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Hampton Elected Suffragan in Minnesota

Episcopal News Service. November 3, 1988 [88235]

NEW YORK (DPS, Nov. 3) -- In a contest that captured national attention, the Rev. Sanford Hampton, 53, rector of St. Barnabas Church in the Diocese of Washington (D.C.), was elected suffragan of Minnesota. Balloting came on October 29.

One of the reasons for national attention was the place on the ballot of the Rev. Margo Maris, clergy deployment officer of the diocese, whose candidacy had strong support in many quarters. If elected, Maris would have been the second woman to be so chosen in the history of the Anglican Communion. [Bishop-elect Barbara Harris of Massachusetts was the first (DPS 88201).]

Maris did prove to be, in fact, Hampton's principal challenger throughout the contest. Election came on the fourth ballot with Hampton and Maris, by that time, the sole contenders. Hampton's greatest strength was in the vote of the laity. Maris had strong clergy support throughout. The fourth ballot vote was Hampton -- 87 clergy, 166 laity; Maris -- 59 clergy, 47 laity. There were three other contenders, all clergy of the diocese. The Very Rev. Thomas Winkler, who was, with Maris and Hampton, one of the three choices of the diocesan search committee, dropped out after the second ballot. The Rev. Ronald Bauer and the Rev. Henry Hoover were nominated from the floor. Bauer dropped out after the second ballot; Hoover, after the third.

Sanford Hampton, the suffragan-elect, has had a varied ministry, serving rural and small church parishes as well as urban parishes. His parishes have been in Illinois, Utah, and Oregon, and, at the time of his election, Washington, D.C. While rector of St. Barnabas Church in Washington, Hampton was co-founder of the Oxon Hill Food Pantry, an ecumenical emergency food shelf program, and chaplain volunteer at the Greater Southeast Community Hospital in the District of Columbia.

Hampton is a graduate of Northwestern University and Seabury Western Theological Seminary. He was ordained in the Diocese of Chicago in 1966. Before ordination, Hampton had pursued a secular career in sales and marketing in Chicago. The suffragan-elect and his wife of 35 years, Marilyn, have four children and three grandchildren.

Consecration of the new bishop will take place in early spring of 1989.