September 19, 2022

Dear Friends,

With gratitude to the Search Committee and to all who participated in the Petition Process, the Standing Committee is pleased to announce the final slate of nominees for the 12th Bishop of Ohio:

• The Rev. Diana L. Wilcox, Rector of Christ Church in Bloomfield and Glen Ridge, NJ, Diocese of Newark
• The Rev. Dr. Elaine Ellis Thomas, Rector of All Saints Episcopal Parish, Hoboken, NJ, Diocese of Newark
• The Rev. Anne B. Jolly, Rector of St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church, Deerfield, IL, Diocese of Chicago

We received one completed petition packet, but upon further discernment, that person chose to withdraw from consideration. 

We encourage each member of the diocese to take some time to get to know the nominees, both by reading their material on the website as well as attending the Meet and Greets in October, either in person or via the livestream. The election is Saturday, November 19 at Diocesan Convention. 

We are excited to see where the Holy Spirit is leading us. Please continue to hold Diana, Elaine, and Anne, as well as our diocese, in your prayers. 

Blessings,

Dianne Audrick Smith
The Rev. Debra Q. Bennett
Dave McCallops
The Rev. Alexander D. Martin
Pamela O’Halloran
The Rev. Dr. Brian K. Wilbert
Jenna Bing, Secretary
The Rev. Charlotte Collins Reed, President

Prayer for the Election of the 12th Bishop of Ohio 

Loving Creator, you call us together and you send us forth to be your witnesses in all places. We ask you now to lead us, accompany us, and direct us as we seek that person who is to be our next Bishop. Grant us perception, faithfulness and joy that we may hear your still small voice. And then, give us the courage to follow as you lead us along the way. In the name of Christ Jesus who is the shepherd and bishop of our souls. Amen.

August 15, 2022

Dear Friends,

Over the past 12 months, the Standing Committee, with the assistance of the Office of Pastoral Development, has conducted a process that created a draft profile of our diocese and then selected persons to lead the search for the next Bishop of the Diocese of Ohio.  We would like to express our deep gratitude to the members of the Search Committee who have worked diligently and faithfully since last December to bring us a slate of nominees for the 12th Bishop of the Diocese of Ohio.  Their work has included:

• Finalizing the draft developed by the Standing Committee, broadly distributing the diocesan profile, which then generated much interest throughout The Episcopal Church.  Based on feedback from our consultant, the Committee received over twice the number of applications they had expected and that have been typical of recent bishop searches.
• Actively reaching out to all major groups in the Episcopal Church, representing the breadth and diversity of The Episcopal Church, working to recruit a diverse pool of applicants.  Their commitment to diversity included gender, geography, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.
• Conducting 26 listening sessions throughout the diocese, in person and on Zoom, to hear the longings and concerns of our Diocese. Using these responses, the Search Committee condensed this information and used it to develop questions and essay topics for applicants’ responses.
• Reviewing applications, essay questions, calling references, conducting interviews on Zoom and in-person.
• Conducting a retreat with applicant finalists at which the Search Committee gained more personal and in-depth knowledge of each individual. 
• Gaining consensus among their members, led by the Holy Spirit to fulfill their charge to bring to the Standing Committee a slate of 3-5 nominees.

The nominees for 12th Bishop of the Diocese of Ohio are:

• The Rev. Anne B. Jolly, Rector of St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church, Deerfield, IL, Diocese of Chicago
• The Rev. Diana L. Wilcox, Rector of Christ Church in Bloomfield and Glen Ridge, NJ, Diocese of Newark
• The Rev. Dr. Elaine Ellis Thomas, Rector of All Saints Episcopal Parish, Hoboken, NJ, Diocese of Newark 

The Petition Process
In the Episcopal Church, a petition process takes the place of nominations from the floor. This process allows the same review, questions and responses, background checks and other due diligence to be conducted on nominees nominated by petition as for the nominees put forward by the Search Committee. The information and instructions for our petition process can be found here (link to document).  The petition process opens tomorrow (August 16) and closes at 5pm  (Eastern) on August 30.  The Standing Committee welcomes those who have discerned a call to this ministry to submit their nominations.

Our commitment to diversity in the Petition Process continues in the same vein as that of the commitment of the Search Committee: diversity in ethnicity, gender, geography, and sexual orientation.  Completed petition packets or any questions about the petition process should be emailed to the Rev. Charlotte Collins Reed at petition@dohio.org. 

The full slate of nominees, including those approved by the Standing Committee through the Petition Process, will be announced in mid-September once all due diligence has been completed.  All nominees will be included in the Meet and Greets in October.

In the coming weeks, the Transition Committee, chaired by the Rev. Jessie Dodson, will further introduce theses bishop co-adjutor nominees to our diocese, along with nominees that come through the petition process.  The nominees will be introduced via videos and through “Meet and Greets” which will be both in-person and livestreamed.  Please stay tuned for information from the Transition Committee about how to get to know our nominees.   

Our commitment to the members of the Diocese of Ohio is to bring a slate of candidates whom we feel will serve well as our 12th Bishop.  We encourage you to examine the material provided, attend the Meet and Greets, and submit questions for the nominees.  During the time between now and the election on November 19th at Diocesan Convention, please keep the Rev. Anne Jolly, the Rev. Diana Wilcox, and the Rev. Dr. Elaine Ellis Thomas, and those who may join them as petition nominees, in your prayers. 

Blessings,
Dianne Audrick Smith
The Rev. Debra Q. Bennett
Dave McCallops
The Rev. Alexander D. Martin
Pamela O’Halloran
The Rev. Dr. Brian K. Wilbert
Jenna Bing, Secretary
The Rev. Charlotte Collins Reed, President

Prayer for the Election of the 12th Bishop of Ohio 
Loving Creator, you call us together and you send us forth to be your witnesses in all places. We ask you now to lead us, accompany us, and direct us as we seek that person who is to be our next Bishop. Grant us perception, faithfulness and joy that we may hear your still small voice. And then, give us the courage to follow as you lead us along the way.  In the name of Christ Jesus who is the shepherd and bishop of our souls.  Amen.