Central Pennsylvania Bishop Audrey Scanlan elected first bishop of the new Diocese of the Susquehanna

Central Pennsylvania Bishop Audrey Scanlan on Oct. 18, 2025, was elected the first bishop of the new Diocese of the Susquehanna, which will be created Jan. 1, 2026, by the reunification of the dioceses of Central Pennsylvania and Bethlehem.

[Episcopal News Service] On Oct. 18 Central Pennsylvania Bishop Audrey Scanlan was elected the first bishop of the new Diocese of the Susquehanna, which will come into existence on Jan. 1, 2026, through the reunion of the current dioceses of Bethlehem and Central Pennsylvania. The name of the new diocese is taken from the Susquehanna River, which runs through the center of Pennsylvania.

Her unanimous election in a vote by orders of both dioceses took place during a joint convention that met Oct. 18-19 in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Immediately afterward, she appointed Bethlehem Bishop Kevin Nichols as assistant bishop of the new diocese. Scanlan has been bishop of Central Pennsylvania since 2015, and Nichols has served as the bishop of Bethlehem since 2018.

The two dioceses voted to reunify during conventions in October 2024, following a two-year discernment process.

Reunification is the canonical term for joining two dioceses that previously had been part of the same diocese. Each was part of the original Diocese of Central Pennsylvania, which was created in 1871 from the Diocese of Pennsylvania. Bethlehem was formed from that in 1904.

In voting to reunify, the dioceses agreed that both Scanlan and Nichols would serve the new diocese starting in 2026. In June 2025, it was announced that Scanlan would be presented as the diocese’s first bishop, with Nichols as assistant bishop.

The announcement further noted that Scanlan plans to retire in October 2027, and Nichols then will be presented for election as the diocese’s provisional bishop. Because he plans to retire in February 2030, he would serve during a search for a new diocesan bishop, which is planned for some time in 2029.

After the election, Scanlan said that while she will be serving the Diocese of the Susquehanna as its diocesan bishop, “Kevin and I are going to work this together,” calling the two of them “bishops with training wheels as we lead this new diocese.” She said that together they “are going to do our best to make this transition smooth.”

She also said that while she may be the new diocese’s first bishop, that title really should belong to the person who will be elected diocesan bishop in 2029.

Delegates to the joint convention also adopted a constitution, canons and budget for the new diocese.

— Melodie Woerman is an Episcopal News Service freelance reporter based in Kansas.