Bp. Gerasim Nominated as Bishop of Dallas and the South

ST. AUGUSTINE, FL — Bp. Gerasim of Fort Worth has been nominated to become the next Bishop of Dallas and the South following a Special Nominating Assembly of the Diocese of the South, held July 24 at St. Justin Martyr Church under the presidency of Metr. Tikhon.

The nomination came one day after the retirement of Abp. Alexander, whose decade of leadership concluded at the close of the Diocesan Assembly on July 23. Earlier that same day, the Holy Synod of Bishops met in special session, formally declared the See of Dallas and the South vacant, and Metr. Tikhon appointed Bp. Gerasim as locum tenens to oversee the diocese during the transition.

With the see vacant, clergy and lay delegates gathered in Jacksonville to select a nominee for the episcopal office. The assembly chose Bp. Gerasim, whose nomination will now be forwarded to the Holy Synod for consideration during its Regular Fall 2026 Session in early November, when the bishops are expected to decide whether to canonically elect him as the next diocesan bishop.

Metr. Tikhon thanked the Diocese of the South for its spirit of unity and prayer throughout both the Diocesan Assembly and the Special Nominating Assembly. He also praised Abp. Alexander's years of archpastoral leadership and asked the clergy, monastics, and faithful throughout the Orthodox Church in America to pray for Bp. Gerasim, the Diocese of the South, and the Holy Synod as the election process moves forward.

Previously, the UOJ reported that Metr. Tikhon presided at the Canadian Archdiocesan Assembly.