Episcopal Diocese of Western Michigan elects Ninth bishop

From Western Michigan-

The Rev. Whayne M. Hougland Jr., has been elected the ninth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Michigan at an electing convention held earlier this month. The Rev. Hougland, currently rector of St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Salisbury, N.C., was elected on the eighth ballot out of a field of four candidates. To be elected, a candidate must have received a majority of the votes in both the lay order and the clergy order. He received 87 of 139 votes cast in the lay order and 34 of 65 votes cast in the clergy order.

Under the canons (III.11.4) of the Episcopal Church, the election of a bishop requires the consent from a majority of bishops with jurisdiction and Standing Committees of the Episcopal Church. Assuming that consent is received, The Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, will consecrate The Rev. Whayne Hougland, Jr., as the ninth Bishop of Western Michigan on Sept. 28, at the Van Noord Arena on the campus of Calvin College, Grand Rapids.

The election, which was held at Grace Church in Grand Rapids, followed a year-long search process in which three candidates were selected by the diocesan search committee; the fourth was nominated through a petition process. Prior to the election, the four candidates spent the first weekend in May traversing the diocese, meeting the people, and answering questions in a series of three "walkabouts."

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