputer.com .
Sharing our journey,
Your Standing Committee
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For the Survey in English
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https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/EspDiocSanJoaq
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¡LA ENCUESTA ESTA ABIERTA -QUEREMOS ESCUCHAR DE TI!
¡Hola Diócesis Episcopal de San Joaquín!
Ha llegado la hora de lanzar la encuesta del paisaje diocesano. Encuentre aquí el enlace y el código QR para tomar la encuesta. Las versiones en inglés y español están disponibles. Le encuesta debe ser tomada toda a la vez y dura aproximadamente quince a veinte minutos. Es buen uso de su tiempo porque sus respuestas determinarán donde enfocamos nuestra energía en el futuro y nos ayudará a determinar la persona más adecuada para ser nuestro próximo obispo diocesano. Queremos escuchar del mayor número de personas posibles en la diócesis. Solo los que están dentro de la diócesis deben completar la encuesta. Esta encuesta estará abierta hasta el jueves 29 de agosto. Agradecemos sus comentarios y su tiempo. Hagamos de esta encuesta un éxito al determinar el plan de Dios para nuestra diócesis. Si tiene alguna pregunta, comuníquese con Padre Toni Alvarez, miembro del Comité Permanente, en padretoni@diosanjoaquin.org .
Atentamente,
El Comité Permanente
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Para la Encuesta en Español
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https://es.surveymonkey.com/r/EspDiocSanJoaqSpan
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Standing Committee Announcement of the "Landscape" Diocesan Survey
July 26, 2024
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Para la versión en español, por favor vea a continuación.
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WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
Dear Friends:
As we begin the process of looking for our next Bishop Diocesan of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin, we are entering a time of discernment where we listen to God’s call on our lives and our community. Part of this discernment is looking at where we are at this place in time and where we would like to put energy in the future. The 20-minutes needed to complete the “Landscape” Diocesan Survey is time well spent as your responses will help us to best determine who is a good fit to lead us on our path as our next Bishop Diocesan. The “Landscape” Diocesan Survey created for EDSJ by Holy Cow! Consulting will be a vital tool to collect information and your opinions as a member of the diocese. Information gathered through the Survey will be the foundation of the Diocesan Profile that is created to inform potential candidates during our Bishop Search.
We will launch the Survey in one week on Thursday, August 1 and will keep it open for your responses until Thursday, August 29. The Survey is available in both English and Spanish and your responses are anonymous. We will send out reminders each week with the QR codes and links to make sure everyone has a chance to respond. So, look for the Survey link on August 1. If you have any questions, please reach out to Standing Committee member Cindy Smith at cindy@kerncomputer.com .
Sharing our journey,
Your Standing Committee
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¡QUEREMOS ESCUCHAR DE TI!
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Querida/os amigas y amigos,
Al empezar el proceso de búsqueda por un obispo diocesano para la Diócesis Episcopal de San Joaquín entramos en un tiempo de discernimiento en el cual escuchamos la llamada de Dios en nuestras vidas y nuestras comunidades. Parte de este discernimiento es ver donde estamos aquí y ahora y ver donde queremos poner nuestra energía en el futuro. Sus veinte minutos para completar esta encuesta es buen uso de su tiempo porque sus respuestas nos ayudarán a determinar la persona más adecuada para ser nuestro próximo obispo diocesano. La Encuesta del paisaje creado para la Diócesis Episcopal de San Joaquín por Holy Cow! Consulting será una herramienta vital para colectar información y sus opiniones como miembros de la diócesis. La información adquirida a través de esta encuesta será la fundación del perfil diocesano que será creado para informar los candidatos potenciales durante la búsqueda de obispo.
Lanzaremos la encuesta una semana a partir de jueves 1 de agosto y estará abierta para recibir sus respuestas hasta jueves 29 de agosto. La encuesta estará disponible en inglés y español y sus respuestas serán anónimas. Mandaremos recordatorios cada semana con códigos QR y enlaces para darles a todos la oportunidad de responder. Busque el enlace de la encuesta el 1 de agosto. Si tiene alguna pregunta, comuníquese con Padre Toni Alvarez, miembro del Comité Permanente, en padretoni@diosanjoaquin.org.
Atentamente,
El Comité Permanente
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Standing Committee Statement on Bishop Transition Process
July 19, 2024
In light of Bishop David’s formal retirement announcement last month, we have an opportunity to reflect on the Diocese of San Joaquin’s many past accomplishments during his tenure as well as opportunities for the future.
So many wonderful changes have occurred under Bishop David’s leadership. The Diocese of San Joaquin has transformed from a fortified island isolated from The Episcopal Church to an inclusive community that is integrated in all facets of the church. Long-time parishioners who were marginalized by past leadership are now fully integrated in church life and involved in leadership themselves. Furthermore, our diocese is now spreading God’s love and justice via commissions dedicated to creation care, anti-racism and immigrant support. Truly, there is much to celebrate.
Looking ahead, we find ourselves in new territory with the Bishop’s pending retirement in 2026 and the election of a new bishop. As our Chancellor Michael Glass is quick to remind us, this will be the first time this diocese has had a bishop’s search and election in about forty years. In that vein, we recognize some folks may be feeling nervous about what lies ahead. After all, change is hard, and anxiety is understandable, particularly for a diocese like this one, which has endured so much past trauma during the “Great Schism.”
At the same time, we can take solace in the words of Jesus: “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” As the diocese looks ahead to a future bishop’s election, we as the Standing Committee strive to foster a Spirit-led process—not guided by self-serving or political motivations, but instead furthering God’s vision for this diocese as we are continually transformed into the Beloved Community that we are called to be.
This will require creating an inclusive process that gives voice to all members of the diocese. It will also entail updating and clarifying our diocesan canon for elections. We as the Standing Committee want to be transparent and are committed to making sure this process adheres to the Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church and those of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin.
In that vein, here is a list of what to expect in the days and months ahead:
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First, the Standing Committee is coordinating with Holy Cow! Consulting to create an online survey that will gather input from parishioners about the qualities they would like to see in a new bishop. Holy Cow! has worked with various other dioceses during their transition processes in the past. In early August, members of the diocese will receive an email from Holy Cow! containing the survey. This email is not spam, so please respond to the questions. (Surveys will also be provided in Spanish.) We ask that someone from each congregation help fellow parishioners complete surveys at church if parishioners don’t have access to a computer at home or otherwise have difficulty completing the online survey. The goal of the survey and planned upcoming listening sessions (see below) is to incorporate your feedback into a profile of the diocese, our vision for the future, and the leadership qualities we seek in a new bishop. Holy Cow! will interpret the survey results and provide a report that will be shared with the Standing Committee and then shared with the diocese at large.
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Listening sessions will be offered in the fall, allowing members of the diocese to provide personal feedback about the bishop’s search and what they would like to see in a new bishop. There will be three in-person listening sessions (one for each deanery) as well as a virtual listening session that will be offered via Zoom.
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A search committee will be selected following the diocesan convention’s ratification of our new election canon. Search committee members will be chosen and announced after diocesan convention in November 2024.
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A call will go out to the larger church in December 2024, notifying the wider church that the Diocese of San Joaquin is in search of a bishop. The position will be posted on Episcopal News Service’s “Jobs and Calls” site.
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The search committee will review applications during the first quarter of 2025 and select top candidates.
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Top candidates will do walkabouts throughout the diocese during the early summer of 2025, providing an opportunity for members of the diocese to interact with candidates and ask questions of them.
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The Election for a new bishop will take place during diocesan convention in fall 2025.
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Bishop David will officially retire sometime around March 2026, followed by the consecration and installation of the new bishop.
Truly, the next year and a half will feel like a whirlwind. Having said that, we’re excited to see how the Holy Spirit will guide this process. We’ve come such a long way during this past decade. From a diocese in recovery, we have gone to thriving on many levels. Looking ahead, we trust that God will do “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” if we are open to the work of the Spirit.
So join us on this adventure! Please, be in prayer about this process, and keep an eye out for the Holy Cow! survey later this month. Be sure to attend the listening sessions later this year and other sessions related to the transition process. We’re all in this together, and we need your input to ensure an inclusive process as we move into the future.
EDSJ Standing Committee:
Rev. Toni Alvarez
Rev. Rebecca Blair
Jennifer Brock
Linda Masztal
Jonathan Partridge
Cindy Smith
Rev. Suzy Ward, President