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CENTRAL FLORIDA: Three straight white males toss their hats in the ring to be next bishop
PHOTO: Allison (left), Holcombe, and Tafoya
By David W. Virtue DD
ww.virtueonline.org
October 4, 2022
Three orthodox nominees who want to become the fifth bishop of the evangelical Central Florida diocese following the retirement of Greg Brewer have all said they would allow and honor Resolution B012 (2018 (gay marriage) by making provision to celebrate such weddings. General Convention's Resolution B003 (2018) requires a bishop to make provisions for them. All three nominees said they would obey both resolutions.
Their diocesan canon forbids clergy from celebrating such weddings.
It is ironic that George Conger, a Central Florida rector who attempted to become the Bishop of Springfield is not a candidate.
All three bishops affirmed their belief in Christ's resurrection and expressed no hesitations about the pledge, The Living Church noted.
The Rev. Charles (Roy) Allison II, rector of James Church, Ormond Beach, Fl., is a 2012 graduate of Nashotah House Theological Seminary. He is a member of the Order of St. Luke and the Brotherhood of St. Andrew.
The Rev. Canon Dr. Justin Holcomb is canon for vocations in the Diocese of Central Florida; and a 1997 graduate of Reformed Theological Seminary. He has a Ph.D. from Emory University in theological studies. He is the author of several books, including, Is it My Fault? Hope and Healing for Those Suffering Domestic Violence (with his wife, Lindsey), Know the Creeds and Councils, and On the Grace of God.
He is the odds-on favorite to win. He is an insider in the diocese, is well known and holds a Ph.D. and has written a couple of books.
The Rev. Dr. Stacey Timothy Tafoya, rector of Church of the Epiphany, Denver, a 2000 graduate of Seminary of the Southwest, completed a D. Min. at Denver Seminary in 2020. "A Benedictine spirituality is at the heart of my approach to life and ministry," he writes.
It is doubly ironic that a former bishop of Central Florida, John W. Howe resigned his orders over B012 and is now a bishop in the ACNA.
Clearly, the desire for ecclesiastical power runs deep in the veins of Episcopal priests who are prepared to compromise over a salvation issue like homosexual marriage. God is not amused.
The real test will come if the HOB will give consent to whoever wins, or if the LGBTQ crowd denounce him as they did Charlie Holt and attempt to derail him.
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