Bishop Coadjutor Election Hub

 


Candidate Resumes and Essays
The Rev. Dr. Bill Carroll Resume and Essay

 

The Rt. Rev. Fraser Lawton Resume and Essay

 

The Very Rev. Rob Price Resume and Essay

 


March 17, 2025

Notice of Special Convention for the Election of a Bishop Coadjutor of Dallas

 

To:       All Clergy

            All Wardens of Parishes and Missions

            All Convention Delegates

            Standing Committee Members

            Executive Council Members

Brothers and Sisters,

On Wednesday, April 17, 2024, I informed the diocese of my decision to convene for the election of a Bishop Coadjutor. Since that time, the Standing and Search Committees have done yeoman’s work: surveys and focus groups, job descriptions and LOAs, background checks, and interviews. We now look forward to the candidates’ walkabout.

Pursuant to Article 4 of the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas, notice is hereby given of a Special Convention to take place on

 

            Saturday, May 3, 2025

            8 a.m. – Convention Convenes

            St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church

            8011 Douglas Avenue

            Dallas, TX 75225

Delegates will soon receive detailed information. Let us invoke the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our deliberations.

Peace,

The Rt. Rev. Dr. George R. Sumner, Bishop of Dallas


WalkAbout Information (Registration Is Open to All Friday March 14)

Tuesday lunch, April 1, 10:30 to 2 - Incarnation (clergy only) 

Tuesday evening, April 1, 5:30 to 9  - St. Peter’s, McKinney

Wednesday evening, April 2, 5:30 to 9 - St. Philip's, Sulphur Springs

Thursday evening, April 3, 5:30 to 9 - St. Paul, Waxahachie

Friday evening, April 4, 5:30 to 9 - Transfiguration, Dallas

Register here

 
 

Videos of the Bishop Coadjutor CAndidates

The Rev. Dr. Bill Carroll

The Rt. Rev. Fraser Lawton

 

The Very Rev. Rob Price


Petition Process Clarification

To the Diocese of Dallas,

On Monday, the Standing Committee discovered that an important document outlining the petition process for adding nominees to the Bishop Coadjutor slate was unintentionally omitted from last week’s communication. We sincerely regret any confusion it may have caused. To ensure fairness and allow adequate time for participation, we have extended the petition process, originally set to close at noon yesterday, to this Sunday, March 16, at 5:00 PM Dallas time.

Attached to this message, you will find two documents: the first details the governance of the petition process, and the second is the previously distributed nomination form - both with the due dates extended. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to correct this oversight.

Please continue to keep our diocese and the nominees in your prayers as we move toward the election on Saturday, May 3.

Faithfully,

The Standing Committee
Of the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas

Petition Process Information

Petition Nomination Form 


Message from the Search Committee


Text from the Video above

Greetings in Christ, 
My name is Fr. Clayton Elder and it’s an honor and blessing to serve as the Chair of the Diocese of Dallas Bishop Coadjutor Search Committee.

As many of you know, this Search Committee was formed last May to discern and deliver a slate of candidates to be considered for our Bishop Coadjutor – a person who will initially work alongside Bishop Sumner and eventually become the next Bishop of Dallas. 

In June, we began our work by listening. Through a survey and nine in-person sessions, the committee invited people from parishes across the diocese to share their thoughts about our current needs and the qualities they desired for our next bishop. Thank you to all who participated in the survey and listening sessions. We faithfully compiled your important feedback and created a diocesan profile. This profile not only served to educate those who felt called to nominate themselves or others into the process, but also guided the committee’s discernment and deliberation. We encouraged clergy and lay people alike to be active in the nomination process so that our committee could have a rich, diverse pool of candidates to consider.

In November, we began our rigorous interview process and last week, held a three-day retreat with our final nominees. This precious time gave both our committee members and the candidates special time to know one another more deeply, worship and pray together, and allow the Holy Spirit to illuminate God’s will for his people.

After three days of prayerful, Spirit-led discernment and contemplation, the committee is thrilled to present a final slate of candidates – any one of whom meets the needs expressed by the people of this Diocese and is qualified to be the next Bishop of Dallas. It is my joy to share that the Rev Dr. William Carroll, the Rt. Rev Fraser Lawton, and the Very Rev Robert Price will be on the final ballot for Bishop Coadjutor of the Diocese of Dallas. 

You can read more about these candidates on our website, edod.org. You will also have an opportunity to get to know them better at a series of in-person events April 1st – 4th. More information about these “walkabouts” can also be found on our website. The convention delegates will then gather for the final election on May 3 at St. Michael All Angels. The Search Committee invites you to join us in praying for the clergy and lay delegates who will be voting in this important election. 

I am so grateful for all of the nominees who faithfully and prayerfully walked with us through this extensive process. 

I am also grateful for my fellow committee members. Search committee work is hard work, and their generosity of spirit, time, and energy was and continues to be a blessing. Also, special thanks to the prayer warriors who faithfully lift up our search committee in prayer every day. We feel your prayers and are blessed by your work.

I would like to leave you with a prayer that was specifically written for a search process and one that our committee faithfully prays.

Heavenly Father,

to Whom all the Saints in heaven and earth adore and bend the knee:

Look graciously on your Church and pour out your Holy Spirit upon our Bishop, the Search Committee, and the Delegates who will choose a bishop for this diocese, to feed and tend the flock of Christ and exercise without reproach the high priesthood of this calling.

Grant that they, and we may have all wisdom and discernment; a spirit of revelation and the knowledge of your will, and the confidence in your guidance in the decision to be made; through him who is the shepherd and bishop of our souls, even Jesus Christ, your Son our Lord.

Amen. 


Bishop Coadjutor Candidates:

The Rev. Dr. Bill Carroll

The Rev. Dr. Bill Carroll serves as Rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Longview, Texas. Baptized in the Episcopal Church as an adult, Fr. Bill has sought to grow disciples and strengthen congregations to share the Good News of Jesus and fulfill our Baptismal Covenant. He is Dean of the Northeast Region of the Diocese of Texas, a trustee of the Episcopal Health Foundation, and a member of the Texas Standing Committee. He was ordained to the priesthood in the Diocese of Upper South Carolina. He has previously served as a Rector in the Dioceses of Oklahoma and Southern Ohio, as a Canon to the Ordinary, and on the seminary faculty at Sewanee. He has been married to the Rev. Tracey Carroll for 31 years. Their adult son, Danny, has significant developmental disabilities and lives with them. Their daughter, Rachel McLoughlin, lives with her husband, Alex, in Edmond, Oklahoma.

The Rt. Rev. Fraser Lawton

T

The Rt. Rev. Fraser Lawton is the rector of the Church of St. Dunstan in Mineola, TX., and Bishop Assistant in the Diocese of Dallas. In this latter role, his main ministry is with the congregations of the Affiliated Parishes of North East Texas (APNET), which is a cooperative venture of congregations walking and working with one another. Before coming to East Texas, Bishop Lawton served in the Diocese of Athabasca in the Anglican Church of Canada. After being ordained there as both deacon and priest, he was selected as its Bishop Diocesan in the fall of 2009. In 2018, he and his wife, Veronica, spent several months on a sabbatical in the Diocese of Dallas. While here, he was asked to consider taking on his current position here, and after a time of discernment, perceived God was indeed calling them to Dallas. Bishop Lawton has been married to Veronica for 36 years, and they have four grown children and three grandchildren.

The Very Rev. Rob Price

The Very Rev. Rob Price was born and raised in San Diego as a Methodist "preacher's kid." After receiving a B.A. and M.A. in American History from Stanford University, he became a teacher in a private school in St. Louis, where he met his wife, Kate. Though aatheist, he was welcomed into the Episcopal Church at Christ Church Cathedral, St. Louis. He then entered a Ph.D. program in History at Yale University before he met the Risen Jesus and heard a call to ministry. After completing his M.Div. at Yale, he served on the staff of churches in St. Louis and Dallas and as the Rector of St. Dunstan’s, Houston, for 13 years. In January 2019 he accepted the invitation from the Bishop and Vestry to begin a new chapter as Dean at St. Matthew’s Cathedral and served as Canon for Congregations, as well, from 2020-2022. Along the way, he and Kate have had three boys who are now young adults: Matt, Thomas, and Chris.

 


WalkAbout Information (Times to be Determined)

Tuesday lunch, April 1 - Incarnation (clergy only) 

Tuesday evening, April 1 - St. Peter’s, McKinney

Wednesday evening, April 2 - St. Philip's, Sulphur Springs
 
Thursday evening, April 3 - St. Paul’s, Waxahachie
 
Friday evening, April 4 - Transfiguration, Dallas
 

 
Petition Nomination Process

Petition Nomination Forms must be received by the Standing Committee on or before Noon Dallas time, on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, to be considered by the Standing Committee by submission electronically to: Fr. Perry Mullins, Standing Committee President at pmullins@stpetersmckinney.com.

This Petition Nomination Form must be signed by no fewer than eight (8) persons, consisting of at least four (4) laypersons, each of whom is a confirmed communicant in good standing of a parish or mission in the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas (EDOD), and at least four (4) clergypersons canonically resident in EDOD, at least one (1) of which is a Deacon. No person signing a petition may be from the same parish or mission as any other person signing such petition. Each layperson and clergyperson nominator may only nominate one person.

All other forms related to this Petition Nomination must be received by the Standing Committee on or before 5:00 PM Dallas time, on Friday, March 14, 2025. These materials must be submitted electronically to: Fr. Perry Mullins, Standing Committee President at pmullins@stpetersmckinney.com.

Other related forms to this Petition Nomination are:

  • A completed Petition Nominee Letter

  • A completed and signed Consent and Authorization Form

  • A completed Nominee Questionnaire

  • A professional head shot of the nominee in collar and black suit

  • An updated copy of the nominee’s Office of Transition Ministry (OTM) profile

  • A current curriculum vitae (CV) or resume

    Nominators

    We prayerfully nominate this priest or bishop to the Standing Committee as a nominee for Bishop Coadjutor of the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas.

    We confirm that the nominee has consented to this nomination and informed their diocesan bishop of this nomination, or in the case of a current bishop, has notified the presiding bishop. The nominee is aware that the deadline for related forms including all required attachments is 5:00 PM Dallas time, on Friday, March 14, 2025.

Download Petition Nomination form here. 

Defining a Quorum for Election

The Diocese of Dallas entrusts its legislation to a Convention to consist as follows: First, of the Bishop, when there be one; of the Bishop Coadjutor, when there be one; of the Suffragan Bishops, if there be any; Second, of all members of the Clergy canonically resident in the Diocese, and not under Ecclesiastical discipline, and who have not in contemplation of removal from this Diocese, applied for their letters dimissory; and, Third, of Lay Delegates chosen by and representing the several Parishes and Missions of this Diocese.

Article 5 establishes the Quorum for any meeting:

At any meeting of the Convention of this Diocese a quorum necessary to transact business shall consist of one-third of the members of the Clergy entitled to seats therein, and the Lay Delegates from one-third of the Parishes and Missions in union with the Convention; but a smaller number shall have the power to adjourn from day to day until a quorum is obtained. If a quorum has been determined to exist and the business of the Convention has commenced, such business may continue to be transacted, even though less than a quorum actually remain present.

Article 16 provides that the election of a Bishop Coadjutor shall occur at a meeting of the Convention (regular or special).

The election of a Bishop, a Bishop Coadjutor, or a Suffragan Bishop for this Diocese shall take place at the regular meeting of the Convention, or at a special meeting of the Convention called for that purpose. In the election, the vote shall be by ballot and by orders, and concurrent majority of the two orders shall be necessary to a choice if two-thirds of all the Clergy entitled to vote, who have their principal residence within the Diocese and whose attendance at the Convention has not been excused by the Bishop or the acting Ecclesiastical authority due to infirmity or other good cause and Lay Delegates from two-thirds of the Parishes and Missions entitled to representation are present at the Convention; otherwise, two-thirds of the votes of each order voting shall be necessary to a choice. In any event, the election may not occur unless a quorum has been determined to exist.

Article 16 also provides some qualifiers and I interpret it as follows:

A Coadjutor Election is held at a regular or special meeting of the Convention. Article 16. At such meeting, clergy canonically resident in the Diocese, not under Ecclesiastical discipline, and who have not applied for letters dimissory are entitled to vote. Article 2. Lay Delegates chosen by and representing the several Parishes and Missions of the Diocese are also entitled to vote. Id.

At such Coadjutor Election, votes shall be by ballot and orders (clergy and lay) there are two possible ways to elect a Bishop Coadjutor. Article 16. The first requires a concurrent majority, “if two-thirds of all the Clergy entitled to vote, who have their principal residence within the Diocese and whose attendance at the Convention has not been excused by the Bishop or the acting Ecclesiastical authority due to infirmity or other good cause and Lay Delegates from two-thirds of the Parishes and Missions entitled to representation are present at the Convention.” The second requires “two-thirds of the votes of each order voting shall be necessary to a choice.” Id.

To expand on these, and elaborate, I present the following:

  1. The process of establishing a quorum exists in Article 5 and is 1/3 of the Clergy entitled to be seated and at least 1 representative from 1/3 of the Parishes and Missions in union with the Convention.

  2. When a quorum is established, a determination must be made. Are the following tests met:

    1. Are two-thirds of all the Clergy entitled to vote, who have their principal residence within the Diocese... present; and

    2. Are Lay Delegates from two-thirds of the Parishes and Missions entitled to representation... present?

  3. If so, then a concurrent majority of both orders are necessary for an election (50%+1 for each).

  4. If not, then , two-thirds of the votes of each order voting shall be necessary to a choice.

 


Process Concerning Delegates 

Clergy, Administrators and Wardens,
 
We are excitedly preparing for Christmas in the coming weeks - and in the background, most of our churches are likewise preparing for annual parish meetings.
 
There have been questions about the process for electing lay delegates to the special convention on Saturday, May 3. Our Chancellor, Cory Floyd has written a memo on the relevant canons to clarify this matter. Congregations at their annual meeting elect their lay delegates, who will this year serve at both the electing convention on May 2, and the annual convention on November 8.
 
As we approach the announcement of the nominees this spring, our attention will turn to the convention itself, and there will likely be more questions about how it all works. Because we don’t elect a bishop very often, the Chancellor is also preparing some brief notes, which you will receive in the new year, to explain the particularities of the special convention in more detail.
 
In the meantime, continue to pray this Advent for God’s blessings on the nominees. Pray for Holy Spirit’s direction for the search committee. And pray always for the mission and ministry of God in our diocese.
 
In Christ,
 
The Rev. Perry Mullins
President of the Standing Committee


Survey and Listening Sessions Summary

The Bishop Coadjutor Search Committee thanks the many lay and clergy members of our Diocese for participating in the survey and listening sessions earlier this year.  The executive summary of the listening sessions and survey summarizes the information that was shared in both settings. You may read it here.


Bishop Coadjutor Application Period is now closed. 

Click here for the Diocesan Profile.

Blessings, 
Your Bishop Search Committee


Letter From the Search Committee 9.23.24

Dear Friends in Christ,

What a blessing to see and hear from so many of you at the listening sessions. Over two thousand members of the Diocese participated in the survey and listening sessions! Thank you! We have listened, and our Profile Committee is working on the final draft of the Bishop’s Selection Profile. It will be ready Oct. 1st for viewing.

Nominations will be received from Oct. 1st to Oct. 31st. We encourage you to prayerfully consider the nominees. 

You may also use the prayer below by Fr. Matthew Oliver, PhD in your daily prayers and/or add it to your parish bulletin.

In Christ,

The Bishop Coadjutor Search Committee

Heavenly Father,

to Whom all the Saints in heaven and earth

adore and bend the knee:

Look graciously on your Church

and pour out your Holy Spirit upon our Bishop,

the Search Committee, and the Delegates

who will choose a bishop for this diocese,

to feed and tend the flock of Christ

and exercise without reproach

the high priesthood of this calling.

Grant that they, and we may have all wisdom and discernment;

a spirit of revelation and the knowledge of your will,

and the confidence in your guidance

in the decision to be made;

through him who is the shepherd and bishop of our souls,

even Jesus Christ, your Son our Lord.

Amen. 


Letter From the Search Committee 8.8.24

Hello Friends,

“There is wisdom in the multitude of counselors.” Proverbs 11:14.

The Bible provides wonderful guideposts for us as we seek God’s will for our diocese. That is why the Bishop Search Committee has scheduled several Listening Sessions to hear from you. These will be important discussions as we gather to prayerfully consider the issues and share what each of us sees as the needs of the diocese. Attendees will break into groups to discuss a small set of questions and will share their thoughts with the group.  The Search Committee will use feedback from the listening sessions to further inform our search.  We also look forward to sharing a snapshot of the survey results with you at each listening session.

May I please encourage you make every effort to attend one of the in-person sessions? These sessions are divided by order, lay and clergy, for focused discussions.

Meanwhile, your Bishop Search Committee is working on providing bilingual translation for at least two lay sessions. There will also be a ZOOM ONLY session. Details on these are coming soon.

Thank you for continuing to join us in praying for our next Bishop.   

In Christ,

The Bishop Search Committee

Here is the schedule:

8/27 Priests, Church of the Incarnation, 10am - 12pm

8/27 Priests, Church of the Incarnation, 2pm - 4pm

8/29 Deacons, St. Matthew's Cathedral, 10am - 12pm

8/29 Diocesan Staff, St. Matthew's Cathedral, 2pm - 4pm

9/3 Lay People, St. Philip's Sulphur Springs 6pm - 8pm

9/5 Lay People, St. Ann's Desoto 6pm - 8pm

9/7 Lay People, St. Philip's Frisco, 10am - 12pm

9/7 Lay People, St. James Dallas, 2pm - 4pm

9/10 ZOOM ONLY Session for those who are unable to attend in-person sessions, 6pm – 8pm


Update From Search Committee

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On behalf of the Bishop Search Committee, I am writing to give you an update as I am sure you are eager to know more about the process and progress. 

First, the election of our Bishop Coadjutor, God willing, will take place on May 3rd, 2025. The Coadjutor Profile will be published in late September and nominations will be received from Oct. 1 to Oct. 21.

What is a Bishop Coadjutor? It is an assistant bishop with the right of succession upon the resignation (in the case of our diocese, retirement) of the diocesan bishop. Before a bishop coadjutor is elected, the diocesan bishop must consent to such an election and state the duties which will be assigned to the bishop coadjutor when duly ordained and consecrated.[1]

Our responsibility as the Search Committee is to prayerfully provide a Diocesan Profile for the Bishop Coadjutor, soliciting, interviewing, and proposing a slate of candidates to the Standing Committee. This is followed by presenting the slate to the Diocese through a series of “walk abouts” and planning and implementing the consecration. 

The discernment process, for all of us, involves the guidance of the Holy Spirit for us to understand the truth of the Scripture and the wisdom of the tradition as they regard the issue at hand, and within the bounds of reason, seek the specific will of God for our diocese. Throughout this process, members of the Search Committee are committed to pray for each other and for the process. We also rely on your prayers.

Friends, we all love our diocese and strive to be as faithful as possible to this ministry. We will soon have some fun information for your congregations such as trivia and material for the children.

We rejoice in the ministries of our diocese, give thanks to God for our Bishop, our clergy and our laity, and serve with anticipation for what the Lord has in store for our future Gospel ministry together.

Yours in Christ,

The Rev. Dr. Samira Page


[1] Bishop Coadjutor – The Episcopal Church

Letter from the Rev. Clayton Elder, Chairman of the Search Committee for the Bishop Coadjutor Election

Beloved People of the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas,

It is my blessing and honor to greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ as the President of the Standing committee for the Diocese of Dallas, and as the Chair of the Search Committee for the Bishop Coadjutor.

Following Bishop Sumner’s call for the election of a Bishop Coadjutor, the Standing Committee, who is charged with designing and holding the election of a bishop, and following the canons of the Diocese of Dallas, elected me as the chair of the Search Committee, and entered, with the Executive Council, the nominations, discernment, and election process for the committee.

Before discerning began, and upon the recommendations from The Episcopal Church, the Standing Committee interviewed and chose The Very Rev. Ronald Clingenpeel as our Election Consultant, a general practice for all Bishop elections in the Episcopal Church.  Fr. Clingenpeel brings over twenty years of experience to this role and is well acquainted with Texas as he served Dallas in our last Bishop’s election, and most recently served in the Diocese of West Texas for their own Bishop Coadjutor process.

With the Chair and Consultant in place, the Executive Council and Standing Committee followed a democratic process of generating nominees, taking time for discernment, and electing by majority vote their canonically allotted positions (Executive Council – 6 clergy and 6 lay, Standing Committee – 4 clergy and 4 lay).  By God’s grace, the organically nominated, democratically elected, and Holy Spirit-inspired committee (listed below) represents each convocation in both clergy and lay membership. 

Please welcome and lift up in daily prayer the following Holy Spirit-gifted followers of Jesus Christ who will devote their time and talents to a process of hard work, prayer, and holy listening to you, each other, and our Lord for the purposes of presenting a slate of candidates to the Diocese of Dallas for the Bishop Coadjutor election on May 3rd, 2025. 

Clergy

Mtr. Samira Page – Gateway of Grace, Dallas – Central Convocation

Fr. David Houk – St. John’s, Dallas – Eastern Convocation

Dcn. Mark Hall – St. Matthew’s Cathedral, Dallas – Eastern Convocation

Mtr. Cynthia Moore – St. Mark’s, Mt. Pleasant – Northeastern Convocation

Mtr. Kate Smith – St. Paul’s, Prosper – Northern Convocation

Fr. Noe Mendez – Santa Natividad, McKinney – Northern Convocation

Fr. Andrew Van Kirk – St. Andrew’s, McKinney – Northern Convocation

Fr. Perry Mullins – St. Peter’s, McKinney – Northern Convocation

Fr. Ian Hyde – Good Shepherd, Terrell – Southern Convocation

Fr. Sam Adams – St. Augustine’s, Dallas – Western Convocation 

Lay

Mr. Matt Lewis – Church of the Incarnation, Dallas – Central Convocation

Mrs. Stevi McCoy – Transfiguration, Dallas – Central Convocation

Mr. Tony Briggle – St. Michael and All Angels, Dallas – Central Convocation

Mrs. Adele Ichilian – St. Matthew’s Cathedral, Dallas – Eastern Convocation

Mrs. Cathleen Dolt – St. James, Dallas – Eastern Convocation

Mrs. Lee Spence – St. Dunston’s, Mineola – Northeastern Convocation

Mr. Lance Taylor – St. Philip’s, Frisco – Northern Convocation

Mrs. Jolayne LaCour – St. David of Wales, Denton – Northern Convocation

Mr. Hal Richards – Good Shepherd, Terrell – Southern Convocation

Mrs. Wendy Skorburg – Good Shepherd, Cedar Hill – Western Convocation

With the Committee selected, and our opening retreat and meeting set for the weekend of May 31st – June 1st, 2024, our next steps will be to discern a framework and timeline for the process, set subcommittees, and begin the listening process with you, Bishop Sumner, and our Lord for the purposes of creating a profile for our next Bishop Coadjutor. 

Until then, I invite you to join me in praying the following prayer for our Bishop, our Search Committee, and our Diocese as we discern together who the Lord is calling to be our Bishop Coadjutor. 

In Christ,

Clayton+

Chair of the Search Committee

Heavenly Father, to Whom all the Saints in heaven and earth adore and bend the knee: Look graciously on your Church and pour out your Holy Spirit upon our Bishop, the Search Committee, and the Delegates who will choose a bishop for this diocese, to feed and tend the flock of Christ and exercise without reproach the high priesthood of this calling. Grant that they, and we may have all wisdom and discernment; a spirit of revelation and the knowledge of your will, and the confidence in your guidance in the decision to be made; through him who is the shepherd and bishop of our souls, even Jesus Christ, your Son our Lord. Amen.

-       Compiled by The Rev. Matthew S.C. Olver, Ph.D.


Letter From the Standing Committee

Beloved in Christ,

On Wednesday, April 17, Bishop George Sumner called for the election of a bishop coadjutor for the Diocese of Dallas. Our bishop coadjutor will serve alongside Bishop Sumner until he retires, and then succeed him as our eighth diocesan bishop.

The electing convention will be held on Saturday, May 3, 2025 – two weeks after Easter – at a time and location to be announced.

This week, the Standing Committee unanimously appointed Father Clayton Elder to serve as chairperson for the Search Committee. As the outgoing President of the Standing Committee, his continued work in this new role will ensure a seamless continuation of the election process.

In the coming weeks, the Standing Committee will choose and begin to work alongside a consultant from the Episcopal Church to ensure that our process and timeline follows all the right steps and best practices for seeking a new bishop.

Then, Fr. Elder will work closely with the Executive Council and Standing Committee to form the Search Committee, made up of twenty voting members – six clergy and six lay persons appointed by the Executive Council as well as four clergy and four lay persons appointed by the Standing Committee. The Chancellor serves as an additional ex-officio member. We will appoint a Transition Committee at a later date.

Over the next year, the Search Committee will listen, pray, build a profile, accept nominations, and discern a slate of 3-7 nominees that they will present to the diocese for election. Then, during Lent, we will enter into a period of intentional discernment together and meet the nominees.

The Standing Committee and Search Committee are committed to regular communication and transparency. We will send updates by email and post information on a forthcoming website that will be the hub for us to participate in the work of discernment over the next year.

We believe that this search process is an opportunity for us to come together – to hope and dream cooperatively about our future, to discern with honesty our own identity as a diocese, and to pray for God to send us a pastor who will continue to lead us into the future faithfully.

Participate in this shared discernment with open hearts, hope, and joy. And in the meantime, please keep our diocese, Bishop Sumner, and all our leaders in your prayers.

In Christ,

The Standing Committee

of the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas

Father Clayton Elder

Lee Spence

Father Perry Mullins

Jolayne La Cour

Father Terry Reisner

Tom Graves

Almighty Father, whose blessed Son before his passion prayed for his disciples that they might be one, as you and he are one: Grant that your Church, being bound together in love and obedience to you, may be united in one body by the one Spirit, that the world may believe in him whom you have sent, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.


Bishop George Sumner's Letter to the Diocese

William Hobart Hare

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Greetings in our risen Christ. I am writing to inform you that I have asked the Standing Committee to begin the process of discernment leading to the election of a Bishop Coadjutor. He or she would assist me in episcopal oversight, to include both a share of episcopal visitation and administrative work usually assigned to a Canon to the Ordinary, until such time as I retire and the coadjutor becomes diocesan. I have spoken with Bishop Todd Ousley at the national church. There would be an election in 2025. After the consecration, Bishop Michael Smith, to whom I am immensely grateful, would return to being an assistant bishop.

Of course I have no role in the electoral process, other than praying! Father Clayton Elder, president of the Standing Committee, will be explaining to you what happens next, canonically and practically.

Part of our Christian lives is always to discern the right time. First, while we have our challenges, I believe we as a diocese are in a solid position. Second, a year ago, I led a Lenten series called ‘Being Old and Being Christian’, which I now need to apply to myself, as I think about the next phase of leadership. Third, we would benefit from the perspective and energy the new bishop would bring.

I know that a great deal of attention now moves rightly to the electoral process. But I will continue working assiduously on all the on-going diocesan projects we have begun together. These include Church planting, supporting our Cairo missionaries, an annual lecture on theology and AI, the new Spanish offerings for the Stanton Institute, filling vacancies, and helping smaller congregations collaborate. The work of standing bodies such as the Commission on Ministry continues apace. Stephanie and I continue to enjoy visitations.

Expressing my gratitude to you all is for another day further down the road. Most importantly, we all press on day by day toward the goal of the prize of the upward call in Jesus Christ.

Peace

+GRS

Bishop George Sumner's Letter to the Diocese En Espanol 

William Hobart Hare

Quieridos Hermanos y Hermanas,

Saludos en nuestro Señor resusitado.  Yo escribo para anunciar que he pedido el Comite permanente para commencer el proceso de discernir pora elección de un obispo coadjutor.  El o ella va asistirme en el trabajo de vigilancia.episcopal . incluye compartir en la visitacion y la administracion de un canon ordinario, hasta yo me jubilee y el coajutor sea obispo. He hablado con Obispo Todd Ousley. De la iglesia nacional. Hara una elección en 2025.  Despues de la consecracion, Obispo Michael Smith, a quien estoy agradecido, va a regresar como un obispo asistente.

Por sopuesto no voy a participar en este porceso proximo, excepto orar!  Padre Clayton Elder va a explicar lo que seguie por ustedes, sobre los canones y prarcticamente.

En nuestras vidas critianas, necesitamos discernir el tiempo derecho.  Primero, aunque temenos desafíos varios, generalmente estamos en un lugar fuerte. Secundo, hace un año, enseñe un curso llamado ‘ser viejo y ser un Cristiano.’ Ahora necesito aplicarlo en mi vida, sobre la temporada proxima del mnisterio.  Tercero, la perspectiva nueva de un lider nuevo ayudarianos.

Entiendo que ahora mucha atencion va a dirigirse al proceso de la elección. Pero voy a continuar a trabajar continualmente en todos los projectos los que hemos comenicido. Ellos incluyen plantar una iglesita, apoyar nuestros misioñeros en Cairo, una lectura sobre IA y teologia, el programa nuevo en Español de enseñaza, llenar posiciones de las paroquias, y ayudar congregaciones pequeñas para compartir. El trabajo de comites permanentes continuan, especialmente de la vocación, a Stephanie yo gustan visitar congregaciones mucho.

Agradecidos son por un otro dia en frente. mas importantemente, nosotros proseguimos hasta el fin de la primera del llamado de arriba en Jesus Cristo.

Paz,

+GRS