A church in the heart of the city, with a heart for the city

Adam J. Shoemaker elected ninth bishop of the Diocese of Long Island

April 20, 2026

[Diocese of Long Island] The Rev. Adam J. Shoemaker was elected ninth bishop of the Diocese of Long Island on April 18 by nearly 300 clergy and lay delegates, meeting at the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Garden City, New York. Shoemaker was elected on the fourth ballot by 95 votes in the clergy order and 76 votes in the lay order. The election required a majority in both orders on the same ballot, in accordance with the diocesan constitution.   “I am deeply humbled by the trust this convention has placed in me and accept the call to serve as your next diocesan bishop with hope and faith in what God will do among us,” Shoemaker said. “I look forward to laboring together across the Diocese of Long Island as one body in Christ, and I ask your prayers as we begin this new chapter together.”  Shoemaker is rector of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. He has previously ministered in congregations in North Carolina and Massachusetts and served as a missionary in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  An Egyptian American raised in Huntington, New York, he was formed in the Episcopal Church at St. John’s, Huntington, and Trinity Church, Northport. He is a graduate of the General Theological Seminary, where he met his wife, the Rev. Courtney Davis-Shoemaker. Together they have three school-aged children: Malcolm, Aubrey, and Hannah.  Deeply rooted in a diverse family heritage, he maintains strong connections with extended family in Egypt and has a particular interest in language and culture. He speaks advanced Portuguese and basic Spanish.  Other nominees on the ballot were the Very Rev. Hickman Alexandre, vicar of St. James Episcopal Church in Brookhaven, New York, and the Very Rev. Michael T. Sniffen, dean of the Cathedral of the Incarnation.  The bishop-elect will succeed the Rt. Rev. Lawrence C. Provenzano, who has served as bishop of the Diocese of Long Island since 2009.  Pending the required consent of a majority of The Episcopal Church’s diocesan standing committees and bishops with jurisdiction, Shoemaker will be ordained and consecrated on Sept. 19 at the Tilles Center in Greenvale, New York.  The Diocese of Long Island includes congregations in Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk counties and is one of the most diverse dioceses in The Episcopal Church.