Some might say the Rev. Herman “Holly” Hollerith IV will land between a rock and a hard place when he’s consecrated today as the new bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia.
In the national sphere, the Episcopal Church is facing a lasting rash of breakaway parishes that call it out of step with religious traditions on homosexuality – an accusation repeated by many of the denomination’s peers overseas.
Meanwhile, the diocese is still mending after a corrosive in-house feud centering on the last permanent bishop, who was pushed into retirement by 2006.
Sandwiched in the middle will be Hollerith, 53, who was elected last fall by clergy and lay representatives to lead the diocese, which includes Hampton Roads.
From 2002 through 2007 the diocese lost 4 percent of its Members and ASA declined by 13 percent while Plate & Pledge increased 11 percent, about 5 percent less than inflation. All in all, this record is not that bad when compared to many other TEC dioceses. The more troubling data are that were 396 Infant Baptisms and 478 Burials in 2007 which indicate an aging membership. Furthermore, the 32,756 Baptized Members only produced 396 Infant Baptisms; that is 83 to ONE. Is there too much salt in the water, or is this diocese the winner of the TEC birth control contest? Statmann
The Schori Doctrine avers that Episcopalians are far too intelligent to breed offspring, and Statmann’s data bears that out.