Bishops of Maine
The Right Reverend Stephen Lane
The ninth Bishop of Maine, Stephen Lane, was elected at Diocesan Convention in October 2007 and consecrated at the Cathedral of St. Luke, Portland, in May 2008. He previously served as Bishop Coadjutor of the Diocese of Maine.
The oldest of five children, Bishop Stephen T. Lane was raised in LeRoy, New York, the upstate town where Jello was invented. Bishop Lane attended the First Presbyterian Church, where his parents both conducted choirs.
Bishop Lane attended the University of Rochester with the intention of becoming a doctor. He soon discovered that he did not enjoy the hard science required for pre-med. He also had his first real encounter with racism and poverty when he washed dishes and mopped floors with black men and immigrant women at the Men’s Dining Center. That experience led him to surrender his college deferment of the military draft. Since it was the height of the Vietnam War, he was immediately drafted. This led to a two years’ long struggle with his conscience, his faith, and his Draft Board, that ultimately led to Conscientious Objector status and a lifelong commitment to peace with justice.
Although the Vietnam War was winding down, Bishop Lane needed a job acceptable to the Selective Service System. He found one in youth ministry with the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester. He worked in youth ministry for four years and then attended seminary at Colgate-Rochester/Bexley/Crozer Seminaries.
Lane was ordained in 1978, and his ordained ministry began at Christ Church, Corning, New York, where he served for seven years as Assistant and Priest-in-Charge. The next 15 years were spent as Rector of Zion Church, Palmyra, New York. In 2000, he was called to serve as Canon for Deployment and Ministry Development in the Diocese of Rochester, where he served until he was elected Bishop Coadjutor of Maine. During these years, Bishop Lane also served as president of Province II and a member of the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church.
Lane has served as the Diocese of Rochester’s Bishop Provisional since February 2022.
