The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr. was born on April 9, 1954, to Caroline Jeanes Hollingsworth and the late Mark Hollingsworth. He and his four sisters were raised in Dover, Massachusetts. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1976 from Trinity College, majoring in Religious Studies. He then earned a Master of Divinity degree at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific in 1981, from which he later received an honorary Doctor of Divinity. The Rt. Rev. William E. Swing, Bishop of California, ordained him Deacon and Priest in 1981 and 1982, respectively. On November 15, 2003, he was elected the Eleventh Bishop of Ohio.

Bishop Hollingsworth and his wife, Susan Hunt Hollingsworth, are the parents of Sophie, Isaac, Eli, and Lily. The Bishop is an avid cyclist, fly-fisher, and sailor, and drives a 1939 Indian motorcycle. He plays a variety of stringed instruments and, to his wife's chagrin, the bagpipes. He restores antique vehicles of various sorts, collects autographs, and keeps bees.

Since ordination, Bishop Hollingsworth has served as Chaplain to the Cathedral School for Boys in San Francisco (1981-1983), Associate Rector of St. Francis in-the-Fields Church, Harrods Creek, Kentucky (1983-1986), Rector of St. Anne's in-the-Fields, Lincoln, Massachusetts (1986-1994), and Archdeacon of the Diocese of Massachusetts (1994-2004). In the dioceses of California, Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Ohio he has served a variety of organizations including diocesan clergy associations; healthcare and AIDS ministry boards; diocesan trustees and councils; camp and conference center, clergy deployment, and seminary boards; and as chaplain to his local fire department. He was a Clerical Deputy to both the 2000 and 2003 General Conventions from the Diocese of Massachusetts. Bishop Hollingsworth was founder of Epiphany at Sea, a program taking inner-city middle school students to sea on traditional fishing schooners, and he was for many years a Conference Leader for CREDO. He currently serves as a trustee of Bexley-Seabury Seminary and Kenyon College.

For the past 18 years, I have been visioning, leading, and loving the Episcopal church at the parish, diocesan, and national levels. Creative vision, change management, collaboration, teaching of spiritual practices, and exploring ways for congregations to thrive are some of my primary gifts. I have led multiple organizations, faith communities, and teams through transformations as the Holy Spirit inspired us. My call is to shape the Church so that God’s people are equipped to live lives of faith and share the love and justice of Christ’s “Kin-dom”.

As the president of the Standing Committee in the Diocese of Chicago since 2019, I have served as the head of the ecclesiastical authority for two years while we have been in an interim period between diocesan bishops. This period of time has included all regular diocesan operations (including working with parishes in challenge or distress, pastoral support to clergy, and anti-racism work), as well as leading the diocese through a complicated and extended bishop transition during the COVID pandemic.

I have been the Rector of St. Gregory’s in Deerfield, IL, for six years. StGs is an exuberant, intergenerational congregation passionate about sharing joy and hope, feeding people, and building community. In 2021, I initiated a partnership with three other nearby Episcopal congregations, which we call “Better Together.” Our innovative partnership is learning together as we expand our understanding of congregation and community. We collaborate in Holy Week liturgies, regularly share pulpits and pastoral care, jointly host Afghan refugees, and are creating new models for intergenerational formation and leadership development.

I am a College for Congregational Development trainer, a certified Intercultural Development Inventory Administrator, and a Congregational Consultant in the Diocese of Chicago. These opportunities have equipped me to consider who is and is not in the room, move through change, and contribute to a more vibrant Church in the future. Additionally, I have led vestry and leadership retreats across the country, served on the board of the Episcopal Parish Network for six years, and served on the World Missions Board for the Diocese of Texas.

Prior to receiving the call from StGs, I served at Good Shepherd in Austin, TX, St. Paul’s in Chattanooga, TN, and Christ Church in Greenville, SC. Ministry areas under my leadership included: Children and Families, Communications, Hospitality, Welcoming, New Member, Giving, Food, and Equipping Ministries.

My previous corporate experience was in software and technology sales and recruiting. My husband David and I have been married for 30 years. We have three young adult daughters who continue to amaze and inspire us. I’m an extroverted contemplative whose spirituality is heavily influenced by St. Benedict, who teaches about stability of faith in uncertain times. Silence and solitude are vital to my spiritual life, and I sit in silent prayer daily and take regular spiritual retreats to slow the velocity of my soul.

When not in silence, I see and hear Jesus best through conversations with other people. Sharing coffee and chocolate are two of my favorite ways to make those connections. I am outdoors whenever possible, and enjoy swimming, hiking, yoga, reading, knitting, and good meals with friends.

The Right Reverend Arthur B. Williams, Jr. was consecrated Bishop Suffragan of the Diocese of Ohio on October 11, 1986 at Trinity Cathedral in Cleveland, Ohio and retired from that position on December 31, 2002.

Born on June 25, 1935, in Providence, Rhode Island, Bishop Williams received his early education in the public schools of East Providence. He graduated from Brown University in 1957, after which he was commissioned a line officer in the United States Navy where he served until he entered the General Theological Seminary. He graduated and received a Master of Divinity degree in 1964.

Bishop Williams was ordained to the deaconate on June 20, 1964, and the priesthood on March 27, 1965, by Bishop John Higgins of Rhode Island. After serving parishes in Providence and Riverside and the Cathedral of St. John, Bishop Williams was called to Grace Church in Detroit in 1968.

In 1970 Bishop Williams was appointed to the staff of the Diocese of Michigan as Assistant to the Bishop for Ministry, Deployment and Urban Affairs. He served the Diocese of Michigan until he was appointed Archdeacon of Ohio in 1977 by Bishop John Burt. He was elected Bishop Suffragan of Ohio in 1986.

While Archdeacon, he was elected a Deputy to three General Conventions and was a member of the Executive Committee of the Standing Committee on Program, Budget and Finance. He has served on the national Executive Council of the Episcopal Church, the Board of Trustees of the General Theological Seminary, and was a consultant to the Calendar Committee of the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music.

Bishop Williams is presently Assisting Bishop in the Diocese of Ohio. He served several years on the faculty of CREDO and was the Episcopal Visitor to the Order of St. Benedict. Following his retirement he was Interim Director of Ethnic Congregational Development on the staff of the Presiding Bishop He chaired the Editorial Committee of Lift Every Voice and Sing II, published in 1993. He also chaired the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Committee of the Executive Council and the Committee on Human Sexuality of the 73rd General Convention. From 1995-2003 he served as Vice President of the House of Bishops. His memberships include the Episcopal Peace Fellowship and the Union of Black Episcopalians.

In 1974 Bishop Williams was awarded a Master of Arts Degree from the University of Michigan and was honored in 1987 by the General Theological Seminary with the degree of Doctor of Divinity. Bishop Williams married the former Lynette Rhodes at Trinity Cathedral on July 27, 1985.

The Rt. Rev. William D. Persell served as the 11th Bishop of the Diocese of Chicago from 1999-2008. He presently is an Assisting Bishop in the Diocese of Ohio, where he previously was Dean of Trinity Cathedral, Cleveland.

As rector at St. John’s Church in Los Angeles for nine years, he was an advocate for Asian and Hispanic ministries and served as Vice President of the Black Clergy Association of Los Angeles. Bishop Persell was rector of St. Ann and the Holy Trinity in Brooklyn, NY for nine years. Throughout his ministry, Bishop Persell has been a leader for peace and justice in church and society, and greater ecumenical and interfaith cooperation and understanding. He worked extensively with faith-based community organizations in Los Angeles, Brooklyn, and Cleveland.

The son of former Bishop Suffragan of Albany, Charles B. Persell, Jr., Bishop Persell grew up in Massena, NY. Following graduation from Hobart College, Bishop Persell entered seminary. For an intern year he was a Teaching Fellow at the International College in Beirut, Lebanon returning to graduate from the Episcopal Divinity School, Cambridge, MA.

Bishop Persell has served as a member of the Boards of Trustees of Rush University Medical Center, Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, the Christian Century Foundation, and a number of social service agencies. He is past President of the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago.

Bishop Persell and his wife, Nancy Pollard Persell, live in Bratenahl, Ohio. They have six grown children and nine grandchildren.

William A. Powel, III has served as Canon to the Ordinary in the Diocese of Ohio since January, 2015, with responsibility for governance and overall operations. He continues to serve as Chancellor, to which role Bishop Hollingsworth appointed him in 2011. He was on Vestry and Senior Warden (1998-2002) at St. Paul’s, Cleveland Heights, OH.

A graduate of Stanford (A.B., 1979), Washington & Lee Law (J.D., 1983) and Loyola (Chicago) (LL.M., Health Law, 1991), he served for 16 years as Senior Vice President, General Counsel for Summa Health, an integrated health system in Akron, Ohio, with responsibility for legal services, governance, risk management, insurance, internal audit, and compliance. He served as Assistant General Counsel for University Hospitals, Cleveland (1991-1998). He began his career as associate and partner in a Chicago law firm (1983–1991).

His other board service includes Judson (2001-2010; 2011-2014), including chair of the Quality and Audit Committees, and Hathaway Brown School (2003-2011), including four years as Treasurer. Since 2015, he has served on the board of Apollo’s Fire, Cleveland’s Baroque Orchestra as Secretary and chairs the Governance Committee. In 2018, he was appointed to the Standing Commission on Structure, Governance, Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church.

He and his wife, Sandra, have four adult daughters and four grandchildren.

Percy is the Canon for Ministry in the Diocese of Ohio, with responsibility for transitional ministry, vocational discernment with clergy, education, and clergy wellness. For the most part this entails driving all over northern Ohio and going to many meetings. She has a BS from Sweet Briar, a M.Div. from VTS and a coaching certificate for from the Weatherhead School of Business. Before moving to Ohio, she served as the Bishop’s Assistant for Youth Development in the Diocese of Virginia responsible for ministries from nursery through the committee on aging, a chaplain at St. Stephen’s St. Agnes School in Alexandria and Assistant Rector at St. Andrew’s in Burke, VA. She has been ordained for 29 years.

Rebecca is the Administrative Assistant for the Office of Ministry, Development, and Formation.

Brad Purdom went to seminary from the Diocese of Ohio, was ordained in 1996 and has spent his entire ordained life here: first as rector of Trinity Church/Alliance, then of Church of the Good Shepherd/Lyndhurst, and since 2009 as a member of the bishop’s program staff. He has been married to Mary Jo Purdom since 1979 and they have three married children and two grandchildren. His M.Div. is from The School of Theology at Sewanee, TN. Brad’s particular interests in parish life and vitality center around its foundation in adult faith formation and in a meaningful relationship with its local neighborhood. In recent years much of his formal continuing education has been through the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western University.

Margaret is employed half-time on the diocesan staff and continues her current position at St. Luke's, Cleveland. She has previously served as Dean and on the Standing Committee, the Trustees, and the Commission on Ministry.

In her Diocesan position, she assists parishes in the area of mission strategies and leadership, and serves as staff liaison to a number of committees and commissions.

Prior to ordination, she advised small businesses and non-profit organizations, following a career in the petroleum industry. She is a graduate of the University of Virginia and the General Theological Seminary.

Margaret and her spouse, Chet Bowling, live on an organic farm in Wellington. She is chair of the Advisory Board of KinderCasa in Norwalk.