The Rev. James Simons, a theologically conservative Episcopal priest who remained in that church after most of his fellow conservatives in the Diocese of Pittsburgh left it, has been elected to an important post in the national church. ???I hope to bring a perspective from one of the dioceses that is rebuilding after the previous leadership decided to leave the Episcopal Church,??? said Rev. Simons. ???I think there are some misconceptions about what that was about and what happened and who left and what this diocese is like.??? The Rev. Simons was chosen to fill a vacancy on the executive council. The board of 38 laity and priests governs the church between triennial General Conventions. He will remain rector of St. Michael of the Valley, Ligonier. ???I will bring a conservative perspective from my own theological viewpoint, which I suspect is part of the reason I was elected,??? he said. The Rev. Simons, a nationally known leader among conservative Episcopalians, stunned people on both sides of a rift over biblical theology when he didn???t follow Bishop Robert Duncan out of the church in 2008. He was a central figure in rebuilding the Episcopal diocese from scratch. He has a history of service at a national level, and is well known because of that. Most executive council members are elected at general convention, but the current council chose him to fill an unexpected vacancy. He had been considered likely to be elected to the council in 2003, but many conservatives walked out of that General Convention to protest its approval of the first partnered gay bishop, said the Rev. George Werner, dean emeritus of Trinity Episcopal Cathdedral, Downtown, and retired president of the Episcopal House of Deputies. ???He lost by a much smaller margin than the number of people who walked out ??? and who probably would have been voting for him,??? he said. The Rev. Werner, a theological centrist, described the current executive council as largely progressive, with some hardcore liberals and a few conservatives. ???My wish is that they???re looking at themselves and saying, ???We need a strong voice who can remind us constantly why people are hurting over the gay issue and other issues,?????? the Rev. Werner said. ???Jim is never afraid to speak out. He???s never afraid to challenge. Whatever he says is exceedingly thoughtful, even when I disagree with it. He will speak for a significant part of the church, just not a majority of it.??? The Rev. Simons said he wants the council to understand that many theological conservatives want to remain in the Episcopal Church. He is willing to do outreach to those who are considering leaving. ???I have deep and abiding friendships in those dioceses and would be willing to do whatever I can to be an agent of reconciliation and healing,??? he said. The executive council meets three times yearly. Its next meeting is in June.