The provincial synod of the Anglican Church of Kenya on June 29 elected the Rev. William L. Murdoch, rector of All Saints’ Church, West Newbury, Mass., as a Bishop Suffragan of All Saints Cathedral in the Diocese of Nairobi.

Bishop-elect Murdoch will be consecrated along with bishop-elect Bill Atwood on Aug. 30 by the Most Rev. Benjamin Nzimbi, Archbishop of Kenya, in Nairobi to “serve the international interests of the ACK [Anglican Church of Kenya], including taking responsibility for care for the congregations and clergy in the U.S. under Kenyan jurisdiction.”

A statement given to The Living Church noted that the two bishops-elect “will collaborate with others in the Common Cause network, chaired by the Rt. Rev. Robert Duncan, Bishop of Pittsburgh, to provide orthodox episcopal care and oversight, strategically uniting a broad conservative coalition that shares historic Anglican faith and practice.”

Bishop-elect Murdoch has served as rector of All Saints’ since 1993. He was educated at the University of New Hampshire and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and was received into The Episcopal Church after serving as a minister in the Congregational Church. He has served as dean of the Anglican Communion Network’s New England Convocation since 2004. Attempts by TLC to contact Fr. Murdoch were unsuccessful.

Maria Plati, director of communication for the Diocese of Massachusetts, said the Rt. Rev. M. Thomas Shaw, SSJE, Bishop of Massachusetts, had been notified shortly before the announcement became public.

“The diocese will not be issuing a public statement at this time,” Ms. Plati said. “The bishops have been in conversation about the congregation and those conversations continue.”

All Saints’ in West Newbury remains a parish of the Diocese of Massachusetts, according to the Rev. Michael G. Morse, assistant rector, who spoke with TLC. The congregation, he said, has “made no decision” about its affiliation with the diocese, but the question was under active consideration he noted.

(The Rev.) George Conger

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