WASHINGTON (DPS, June 5) -- On May 30, the Diocese of Washington elected the Rev. Ronald H. Haines of the Diocese of Western North Carolina as suffragan bishop. The Rev. Mary Chotard Doll of the Diocese of Southern Ohio ran second in an election which took six ballots.

Haines, 51, is presently bishop's deputy to the Rt. Rev. William G. Weinhauer, a post he has held since 1981. In that capacity, he acts as diocesan deployment officer, administrator, treasurer and program developer.

Born in Wilmington, Del., Haines received a Bachelor of Engineering degree from the University of Delaware in 1956 and pursued a business career for ten years. He attended the Long Island Diocesan Theological School in 1966 and the General Theological Seminary in New York, receiving an STB from the latter in 1967. He also has an STM, 1979, from General.

Ordained to the diaconate in December 1966 and to the priesthood in June of the following year, Haines remained in New York and served as part-time assistant at Holyrood (1966-67) and Good Shepherd (1967), both in Manhattan, before becoming assistant at St. Paul's, a 1,000-member black parish in the Bronx, 1967-68. He then became rector at St. Francis Church, Rutherfordton, N.C., and for ten years during that rectorship worked as an adjunct therapist at Polk-Rutherford Mental Health Center, Spindale, N.C.

Haines is married to Mary Elizabeth Terrell; there are six children.

As suffragan, Haines will assist diocesan Bishop the Rt. Rev. John Thomas Walker with pastoral care of clergy and parish visitation and will assume significant responsibilities in the areas of ministry and mission. Commenting on the election, Walker said he looks forward to working with Haines and to working out a more detailed job description with him. Weinhauer also responded to the election: "We are very happy for Ron, his family and especially for the Diocese of Washington, but he will be leaving a big hole in our diocese. We are all so proud, yet we are all so devastated."

Tallies for the last ballot showed Haines with 80 clergy votes and 101 lay votes. Doll had 60 clergy, 53 lay. They were followed by the Rev. Christopher Sherrill with 10 clergy, 4 lay and the Rev. William Baxter with 3 clergy and 2 lay. The Rev. William Wendt had withdrawn prior to the first ballot and the Rev. John Chamblin and the Rev. Larry Harris withdrew after the fourth ballot.

The consecration has been tentatively set for Oct. 29 at the Washington Cathedral, pending approval by bishops and standing committees of the other dioceses.