Mississippi
Dorothy Sanders Wells set to be ordained Episcopal bishop of Mississippi, the first Black person and woman in position
Wells succeeds former Bishop Brian Seage
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The new bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi is being formally installed Saturday, and she is first woman and first Black person to hold the post.
The Rev. Dorothy Sanders Wells was elected bishop in February and has been in the leadership role since May. She is being ordained and consecrated by the Most Rev. Michael Curry, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church.
Wells succeeds former Bishop Brian Seage, who was elected in 2014 and had been in the role since the 2015 retirement of his predecessor.
The Mississippi diocese has about 17,600 members in 87 congregations.
Wells is a native of Mobile, Alabama, and studied vocal performance at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. She earned a law degree from the University of Memphis and practiced law for 18 years in Memphis before becoming a priest.