Chicago ? The Rev. Jeffrey Lee was elected the new Episcopal bishop of Chicago on Saturday, culminating an election that drew worldwide attention to select the next leader of the 41,000-member church.

At their annual diocesan convention in suburban Wheeling, Ill., church leaders elected Lee from a slate of eight candidates, which included a lesbian priest, Rev. Tracey Lind.

Lee is rector of St. Thomas Church in Medina, Wash. He becomes Chicago’s 12th bishop and succeeds the Rev. William D. Persell, who has served as bishop since March 1999.

In a conference call before a room full of hundreds of Episcopal delegates, Lee said he accepted and would serve as bishop.

“I can’t tell you how honored and humbled I am,” said Lee, who was born and raised in Sturgis, Mich.

In the second ballot, Lee received a total of 337 votes, which included 134 clergy and 203 lay people. In second place was the Rev. Petero Sabune, a chaplain at Sing Sing Correctional Facility in upstate New York.

Sabune received 174 votes, which included 74 clergy and 100 lay people.

The Rev. Lind received 16 votes, which included seven clergy and nine lay people.

The Chicago election marked the most recent flashpoint in the long-running conflict between the Episcopal Church and the 77 million member worldwide Anglican Communion over homosexuality.

Discord began in 2003 with the consecration of the Episcopal Church’s first openly gay bishop, Gene Robinson of New Hampshire. Since then, 65 of the more than 7,000 U.S. parishes are breaking with the national church. Other dioceses have aligned with conservative Anglican bishops overseas, mainly from Africa.

The new bishop will be consecrated Feb. 2 at a service to be held at the House of Hope, which is worship site of Salem Baptist Church. Seating of the new bishop will be Feb. 3 at St. James Cathedral.