THE election of the first Bishop of the new Episcopal missionary diocese of Navajoland, in the United States, has been postponed for a second time, with no explanation, just two days before it was due.

The diocesan standing committee announced the postponement on 11 June and urged the diocese still to come together for its planned meeting, to gather for “prayer, conversations and discernment”. A planned live stream of the meeting was, however, cancelled. The diocese has made no further announcement and has not responded for a request for comment.

The Episcopal General Convention in June 2024 authorised the creation of the new diocese, which covers 27,000 square miles of the Navajo reservation, and the process was completed a year later. The status of missionary diocese requires the holding of an annual diocesan convention and the election a bishop, a standing committee, and clergy and lay deputies to the General Convention.

Last November, the diocese announced three candidates for bishop. A month later, it said that the election was postponed. Afew days later, a candidate, the Revd Alyssa Stebbing, of the diocese of Texas, withdrew, but promised to support the continuing process. In her statement, she said, in conversation with her own bishop, “It is untenable for me to remain a candidate for six more months.”

The two remaining candidates, the Revd Cornelia Eaton, Canon to the Ordinary for the diocese, and the Revd Leon Sampson, co-vicar of the diocese’s south-east region, were scheduled to stand in this month’s election.

The standing committee said, however: “After prayerful consultation and discernment, the election has been postponed to a future date. This is a postponement of the election process, not a cancellation. Both nominees remain in the process and will continue to be considered when the election is reconvened.

“The Episcopal Church in Navajoland remains committed to the election of its first Bishop diocesan and to seeking God’s guidance for the future of our diocese.”