The service will be held at St. Peter's Episcopal Cathedral in downtown St. Petersburg.

Smith, 53, rector of Trinity Episcopal Church, New Orleans, was elected December 9, 2006 out of a field of six nominees at St. Peter's Cathedral. Smith was elected with 133 lay votes and 50 clergy votes. An election on that ballot required 107 votes in the lay order and 45 in the clergy order. A total of 301 votes were cast.

Smith succeeds Bishop John Lipscomb. The Episcopal Church's constitution required (Article II.I) Lipscomb, 57, to retire by 36 months after Smith's consecration, which was March 10.

Lipscomb, whose health is declining due to Parkinson disease and malaria, has been on medical leave since three days after Smith was elected. When Lipscomb announced that leave, he said that if his health permits a return to work in the next six to 12 months he would attend the 2008 Lambeth Conference and "affect the transition of jurisdiction to the Fifth Bishop of Southwest Florida in 2009."

However, he told the diocese on May 16 that that he needed to retire on or before November 1.

He was diagnosed with Parkinson in 2002 and contracted malaria in Africa in 2004.

Lipscomb has been bishop since 1997. When he called for a bishop coadjutor in October 2004, he anticipated an election in January 2006. However, the House of Bishops agreed on March 15, 2005 to withhold consent to any episcopal election until the start of the 75th General Convention in June 2006, thus delaying election processes in Southwest Florida and some other dioceses.

The Diocese of Southwest Florida comprises about 37,210 Episcopalians worshipping in 78 congregations.