A consultant is attempting to improve the relationship between the Bishop of New Jersey and members of his diocese. Criticism of the Rt. Rev. Joe Morris Doss, diocesan bishop, led to the hiring of a consultant to investigate complaints.

The Rev. Peter Steinke, a Lutheran minister, was hired following unanimous votes by the standing committee and diocesan council at their November meetings. The standing committee's motion noted that the decision was made to "deal with the issues of conflict, dysfunction, tension, trust, anger, and lack of communication which are present in the diocese."

The action of the two groups was noted in the annual report for the convention of the diocese, sent to delegates prior to the convention March 14-15 in Trenton. The pre-convention mailing contained a report from the diocesan committee on wellness which addressed the conflict. The report summarized 83 phone contacts and 39 letters from parishes which had been contacted by members of diocesan council regarding their concerns. The wellness committee summarized the telephone interviews and letters in a list of 10 general concerns. Those concerns included the following:

A lack of communication, specifically that the bishop does not listen, that letters and phone calls are not answered by personnel at diocesan headquarters, and that there is a lack of information on diocesan programs.

Anger, focused largely upon the bishop, but seen as indicative of a larger systemic problem.

Leadership style of the bishop seen as "angry, provocative, confrontational and task oriented." Others saw the bishop as "arrogant, manipulative and self-serving."

The concerns also mentioned a lack of attention by the diocese to parish problems, a need for more face-to-face contact with the bishop, lack of leadership in the diocese, lack of staff at the diocese, and financial weakness, specifically that "many parishes noted that it is hard to help the diocese when their own financial positions are getting progressively weaker."

The consultant is to prepare written and oral reports to the bishop, standing committee and diocesan council.

The wellness committee report states that a plan of action will follow the report, and that plan will be enacted during the fall of 1997 and the winter of 1998.

"Clearly this situation has been brewing for a few years," said the Rev. Peter K. Stimpson, who chairs the wellness committee, in an interview with the Trenton Times. "There is an intense anger at the bishop by some. But the bishop has been quite open and receptive to the process."

Bishop Doss was elected in 1993 and moved to New Jersey from Palo Alto, Calif., where he had been rector of St. Mark's Church. He has faced other confrontational issues, including a lawsuit in which 10 former employees of Trinity Cathedral, Trenton, sued former Dean J. Chester Gray for sexual harrasasment and included Bishop Doss as a co-defendent. In addition, members of the Episcopal Black Caucus have claimed the diocese has been guilty of institutional racism, and diocesan income from parishes has dropped.