The Diocese of West Tennessee has announced three nominees in the search for its fourth bishop:
The Rev. Marian Dulaney Fortner, rector, Trinity Church, Hattiesburg, MS: “Currently, I am in my tenth year as rector of Trinity Episcopal Church, a faithful parish serving downtown Hattiesburg for more than a century. My path has taken me from twelve years of practicing law in Mississippi to General Theological Seminary in New York where I graduated in 1996. I was ordained to the diaconate in June of that year and to the priesthood on February 15, 1997. Since then I have served in faith communities of various sizes and compositions in Mississippi and Arizona. My years make me grateful for the breadth of practice and expression we find in the Episcopal ‘middle way’ where we truly find room for all. I am married to Tom Fortner, whose own calling throughout his legal career has been to defend the criminally accused, both as a public defender and in private practice. We have one daughter, Alley, who is now married and raising our much beloved eight-month old grandson, William.”
The Rev. Sarah D. Hollar, rector, St. Mark’s Church, Huntersville, NC: “I come to you as a rector, a convocational dean, a daughter, wife, mother, baseball and theatre lover, follower of new church initiatives and keeper of the most essential traditions. North Carolina has been my home for most of my life, but I come from the pioneer stock of Texas. My husband is a futurist and that leads to intriguing conversations. We have four adult children and it is exciting watching them navigate their lives in the age we live. I am a UNC grad, a Virginia Theological Seminary grad and was ordained in 2004.”
The Rev. Phoebe A. Roaf, rector, St. Philip’s Church, Richmond, VA: The Diocese of West Tennessee’s commitment to the Good News of Jesus Christ led me to submit my name to your discernment process. I am a lifelong Episcopalian who grew up in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, a couple of hours from Memphis. I was an active member of several congregations when I worked as a public policy analyst and a commercial real estate attorney. When I sensed God’s call to ordination, I prayerfully trusted the Holy Spirit to lead me in the right direction. I graduated from Virginia Theological Seminary in 2008 and I have served two parishes in New Orleans and Richmond since my ordination.
The diocese will welcome nominees by petition until Oct. 5, and the electing convention is scheduled for Nov. 16-17 at St. George’s Church, Germantown.
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.
