Minnesota elects Craig Loya its 10th bishop

Posted Jan 27, 2020

[Episcopal Church in Minnesota] The Very Rev. Craig Loya was elected during the 162nd convention of the Episcopal Church in Minnesota (ECMN), held in St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 25.

He was elected on the 2nd ballot.

When notified of the election, Loya shared this statement:

“I am deeply grateful to the people of ECMN, and I pray that, by God’s grace, I will be faithful to the trust you have placed in me today. Among diverse people and across diverse contexts, Minnesota Episcopalians have always borne vibrant witness to God’s reconciling love, and it’s an extraordinary privilege to be called to join that work in this new season. I look forward to walking with you as we follow Jesus together, engage what the Holy Spirit is up to in our neighborhoods, and boldly navigate a new landscape, in order to continue proclaiming the good news of God’s love to a world that is so hungry for it.”

Loya has served as dean of Trinity Cathedral in Omaha, Nebraska, since 2013, and was the canon to the ordinary in the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas from 2009 to 2013. He received his master of divinity from Yale University and a diploma in Anglican Studies from Berkeley Divinity School at Yale in 2002. Loya lives in Omaha with his wife, Melissa, and their two children.

To learn more about Loya, click here.

The Rev. Debbie Brown, president of the Standing Committee, offered these words of gratitude:

“On behalf of the Standing Committee I offer my thanks to the bishop candidates for their openness to the Holy Spirit; to the Search Committee for the deeply-considered profile and the gracious search process; the Transition Committee for its continued work of hospitality; to the ECMN family for its patience, heart, and discernment; the ninth Bishop of Minnesota, The Rt. Rev. Brian N. Prior, along with the Team of Missioners, for their support. Finally, we are ever grateful to our consultant, the Rev. Ann Hallisey, and members of the Episcopal Church beyond Minnesota for their mountain of prayers, enthusiasm, guidance, and wisdom. We are the Episcopal Church in Minnesota, bound together in Christ Jesus and the love of God. God is good, all of the time, and for that we rejoice!”

According to the canons of The Episcopal Church, all bishop elections must receive the consent of a majority of diocesan bishops and diocesan standing committees. Following a successful consent process, Bishop-elect Loya will be ordained and consecrated bishop on Saturday, June 6, 2020, at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis.

The full announcement can be found on the Bishop Search website.


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