The Revd Canon Dr. George Sumner has been elected as the next bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas. He was elected on the fourth ballot of a Special Convention of the diocese to elect a bishop Saturday, 16 MAY 2015 at the Episcopal School of Dallas.
To be elected the candidate needed to receive a simple majority from both houses of the convention. There were four candidates for bishop, also including the Rev. Mike Michie, the Rev. David Read and the Rev. Leigh Spruill.
The Revd Sumner currently serves as the Principal and Helliwell Professor of World Mission at Wycliff College in Toronto, Canada. The bishop-elect holds a BA from Harvard College, an MDiv from Yale Divinity and a PhD in Systematic Theology with an emphasis in missiology from Yale University. He has taught classes at Wycliff College in systematic theology, mission and doctoral seminars in hamartiology and the theology of german theologian Wolfhart Pannenberg.
Dr Sumner’s major writings include; The First and the Last: the Claim of Jesus Christ and the Claims of Other Religious Traditions (2004), Unwearied Praises (2005) (co-author), Being Salt: A Theology of an Ordered Church (2007) and Daniel, a Commentary in the Brazos Series (2012).
“I am humbled and grateful to God for my election,” Sumner said. “It will be a great privilege to share in the ministry Christ has given us all together in the Diocese of Dallas. I would like to express my appreciation for my fellow candidates and the remarkable transition team. I ask for your prayers and help in the days to come.”
Pending Dr Sumner receiving the consent of a majority of bishops and diocesan Standing Committees, the diocese intends for the bishop-elect’s consecration to be held 14 NOV 2015.
The bishop-elect is married to Stephanie and has two young adult children.
Update
To learn more about the bishop-elect, his biography lingers in the Way Back Machine here. And you can read information about all four candidates here.
Information for this story was gathered from the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas website and the Wycliff College website.
The photo is from the Diocese of Dallas website
Posted by David Allen.