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1. Bishops (episcopal leaders) are elected by

delegates at Jurisdictional Conferences.

a. Jurisdictional delegates are chosen by the annual conferences to lift up a nominee or nominees and eventually elect bishops as needed at the Jurisdictional Conference

b. Bishops are elected at jurisdictional conferences by a super majority (66-percent)

c. Bishops are elected to replace retiring bishops. (In the Northeast Jurisdiction we will replace one bishop this year upon the retirement of Bishop Violet Fisher.)

d. Annual conferences may elect a nominee or nominees to send to the Jurisdictional Conference.

2. How the nominee was endorsed by the delegation.

a. The process of selecting a nominee was developed by the head of the delegation and the Episcopacy Endorsement Task Force, led by the Rev. Joseph Daniels.

b. Last winter, four nominees were nominated by their peers and their names were submitted to the delegation.

c. These nominees submitted biographies and statements of intent to the delegation.

d. The delegation met with the nominees in a day-long session of discussion and discernment.

e. An election was held and the first nominee to receive a super majority was endorsed by the delegation.

f. The Rev. Peggy Johnson was the candidate who received the endorsement of the 36-member Jurisdictional Conference delegation.

g. Members of the delegation then voiced their unanimous support of Rev. Johnson.

3.Balloting for a nominee at annual conference

a. On Saturday, the delegation will present the candidate they have discerned through their process.

b. The annual conference will vote on endorsing the delegation's candidate. A vote of 66 percent, a super majority, is needed when identifying potential bishops.

c. The floor is then open to the conference for additional nominations.

d. If there are additional nominees from the floor, those individuals will be voted on using ballots. An individual will need to receive 66 percent of the vote within three ballots, at which time the balloting will stop or the body may decide to continue the balloting. In addition to any names from the floor, people will also have the choice to vote for the option of "no additional individual."