Love was elected
bishop coadjutor of the
Episcopal Diocese of Albany on March 25, 2006; Love was consecrated as bishop coadjutor by
Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold on September 16, 2006, at the
Empire State Plaza in Albany. He asserts that "'the Bible is, in fact, the word of God. It’s not just some historic document that was written some 2,000-plus years ago, but [is] God’s revealed word.'" The national church's web site posted a story about the event, quoting Bishop Love and several of the 300 attendees at the event. In June 2008, under Love's leadership, the Episcopal Diocese of Albany passed a resolution stating that only heterosexual marriages would be celebrated within the diocese. After the resolution was passed, Bishop Love was quoted as stating that "the important thing ... is that God loves all people, regardless of where they might be in their life. That doesn't necessarily mean he approves of all of our behaviors." Love gained national attention at the Episcopal Church's July 2009 convention in
Anaheim,
California. At that convention, the Church passed a resolution allowing the blessing of same-sex unions. At a news conference organized by a conservative Anglican group, Love said, "It is breaking my heart to see the church destroy itself"; however, he vowed to remain within the Episcopal Church nonetheless. As of 2012, Love had granted Delegated Ecclesiastical Parish Oversight (DEPO)--a status where certain parishes remain a part of a diocese, but receive certain pastoral functions from a bishop outside that diocese—to three parishes: St. Luke's, Saranac Lake; St. George's, Schenectady; and St. John's, Essex.
Dissent, discipline, and departure In 2015, the General Convention of the Episcopal Church "sanctioned gay marriage across the American church but [allowed] the bishops of eight dioceses [including Albany] to opt out." In July 2018, the General Convention of the Episcopal Church passed a resolution allowing same-sex weddings to be performed in the eight dissenting dioceses. in an accompanying letter, Love wrote: "Recent statistics show that The Episcopal Church is spiraling downward... I can’t help but believe that God has removed His blessing from this Church. Unless something changes, The Episcopal Church is going to die." In response to Love's pastoral directive, Presiding Bishop
Michael Curry placed Love on a partial ministry restriction. A June 12, 2020 disciplinary hearing was held to determine whether Love had violated church law by refusing to allow same-sex weddings to be conducted by Episcopal clergy in the Diocese of Albany. On October 2, 2020, a disciplinary panel ruled that Love had violated Episcopal doctrine and rules. On October 24, 2020, Love announced his resignation as bishop pursuant to a disciplinary agreement with church authorities. His resignation became effective on February 1, 2021. On March 30, 2021, Love announced that he would be leaving ministry in the Episcopal church to join the Anglican Church in North America.) Four priests and four deacons left the Diocese of Albany in protest following Love's departure. Bishop Love was succeeded as Bishop of Albany by
Jeremiah Williamson. ==Assistant Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of the Living Word==