John Harvey Taylor, seventh bishop of Los Angeles
[The Episcopal News] The Standing Committee of the Diocese of Los Angeles, mindful that the seventh bishop of Los Angeles, the Rt. Rev. John Harvey Taylor, will reach the church’s mandatory retirement age in 2026, has called for the election of a bishop coadjutor at the 2025 meeting of Diocesan Convention.
On August 13, Taylor issued a letter in English and Spanish announcing the coming election and outlining the search process, which began in June when the Standing Committee met with the Rt. Rev. Todd Ousley, bishop for pastoral development in Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s office. In early August the committee appointed Judy Stark of the Diocese of Southwest Florida as search consultant.
“In the days ahead, the Standing Committee will announce the names of the search committee,” Taylor wrote. “From that point forward, the search committee will take responsibility for reporting on its progress.”
The search committee’s first steps will be preparation of a diocesan profile, which will be published early in 2025 along with a call for nominations. The committee will review applications, conduct interviews, and announce a slate of candidates. “Members of the diocese will have a chance to meet the candidates at a series of town meetings,” Taylor notes in his letter. The timeline also will allow for nomination by petition. The election will take place at the 2025 meeting of Diocesan Convention.
A separate transition committee will take charge of the town meetings, pastoral care of the candidates, and the consecration service, scheduled for July 11, 2026. The bishop-elect will work with Taylor for several months before and after the consecration. Upon Taylor’s retirement in October 2026, the new bishop will succeed him as the eighth bishop of Los Angeles.
“Wherever and however this news reaches you, I imagine it provokes emotions akin to those I feel as I write,” Taylor wrote in his letter. “During all our transitions, we can be anxious, joyful, and sometimes both at the same time. Transitions in life embody some of the substance of the way of the cross. But fear not. The touchstone of our faith is the proximity of our risen savior, making all things new all the time. Isaiah invites us to wade in the living streams of God’s never-ending creative work. It has been my blessing to walk along this grace-drenched way with you, and I will relish each day of the two years I have left as your bishop.”
“As we embark on the journey toward electing the eighth bishop of Los Angeles, we offer our deep gratitude for the ministry of Bishop John H. Taylor and the loving support of his family,” wrote the Rev. Lester Mackenzie for the Standing Committee, of which he is president. “As [Taylor] approaches retirement, may God’s presence continue to bless and guide them.
“We ask for your prayers as we discern our next bishop, that the Holy Spirit will open our hearts to God’s will and guide all who participate in this process. May our new bishop lead with compassion, justice, and love.”
The bishop’s letter (in English and Spanish), the Standing Committee’s message (including prayers for the search process), a projected timeline for the search and transition, and answers to frequently asked questions (FAQ) appear on the diocesan website here. Search process news will be posted on this page and in the Episcopal News Update.