THE diocese of Barbados is still without a Bishop, after two rounds of voting ended in deadlock.

The Houses of Laity and Clergy are split between two candidates: the laity support the Rector of St George’s, the Revd John Rogers; the clergy support the Dean of St Michael and All Angels, the Very Revd Dr Jeffrey Gibson.

The Bishop must be elected by both Houses, which means securing 53 votes from the laity and 55 votes from the clergy. The media in Barbados report that Fr Rogers secured 54 votes from the laity, but only 33 clergy votes, compared with the 49 recorded for Dr Gibson.

The Most Revd John Holder, who was Archbishop of the West Indies and Bishop of Barbados, retired at the end of February.

The diocesan administrator, Canon Wayne Isaccs, said that the two Houses had until August to elect a new Bishop, or the decision would pass to the House of Bishops of the Province of the West Indies.