The Search for Our Next Bishop

The Bishop is the ecclesiastical authority of the Diocese of Missouri. The Rt. Rev. George Wayne Smith has served as the 10th Bishop of Missouri since 2002 and will be retiring in 2020.

The 11th Bishop of Missouri will be elected at this year's Diocesan Convention, November 22-23.

A lot has to happen before that election! Grace member Dick Entenmann is serving on the Bishop Search Committee. "When I volunteered to be part of the selection process for our 11th bishop, I thought I knew what I was signing up for," Entenmann said. "After attending our first team meeting on December 1, 2018, I knew that this was going to be a new experience."

Dick and other members of the Search Committee have conducted surveys and visited all the parishes in our diocese to get input from church members. "The thing that I took away was the common themes in the responses we received. Our diversity as a diocese may seem daunting on paper, but I can assure you that we are very much alike when it comes to following Jesus and exploring God's calling where we are." Entenmann said. "Parishes responding to the needs found in our various communities within the diocese are alive and well."

We will continue to keep you posted on news as it becomes available. Here is a timeline in the search for our next bishop:

July - August: The Search Committee is interviewing applicants via video calls. The Rev. Paul A. Metzler has agreed to serve as chaplain to the bishop candidates.

September 16-19: Top applicants will come to St. Louis for a retreat with the Search Committee and other diocesan officers.

September 26: The Search Committee will present a slate of three to five candidates to the Standing Committee. After that, the candidates’ names and biographical information will be published.

November 4-7: Everyone will have a chance to meet the candidates at meet-and-greet sessions at St. Timothy’s in Creve Coeur, Trinity in the Central West End, Calvary in Columbia, and Christ Church in Cape Girardeau. Detailed schedules coming soon.

Nov. 22-23: Convention delegates will elect the next bishop at Diocesan Convention. Grace's delegates are Lyn Ballard, Betty Bowersox and John Dotson. Chris Ludbrook is our alternate delegate.

March 28: Celebration of Bishop Smith’s leadership will be held at Christ Church Cathedral. There will be an opportunity for members to contribute gifts of gratitude for Bishop George Wayne and Debra Smith.

April 25, 2020: All are invited as we welcome the 11th Bishop of Missouri!
Ordination, consecration and installation of our new bishop takes place at St. Stanislaus Kostka Polish Catholic Church in St. Louis. A celebration follows at the Polish Heritage Center, on the same grounds.

Click here for more information from the Diocese on the search process.