Dear Friends,

It is with deep gratitude and joy that we share the news of the election of the Very Rev. Richard T. Lawson III, dean of St. John’s Cathedral in Denver, CO, as the 13th bishop-elect of the Diocese of Alabama.

To be elected, a candidate was required to receive a simple majority of votes from both clergy and lay delegates, voting separately on the same ballot. Lawson was elected on the first ballot, receiving 108 clergy votes and 184 lay votes. 

Delivering his acceptance of the call via Zoom, Lawson expressed his gratitude to the entire diocese, the special convention, and the leadership of the various committees that conducted the bishop search process. He shared, “My deepest hope and prayer on this day is that the call of this new bishop reminds all of us of our own call from our Lord to love and serve Him and to use our own spiritual gifts for His sake. And I look forward to hearing your calls and serving alongside you very soon.”

I am glad to say that Richard is extremely qualified and gifted to lead our great Diocese into our next chapter. He will be a passionate and balanced leader, pointing us to follow Jesus Christ.

Pending the canonically required consent of a majority of the Episcopal Church’s diocesan standing committees and bishops with jurisdiction, Lawson will be ordained and consecrated as bishop diocesan on June 27, 2026, by Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe at the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, AL.

In a statement, the president of the Standing Committee, Maibeth Porter, shared, “We rejoice in the leadership that Richard will bring to this ministry, and we give thanks to all who worked faithfully throughout the process of discerning and electing our new Bishop-elect.”

We invite you to join us in continued prayer for Bishop-elect Lawson and for the Diocese of Alabama as we enter this season of transition.

Faithfully