First woman, Black bishop chosen to helm Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh

The Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh voted Saturday to elect the Rev. Ketlen Solak as its ninth bishop, making the Delaware minister the first woman and person of color to helm the religious leadership post in Western Pennsylvania.

Solak, the rector of Brandywine Collaborative Ministries in Wilmington, Del., and a native of Haiti, won over a majority of clergy and lay deputies following a 16-month search that officials winnowed down to five top contenders as of two weeks ago.

As bishop, Solak will oversee 36 parishes across 11 counties, including the diocese’s Trinity Cathedral in Downtown Pittsburgh.

Her selection was lauded by local groups such as Christian Associates of Southwest Pennsylvania, a coalition of 28 Protestant, Catholic, Anglican and Orthodox church bodies that aim to “promote unity among diverse Christians and to work together for the common good.” The Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh became a charter member of Christian Associates in 1970.

“Although it’s tremendously exciting to welcome the first woman and the first person of color to serve as Episcopal Bishop of Pittsburgh, Bishop-Elect Solak’s qualifications far exceed her trailblazing demographics,” the Rev. Liddy Barlow, Christian Associates’ executive minister, said in a statement. “Her energy for the work of evangelism and justice, her collaborative leadership style, and the obvious joy she feels in serving God equip her perfectly for her new ministry in Pittsburgh.”

Prior to the final vote, Solak described herself as a visionary and collaborative leader.

“I am also a perceptive listener, a creative and strategic thinker who is able to discern viable alternatives in the midst of complexity,” she said earlier this month.

The process of finding a new bishop began when Bishop Dorsey McConnell announced in December 2019 that he would retire in 2021. In February 2020, a 14-member nominating committee began the work of recommending nominees to stand for election.

The other candidates included the Rev. Jeffrey Murph, rector of St. Thomas Memorial Church in Oakmont; the Rev. Canon Scott Gunn, executive director of Forward Movement, a spiritual renewal program based in Cincinnati; the Very Rev. Kim Coleman, rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Arlington, Va.; and the Rev. Diana Wilcox, rector of Christ Church in Glen Ridge and Bloomfield, N.J.

“The selection of these nominees began with a large pool of applicants compared to other Episcopal diocese recently,” said the Rev. Noah Evans, rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Mt. Lebanon and president of the diocesan Standing Committee, the governing board that oversees the election. “We are deeply grateful for the work of the nominating committee in discerning these individuals.”

About the new bishop

Born and raised in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Solak moved to Virginia when she was 16 years old.

According to her bio via Brandywine Collaborative Ministries, Solak’s “family can claim a rich mix of European and African ethnic and cultural heritage.”

She earned a doctorate in ministry at the Virginia Theological Seminary and worked as associate rector at St. Luke’s in Alexandria for more than nine years. At the Diocese of Delaware, Solak served on the diocesan council and bishop search committee.

Both she and her husband, Scott, a pianist and composer, studied music in college.

Solak is set to succeed McConnell at a consecration ceremony on Nov. 13.