Hello, we’re the Screening and Discernment Subcommittee of the Bishop Search Committee.
Members: Ms. Laura Mahaney, the Rev. Mark Hallahan, the Rev. Dr. Shane Scott-Hamblen
Screening and discernment might sound like one task, but in practice they are two distinct, essential movements in the life of a search process. Screening is about careful listening and sifting. Discernment is about prayerful recognition of where the Spirit is leading. Together, they help guide us toward the person God is calling to serve as our next bishop.
The Screening Process
The process began with prayer — asking God to guide our eyes, ears, and hearts. From there, we reviewed every application in detail, using a rubric written by the Discernment Committee to weigh each candidate’s gifts, experience, and spiritual maturity, and to see if the applicant had studied the Profile well.
The first stage was on paper. Then came Zoom conversations, where we began to hear voices and stories behind the written words. Interviews were conducted with bishops who know the candidates. From there, we invited a group of finalists to our discernment retreat and conducted rigorous background and reference checks.
At each stage, the “screen” became finer — allowing us to focus on those candidates who most clearly showed the qualities, vision, and faith we believe are needed in this diocese at this time, and seeking to answer the questions of “why now, and why here?”
The Discernment Process
Discernment is slower and more mysterious than screening. It is less about analysis and more about openness. It means holding each candidate in prayer, listening deeply to what they say and to what God may be saying through them. It means seeking the Spirit’s leading as a group, not simply adding up individual preferences. At our meetings, it has been our custom to interrupt all discussion and deliberation on the hour with a few moments of prayer. Our task is to help the full committee move beyond “Who do I like best?” into finding “Who has God already called for this ministry?”
Preparing for the Final Selection
As we near the time to choose the slate, we are inviting the committee into deeper spiritual preparation. This includes setting aside time for silence, grounding ourselves in Scripture, and remembering that this work is not ours alone — it belongs to God. We will encourage members to pray daily for wisdom and unity, and to enter the final meetings with hearts open to surprise.
One prayer (in addition to Thomas Merton’s well-known prayer for discernment) has been:
Almighty God, you search our hearts and know us better than we know ourselves. Today we stand before you in holy trust. We let go of our ambitions, our fears, and our private leanings. Purify our intentions. Speak through your Spirit, that we may recognize the one whom you have already chosen for this work. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Shepherd and Bishop of souls.
Amen.
This work is holy work, and we have felt the prayers of the diocese holding us along the way. Please continue to pray for us as we prepare to offer a faithful, Spirit-led slate of nominees to the people of this diocese.