A Message from Bishop McLoughlin to the Diocese of Western North Carolina
April 16, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Bishop José McLoughlin
When I first visited Western North Carolina on my honeymoon in 1993, I sensed immediately that this was holy ground. The mountains, the quiet beauty, the deep spirituality of this place—all of it spoke to my heart. My wife and I returned again and again over the years for rest and renewal, never imagining how deeply God would one day root our lives here.
Western North Carolina has become far more than a place of retreat. Beginning in 1997, through my involvement with the Towel Ministry and summers spent serving alongside Deacon Chris Greer, this diocese became woven into my call to ordained ministry. Those summers shaped me profoundly. They clarified my vocation and strengthened my sense that God was leading me toward priesthood. I completed my final Towel session just weeks before entering seminary carrying the imprint of this diocese on my heart.
It was with those deep roots, that abiding love, and a clear sense of God’s call that I entered the discernment process to become your seventh bishop. That process only deepened my affection for this diocese and confirmed my conviction that God was inviting me to serve you in this role. To have been entrusted with this ministry among you has been one of the greatest honors of my life.
It is with both gratitude and a tender heart that I write to share that I have accepted a call to join the Presiding Bishop’s staff as Chief Administrative Officer. In this new role, I will assist the Presiding Bishop as he seeks to reimagine and strengthen the ministries of The Episcopal Church, supporting dioceses, congregations, and Episcopalians across the wider church. After much prayer and discernment, I believe this is where God is now calling me to serve.
Over these past ten years, it has been an extraordinary privilege and joy to serve as your bishop. Together, we have walked through seasons of growth and challenge, celebration and uncertainty. We have strengthened congregations, fostered new ministries, navigated transitions, and remained steadfast in proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ in our communities.
We have deepened our shared commitment to forming disciples, caring for one another, and embodying Christ’s love in Western North Carolina.
While I cherish many aspects of episcopal ministry, nothing has meant more to me than being with you during parish visitations—worshiping alongside you, confirming and receiving new members, celebrating baptisms, preaching, listening, and simply sharing life together. Those moments in your churches have been the heart of my episcopacy. In those sacred gatherings, I have seen firsthand the faithfulness, resilience, generosity, and hope that define the Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina. You have inspired me more than you know.
This decision has not come lightly. My love for this diocese runs deep. Yet I trust that the same Holy Spirit who brought us together is now guiding both you and me into new chapters of faithful ministry.
There is, of course, much more to say. In the months ahead, there will be opportunities to gather, to give thanks, to reflect on our shared ministry, and to say goodbye as well. I welcome your prayers as I continue to offer mine for you and our shared ministry.
Above all, I want to say thank you. Thank you for trusting me.
Thank you for praying for me.
Thank you for challenging me, encouraging me, and walking beside me. Thank you for your faithfulness to Christ and to one another.
Whatever we have accomplished over these past ten years, we have accomplished together. Any good that has been done has been the work of God among us. I leave this role profoundly grateful for the journey we have shared and confident that God’s purposes for the Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina are strong and sure.
Please know of my enduring love for you and my continued prayers for this beloved diocese.
The mountains that first drew my heart here will always remind me of you—of your steadfast faith, friendship and of the sacred ground we have shared.
Faithfully yours in Christ,
The Rt. Rev. José A. McLoughlin
Bishop
From Episcopal News Service
Western North Carolina Bishop José McLoughlin is stepping down from his role leading the Asheville-based diocese to join the staff of Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe in the newly created position of chief administrative officer.
McLoughlin, who was ordained bishop of Western North Carolina in 2016, will assume the new churchwide position in June.
“In this new role, I will assist the presiding bishop as he seeks to reimagine and strengthen the ministries of The Episcopal Church, supporting dioceses, congregations, and Episcopalians across the wider church,” McLoughlin said in an April 16 letter to his diocese. “After much prayer and discernment, I believe this is where God is now calling me to serve.”
Rowe offered additional details about the chief administrative officer position in a memo to churchwide staff.
“In his new role, José will oversee much of our staff program and administrative functions, helping us build on the significant progress that all of you have made in the last eighteen months,” Rowe said. “Together, you have embraced a new vision for our ministry as a staff and made great strides in our ability to try new approaches and collaborate across departments.”
Adding McLoughlin in a leadership role is “a way to support the growth that I have seen you work so hard to achieve,” Rowe told the churchwide staff. He added that he was responding to staff requests for “more help to break down silos and take initiatives” and staff feedback that “the press of my calendar and those of our other leadership team members mean that your momentum can be slowed by bottlenecks.”
“By adding this leadership position devoted to overseeing program and administration, I hope to provide extra support in the areas you have identified and strengthen our collective capacity to support dioceses,” Rowe said.
[McLoughlin] intends to transfer ecclesiastical authority to the standing committee on July 31, and he is working with Rowe to ensure continued episcopal support and parish visits for the diocese as it navigates this leadership transition.
Bishop José McLoughlin celebrates Holy Eucharist during the one-year anniversary commemoration for Hurricane Helene. Photo by Katie Knowles
A Message from the Diocese of North Carolina
To our dear siblings in the Diocese of Western North Carolina,
We understand the feelings you are experiencing in the wake of Bishop McLoughlin’s announcement. We know the bittersweet pride of sending a beloved bishop to serve The Episcopal Church in a more wide-ranging capacity. We know the feelings of uncertainty and the hope for what the future might hold. And we know, too, the doors that open and the gifts that arrive as a result of this time of transition.
As you navigate the coming months, know we are still here with you. Our journey together is an ongoing one. We are with you as you continue the incredible work of rebuilding after Hurricane Helene, assisting and lifting up your neighbors. We hold you in prayer, knowing the gifts of your diocese—your wisdom, your kindness, your resilience and your dedication to neighbors and each other—will keep shining through.
If ever there were a diocese ready to travel this next stage of a journey with grace, courage and anticipation, it’s the Diocese of Western North Carolina. But know you don’t travel it alone—we are, and will continue to be, with you.
Faithfully and with love,
Your siblings in the Diocese of North Carolina
“Lord, we pray that you will be with the faithful of the Diocese of Western North Carolina and keep them as they go upon this journey and new chapter. Let no change or chance take them out of your hand; prosper them in their way, and give them grace always to do the things that will please you. Amen.”
—From Prayers for All Occasions (p. 103)
