Beloved Siblings in Christ,
The Standing Committee is pleased to announce to you the candidates for the 7th Bishop Diocesan of the Diocese of Southwestern Virginia. After careful consideration and prayerful discernment, the Standing Committee has received and endorsed the nominees from the Search Committee, who has spent the last several months hard at work identifying and discerning with the following candidates to serve as our next Bishop:
- The Rev. Paul Canady
Rector, Christ Episcopal Church
New Bern, NC (Diocese of East Carolina)
- The Rev. Karin MacPhail
Rector, St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church
Roanoke, VA (Diocese of Southwestern Virginia)
- The Very Rev. Becky McDaniel
Rector, Westover Episcopal Church
Charles City, VA (Diocese of Virginia)
- The Very Rev. Grant Stokes
Rector, Trinity Episcopal Church
Portsmouth, VA (Diocese of Southern Virginia)
You will find more information about each candidate, including their CV, written essays, and video introductions, on the bishop search webpage (Bishop Slate). We invite all members of the diocese to join us in prayer for each candidate as they prepare for this sacred calling. We also encourage the leadership in every congregation to share this information widely with their members and to spend time reflecting on the Diocesan Profile as a tool for discernment ahead of the Meet-and-Greets and the Electing Convention (DioSWVA Profile). Clergy and lay delegates who will vote need to hear from everyone.
Petition Process
PETITION PROCESS FOR THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA ELECTION OF THE SEVENTH BISHOP OF THE DIOCESE
These rules and requirements shall govern the petition process:
1. No individual’s Petition will be considered who participated in the process conducted by the Search Committee of the Diocese of Southwestern Virginia and who was not selected for the final slate of nominees approved by the Standing Committee.
2. Signatures of Nominations from not fewer than five (5) clergy of the Diocese entitled to vote, and must include representation from each of the five (5) Convocations of the Diocese.
3. Signatures of Nominations from not fewer than five (5) lay communicants in good standing of the Diocese, and must include representation from each of the five (5) Convocations of the Diocese.
All Members of this Church who for the previous year have been faithful in corporate worship, unless for good cause prevented, and have been faithful in working, praying, and giving for the spread of the Kingdom of God, are to be considered Communicants in Good Standing.
— Canon I.17.3 of the Canons of The Episcopal Church
4. Signed Consent and Authorization Form from the person being nominated by petition.
5. The completed petition must include application materials required of other previously announced candidates. The petition application can be found here.
6. All required documentation must be submitted no later than 14 days from today’s date (11/21/2025).
7. The Standing Committee of the Diocese of Southwestern Virginia will certify whether petition candidates have met all requirements to be added to the slate of nominees.
Meet-and-Greets
We now look to the Transition Committee to continue helping the diocese discern who God is calling to be our next bishop. They have already organized a number of opportunities for you to meet the candidates. Please mark your calendars and RSVP for the following “Meet-and-Greet” events:
|
Grace Episcopal Church, Lexington |
6:00-8:00 p.m., on Tuesday, January 6 |
|
Westminster Canterbury, Lynchburg |
6:00-8:00 p.m., on Wednesday January 7 |
|
Christ Episcopal Church, Marion |
6:00-8:00 p.m., on Thursday January 8 |
A Collect for the Election of our Bishop
Creator God, whose Church lives beyond the walls of buildings and the boundaries of cities, we ask that you guide our work as the Episcopal Diocese of Southwestern Virginia moves together through a transition of leadership. We pray for patience in dialogue and wisdom in discernment, that the richness of our diverse voices, from farmland to small town, mountain to downtown, will all be valued and heard. We pray for the person who will be elected as our next Bishop, for Paul, Karin, Becky, and Grant, and for the people of this diocese, so that the work of spreading God’s love in southwestern Virginia and beyond will grow and flourish in the years to come.
In the name of your incarnate son we pray, Amen.
In Christ’s name,
The Standing Committee
Diocese of Southwestern Virginia