Anglican diocese elects new bishop months after deadlocked vote
An Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) diocese based in Texas that previously deadlocked on electing a new bishop has elected a new leader for its regional body.
The Anglican Diocese of the Western Gulf Coast elected the Rev. Paul Donison as its bishop ordinary on Saturday, the ACNA announced Wednesday.
Donison will hold the official positions of ordinary-elect and bishop-in-charge until the ACNA College of Bishops considers his election at its January meeting. Bishop Ryan Reed, who has served as interim bishop since September, will remain as bishop consultant.
In a letter to the diocese, Reed said clergy and lay delegates voted for Donison to become the young diocese’s second bishop “in an overwhelming fashion.”
“I ask your prayers for Bishop Paul and all those who will be assisting him in this transition for the diocese,” wrote Reed. “Finally I want to thank the clergy and delegates for giving up their time to represent each of you in the councils of the Church.”
“I am leaving this synod with great joy and a new hope for the days to come for this diocese and for each of your congregations. We are in fact one church with one mission.”
The diocese is set to expand to include the Great Plains Missionary District, where Donison had served as assisting bishop. An online synod is slated for early next year.
The missionary district, which seeks to spread ACNA’s presence in the region, reports having congregations in Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and northern Texas.
The Western Gulf Coast diocese traces its origins to 2011, when a group of Anglican congregations in Texas and Louisiana decided to create a regional body within ACNA.
In May, the diocese held a synod at St. Timothy’s Cathedral to elect its next bishop. The candidates were the Rev. Russell Martin and the Rev. Ben Sharpe.
After seven ballots, neither candidate secured the necessary majority from the delegates. The synod then narrowly approved a resolution to send the matter to the ACNA College of Bishops.
ACNA leadership opted to make Donison the sole candidate for a Nov. 7 vote, Anglican Ink reported. “Walkabout meetings” were held in various locations before the vote.
According to his online biography, Donison was an atheist who came to Christ at age 17 in the 1990s. He was ordained in 2004 and served as rector for several parishes in Canada before accepting a leadership role in Texas in 2016.
Donison has a degree in fine arts from the University of Victoria and a degree in theology from Regent College. He is a doctoral candidate at Trinity Anglican Seminary. He and his wife, Monika, have four children.
