The Rev. Dr. Prince Singh was elected February 2 to be the next bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester.
Singh, 45, rector of St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Oakland/Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, in the Diocese of Newark, was elected on the second ballot from a slate of five candidates. An election on that ballot required 75 votes in the lay order and 33 votes in the clergy order. Singh was elected with 77 lay votes and 35 clergy votes.
Singh will succeed Bishop Jack McKelvey, who has spent the past eight years as bishop of Rochester. Prior to being called to Rochester, McKelvey had spent eight years as bishop suffragan of the Diocese of Newark. McKelvey will retire in this spring and Singh is due to be consecrated May 31 at the Eastman Theater at the University of Rochester.
Bishop (elect) Singh has a challenge in Rochester. From 1996 through 2002 the diocese lost about 22 percent of its members and from 2002 through 2006 lost about another 16 percent. Plate & Pledge increased about 17 percent from 1996 through 2002 (which barely covered inflation) and from 2002 through 2006 has not increased at all. Bishop McKelvey and Bishop (elect) Singh are both from the diocese of Newark. The data above would suggest that Rochester is a diocese of perpetual hope or one possessing a flat learning curve or both. Statmann
Impressive that they elected someone from the East. I’m proud.
Statmann’s statistics, while interesting, should be parsed. Not sure if its different from other sorts of mainline religions….
Dear John Wilkins,
Similar dismal statistics can certainly be found for other mainline denominations. But far more cheery statistics can be found for other TEC dioceses. Statmann
The bishop-elect’s wife, according to the article, is a tenure-track professor in a Women’s Studies department. A priest with a history in Newark and a radical feminist wife (that’s what Womens’ Studies is) give me little hope that he will be an orthodox leader as a bishop, in spite of his Indian origin.
#4, is a professor in a Woman’s Studies dept. necessarily “a radical feminist”? Is a priest from Newark necessarily of questionable orthodoxy? Is there no place here for our Christian theology of hope?
#5
Yes.
Probably.
Of course.
Pretty much, yes.
Pretty much, yes.
Sure there is! I’m hopeful that Christian churches in Newark will continue to bring in the harvest, even while the Episcopal diocese of Newark spirals downward.
A Prince Bishop! Watch out, Tom Wright!
Rochester has not fared well in the last 10-15 years. The once mighty corporations Kodak, Bausch & Lomb, Xerox (all headquartered or employing large numbers) have faded in the internet age. The crushing tax and regulatory burdens of NY state have driven more than a few companies away. One of the 3 hospitals in town shuttered its doors. So the diocese is swimming against the tide.
That said, the leadership of +McKelvey appears to have been disastrous, though it’s noy completely clear that + elect Prince will follow the same path. Let’s hope not.
#4, 6, 7,: the correct answers to any logical person are No, No, and Yes.
But, since the logical fallicy of the ad hominem response reigns supreme on this blog, such answers as yours are of no surprise.
Bob from Boone, I have yet to read of a Women’s Studies program or professor not characterized by radical feminism. Check the course descriptions and publications/biographies of the faculty. An orthodox Christian would be a very unusual occurrence in such a field. If you know of a department which contradicts this trend, I would be interested to know where it is.
And the history of the diocese of Newark is not encouraging. However, miracles do happen. Let us pray.