And the Nominees for Presiding Bishop are ...

The Joint Committee for the Election of the Presiding Bishop has announced the nominees -- who will stand for election in Salt Lake City on June 27 for a nine year term.

They are: Tom Breidenthal (Southern Ohio); Michael Curry (North Carolina); Ian Douglas (Connecticut) and Dabney Smith (Southwest Florida)

Where are the women? Good question.

The nominee pool is bishops diocesan with at least 5 years of tenure and the only woman in that category -- Mary Gray-Reeves -- didn't stand for election. The list is not an indictment of the search process -- it's an indictment of a churchwide process of undervaluing and under-deploying the gifts of women in senior leadership and an indication of how deeply systemic sexism continues to challenge us.

Here's the election process, as described in the Episcopal News Service:

On Saturday, June 27, members of the House of Bishops with seat, voice, and vote will convene in St. Mark’s Cathedral in Salt Lake City, where the election will occur in the context of prayer and reflection. Once an election has taken place, current Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori will send a deputation to the House of Deputies for confirmation of the election. The Rev. Gay Jennings, President of the House of Deputies, will refer the name to the House of Deputies legislative committee on the Confirmation of the Presiding Bishop without announcing the name to the full House. The legislative committee will make a recommendation to the House of Deputies whether to confirm the election or not confirm, and the House of Deputies will immediately vote on the recommendation. President Jennings will then appoint a delegation from the House of Deputies to notify the House of Bishops of the action taken.

You can read the profiles of the candidates here.

We now return to our regularly scheduled Friday agenda of laundry and errands. Tick Tock Salt Lake City. (55 Days)