An article from the Cathedral Times
by the Very Reverend Samuel G. Candler,
Dean of the Cathedral of
St. Philip
Dear Friends: This week, the Diocese of Atlanta will announce that I am
among several nominees for election as the next Bishop of Atlanta. I am
truly honored to be among some excellent priests in that assembly. The
nomination is an honor for me, but I know that my nomination might
present questions in the church as to why in the world I am doing
this!
Let me explain, then, something of my own
prayer and discernment during the last several months, as the Nominating
Committee has been discussing this possibility with me. The prospect of
running for bishop is a daunting one; as you know, I consented to
nomination last year in Washington, D.C., and I was not elected. The
emotional and spiritual twists of our Church's episcopal election
processes are grueling and very public. But this process is the process
we have. Furthermore, I am thriving and enjoying my vocation as Dean of
the Cathedral of St. Philip, a position which I consider one of the
finest in the Church. I love it here, and this parish community blesses
me.
However, the prospect of being bishop for the
Diocese of Atlanta has also excited me. When I ran for bishop last year,
I found myself actually having lots of ideas and vision for what a
bishop can be in The Episcopal Church. Moreover, I love, not just
Atlanta, but the entire Diocese of Atlanta. I grew up in Coweta County. I
spent some formative years in Episcopal youth groups from Rome to
Gainesville. My discernment about this position has been sincere and
serious.
One of my own spiritual practices during
periods of discernment is to "contemplate my loves." As I face a major
decision, I ask: Who, and what, do I love? I pray, that, as I consider
my loves, God's direction becomes clearer for the calls in my life.
Where God is calling me has something to do with my
loves.
So, first of all, I truly love my family"”my
wife, of course, who has been companion and friend with me for over 35
years now. Together, we have our own children, their wonderful spouses,
and their friends; and we have wider family, throughout Georgia and in
Maryland. Both my parents still live on the land where I grew up,
outside Newnan. Those are dear commitments for us. I am blessed with
several close circles of friends, too; we have broken a lot of bread
together (Will Campbell once said that a friend is someone you've
"spilled a lot of salt with.").
I also truly love the
parish of the Cathedral of St. Philip. We, too, have spilled a lot of
salt together (and bread and wine!). I love Atlanta, one of the great
cities of our country. But I also love small towns, which have more
varieties of people than outsiders realize. I love the outdoors, where I
grew up; I love being outside, under the stars, in the woods, walking
in fields.
I also love outsiders. I pay attention to
people who seem outside the system, perhaps forgotten or ignored. My
ministry as a priest has been drawn to the outsiders and to the
marginalized. I love to write. I love to teach. I love to preach. I love
to experience God in new places, and in new
people.
Finally, I actually love The Episcopal
Church. This Church has blessed me. Of course, the Church has not always
been good to me, and I have often disagreed with The Episcopal Church.
But I love this Church, and I believe we have something powerful and
graceful to offer the wider world.
So, with the
consideration of these loves, I believe that God is calling me to
imagine being Bishop of Atlanta"”at least to be part of the nomination
and election process. The church needs me to offer my gifts and
ministry"”and my loves"”to a wider system; and I need to offer them, too. I
know I might not be elected. That particular call is not clear yet, but
this first part is.
The motto of my old school,
Berkeley Divinity School at Yale, is "in illa quae ultra sunt""”Into The
Regions Beyond." That phrase meant both our mission and the place where
we meet God. I pray God will meet me, too, as I accept an invitation to
explore the "regions beyond." Please pray with me"”for ourselves, for
the Diocese of Atlanta, and for the world. Thank you.
The Very Reverend Sam Candler