The Rt. Rev. Sally French

The Rt. Rev. Sally French was elected to be 13th Bishop of the Diocese of New Jersey on Jan. 28, 2023, and was expected consecrated and seated on June 24.

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

Prior to joining 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 to revise 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. 

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 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.