Delegates select new bishop

Nevada Episcopalians on Friday elected the Very Rev. Dan Edwards of Macon, Ga., as Nevada's new bishop.

Edwards, 57, was elected on the second ballot during the Episcopal Diocese of Nevada's 37th annual convention, which opened Friday and runs through Sunday.

Edwards, rector of St. Francis Episcopal Church, Macon, Ga., will succeed the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, who was Nevada's bishop for almost six years before becoming presiding bishop of the U.S. Episcopal Church.

Delegates selected Edwards from a field of six candidates. He is scheduled to be consecrated as Nevada's 10th Episcopal bishop on Jan. 5.

In his acceptance statement to delegates, Edwards called Nevada "an exciting, creative, trail-blazing diocese." During a phone interview Friday, Edwards said news of the election left him "thunderstruck with joy."

"I'm humbled and honored and feel deeply privileged to share in ministry with the people of Nevada," he said.

Edwards was raised in Texas and has practiced law in Colorado and Idaho. His legal resume includes serving as administrator of legal aid programs for migrant farm workers and American Indians.

Then, Edwards said, "when I came to the age of 35, I began finding myself more and more drawn into church ministry. I found myself teaching more, I found myself serving in the worship more, and, eventually, preaching, and I discovered this is where I felt most alive, most like myself."

"Through praying and conversation with others in church, I came to believe that this was the path that God wanted me to follow," he said.

Edwards and his wife, Linda, a professor at Mercer University's school of law, have two adult daughters and are expecting their first grandchild in February.

The Nevada Episcopal diocese consists of about 6,000 members in 34 congregations throughout Nevada and in Bullhead City, Ariz.

Contact reporter John Przybys at jprzybys@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0280.