Our Bishop

Before her election, Bishop French served as Canon for Regional Ministry and Collaborative Innovation in the Diocese of North Carolina. Her work provides congregational support to churches in the diocese’s Raleigh, Durham, and Rocky Mount. She works with clergy and lay leaders to strengthen vitality and foster collaboration. 

Before joining the diocesan staff, Bishop French spent twenty years in parish ministry. She served congregations of all sizes and types, in a variety of roles and capacities. Most recently, she designed and oversaw the process of revising the Journey to Adulthood youth ministry curriculum, a program of Christian education for teens that has been used by thousands of Episcopal congregations since 1995. 

In North Carolina, she has served as President of the Standing Committee. There, she initiated work to address systemic racism and bias. She remains committed to working to end racism and White supremacy.

Bishop French was raised in Toronto, Canada, in a secular home. She was baptized, confirmed, and sponsored for ordination through campus ministries at the University of Toronto. 

She holds a bachelor’s degree from Trinity College, University of Toronto (Economics, History), a Master of Divinity degree through the Toronto School of Theology, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Virginia Theological Seminary. She was ordained a deacon in 2000 and a priest in 2001 in the Diocese of Edmonton, Anglican Church of Canada. 

Bishop French is married to the Rev. Dr. Clarke French, who is the interim rector at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, in Basking Ridge, NJ, and they are parents to teenagers Jack and Libby.