September 28, 2007

Bishop nominees visit St. Martin's

BY MARY BALDASANO
Special to the PVT

The six nominees for bishop of the Nevada Episcopal Diocese began their "walkabout" in Las Vegas, then came to Pahrump Sept. 16. The Rev. Julie Platson welcomed the Rev. Susan Burns, Jeff Paul, Cathy Deats, Charles Funston, Al Keeney and Dan Edwards, as well as their spouses, to St. Martin's in the Desert Episcopal Church at 631 W. Irene St.

The election of Bishop Katherine Schori as bishop of the National Episcopal Diocese created a vacancy so others could be considered for the state post. The diocesan governing board's search panel began the process of finding nominees in 2006. The new bishop is to be elected at this year's convention in Carson City.

Burns is a graduate of the Cornell Law School in New York as well as General Theological Seminary, and has served as rector of a Maryland church.

"I am here to observe and not make judgments and learn the area," she said. "I plan to bring all of who I am and quality of presence and heart. I am a good listener; I have excellent intelligence, discernment and humility and would welcome the travel as Bishop of Nevada. I'm sort of detail oriented, but I have a dark side which in conjunction with creative energy could keep people busy for years."

Funston is a native Nevadan and a graduate of University of Nevada, Las Vegas with a master's degree in business administration, and is also a graduate of California's Western School of Law. He received his doctor of ministry from Seabury Western Theological Seminary and serves as rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Medina, Ohio.

"I am a 'big picture' kind of guy," Funston said. "I tend not to get detail oriented; I look to others to handle the details. I feel any new bishop would die trying to lasso the clergy of Nevada. I don't mind traveling the miles required by Nevada, I love Nevada."

Keeney holds a bachelor's degree in speech from Loyola University, Chicago, Ill., a master's degree in Theatre from St. Louis University in Missouri and studied at Shalem Institute in Maryland. He is rector of St. John's Episcopal Church in Canandaigua, N.Y.

Keeney advised the congregation that "I have to watch that I don't get too far ahead of things. I have to ground myself back to the details. The use of a variety of things would be acceptable. The liturgical police don't need to be out. They would have to check with the bishop before doing so."

Paul has a B.S. in human services from Cal State, Fullerton, and a master's in divinity from Church Divinity School of the Pacific, Berkeley, Calif. He is rector of St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Carson City. Regarding supervision of operations for churches in the state, he said, "I have to agree with the others that I am not detail oriented and would have to rely on others for their expertise. This is something I have to work on."

Deats has a bachelor's in child development and family relations. She also has a master's of social work from the University of Connecticut School of Social Work and received her master of divinity degree at the Drew University Theological School in New Jersey. She is rector of St. James' Episcopal Church in Hackettstown, N.J.

"I tend to be more detail oriented than most people, but I also look at the big picture as well," she said. Asked about the controversy over when an individual should be able to take Holy Communion and at what age, Deats answered, "Babies become eligible if they are baptized. I don't believe people need to have a full understanding of the meal in order to take communion."

The final nominee, Edwards, is a bachelor of arts degree in law from the University of Texas at Austin. He practiced law Texas, Colorado and Idaho before attending seminary. He attended the Harvard Divinity School. He is rector of St. Francis Church in, Macon, Ga.

Edwards admitted that he has a shadowy side as well, but his sense of humor makes up for it. "I like to play a lot, laugh a lot, and see the funny side of things," he said. "I do plan to provide a structure for liturgy, but not be nit picky about it. The distance of Nevada churches doesn't bother me. I have traveled a lot so it would not be a problem; it's the only way to know what's going on. I feel the bishop needs to be personally available to clergy and parishioners."

Overall, the parishioners of St. Martin's seemed to feel any of the nominees would make a good bishop, and don't envy the task of selecting just one faced by attendees at this year's election conference.

Platson said it was "an honor and great pleasure to have the candidates spend Sunday morning with us. It will be difficult to choose one when the time comes for the election in October. But, I trust fully, that through prayer and discernment that God will so guide our minds so that we will receive a faithful pastor, who will care for his people and equip us for our ministries."