By 1812Blockhouse; Diocese of Ohio News Release
The Rev. Anne B. Jolly was elected as Bishop Coadjutor of the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio during the 206th annual convention on November 19 at the Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Tower. She was elected on the second ballot after receiving a majority of both clergy and lay votes.
Less than a month before, the Bishop-Elect was welcomed in Richland County.
The election concludes the year-long process of seeking a successor for Bishop Mark Hollingsworth, Jr., who began his service in the diocese in 2004.
Jolly is the first woman to be elected a bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio. She was one of three nominees. The other nominees were the Rev. Dr. Elaine Ellis Thomas and the Rev. Diana L. Wilcox, both from the Diocese of Newark.
Jolly visited Grace Episcopal Church in Mansfield on Tuesday, October 25 as one of the three candidates attending a regional “Meet and Greet” for Episcopalians and interested individuals in this part of Ohio.
Currently serving as the Rector of St. Gregory’s in Deerfield, IL, in the Diocese of Chicago, Jolly feels her call is to shape the church so that God’s people are equipped to live lives of faith and share the love and justice of Christ’s “Kin-dom.” As the President of the Standing Committee in the Diocese of Chicago (since 2019), she served as the head of the ecclesiastical authority for two years while the diocese was in an interim period between bishops. She has previously served at Good Shepherd in Austin, TX; St. Paul’s in Chattanooga, TN; and Christ Church in Greenville, SC. More about The Rev. Anne B. Jolly
Addressing the convention, Jolly said, “I’m so excited and overwhelmed and ready to be with you…I want to thank everyone who has held us all in prayer…I am eager and ready to get there [Ohio] to get to know you, to listen to you, to help us solidify a vision together about how we can do things and be a part of God’s work in changing the world.”
Pending consent of a majority of the bishops with jurisdiction and the diocesan standing committees, Jolly will be ordained and consecrated on April 29, 2023, at Cleveland Public Auditorium. Presiding Bishop Michael Curry will preside. She will succeed Bishop Hollingsworth later next year, becoming the 12th Bishop of Ohio.
The Episcopal Diocese of Ohio was established in 1817 and is part of The Episcopal Church, a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion. It comprises the northern 48 counties in the State of Ohio, which includes more than 15,000 Episcopalians in 80 worshiping congregations. The current bishop is the Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr., elected on November 15, 2003 and consecrated on April 17, 2004.
Photo: Thomas Palmer
