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Metropolitan Tikhon Presides at Diocese of the South Nominating Assembly; Bishop Gerasim Nominated for Election as Bishop of Dallas and the South

July 24, 2026 · 1 min read

On Friday, July 24, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon presided at the Special Nominating Assembly of the Diocese of the South, convened at Saint Justin Martyr Church in Jacksonville, FL, to nominate a candidate for election as Bishop of Dallas and the South.

The Assembly followed the retirement of His Eminence Archbishop Alexander , which became effective at the conclusion of the Diocesan Assembly on Thursday, July 23, after a decade of faithful archpastoral service to the Diocese.

Earlier that day, the Holy Synod of Bishops met in a special session under the presidency of His Beatitude and, in accordance with the Statute of the Orthodox Church in America, formally declared the See of Dallas and the South vacant.

Following the action of the Holy Synod, His Beatitude appointed His Grace Bishop Gerasim of Fort Worth as Locum Tenens of the Diocese of the South, effective immediately.

At Friday’s Special Nominating Assembly, the clergy and lay delegates of the Diocese nominated Bishop Gerasim as their candidate for Bishop of Dallas and the South.

In accordance with the Statute of the Orthodox Church in America, the nomination will now be forwarded to the Holy Synod of…

Source: Orthodox Church in America · Read the full story →

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💬 Comments (6) 🌐 Show original

Samuel Miller

Bishop Gerasim has been doing good work in Fort Worth. Glad the delegates picked him and that Metropolitan Tikhon was there to lead the assembly. Praying it all goes smoothly for the Synod.

Laura Clark

Yes, Bishop Gerasim has been steady in Fort Worth, especially with the way he’s kept the smaller missions going. I was glad to hear Metropolitan Tikhon could chair the assembly in person. Do you know if the Synod usually meets quickly on these nominations?

Mark Phillips

Yes, Bishop Gerasim really has kept those small missions afloat—my daughter in Fort Worth still talks about how he made it to their tiny Pascha service last year. I’m not sure about the Synod’s usual timeline, but they did move fast on the vacancy declaration the same morning. Do you remember how long it took after the last nomination in our diocese?

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ლევან აბაშიძე

I know Bishop Gerasim well in Fort Worth, he celebrated the liturgy at my nephew's little mission last year. It is good that the delegates chose him and Metropolitan Tikhon personally conducted the meeting. I hope the Synod will confirm it quickly.

Alexander Wright

Yeah, Bishop Gerasim really does show up for those little missions. My older son drove down from Dallas last Pascha and said the same thing about the Fort Worth service. The Synod moved quicker this time than after Archbishop Dmitri’s retirement—took them almost two months back then, if I remember right.

Luke Johnson

Yeah, Bishop Gerasim has been covering those small missions for years. My mate from the church group drove over from Brisbane last year and said the same about the Fort Worth Pascha service—packed but still felt like family. Interesting the Synod acted faster this time; did your son mention anything else about the Jacksonville assembly?