"Whoever drink from the water that I give shall never thirst" John 4:14
The Rev. Michael J. Hanley, Bishop-Elect
The Rev. Michael Joseph Hanley was elected the 10th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon. The election occurred on the second ballot taken during the annual Diocesan Convention, November 20, 2009.
Sharon Rodgers, president of the Standing Committee, sends this message to the diocesan family: By the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, the diocese of Oregon, meeting in Convention in Eugene, Oregon, on the 20th day of November in the year of our Lord 2009, has elected The Rev. Michael Hanley as the tenth Bishop of Oregon.
Father Hanley has been serving as rector of St. Christopher Episcopal Church, Roseville, Minnesota since 1998. He was one of three nominees selected by the Search Committee to stand for election. Provided a majority of bishops with jurisdiction and a majority of diocesan Standing Committees give their consent, he will be consecrated on April 10, 2010 by The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts-Schori, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church.
The Standing Committee is profoundly grateful to the Search Committee for the time and energy they invested in selecting our three nominees, to the nominees themselves for being willing, once chosen, to stand for election, and to the Holy Spirit for guiding our diocese through our search and election process.
Read Bishop-Elect Hanley's bio.
Download Michael Hanley's answers to the nominees' four questions.
Download Michael Hanley's resume.
Bio
Michael was born in 1954 and grew up in Oklahoma and in New York City. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1976 and a M.Div. from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois, in 1981. He also holds a D.Min. in Congregational Development from Seabury-Western (2005). Michael has served parishes in Oklahoma, Missouri, and, for the past nineteen years, Minnesota. In the Diocese of Minnesota he has served in a variety of elected and appointed leadership positions and is currently a trustee of Seabury-Western. He is known as a supportive mentor to people of all ages and stages of life, with a deep spiritual center. In a recent sabbatical he completed the 500-mile walking pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella, Spain, with his daughter. In his spare time he has been a storyteller, performing for schools, churches, and other civic groups. He is married to Marla Martin Hanley, an associate academic dean at St. Catherine University in the Twin Cities. Michael and Marla are the proud parents of two adult daughters. About our search process Michael wrote:
I am excited by the challenges and joys of walking collaboratively with you and pioneering news ways of being a bishop. I believe the Anglican Communion is in need of such leadership. The values you claim—tolerance, diversity, independence, love of Mother Earth and a commitment to social justice—I find wonderfully refreshing.
A Prayer for a Time of Transition
Almighty God, we pray that the power of Christ’s love may be present in our lives as we, the people of the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon, enter a time of prayerful discernment and transition to new leadership. May the Holy Spirit illumine the hearts and minds of those who have the responsibility to lead us as we prepare to build on the vision that is before us. Let not the prospect of change be an occasion for fear and confusion, but rather a time to build trust and increase understanding that Christ’s love may be made known between us and among us that your will may be done. Amen ~The Rev. Alcena Boozer, rector, St. Philip the Deacon, Portland and former member of the Standing Committee
