From our friends at Episcopal News Service:
The Episcopal Diocese of West Tennessee has announced a slate of three nominees for election as its fourth bishop.
The candidates are:
The Rev. Marian Dulaney Fortner, rector, Trinity Episcopal Church, Hattiesburg, MS, Diocese of Mississippi
The Rev. Sarah D. Hollar, rector, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Huntersville, NC, Diocese of North Carolina
The Rev. Phoebe A. Roaf, rector, St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, Richmond, VA, Diocese of Virginia
More information on the candidates can be found at the Diocese of West Tennessee’s bishop search website. Nominations by petition will be accepted until October 5, with the election taking place during the diocesan convention on November 16-17.
The slate is notable in that it marks the third time in the past several months a diocese has nominated a group of women to serve as its next bishop. The other two are the Diocese of Kansas and the Diocese of Colorado (where the slate was reduced to two nominees following accusations’ being made against a third candidate earlier this month; see the Cafe’s previous coverage here). These three slates will bring the number of women elected as diocesans within the last four years to eight. This can be seen as TEC’s having made a great deal of progress when it comes to gender equality. However, women only make up approximately 10 percent of the membership roster of the House of Bishops from this year’s General Convention.