August 1, 2022

Dear friends, 

I’m still humbled to have been appointed by the Standing Committee as chair of our Episcopal Diocese of Ohio Bishop Coadjutor Transition Committee. Our committee brings together lay and clergy members from across the diocese, and we’ve been meeting regularly since the beginning of April. Much of our work is done through the diligence of subcommittees, and I’m especially grateful to the chairs of those subcommittees for their leadership. We’re delighted to share these important updates with you as our bishop search continues. 

Presentation of the Slate

The Search Committee, led by Halley Marsh, has been quietly and faithfully working to prepare a slate of candidates for the 12th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio. We anticipate the Standing Committee will announce the initial slate in mid-August. From there, the Transition Committee will help everyone get to know the candidates through a variety of means. 

Meet and Greets 

One way we’ll get to know the slate is through a series of in-person visits the candidates will make across the diocese in late October. I’ve included the “Meet and Greet” schedule here, including options for virtual attendance through livestreaming. My thanks to the Meet and Greet subcommittee for their coordination and to our hosting congregations for opening their doors for these conversations. All public Meet and Greets are open to all. There will be two Meet and Greets that are open to clergy only, as indicated below. 

Public Meet and Greets 

Sunday, October 23 from 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Christ Church, Warren 

Monday, October 24 from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

St. Paul’s, Akron

(Livestreamed) 

Tuesday, October 25 from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Grace, Mansfield

Wednesday, October 26 from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

St. Timothy’s, Perrysburg 

Thursday, October 27 from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Trinity Cathedral, Cleveland

(Livestreamed) 

Clergy Meet and Greets 

Wednesday, October 26 from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

St. Paul’s, Fremont 

Thursday, October 27 from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

St. Barnabas, Bay Village

(Livestream will be made available for clergy not able to attend in-person)

We’ll be in touch in the early fall to solicit your questions for the candidates for the Meet and Greets, and to share with you more fully about what you can expect. 

Electing Convention 

The election of the next Bishop of Ohio will take place at our 206th Annual Diocesan Convention, which will be held in downtown Cleveland on November 18-19, 2022. The Episcopal Address and all business will be on Saturday, November 19, at the Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Tower. Details regarding the Friday schedule will be shared once finalized. You can follow updates on the convention at www.dohio.org/convention. 

Consecration 

We’ll gather for the Consecration of the 12th Bishop of Ohio on April 29, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. at the Cleveland Public Auditorium. Our Presiding Bishop, the Most Rev. Michael Curry, will serve as the presider and chief consecrator. A reception, also to be held at Public Auditorium, will immediately follow the service. We’ll be in touch with further ways to be involved with the planning and celebration of this day soon. My thanks to the Consecration Subcommittee for their tireless work over the past few months. 

Celebrations of Ministries

The other work of our Transition Committee includes planning a celebration of the ministries of Bishop Mark and Sue Hollingsworth among us, as well as ongoing support and recognition for our Assisting Bishops and Diocesan Staff. You can be sure we’ll inform you of opportunities to connect and be a part of these celebrations as those details are solidified. 

In addition to marking your calendars and sharing this information, I encourage you to keep this process in your personal and congregational prayers. A tremendous amount of effort and discernment has already gone into this transition, and that will only increase as the details and candidates become more public. I bid your prayers for our soon-to-be-announced slate and their families, for our diocesan staff, for our current bishops, and for all those dedicating their time and energy into this process. 

You can follow all our committee updates at https://www.dohio.org/bishop-search and you can reach out via our committee email address ([email protected]) with questions or ideas. 

With anticipation, 

The Rev. Jessie Gutgsell Dodson 

Chair, Bishop Coadjutor Transition Committee

Associate Rector, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Cleveland Heights 

Transition Committee

The Rev. Jessie Dodson; St. Paul's, Cleveland Heights (Chair)

Roderick Adams; St. Andrew's, Cleveland

The Rev. Joe Ashby; Grace, Mansfield

Denise Caywood; St. Philip's, Akron

Peter DiMezza; St. Paul's, Akron

The Rev. John Drymon; Trinity, Findlay

Debbie Likins-Fowler; Trinity Cathedral, Cleveland

Carol Franklin; Christ Church, Shaker Heights

The Rev. Rose Anne Lonsway; Grace, Willoughby

Larry Mackey; New Life, Uniontown

Tina Monreal; Christ Church, Hudson

Andrea Porter; St. Andrew's, Cleveland

Richard Pryor; Christ Church, Kent

Susan Quill; St. Paul's, Cleveland Heights

Patty Roberts; Trinity Cathedral, Cleveland