FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Liverpool, New York—December 3, 2016
DUNCAN-PROBE CONSECRATED AS BISHOP OF CENTRAL NEW YORK; INTENDS TO LEAD DIOCESE IN MINISTRIES OF INCLUSION, RECONCILIATION
Hundreds of Central New Yorkers and bishops and dignitaries from across the United States participated in the Ordination & Consecration of the Right Reverend DeDe Duncan-Probe, Ph.D., as 11th Bishop of Central New York. The service took place on Saturday, December 3, 2016, at the Holiday Inn Convention Center in Liverpool, New York. Duncan-Probe will lead the 13,000-member Episcopal Diocese of Central New York, which includes 86 local churches and chapels in a region stretching from the Canadian to the Pennsylvanian borders and from Utica to Waterloo, including Syracuse, Watertown, Ithaca, Binghamton, Elmira and the greater Finger Lakes area.
The first woman to serve as chief priest and pastor of the diocese, The Right Reverend DeDe Duncan-Probe, Ph.D., intends to foster dialogue and reach out to diverse communities in the region. “I am overwhelmed with joy and gratitude today as I join the people of Central New York in ministry,” she said, “Especially because I believe we have a crucial role to play right now. The Episcopal Church’s radical welcome, and our commitment to reconciling dialogue, make our communities a beacon of hope in an increasingly divided society.”
Reflecting the new bishop’s commitment to diversity and dialogue, notable leaders from the nationwide Episcopal Church and local faith and civic organizations participated in the historic celebration. The Most Reverend Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, led the ceremony as chief consecrator. The first African-American to serve as chief leader of the 3-million-member denomination, Curry is widely regarded as one of the leading preachers in the United States. He speaks frequently on matters of social justice, equality, and reconciliation. The Right Reverend Barbara C. Harris, the first woman to serve as a bishop in The Episcopal Church and the worldwide Anglican Communion, preached in the consecration ceremony. Also participating were leaders from the Islamic Society of Central New York, the Upstate Lutheran Synod, Thekhen Choling USA (Buddhist) Bahai’is of Syracuse, the National Council of Churches, Upstate University Hospital Spiritual Care, and InterFaith Works of CNY.
Duncan-Probe was elected at a special Convention of the Diocese on August 6, 2016 following a year-long national search process. She succeeds the Right Reverend Gladstone B. “Skip” Adams, III, who retired after 15 years as 10th Bishop of the Diocese on October 31, 2016.
Prior to her call to serve as Bishop of Central New York, Duncan-Probe was the Rector of St. Peter’s in the Woods Episcopal Church in Fairfax Station, Virginia, and held a number of leadership positions in the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia. She has served as a youth director, an educator, and co-founded an engineering consulting firm with her husband which continues to thrive. She holds a doctorate from Oxford University and two master’s degrees from Pepperdine University and from The General Theological Seminary. She and her husband, Chris Probe, have three children.
PRESS CONTACT: Meredith Kadet Sanderson, (315) 569-3767 (cell), mksanderson@cnyepiscopal.org.
