Dear Sisters and Brothers -

As our diocese has met the challenges of reorganization and rebuilding, we have been blessed with the leadership and spiritual guidance of some very special Bishops Provisional. Before 2007, the designation of Bishop Provisional was a relatively little known and rarely used classification of bishop.  As San Joaquin became the first diocese to respond to a bishop leaving the church, it became necessary to dust the cobwebs off of this sub-section of the Canons and Constitution of the Episcopal Church, so that the Diocese of San Joaquin might have experienced - albeit temporary - episcopal and ecclesiastical authority as we reorganized.

Many have said that we have had "just the right person at just the right time" as we have connected with our Bishops Provisional since March 2008. Bishop Jerry Lamb provided strong guidance, a calm presence and wonderful sense of humor as we dealt with reorganization from the ground up. Bishop Chet Talton also provided years of experience as he saw us through our spiritual healing from feelings of mistrust and abuse. He guided us in redirecting our focus from within to without as we partnered with Haiti during their time of need. Both Bishop Jerry and Bishop Chet answered the Presiding Bishop's call to help San Joaquin and came out of retirement to serve as a Bishop Provisional for an approximately three year commitment.

In 2014, Bishop David Cappel Rice came to us, not as a retired bishop, but as an active Anglican bishop. He had helped to rebuild and reinvigorate the Diocese of Waiapu in in Aotearoa/New Zealand and Polynesia. We are fortunate, once again, in continuing our pattern of "just the right person at just the right time". As we see our journey through the legal system finally arriving at a positive conclusion, it is time to meet the challenges of returning properties, needs of the valley's ethnic and socio-economic populations and emerging ministry models, with energy and enthusiasm. Bishop David's contagious excitement and commitment to building a missional ministry diocese is motivational and effective. As a bishop who is more than a decade away from mandatory retirement, he has much to contribute in his episcopate in the days ahead.

The Standing Committee has drafted a resolution to modify the canons to allow a path to installation of Bishop David as a Diocesan Bishop without the expense and cumbersome process of soliciting candidates for the position. It is another step in the journey of San Joaquin becoming a diocese fully participating in the Episcopal Church - one with a bishop who is not temporary, one free of debt, and one that fully supports the wider Episcopal Church.

The process will require a vote at the convention in October to change the canons. Another vote will be required - with a super majority - at Convention in 2017, to elect Bishop Provisional David C. Rice as our Bishop Diocesan. This election must then be consented to by a majority of all Bishops Diocesan and Standing Committees in the Dioceses of the Episcopal Church.

By comparison, a typical Bishop Search process lasts about 18 months with costs in excess of $50,000. While other dioceses must make their decisions after very limited opportunities to get to know their future bishop through questionnaires and brief "walk-abouts", we have the unusual and enviable benefit of a three year "walk-about" with Bishop David! Most of us have met the Rices numerous times and have come to consider them friends and partners in our spiritual journey. We have had the opportunity to work, pray, study and laugh with David and Tracy. We have seen his vision and imagination at work. We have seen his unwavering commitment to mission and his new diocese home as he pushed through a debilitating Valley Fever infection to bike over 700 miles and lead the diocese as we brought awareness and resources against human trafficking to our valley, foothill and high desert communities.

Bishop David has made a commitment to our diocese. The Standing Committee wishes to find a practical and expeditious path for our diocese to commit to him and our future together as we are "Called To Be." Once again, the unique experiences of the Diocese of San Joaquin may serve to display to the wider church a new way to do church and let others benefit from our journey.

We ask for your support of the Standing Committee's resolution to modify the canons at the upcoming Diocesan Convention as we begin the year-long journey to welcome Bishop David at Diocesan Convention in 2017 as the 5th Bishop Diocesan of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin.

Your Standing Committee,

Cindy Smith, President
The Rev. Kathryn Galicia, Secretary
The Rev. Deacon Nancy Anne Key
Kelly Olds
Erin Rausch
Nedra Voorhees
The Rev. Robert Woods