Virginia Episcopalian Magazine Winter 2012 Issue | Page 15

THE BISHOP SUFFRAGAN SEARCH PROCESS
ALLY GETLEIN, CHAIR, NOMINATING COMMITTEE
As we begin 2012, the Nominating Committee for the next
Bishop Suffragan is in the final phase of their process. The
last several months have been spent in prayerful review and
discernment, and the committee has completed the telephone
interview phase of the process, traveled to visit potential
nominees and held a retreat for the final round of potential
nominees. The Nominating Committee will present a slate
of four to six nominees to the diocese on February 3, 2012.
The work of the Nominating Committee will then conclude,
and we will offer our support to the Transition Committee. At
that point, the Transition Committee will be requesting your
input on suggested questions to be asked of the nominees at
the Walkabouts to be held March 19-23. Thank you for your
continued prayers and support. t

Timeline
February 3 Nominating Committee presents slate of nominees.
March 19

Walkabout, St. Paul’s, Ivy, 7-9:30 p.m.

March 20 Walkabout, Grace, Kilmarnock, 1-3:30 p.m.
March 20 Walkabout, St. George’s, Fredericksburg, 7-9:30 p.m.
March 21

Walkabout, Christ Church, Winchester, 7-9:30 p.m.

March 22 Walkabout, Good Shepherd, Burke, 7:30-10 p.m.
March 23 Walkabout, St. James’s, Richmond, 7-9:30 p.m.
April 21

Election, St. George’s, Fredericksburg

July 28

Consecration, St. Paul’s, Richmond

continued from page 12

internet and social media are ending.

Personal blogs are also sprouting up to help spread the
word. Monica Gill writes “Life with Grace,” twice a month from
her home in Purcellville. “Blogging is a wonderful way to reach
people and speak God’s message to them,” she said.

Gill’s goal is to help people see God in everyday moments
by sharing her experiences parenting her daughter Grace. She
draws parallels between parent-child relationships and our
relationship with God. “It’s a mirror image in its ideal form,”
she said.

She thinks the challenges to successful blogging include
marketing the blog and getting people to invest time reading
it and return. Each of her blogs attracts about 300 visits.
“There’s a lot of competition,” she said. She maintains an
e-mail list of her visitors and sends them an e-mail when she
posts new content.

Blogs are also being used to enhance diocesan committee

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communications. For example, the Committee on Stewardship
of Creation created a blog about a year ago to develop an
ongoing dialogue with people interested in environmental
stewardship.

Tal Day, vice-chairman of the committee, said the blog
provides a way to identify and follow up on issues, such
as storm water management, and to learn about available
resources and related endeavors.

Day hopes people will become more comfortable about
interacting online. “They are reading and looking, but they
aren’t commenting online.” Their comments would extend the
benefits of the blog, he said.

Naughton said bloggers need to be patient; their
audiences will develop over time. “The quality of the
interaction is what will draw people. Just post a link to an
article and ask for comments. Think of it as talk radio rather
than the op-ed page of the newspaper.” t

Receipts off?
Pledge fulfillment inconsistent?

There is a Solution
Peter Williams

The ACH Processing Company of Northern Virginia
www.achpcnva.com
[phone]
510 King Street, Suite 416, Alexandria, Va 22314

Winter 2012 / VIRGINIA EPISCOPALIAN

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