This letter by Shannon Johnston, diocesan bishop, has been posted at the Diocese of Virginia website.
Bishop Shannon’s Update to the Diocesan Family
June 14, 2018
Dear Diocesan Family,
I am writing to you to follow up on the letter you received from me recently announcing the end of our search for a second bishop suffragan. Because of pressing circumstances that required immediate action for the sake of the candidates who were advancing in the process, coupled with the fact that some facts were not in place at the time, I was not in the position to offer much detail. Now that the Standing Committee has been briefed, and having a better take on our situation, I hope to provide some clarification since I am quite aware that there are many questions, not to mention much speculation and concern.
Please know that I, too, uphold transparency as a virtue. However, as every leader knows, there are times when full transparency is simply not feasible — and can also be irresponsible or even unkind. This is one of those times. I will not be able to answer every question, nor am I at liberty to do so. I know that this is frustrating, but here we are.
What I can say is this: We are NOT in the midst of any kind of impropriety or malfeasance, whether legal or moral. Moreover, our entire staff remains at work with dedication, purpose, and integrity, and remains fully committed, both personally and professionally. The ministries of the diocese are all right on target and still set a standard. I thank you for the many expressions of support and trust that we have received, and I am confident that we have the resources, the means, and the willingness to address the issues that have been raised.
Those issues are all about internal matters — administrative structure, workplace culture and relationships. Yes, the issues are serious, but we are not facing anything that can’t be made right again. As Bishop, I am utterly committed to that work.
Of course, the other matter I raised in my first letter is that for many months now I have been considering the options for my retirement. I can now tell you that for personal reasons I shall resign and retire earlier than I had planned (which is another reason not to elect a second suffragan at this time). I have not yet determined precisely when that will be, but I am looking toward the summer of next year, 2019. As there is much for Ellen and me to consider and learn about retiring, we are still in the stage of giving this a lot of thought, and I expect to be able to send you a fully detailed notice by the end of this month.
The bottom line is that our Diocese of Virginia remains a first-rate example of a fine Church in which to worship and serve. This is no less true now than it has ever been. We are the Body of Christ. Keep the faith!
Faithfully yours,
Bishop Johnston’s letter comes three weeks after his initial letter to the Diocese of Virginia announced the end of a search for a second bishop suffragan. At the time, Johnston alluded to the fact that he was considering retiring earlier than originally planned but gave no specific timeline. The initial letter also come only a month after Canon to the Ordinary, the Rev. Canon Pat Wingo accepted a call to be Interim Rector of the Church of the Ascension in Knoxville, TN and the Rt. Rev. Ted Gulick, former Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Virginia, was hired as interim Canon to the Ordinary.