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FLORIDA: Charlie Holt Wins Again in Florida Election Do Over
By David W. Virtue, DD
www.virtueonline.org
November 21, 2022
The Rev. Charlie Holt has once again been elected bishop coadjutor of the Diocese of Florida at a special electing convention on Nov. 19. A May election saw him win resoundingly. However, the results were rejected because of alleged "procedural objections," but the LGBTQ community and a revisionist woman theologian in the person of Diana Butler Bass objected because Holt was seen as too conservative on the hot button issue of homosexual marriage.
She said at the time that Holt should not get the bishops' consents because of his views on homosexuality. It is ironic, because Holt said he would abide by the polity of the church on B012, not prohibit churches that want to perform same sex marriages and would welcome LGBTQ+ persons into the ordination process.
Holt was elected on the first ballot, a stick in the eye at the pansexual lobby who do not want Holt and his conservative views and perhaps thought they could quash his re-election bid.
All that is required now is a simple majority of diocesan standing committees and bishops with jurisdiction to consent to the election within 120 days. Will he get them?
If the church's pro homosexual lobby don't object (after all they do believe in inclusion and diversity), Holt will be ordained and consecrated bishop coadjutor to succeed Bishop John Howard as diocesan bishop when he retires in late 2023. PB Michael Curry's "beloved community" would not be quite so "beloved" if Holt does not obtain consents.
Holt, presently serves on the diocesan staff. The two other candidates who ran in May; an Hispanic and a woman, were resoundingly defeated. They were; the Rev. Miguel Rosada of St. Luke's/San Lucas Episcopal Church in Jacksonville and the Rev. Beth Tjoflat of St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Jacksonville.
The results were announced by an independent auditor and Bishop Howard announced the results at the conclusion of the convention which was held at Camp Weed in Live Oak.
Here's how the voting went:
Laity: 132 cast
Necessary for election: 67
Holt: 79
Tjoflat: 44
Rosada: 4
Illegal: 5 (too many names)
Clergy: 111 cast
Necessary: 56
Holt: 56
Tjoflat: 31
Rosada: 10
Illegal: 14
According to an ENS report, the "illegal" votes, as auditors and Howard explained, were those that were cast by delegates who had the right to vote but who selected all three candidates instead of one, apparently in protest. Two delegates abstained from voting.
"I'm very grateful for your support and for the opportunity to be in this role of bishop coadjutor-elect again," Holt told the convention by phone after being notified of his election. "My prayer for us as we move forward into these next weeks and months -- and I know we have some more hard work to do -- is that we can ... reach out our hands of love towards one another, and seek to bring not only those who don't know the love of Jesus, but especially those of us who do."
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