Standing Committee, Search and Transition Teams Meet at Valle Crucis to Begin Bishop Search Process

Standing, Search, & Transition Steering Committees at Valle Crucis Conference Center.

On June 26–27, the Standing Committee gathered at Valle Crucis with the newly formed Bishop Search Committee and Bishop Transition Steering Committee for a joint meeting to launch the work ahead in calling our next bishop.

Joining the group were the Rev. Timothy Hodapp, the diocese's Transition Consultant, and Sarah Stonesifer Boylan, liaison with the Presiding Bishop's office. Both offered guidance on best practices for episcopal transitions, helping all three committees understand their roles and how their work fits together in the months to come.

The Standing Committee is preparing to take on additional responsibility this August, when it becomes the Ecclesiastical Authority of the diocese during the transition period.

In the coming weeks, the Search Committee will begin reaching out to the diocese for input through surveys and listening sessions, inviting members throughout Western North Carolina to share their thoughts on who we are as a diocese and where we sense God calling us next.

The Transition Steering Committee will also be seeking volunteers to join the Transition Committee, which will carry out the many tasks involved in the 2027 election and ordination of our next bishop.

To keep up-to-date with news and updates on the bishop search and transition process, visit dioccesewnc.org/bishop-transition