[Europe.justus] The Rt Rev Peter J. Lee named interim dean of the American Cathedral (release attached in PDF letterhead version + WORD text version)

[CanonCECE]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

* *

*September 15, 2011* - The Rt Rev Pierre W. Whalon, bishop in charge of the
Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe, announced today the appointment
of the Rt Rev Peter James Lee as interim dean of the American Cathedral of
the Holy Trinity, Paris. Bishop Lee, will arrive in early 2012, replacing
the current dean, the Very Rev Zachary Fleetwood. Fleetwood is stepping down
in October after eight years of service. He has accepted a call to become
rector at the Church of St. Columba’s-by-the-Castle, an urban parish in
Edinburgh.



Bishop Whalon said of the appointment of the interim dean, “Bishop Lee
brings a lifetime of experience to the position, assuming leadership at a
critical period in the life of the Cathedral community.” In October, the
Cathedral will break ground on the largest capital improvement project since
the church was constructed in 1886. The two-year long project includes plans
to modernize the Cathedral’s physical plant, to create new space to
accommodate the parish’s growing ministry and mission needs, and to provide
expanded office space for the Cathedral staff and the offices of the
Convocation.



Bishop Lee first “retired” in 2009 after serving for 25 years as the
12th bishop
of the Diocese of Virginia, sometimes called “The Diocese” due to its status
as one of the oldest and largest dioceses in the Episcopal Church. The
diocese stretches from the limits of Washington, D.C. to include in its
jurisdiction 80,000 members worshipping in 181 churches throughout northern
and central Virginia.



Bishop Lee is a prominent figure in the Episcopal Church, respected for his
leadership and contributions to the work of the church in the United States
and to the global mission of the Anglican Communion. A hallmark of his
ministry is his capacity for fostering constructive dialogue among those
holding diverse theological and institutional perspectives. In recent years,
his diocese’s special-edition General Convention newsletter -- *The Center
Aisle* – was widely embraced by delegates and visitors to the church’s
triennial General Conventions. The newsletter earned a receptive readership
for its embodiment of the spirit of “the Anglican via media,” and for its
invitation to engage the Episcopalians in a deeper conversation about some
of the modern day challenges facing the church.



For more than a quarter century, Bishop Lee has maintained a commitment to
the well-being and work of the church. A few highlights of his service
include: board chair of board of the Church Pension Fund, trustee of Berkley
Divinity School at Yale, 17 years as chair of the board of trustees of the
Virginia Theological Seminary, and board member for the National Alliance to
End Homelessness. His particular attention to the needs of the global church
developed more strongly while serving on the Advisory Committee to the
Anglican Observer at the United Nations, and as member of the of the
Presiding Bishop’s Fund for World Relief (forerunner to Episcopal Relief and
Development). In 1998, Bishop Lee worked behind the scenes to help shape the
seminal Lambeth Conference report calling for the cancellation of the
crippling debts owed by the world’s poorest countries. In 2000, the G-8
adopted such a framework; nearly $100 billion of “un-payable” debts owed to
creditor countries and multilateral institutions have been cancelled under
the program.



Since his “retirement,” Bishop Lee has served an Interim Dean of Grace
Cathedral, San Francisco, and one year ago, he was named Interim Dean of
General Theological Seminary in New York.



Bishop Lee was born in Mississippi and raised in Florida. After a stint in
law school, as a newspaper reporter, and as a wartime military intelligence
officer, Bishop Lee began his ministry at an urban Cathedral in
Jacksonville, Florida. In the Convocation, he previously worked for a short
time at the former Episcopal Church in Nice, Church of the Holy Spirit.



Bishop Lee graduated magna cum laude from Washington and Lee University, and
studied law at Duke University. He earned a M.Div. from the Virginia
Theological Seminary in 1967. He is married to Kristina Lee. They have two
children and five grandchildren.



CONTACT:       Canon for Communications and Administration,

                        CanonCECE @gmail.com



Jere Skipper

Canon for Communications and Administration

The Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe

23 avenue George V

Paris 75008 FRANCE

mobile +33 6 78 97 34 29 (please do not post on the internet)
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