I read the letter of Alan E. Linden [TLC, June 1]. At first I was dismayed, then I got a little angry, then I settled down and decided to write. When Mr. Linden objects to the procedures which are in place for the nomination and election of the next Presiding Bishop, I believe he is either ignorant of the procedure, or is totally out of sympathy with the polity of the Episcopal Church. We have a structure which elects clerical and lay deputies at diocesan conventions who represent our interests at General Convention every three years. Members of the committee that nominated the four candidates for Presiding Bishop were selected by a nominating committee chosen from among representatives in each of the provinces of the church. Further, nominees can be made from the floor of the General Convention in Philadelphia.

At last count, the House of Deputies of the General Convention exceeded 800 members, which can hardly be called a "small" group. If it is "elite," as Mr. Linden suggests, he must be deploring the representative form of government. The constitution of the Episcopal Church was framed by many of the same people who framed the Constitution of the United States. Our system for governing ourselves within our church is very similar to our federal government, lacking only a Supreme Court.

Mr. Linden might prefer that the polity of his church be more similar to that of the congregational or some other denomination which is not hierarchical in its structure. While I disagree with his position, I must confess it is not irrational or unreasonable. It just does not reflect the reality of the Episcopal Church.

Sterling Newell, Jr. Cleveland, Ohio