The Mississippi Episcopal Diocese made history on February 3, 2024 with the election of Rev. Dr. Dorothy Sanders Wells as the 11th Bishop of Mississippi. Wells is the first woman and first African American elected to lead the Episcopal Church in Mississippi.
Wells currently serves as the Rector of St. George’s Episcopal Church in Germantown, Tenn. She was elected by the 197th Annual Council of the Mississippi Episcopal Diocese, which met at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Ridgeland. She was chosen on the fourth ballot from a field of five candidates.
Following the vote, the Bishop-elect addressed the Council virtually.
“I am humbled by the confidence that this Diocese has placed in me, and I am so very thankful that God has called us together to work for the furtherance of God’s Kingdom. The Church is faced with both opportunities and challenges in our world, as the Church’s continued relevance is questioned by so many. But, we recognize that the Body of Christ has persevered - through persecution and trial, through war and violence, through sickness and suffering. With God’s help and God’s grace – and our own commitment to seeking justice and respecting the dignity of every human being – we will continue to be a bright, shining light not only in Mississippi, but throughout the world. I look forward to getting to know and serving alongside the people of the Diocese, strengthening our faith communities, and sharing the message of God’s love and grace with all of God’s people.”
Wells is a native of Mobile, Ala. Before becoming Rector of St. George’s, she served as Curate at Church of the Holy Apostles in Collierville, Tennessee. She also served as secretary of the Diocese of West Tennessee, as a member of the Standing Committee, and served as Chaplain of Episcopal Church Woman in the West Tennessee Diocese. Wells earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rhodes College, a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Memphis, a Master of Divinity degree from Memphis Theological Seminary and a Doctorate of Ministry from Emory University. Wells and her husband Herbert have two daughters.
Wells will succeed Bishop Brian R. Seage, who was elected the tenth Bishop of Mississippi in 2014. The Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi includes 87 parishes and missions, and more than 17,000 Episcopalians around the state. Pending the consent of a majority of bishops and standing committees in the national Episcopal Church, she will be ordained as bishop on July 20, 2024 at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School.
The other candidates were:
- The Reverend Canon Jason Alexander, D. Min., Canon to the Ordinary, the Diocese of Arkansas
- The Very Reverend Jennifer Andrews-Weckerly, Rector, Hickory Neck Episcopal Church, Toana, Va.
- The Very Reverend Rob Courtney, Rector, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and School, New Orleans, La.
- The Very Reverend Walton Jones, Rector, the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection, Starkville, Miss.
