BATH — The Rev. Canon Michael Ambler Jr., priest of Grace Episcopal Church in Bath, will join the staff of the Rt. Rev. Stephen T. Lane, Episcopal bishop of Maine, as canon to the ordinary beginning Sept. 8.

According to Heidi Shott, canon for communications and advocacy in the diocese, Ambler made the announcement to his congregation in the past week and will likely conclude his ministry at Grace in July.

Ambler, who has served as rector at Grace Episcopal Church since 2002, is well-known to members of the diocese. Raised up for the priesthood at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke in Portland, he was ordained in 2000 and was one of the first to participate in the diocesan clergy intern program at St. David’s in Kennebunk.

Currently president of the Standing Committee, Ambler has also served the diocese as a two-time deputy to The Episcopal Church General Convention in 2009 and 2012, a co-chairman of the Commission on Ministry, and a member of the Ecclesiastical Trial Court under the former clergy disciplinary canons.

A trained mediator, he has served many congregations in the diocese as a consultant as well as a member of the Pastoral Response Team. He is currently facilitating a conversation among five congregations of the Southern Kennebec Valley area.

Prior to entering Episcopal Divinity School, Ambler worked as an attorney in Portland for eight years. He and his wife, Darreby, have two grown sons, Michael and John, and a daughter, Liddy, who is a high school senior.

In his new role as canon to the ordinary, Ambler will take on responsibility for congregational transitions, clergy disciplinary and misconduct prevention program, a mentoring program for new clergy, and ministry development with clergy and congregations. A canon to the ordinary is a role specific to the bishop’s office, a staff member who performs tasks as assigned by the ordinary, or diocesan bishop, and holds a measure of authority in the absence of the bishop.

Normally, when a rector steps down, a search committee is created and a congregation will embark on a period of self-study. At that point, the diocese would help the congregation find an interim rector, and the canon to the ordinary would be involved in helping the congregation through the transition period, which could take a year to 18 months.

In Grace’s case, since it’s rector is becoming the canon to the ordinary, Ambler would not assist with the transition, Shott told The Times Record. Bishop Lane, who held that position in the diocese of Rochester, N.Y., prior to being elected to be Maine’s bishop in 2008, will probably take on the duties himself to help with the transition, Shott said.