The Rev. Canon Shannon Rogers Duckworth Elected 12th Bishop of Louisiana
May 14, 2022

First Woman to Be Elected Bishop in The Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana

The Rev. Canon Shannon Rogers Duckworth was chosen XII Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana during a special convention on May 14, 2022, at Christ Church Cathedral, New Orleans. She was elected on the 1st ballot after attaining a majority of both clergy and lay votes. The election concludes the year-long process of seeking a successor for Bishop Morris King Thompson, Jr. who began his service in the diocese in 2010 and will retire in October 2022.

Duckworth is the first woman to be elected bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana. She was one of two nominees. The other nominee was the Rev. Frederick DuMontier Devall IV, rector of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, Metairie.

A native of Mississippi, Duckworth, is currently serving as the canon to the ordinary of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana. She received her BA in English and History in 1997 from Millsaps College. She was ordained a priest in 2001 after graduating from The General Theological Seminary.   She has previously served as curate at St. John’s Episcopal Church, Ocean Springs, Mississippi; vicar at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Lexington, Mississippi; chaplain at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, Jackson, Mississippi; and associate rector of St. James’ Episcopal Church, Jackson, Mississippi. She is married to James Duckworth and has two sons, Nicholas and Tucker. More about Bishop-elect Duckworth.

Addressing the assembly, Duckworth said, “I am humbled and grateful to accept your call as the 12th bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana. First of all, I want to thank you, clergy and laity, the people of this diocese. Over the past months, you have shared with me your vision and hopes. I thank you for your encouragement and energy. You inspire me and I will hold with great care the trust that you instilled in me. I love doing this work with you and I am excited about the future that stands before us.”

At the conclusion of her address, Duckworth said, “As I close, I invite you to pray. Pray for me, my family, and each other. Pray for your churches, for this diocese, and for our communities. May the Holy Spirit shape us, mold us to be the people the Diocese of Louisiana is called to be. Now, it is time to look forward, to draw on our tremendous strengths, face our challenges, and lean into our future. With God’s grace, the light of Christ will shine brightly here in this church we all love so much.”

Watch the full acceptance address here.

Pending consent of a majority of the bishops with jurisdiction and the diocesan standing committees, Duckworth will be ordained and consecrated on November 19, 2022, at Christ Church Cathedral, New Orleans. Presiding Bishop Michael Curry will preside.

You belong. You are children of God. No exceptions.

Bishop Duckworth’s sermon called us to remember the UpStairs Lounge fire in the French Quarter, a violent act of deadly arson that killed 32 gay men in nineteen minutes. In the aftermath, no church in the city would bury the dead. The exception was St. George’s Episcopal Church. Its rector, the Rev. Bill Richardson, did what he knew Jesus called him to do — he buried those men. He did so not without cost: he faced active condemnation from the larger community, but also from within his own congregation and from within our own diocese.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of two pivotal resolutions from the 1976 General Convention of the Episcopal Church. Resolution 1976-A069 and Resolution 1976-A071 declared that “homosexual persons are children of God who have a full and equal claim with all other persons upon the love, acceptance, and pastoral concern and care of the Church,” and that LGBTQ+ persons “are entitled to equal protection of the laws with all other citizens.” While we can celebrate many clear advancements for the full inclusion of our LGBTQ+ community in church and community life, the work is ongoing.

It has not always been a straight path. The church is human, and humans stumble. But consider how far we have traveled: from a church being rebuked for praying over the dead, to bishops wearing rainbow stoles given as gifts by LGBTQ+ Episcopalians at ordination. From closed communion tables to fully open sacramental life. From whispered exclusion to the joyful, public, Spirit-filled worship we offer tonight.

In our own Diocese of Louisiana, the transformation has been remarkable. Inclusive Louisiana, our network of LGBTQ+ Episcopalians and their allies, has been a light in this region for years — marching in Pride parades, offering pastoral care, and equipping congregations to proclaim God’s all-inclusive love. And here at St. Anna’s, you have led the way: becoming the first congregation in this diocese to celebrate same-sex marriage.

Bishop Duckworth’s conclusion made plain that actively creating a joyfully inclusive church is what we are called to do:

Not someday. Not when things are more comfortable. Not when the political climate improves. Today. The work of liberation is always a present-tense call.”

To speak that truth in this moment is not a partisan act. It is an act of Christian faithfulness. It is what prophets do. It is what the Church, at its best, has always done — even when it cost us something.

We serve a God who said: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.” That includes everyone. Everyone is a child of God.

The Rt. Rev. Shannon Rogers Duckworth

Bishop Duckworth offered the Prayer for Travelers from the Book of Common Prayer for Deacon Luigi, who is relocating to Chicago. His contributions to Inclusive Louisiana, St. Anna’s, the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana, and the broader community have been immeasurable. We are grateful for all he has given us, and we trust that though he leaves us physically, what he has created here will continue to grow.

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