The Diocese of Atlanta will soon welcome an assistant bishop, the Rt. Rev. Keith B. Whitmore of Eau Claire, Wis.

The Rt. Rev. Keith B. Whitmore, bishop of the Diocese of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, has accepted an invitation from Bishop J. Neil Alexander to become the Diocese of Atlanta's assistant bishop.

Whitmore, 62 and a priest for 30 years, will take on his new role "as soon after Easter as possible," said Alexander. "It will take a while to arrange a move and get settled."

Whitmore was ordained bishop of Eau Claire in 1999. He is a Wisconsin native and a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and Nashotah House, Nashotah, Wis.  He has served congregations in Wisconsin, Missouri and Kansas, where he was dean of Christ Cathedral, Salina, and he serves as a trustee for the Berkeley Divinity School at Yale. He and his wife, Suzanne, have been married 41 years. They have two grown children.

"I am delighted that Bishop Whitmore will be joining us in the Diocese of Atlanta," Alexander said. "In our years together in the House of Bishops, I have come to deeply respect Bishop Whitmore for his integrity and his principled way of engaging the full life of the church. He has been faithful over many years in his commitment to The Episcopal Church. He brings us gifts that are complementary to mine and will not just fill in around the edges. He will be able to join me in leading the mission and ministry of this great diocese."

Bishop Whitmore has visited the Diocese of Atlanta and met with members of the Diocese of Atlanta Standing Committee. The Very Rev. Douglas Hahn of Columbus, chair of the Standing Committee and dean of the Chattahoochee Valley Convocation, affirmed the choice.

"We are pleased to give our unanimous support to Bishop Whitmore's call as our assistant bishop," Hahn said.  "We were impressed with his forthrightness and his pastoral sensitivity, and believe he will be an important addition to our ministry in the diocese.

Hahn added, "We have long believed that the size and complexity of our diocese require the presence of an assistant bishop and believe that the gifts of Bishop Whitmore, along with his background from another region of our church, will broaden and deepen our common service to our Risen Lord."

Another Standing Committee member, the Very Rev. Douglas Dailey, dean of the Northeast Georgia Convocation, said, "It truly was a pleasure to meet recently with Bishop Whitmore and his wife, Suzie. I am so pleased that they have accepted the call to come among us! I found them to be friendly, thoughtful and dedicated. I immediately felt comfortable with them and soon found myself hoping that they would be living and serving with us. I am certain that both of them will bless our diocese in lots of ways!"

The Rev. Patricia Templeton of St. Dunstan's, Atlanta, also on the Standing Committee, said, "I think this is very good news for the diocese. I think he will be a great help and asset to both Bishop Alexander and the whole diocese."