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Western North Carolina bishop to step down, join presiding bishop’s staff in administrative role

April 16, 2026

[Episcopal News Service] Western North Carolina Bishop José McLoughlin is stepping down from his role leading the Asheville-based diocese to join the staff of Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe in the newly created position of chief administrative officer. McLoughlin, who was ordained bishop of Western North Carolina in 2016, will assume the new churchwide position in June. “In this new role, I will assist the presiding bishop as he seeks to reimagine and strengthen the ministries of The Episcopal Church, supporting dioceses, congregations, and Episcopalians across the wider church,” McLoughlin said in an April 16 letter to his diocese. “After much prayer and discernment, I believe this is where God is now calling me to serve.” Rowe offered additional details about the chief administrative officer position in a memo to churchwide staff. “In his new role, José will oversee much of our staff program and administrative functions, helping us build on the significant progress that all of you have made in the last eighteen months,” Rowe said. “Together, you have embraced a new vision for our ministry as a staff and made great strides in our ability to try new approaches and collaborate across departments.” The announcement comes a little more than a year after Rowe oversaw a major realignment of the churchwide staff, grouping many of the positions into the two new divisions of Mission Program and Public Policy Witness while laying off 14 employees and offering retirement incentives to 16 others. In addition, Rowe has hired other new staff members to a variety of newly created roles. Adding McLoughlin in a leadership role is “a way to support the growth that I have seen you work so hard to achieve,” Rowe told the churchwide staff. He added that he was responding to staff requests for “more help to break down silos and take initiatives” and staff feedback that “the press of my calendar and those of our other leadership team members mean that your momentum can be slowed by bottlenecks.” “By adding this leadership position devoted to overseeing program and administration, I hope to provide extra support in the areas you have identified and strengthen our collective capacity to support dioceses,” Rowe said. McLoughlin, in announcing the news to his diocese, said he first fell in love with Western North Carolina while visiting there on his honeymoon in 1993. “I sensed immediately that this was holy ground,” he said. “The mountains, the quiet beauty, the deep spirituality of this place — all of it spoke to my heart.” He intends to transfer ecclesiastical authority to the standing committee on July 31, and he is working with Rowe to ensure continued episcopal support and parish visits for the diocese as it navigates this leadership transition. “Over these past ten years, it has been an extraordinary privilege and joy to serve as your bishop,” McLoughlin said. “Together, we have walked through seasons of growth and challenge, celebration and uncertainty. We have strengthened congregations, fostered new ministries, navigated transitions, and remained steadfast in proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ in our communities. We have deepened our shared commitment to forming disciples, caring for one another, and embodying Christ’s love in Western North Carolina.” – David Paulsen is a senior reporter and editor for Episcopal News Service based in Wisconsin. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.