Welcome our new Assisting Bishop!

Dear Friends in Christ,

On behalf of the Standing Committee, I am overjoyed to share that the Rt. Rev. Anne Hodges-Copple will be joining the staff of the Diocese of the Great Lakes as our Assisting Bishop beginning in mid-August.

Bishop Anne brings a wealth of experience, deep pastoral wisdom, and a joyful spirit of accompaniment to this role. She served faithfully for nine years as Bishop Suffragan of the Diocese of North Carolina, and while she has officially retired from full-time episcopal ministry, she continues to answer God’s call to serve the Church. We are honored that she has said yes to joining us.

Bishop Anne will serve quarter time through April 2027, when we will consecrate our first Bishop Diocesan. Although she will not reside in Michigan, she will make regular trips to the diocese. She is already working closely with our staff  to explore creative ways of being present with  and accessible to across our communities on site and online. 

This announcement is a long time coming! Since June 2024, your Standing Committee has been actively seeking an Assisting Bishop to offer pastoral and episcopal leadership during this time of transition. As you’ve heard me and others say many times before, we know that our systems and our people work best with a bishop walking alongside us. Our Interim Executive Officer, Alan James, is providing excellent administrative and structural leadership and we’re thankful now that Bishop Anne will join us in a role focused on uniquely episcopal leadership.

We are confident that Bishop Anne is the right person to walk with us in this season. Much like an interim rector serves a parish in transition, she will tend to the spiritual and pastoral life of our diocese as we continue our search for the person God is calling to be our first Bishop Diocesan.

Bishop Anne is eager to get to know the people of the Great Lakes and to share in ministry with us. She brings a particular heart for connection, formation, and care. She has already expressed her commitment to being a pastoral and teaching presence throughout our diocese and looks forward to joining us at Diocesan Convention this October.

We’ll be sharing more details about her schedule, availability, and ways to connect in the coming weeks. For now, please join me in giving thanks for this good news, and in prayer for Bishop Anne as she prepares to step into this role among us.

Warmly,