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
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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
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.
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
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.
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