Diocese of the Great Lakes — Synod

A Letter From the Chair of the Search Committee

August 3rd, 2026

We are thrilled to be able to announce that Fr. Christopher Klukas and Bp. Allen Kannapell are our final candidates to stand for election for the bishop coadjutor for the Anglican Diocese of the Great Lakes.

Over the last nine months, these men have opened their lives to the discernment process: writing out thorough responses to our questions, sharing their spiritual autobiographies, sitting for multiple interviews with members of our committee, opening themselves to additional scrutiny by way of screenings and psychological evaluations, and answered questions from a small team from the college of bishops. In all of our deliberations, our committee has been struck by the godly character and pastoral heart that each of these men have for Christ’s church in general, and for our diocese in particular. You can learn more about them in these additional bios that we are sending, and we look forward to you getting to hear from them in our walkabout events in September.

We are grateful for their willingness to say yes to their nominations, and to walk this long path towards our October election. 

We are also grateful for all those who were willing to submit to this discernment process. For everyone we interviewed, for everyone who prayerfully said no to a nomination – we believe God has been at work in all of it to get us to this point. As a committee, we feel excited about these two men, and are confident that whoever is chosen in October, God will be giving us a godly pastor to be our next bishop.

Thank you for all your prayers for us and for the process. And thanks be to God for being at work through these last nine months.

—

The Reverend Canon Andrew Unger, on behalf of the Bishop Search Committee

Mrs. Mickie Murphy

The Rev. Pam Buck

The Rev. Kris Rolls

The Rev. Kristen Yates

Mrs. Melissa Bowman

Mr. Evan Francis

Mr. Caleb Sasser