The slate of candidates who will stand for election as the VI Bishop of Arizona was announced July 13, 2018.  The process of electing a new bishop follows Bishop Kirk Smith’s retirement announcement on November 9, 2017.  On the same, day, Bishop Todd Ousley, from the Presiding Bishop’s Office of Pastoral Development who oversees the transition process for the Episcopal Church, outlined the next steps. The Standing Committee, with The Rev. Canon Daniel Tantimonaco as President, will oversee the search and transition process for the diocese. The Diocesan Staff’s responsibility will be to work to keep the diocese doing business as usual throughout this transition.

The Search Committee is designated by the diocesan Canons. The names of those who are serving on the committee are listed below. Their job is to find a list of final candidates to present to the whole diocese in a series of “walkabouts” before the election takes place at the Diocesan Convention on October 19-20, 2018. The bishop-elect will then work with Bishop Smith for a few months before being consecrated as the Sixth Bishop of Arizona on March 9, 2019 by Presiding Bishop Michael Curry.  To learn more about the process, and who the candidates are, please use this link. Bishop Search.