'Coming back to my roots': Jacksonville-based Episcopal Diocese picks next bishop, Charlie Holt

A Houston pastor who was born in Gainesville and raised in Jacksonville is to become the ninth bishop of the 184-year-old Episcopal Diocese of Florida.

As bishop coadjutor elect, the Rev. Charlie Holt will be consecrated, or ordained, in October. A year later he will succeed the diocese's current bishop, the Right Rev. Samuel Johnson "John" Howard, when Howard reaches the mandatory retirement age of 72.

"Coming back to my roots to lead this diocese into its next chapter and serve the wonderful people in it is a tremendous honor," said Holt, known as "Father Charlie."

The diocese, which has about 30,000 members and 2.7 million residents, covers the state's northeast and north-central regions including Jacksonville, Tallahassee and Gainesville.

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The Special Electing Convention took place Saturday at the diocese's home base, St. John’s Cathedral in Jacksonville, with about 250 clergy and lay delegates from each parish taking part. The election required a a concurrent majority — 50 percent plus one — by clergy and laity on the same ballot.

Holt, 50, was the consensus on the third ballot.

"What a great day," he said. "It is a blessing to have the confidence of the diocese."

Holt's election as bishop was the first one in the diocese in 20 years. How often they occur depends on the age of the bishop, according to Joe Gibbes, rector of Episcopal Church of Our Saviour in Mandarin, who chairs the diocese's standing committee, a panel of clergy and laity that advises the bishop.

"The folks who didn't win get a roar of applause," he said.

Five nominees and a vetting process

Howard announced his retirement plans and called for the election last year. Then the diocese’s nominating committee conducted what it called a "thorough nomination and review process," which included a multi-month search and vetting process with open nominations, essays, interviews and several meet-and-greet sessions open to the public.

The nominating committee named five candidates: Holt and the Rev. Canon B. Wiley Ammons Jr. of the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in Jacksonville; the Rev. Canon John Fletcher Montgomery, Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Gainesville; the Rev. Canon Miguel A. Rosada, St. Luke’s/San Lucas Episcopal Church, Jacksonville; and the Rev. Canon Beth Tjoflat, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Jacksonville.

"All five nominees were exceptional," Howard said. "I look forward to welcoming Father Holt into our diocese and to serving with him in the year ahead as we continue to strengthen our diocese’s ministry and growth for the future."

Holt graduated from the Episcopal School of Jacksonville and the University of Florida. He has served the Episcopal Church for about 25 years — in Charlotte, N.C., Lake Mary, Fla., and currently in Houston, as associate rector of teaching and formation at The Church of St. John the Divine.

Some division

On social media, some members of the LGBTQ+ community in and outside of the Episcopal Church expressed disappointment in Holt's selection because of his views on same-sex marriage and gender.

In an interview during the search process, he said, "Christian marriage is a solemn and public covenant between a man and a woman in the presence of God. That's my doctrine and teaching of marriage that I have received … and that will continue to be my teaching," he said. "I see marriage as instituted by God, not a social construct."

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The Rev. Sarah Locke, pastor at Jacksonville Campus Ministry and assisting priest at Episcopal Church of the Redeemer on the Southside, wrote on Twitter, "Please keep folks in the LGBTQIA+ community in the Diocese of Florida in your prayers. Today the diocese elected another bishop who will not affirm their full humanity and … believes marriage is between a man and woman and there are only two genders. What a really sad day for the church.

"But we will get back to work, those of us who have been affirming and celebrating before will become even more intense about it now — because that’s the work that Jesus would have us do," she wrote, "and we will continue to work within the church and without it, sharing the gospel."

Matt Hartley, associate director of the University of North Florida's Interfaith Center, wrote on Twitter: "Deeply grieved that the Episcopal Diocese of Florida … today elected a bishop who denies the dignity of LGBTQ people & same-sex marriage. Let’s say it clear — this misguided theology harms people, their mental health, their bodies."

Holt acknowledged the divide between himself and LGBTQ+ members of the diocese.

"Yes, we don't all agree on the best way to live. We have differences of opinion on a lot of practical things," he said. "These divisions are reflected in the church."

Local LGBTQ+ members also were concerned whether he would allow them to receive other sacraments, such as baptism and communion. His response: "In the Episcopal Church, all are invited to be baptized and to give their life to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and all baptized Christians are invited to receive the sacrament of Holy Communion."

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What's ahead

In the year before he succeeds Howard, Holt said he plans to "reach out and be a bishop … with all people" in the diocese. He said he wants to build "the highest degree of relationships," despite differences of opinion.

"Part of the beauty of the Episcopal Church, he said, is that it has "a big umbrella."

"I’m looking forward to further immersing myself in this loving community, making disciples and sharing the good news of God across our region," he said. "Throughout the search process, I enjoyed getting to know individuals throughout the diocese as well as the other candidates — each one of them brought a special skill set to the table and I’m thankful to have fostered relationships with them."

Holt was a bishop candidate once before when he was in his 30s. At the time, others had suggested he seek the job. But ultimately he knew he, wife Brooke Holt and their three children were not ready for the travel and other demands the bishop title would bring.

"I was never more relieved to not be elected to something," he said. "I was at a different stage of life."

This time around, Holt got the job and was thrilled. Two of his children have graduated college, the third is about to graduate high school.

In the coming months, he will finish his work as a parish priest in Houston and relocate to Florida. Prior to the move, he will begin getting to know the diocese via phone and Zoom.

"I want to begin conversations now. People want to know who you are," he said.

After his October ordination, he will work alongside Howard as "bishop successor" and help ensure a smooth transition. Howard has led the diocese since 2004.

"He is a Godly man," Holt said. "I want to honor him."

bcravey@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4109

BISCHOP COADJUTOR ELECT CHARLIE HOLT

1993: B.S., Business Administration, University of Florida

1997: Masters of Divinity, Seabury-Western Theological Seminary

1997: Ordained deacon

1998: Ordained priest

1997-2001: Associate rector, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Charlotte, N.C.

2001-2017: Rector, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church and School, Lake Mary, Fla.

2017-present: Associate rector of Teaching and Formation, The Church of St. John the Divine, Houston.

He has also worked on a master's degree at Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando Campus, and he and wife Brooke co-founded Bible Study Media, an online curriculum of biblical principles, at biblestudymedia.com.

For more information about the bishop search process, go to floridabishopsearch.org.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Charlie Holt is new bishop of Jacksonville's Episcopal Diocese of Florida