The electing convention will meet September 30 at the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, beginning at 3:30 p.m. The person elected will succeed former Bishop Suffragan Marc Andrus, who was elected bishop of California on May 6, 2006.

The nominees are:

• the Rev. William Marc Burnett, 39, rector, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Birmingham;
• the Rev. Alicia Schuster-Weltner, 45, canon for congregational development, Diocese of Atlanta;
• the Rev. John McKee Sloan, 52, rector, St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Huntsville, Alabama; and
• the Rev. Patrick J. Wingo, 47, rector, St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Birmingham.

The announcement of the slate opened a window of time for additional nominations by petition. Nominations will be accepted until the close of business on August 1.

The next bishop suffragan will assist diocesan Bishop Henry N. Parsley in the oversight and care of the churches and ministries of the diocese. The suffragan will have specific ministry responsibilities in the areas of college campus ministry, small church congregational development, assisting with the pastoral care of clergy, and implementing the initiatives of a recent capital fund campaign in the diocese of Alabama, according to a diocesan news release.

The Diocese of Alabama encompasses 44 counties of northern and central Alabama with approximately 35,000 baptized members in 91 parishes and worshipping communities, campus centers, and special ministries.