The Episcopal Diocese of

North Dakota



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Welcome to our email Newsletter!

Highlights from this issue:

• Bishop Search Information
• Meet & Greet Q&A Video Sessions
• Bishop Slate
• Annual Diocesan Convention
• Friday Business Session
• Nominations Needed
• Civic Spotlight

Read on for other announcements and the calendar!

Did you miss a copy of the Prairie? The past four editions of the bi-monthly Prairie are now online! Click the button below to be taken to the webpage!

Paul Jones

September 4, 2025

Bishop, 1941

Merciful God, you sent your beloved Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Raise up in this and every land witnesses who, after the example of your servant Paul Jones, will stand firm in proclaiming the Gospel of the Prince of Peace, our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

*Read about Bp. Paul Jones here.

First Lesson: Malachi 2:17-3:5

Psalm: Psalm 120

Second Lesson: 1 Peter 3:8-17

Gospel: John 8:31-36

BISHOP SEARCH UPDATE

Bishop Meet & Greet Q&A

There are three formal Question and Answer sessions during out Bishop Meet and Greet Week (happening now). Each of these sessions are being recorded and will be available on our YouTube channel, Facebook page, and website. Below is the first session from Tuesday night in Fargo. The others will be uploaded and published as they arrive.

Bishop Nominees

Presented in alphabetical order

The nominating committee is pleased to present a slate of qualified candidates that meets the requirements described in the Constitution and Canons. The four candidates are:

• The Rev. Lecia Diaz Brannon of the Diocese of Texas
• The Very Rev. Shay Craig of the Diocese of Western Kansas
• The Rev. Dr. Brandt Montgomery of the Diocese of Maryland
• The Very Rev. Benjamin Thomas Th.D. of the Diocese of Minnesota

Further information about each candidate, including a cover letter, short biographical sketch, resume, OTM resume, and brief video clip will be available on the Diocesan Bishop Search web page.

Diocesan Bishop Search Collect

O God, creator of the world and sustainer of our lives. We thank you for bringing together the members of the Diocese of North Dakota, a diverse and faithful people. Help us to listen to your Spirit as we discern our choice for a bishop that will live with us, work beside us, and know and understand us as we grow together to serve your people. AMEN.

ANNUAL DIOCESAN CONVENTION

Anchored in Christ's Love: One Body, One Mission

Planning Information

When: October 24-25, 2025

Where: Prairie Knights Casino & Resort

Things to do:

• Pray for the Convention & the Bishop Nominees
• Register [forms available soon]
• Book hotel room
• Make sure the Diocesan Office has your church's delegate list
• Watch for further information

Friday Business & Quorum

The Convention Planning Committee invites you to note some important changes to the schedule, content, and canonical requirements of this year’s convention:

All Business on Friday Afternoon

Due to the happy task of saving our Saturday meeting time for the election of the 12th Bishop of North Dakota, all of the Diocese’s convention business must be accomplished on Friday, October 24th.

Therefore, the Convention will convene at 2PM in the Pavilion Ballroom of the Prairie Knights Casino that Friday afternoon. Further, because we must have time to elect new diocesan leaders and approve budgets for 2026 and 2027, we will not hold workshops as has been done in past conventions.

Larger Quorum Needed for Election of a Bishop

Because we are holding an election for a bishop, our canons require that two-thirds of the Members of the Clergy entitled to vote and two-thirds of the Lay delegates representing two-thirds of the Congregations entitled to representation at the Convention shall constitute a quorum for the election of a Bishop. (Canon III, Sec.5)

Therefore, accurate delegate lists are imperative, as is the attendance of every parish delegate and eligible clergyperson. Registration materials will be released in early September. Senior Wardens and parish clergy should anticipate these materials and assist their delegates in registration.

With my thanks for your support of an exciting and successful convention,

+Brian

Nominations

Each year we hold nominations for different leadership positions within the Diocese. Please prayerfully consider holding one of these offices. Descriptions of each position are listed on the second page of the nomination form. Questions, please contact Bp. Brian Thom or Jessica Krzewina.

Secretary of Convention

1 person, 1 year term, repeatable

Treasurer of the Diocese

1 person, 1 year term, repeatable

Standing Committee/Diocesan Council

Clergy/Standing Committee: Elect 1 clergy, 2-year term

Clergy/Standing Committee: Elect 1 clergy, 3-year term

Lay/Standing Committee: Elect 1 lay person, 3-year term

East Region to Diocesan Council: Elect multiple positions

West Region to Diocesan Council: Elect multiple positions

General Convention Deputies

Four clergy and four lay deputies

Convention Planning Committee Members

George Abdilnour, St. Peter's, Williston

Harvey Henderson, St. Paul's, Grand Forks

Sandy Holbrook, St. Stephen's, Fargo

Ashley Hubbard, Diocesan Missioner

Jessica Krzewina, Diocesan Administrator

Joanne Lassiter, St. George's, Bismarck

Beth Lipp, St. George's, Bismarck

Donna Pettit, St. Paul's, Grand Forks

Vanessa Strobel, Gethsemane, Fargo

Brian Thom, Bishop Provisional

Passing of The Rt. Rev Tom Ely

Bishop Tom Ely passed away on Saturday, August 30th surrounded by his family.

When Bishop Ely concluded his ministry in North Dakota, he had already been diagnosed with cancer. He entered into a specialized treatment regimen, both medically and spiritually holistic, which by February of 2025 had stopped the cancer’s growth and spread. After three months rest from chemical treatment, test results revealed new activity. Early August brought confirmation that the disease had seriously worsened.

We will let the Diocese know when a funeral and memorials are settled. You can also keep an eye on his Caringbridge site, as that is where Ann Ely has been posting updates.

O God of grace and glory, we remember before you this day our brother Tom. We thank you for giving him to us, his family and friends, to know and to love as a companion on our earthy pilgrimage. In your boundless compassion, console us who mourn. Give us faith to see in death the gate of eternal life, so that in quiet confidence we may continue our course on earth, until, by your call, we are reunited with those who have gone before; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Book of Common Prayer, pg. 493

Mailing Address for Ann Ely:

104 Magnolia Drive

Brattleboro, VT 05301

A Greeting from Bishop-Elect Ben Quanbeck

Montana Synod, ELCA

Greetings, Montana Synod!

Thank you for electing me to serve as your next bishop. I consider this position a great honor and recognize the tremendous responsibility that comes with this office. In the coming weeks, I will meet with Bishop Laurie and the synod staff to develop a transition plan, ensuring a smooth start when I assume this position in September. Until then, I appreciate your ongoing prayers and support. 

A little about me:

I grew up on a farm and ranch in Shepherd, MT. Our family raises corn, barley, alfalfa, and sugar beets along with a few hundred head of cattle. I have three brothers and one sister, all of whom are still farming in some capacity with my parents. I attended North Dakota State University in Fargo, where I received a degree in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (2002). I also attended Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN (MDiv, 2008), where I met my wife, Jennifer. Jen and I have two kids, Caleb (14) and Cora (11), who keep us busy with all the middle school activities, but especially baseball and softball. We also have a very affectionate dog, Rocky.  (My kids would want me to share that this picture is almost two years old, so they are each taller than you see here.) 

Jen and I have served King of Glory Lutheran Church in Billings for the last thirteen years, first as Associate Pastors and then as Co-Lead Pastors. We previously served a church near Puyallup, WA, for three years when we were newly ordained. I have been blessed by creative, collaborative, and supportive ministries and would love to help foster a greater sense of these values throughout the Montana Synod.

Notes from press release:

• After five ballots, the assembly elected Rev. Ben Quanbeck (see below for a picture and bio) as the Montana Synod’s new bishop. He will begin his term as bishop on September 1, 2025. 
• A note on the transition process: synod staff calls/hires are “coterminous” with the standing bishop. This means that when a new bishop is elected, staff persons' calls end with the standing bishop's call which in the Montana Synod is August 31, 2025. The incoming bishop may select an entirely new staff, retain some of the staff and hire others, or retain all of the staff as he chooses.

St. Sylvan's, Dunseith

Bishop's, Visitation | August 24, 2025

Bishop Brian held services at St. Sylvan's in Dunseith Sunday August 24th where he received and baptized members. We also had a meal following and we gifted Bishop Brian with a star quilt, birch bark basket and birch bark canoe. Bishop Brian also made a visit to our cemetery and stood at the site of where St. Denys church once stood. Bishop Brian also visited the Heart of the Turtle Mountain Food Pantry before departing. Tyrrell DeCoteau founded the Heart of the Turtle Mountain Food Pantry and is the Director there.  

CIVIC SPOTLIGHT

If there are things you would like to contribute to the "Civic Spotlight," please email links/articles to Jess in the Diocesan Office.

Season of Creation | September 1 - October 4

Submitted by Amy Phillips, St. Stephen's, Fargo

The Season of Creation is a worldwide ecumenical Christian observance that begins with the Day of Prayer for Creation on Sept. 1 and ends with the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology, on Oct. 4. But as noted in a recent Episcopal News Service posting, the “Season of Creation” begins September 1 amid worrisome data on climate change. 

The World Meteorological Organization predicts that global temperatures are expected to continue at or near record levels in the next five years. Every additional fraction of a degree of warming drives more harmful heatwaves, extreme rainfall events, intense droughts, melting of ice sheets, sea ice, and glaciers, heating of the ocean, and rising sea levels.

Episcopal News Service also notes that in January, President Trump began making major changes to the nation’s energy policies when a series of executive orders took aim at increasing oil, gas, and coal production. One of these executive orders was about revitalizing the coal industry, including removing impediments to mining coal on federal land. As a result, the Bureau of Land Management is holding a lease sale in North Dakota which will allow for continued mining of millions of tons of coal. The executive orders also canceled plans to use large areas of federal waters for new offshore wind development.

Using renewable energy from sources like solar and wind allows consumers and businesses to avoid coal, oil and natural gas – fossil fuels that contribute to increased global warming and worsen air quality.

For any parish interested in Season of Creation materials, the Episcopal Church’s Creation Care website provides a variety of resources, all of which are designed to invite us to consider anew our ecological, economic, and political ways of living.