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Dear Brothers and Sisters of the Anglican Diocese of the Great Lakes, Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. On behalf of the Standing Committee, I write to you with deep gratitude for your prayers and participation as we take an important step together in the life of our diocese: the process of discerning our next Bishop Coadjutor. Thank you for upholding the Standing Committee in prayer as we have planned and prepared for this season of discernment. Your prayers have been—and continue to be—a vital foundation for our work. We are also grateful for your thoughtful participation in the diocesan survey. Your input was instrumental in shaping our Diocesan Profile, which will help guide the Bishop Search Committee, those who nominate, and those who are nominated. This profile is now available for you to read and share! 2026 DIOCESAN PROFILE - CLICK TO VIEW The Book of Common Prayer offers a prayer “For the Selection of a Bishop,” and I encourage you and your congregations to pray it regularly in the coming year. One petition of this prayer asks the Lord to “…so guide the minds of those who shall choose a Bishop for this Diocese…” This prayer is not just for the electors at Synod next year; it is for all of us—those eligible to nominate, those serving on the Search Committee, and all who will participate in the discernment process. The Bishop Search Committee will play a crucial role in this journey. These individuals will receive and prayerfully review nominations, study submitted written materials, conduct interviews, and present a slate of 2–3 candidates to the diocese next August. We will then have opportunities throughout the fall of 2026 to learn more about the candidates before electing our next bishop one year from now at Synod 2026. We are pleased to announce the members of the Bishop Search Committee, who were commissioned at Synod this weekend: The Rev. Canon Andrew Unger, Chair – St. Luke’s, Copley, OH Mickie Murphy, Vice-Chair – Ascension, Marion, IN The Rev. Pam Buck – Apostles, Lexington, KY The Rev. Kris Rolls – Christ Church, Grand Rapids, MI The Rev. Kristen Yates – Mission Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH Melissa Bowman – All Saints, Holland, MI Evan Francis – St. Anne’s in the Fields, Madison, OH Caleb Sasser – St. Anselm, Lakewood, OH
Please keep these faithful servants in your prayers as they begin their work. Let me also say a brief word about nominations. The window for nominations will open on November 1, 2025, and remain open until February 28, 2026. Nominations may be made by: Any confirmed lay person who is a member in good standing of a congregation in the Diocese, Any clergy domiciled in the Diocese, and Any bishop of the Anglican Church in North America.
If you are considering submitting a nomination, we ask you to: Prayerfully read the Diocesan Profile and reflect on whether the person you have in mind fits the description of the bishop we seek. Speak directly with the individual to seek their consent before submitting their name. With their permission, submit the nomination through the digital form that will be available on the diocesan website beginning November 1.
Your thoughtful and prayerful nominations are a vital part of this process, and we thank you in advance for your participation. We commend this season of discernment to our faithful God, trusting that he will provide the shepherd we need. Let us join in prayer together: Almighty God, giver of every good gift: Look graciously on your Church, and so guide the minds of those who shall choose a Bishop for this Diocese that we may receive a faithful pastor who will preach the Gospel, care for your people, equip us for ministry, and lead us forth in fulfillment of the Great Commission; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(Book of Common Prayer 2019, p. 648-649)
In Christ, Fr. Chris+ The Very Rev. Christopher M. Klukas
President of the Standing Committee
The Anglican Diocese of the Great Lakes
cklukas@adgl.us
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