Henry N. Parsley
Encyclopedia
Henry Nutt Parsley is the Episcopal Bishop
of Alabama
, with his seat at the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama
. He is also Chancellor
of the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee
.
Henry attended the Porter-Gaud School
, an Episcopal school in Charleston, South Carolina
.
In January 2006, Bishop Parsley was nominated for Presiding Bishop
of the Episcopal Church, and came in second in balloting to Katharine Jefferts Schori
during voting at the General Convention of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America
in Columbus, Ohio
.
On February 12, 2010, during his address at the 179th annual convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama, Bishop Parsley announced his plan to retire as diocesan bishop on December 31, 2011.
for two years (1996-1998), before becoming diocesan bishop in 1999. He is the tenth Bishop of Alabama, and oversees 92 parishes, eight campus ministries, and several institutions that serve some 35,000 Episcopalians in the diocese, which encompasses the northern two-thirds of the state. In January 2006, he was nominated for Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, coming in second in balloting to Nevada's Bishop Katharine Jefferts Shori during the General Convention of the Episcopal Church held that summer in Columbus, Ohio.
Bishop Parsley serves his undergraduate alma mater as Chancellor of the University of the South, the titular head of the institution, serving on the Board of Trustees and on the Board of Regents. He has been a preacher on the Protestant Hour (now Day 1) and active in many outreach ministries of the Episcopal Church including serving on the Board of the Presiding Bishops Fund for World Relief (now Episcopal Relief & Development). He served as a deputy to General Convention in 1982, 1985 and 1994. He is married to the former Rebecca Knox Allison (Becky). He and Becky are the proud parents of Henry III, a realtor who lives with his wife in Boone, North Carolina.
Known as a moderate in the wider Church, Bishop Parsley is highly respected among his peers in the House of Bishops, where he serves as Chair of the Theology Committee, and as a member of the Planning Committee. He has chaired the Standing Commission on Stewardship and Development since 1998 and the Church Pension Fund's Abundance Committee since 2001.
Bishop Parsley announced his retirement, effective at the end of 2011. The new diocesan bishop was elected in July, and will be consecrated on January 7, 2012.
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Alabama
Episcopal Diocese of Alabama
The Episcopal Diocese of Alabama is located in Province IV of The Episcopal Church and serves the State of Alabama with the exception of the extreme southern region, including Mobile, which forms part of the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast....
, with his seat at the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
. He is also Chancellor
Chancellor (education)
A chancellor or vice-chancellor is the chief executive of a university. Other titles are sometimes used, such as president or rector....
of the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee
Sewanee, Tennessee
Sewanee is an unincorporated locality in Franklin County, Tennessee, United States, treated by the U.S. Census as a census-designated place . The population was 2,361 at the 2000 census...
.
Henry attended the Porter-Gaud School
Porter-Gaud School
Porter-Gaud School is an independent coeducational college preparatory day school in Charleston, South Carolina. Porter-Gaud has an enrollment of some 870 students in grades 1–12 and located on the banks of the Ashley River...
, an Episcopal school in Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
.
In January 2006, Bishop Parsley was nominated for Presiding Bishop
Presiding Bishop
The Presiding Bishop is an ecclesiastical position in some denominations of Christianity.- Evangelical Lutheran Church in America :The Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is the chief ecumenical officer of the church, and the leader and caretaker for the bishops of the...
of the Episcopal Church, and came in second in balloting to Katharine Jefferts Schori
Katharine Jefferts Schori
Katharine Jefferts Schori is the 26th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church of the United States. Previously elected as the 9th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Nevada, she is the first woman elected as a primate of the Anglican Communion...
during voting at the General Convention of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America
General Convention of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America
The General Convention is the primary governing and legislative body of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. With the exception of the Bible, the Book of Common Prayer, and the Constitution and Canons, it is the ultimate authority in the Episcopal Church. General Convention...
in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
.
On February 12, 2010, during his address at the 179th annual convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama, Bishop Parsley announced his plan to retire as diocesan bishop on December 31, 2011.
History
Henry Parsley was born in Memphis on October 29, 1948, son of the Rev. Henry Nutt Parsley and his wife Barbara. He attended the Porter-Gaud School, an Episcopal college preparatory school in Charleston, South Carolina. He received his undergraduate education in English literature at The University of the South (magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, 1970), and his Master of Divinity from The General Theological Seminary (1973). He has studied at Oxford University in the areas of spirituality and soteriology, and received an honorary D.D. from the University of the South (1998) as well as a D.D. from General Theological Seminary (1998). He served in a number of parish churches in South Carolina and North Carolina and was for five years headmaster of a parochial school. His last parochial assignment was as rector of Christ Church, Charlotte (1986-1996). Bishop Parsley served as Bishop Coadjutor of the Episcopal Diocese of AlabamaEpiscopal Diocese of Alabama
The Episcopal Diocese of Alabama is located in Province IV of The Episcopal Church and serves the State of Alabama with the exception of the extreme southern region, including Mobile, which forms part of the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast....
for two years (1996-1998), before becoming diocesan bishop in 1999. He is the tenth Bishop of Alabama, and oversees 92 parishes, eight campus ministries, and several institutions that serve some 35,000 Episcopalians in the diocese, which encompasses the northern two-thirds of the state. In January 2006, he was nominated for Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, coming in second in balloting to Nevada's Bishop Katharine Jefferts Shori during the General Convention of the Episcopal Church held that summer in Columbus, Ohio.
Bishop Parsley serves his undergraduate alma mater as Chancellor of the University of the South, the titular head of the institution, serving on the Board of Trustees and on the Board of Regents. He has been a preacher on the Protestant Hour (now Day 1) and active in many outreach ministries of the Episcopal Church including serving on the Board of the Presiding Bishops Fund for World Relief (now Episcopal Relief & Development). He served as a deputy to General Convention in 1982, 1985 and 1994. He is married to the former Rebecca Knox Allison (Becky). He and Becky are the proud parents of Henry III, a realtor who lives with his wife in Boone, North Carolina.
Known as a moderate in the wider Church, Bishop Parsley is highly respected among his peers in the House of Bishops, where he serves as Chair of the Theology Committee, and as a member of the Planning Committee. He has chaired the Standing Commission on Stewardship and Development since 1998 and the Church Pension Fund's Abundance Committee since 2001.
Bishop Parsley announced his retirement, effective at the end of 2011. The new diocesan bishop was elected in July, and will be consecrated on January 7, 2012.
External links
- The Episcopal Diocese of Alabama official website
- Henry Parsley at BhamWiki.com