Bishop Todd is no longer able to care for the full needs of a rapidly growing network of churches spread out across America. Throughout COVID and Bishop Todd’s sabbatical, C4SO relied on “contract labor”—using temporary assisting bishops. These friends of C4SO do good ad hoc work, but C4SO needs a full-time bishop with a specific gift and skill set to work alongside Bishop Todd within the daily life of the diocese. We began the search for a Suffragan Bishop in January 2023.
In the election of a Diocesan Bishop, we would solicit a wide breadth of candidate recommendations. However, in the election of a Suffragan Bishop, it is most important that he 1) has specific skills and gifts to fit the unique job description and 2) works seamlessly with Bishop Todd.
Thus, we are accepting candidate recommendations from C4SO’s Executive Leadership Team (ELT), Regional Deans and the Ministry Team, who, knowing Bishop Todd and the diocese well, have firsthand observations to make recommendations. Bishop Todd, based on names recommended to him, will populate a short list of appropriate candidates. A discernment team—a subset of the ELT—will choose one candidate to recommend to the ELT. The ELT will approve the candidate, or ask the Bishop to submit another name for the discernment team to approve.
At a special Diocesan Convention on April 29, 2023, C4SO clergy and delegates from each church will have the final say in whether to elect the candidate recommended by the ELT.
The Suffragan Bishop will be consecrated on September 9, 2023 in Atlanta.