We write today to announce the exciting news that the joint Standing Committees of Eastern and Western Michigan have called the Rt. Rev. Gladstone “Skip” Adams, III to serve as consultant and Assisting Bishop with our dioceses as we continue through this current phase of life together. 

About Bishop Skip AdamsBishop Adams was the tenth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Central New York, where he served from 2001-2016. He is a native of Baltimore, Maryland and is a graduate of Towson University and Virginia Theological Seminary. In his ordained life, he served churches in New York, Virginia, New Hampshire, and Maryland before his episcopacy. He is committed to the Church’s role in speaking out and advocating around environmental and social issues in response to Jesus’ command to love God and one’s neighbor as oneself. Most recently, Bishop Adams served as Bishop Provisional with the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina from September 2016 – December 2019. Among other things, he led the diocese through an extended and painful court process concerning diocesan property, names, and trademarks after the former diocesan bishop orchestrated a wide-reaching schism from The Episcopal Church in 2012. Bishop Adams enjoys fly-fishing, reading, music, camping, and canoeing. He and his wife, Bonnie, a registered nurse, live in Upstate New York. They have three adult children – Peter, Stephen, and Emily – and two grandchildren, Greyson and Hazel. 

Consultant and Assisting BishopWe’d like to offer a note on titles. Because of our unique circumstances, our Standing Committees felt it was necessary to conduct a thorough background and reference check process, including the extensive Oxford Documents background check before we were able to name anyone as our Assisting Bishop. This process takes about six weeks to complete and we are a few weeks into it. Bishop Adams will begin his role with us as a “consultant” to the Standing Committees until that process is fully complete. In the meantime, we, as your Presidents, have conducted one-on-one reference checks with leaders in his previous dioceses. Additionally, our chancellor met with Bishop Adams separately to conduct a sensitive conversation, which normally takes place as part of a full diocesan bishop search. With these extra measures, we feel confident that we have and are doing our due diligence and that, when the Oxford background check is complete, Bishop Adams will transition to the “Assisting Bishop” role, which will include greater interaction with our wider dioceses.“Assisting Bishops” are already consecrated bishops (meaning, they’ve served in another diocese before) and are called to serve in a specific role as determined by the Ecclesiastical Authority – for us, this continues to be held by the Standing Committees. 

Bishop Adams’ Ministry with UsBishop Adams’ consultancy with our dioceses began today, when he met with our full Standing Committees for the first time. Due to the ongoing pandemic, he will exercise his ministry with us from New York until and unless it becomes safe and necessary for him to be with us in-person. We do not know yet when his time with us will conclude. This is partially dependent on the decisionmaking that will take place later this year related to Bishop Hougland’s suspension.Please join us in warmly welcoming Bishop Adams to our dioceses. His email addresses are sadams@eastmich.org and sadams@edwm.org. 

Thank you to the Interview TeamLastly, we extend our deepest gratitude to the individuals that served on the interview committee over the holidays and early this year. The committee was ably led by the Rev. Brian Chace (Ret., West Branch) and the Rev. BJ Heyboer (Newaygo) and included the Rev. Canon Michael Spencer (Eastern Michigan staff), the Ven. Linda Crane (Port Huron), the Rev. Curt Norman (Saginaw), Gary Grinn (Gladwin), Tanna Leclaire (Port Huron), the Rev. Canon Valerie Ambrose (Western Michigan staff), the Ven. Beth Drew (Three Rivers), the Rev. Dr. Jared Cramer (Grand Haven), Carole Redwine (Grand Rapids), and Nancy Foster (Cadillac). Thank you for your service in interviewing our three remarkable candidates and your commitment to discerning the right person to help guide us through this moment.  Yours in Christ,