Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde Announces Resignation, Will Stay Until 2028 Successor Is Ordained
Bishop Mariann Budde, the first woman to lead the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, announced on October 1, 2026, that she will resign. She will remain in the role until her successor is consecrated on June 3, 2028. Budde said she delayed her departure because of the impact federal policy changes had on her diocese's congregations.
The Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde announced October 1, 2026, that she will resign as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. She has led the diocese since 2011 and is the first woman to hold the post.
Budde will not leave immediately. The election of her successor is set for the Diocesan Convention on January 29, 2028, with the formal consecration and ordination scheduled for June 3, 2028. She will serve until that date.
She described the decision as a resignation rather than a retirement, noting that Episcopal bishops keep their title after leaving a diocese. Budde said she originally planned to step down earlier but stayed on because of the significant disruption that federal government changes under the Trump administration caused for congregations in her diocese.
Budde gained national attention in January 2025 when she delivered a sermon at the Washington National Cathedral during President Trump's second inauguration, urging him to show mercy to immigrants and LGBTQ+ children. Trump publicly criticized the sermon on social media. She had also clashed with the administration in 2020 over the clearing of protesters from Lafayette Square.
After her tenure ends, Budde plans to move back to Minnesota to be closer to her grandchildren.
