[Diocese of Lexington] The standing, nominating, and transition committees of the Episcopal Diocese of Lexington on May 21 announced a slate of five candidates for seventh bishop of the diocese:

• The Rev. Ronald Abrams, rector, St. James Parish, Wilmington, North Carolina (Diocese of East Carolina);
• The Very Rev. Douglas Hahn, rector, St. Thomas, Columbus, Georgia, and Diocesan Convocation Dean (Diocese of Atlanta);
• The Rt. Rev. Santosh Marray, bishop assisting, Diocese of East Carolina;
• The Rev. LaRae Rutenbar, interim rector, St. Peter’s, Rome, Georgia (resident Diocese of Western Michigan); and
• The Rev. Nigel Taber-Hamilton, rector, St. Augustine’s-in-the-Woods, Freeland, Washington (Diocese of Olympia).

All candidates will be in the Diocese of Lexington for public gatherings, known as “walkabouts,” from July 31-Aug. 4, 2012.

The election of the seventh bishop of Lexington is scheduled for Aug. 18 at Christ Church Cathedral, Lexington.

Pending the required consents from a majority of diocesan standing committees and bishops with jurisdiction in the Episcopal Church, the consecration or investiture of the seventh bishop of the Diocese of Lexington will be held Dec. 15, 2012 at Christ Church Cathedral.

Information about the candidates is available at http://diolex.org/bishop7/candidates. A website with information about the search process and transition is at http://diolex.org/bishop7.

The sixth bishop of Lexington, the Rt. Rev. Stacy Sauls, announced in May 2011 that he would be resigning his position as bishop of Lexington to become chief operating officer of the Episcopal Church beginning in September 2011. Sauls was elected as the sixth bishop of Lexington in 2000.