John Maury Allin
John Maury Allin (born April 22, 1921 in Helena , Arkansas , † March 6, 1998 in Jackson , Mississippi ) was Presiding Bishop and head of the Episcopal Church in the USA from 1974 to 1985 .
Life
John Maury Allin graduated from St. Luke's Seminary at the University of the South in Sewanee , Tennessee in 1945 . In 1962 he added a Masters of Education from Mississippi College in Clinton . He was ordained a deacon in 1944 and a priest eleven months later in the Episcopal Church.
He was ordained bishop in 1961 at St. James Church in Jackson, Mississippi. He became Presiding Bishop in 1973 and held this position until he retired in 1986. He was also Chancellor of the University of the South and a retired chaplain of the General Community of Transfiguration , an Anglican women's order. He was the pastor of the Kennebunkport ward that included President George HW Bush . He was also an Honorary Canon of St. John the Divine Cathedral in New York City and a Canon of St. George's Cathedral in Jerusalem .
Controversy
At the height of the civil rights movement in the 1960s, John Maury Allin was Bishop of the Diocese of Mississippi. He made the unpopular decision to help found the Committee of Concern to raise funds to rebuild more than 100 churches burned down by white racists.
During his tenure, more and more church members pushed for greater participation by women and blacks. Four years after his election, Bishop Allin offered his resignation in 1977 after the Episcopal Church had decided to open the priesthood to women the previous year. As he explained at a meeting of bishops and other responsible persons of the Episcopal Church, it was not possible for him, even after careful consideration, to accept women in the role of priest, since they could just as little become priests “as they can become fathers or spouses ".
Private life
John Maury Allin was married to Ann Allin and they had four children.
Web links
- Obituary in the New York Times , accessed June 20, 2015
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| John Elbridge Hines |
Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church of the United States of America 1974–1985 |
Edmond Lee Browning |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Allin, John Maury |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American clergyman, head of the Episcopal Church in the USA |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 22, 1921 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Helena, Arkansas |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 6, 1998 |
| Place of death | Jackson, Mississippi |