The Rt. Rev. Anne Hodges-Copple Announces Retirement at End of 2022

The Rt. Rev. Anne Hodges-Copple, bishop suffragan of the Diocese of North Carolina, recently announced her upcoming retirement at the end of 2022.

“I can’t believe nine years have passed since I was elected bishop suffragan, almost 35 years since I was ordained,” said Hodges-Copple. “I started this journey when I was a new mom with a three month-old, and now I am a grandmother with two grandsons. What an adventure this journey has been. Just as I felt called first to become a priest and then a bishop, so now I feel called to start a new chapter. My husband is also retiring this year, and we are excited to share the same definition of ‘weekend’ for the first time since we were a young married couple.”

Hodges-Copple has served within the Diocese of North Carolina her entire time in active ordained ministry. Ordained a deacon at Chapel of the Cross in 1987, she served five years in parish ministry before becoming the Episcopal Chaplain to Duke University in 1992. In 2005, she became the rector of St. Luke’s, Durham. She was elected the Diocese's sixth bishop suffragan and the first female bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina on January 26, 2013, at the 197th Annual Convention. She was consecrated on June 15, 2013, in Duke Chapel on the campus of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.

“I had really never considered the vocation of bishop until I read the profile prepared by the search committee in 2012,” she said. “As I read it, all of a sudden I realized I had energy and experience in the areas being prioritized for the next bishop suffragan. I just thought I could be part of the conversation.”

She was not only part of the conversation, she applied her passion for shaping mission and ministry to be attuned to the voices, needs and wisdom of disempowered communities. In her role as bishop suffragan, Hodges-Copple shares with the Rt. Rev. Sam Rodman, bishop of the Diocese of North Carolina, the sacramental duties of confirmation and the visiting of every diocesan mission and parish. She oversees campus and young adult ministries, youth and children’s ministries, lifelong Christian formation, new mission starts such as Galilee Ministries of East Charlotte, the ordination process for the diaconate, global partnerships for mission, and the Committee of Chaplains for retired clergy, their spouses and surviving spouses. She has helped lead two pilgrimages to the Holy Land and accompanied the diocesan youth on a pilgrimage to South Africa in the summer of 2017, where they met with Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

“The impact of Bishop Anne’s leadership in this diocese will resonate long after her retirement,” said Rodman. “Her passion for justice coupled with her creative energy around the formation of new communities that embody the gospel values of beloved community can be seen across our diocese. A voice for those whose voices have been ignored, Bishop Anne has lifted up and championed the people Jesus calls us to stand for and with – ‘the poor, the oppressed, and those in prison.’ And her deep care for the congregations of our diocese has created a legacy of love.”

In 2015, Hodges-Copple was asked to serve in a very special role during an exciting time in the Diocese of North Carolina. Following the election and installation of the Most Rev. Michael Curry as presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church, Hodges-Copple served as Bishop Diocesan Pro Tempore, the ecclesiastical authority of the diocese, during the transition and through the election and consecration of Rodman as the XII Bishop of the Diocese of North Carolina.

Her service extends far beyond diocesan boundaries as well. Hodges-Copple is currently a member of the Executive Council for the Episcopal Church where she serves on the Finance Committee, the Economic Justice Loans Committee and Special Task force on Grants. She served on the Special Legislative Committee for Marriage at the 2015 General Convention in Salt Lake City, chaired the House of Bishops’ Legislative Committee on Social Concerns at the 79th General Convention in Austin, Texas, and served on the Task Force for Social Justice Advocacy 2019-2020. At this summer’s gathering of General Convention in Baltimore, Hodges-Copple is Chair of the Bishops’ Legislative Committee on Governance and Structure.

“While I will retire completely from my duties within the Diocese of North Carolina at the end of this year,” said Hodges-Copple, “I will serve out the remainder of my term on Executive Council with my partner in making good trouble, Alice Freeman, who is the Province IV elected representative to the Executive Council. We enjoy watching the presiding bishop get nervous every time one of us raises her hand.”

Hodges-Copple and her husband, John, have three adult children and two grandchildren, all of whom live close to the couple’s Durham home. Following her retirement, Hodges-Copple looks forward to spending time prioritizing the vocations of wife, mother and grandmother.

“I could not be in a better diocese or a better place in life,” she said. “I have such high hopes for the diocesan mission strategy and such deep confidence in the wisdom, courage and capacities of the leadership of this diocese at all levels, most especially in my colleague, friend and brother in Christ, Sam Rodman. I feel like Mary Poppins. The wind, or the Holy Spirit in my case, is inviting me to set my hat toward different horizons. It just feels like the right time to make room for new voices and new ears to help discern the path ahead for this great diocese.”

Following Hodges-Copple’s retirement, the Diocese of North Carolina will call an assisting bishop to serve for an interim period. “We will discern together how best to meet the needs of our diocese,” said Rodman. “We will focus on our unfolding mission strategy and anticipate the next chapter in our shared journey.”

Upon her retirement, Hodges-Copple’s official designation will be the Rt. Rev. Anne Hodges-Copple, bishop suffragan (resigned). It is a tradition of the Episcopal Church that when a bishop leaves their position, they officially resign, hence the designation.

“We will all miss Bishop Anne and the variety of gifts she has brought to this diocese - passionate preaching, tender pastoral care and a prayerful presence that points to the joys of discipleship even in and through our struggle for justice,” said Rodman. “We give thanks for all she has given us, and we look forward to opportunities to celebrate with her and her family in the months ahead.”

The official date of Hodges-Copple’s retirement has not yet been set but will be sometime this fall. Stay tuned to diocesan communication channels for updates, news and plans for celebrating Hodges-Copple and her time as bishop suffragan of the Diocese of North Carolina.