The Rev. Rayford Ray was elected Dec. 4 as the 11th bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan, pending required consents from a majority of bishops with jurisdiction and standing committees of the Episcopal Church.
Ray, 54, a member of the Episcopal Ministry Support Team in the Diocese of Northern Michigan, was elected on the second ballot of a special convention from a field of three nominees. A fourth nominee, the Rev. Nigel Taber-Hamilton, rector of St. Augustine’s in-the-Woods Episcopal Church, Freeland, Washington, had earlier asked that his name be withdrawn from consideration.
The Diocese of Northern Michigan sure does want a new bishop. From 2002 through 2009, it lost 21 percent of Members and 31 percent of ASA. In 2009, 25 of its 26 churches had ASA of 66 or less and all 26 churches had Plate & Pledge of less than $150K. The Red Book listed its seating capacity at 3,218. Given ASA of 624 in 2009, thaat means that about 80 percent of the seats in the diocese are empty on Sundays. There is plenty of room for growth. Also, the last church founded in the diocese was in 1911. Statmann
Indeed, Statmann, having a New Bishop will fix everything. I hope he has another job to support him.
What else do we know about Fr. Ray?
Well, this choice of words was certainly interesting: “as we proclaim the Gospel as we know in Jesus Christ.” If that means “the Gospel as we know it in Jesus, among many gospels that others know in some other way,” I’m not sure what the point is of going to a church in that diocese. Which of course one might infer is part of the problem reflected in such abysmal numbers.
#3 RomeA: I think he’s saying something about knowing Christ personally and sharing that. However, I’m unsure as to whether he’s including the historical person of Jesus of Nazareth in that or just a cosmic Christ-Consciousness. But then, what do I know. The problem is, if a seminary-trained priest of nearly 30 years who is up on all the new jargon and concepts doesn’t understand what Rayford Ray is saying, how will anyone except for the chosen few who gnostically “get it” benefit from his ministry as a bishop? Circumlocution is a waste of time. Clarity is the point.