Archbishop Duncan to Interim as Bishop of Western Gulf Coast
May 27, 2026
Dear Beloved in our Lord Jesus of the Diocese . . .
The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore! 2 Corinthians 13:14
A week ago, yesterday, I woke up extra early to pray, as I knew I would be spending time that morning with the Dean of the Province, Bishop Julian, to discuss the results of our Electing Synod. As I prayed, the most profound sense of peace came over me. I had known the peace that passes understanding during the two days following the lack of an election, but this was a different kind of peace. This was the peace that one feels when they are experiencing the “release” from an assignment they had been given by the Lord. I knew I had only experienced it a couple of times before in my 50 years of walking with Him.
In this case, I was being released from my assignment as your Bishop. When I met with Bishop Julian, he began by saying he had a hard question to ask me. I told him not to worry, that the Holy Spirit had gone ahead of our conversation. When I shared what I had experienced early in the morning, he said he had indeed planned to ask me whether I was prepared to carry out my assignment if it were extended beyond my announced retirement date of August 15th. I shared the only fleece I had before the Lord was His appointment of a pastoral-gifted bishop to serve as Interim Bishop. His provision would ensure I would not abandon the sheep but instead entrust them to a faithful pastor.
Here is a resolution passed by the College of Bishops at a meeting on Thursday, May 21st and accepted by our Diocesan Council earlier today. In the resolution, the College accepts my resignation as Bishop Ordinary of the Anglican Diocese of the Western Gulf Coast, effective on the previously announced August 15th, 2026. It also states that the College chooses not to elect a Bishop Ordinary at this time, but names Archbishop Bob Duncan as Interim Bishop for not more than a year, and hopefully much less, permitting the Diocese the opportunity and space to “take a breath” and seek the Lord’s will for her future in healthy mission and vitality. Please read the resolution.
In the coming weeks, I will serve Archbishop Bob in any way I can to help him prepare for his new assignment.
With more love for each of you than you will ever know, and in His peace,
+Clark WP Lowenfield
Bishop The Anglican Diocese of the Western Gulf Coast
Thank you for sharing this thoughtful update regarding the diocese and Archbishop Duncan's interim leadership during this season of transition. Praying for wisdom and peace in the diocese. In my downtime, I often play Pixel Dungeon Online to relax, and it is wonderful to see dedicated communities thriving across different interests.
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