Counting the Cost

It is hard to know at this point what the ripple effect of this afternoon's election will be. It will, no doubt, have an impact on the passage of legislation addressing the concerns of the Windsor Report. The spin is just beginning. Scroll to the bottom of this post for Susan Russell's first comments on behalf of Integrity.

This afternoon in the House of Deputies, it was announced that there had been an election. The House of Bishops, sequestered at nearby Trinity Church, had elected the Rt. Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori (Bishop of Nevada) as the 26th Presiding Bishop on the fifth ballot. Schori was ordained to the priesthood in 1994, and she became Bishop of Nevada in 2001.

First I'll post the vote count in the House of Bishops, and then I'll post the final tally which confirmed the election in a vote by orders in the House of Deputies.

In the HOB, 188 bishops were voting, and 95 votes were needed to elect.

House of Bishops

First Ballot
26 Alexander
18 Gomez
15 Gulick
44 Schori
29 Jenkins
36 Parsley
20 Sauls

Second Ballot
26 Alexander
10 Gomez
7 Gulick
49 Schori
30 Jenkins
49 Parsley
17 Sauls

Third Ballot
22 Alexander
4 Gomez
1 Gulick
68 Schori
24 Jenkins
63 Parsley
6 Sauls

Fourth Ballot
12 Alexander
2 Gomez
0 Gulick
88 Schori
5 Jenkins
79 Parsley
2 Sauls

Fifth Ballot
2 Alexander
6 Gomez
0 Gulick
95 Schori
3 Jenkins
82 Parsley
0 Sauls

Note: Schori and Parsley were tied in the second ballot and very close in the third. While Schori received 95 votes on the fifth ballot, 93 of the 188 bishops did not vote for her.

House of Deputies

109 Voting in the Lay Order

94 Yes
8 No
7 Divided

111 Voting in the Clerical Order

98 Yes
9 No
4 Divided

Note: A deputation whose votes are divided is counted as a 'no.'

The Rt. Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori will be installed as the 26th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church on November 4th at Washington National Cathedral.

There is lots of information circulating about this story. Check TitusOneNine for a list of press links. Also, note the quote below from the Rev. Susan Russell of Integrity from this Reuters story.

"We look forward to continuing the process of working closely with the presiding bishop toward the full inclusion of the gay and lesbian faithful in the Body of Christ," said the Rev. Susan Russell, head of the group. "The historic election … is something for us and the whole church to celebrate."