Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde of the Diocese of Washington announces the calling of the Rt. Rev. Chilton Knudsen as assisting bishop:
I am thrilled to announce that Rt. Rev. Chilton Knudsen will join the Diocese of Washington as Assisting Bishop, effective February 20, 2019. Bishop Knudsen served as Bishop of Maine for a decade (1997-2008) and has since served a missionary in Haiti and as an assistant bishop in four dioceses. She will complete her ministry in the Diocese of Maryland at the end of 2018.
Bishop Knudsen is a good friend to many in the Diocese of Washington, and she is known for her pastoral warmth, skill in conflict resolution, congregational development, and issues related to addiction and recovery. A person of great spiritual maturity and love for the gospel, she is excited to serve Christ among us. We will be richly blessed by her ministry.
As Assisting Bishop, a half-time position, Bishop Knudsen will help with parish visitations (two per month), ordinations, confirmations, and other events where a bishop is needed. She will work alongside Archdeacon L. Sue von Rautenkranz in the Deacon’s School. Already known and admired among EDOW congregations in southern Maryland, Bishop Knudsen will devote much of her energies among the clergy and lay leaders there, and, in particular, support the strategic planning process in their context. She feels a special call to congregations on the geographic borders of a diocese and thus will also develop pastoral relationships in our northernmost regions.
Matthew Townsend is a Halifax-based freelance journalist and volunteer advocate for survivors of sexual misconduct in Anglican settings. He served as editor of the Anglican Journal from 2019 to 2021 and communications missioner for the Anglican Diocese of Quebec from 2019 to 2022. He and his wife recently entered catechism class in the Orthodox Church in America.
