Grein Elected in New York; Dennis Taken Ill
Episcopal News Service. September 29, 1988 [88205]
NEW YORK (DPS, Sept. 29) -- The Rt. Rev. Richard F. Grein, 55, Bishop of Kansas since 1981, has been elected Bishop Coadjutor of New York on the 10th ballot in an election that was marred by the physical collapse of one of the candidates.
Suffragan Bishop Walter D. Dennis of New York, one of the seven candidates, collapsed as he was voting on the first ballot, and was rushed to St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center. He was later admitted in stable condition to an intensive care unit, and remained in the hospital for rest and observation.
On Easter Day 1988, Dennis collapsed during a church service, and was treated in the hospital for five days for a potassium imbalance caused by stress and exhaustion. Early indications were that Dennis' latest collapse may have resulted from similar causes. Bishop Paul Moore of New York visited Dennis in the hospital during the evening balloting session, and regular reports on his condition were announced at the electing convention.
Grein's midnight victory was achieved after nearly 10 hours of balloting. On the final ballot, he received 160 clerical and 144 lay votes with 160 and 132, respectively, needed to elect. In second place on the final ballot was the Ven. Robert N. Willing, Archdeacon of the Mid-Hudson Region of the Diocese of New York since 1970. He received 108 clerical and 91 lay votes. The third surviving candidate on the final ballot was the Rev. George F. Regas, rector of All Saints' Church, Pasadena, Calif., who received 51 clerical and 28 lay votes.
Grein will automatically succeed Moore when the 69-year old prelate retires on or before his 72nd birthday. The date has not yet been announced. Grein, meanwhile, will translate from the Diocese of Kansas to the Diocese of New York, and the installation is scheduled for Jan. 7, 1989.
Dennis, who placed second on the first ballot, withdrew before another ballot was taken, having said before the election that he would do if looked like his health would be an issue.
Grein made steady gains in both orders as the election progressed, with the exception of the fourth ballot, and was challenged thereafter only by Archdeacon Willing.
The other three candidates dropped out of the race after the fifth ballot. They were: the Rev. C. Hugh Hildesley, rector of the Church of the Heavenly Rest, New York City; the Rev. Thomas F. Pike, rector of Calvary-Holy Communion-St. George's, New York City; and the Ven. Michael S. Kendall, Archdeacon of New York City.
Willing and Kendall were nominated from the floor. The other five were named by the official diocesan Nominating Committee for Bishop Coadjutor.
Grein is a native of Minnesota, and graduated with a B.A. from Carleton College, Northfield, Minn., in 1955. He received his Master of Divinity degree from Nashotah House in 1959 and a Master of Sacred Theology degree from Nashotah House two years later. In 1982, his alma mater awarded him an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree.
Grein was ordained to the diaconate and priesthood in 1959. He has been vicar of Trinity Church, Elk River, St. John's, Hassan, and Trinity Church, Becker, Minn. (1959-64); rector of St. Matthew's, Minneapolis (1964-69); rector of St. Michael & All Angels, Mission, Kans. (1974-81). He has also been an Professor of Pastoral Theology at Nashotah House (1973-74).
He has been a member of the national Church's Standing Commission on Ecumenical Relations, the House of Bishops Committees on Theology and on Pastoral Development, the Lutheran-Episcopal Dialogue, the Anglican-Roman Catholic Dialogue, and the boards of the College of Preachers and the National Center for the Diaconate. He was recently the chair of the General Board of Examining Chaplains.
On the diocesan level, he has been a two-time deputy to General Convention and member of a host of commissions and committees, including the Standing Committee and Commission on Ministry.
He has co-authored a course preparing young people for Holy Communion, and wrote "The Bishop and Pastoral Care" in Anglican Theology and Pastoral Care (Morehouse, 1985). He has led conferences on Christian spirituality, growth in marriage, parish renewal, theology of parish administration, and renewal of the diaconate.
Grein is married to the former Joan Atkinson, and they have four children.