From the YouTube archive: Bishop Stephen T. Lane preaches at diocesan convention in 2015.
The Rt. Rev. Stephen T. Lane, Bishop of Maine, writes to the people of his diocese:
After lengthy conversation and prayer and in consultation with the Standing Committee, I today call for the election of a Bishop Diocesan to be the Tenth Bishop of Maine. (A Bishop Diocesan succeeds the seated bishop immediately upon consecration.)
My wife, Gretchen, and I have been gathering information about Episcopal transition since late last fall. With that knowledge and with the advice of the Presiding Bishop’s Office of Pastoral Development, I have decided to retire from my position as Bishop in June of 2019. I will then be 70 years old. The 22 months between now and then give us ample time to discern, elect, and transition to the next bishop.
Serving as your bishop is the greatest joy of my life in the Church, and I look forward to continuing that service for the next two years. The work of following Jesus goes on even as we make preparations for our diocesan future, and I will remain fully engaged as your bishop until the moment I pass the crozier to my successor. There will be time for farewells as part of the transition process.
Read the rest [PDF].
Matthew Townsend is the former news editor of The Living Church and former editor of the Anglican Journal. He lives in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.