The Rt. Rev. Anne E. Hodges-Copple has been appointed Bishop Pro Tem of the Diocese of North Carolina.
From the Diocese of North Carolina:
At the 78th General Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah, the Rt. Rev. Michael Curry was elected the 27th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. The reaction in North Carolina was a mix of elation, pride and excitement for The Episcopal Church and sorrow at knowing our beloved bishop would soon leave our diocese.
Knowing the question of “what’s next?” would naturally be on the minds of Episcopalians in the diocese, the Rev. Jim Melnyk, president of the Standing Committee, Bishop Curry and the Rt. Rev. Anne Hodges-Copple began the work of discerning the transitional possibilities even before General Convention, in order not to delay a decision in the event Bishop Curry was elected Presiding Bishop.
The Standing Committee had several options open to them, and after much discussion, thought, prayer and consideration, on July 20, 2015, they elected to exercise the option provided by Canon 40, Article 2.5, of the diocesan canons and appoint Bishop Hodges-Copple as Bishop Pro Tem. She will serve in this position from the time Bishop Curry resigns his jurisdiction as Bishop of North Carolina and assumes his office as Presiding Bishop on November 1, until the election and consecration of the next Bishop Diocesan, likely to take place within the next 18 to 24 months.
By appointing Bishop Hodges-Copple to Bishop Pro Tem, she becomes the ecclesiastical authority, or “chief executive and pastoral officer,” for the Diocese of North Carolina. She will work with a subcommittee of the Standing Committee in the coming weeks to determine exactly what responsibilities she will carry, and what will be the responsibilities of an assisting bishop, the search for which will begin in the next few months.
“Our diocese is healthy and thriving, and the Standing Committee agreed this option was the natural one as it allows all of the great work being done throughout the diocese to continue without interruption,” said the Rev. Jim Melnyk, president of the Standing Committee. “With so many strong ministries in place, we wanted both to keep and strengthen the momentum they’ve got going.”
In addition to serving as Bishop Pro Tem, Bishop Hodges-Copple remains Bishop Suffragan of the diocese.
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Bishop Curry remains our diocesan bishop until his installation on November 1, 2015. November 1 is the working date for Bishop Hodges-Copple to begin serving as Bishop Pro Tem.
It’s all here.
Posted by John B. Chilton