The Rt. Rev. Susan E. Goff, Bishop Suffragan and Ecclesiastical Authority, announced in 2019 her intention to retire within a few months after the Election of the next Bishop Diocesan. Today she announced the date she intends to retire will be December 31, 2022.
The Electing Convention for the next Diocesan Bishop is scheduled for June 4, 2022. The consecration of Bishop-Elect is scheduled for December 3, 2022.
The Bishop-Elect is anticipated to begin settling into the diocesan offices in Richmond sometime between the Election and Consecration, allowing for a period of time in which Bishop Goff and the Bishop-Elect can work together to ensure a smooth transition.
Bishop Goff was elected Bishop Suffragan and consecrated in 2012. She became Ecclesiastical Authority of the Diocese in 2018, upon the retirement of the Rt. Rev. Shannon Johnston, thirteenth Bishop of the Diocese. Bishop Goff oversees the mission and ministry of the Diocese in all its multiple dimensions during the interim time between Bishops Diocesan, with a particular focus on strengthening relationships between God, congregations, diocesan leadership and related organizations. She has a particular passion for racial justice, environmental stewardship of Creation, and the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ persons in the life of the Church. In addition to her work in the Diocese of Virginia, Bishop Goff was licensed as a visiting bishop in our companion Diocese of Liverpool in England. She serves on the faculty of the College for Bishops and chairs the House of Bishops Committee on Church Wide Leadership of the General Convention of The Episcopal Church. For six years as bishop, she represented The Episcopal Church in relationships with the Anglican Church in Central America (IARCA).
Ordained in 1980, she began her ministry as a school chaplain, first at St. Margaret’s in Tappahannock, then at St. Catherine’s in Richmond. She was then called as Rector of Immanuel, Old Church, and later as Rector of St. Christopher’s, Springfield. She became Canon to the Ordinary in 2010 and, while in that position, she was elected Bishop Suffragan.
In the coming months, the people of the Diocese will have opportunities to celebrate and give thanks for Bishop Goff’s ministry and legacy. Stay tuned for details.