Bonnie Anderson won't seek re-election

May 23, 2012

Dear Deputies and First Alternates,

I write to you for two reasons: to thank you for your support, friendship, prayers, challenges, brilliance and love that has inspired and humbled me during these 6 years and second, to let you know that I do not plan to stand for election as President of the House of Deputies for another term.

The reason I am not seeking re-election is a simple one: I want to spend more time with my family. My husband, Glen, is retired. I want to be with him more. Our amazing son, Justin, lives with us and reminds us every single day, by his very existence, that God is a generous miracle maker. I want to celebrate Justin’s life by being with him every day. I want to bake cakes with my grandchildren and go to all their band concerts, soccer games and school plays. I want to have leisurely phone conversations with my daughters. You get the picture.

By tomorrow, you will receive information on the process for electing a President and Vice President while we are in Indianapolis.

I have been honored beyond measure to lead this house, and gratified to observe the many ways in which Deputies and Alternates serve and lead God’s Church, both when General Convention is in session and when it is not. Your voices resonate not only within the great representative diversity of General Convention, but also in our communities and in commissions during the triennium, in vestries, and in the leadership roles you hold in our congregations, dioceses and provinces. In my 21 years in the House, and my two terms as your president, I have been reminded again and again of our forebears’ wisdom in creating a system of governance that honors the simple theological truth that the Holy Spirit blows where she will, and that to discern God’s purposes, we must listen to the voices of all of the baptized.

Please know that I will serve the House of Deputies as President at full capacity until the “gavel goes down” on July 12 in Indianapolis.

Peace and blessings,
Bonnie Anderson, D.D.
President, The House of Deputies


Almighty and everliving God, source of all wisdom and understanding, be present with those who take counsel in General Convention for the renewal and mission of your Church. Teach us in all things to seek first your honor and glory. Guide us to perceive what is right, and grant us both the courage to pursue it and the grace to accomplish it; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Book of Common Prayer

Posted by Jim Naughton on May 23, 2012 9:22 AM | |
Comments (6)

With respect to President Anderson and all of her work, I hope and pray that the House of Deputies takes this extraordinary opportunity to elect a President and a Vice President that are innovative thinkers and have both a respect for the church's traditions and a keen sense that massive restructuring needs to happen. With new leadership in the House of Deputies this next trienniam, a new Presiding Bishop the following trienniam, and ample time to discern and impliment canonical and constitutional changes, TEC could look very different by 2018!

Perhaps a new 2020 vision: "A New Church for a New Millennium." Better late than never!

Posted by Tom Sramek Jr [TypeKey Profile Page] | May 23, 2012 11:43 AM

I have no knowledge of what the process of picking the next House of Deputies president is but I do fear that this topic could suck up a lot of the oxygen of General Convention and so reduce the amount of time spent considering some other, really significant issues on the docket.

-Jesse

Posted by Jesse Zink [TypeKey Profile Page] | May 23, 2012 7:25 PM

Best of luck to her. I know over the past years as president, it couldn't have been an easy task for her to take on.

Posted by Nicole Porter [TypeKey Profile Page] | May 23, 2012 7:27 PM

Jesse -- the election takes almost no time. People are nominated, Deputies vote, it's over. It will probably be a clergy deputy as the tradition is to trade Pres and VP that way

Posted by Ann Fontaine [TypeKey Profile Page] | May 23, 2012 7:30 PM

Nicole, thank you for wishing Bonnie well. She has given the church decades of faithful volunteer service, and she deserves better than to have the announcement of her retirement used as an occasion for pushing pet causes.

Posted by Jim Naughton [TypeKey Profile Page] | May 24, 2012 8:01 AM

Tom, I would note that Bonnie was herself a significant change from her predecessor, George Werner. Certainly, she has raised the visibility of the office of President of the House of Deputies across the Episcopal Church. Her predecessors served ably and well, but I can't remember a period before her when the President of the House was so visible beyond the meetings of General Conventions or the communications among Deputies.

Marshall Scott

Posted by mscottsail [TypeKey Profile Page] | May 24, 2012 11:27 AM

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