Dean Terrance “Terry” A. Dance has been elected the new suffragan (assistant) bishop of the London, Ont.-based Anglican diocese of Huron.
Bishop-elect Dance, who has been dean of the diocese and rector of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, Ont., was elected on the fourth ballot. He received 198 votes from lay delegates and 75 from clergy during an election that drew 400 delegates March 28 at St. Paul’s Cathedral. He was chosen out of 10 candidates.
Oh yikes.
#1 – why “yikes”? There’s nothing in the article of any substance about his theology, ecclesiology or hermenutical penchant. Were you commenting on the 400 delegates, but he was elected by roughly 270?
This diocese has already voted to ask its bishops to establish a rite for SSB. I am speculating as to the reason this has not yet gone forward; however, part of this may have had to do with the fact that this diocese has in the last year, been focused on the retirement of its diocesan (somewhat unexpected) then electing both a diocesan and a suffragan bishop, as well as trying to determine what to do with many parishes that need to reassess what they will do with shrinking numbers and lack of young people. This particular candidate would by very sympathetic to the request of his diocese and is has a very ‘social justice’ orientation to his understanding of the gospel as far as I have been able to glean from what those in the diocese have said. Some I know have communicated other concerns about his ‘management style’ but those are pretty speculative and I don’t know much about these matters so I can’t really comment.