RIDGELAND, Miss. (WJTV) – Laypersons and clergy within the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi gathered over the weekend for the historic election of its next bishop. 

After four rounds of voting on Saturday, the Rev. Dorothy Sanders Wells received a majority of votes from lay delegates and over two-thirds of the vote from the church’s clergy. The bishop-elect is the first African American and woman elected in Mississippi’s diocese.

The lay delegates and clergy began voting on Saturday morning for their eleventh bishop at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Upper School in Ridgeland. To be elected bishop, a candidate needed a majority of votes from the clergy and lay members present.

For the first ballot, the voting process was temporarily suspended. More eligible voters were in attendance than anticipated. As a result, the margin for winning the election was raised slightly for subsequent ballots.

The second ballot clearly showed that Wells was the favorite among both voting blocks. She garnered a majority of votes from clergy in the third round of voting, and both clergy and lay delegates in the fourth round. 

Current Bishop Brian R. Seage, elected in 2014, announced the results Saturday afternoon. The audience applauded for about a minute upon hearing the news. Bishop-elect Wells was ecstatic as she addressed the audience over Zoom.

“I cannot wait to get to know you all. I cannot wait to see the work that God can bring us to doing together,” Wells said. 

About Bishop-elect Wells

The Rev. Dorothy Sanders Wells is Rector of St. George’s Episcopal Church, in Germantown, Tennessee. She is also a Chaplain of the Church’s Preschool. She has served St. George’s Church since 2013.

A native of Mobile, Alabama, Wells came to Memphis when she began her undergraduate studies at Rhodes College and she has made Memphis her home since that time. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Vocal Performance from Rhodes, her Juris Doctor degree from the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at the University of Memphis, her Master of Divinity degree from Memphis Theological Seminary, and her Doctor of Ministry degree from Candler School of Theology at Emory University.

She practiced law and was a former adjunct faculty member at Emory University, the Memphis Theological Seminary, and the University of Memphis. Wells was recognized by Rhodes College as a Distinguished Alumna in 2011 and received an Algernon Sydney Sullivan service award at Rhodes’ commencement in 2015.

Before serving St. George’s Church, Wells served as a Curate at the Church of the Holy Apostles in Collierville, Tennessee. Wells also served the Episcopal Diocese of West Tennessee as its Secretary and has served on the Standing Committee. She has served as a member of and Secretary to The Bishop and Council, and as Chaplain to the Episcopal Church Women. Wells and her husband Herbert have two daughters.

What’s next

A majority of Episcopal bishops and diocesan standing committees around the United States will need to consent to the election before it becomes official. Wells is expected to be ordained in a ceremony on July 20. Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States, is scheduled to preside, in what will be one of his final acts before retiring later in 2024.

Wells will soon lead a diocese of 87 parishes, missions, mission stations and chaplaincies located around the state with approximately 17,600 members. The Episcopal Church has been active in Mississippi since 1815.