The Rev. Kevin Brown was elected bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Delaware.
The diocese announced the election on its website. The church held a convention to elect the bishop.
Five nominees were announced for the post, according to the Episcopal News Service.
Brown will succeed the Rev. Wayne Wright who retired earlier this year after serving as bishop since the late 1990s
Brown is rector at a parish in Charlotte, NC. A Duke University graduate, he served in the Air Force and held positions at Federal Express and a money management firm before earning a master of divinity and becoming a priest.
The diocese has about 9,300 members and has suffered from the struggles of mainline denominations.
The diocese closed its cathedral in Brandywine Village near downtown Wilmington in 2012.
The diocesan office is now located at the site of a closed church in north Wilmington.
The diocese has eight schools and pre-schools in its territory, including nationally known the St. Andrew’s School near Middletown.
The diocese has long associated with the DuPont family and its philanthropic work. St. Andrew’s school was founded by Felix duPont.
The history of the diocese dates back to the mid-1700s.
