THE COUNTDOWN to the April 25 elections for the next bishop of the Anglican Church has begun and a favourite five has emerged.
Even though there is no guarantee that they will be nominated when the process gets under way at the Ivan Harewood Parish Centre at the Christ Church Parish Church, three holders of doctoral degrees, a doctoral candidate and a canon are among the five tipped by Barbadians, according to the Easter edition of The Anglican newspaper.
Rural dean for St John and rector of the St George Parish Church, Reverend John Rogers, is the youngest in age and as an ordained minister (2003) and arguably the most popular contender.
Rector of St David’s Church, Canon Noel Burke, and the Dean of St Michael’s Cathedral, the Very Reverend Dr Jeffrey Gibson were both ordained in 1984, and they too are among the choice picks.
Boston-based Reverend Dr Monrelle T. Williams, who has been spending a lot of time in Barbados in recent years, is the other contender. The rector of the St Cyprian’s Episcopal Church was ordained in the local ministry in 1979. Williams also served in California.
Principal of Codrington College, Reverend Dr Michael Clarke, who was ordained in 1985, is also in the line-up. He is the only one who was involved in the run for the bishopric before. He was a candidate in the last election in 2000, which reportedly went on until around 10 p.m.
Then, Canon Dr John Holder was voted Bishop of Barbados. Holder, who retired at the end of February, beat Clarke, Canon George Knight, the late Canon Frank Marshall and the then Rev. Eric Lynch, who is now Archdeacon of the local diocese. Clarke served for several years in the British Virgin Islands.
Nomination of the candidates will take place exclusively on the floor of the Elective Synod, which comprises two houses: the House of Clergy, made up of the diocese’s priests and the House of Laity, comprising laypersons representing the diocese’s churches. (YB)
