Let me explain, then, something of my own prayer and
discernment during the last several months, as the Nominating Committee has
been discussing this possibility with me. The prospect of running for bishop is
a daunting one; as you know, I consented to nomination last year in Washington,
D.C., and I was not elected. The emotional and spiritual twists of our Church’s
episcopal election processes are grueling and very public. But this process is
the process we have. Furthermore, I have am thriving and enjoying my vocation
as Dean of the Cathedral of St. Philip, a position which I consider one of the
finest in the Church. I love it here, and this parish community blesses me.
However, the prospect of being bishop for the Diocese of
Atlanta has also excited me. When I ran for bishop last year, I found myself
actually having lots of ideas and vision for what a bishop can be in The
Episcopal Church. Moreover, I love, not just Atlanta, but the entire Diocese of
Atlanta. I grew up in Coweta County. I spent some formative years in Episcopal
youth groups from Rome to Gainesville. My discernment about this position has
been sincere and serious.
One of my own spiritual practices during periods of
discernment is to “contemplate my loves.” As I face a major decision, I ask:
Who, and what, do I love? I pray, that, as I consider my loves, God’s direction
becomes clearer for the calls in my life. Where God is calling me has something
to do with my loves.
So, first of all, I truly love my family – my wife, of
course, who has been companion and friend with me for over 35 years now.
Together, we have our own children, their wonderful spouses, and their friends;
and we have wider family, throughout Georgia and in Maryland. Both my parents
still live on the land where I grew up, outside Newnan. Those are dear
commitments for us. I am blessed with several close circles of friends, too; we
have broken a lot of bread together (Will Campbell once said that a friend is
someone you’ve “spilled a lot of salt with.”).
I also truly love the parish of the Cathedral of St. Philip.
We, too, have spilled a lot of salt together (and bread and wine!). I love
Atlanta, one of the great cities of our country. But I also love small towns,
which have more varieties of people than outsiders realize. I love the
outdoors, where I grew up; I love being outside, under the stars, in the woods,
walking in fields.
I also love outsiders. I pay attention to people who seem
outside the system, perhaps forgotten or ignored. My ministry as a priest has
been drawn to the outsiders and to the marginalized. I love to write. I love to
teach. I love to preach. I love to experience God in new places, and in new
people.
Finally, I actually love The Episcopal Church. This Church
has blessed me. Of course, the Church has not always been good to me, and I
have often disagreed with The Episcopal Church. But I love this Church, and I
believe we have something powerful and graceful to offer the wider world.
So, with the consideration of these loves, I believe that
God is calling me to imagine being Bishop of Atlanta – at least to be part of
the nomination and election process. The church needs me to offer my gifts and
ministry –and my loves—to a wider system; and I need to offer them, too. I know
I might not be elected. That particular call is not clear yet, but this first
part is.
The motto of my old school, Berkeley Divinity School at
Yale, is “in illa quae ultra sunt” – Into The Regions Beyond.” That phrase
meant both our mission and the place where we meet God. I pray God will meet
me, too, as I accept an invitation to explore the “regions beyond.” Please pray with me – for ourselves, for the
Diocese of Atlanta, and for the world. Thank you.
All my best to you in seeking the position of Bishop of Atlanta, Dean Candler. God bless you! Beth Pitzer
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