Nominees for Bishop of Chicago

The nominees are announced here.

One way to get a snapshot of who these nominees are is to read the brief introduction that each of them wrote. Here's a sampling of how they each chose to present themselves:

The Rev. Jane S. Gould:

...At MIT in the 1990s, I challenged both the Institute and the church to consider often ignored issues of ethics, mission and vocation. I also worked with ESMHE at General Convention 2003 to elect a young adult to Executive Council. In Massachusetts, I have organized on such issues as parochial assessments, urban strategy, immigrant ministry, and the Episcopal election of Barbara Harris.

In more than twenty years of ordained ministry, I’ve served urban, suburban, diocesan, and campus ministries always asking how God works among those present and who might be missing. In my current parish, these questions have led me to attend meetings with police and gang members, to build relationships with students and faculty at an evangelical Christian college, and to invite African Anglicans to launch a Kiswahili service and outreach ministry...

The Rev. Jeffrey D. Lee:

...I am a member of the faculty of the CREDO Institute, Inc. On Seattle’s Eastside, I initiated an inter-religious dialogue that led to the creation of Together We Build, an interfaith home-building project in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity. I have served on the board of the North American Association for the Diaconate, the Council of Associated Parishes and the board of Affirming Catholicism. I teach in the Diocesan School of Theology and work as a congregational development consultant and retreat leader. I have twice been a deputy at General Convention. I am the author of Opening the Prayer Book in the New Church’s Teaching Series, and have written for the Episcopal Church web site. I contributed to CREDO’s Clergy Wellness Report, released to the 2006 General Convention...

The Very Rev. Tracey Lind:

...My call to proclaim God’s justice, love, and mercy for all creation has led me to spend 20 years strengthening and sustaining urban and suburban congregations. In doing so, I have integrated my background in community planning, organizational development and nonprofit leadership.

I believe in the abundant grace that springs from practicing radical hospitality; in the power of quality liturgy, stewardship and education to sustain us in Christian life; and in the urgent and absorbing errand of community engagement to which we are called as witnesses of God’s love made known to us in Jesus. Through my spiritual journey, I have developed an abiding hope that the things that separate us from one another may be overcome in the oneness of God...

The Rev. Margaret R. Rose:

...Ordained in Massachusetts in 1981, I served parishes and community organizations in that Diocese. In 1992, I was called to St. Dunstan’s, Atlanta, serving on the Commission on Ministry, Deputy to General Convention and organizing with the Industrial Areas Foundation project. The return to the South was an opportunity to deepen the work of anti-racism and my conviction that our faith compels us to be engaged in the public arena.

Since April 2003, I have served as Director of Women’s Ministries for the Episcopal Church. The most exciting work recently has been in gathering women from around the Anglican Communion to participate at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. The local and global connections formed in this work have been a vital part of our commitment to the Millennium Development Goals...

The Rev. Timothy B. Safford:

...I have served parishes in Bridgeport, Conn., Pasadena, Calif., and since 1999, Christ Church in Philadelphia. Gathering in this ecclesiastical and national historic landmark, we have labored hard these past years to be a congregation that looks toward our future as boldly as we stand on our past. Much of our growth has come from urban pilgrims under the age of 40.

I have a deep passion for preaching and teaching. My most significant spiritual discipline is tithing.

In the Diocese, I serve on the Commission on Ministry, working to strengthen the ordination process. I advocate for re-conceiving the nature and method of theological education to better serve the needs of parishes and missions in the rapidly changing and chaotic mission field. In the larger community, I have served through organizations that aid the homeless, advocate for children, reduce teenage pregnancies, fight the spread of AIDS, organize immigrants and refugees, and develop affordable housing. I have been pleased to represent our church, traveling to Central America, Southern Africa, Israel, and Palestine...

This looks like a fine set of nominees.

Jane Gould was a nominee for California, and Jeffrey Lee was a nominee for Olympia.

What do you know about any of these priests?

J.