The Episcopal Diocese of San Diego will hold a special convention November 13 at St Paul's Cathedral, San Diego, to elect its fourth bishop to succeed Bishop Gethin Hughes. November 20 is set aside should an additional day be needed for balloting.

The five initial candidates announced by the nominating committee are: Bishop Anthony Burton of the Diocese of Saskatchewan in Canada; the Revd Jonathan B Coffey Jr, rector of St Anthony on the Desert in Scottsdale, Arizona; the Revd Kent S McNair, rector of Faith Episcopal Church in Cameron Park, near Sacramento, California; the Revd James R Mathes, canon to the ordinary in the Diocese of Chicago; and the Revd David A Stenner, rector of All Saints' in Reisterstown, Maryland, near Baltimore.

A further three petition candidates were later added to the slate: the Revd John Conrad, rector of St Alban's Episcopal Church in El Cajon, California; the Venerable Dr William Dopp, archdeacon and communications officer of the Diocese of San Diego; and the Rt Revd George Packard, bishop suffragan for chaplaincies in the Episcopal Church, a national ministry.

Full information about nominees and petition candidates is posted online at http://www.edsd.org