The Rev. A. Robert Hirschfeld Elected Bishop Coadjutor of New Hampshire

CONCORD, N.H. – May 19, 2012 – The Rev. A. Robert (Rob) Hirschfeld was elected bishop coadjutor of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire today at St. Paul’s Church, on the first ballot. In January 2013 he will succeed Bishop Gene Robinson as the Xth Bishop of New Hampshire. Since 2001 he has served Grace Church, Amherst, MA, as rector.

The other nominees were the Rev. Penelope Bridges, rector of St. Francis Church in Great Falls, VA, the Rev. Dr. William Rich, Senior Associate Rector for Christian Formation, Trinity Church in Boston, MA. Details of balloting and information about the nomination and election process can be found at http://www.search.nhepiscopal.org.

At the 2012 General Convention in Indianapolis in July, the bishops, clergy and lay leadership of the Episcopal Church will be asked to consent to Rev. Hisrchfeld’s election. Both the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies must approve the election by a two-thirds majority.

Prior to becoming rector of Grace Church, Rev. Hirschfeld was Vice Chaplain at St. Mark’s Chapel at the University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, and was Assistant Priest at Christ Church, New Haven, CT. He spent a year as Pastoral Assistant at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, Paris, France. A current member of the Board of Examining Chaplains, he served on Diocesan Council and as a regional dean in the Diocese of Western Massachusetts.

He is a 1983 graduate of Dartmouth College, where he received his B.A. in Literature, graduating cum laude. In 1991 he completed the M. Div. degree at Berkeley Divinity School, Yale University, New Haven, CT.

Born in Minnesota, he moved to Connecticut in childhood. Rev. Hirschfeld is married to Polly Ingraham, a teacher and writer, and has two sons and a daughter. He enjoys painting and outdoor activities—cycling, rowing, hiking, and skiing.