THE DIOCESE of Adelaide has elected a bishop from rural Victoria to be its
next archbishop, a year after Dr Ian George was forced to resign, on the eve of
his retirement, over his handling of sexual-abuse allegations.
The Bishop of Gippsland, the Rt Revd Jeffrey Driver, who is 54, was elected
by "overwhelming" majorities from a field of four nominees at the synod
election, held last Saturday. Ordained deacon and priest in the Bathurst
diocese in New South Wales in the 1970s, Bishop Driver, a former newspaper
journalist, was an archdeacon in Canberra & Goulburn when he became Bishop
of Gippsland in 2001.
An attempt to elect a new archbishop in September last year failed when no
single candidate gained the required majorities. Bishop Driver was not a
candidate at that election.
Press reports say that up to 90 people are currently pursuing claims worth
millions of dollars over abuse within the Anglican Church. Bishop Driver has
been quoted as saying that he would be "absolutely committed to ensuring that
the process of healing continues with appropriate transparency, good process,
and a full response to those who have in any way been hurt by the Church."