The Standing Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh announces the appointment of 11 individuals who will serve on the committee that will offer incoming hospitality to individuals called to serve as our next Bishop, and outgoing hospitality to our retiring Bishop.
The charge of the Transition Committee is to handle planning, logistics and hospitality for the final slate of candidates for Bishop, including the “walkabouts” prior to the electing convention in April 2021; farewell gifts and celebrations for Bishop McConnell and Betsy; and the consecration of the new Bishop in September 2021, pending consent from a majority of the Bishops and Standing Committees of the Episcopal Church.
The Transition Committee will be chaired by Jon Delano, a member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Mt. Lebanon. Jon is the outgoing Chair of Diocesan Council and was chair of the successful Project CREED and its subcommittee on Diocesan Governance. Jon has also served on our Standing Committee and has been a deputy to General Convention. Florence Atwood, a member of Calvary Episcopal Church, East Liberty, will serve as Vice Chair of the Committee. Florence has been a vestry member and Senior Warden at Calvary and was a member of Calvary’s Search Committee in 2013.
The Transition Committee will begin its work with an all-day retreat on Saturday, January 9, 2021.
The Rev. Don Youse will serve as Chaplain to the Transition Committee, a post which he held during the last bishop search in 2011-12. His responsibility will be to help Committee members keep their focus on the spiritual nature of the transition process during meetings, public events and in private conversations.
The Standing Committee has also named Judy Stark as the consultant to the Transition Committee. Judy is a lay leader in the Diocese of Southwest Florida and has consulted on 19 bishop searches over the past two decades. She is currently serving as a consultant to the Nominating Committee and was recently a consultant to our Project CREED.
The Transition Committee
Jon Delano, Chair, St. Paul’s, Mt. Lebanon
Florence Atwood, Vice Chair, Calvary Episcopal Church, East Liberty
The Rev. Canon Dr. Catherine Brall, St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Canonsburg
Gerald W. Dalton, St. Stephen’s, Wilkinsburg
D. Maximillion Elliott-Quinerly, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, North Side
Kathleen Farrington, Calvary Episcopal Church, East Liberty
Thomas Moore, Trinity Cathedral
Mary Ann Slater, Calvary Episcopal Church, East Liberty
The Rev. Julie Smith, St. Brendan’s, Franklin Park
The Rev. Luke Zerra, St. Paul’s, Mt. Lebanon
Dr. George Zitnay, St. Michael’s of the Valley, Ligonier
Chaplain
The Rev. Don Youse, Jr., M.D., Emmanuel Episcopal Church, North Side
Consultant
Ms. Judy Stark, Cathedral Church of St. Peter, Diocese of Southwest Florida
Prayers requested
At our meetings this year, the Standing Committee has offered up the following prayer, taken from the Book of Common Prayer (p. 818, with slight modification), and we ask that all of the congregations of the Diocese continue to incorporate this prayer into their regular worship through the period of search and discernment up to the Special Convention in April 2021:
Almighty God, giver of every good gift: Look graciously on your Church, and so guide the minds of those who shall choose a bishop for this Diocese, and those who offer themselves as candidates, that we may receive a faithful pastor who will care for your people and equip us for our ministries; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Faithfully yours in Christ,
The Standing Committee
Russell Ayres, President
Lisa Brown, Secretary
The Rev. Noah Evans
The Rev. Jonathon Jensen
Robert A. Johnston
The Rev. Eric McIntosh
The Rev. Annis Rogers
Stephen Stagnitta