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Diocese of Southern Virginia retires its bishop David C. Bane
October 2nd, 2005
The Rt. Rev. David C. Bane, Jr. announced at a Special Council of the Diocese on Saturday, October 1, his intention to retire as the Bishop of Southern Virginia at the 2006 Annual Council, scheduled for Hampton, Virginia February 10 to February 12.
He said he had sent a letter to the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church informing him of this decision. The ecclesiastical authority of the Diocese will reside in the Standing Committee after the Bishop's retirement.
Bishop Bane was consecrated Bishop Coadjutor on September 6, 1997 and became the ninth Bishop Diocesan upon the retirement of the Rt. Rev. Frank H. Vest in June 1998.
Problems in the Diocese over the past several years culminated in the adoption of Resolution R-5 at the 2005 Annual Council in February. The resolution called upon Bishop Bane to request that the Presiding Bishop appoint three Bishops to come into the Diocese to evaluate programs and relationships and recommend steps to move the ministry of the Diocese forward.
Bishops Chilton Knudsen of Maine, Charles Jenkins of Louisiana and Gordon Scruton of Western Massachusetts were selected. Bishop Scruton will present their report at a special meeting of the Diocese's Executive Board on October 17.
Bishop Bane noted he was "confident that their observations and recommendations will be honest and helpful and will provide healthy guidance for all of you. We will then begin this last chapter of our lives together with hope and love and great expectation. In the meantime I ask that you hold Alice and me in your prayers as you have remained in mine every single day over the past nine years."
The Rev. Edward Tracy, Rector of Johns Memorial Church in Farmville, Virginia and President of the Standing Committee, announced that they would meet with the Rt. Rev. F. Clayton Matthews from of the Office of the Presiding Bishop and Bishop Bane on October 18 to review the canonical process for the transition in the Diocese. Rev. Mr. Tracy indicated that the Standing Committee's intention was to seek the appointment of an Interim Bishop to allow the work underway to be completed followed by a process culminating in the election of the tenth Bishop of Southern Virginia at an appropriate time.
Reflecting on his tenure, Bishop Bane said "I have loved serving as your Bishop and will always thank God for that incredible and unexpected privilege in my life. There are not words to describe how special you are to us and we have been blessed to have known you in this way." He continued, "However, as I enter this stage of my life and my ministry among you, I feel a different call within myself. It seems to me that my staying longer could actually prevent the next stage of the healing and reconciliation that is necessary for the new life God calls us all to. The key ingredient in successful ministry is to know when the work is done and the time has come for a different leader who has not been a part of the community to that point."
For Further Information, contact:
The Rt. Rev. David C. Bane, Bishop of Southern Virginia, 757-213-3381 Ms. Donna Hudgins, Chair, Department of Communication, 757-650-2975
Mr. Carlyle Gravely, Editor, the Jamestown Cross, 757-232-9824
FOOTNOTE: This is the sanitized version from the diocese.
