The diocesan Standing Committee announced the names September 24 of the petition nominees who have been added to the slate announced August 28. The three were nominated during a process that ended September 11.

The three nominees are:

• the Rev. Alvin C. Johnson, Jr., rector of St. Michael's Episcopal Church in Barrington, Illinois;
• the Rev. Canon Robert K. Koomson, pastor-in-residence at Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois (in the Chicago diocese) and canon of St. Cyprian's Anglican Cathedral in the Diocese of Kumasi, Ghana; and
• the Very Rev. Petero Sabune, chaplain at Sing Sing Correctional Facility in Ossining, New York, and associate at Trinity Episcopal Church in Ossining.
   
  The original slate of nominees included:
• the Rev. Jane S. Gould, priest-in-charge/rector, St. Stephen's Memorial Episcopal Church, Lynn, Massachusetts;
• the Rev. Jeffrey D. Lee, rector, St. Thomas Church, Medina, Washington;
• the Very Rev. Tracey Lind, dean, Trinity Cathedral, Cleveland, Ohio;
• the Rev. Margaret R. Rose, director of Women's Ministries, the Episcopal Church; and
• the Rev. Timothy B. Safford, rector, Christ Church, Philadelphia.

Biographical profiles and the nominees' answers to the search committee's essay questions are posted here.

All the nominees will be presented to the diocese during six regional meetings October 23-28. The schedule for those meetings is available here.

On November 10, delegates to Chicago's diocesan convention will elect the person to succeed Bishop William Persell who is retiring with his wife, Nancy, to Cleveland in December.

Following the election, a majority of Episcopal Church bishops exercising jurisdiction and diocesan standing committees must consent (Canon III.16.1) to the bishop-elect's ordination as bishop within 120 days of receiving notice of the election. The consecration and ordination is planned for February 2, 2008.