The Rev. Brian Prior to be IX Bishop of Minnesota

From Minnesota-

The Standing Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota is pleased to announce that the Rev. Brian Prior has been elected IX Bishop of Minnesota.

Prior has been the Rector of the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection in Spokane, Washington since 1996. Among the many boards and committees on which he serves, Rev. Prior is the Vice President of the House of Deputies of the General Convention of The Episcopal Church. He received his M.Div. from Church Divinity of the Pacific in Berkeley, California in 1987. Rev. Prior has been married to Staci Hubbard Prior for 21 years. They have two teenage sons.

"I am thrilled to have the privilege of being among the first to welcome Rev. Prior as our new bishop," says Scott Crow, chair of the Standing Committee, which is charged with overseeing the election. "Our process has been filled with prayer, discernment, and the movement of the Spirit in our midst. It has been a powerful experience to witness the church at work and I look forward to the joyful Ordination and Consecration of our new bishop on February 13, 2010."

The election, which was conducted in accordance with the Constitution and canons of the Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota and The Episcopal Church, was held in downtown Minneapolis on the second day of the 152nd Annual Diocesan Convention, with balloting beginning after a service of Holy Eucharist. Rev. Prior won on the 5th ballot. Clergy and laity votes are counted separately and a majority is needed in both orders to win the election. Rev. Prior had 118 of 205 clergy votes needed, and 153 of 117 lay votes needed.

Upon accepting election as the IX Bishop, Rev. Prior said, "I feel overwhelmed and blessed at this moment for the opportunity to come and serve in a place with such a rich history and with so many saints both past and present."

According to the canon law of The Episcopal Church, consent to the election must be secured from a majority of bishops with jurisdiction and a majority of diocesan Standing Committees. If received, Rev. Prior will be Ordained and Consecrated as the IX Bishop of Minnesota on February 13, 2010, in a service at the Minneapolis Convention Center with the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding.

The diocesan bishop heads the geographic diocese of Minnesota, which encompasses the entire state and includes 106 congregations with approximately 22,000 baptized members. The diocesan bishop serves as the chief pastor to the 303 clergy in the diocese. The Diocese of Minnesota is one of 110 domestic and overseas dioceses in The Episcopal Church, which is one of the 38 provinces of the Anglican Communion.

http://www.episcopalmn.org/