(Anglican Jesuits)
The Right Rev'd Kevin Nichols
The Rt. Rev. Kevin D. Nichols was appointed Assistant Bishop of the Diocese of the Susquehanna on October 18, 2025. He was appointed by Bishop Scanlan immediately following her election to serve as Bishop Diocesan. Bishop Nichols will be put forth for election as the next Bishop of the Diocese of the Susquehanna when Bishop Scanlan retires in October of 2027.
Bishop Nichols graciously discerned his ministry to the Anglican Jesuits in a conversation with the Superior General and the Convener of the Society on June 3, 2026. After an online discussion with the Companions, Bishop Nichols was confirmed as Bishop Visitor on June 6, 2026. He graciously accepted on June 8, 2026. We are grateful for his willingness to consider this ministry with such deep discernment and openness to our mission.
The Bishop Visitor is to have an official, canonical relationship with a religious order. Each order must designate a Bishop Visitor or Protector, who serves as guardian of the order's constitution and arbiter of last resort for issues of conflict in the community. The Visitor or Protector may be the bishop in whose jurisdiction the order is established. Another bishop may accept election to this role with the permission of the diocesan bishop.
The Bishop Visitor (or Bishop Protector) role within the National Association of Episcopal Christian Communities (NAECC) acts as the canonical guardian and final arbiter for religious orders and Christian communities in The Episcopal Church.
The role of the Bishop Visitor was recommended by the NAECC when we were accepted as Companion members on May 21, 2026.
The role carries specific duties for recognized NAECC groups:
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Rule Guardianship: The Bishop Visitor ensures the community adheres to its own constitutional rules and Anglican standards.
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Conflict Resolution: Serves as the final referee for community disputes.
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Spiritual Oversight: Provides pastoral guidance to members and presides over important gatherings like vow renewals and chapters.
Bishop Nichol's Story
Bishop Nichols was ordained and consecrated as the IX Bishop of Bethlehem on September 15, 2018. He was elected on the first ballot of a Special Electing Convention held on April 28, 2018, at the Cathedral Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem. Prior to his election, Bishop Nichols was Chief Operating Officer and Canon for Mission Resources in the Diocese of New Hampshire. He was formerly president of the Diocese of New Hampshire’s Standing Committee and a member of the churchwide Task Force to Reimagine the Episcopal Church.
Bishop Nichols began his ministry as a bi-vocational priest, serving a small rural parish while working full-time as an account manager and management trainer for Sealed Air Corporation, a packaging company. A former Roman Catholic priest who received his Master of Divinity degree from St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore, he was received into the Episcopal priesthood in 1999 and has served as Rector of St. Stephen’s in Pittsfield, New Hampshire, and St. Andrew’s in Hopkinton, New Hampshire.
Bishop Nichols’ wife, Patti, is a licensed clinical social worker. They have four adult children, and five grandchildren.
Contact
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The Diocese of the Susquehanna: 717-710-4800