Bishop Jennifer Brooke-Davidson to Remain Assistant Bishop of Diocese of North Carolina
The Diocese of North Carolina is delighted to announce that Bishop Jennifer Brooke-Davidson is remaining with the diocese in her role as assistant bishop.
“After a prayerful and intentional discernment process with our governing bodies - Standing Committee, Diocesan Council and Trustees - we decided not to call for an election of a suffragan bishop, and instead to affirm and continue the relationship with Bishop Jennifer,” said Bishop Sam Rodman, bishop of the Diocese of North Carolina. “Her passion for evangelism and Christian discipleship, along with her inspired preaching and teaching, are a gift to our diocese, especially as we move more deeply into our missional focus, supporting and amplifying the work of our congregations around formation and our other mission priorities.”
Brooke-Davidson came to the diocese in the fall of 2022. It was a time of transition for the diocese, following the retirement of Bishop Anne Hodges-Copple, then-bishop suffragan, in October 2022. Brooke-Davidson arrived ready to serve in a full range of episcopal capacities, including Sunday and other visitations, oversight of Latino ministries, oversight of Christian Discipleship, oversight of the diocesan regional structures, including the deans; oversight of the Committee for Congregational Mission; support of persons in the ordination process; congregational development; conflict transformation, and work with other diocesan committees and commissions.
She has done all that and more. Her seamless transition also gave the diocese an important gift: the time and space to discern whether to proceed with a search for a new bishop suffragan or to pursue another avenue of leadership. Diocesan governing bodies used that time well, discussing and considering a number of options, weighing each in the best long-term interests of the diocese. Among the considerations were the cost of a bishop suffragan search, which would likely run in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, the pros and cons of ongoing transition versus constancy, and the fact that from the start, Brooke-Davidson established herself as a capable leader with a passion for the gospel and a heart for formation, an enthusiasm for the mission priorities of the Diocese of North Carolina, a creative capacity for congregational and leadership development, and a skillset and leadership style that complements those of Rodman.
Diocesan Council affirmed the decision earlier this year that Brooke-Davidson will remain the assistant bishop of the Diocese of North Carolina until the end of Rodman’s episcopacy.
“I am honored and delighted to be able to continue to walk alongside Bishop Rodman with the people of the Diocese of North Carolina,” said Brooke-Davidson. “From the beginning, it has been a joy to work among you, and I see so much energy and hope in our shared commitment to the Gospel transformation of our world into a place of truth, justice, grace, peace and divine love. I give thanks for this call and I look forward to serving and supporting you in our shared journey of faith.”
