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                                 Our New Bishop   The Rt. Rev. Stephen T. Lane                 

Bishop Lane is a product of upstate New York. The oldest of five children, he was raised in LeRoy, NY, the place where Jello was invented and all of it made until the mid-1960's. Bishop Lane attended the First Presbyterian Church, where his Mom and Dad both conducted choirs.

Bishop Lane attended the University of Rochester with the intention of becoming a doctor. He soon discovered that he did not enjoy the hard science required for pre-med. He also had his first real encounter with racism and poverty when he washed dishes and mopped floors with Black men and immigrant women at the Men's Dining Center. That experience led him to surrender his college deferment of the military draft. Since it was the height of the Vietnam War, he was immediately drafted. This led to a two years' long struggle with his conscience, his faith and his Draft Board, that ultimately led to Conscientious Objector status and a lifelong commitment to peace with justice.

Although the Vietnam War was winding down, Bishop Lane needed a job acceptable to the Selective Service System. He found one in youth ministry with the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester. He worked in youth ministry for four years, and then attended seminary at Colgate-Rochester/Bexley/Crozer Seminaries.

Bishop Lane's ordained ministry began at Christ Church, Corning, NY, where he served for seven years as Assistant and Priest-in-Charge. The next fifteen years were spent as Rector of Zion Church, Palmyra, NY. In 2000, he was called to serve as Canon for Deployment and Ministry Development in the Diocese of Rochester, where he served until he was elected Bishop Coadjutor of Maine. During these years, Bishop Lane also served as president of Province II, and a member of the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church.

Bishop Lane and his wife, Gretchen, reside in Portland, ME. They have three grown children and four grandchildren.

Bishop coadjutor Lane and be reached at slane@episcopalmaine.org  or by calling the Diocesan Office at 1-800-244-6062