The candidates are:

• the Rev. Linda L. Grenz, 57, president of the board, LeaderResources, Leeds, Massachusetts and assisting priest, Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, New York City, New York (Diocese of New York);
• the Rev. Debra Kissinger, 45, missioner to children and child advocate, Diocese of Bethlehem; and
• the Rev. Canon Stephen Lane, 58, canon for deployment and ministry development, Diocese of Rochester.

The election will take place at the 188th annual diocesan convention in October 26 and 27 at the Bangor Civic Center in Bangor, Maine.

The bishop coadjutor will serve with diocesan Bishop Chilton R. Knudsen until her planned retirement in 2008 and will then succeed her as the ninth bishop of Maine.

The slate was developed by unanimous consensus of the Bishop Coadjutor Search Committee after a 15-month process.  Each area of the diocese elected a lay and an ordained representative to serve on the committee. The Standing Committee also named at-large members to the committee.

A petition process through which names can be added to the slate is now open until close of business on August 31. Details of the petition process are available here.

All candidates will visit the diocese September 21-23 for events in Augusta, Bangor and Portland throughout the weekend where members of the diocese will be able to meet, listen to and ask questions of the candidates.

The diocese also produced a bulletin insert introducing the three candidates for congregations to use.

The ordination and consecration of the bishop coadjutor is scheduled for May 3, 2008.

The Episcopal Diocese of Maine is a community of 67 congregations across the state of Maine.