Church Folk - Michele Andrea Bowen [85]
Vivian Jennings, who was sparkling in an incredible ivory bugle-beaded gown, got up and gave both Essie and Theophilus a big hug, enveloping them in a cloud of Joy perfume. She was a beautiful woman, tall and shapely, who looked so much like Nancy Wilson that when she opened her mouth to speak, Essie was always surprised to hear her soft, light tone instead of the Nancy Wilson voice she was expecting.
Bishop Jennings shook Theophilus's hand and then took both of Essie's hands in his, held her at arm's length, and said, "Looks like this little lady plans on putting the rest of our sisters to shame with this dress. I hope you know you're a lucky man, Rev. Simmons. Just a couple of years ago I was trying to help you find a good woman and look what the good Lord helped you find all by yourself."
Essie tried not to smile because she knew it would make Theophilus mad. Bishop Jennings always teased him about the time he tried to help him find a wife from the pulpit at the Tennessee/Mississippi Annual Conference back in '61.
The bishop and his wife sat down in chairs in the middle of the long banquet table and motioned for everyone to sit close together so they could talk without being overheard. "I invited you good people to this banquet because I want you to get a bird's-eye view of how bishops are really elected in your church," he told them. "You see, this banquet has been held at the Triennial Conference for over twenty years. And, with few exceptions, just about every pastor who has been elected a bishop was introduced at this affair. It has become something of a rite of passage for those who join the ranks of the episcopacy."
"Bishop Jennings, I thought the election of bishops was scheduled for next Friday," Theophilus said. "I mean, how can they select a bishop without the consent of the delegates? Isn't that why we went through so much trouble selecting delegates? To vote for our bishops?"
"Bishops and prominent pastors can influence the selection of bishops, Rev. Simmons, by soliciting pledged votes from delegates long before we come to the Triennial Conference. But the delegates who have not been approached for a pledged vote will most likely vote for the men who tonight have gathered enough pledges for votes to convince everybody that they have what it takes to secure the 925 votes needed to become an elected bishop. Once these men are introduced to this crowd, someone will leave the banquet and report to the delegates who is hot. And once that happens, that election will simply ratify what was done here this evening."
"But—"
"But, Rev. Simmons, this is how it is, not how it is supposed to be. Just look around this room and think of all the good men in the denomination you know are running for bishop and are not here this evening."
Theophilus looked around the room at who was there. Bishop Jennings was right. With the exception of Rev. James, all the other pastors he thought would make good bishops were absent.
"Then why didn't you invite any of them, Bishop?"
"My political strength rests pretty much within the parameters of my district. Once you travel outside it, you run into another bishop's territory. And unless he is an ally, you can hang up politicking for any support in his district. You see, most of a bishop's power comes from who he can get to support him. Take Rev. Ernest Brown. Lord knows, he has no business trying to be anybody's bishop. But he has that Michigan machine run by Bishop Lawson Giles behind him, and he will be recognized tonight as one of the pastors with enough pledged votes to win an episcopal seat."
"You really think Ernest Brown will win a bishop's seat at this conference?"
"I don't think, Rev. Simmons, I know. Lawson Giles has been grooming Ernest Brown for years—moving him to the right churches, introducing him to the right folks in Detroit and throughout Michigan, and taking him along to any important function in his district. Bishop Giles knows that Ernest wants this