Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh expands list of nominees for bishop

Two more names have been added to the list of nominees for the next bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh.

The Rev. Jeffrey Murph, rector of St. Thomas Memorial Church in Oakmont, and the Rev. Canon Scott Gunn, executive director of Forward Movement, a spiritual renewal program based in Cincinnati, have joined a slate with three other candidates through the process of petition.

The other nominees, all women, are: The Very Rev. Kim Coleman, rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Arlington, Va.; the Rev. Dr. Ketlen Solak, rector of Brandywine Collaborative Ministries in Wilmington, Del.; and the Rev. Diana Wilcox, rector of Christ Church in Glen Ridge and Bloomfield, N.J.

The process of finding a new bishop began when Bishop Dorsey McConnell announced in December 2019 that he would retire in 2021. In February 2020, a 14-member nominating committee began the work of recommending three to five nominees to stand for election.

“The selection of these nominees began with a large pool of applicants compared to other Episcopal diocese recently,” said the Rev. Noah Evans, rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Mt. Lebanon and president of the diocesan Standing Committee, the governing board that oversees the election. “We are deeply grateful for the work of the nominating committee in discerning these individuals.”

The election is set for June 26 at a special diocesan convention. The person elected must gain a majority of votes from both lay deputies and from the clergy.

“I am confident that my background, when combined with my pastoral and administrative gifts, equip me to be both the bridge and the bridge-builder the diocese is seeking,” said Coleman.

Solak describes herself as a visionary and collaborative leader.

“I am also a perceptive listener, a creative and strategic thinker who is able to discern viable alternatives in the midst of complexity,” she said.

Wilcox’s spiritual origins include experiences in the Baptist church.

“All of the ministry in my life rests on a foundation of faith that began in my childhood,” she said. “I was raised Baptist, and later chose the Episcopal Church for the way in which the liturgy moves my heart, and for the deep commitment to justice.”

Before the pandemic, Gunn’s ministry involved non-stop travel.

“I am looking forward to a ministry that is more rooted in one place, among a community with whom I can form deep and lasting relationships,” he said.

Murph began serving as a priest in the Pittsburgh diocese 26 years ago.

“Having visited most of the churches in our diocese, I have seen the faithfulness and hard work of so many of our lay people and clergy through all kinds of challenges,” he said.

Next week all five candidates are scheduled to tour the diocese.

The new bishop will be consecrated on Nov. 13, 2021, succeeding McConnell.