Standing Together Through Transition
Navajoland Standing Committee

By The Rev. Jack Chase

When Bishop Barry Beisner retired as Bishop Provisional, the Standing Committee took on an important new responsibility in the life of the Missionary Diocese of Navajoland. Until our next bishop is elected and consecrated, the Standing Committee serves as the Ecclesiastical Authority for Navajoland. Simply put, this means the committee carries many of the responsibilities normally held by a bishop, except those that require a bishop to exercise a sacrament.

The Standing Committee includes three lay members and three clergy members, elected at Navajoland’s first Annual Convention last year. The lay members are Margaret Benally, Maggie Brown, and Anna Fowler. The clergy members are the Rev. Jack Chase, the Rev. Canon Cornelia Eaton, and the Rev. Leon Sampson. Canon Cornelia and Rev. Leon, who took leaves of absence during the bishop candidate search, have now rejoined the committee.

We are in an important time of transition for Navajoland, and the work requires us to make decisions together. Our Chancellor, Karen Aubrey, has provided training to help the Standing Committee understand its responsibilities as Ecclesiastical Authority, and the committee has been meeting twice a month.

Much of our work has focused on keeping the ministry of Navajoland moving forward. We named Canon Cornelia as Canon for Congregational Development and Transitions and approved an agreement with the Rev. Paula Henson to serve as Interim Vicar of the Utah Region. We have also made arrangements with the Diocese of the Rio Grande for support in church disciplinary matters. We are working with the Presiding Bishop on a Covenant of Support for Navajoland to take to General Convention.

 At the same time, we continue looking ahead. Planning has begun for a clergy conference and training for leaders on substance abuse and recovery. Our next Diocesan Convention will be held online in October, allowing delegates and leaders from across Navajoland to gather for the business and shared work of the Diocese. In-person gatherings will continue during the summer, giving our regions opportunities to come together face-to-face for fellowship, learning, and relationship.

 The Standing Committee has set April 17, 2027, as the date for the election of our next bishop. We are currently making arrangements for the election to be held at a neutral site near Gallup. We have also submitted our preferred dates to the Presiding Bishop’s office for the consecration of the new bishop in the fall of 2027.

After a bishop is elected, the wider Episcopal Church must give its consent before the election is complete. The Presiding Bishop has assured us that if those consents are received in time for General Convention, our Bishop-elect will be able to have seat and voice in the House of Bishops at General Convention.