Greetings in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ,
With thanks to God, we are happy to share that the search for the 10th Bishop of the Diocese of Southern Ohio is progressing well. We are on schedule and within budget! You can review our timeline on the bishop search website.
First, we want to recognize and applaud the excellent work of the Nominating Committee and its chair, the Rev. Gia Hayes-Martin. The committee has faithfully and diligently created a diocesan profile, conducted a broad search for candidates, and assessed each applicant by reviewing materials, conducting interviews, and commissioning comprehensive background checks. Later this week, the committee will present a slate of candidates to us, and on June 29, we will announce the committee’s slate to you.
Along with the nominating committee’s slate, we will also announce the details of a petition process that will allow people to submit to the Standing Committee additional nominees for bishop. This process replaces the previous practice of accepting nominations from the floor at the nominating convention; it both allows input from the people of the diocese and permits time for appropriate background checks and application review.
The Transition Committee has also begun well, and we are grateful for its work and the leadership of its co-chairs, the Rev. Cortney Dale and Michael Kennedy. The committee is organizing “meet and greet” sessions that will provide an opportunity for you to hear from the bishop nominees, and planning for the ordination of our new bishop, which is scheduled for February 2024.
Our bishop search consultant, Anne Schmidt, continues to guide us collaboratively through this process with knowledge, skill and support. We give thanks for her ministry.
Please continue to pray for the members of the committees that are leading us in this transition, for the nominees who are discerning with us, and for all of God’s people in our diocese. In the coming months, God will guide our hard work and bring us to that joyful day when we will welcome our next bishop. We look forward to continuing the journey with you.
Yours faithfully,
The Standing Committee of the Diocese of Southern Ohio
Dr. James Allsop, President
Dr. Elizabeth Barker
The Rev. Jed Dearing, Secretary
Mr. Barry Feist
The Rev. Canon Scott Gunn
The Rev. David Kendall-Sperry, Vice President
