Magness becomes federal ministries bishop suffragan
Episcopal News Service. June 21, 2010 [062110-03]
Mary Frances Schjonberg
In a Washington National Cathedral service that included military and prison chaplains, and Anglican Communion bishops responsible for care of military personnel, the Rev. Dr. James "Jay" Magness was ordained and consecrated June 19 as the Episcopal Church's sixth bishop suffragan for federal ministries.
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori presided and was the chief consecrator, and Diocese of Kentucky Bishop Edwin F. Gulick Jr. preached and was one of the co-consecrators.
Other co-consecrators were Diocese of Central Pennsylvania Bishop Nathan D. Baxter, Diocese of Washington Bishop John Bryson Chane, Bishop Richard Graham of the Metropolitan Washington D.C. Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Diocese of Southern Virginia Bishop Herman Hollerith IV and Magness' two predecessors Bishop George Packard and Bishop Charles L. Keyser.
Chaplains and bishops from throughout the Episcopal Church participated, along with House of Deputies President Bonnie Anderson and international representatives of three Anglican bishops who hold similar positions and ministries in their provinces: Anglican Province of New Zealand Bishop of Wellington Thomas J. Brown; Anglican Military Ordinate for the Anglican Church of Canada Bishop Peter Coffin and Anglican Bishop to the Defence Force from the Anglican Church of Australia Len Eacott.
The order of service for the consecration and ordination is here.
The House of Bishops elected Magness March 24 during its meeting at Camp Allen. He received the required consents as outlined under Canon III.11.4 (a) from a majority of bishops with jurisdiction (diocesan bishops only) and diocesan standing committees.
Magness, 63, was chosen out of a field of eight nominees. At the time he was canon for mission and diocesan administration in the Diocese of Southern Virginia . He retired from the U.S. Navy in 2003 in the rank of captain, serving as command chaplain of U.S. Joint Forces Command and fleet chaplain for the U.S. Fleet Forces Command. Prior to those assignments, from 1997 to 2000, he was on the Navy Chief of Chaplains' staff as personnel manager of the Navy Chaplain Corps.
The bishop suffragan for federal ministries, formally known in the church's constitution (Article II.7) as the bishop suffragan for the Armed Forces, is responsible for the pastoral care and oversight of U.S. Armed Forces chaplains; military personnel and families; chaplains in federal hospitals, prisons and correctional facilities; and for the eucharistic communities related to military installations.
Magness succeeds Packard, who served as bishop suffragan for federal ministries since 2000 and who retired on May 31.