Nominations by Petition

The Standing Committee of the Diocese of South Carolina is bound to the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of South Carolina (The Episcopal Church in South Carolina). Our Diocesan Canons outline the petition process for the Election of a Bishop. Those canons can be found here under Title III, Canon 1, Section 3(e)(f), and Section 6.

The primary method for calling candidates for election is the discernment work carried out by the Bishop Search Committee. This committee of lay persons and clergy from around the diocese carried out the important task of forming a slate of candidates for election to serve as Bishop. The Standing Committee is very confident in the diligent and holy work of the Bishop Search Committee. The process they committed themselves to for the benefit of our diocese was lengthy and thorough.

However, there is another way to become a candidate on the slate for election to serve as Bishop, and that is called “the petition process.” It is an evolution of what used to be referred to as “nominations from the floor.” There is always an opportunity for the delegates of convention to nominate a candidate in this way. It just takes longer now because of the need for due diligence.

PETITION REQUIREMENTS AND FORMS

If a delegate of Electing Convention would like to nominate someone as a petition nominee, all of the initial paperwork for the petition process and all supplemental materials required of the candidates who were identified by the Bishop Search Committee must be completed and delivered electronically to the Chair of the Bishop Search Committee, the Reverend Dr. Phil Linder, via email by February 8, 2021 at 5 pm Eastern.

If any petition nominees are received and all paperwork and supplemental materials are complete, they will then proceed with necessary background checks, along with a required medical and psychological exam. After suitable results and approval by the Search and Standing Committee, they will be announced as an additional candidate no later than March 17, 2021.

All of the necessary forms for the petition process and list of supplemental materials can be found through the links below. If there is any need for clarification please contact the Reverend Canon Caleb J. Lee, President of the Standing Committee, via email.