The Rev. Canon Eugene Taylor Sutton was elected Bishop of Maryland on the first ballot during a special convention of the diocese March 29 at St. James’ Church, Lafayette Square in Baltimore.
 
Canon Sutton, 54, is Canon Pastor of Washington National Cathedral and director of the Center for Prayer and Pilgrimage. He received 125 clergy and 85 lay votes on the first ballot with 110 and 76 needed to elect.
 
The remaining votes were distributed among four other candidates: the Rev. Jane Soyster Gould, rector, St. Stephen’s, Lynn, Mass., received 41 clergy and 19 lay; the Rev. John C.N. Hall, rector, St. Matthew’s, Phoenix, Ariz., received 22 clergy votes and 29 lay; the Rev. Canon Mark Gatza, canon missioner for clergy deployment, congregational development and evangelism in the Diocese of Maryland, received 22 clergy votes and 12 lay; and the Rev. Lura M. Kaval, rector of St. Christopher’s Church, Linthicum, Md., received 9 clergy votes and 4 lay. A sixth candidate, the Very Rev. Peter David Eaton, dean of St. John’s Cathedral in Denver withdrew from the election on March 11.
 
Canon Sutton must receive consent from a majority of other diocesan standing committees and bishops with jurisdiction before he can be consecrated. A tentative date of June 28 has been announced.
 
 
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