On November 29, 2020, Bishop Thomas Breidenthal resigned as Bishop of Southern Ohio. When there is no diocesan bishop, the Standing Committee becomes the ecclesiastical authority, with oversight of the diocese. By canon, the Standing Committee is composed of three lay people and three clergy (deacons or priests) who are elected to serve three-year terms.
The Standing Committee became the Ecclesiastical Authority on November 30, 2020. To assist in its work, the Standing Committee invited the Right Reverend Ken Price to serve as Bishop in Southern Ohio, and delegated much of their authority and routine work to Bishop Price to carry out for a contracted period of time.
On June 8, 2021, the Standing Committee announced that they had nominated the Rt. Rev. George Wayne Smith as the candidate for Provisional Bishop of the Diocese. The Standing Committee then called for a special session of the 146th Convention to convene on July 17, 2021, for the purpose of naming Smith as Bishop Provisional.
In July 17, 2021, the Special Session of the 146th Convention voted to name the Rt. Rev. George Wayne Smith as Provisional Bishop, effective August 15, 2021.
This page will continue to contain any updates in our transition process, so please check here regularly to learn about progress. You may also want to subscribe to diocesan email newsletters or follow the Diocese of Southern Ohio on Facebook or Twitter. Finally, if you wish to contact the Standing Committee, they may be reached at standingcommittee@diosohio.org.
The members of the Standing Committee are Mr. Larry Hayes, president; the Rev. Philip DeVaul, vice president; Mr. James Allsop; the Rev. Dr. Ellen Cook; Mr. Barry Feist; and the Rev. Canon Scott Gunn.
