Laura Ahrens elected bishop suffragan in Connecticut
Episcopal News Service. March 10, 2007 [031007-03]
Karin Hamilton, Director for communication and media for the Diocese of Connecticut
The Rev. Dr. Laura Ahrens, 44, rector of St. James' Episcopal Church in Danbury, Connecticut, was elected bishop suffragan for the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut at a special convention in Hartford on March 10. She is the first woman elected bishop in the Diocese of Connecticut.
Christ Church Cathedral, Hartford was at near capacity, with more than 900 people present, and the mood was one of excitement and anticipation.
Ahrens was elected on the fifth ballot from a slate of seven candidates. She was elected with 139 lay votes and 145 clergy votes. An election on that ballot required 123 votes of 257 cast in the lay order and 129 of 243 votes cast in the clergy order.
She will begin work this spring as bishop suffragan-elect.
In accordance with the Episcopal Church's Canon III.11.4, a majority of bishops with jurisdiction as well as the Standing Committees of the other 109 dioceses in the Episcopal Church must now give their consent to the election. If received, Ahrens will be consecrated as a bishop on Saturday, June 30 at Christ Church Cathedral. The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, will be the chief consecrator.
A bishop suffragan is a full bishop of the Episcopal Church whose elected position is to assist a diocesan bishop; in Connecticut this is the Rt. Rev. Andrew D. Smith. There is no "right of succession" upon retirement or resignation of a diocesan bishop. A bishop suffragan may later be elected as a diocesan bishop, however.
Since 2000, Smith has worked with two bishops suffragan, the Rt. Rev. James E. Curry and the Rt. Rev. Wilfrido Ramos-Orench. Last year Ramos accepted a call to serve as missionary bishop in the Diocese of Ecuador Central. At his departure, Smith decided to call for the election of another bishop suffragan.
A diverse, representative nominating committee was appointed and its members began their work in late August 2006. They received nominations last fall and made their choices after an extensive screening process that included written essays, site visits, background checks, multiple interviews with the nominees, up to ten references and a final round of meetings with the full Nominating Committee and senior diocesan staff.
There were seven people on the full slate for election on March 10. Biographies and answers to questions are included on the diocesan search website.
The search committee presented an initial slate of five candidates on February 9:
- The Rev. Dr. Laura J. Ahrens, 44, rector of St. James', Danbury;
- The Rev. Sarah Buxton-Smith, 57, rector of St. Andrew's, Buffalo, NY;
- The Rev. Canon Thomas J. Furrer, 56, rector of Trinity Church, Tariffville;
- The Rev. Dr. Robert "Odie" Odierna, 57, rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd, Nashua, NH; and
- The Rev. Dr. Michael Louis Vono, 58, rector of St. Paul's Within the Walls, Rome, Italy.
A process to receive additional nominations by petition opened February 9 for a week and two candidates were added:
- The Rev. Dr. Barbara T. Cheney, 63, rector of St. Paul and St. James, New Haven;
- The Rev. José A. Díaz-Martínez, 55, Diocesan Hispanic Missioner, of Bridgeport.
The Rev. Dr. Laura Ahrens received a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in geology and geophysics from Princeton University in 1984; a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) from Yale Divinity School/Berkeley Divinity School in 1991; and a Doctorate of Ministry (D.Min.) from Hartford Seminary in 2000. The theme of her doctoral work was "Engaging a Generation, Adult Education for Baby Boomers." She was ordained as a priest in 1992.
Ahrens served as curate at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Osterville, Massachusetts (1991-1993); associate rector at Trinity Episcopal Church in Concord, Massachusetts (1993-1995); and associate rector at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Darien, Connecticut (1995-2000). She has served on the Bishop and Diocesan Executive Council and was a part of the design team that articulated the theme, "God's People on Mission." She served as well on the Diocesan Stewardship Committee.
Presently, Ahrens is serving the diocese as a member of the Standing Committee, a member of Committee I (Priesthood), a member of the Program and Budget Committee, and as Secretary of Diocesan Convention.
Since 2000, Ahrens has been rector of St. James' Episcopal Church in Danbury. She worked with the city of Danbury in creating the Overflow Homeless Shelter, began a relationship in her parish with Habitat for Humanity, and strengthened her parish's relationship with Covenant to Care. She is also currently an associate of the Society of St. John the Evangelist (SSJE).
Ahrens is engaged to be married to Bob Fawber.
There are 174 parishes in the Diocese of Connecticut with approximately 68,000 baptized members and approximately 500 clergy.